2551 Book(s) Related to demonic master of mount kunlun chapter 35

(From the series of Witchy World, created by HunnieBahm.)

The Kingdom fears my wrath, but I’m currently hiding in a bush watching a clumsy, honey-colored wolf chase moths.

She is nothing like the powerful beasts of my realm; she trips over her own paws and smells like coconuts and mangoes. I should kill her. She reeks of magic, a witch in wolf's clothing. But when I sneak up behind her, she doesn't attack. She pees herself in fear.

"A WITCH!" I sneeze. Instead of ripping her throat out, my wolf, Aldrerix, wants to lick her face. She’s a dark witch, my sworn enemy, yet she’s the only thing my soul craves. I tricked her into thinking all wolves mate casually. She has no idea she just agreed to be the Demon King's maid... and his fated mate.

In the aristocratic wolf realm, Fiona, the daughter of the Marquis, endures a life of torment hidden behind the facade of nobility. Subjected to severe abuse by her stepmother, Fiona contemplates suicide but clings to her mother's dying words about a mysterious prophecy and her duty to survive.

When Fiona reaches the age of sixteen, she realizes that Arvis Windard, the son of the duke's family and the future alpha, is her destined partner. The Marquis and the Duke's families agree to arrange their marriage once Arvis completes his training in the Elf kingdom. Unfortunately, Fiona's once stunning appearance deteriorates due to ongoing mistreatment. By the time Arvis comes back, Fiona has changed so much that she is hardly recognizable.

Arvis rejects Fiona, revealing that he has found someone more compatible. According to the pack rules, Fiona gets expelled from the pack following the rejection and starts her new life as a rogue.

After leaving the wolf kingdom, Fiona finds herself in the demon realm, encountering the most powerful and ancient demon lord, Aphellios, who initially dismisses her as inconsequential and agrees to her suggested demise. But fate intertwines their paths as Fiona becomes a maid in his palace.

Arvis harbors ambitions for the Elf princess, the guardian of the Moonstone. The Demon Lord's ultimate goal aligns with Fiona's mate, creating a complex web of alliances and betrayals.

However, Fiona's resilience and charm soon pique Aphellios's interest as he grapples with conflicting emotions and a shift in his life purpose.
Amidst familial abuse and a twisted past, Fiona navigates a perilous journey, hiding her true identity and facing the Demon Lord's scrutiny.

As the prophecy is unveiled and people's hearts irreversibly become fixated on Fiona, where will it lead her?

Arya was a witch in hiding. Her whole coven got murdered by vampires six months ago, and she was the only survivor. She moved into a university hostel to live a normal life, pretending to be a regular student. No magic. No danger. Just classes and maybe a cute guy.

Then her roommate Zoe started acting strange.

Zoe talked in her sleep with a deep voice. She wrote symbols on the walls in marker. She stared at Arya with eyes that flickered red. Arya tried to ignore it, but she couldn't. One night, Zoe stood over her bed and said, "I know you're a witch." The demon inside her was named Raze, and he wanted Arya's help to open a portal to hell.

Arya didn't have time to process this before Dorian showed up. Dorian was a vampire prince, tall and cold and annoyingly handsome. He said he wanted to stop the demon. But Arya quickly realized he had his own agenda. His vampire council wanted to capture Raze and use the demon's power to control all witches. Dorian was supposed to use Arya and then discard her. But he didn't count on catching feelings.

The story followed Arya as she tried to save Zoe, resist Dorian, avoid Mira (her traitor ex-best friend who was now hunting her), and find a spell that could trap Raze without costing her magic. There were fights in dorm hallways, almost-kisses in laundry rooms, betrayals that made her question everyone, and a final choice that broke her heart.

In the end, Arya performed the sacrifice spell. She trapped Raze. She lost her magic. Dorian promised to protect her forever
The next morning black veins were crawling up her arm. Raze wasn't gone. He was inside her now. And he was smiling.

In the Shadow Realm, beings of the Light and the Darkness alike walk the marble-paved streets of Echelon, a city hidden from human eyes and ears where Mystics of every class are free to unmask and live as they please.

The city's heart beats like a heavy metal drum line and debauchery flows through its veins like blood. Music, sex, and drugs overflow from the numerous clubs and into the streets at most hours.

Malfizan, the powerful son of a desire demon and a minor goddess, serves both the court and Echelon's shady underbelly as the not-so-secret head of the city's most famous crime syndicate. Malfizan commands a hoard of demons and demi-gods who assist him in terrorizing human kind in the name of punishing them for evil done unto the Mystics.

He finds his thrilling life halted, suddenly, when Alchimia Nethi moves into the Palace and begins training to take over the city when her mother's reign ends in a few short decades. As fledgling Mystics centuries before, the pair had been class rivals.

Now, faced with the burden of befriending his least favorite enchantress in order to gain her trust and earn permission to resume normal activities, Mal struggles to hide the call he feels deep within his soul to reveal to Chimi that the Gods have declared her to be his soul bond and are pressing him to push for a marriage.

"I'm your slave, right?"

"Yes, you are my slave!"

"You don't need to ask, you just need to give orders, Master!" She said as she stood up and accepted Lucas' request to dance on the dance floor.

"Instead of dancing like this, I would rather see you dancing erotically in front of me."

"Erotic dancing?"

Lucas brought his face closer to Lyra's ear and whispered. "I've prepared a special room, so you can do it in front of me. How about it? Are you willing, my slave?"


Lyra became Lucas's sex slave for three months after her husband, Jonathan Smith sold her at an auction attended by 20 wealthy men and Lucas Schneider was the man who managed to win her at the highest price.

Handsome, cool and charismatic, Lyra doesn't deny that she is fascinated by the mysterious side of Lucas who reminds her of her childhood friend who was killed by a wolf in the forest.

Lucas, who looks cruel, but treats her like a queen who is pampered with luxury and gifts makes Lyra fall in love with him. Until an obsession emerged to make Lucas her own.

However, her obsession was destroyed after finding out who Lucas really was, he is a demon werewolf and after the contract with Lyra was over, Lucas would marry his mate, Vivienne.

Can Lyra make her master fall in love with her? Or will she give up after finding out that Lucas is a figure from the past she deliberately forgot?

This is a story of Demon King and a weak slave girl resides in the state of ‘Vim’. A Dark, black power was the legacy of the Prince of the Black World who had been asleep for a long time.
After ten years, Prince of the Black World awakens from his eternal sleep and begins his journey to reclaim his power, and then he meets a strange girl who had gained control over this power but this was unbearable for her existence.
He was captivated by her in a single glance. She was his soul mate; he had to kill her to gain power. First he tried to kill her but then he fell in love with her but he couldn’t protect her. She was on the verge of passing out when he attempted to touch her. He needs to lose his power in order to keep her alive.
Will he able to do that?
Or would he abandon her and let her pass away?
A strange and lovely love story about a demon king and his obsession.

My online BDSM master is my boss?


"My perfect little sub," he murmured huskily against my lips, his voice thick with desire as he continued to explore the depths of my mouth with his tongue. He reached over to turn off the running water. In a smooth motion, he effortlessly lifted me and settled me onto the slightly elevated sink.
"Raise your shirt." his voice was a low command. I complied without hesitation, lifting the fabric slowly until it gathered just below my belly button.
My pussy was in full view now and he stared at it, appearing completely enamored by my body.
"Now, hug your legs," he directed firmly.
I took in a deep breath and followed his instruction, pulling my legs in and forming them into a shape M that exposed my most intimate self to him.


In this very spicy but intriguing novel, Levi and Isabella navigate a delicate balance between professional expectations and hidden desires when they discover their online BDSM connection is with each other. As they delve into a complex dance of power, betrayal and intimacy, they find solace, healing, and unexpected love in each other's arms, transcending the boundaries of their professional lives. But what happens when an unexpected enemy comes into the picture? Can Levi protect the woman he loves most in the world or is it all about dominance to him?

Kai Zang only plays trash games. So when an old forgotten game asks him to pick a difficulty, of course he chooses Hard Mode.

Now he's trapped in Veridia with a floating system screen and a smelly, talking beast that won't shut up.

The system says he can go home—but first, he must tame 34 beasts of increasing rarity.

It didn't say how hard.

It didn't say how long.

And it definitely didn't say the beasts would fight back.

Warning : 21+

Eli was raised by her abusive family who treated her like a slave, instead of a child who deserved love.

Provoked by the constant physical and mental torture she received, Eli attacked her father and almost killing him.

Realizing that she had made a fatal mistake, Eli, who was trying to escape from her house which she considered hell, was hit by a car carrying James Huntington, a young doctor who was the last heir to 'The Huntington' business empire.

As a form of responsibility, James paid all of Eli's medical costs until she recovered. However, Eli, who experienced severe trauma and was unable to communicate properly, forced James to take her back to his mansion.

James' kindness and gentleness were the trigger that for the first time made Eli feel truly loved. But that actually became the beginning of Eli's crazy obsession.

Xander Miller is long in the game. She's a rare type of repulsive being... A reason he felt some sort of joy when she was brought to his abode. He knows just how to bend her type of steel.

Hell-bent on bending her to a point of exhaustion and submission, she either work on getting out of the Academy alive or run very far away.

However, both options seems too far-fetched? Especially when she can see the way he looks at her when he thinks she's not watching. The heat in his gaze. The hunger. He can deny it, but he wants her. She wants him too. What happens when a dirty secret got out, threatening their blossoming love?

Embark on this adventure through space, in the chronicles and in this great galaxy in this series of explorers, space tales from a distant galaxy, in the Empire of Desires, amidst fairy tales from space.
That great adventure surrounded by mysteries, dragons in space, tales of magic and seduction.
Tsuki is the greatest detective in the world, even though he is in the middle of his negotiations, his travels, even with the same trips he took at that time, informing that his secrets and mysteries, at that time, with each of his loves, now that he had great power.

Now, both Tsuki, who is a hero of a stellar organization, is involved in games of power and seduction, embarking on a game of power, control and intrigue, exploring the cosmos, amid tales where they are always playing with their bodies.
Between lords of the cosmos, deposed in the middle of the galaxies, in which many mafiosos who declared war for the universe, expanded and controlled the power undermining the forces of their enemies, leaders of the international mafia who showed off and showed off their power, then spread it with power games.

Tsuki is now increasingly immersed in the midst of encountering galactic forces, in the midst of embarking on stories through the cosmos, meeting the beings of the dark waves of passion, terror, seduction, in the midst of the adventures of couples in the city, countless forms of love, in the midst of stories of sexual encounters, humans, men of the night, vampires, ... He is meeting cosmic lords, beings from the galaxies, space witches, werewolves throughout the cosmos, involved in the stories of aliens and succubi, involved in their love encounters and pleasures, and their intrigues and adventures in high society and among the inhabitants.

"Under the full moon and before the pack, I, Damian Sandiego, reject you, Laura Steven, as a mate." He declared.

Rejected in front of the pack and in front of Arla, she was heartbroken and felt shattered. Damian used to love and cherish her, till the arrival of the very pretentious Arla. She was forced to leave the pack after her rejection.

Little did she know that her decision would make her cross paths with the three Alphas. How was she supposed to choose between the three men who were all important parts of her life?

“I just gave you pleasure,” Valen skited like it was a great achievement to boast about. He felt no guilt for his earlier sin.
“I did not ask you to.” I retaliated. It was wrong of me to fall victim to his allure. It was purely Zeus’ fault. His wolf was nicer.
“You like it though.” His voice was low and throaty with a triumphant grin. Damn his ego! “You didn’t want me to stop before.”
Blood rushed to my face and I blushed in shame as he stared at me. I stretched for a pillow and sailed it at him. He caught it with a devious chuckle.

Alpha Prince Valen, the next in-line to be Alpha King, has been Raina's crush since childhood. For years she yearned for the attention that he never gave. She was ecstatic when Valen turned out to be her mate. He was hers.

Sadly, something’s wrong with the mate bond. The old books refer to them as unfortunate soulmates. This implied that the bond would never last.

Forced to reject her and sever the bond, the painful separation exposed Raina to numerous challenges and dangers. A glimpse of the future has left her torn between the desire for her mate and the doom of their fate.

Will Raina and Valen have their happy ending or did the moon goddess have something else in store for them? Should she fight for her mate or let the course of destiny unfold? - Find out as Raina embarks on a journey filled with heartache, revelation, and an uncertain future.
^-^
This is Book 2 from the Mates series. Can be read as a standalone, however, to understand the characters, you might want to read Book 1 - Mates: Regrets and Redemption
© All rights reserved.

"I don’t love you," I murmured.
He set his wine aside and stood up. Slowly, he closed the distance between us, gently touching my chin with his fingertips. His gaze lingered on my lips before locking with my eyes.
"I don’t love you either, Princess, and I have no intention to."
He said these words with complete coldness and sat back down, which enraged me.
"Then why fight in a tournament for my hand? Is it just because I’m a princess?" I shot back.
"You are a Lancaster Princess, and I need a worthy heir."
"I hope my womb stays as dry as the desert sands, Commander."
He stared at me, and I caught a flicker of rage in his dark eyes, but he quickly hid it, replacing it with his cynical smile.
"In that case, we would have to try many times, my dear, until your womb is no longer so dry. I’d try for the rest of my life, even," he replied maliciously.

In a tournament for Princess Helena Lancaster’s hand, she finds her fate intertwined with John Chase, a fearsome commander and warrior. With a peculiar personality, he was everything she despised—possessive, audacious, authoritative, and overwhelmingly dominant. And he was the one most likely to win the tournament for her hand.
But John Chase was much more than just the commander of Crow Isle. He harbored a dark secret that would change her life forever.
An island full of mysterious men with their own secrets and conflicts, and she was destined to become their lady. Soon, Helena would discover that a great danger lurks on the island. Could she trust her husband to protect her?

"You can't desire me, Ethan. I'm not good for you."
"Are you denying the fire between us?" His voice was low, rough with restraint. "I want you, and you want me. Our wolves want each other. I may have hated your kind, but that won't stop me from claiming you right here and now. Strip."
Being half human was something Lyra could never fully accept. To make matters worse, her fated mate is none other than Ethan—the ruthless werewolf feared as a beast. Some say her blood is the only thing that can keep him in check. Others whisper that her existence could change the destiny of all hybrids like her.
Under the silver glow of the moon, desire and danger collide. When Ethan's fangs sink into her skin, their bond ignites a war neither of them could have imagined.
In a world divided by blood and power, love might be the most dangerous instinct of all.

I never knew my blood could kill a king—until I met one. Sebastian, the ruthless and immortal King, rules with precision. For centuries, he's ruled with ruthless precision, his heart as cold as the stone throne beneath him. One moment, I'm nothing. The next, I'm his obsession. His touch burns like ice fire. His stare follows me through shadows. And when he feeds from me—God help me—it feels like drowning in darkness and craving more. He tells me my blood is unlike any he's tasted, that my scent drives him to the edge of madness.


He reached for the back of my head and pulled me up just enough to reach my neck. When his fangs slid into me, the pain was instant, electric. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t think. My hands found his shoulders, clawing for something to hold. My legs kicked. Tears streamed down my cheeks.

He moaned against my throat as he drank, and the sound was devastating.

Esme, a werewolf and the runt of her triplet trio, who feels inadequate compared to her siblings, especially in a society that values physical perfection. After years of bullying from her brother Enzo and the pack, Esme runs away to escape her painful existence. During her journey, she confronts her feelings for her former friend Jason, who has become a part of Enzo's cruel circle. Eventually, after putting herself in harm's way while shopping, Esme realizes that neither Jason her true mate, nor her family will protect her, ultimately leading to her decision to leave the pack behind for a new life. As she navigates her new world, she meets Rex, a bear shifter who offers her a safe haven, igniting feelings of hope and potential friendship. However, her past continues to haunt her, particularly when Jason and her brother Ezra begin searching for her, laden with regret and determination to bring her back.
Esme goes through feelings of self-worth, betrayal, and the struggle for personal freedom in a world that has consistently failed to accept her.

"I’ll keep you alive. Even if you hate me till your last breath, Aiden."

"Keep me alive? You’re dragging me straight to hell! My exams, my life, even the right to drink a damn coffee in peace，you’ve wrecked it all!"

1820, under a blood moon. Alpha King Aldrich watched his pregnant mate die, his kingdom burn. Rescued from the executioner’s block by rogue wolves, he dug his nails into the dirt and swore: every debt would be paid in blood.

The Great Red Moon Prophecy had promised him an heir，the strongest Alpha to ever walk. He’d believed it. Gambled everything. And lost.

Centuries later, in a London café, final-year nursing student Aiden chugs coffee over his finals notes. One step from his white coat, until a man named Aldrich walks in and drops a secret that makes his hands shake.

"You’re half-werewolf." The man’s voice is ice. "And you’re the one from the prophecy. The ‘strongest’."

Normalcy shatters like his coffee mug. Aiden only knows this: since the man arrived, the weirdness haven’t stopped—wolf howls outside his dorm, emotions spiking out of control, strange eyes watching him from the shadows.

He hates Aldrich. Hates the chaos, hates the weight in his eyes, hates the flicker of something unfamiliar in his own chest.

But when the first threat，claw marks, bloodstained，appears on his dorm door, when he finds his mother’s "accidental death" wasn’t an accident, Aiden has to face it.

Some fates won’t stay buried.

Shadows from 1820. Fangs hidden in modern streets. All of them are hunting the "strongest",hunting "him".

Aldrich says he won’t lose again. But as Aiden stares at the centuries-old king’s back, shielding him from the dark, he can’t help wondering—

What did he lose, all those years ago?

And why… "him"?

"I want her as my new mate, not like the 99 temporary mates who ran away after failing the bond; I want to have her as my real mate."
The Hollow King’s demand echoed through the Moonstone Pack’s hall. For years, Demon Deacons had been a man of steel and shadows, a ruler who discarded women as easily as he won wars. But when his gaze locked onto the masked, red-haired woman dancing in chains, the air shifted. He didn’t see a stripper or a slave; he saw the one the moon had promised him.
Alpha Leonard sneered, gesturing toward the woman as if she were a piece of rotting meat. "She is a stripper, nothing more. She is a curse. You can choose anyone else and I will give them to you, but not her, Your Lord. She is nothing but misfortune."
"Misfortune, yet you keep her as a slave," the Hollow King replied, his voice dropping to a dangerous, low growl. "If you do not give her to me, prepare for war."
Aurora had long ago accepted her fate as the Moonstone Pack’s living currency. Sold into degradation by her own father to secure his rank, she had lived in enforced silence, her wolf sealed by dark magic. She was the pack's greatest shame and its most profitable entertainment.

Now, she is being traded once again this time to the most feared man in the territories.
Aurora doesn't expect love from the Hollow King. She expects to be used and discarded like the ninety-nine who came before her. But as she enters the Hollow Dominion, she realizes Demon Deacons is not looking for a toy; he is looking for a Queen. In the heart of a kingdom built on brutalityy

This is the story of the most powerful warlock, Alexander's who has set himself on a mission to find his father's twin brother Arthur who cruelly killed his whole family along with his lover to become the most powerful warlock. Alexander is set on finding the mythical 18 relics of Goddess which are hidden somewhere in this world so he could revive his dead lover Daniel and his both elder siblings. His overly possessive elder brother Aadam and his overly protective and caring, sister Aleena. Trying to find the secret of Arthur's death which only his parents and elder siblings knew he stumbled upon a growling mutt who was claiming him to be his mate? A mate which Alexander never wanted and ran off at the sight of. He never believed in mates, as in the world of witches they choose their life partner themselves. The overly protective, hell possessive and crazy Alpha Damian wants nothing in the world but his mate only. Who has been waiting for his mate since he turned 18. Alexander tried hard to run away from this growling mutt but somehow destiny always made him stumble across the domineering alpha. Alexander was broken and Damian wanted to mend him but how will he do that when his mate isn't ready to give him a chance. Alexander had decided there's no place in his heart for anyone else except for his dead lover Daniel whom he wants to bring back to life. No one can take his place, be it mate or not, while the mutt seems to can't keep his hands to himself. Alexander was a total spoiled brat who was in for nothing more than a one night stand while Damien wanted him all for himself. Now how will their story bloom?

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF VICE (Book #3 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, follows a fresh lead for her abducted daughter. It leads to a violent confrontation with The Collector—which, in turn, offers more clues that may, after all this time, reunite her with her daughter.Yet at the same time, Keri is assigned a new case, one with a frantic ticking clock. A teenage girl has gone missing in Los Angeles, a girl from a good family was who duped into drugs and abducted into a sex trafficking ring. Keri is hot on her trail—but the trail is moving fast, with the girl being constantly moved and with her abductors’ single, nefarious goal: to cross her over the border with Mexico.In an epic, breathtaking, cat and mouse chase that takes them through the seedy underworld of trafficking, Keri and Ray will be pushed to their limits to save the girl—and her own daughter—before it is all too late.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF VICE is book #3 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #4 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF MURDER (Book #2 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter. Encouraged by the new lead that has landed, the first in years, she pursues it with all that she has, determined to find her daughter and bring her back alive.Yet Keri, at the same time, receives a phone call from a frantic husband, a famed Beverly Hills plastic surgeon, who reports that his wife has been missing for two days. A wealthy socialite with no enemies and little reason to leave her life, he fears the worst has become of his wife.Keri takes on the case, assigned a new partner whom she hates, as Ray still recovers in the hospital. Her investigation leads her deep into the elite Beverly Hills world of the idle rich, to encounters with lonely housewives, and those with shopping-addicted, empty lives. Keri, in over her head in this world, becomes increasingly puzzled by the conflicting signals: did this woman, with a stalker and a lurid, secret past, run away, or was she abducted?Or did something far more sinister happen?A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF MURDER is book #2 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #3 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense. A TRACE OF HOPE is the final book in the Keri Locke series, bringing the series to a dramatic conclusion.In A TRACE OF HOPE (Book #5 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, is closer than she’s ever been to finding her daughter. Finally, she gets a fresh lead—and this time, she will do whatever it takes to bring her home alive.At the same time, a new, urgent case is assigned to Keri: an 18 year old girl has gone missing after being hazed by her sorority. As the race is on to find her, Keri plunges deep into the world of pristine college campuses, and comes to realize that all is not what it seems.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF HOPE is book #5 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.In A TRACE OF CRIME (Book #4 in the Keri Locke mystery series), Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, follows a fresh lead for her abducted daughter. She winds her way through a twisted underworld, and step by step, she gets closer to finding her daughter.Yet she has no time. Keri is assigned a new case: a dad calls from an affluent community and reports that his teen daughter vanished on the way home from school.Shortly after, ransom letters arrive. Twisted, filled with riddles, they make it clear that there is little time to save the girl. They also make it clear that this is the work of a diabolical killer who is toying with them.Keri and the police must scramble to find the kidnapper, to understand his demands, to decode the letters, and most of all, to outwit him. But in this master game of chess, Keri may find herself up against a foe even she cannot understand, and for the missing girl—and her own daughter—she may just be too late.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF CRIME is book #4 in a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #5 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)From #1 bestselling mystery author Blake Pierce comes a new masterpiece of psychological suspense.Keri Locke, Missing Persons Detective in the Homicide division of the LAPD, remains haunted by the abduction of her own daughter, years before, never found. Still obsessed with finding her, Keri buries her grief the only way she knows how: by throwing herself into the cases of missing persons in Los Angeles.A routine phone call from a worried mother of a high-schooler, only two hours missing, should be ignored. Yet something about the mother’s voice strikes a chord, and Keri decides to investigate.What she finds shocks her. The missing daughter—of a prominent senator—was hiding secrets no one knew. When all evidence points to a runaway, Keri is ordered off the case. And yet, despite pressure from her superiors, from the media, despite all trails going cold, the brilliant and obsessed Keri refuses to let it go. She knows she has but 48 hours if she has any chance of bringing this girl back alive.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, A TRACE OF DEATH marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.“A masterpiece of thriller and mystery! The author did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side that is so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. The plot is very intelligent and will keep you entertained throughout the book. Full of twists, this book will keep you awake until the turn of the last page.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re Once Gone)Book #2 in the Keri Locke series will be available soon.

Arianna Deeds world is turned upside down when she goes the angel academy. In a world with vampire, werwolves, and fallen angels are the least of her concerns, when demons try to take over earth. A thousand year treaty broken and a vampire virus running wild. Angels are becoming extinct. She must learn her powers or die. Will Arianna discover what's happening to the angel's or will she be next?

My mother in law hated me so much cause I couldn't bear her son a baby eventhough my husband and I have spent six years in marriage. She desperately wants my husband to divorce me so she and my bestfriend set me up to be f*cked by a stranger. When my husband heard of this, he mocked me and divorced me.

While painfully dragging my luggage out of his house, I saw my pregnant bestfriend carrying her luggage inside my husband's house. Turns out my husband has impregnated my bestfriend. I cried blood and left the city.

Seven years later, I became a popular Surgeon General and now have beautiful triplets by my side. But I was deployed back to my city cause my medical skill was most needed. In a twist of fate, I got married to an handsome solider.

Only after I resumed work did I find out that the soldier I just married is the five star General, leader of every military units in the country plus he was by far the wealthiest man in the country.

I'm just a single mother trying to create a better life for my three kids, now that I found myself entangled in his cold and ruthless world, how will I survive? And how will I explain to him that I do not know how my triplets bore the same resemblance with him?

She was meant to end him. He was meant to break her. But some forces are older than hatred, stronger than vengeance.... and far more dangerous than love.
Captured and enslaved by the Silvercrest Pack, Princess Myra has only one goal: destroy the pack and leave it in ruins.
But from the moment Alpha Arthur's icy gaze settles on her, her world spirals into darkness.
As she plots his downfall, Myra suddenly finds herself swept into a dangerous web of power, deception and a passion that was never meant to be.
What happens when the line between love and hate blurs, and she realizes that the greatest threat isn't him.... but herself?

"State your business so I can leave soon."

"Really? Is that how you greet the person you haven't seen in a while?"

The moon princess crossed her arms against her chest. "I don't bother to greet that person at all. Consider yourself lucky."

"Didn't know the moon princess could contain that much spite."

"What can I say?" She lowered herself onto the ground. Now their height difference was much more apparent. "You... inspire me."

"Inspire you?"

"Yes," She smiled sweetly.


There's two things that strikes Talia as she starts reading the book of her past—Lukas was a reckless son of Helios, Ajaxson was the son of Ajax who's head over heels in love with her while she was a moon princess desired by both of them. To add a Greek Goddess Hera made it impossible for her to stay happy with Lukas. It was just not written in the stars.

"You belong to the Demon Kings. They are coming for you. You can't be with any man other than both of them Sabrina!"


Sabrina earliest memories of her childhood since she was four, was seeing her mother perform various rituals whilst she sat in a circle and watched like a loyal dog. Countless number of times her mother would remind her of her fate which was to be the predistened queen of Ashrea.

Twenty years later, Sabrina thinks she has the perfect life sort out for her--a well paying job, a fiancè and a bright future in the press industry where she worked.
Her mother's words were forgotten and seen as insane rambling.
Well not until the day two god like men showed up out of the blue claiming to be her mates and they were fully going to claim what was rightfully theirs-----their demon bride.

‘Did you hear?’
‘Is that in the news?’
‘Yes, the demon and angel race will be together in one school.’

I stopped walking when I heard that, demon race? I looked at the large wall that was blocked on the side of the building.

it was a large concrete wall that separated the building of the demon and angel race within the campus. I just shrugged.

This world contains angels and demons. Originally angels and demons were really enemies because of their origins.

but everything changed when the God who kept the ‘world balance’ abandoned this world, which leads to both races in chaos.

After that both sides formed a truce and they both live happily ever after- just a charot joke. The truce was only formed because unknown species suddenly appeared.

It appeared when God abandoned us. That unknown species killed a lot of demons and angels, as long as they’re all black with red eyes. (Just like enderman in minecraft but red eye axle)

They are called the corrupted species. .no one knows where it came from, so both sides formed a truce to fight this species.

Trigger Warning: This book is a dark Werewolf/Human sensual romance with high explicit sexual content.

As a nursing student, Aria, a half hybrid werewolf, had always played by the rules until the people she trusted most tore her apart.

First, her cousin sister who she was entangled with. Then her own boyfriend who she caught fucking the same cousin.

Heart shattered and pride bruised, she swore she’d never be anyone’s fool again.

But when Dr. Damien, the devastatingly handsome billionaire gynecologist who also happens to be her lecturer gazes at, in an attempt to explore every inch of her body.

Aria realizes there are far more dangerous things than heartbreak…

Like wanting a man she shouldn’t.

And letting him touch her in ways that leave her breathless in class and sleepless at night.

Dr. Damien Sinclair, a brilliant, yet cold gynecologist on the other hand, has spent 500 years on earth, haunted by the night his black demon wolf slipped loose and slaughtered a family in his brother’s pack.

Since then, he has lived in exile, believing only his fated mate could tame the monster within.

But when he found his human mate Ginny and married her, he realised she could only soothe his beast but not tame it.

Until Arie, one of his posted students and nurse.

Now his demon wolf wants her and he would do anything to make her his.

What began as reckless self-redemption is becoming an obsession.

And neither of them is certain they want it to end

You... you plan to send me to those beasts?" The lady stuttered in fright, squirming on the floor.

"It is your honor as the princess of Ashford," the king asserted.

"But I am not the princess," she yelled in desperation.

"You said I was chosen to keep the real princess away from the public because she's sick. Your Highness, I didn't sign up for this. You cannot hand me over to those beasts. They want the princess, and I am not her," Abigail pleaded.

You will go to Nightfall Kingdom as the princess of Ashford, as demanded," the king declared firmly, sealing her fate.
"Take her away," he instructed the guards.

Madelyn Amenadiel's fate is sealed when the Moon Goddess mates her to Kieran Cormac, the ruthless pack leader responsible for slaughtering her family and burning her pack to ashes. Kieran Cormac cruelty knows no bounds as he brutally claims Madelyn's virginity, imprisons her in a dungeon, and only summons her to satiate his wolf's desires.

Fate had other plans for Madelyn as she escapes only to wonder into the rumored brutal and feared Lycan King who turns out to be her mate too.

Scared and scarred with wounds that run deep—the betrayal of her kind. Trust is not a luxury Madelyn can afford, when she finds out she is pregnant she sought to keep it from her new mate. But nothing is hidden under the sun forever.

What will Madelyn do? Keep the impossible secret from the Lycan King or give him the benefit of the doubt and tell him.

After telling him will he continue to love and care for her or cast her aside? When the power hungry Kieran Cormac finally finds out about his heir will he wage war against the the Lycan king in order to claim his child?

"What you loved, my fair lady. wasn't me, but an illusion, a lie you were so eager to believe". his smile didn't reach his ears as he looked at her, noticing the amount of pain and betrayal her face carried.

"Can you say that you still love me? The real me, with all my ugliness? can you still look over everything I've done to you and say that you love me?". He searched her eyes, hoping to find even a shred of love left in them. But just as he expected, there was none for he had destroyed it all with his own hands.

"And now what?"

"Now, It is Goodbye...", He said as he placed her on the ground, "Go back to your life, the one you had before me. Forget the the beautiful lies, forget the monstrous truths, forget me and live."

Taking few steps away, she watched him carefully, afraid it might be but another trap, seeing he didn't make any moves towards her, she turned around, ready to leave but she felt his iron grip back on her arm before she was pulled into a desperate, bittersweet kiss.

Born as an illegitimate daughter of the King, sent away to live among the priests, Sara had a dull and meaningless life, believing she was a hidden disgrace, a black page in her father's honorable history, but her life was turned upside down when she decides to look for some answers about her true identity, and she finds herself in a journey of love, survival, secrets and heartbreaks, especially when she falls into the clutches of a demon lord who tells her she is the quill that would write the rest of their world's history...

Disclaimer : I don't own the cover

Warning: This book contains mature content

"You know, don't you?"
I took a deep breath. His gaze was still on me. "What do you mean—"
"Don't play dumb," he cut me off, and I swallowed.
"I..." I paused and stared at the ground. "I don't know much... I don't know yet."
"Do you know who I am?"
I shook my head. "I know you're not normal." I looked up. "But I don't know why."
His eyes flashed silver as I tried to read his expression, but came up empty.
"I know your eyes change color because of your emotions. But I don't know what it means."
As the room fell silent, he averted his gaze.


On her first day on campus, Rayline Hale, an average girl just starting college, never thought her world would change. That's when she meets Cole Spencer, a handsome young man who seems to be every girl's walking nightmare. With his cold stare and mysterious aura, Cole is a young man unlike any other.
But behind his frightening appearance, Cole hides a secret that Rayline cannot understand. He is no ordinary man. This is the beginning of an adventure that will change Rayline's entire life. He opens the door to a world far beyond her imagination, where supernatural creatures roam and ancient secrets shroud human reality.
The deeper Rayline digs for clues, the clearer the hidden truth becomes. But the closer she gets to Cole, the stronger her feelings for him become. The love that grows between them seems magical, though Rayline is terrified. How can she love someone who is not human?

I have spent years living in the Underworld, a place of unending darkness where evil flourishes and evil is born. Returning to the Human Realm was supposed to be boring. My intention was to go unnoticed through this fragile world. And yet, all it took was him to shatter my plans.
A single human. That darn little prince. He always made it sound like I was a burden. With his small face and brownish puppy eyes, he did resemble a doll.
I felt a sudden surge of heat as his manhood, thick pressed against my thigh intensified. It was as if his body had responded to our closeness, and I could feel him growing harder. As we kissed, I felt myself getting lost at the moment, lost in the sensation of his lips on mine, his body pressed against me.

“When darkness sweeps in, an unlikely bond ignites.”

Avaris, a young nobleman betrayed and orphaned by those he trusted, faces death at every turn. His dark thoughts, driven by a desperate need for revenge, call forth Dyvian, a very powerful demon that has been dormant for years.

Dyvian grants Avaris's wishes, but at a steep price. However, their encounter causes an unexpected connection, binding their fates and weakening Dyvian's demonic powers.

Dyvian has to face his inner demons as his strength weakens. Now linked to Dyvian, Avaris must contend with a threat to both his and Dyvian's lives as Dyvian is forced to bring Avaris into his world of darkness.

Amidst the darkness, a forbidden attraction blossoms.

[WARNING: MATURE CONTENT] A woman with a phobia of men and a Demon Prince trapped inside a robot's body…
After finding out that she only has a month left to live, Zarina, a rich businesswoman in her twenties, decides to spend all of her hard-earned money and buy everything she lacks - a hot boyfriend, a love life, and a great sex life.
But there is a big obstacle to that - her severe phobia of men.
She ends up purchasing a realistic and hot as hell robot boyfriend to solve that problem. But upon it's arrival, she was shocked when the robot claims he is not a perfect boyfriend but a sex robot!
And the plot twist did not stop there. Unbeknownst to her, someone is actually trapped in the robot - and it's a demon prince.

Excerpt: “Are you sure about this, Zary?” He grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him.

“Answer me," his voice became demanding, so unlike her usually naughty and playful Sam. “Because the moment I’m side you, you’re mine.”

"Is she the blue moon witch?" He asked in an indifferent tone, looking down on the green-eyed princess, whose hands were tied behind her back.
"Yes, sire." Answered one of the bandits who had abducted her just the day before.
The man had a bored expression on his face, as he placed his elbow against the armrest of his throne, and rested his chin against his curled-up fist.
"Have her cleaned up and brought to my chambers, make sure to keep her tied up so she won't run away." He ordered in a lax tone and shooed them away with one hand gesture.

When they were finally alone in his chambers at night, he granted her the privilege to ask one question only, and thus she asked;
"Who are you?"
"I am the slave, and you are my master."

Set in the time of an unforgiving war, every King was willing to do just about anything to protect his territory, make the most unreasonable choices and provide the needed sacrifice to stay alive.
Princess Elena, who had just turned eighteen found herself caught up in the middle of her country's politics, fated to wed the son of an influential kingdom, all in the name of strengthening her country's defense forces.
However, during her journey to her new life, her carriage is hijacked by some unknown bandits and the princess is abducted against her will.
She was bound to a demon king

"You summoned me, little librarian. Now you'll learn what it means to belong to a demon."
Mireya Ashcroft's life is already in ruins. Betrayed by her fiancé who stole her research to advance his own career, abandoned by her family who chose her perfect sister over her, and framed for a crime that destroyed her reputation---she has nothing left but her job shelving books in Ashenvale's oldest occult library.
On the blood moon, desperate to prove her stolen research was real, she performs what she believes is a harmless historical ritual. Instead, she tears open the veil and summons him.
Azraeth, the Demon King. The destroyer of armies. The nightmare whispered about in celestial temples and witch covens alike. Imprisoned for five hundred years by angels who feared his power, he emerges from his prison with vengeance burning in his eyes and an ancient hunger that nothing can satisfy.
Except the mark is now burned into Mireya's skin, binding her soul to his. And the binding wasn't random---it was prophecy.
As angels descend to execute her for the forbidden summoning and witches hunt her to steal the demon's power, Mireya discovers three shattering truths: her "ordinary" life was a carefully constructed lie, the mark awakening something dangerous inside her that tastes like chaos and shadow, and Azraeth doesn't just need her to survive his weakened state---her blood is the key to breaking the curse that's slowly killing him.
But accepting her dark power means embracing the monster inside her. And falling for the Demon King means becoming the villain in everyone else's story.
The angels called her a mistake. Her family called her worthless. Her ex called her forgettable.
The Demon King calls her his salvation---and his damnation.

"I wanted to see you."
The deep groan escapes from his lips and I find myself getting lost in his voice.
"Ever since I saw you last night, I haven't been able to sleep."

I feel giddy with excitement. Asher has finally given in to the fact that he is my mate. He came to my bedroom because of me and he just admitted to the fact that he hasn't been able to sleep because of me. The all powerful Demon king Asher Ray hasn't been able to sleep because of a common Omega just like me. The thought of it is already warming up my insides.

He reached for my towel and loosened it, letting it fall to the ground. I moaned when his fingers trailed down my cheeks and landed on my already hard nipples. I arched my back towards him with closed eyes...

Alexia Lincoln is a 23 years old young lady. She is a weak Omega of the Moon Crest pack. There is one thing she has been asking the moon goddess for.

A mate.

Her parents and siblings have been humiliating her for being mate-less for so many years. She would always sit in the garden at night, looking at the moon begging for a mate.
One fateful night, the Moon Crest pack was attacked by the knight Moon pack. One of the most powerful and deadly packs.

That was when she discovered her mate to be Asher Ray.
But it seems her mate is a really cold one, and even doesn't care about her at all...

Asher Ray is the Demon Alpha of the Knight Moon pack.
He is fierce and dangerous, his name caused panic to every pack in the Northern part. He attacks and erases any pack out of existence that is against him.
He is an extremely handsome man but due to his demonic appearance, his handsomeness could be hardly noticed.

He carried Alexia to his pack when he discovered she was his mate.
Ever since he takes her to his pack, he never seems to care about her, he only comes to her chamber to have sex with her.
Hatred and anger grew in him when he noticed the way she was with his brother Fred.

He rejected her as his mate when something happened...

"I, Torey Black, Alpha of the Black Moon reject you."
His rejection hit me instantly.
I couldn't breathe, unable to catch my breath as my chest heaved up and down, my stomach churning, unable to hold myself together as I watched his car speed down the driveway and away from me.

I couldn't even comfort my wolf, she immediately retreated to the back of my mind, prohibiting me from speaking to her.

I felt my lips wobble, my face scrunching up as I attempted to hold myself together but failing miserably.

Weeks had passed since I last saw Torey my heart seeming to break a little bit more as the days went by.

But lately, I found that I was pregnant.

Werewolves pregnancies were much shorter than a human's. With Torey being an Alpha, it cut the time down to four months, whereas a Beta would be five, Third in Command would be six and a regular wolf would be between seven and eight.

As suggested, I headed to bed, my mind full of questions and wonders. Tomorrow was going to be intense, there were a lot of decisions to be made.

Only for ages 18 and older.---Two teenagers, a party and the unmistakable mate.

At the dawn of human civilization, beings from another planet land on Earth. At first, they seem friendly enough, promoting peace and sharing their incredible magic with the habitants of their new world. While human in appearance, Dragonians have the ability to transform into the towering beasts we know today as dragons. Carving out a canyon, they create their capital and claim their own piece of land. After a terrible tragedy during the birth of the Dragonian king's son, they begin enslaving humanity, imposing despotic rule over their new home. As the dragons' hold on the land surrounding their black castle begins to tighten, the king's allies begin to question his motive, and his sanity. In the middle of a plot against the king and his rule is a young, untrained prince; a hero some don't believe exists. As he becomes more and more entwined with those plotting for change, he must open himself up to learn what he's missed his entire life. Soon, he will learn what it truly means to be free, and what it means to fight for those who cannot.

Cassandra Vale has built her world on perfection. Elegant, untouchable, and always in control, she knows that in high society appearances are everything. But when whispers of betrayal threaten to unravel her carefully constructed image, she needs a distraction fast, one so scandalous that no one will dare question her again. Enter Damian Cross. He is reckless, magnetic, and every bit the trouble her world despises. The last man she should ever be seen with. Yet when he offers to play her doting lover, Cassandra cannot refuse. The arrangement is simple: act the part, silence the gossip, walk away unscathed. But nothing about Damian is simple. Behind his dangerous grin lies a loyalty she never expected, and behind Cassandra’s perfect mask lies a loneliness she can no longer deny. What begins as a game for the cameras blurs into something neither of them can control. In a world where every glance is judged and every whisper cuts deep, Cassandra must decide if protecting her image is worth losing the only man who makes her feel alive. Because some lies, once spoken, become the truest thing of all.

“You are a good slut, right?” He asked and I nodded my head.

“Then, I order you to kneel and suck.” I obeyed instantly, taking his dick into my mouth.

“Such a good boy.”


Callan, after being kicked out of the house by his parents because he was a gay. He found shelter in the arms of his boyfriend who later turns his life into a living hell. He abused him, raped him and subjected him to his slave slave.

But fate made him cross paths with the owner of the biggest BDSM gay club in the city, Gideon, the master Dom. He helped me discover the true purpose of his life.

Will the Master Dom be his savior and free him from the shackles of his abusive ex-boyfriend?

Young billionaire Geoffrey Smith had it all—until the night his family was torn apart by betrayal and murder by none other than his favorite uncle, Danny Gayle.

Blinded and broken, he vanishes, only to return eight years later with a new identity–Carlton Jaz, an intellectual man driven by vengeance. But amid the web of deceit lies a love he had been waiting to embrace his whole life—with Tiana Banks, the girl who saved him with the M3 vaccine the night he was supposed to be killed by a dangerous chemical weapon.

Unbeknownst to him, Tiana Banks is right in front of him, working in the same company, but neither recognizes the other as they now look different from eight years ago and now have new identities.

Worse still, an accident robs Carlton of his memory just as he uncovers Tiana’s new identity as Mia. The storm between love, loyalty, and revenge reaches its breaking point. With billionaire heir, Roy Meyers hell-bent on making Mia his woman, she battles her own heart while Carlton fights to reclaim the life, love, and justice stolen from him.

In a world where secrets are inevitable, betrayals, the order of the day, and love the ultimate test, will Carlton triumph?—Or will he lose his love as a price for revenge?

A tale of love, power, betrayal, and redemption, ‘Beyond The Facade’ is a gripping saga of endurance and determination where every choice could mean triumph—or tragedy.

As I excitedly walked out of the clinic with the pregnancy test results, eager to share this incredible news with my husband, I stumbled upon him and my best friend making love passionately in our bed!

“How could you do this to me! I’ve done so much for you, and you slept with my best friend Michelle! What’s going on between you two?”

I roared, throwing a pretty cushion at them both.

“You filthy little bitch! I don’t know what I ever saw in you!”

He yelled at me, jumped up, and slapped me hard across the face, drawing blood from my lip.

At that moment, I felt utterly hopeless. I decided to leave this place, leave these two scumbags, and start a new life somewhere new.

But my wicked husband, like a persistent ghost, found me again and haunted me. Oh God, what am I supposed to do to escape this miserable life!

Amie's wolf hasn't shown herself. But who cares? She has a good pack, best friends and a family who loves her. Everyone, including the Alpha, is telling her she is perfect just the way she is. That is until she finds her mate and he rejects her. Heartbroken Amie flees from everything and start over. No more werewolves, no more packs.

When Finlay finds her, she is living among humans. He is smitten by the stubborn wolf that refuse to acknowledge his existence. She may not be his mate, but he wants her to be a part of his pack, latent wolf or not.

Amie cant resist the Alpha that comes into her life and drags her back into pack life. Not only does she find herself happier than she has been in a long time, her wolf finally comes to her. Finlay isn't her mate, but he becomes her best friend. Together with the other top wolves in the pack, they work to create the best and strongest pack.

When it's time for the pack games, the event that decides the packs rank for the coming ten year, Amie needs to face her old pack. When she sees the man that rejected her for the first time in ten years, everything she thought she knew is turned around. Amie and Finlay need to adapt to the new reality and find a way forward for their pack. But will the curve ball split them apart?

She saved his life. He gave his heart to the wrong woman.

Years ago, Evelyn—a fierce and loyal she-wolf—risked everything to save a broken stranger. That stranger was Alec, the destined Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack.
But when he rose to power, Alec claimed her conniving stepsister, Miriam, as his fated mate… mistaking her for the one who'd saved him.

Shattered by betrayal and silenced by pride, Evelyn vanished into the shadows of her heartbreak. In the Silver Pine Pack, she rebuilt herself—stronger, wiser, and untouchable—rising to the rank of Beta under the watchful eye of Alpha Callum.
Her past was behind her… until it crashed into her world once more.

When Alec appears at a summit, their bond reignites—and so does the truth. As Miriam’s lies unravel, Alec will stop at nothing to reclaim the woman he should have never let go.
But Evelyn isn’t the girl he lost—she’s a warrior now, with scars he helped carve and a heart that refuses to be broken again.