9010 Book(s) Related to the way i used to be book 2

Seren Han was just another broke student eating instant noodles and mocking bad romance webnovels online—until a ridiculous accident killed her mid-rant.

When she wakes up, it’s inside the very story she was criticizing. Worse, she’s not the heroine destined for love, but Seren Nightwind, the villainess omega fated for rejection and disgrace at the Mate Ceremony.

And then comes the System.

Quests. Penalties. Ridiculous missions like “Laugh at the heroine” and “Seduce the Alpha.”

Every command pushes her closer to ruin, but refusing carries consequences she can’t ignore.

Trapped between the Moon Goddess’s script and the System’s threats, Seren has only one question:

How do you survive when the story itself wants you to lose?

Sold to Be Loved by the Mafia Prince is a dark, emotionally charged New Adult romance set in a world where power is inherited, trust is a weapon, and love is the most dangerous game of all.

When seventeen-year-old Malia sacrifices her freedom to save her father, she is thrust into the violent world of the Italian Mafia—betrothed to Blaine DeCavalcante, the cold and untouchable Capo Bastone. Held at the luxurious yet haunting Crimson Garden estate, Malia must navigate a new life of control, secrets, and manipulation, all under the watchful eye of her fake fiancé’s double, Marcello.

But Marcello is more than just a stand-in. He’s her shadow, her tormentor, her unexpected comfort—and the one man she can’t figure out. As she battles fear, growing attraction, and the terrifying reality of her arranged future, Malia begins to uncover truths buried beneath Mafia loyalty, violent legacies, and the twisted lines between love and possession.

Told in alternating points of view, Sold to Be Loved by the Mafia Prince blends psychological tension, emotional vulnerability, and slow-burning obsession. It's a story about identity, power, and the impossible choice between surrendering to your fate—or rewriting it from the inside.

This is not a love story.
This is a war.
And the battlefield is her heart.

My younger sister, Freya, was preparing for her advanced training in New York the following week, so she dragged me to the dance studio to help her correct her movements. I put on my dance shoes as usual and stood in the center of the floor, ready to demonstrate a turn.

The moment my foot slipped, I didn't even have time to react.

My body hit the ground hard, and the sharp pain from the back of my head nearly made me lose consciousness. I lay on the cold floor, my throat tight, unable to even cry out for help.

When Mother rushed in, she didn't spare me a glance.

She immediately helped Freya up and took her to the hospital. I missed the critical window for treatment and died on the way to the hospital.

In a world where magic demands perfection, Elara Voss has always been the forbidden flame, her wild, untamed power a dangerous secret that no coven rule can contain.

When she collides with Cael Draven, a devastatingly handsome human scholar whose very presence should shatter magic, everything changes. Instead of chaos, his touch awakens a breathtaking harmony: her power stabilizes into radiant beauty, glowing threads of fate binding them in ways no ancient law can explain.

As a dangerous coven hunt forces them into hiding, Elara and Cael discover they are far more than outcasts, they are the missing pieces of an ancient, passionate destiny. In moonlit glades and enchanted ruins, their slow-burning connection ignites into something fierce and undeniable: stolen kisses that spark starlight, protective embraces that make the world tremble, and nights where their bodies and magic entwine as one.

But the deeper their forbidden love grows, the more powerful forces rise against them. With jealous rivals, ancestral spirits, and a ruthless coven closing in, Elara must decide: cling to the world that rejected her, or surrender to the man who makes her feel truly whole and risk everything for a love written in the stars.

In a tale of fated mates, sensual magic, and heart-pounding adventure, one wild heart and one steady soul will rewrite the rules of their world... if their passion doesn’t consume it first.

The earth is suddenly invaded by aliens who call theirselves the Daegi causing humanity to fight and prevent their extinction, when peace treaty is signed between the two forces, humanity realises that there could be another upcoming war and the race to surpass their limits begin.

Roshan faces bullying and disgrace due to his lack of abilities and strength, but one day, he stumbles into a ditch and finds a book which granted him access to unimaginable power and unparalleled strength, pushing him into a universe of strange possibilities.
With each passing day, he undergoes profound transformation evolving him into a being of pure power, a weapon of mass destruction above the limits of humanity.
However, as Roshan’s abilities begin to grow, so does the dangers that surround him. Roshan realizes soon enough that the Daegis were merely pawns in a much dangerous scheme, now as the strongest human on the planet, Roshan must stop the extinction of his race.
As Roshan begins to fully understand and discover the secrets of the system’s creation, he also begins to uncover the hidden truths of his own identity.

Follow Roshan as his journey takes him through deadly territories, uncharted plains and the terrifying abyss of the unknown, each pathway bringing him to unlocking the System’s true potential and becoming like a god.
Would he be able to cling on to his humanity, harness his powers, build up organizations, forge alliances, and still protect those he loves or will the prospect of becoming a god lead him to a dark path of no return?

To pay off my father’s debt, I married a wheelchair-bound vampire duke’s heir.
He couldn’t hear me or answer, so I told him everything—my heartbreaks, humiliations, and deepest secrets.
I thought no one would ever know.
Then one morning, he regained his hearing and asked, “Who did you say you had a crush on last night? Say it again.”

The love story you fell for continues in Secretary to Sweetheart Book Two.
Don’t miss the beginning — start with Secretary to Sweetheart Book One today.


Why do we cling to what harms us?
Helena is desperate, she needs money to pay off her mounting debts as she has been orphaned and must take care of her younger brother who frequently falls ill.
A position as a presidential secretary at INDUSTRIAS ALLER S.A. could change her life, but Helena never thought that an essential requirement would be having to endure the daily presence of the company's CEO, Sebastián Aller, eldest son and heir to almost all the wealth, as well as being an arrogant and narcissistic ogre.
Helena's desire for a better life will intersect with Sebastián's desires, who rejoices in the fact that his wealth will increase by entering into an arranged marriage with his new European wife, until a new clause in the contract that his lawyer forgot about appears as a stumbling block. Sebastián fears not being able to fulfill this new requirement, risking losing everything and leaving his envious and resentful younger brother Alan as the new CEO, who will stop at nothing to destroy his life.
Will Helena be the one to help Sebastián fulfill this clause?
Helena does not know how far she will go to ensure her brother has a better life.

She's pregnant with my brother's baby. And if he doesn't marry her, I will.


It was Austin’s turn to seething with rage. “You are not aborting that child.” His voice echoed menacingly, animosity lingering in the air around them.

My body, my rules.” She shot back with an unbothered shrug.

“I don’t think you have much of a choice.” He barked. The idea of marriage and children had never crossed his mind. It wasn’t a part of his life plan. “I’d chain you to a bed for the entire nine months if I have too.”

She blinked, stupefied that he thought himself capable. “I think you forget who you are speaking too, Austin.” She pronounced his name with disgust. “You cannot scare or manipulate me into following along with your ideas.” Marriage? To Austin Demon Cyner? Now that was a delusion. “A stupid one at that.” She added, eyeing him meticulously.

“Marry me, Skylar. It’s a win-win; a marriage of convenience.” He’d cleared his throat and was taking long strides towards her. Suddenly the room felt too small to contain the sheer size of him.

“I severely dislike you, though. What am I winning exactly?” her feet were traveling backwards, unwilling to have her standing up too close to him.

“A stable home for your child,” the sound of his shoes tapping rhythmically in her ear “Our child.” He added on quickly, his voice low, compelling her to agree.

“I don’t recall you being in the room when it was made.”


Check out another story in the same collection: His Tempting Captive

After we divorced, I went to a psychiatrist when I felt that I needed to be fixed. The doctor said it was called Stockholm Syndrome, the violence that had bound me for the past three years had to end immediately, but my ex-husband Andrew always chased me everywhere.

"Do you really think I paid a million dollars for you to come here and mop the floor?"" My master, Alpha Devon said. He settled onto the couch, one hand resting on the cushion while the other playfully gestured for me to approach.


I am Aray, just 18, a possession of the most formidable alpha. "To me, you're nothing but a breeder, " his words sliced through me. I had long known that my love for him was hopeless and foolish. However, I was naïve to think that was the end of the story.

“I, Layla Lecruest, reject you Alpha Sebastian of the Red Moon Pack as my mate.”
Alpha Sebastian lifted his head. His thick hair blew back as the door to the house opened and a wind swept in.
“I, Alpha Sebastian of the Red Moon Pack, accept your rejection.”
Yes, it hurt to be rejected. Your mate was the one person in the entire world that was meant for you and the stories I had heard were glorious. Like the only two pieces of a puzzle, you find each other and become whole. You will never love anyone as you love your mate. And you never got a second chance. It was very rare, and I had just rejected mine.
Layla Lecruest, is a fierce, brave, and strong-willed girl who never cared about fitting in but neither did she plan to stand out as much as she did. Believing to be a normal wolf, the daughter of a former Beta, she never thought herself to be special. Little did she know that she held a gene that many believed to have been gone for a long time.
When she finds out that her mate is the Alpha who spent his life tormenting her, they quickly reject each other on the spot. Unbeknownst to them, Alpha Kade was on his way and would turn everything upside down as her second chance mate. The notorious Alpha Kade was famous for his strength and his ability to lead his pack. He earned respect wherever he went and when he arrived at the Red Moon Pack, he swore he wouldn't leave without his mate.
What happens when Layla finds herself stuck between her former and current mate as well as a pack of wolves with superior powers who thought she belonged to them? And what happens when another, even bigger secret is revealed?

"Whether you like it or not, you were meant to be mine"

.....
Aria West has always lived an ordinary, quiet life. She prefers books over people and solitude over attention. When a new transfer student, Elias Voss, arrives at her school, he immediately stands out—tall, brooding, and impossibly handsome. But there’s something off about him. His sharp gaze lingers too long, and he seems to know things about her that even she doesn’t understand.

Then, one night, everything changes. Aria stumbles upon Elias in the woods, shifting into a wolf beneath the full moon. As secrets unravel, she discovers she is not as human as she believed. A hidden power awakens within her—one that ties her fate to the mysterious world Elias comes from.

But in a world of ancient laws and dangerous alliances, her newfound identity could mean life or death. And Elias may be the only one who can protect her… if she can trust him. But he is so possessive and terrifying

In my past life, when the apocalypse broke out, I braved the pressure and opened the fortress gates to take in my mother-in-law and brother-in-law, who had nowhere else to go.
They shoved my wife and me straight into a horde of zombies.
My wife and I were reborn seven days before the apocalypse. I turned my head and saw the same fear and coldness surging in her eyes as mine:
"This time, don't open the door."
"Never." I smiled coldly.
Not only would I keep the door shut—I would watch with my own eyes as those bloodsucking ingrates, who had drained me dry in my past life, were slowly devoured by hunger and despair right outside the gate.

“Sophie Love's ability to impart magic to her readers is exquisitely wrought in powerfully evocative phrases and descriptions….FOR NOW AND FOREVER is the perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan) “A very well written novel, describing the struggle of a woman (Emily) to find her true identity. The author did an amazing job with the creation of the characters and her description of the environment. The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews, Roberto Mattos (re For Now and Forever)FOREVER AND FOR ALWAYS is book #2 in the romance series THE INN AT SUNSET HARBOR, which begins with book #1, FOR NOW AND FOREVER—a free download!35 year old Emily Mitchell has fled her job, apartment and ex-boyfriend in New York City for her father's abandoned home on the coast of Maine, needing a change in her life. Tapping her life savings to restore the historic home, and with a budding relationship with the caretaker, Daniel, Emily prepares to open the Inn at Sunset Harbor as Memorial Day comes.But all does not go as planned. Emily learns quickly that she has no idea how to run a B&B. The house, despite her efforts, needs new, urgent repairs she cannot afford. Her covetous neighbor is still determined to make trouble for her. And worst of all: just as her relationship with Daniel is blossoming, she learns he has a secret. One which will change everything.With her friends urging her to return to New York City and her ex-boyfriend trying to win her back, Emily has a life-changing decision to make. Will she try to stick it out, to embrace small-town life, her father’s old house? Or will she turn her back on her new friends, neighbors and life—and on the man she has fallen in love with?FOREVER AND FOR ALWAYS is book #2 of a dazzling new romance series that will make you laugh, make you cry, will keep you turning pages late into the night—and will make you fall in love with romance all over again.Book #3 will be available soon.

Lola learned eight years ago that sometimes survival means leaving everything behind.

She fled El Paso after her drunken stepfather, Octavio Lopez, crossed a line he could never take back—and after her mother chose to stay with him anyway. Since then, Lola has built a new life in Nowhere, New Mexico, surrounded by the Son’s of Doom MC, the women of the Devil’s Den, and the family she found for herself.

Including Emilio.

As Vice President of the Son’s of Doom, Emilio is dangerous, infuriating, and impossible to ignore. For years, he and Lola have fought, flirted, and fallen into bed together whenever the tension became too much.

Sex was easy.

Feelings were never supposed to be part of the deal.

But when Lola’s mother dies and Octavio appears at the funeral after eight years, half drunk and just as cruel as she remembers, Emilio stops pretending Lola is only someone he sleeps with.

One insult makes him throw the first punch.

One confession changes everything.

Maybe you not being mine is the fucking problem.

Lola knows sleeping with Emilio is one thing. Loving him could cost her far more. He isn’t some man she can walk away from if things fall apart. He is family, Max’s vice president, and woven into every part of the life she fought to build.

But Octavio didn’t come back into her life alone.

He has gang ties, knows far too much about the Son’s of Doom, and may be more dangerous than Lola ever realized.

She escaped him once.

This time, Emilio has no intention of letting her face him alone.

Two women have gone missing in two weeks: the first, found dead, was slashed and dumped in a back alley in Boston. The second was discovered by a child in a Swan Boat Ride. As fear intensifies, Hunter, the head of the FBI Behavioral Unit, calls his star criminal profiler, Tracy Wrenn, to help on the case. Even though she had plans to become engaged that evening, Tracy quickly cancels her plans and rushes to Boston to help. A beautiful, young professor of criminal psychology, Tracy has become renowned for her success at cracking cases no one else can. With her unusual insights and unique point of view, she is relentless at probing the inner minds of murderers. When a third woman goes missing, and when Tracy finds herself in danger, everything intensifies. In a shocking turn of events, Tracy finds out more not only about the killer, but about herself--and learns that nothing is what is seems.Book #2 in The Killing Game will be released soon.

"Sophie Patterson. Don't you dare walk away from me." Logan's menacing stare bore at me. I suddenly didn't feel drunk anymore. I sobered up quickly.

"What, Logan? You're gonna tell me that you suddenly love me again? That you're here to sweep me off my feet? Please! I didn't need you all this time, and I don't need you now." He clenched his jaw, fisting his hands.

"Enough. Stop being so damn stubborn. You know I do. I love you. I never stopped loving you, Sophie. It was always you."

I left my hometown hoping to never see him again. I left with his baby still inside of me.

Seven years after, and here I am again. Standing before him and a six-year-old wanting to know who his dad is, and asking me to marry him because everyone in his class but him and his best friend don't have a daddy.

What am I supposed to do with all these feelings that are resurfacing? I'm realizing every day that I never got over him. I merely suppressed my feelings, and his telling me this now- to my face, just made things more complicated.

For seventeen years, Chloe was the Whitmores’ hidden spare daughter. They harvested her marrow, liver and cornea, then plotted to take her heart for their beloved adopted daughter. Fleeing death through a storm, she is rescued by ruthless power broker Victoria Kane. A faint crescent scar unearths a secret: Chloe is Victoria’s long-lost birth daughter. Together, they will destroy the greedy family that fed on her

For Renata, the world of the rich is a place where she will never belong, as everyone, without exception, as self-centered, mean, rude, overbearing, cheating and wicked.
When she leaves the country, she starts working for one of the biggest companies in the world, and although she hates herself for feeling this, she can't keep the bold Italian out of her thoughts, she can't control her heartbeat let alone the butterflies in her stomach every time he's around.
She tries not to want him for 3 reasons:
1 - He is rich.
2 - He is her boss, and
3 - She finds the behavior of this Italian tycoon very suspicious.
The more she tries to stay away, the more he insists on getting closer.
Between them, which will speak louder: love or reason?

That was supposed to be one of the most anticipated days of my life—the wedding of my best friend, Sarah.
But when I put on my bridesmaid dress, she called me a bitch.
"Get out." Sarah looked at me like I was trash.
"I don't want to see you at my wedding."
I stood frozen in place, staring down at the broken Cartier bracelet she had given me, now lying scattered on the floor.

Eight years ago, I left him bleeding in a hospital bed and disappeared without a trace.
It was the hardest thing I had ever done.
It was also the only way to protect the secret growing inside me.
For eight years, I built a quiet life for myself and my daughter, far away from the Trevanti name and the dangerous family that nearly destroyed us. I had one rule.
Never let them find me.
Then I made a mistake.
One bad decision landed me in debt to the wrong people, and before I knew it, I was being sold to the highest bidder.
I expected a stranger.
Instead, Fabian Trevanti walked through the door.
The boy I abandoned.
The man I never forgot.
The only man I’ve ever loved.
Eight years should have been enough to forget him.
It wasn’t.
Not his smile.
Not the way he looked at me.
Not the way my heart still betrayed me whenever I heard his name.
The worst part wasn’t that Fabian found me.
The worst part was realizing I still wanted him.
Because Fabian isn’t the sweet boy I left behind anymore.
He’s powerful.
Dangerous.
Possessive.
And after spending eight years searching for me, he’s no longer willing to accept my excuses or my distance.
He’s never letting us go again.
But Fabian finding me is only the beginning.
A ghost from our past has returned.
A man we thought was dead.
A monster who stole years of our lives and left scars neither of us ever truly escaped.
And this time, he wants more than revenge.
Caught between old secrets, deadly enemies, and a love neither of us managed to bury, Fabian and I are forced back into each other’s lives just as the past comes crashing through the door.
The problem?
The more danger closes in around us, the harder it becomes to remember why I ran in the first place.
And when the truth finally comes out, I might lose far more than my secret.
I might lose my heart all over again.

"We should be doing this," I mumbled, yet I bent my neck for him, giving him better access to it.
"Yes we shouldn't," he answered, but his hands were sliding under my skirt and pulling my panties down.
"If we get caught," I muttered, moaning as his fingers found my slick entrance and he rubbed. My knees shook but he held me against himself with his other hand.
"If we get caught," he repeated. It was as if this had become some sort of game between him and I. Repeating each other's words like this.
"I could be expelled and your job would be taken from you," I completed.
"Yes, that could happen," he answered with a nod of his head. He moved away from me and stared into my eyes. "But it won't happen. We won't get caught. I won't tell, if won't tell."
"I'd be crazy to tell someone," I answered, my eyes searching his.


Vampire x Human. Professor x Student. Steamy x Forbidden love
When your one night stand turns out to be your professor, there's only one thing to do- continue to sleep with him. And that was exactly what Sophia is going to do.
She's faced with a forbidden attraction that's hard to resist until she finds out his dark secret; he's a vampire.
Will her passion overcome the secrets he had been hiding from her or will the shadows tear them apart?

“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.

Melia Bournemouth thought she had lost everything when her father died and a tragic accident left her in a wheelchair.

Her only comfort was her devoted husband, Mathew. But when Melia discovers Mathew is secretly liquidating her last remaining assets to build a life with his pregnant mistress, her grief turns into cold, hard rage.

Desperate for retribution, Melia turns to the only man Mathew fears: Illya Cosgrave, a ruthless and dangerous billionaire with a dark reputation. But as they plot to dismantle Mathew’s empire from the shadows, Melia realizes Illya isn't just a weapon for revenge. He harbors a secret connection to her past that changes everything.

Now, Melia must decide: will she remain the victim, or will she rise from her chair and burn her ex-husband’s world to the ground?

While I bled to death locked in a storage room, my fiancé Adrian was holding my sister's hand, comforting her.

He hung up on my final call for help, leaving only a voicemail: "If anything happens to Lena, the engagement is off."

My sister once said her birthday wish had always been for me to disappear.

That night, her wish came true early.

But my soul never left.

I watched everyone gather around her, singing happy birthday.

As she blew out the candles, I whispered in her ear:

"Enjoy it while it lasts. This will be your last birthday."

I've run a pet rescue shop for five years. I've lost count of the animals I've saved. Around the neighborhood, people call me the good Samaritan of Main Street. My husband, Adam Carter, and I have been married five years, and he's always been gentle and attentive.

It's a rainy night in late fall, and I come across an injured starling in the alley on my way home, its wing broken.

The second I scoop it into my arms, a man's voice cuts through the dark.

"Tomorrow night, eight o'clock. Whatever you do, don't go home. Your husband's going to sneak out with your best friend, and on the road, they're going to hit someone and kill them. Then they're going to run, and they're going to pin it on you."

I look down into the starling's eyes, and the color drains out of my face.

Five years of what I thought was love, and it was just a trap waiting to close in.

A talking bird. Nobody's going to believe that if I go to the cops.

I don't even think twice. I just take the bird and head downtown.

Hiding my identity and marrying an ambitious female celebrity—this is the most boring social experiment I've ever done.
She wants me to leave with nothing.
She gave my family heirloom to that gigolo.
She tweeted that I was "low-class trash".
She didn't know that Hollywood, which she was desperately trying to climb up to, was nothing more than my backyard.
She had no idea that those capitalists she fawned over would all bow down and call me "Mr. Rockwell."
Until that night, she stripped naked, attempting to offer herself to the enigmatic "godfather of capital"—
The leather sofa slowly turned around.
The lights were on.
She saw my face.
“Chloe,” I flicked my cigar ash, “what brings you here?”

In the kingdom of the Alpha King, Janelle, a trusted servant, conceals a burning desire for revenge against her parents' killers. When she discovers her true mate is the prince, her world is thrown into turmoil. Torn between love and vengeance, Janelle's quest for justice takes a dangerous turn as secrets unravel and betrayal lurks at every corner. Will she choose love or succumb to the darkness of her past?

New Powers and Old. A conflict millennia in the brewing. And at the center of it: one man.Michael has escaped the clutches of the Dark, if only temporarily. Surfacing in the world above, he finds matters no less complex than down below and survival as challenging as it had been in the dungeon.Is the harder path the one you must forge on your own?Many want Michael as their ally. Yet more want him dead, and the Dark is not done with him either. Can he find a way to navigate the treacherous waters of the Game and uncover the mysteries about himself?Or will Michael bend to Powers greater than him?Follow him on his epic journey of discovery and find out!PRAISE FOR THE GRAND GAME:“Interesting portal litrpg. Well-paced and the start of a new series. Curious to see where it goes...” —Tao Wong on goodreads.com.“… Great action, great storyline and I honestly binge read it, start to end…” —Alex Kozlowski on goodreads.com.“Smart MC. Great Tension. Full of Action.” —CookieCrumble on RoyalRoad.com.“Everything I look for in a LitRPG.” —CosmereCradleChris on RoyalRoad.com“Oh I liked this very much!” —The Enlightened Beard.“One of the best in this category this year.” —kindle customer.

EXCERPT:

"Rayne stood looking at her reflection in the mirror. Her a pale green ballgown clung to her curves and left little to the imagination. Her jet-black curls are swept up and pinned to her head, leaving her neck exposed. Tonight was the night that most of the unmated wolves in all the North American packs would hopefully find their mates. She was sure all of them were just oozing with excitement.

She was not.

She didn’t want a mate. She didn’t need a mate...."

“...but the sudden scent of jasmine and vanilla hit her nose from somewhere close. That meant only one thing. Her mate was near..."


Rayne met her mate at the Moonlight Ball when she was eighteen, her mate that she never wanted to find, that she never wanted in her life. He showed up out of nowhere. His actions that night unknowingly set her free. She took the freedom he gave her, ran away, and never once looked back.

Now five years later he shows back up in her life after rejecting her five years ago, demanding that she take up her rightful place by his side. He walked away from her after calling her weak. No way was she going to just let him back into her life as if he belonged there. Rayne never wanted a mate, would he being here now change that? Her body and soul beg for him to claim her, yet her heart belongs to another.

Can her mate convince her to give him a chance? Will her lover convince her to stay with him? The Moon Goddess paired her with someone not of her choice, all Rayne has ever wanted was the chance to choose for herself. Who will win? Rayne or the fate that the moon set for her?

For mature readers 18+
Warning for abusive past trauma
Her Returned Mate is Book 1 in the Gathering Shadows Series. Book 2 His Redemption is also available for reading now on Anystories.

After Martina Martinez and Benjamin Walker's breakup, paparazzi captured photos of the business tycoon entering the Walker family mansion with a mysterious woman late at night.

This caused a stir, and this wealthy family was bombarded by various media outlets.

During a phone interview, the gossip reporter asked, "Miss Martinez, how do you feel now that Mr. Walker has a new girlfriend?"

Martina held her painful forehead and looked towards Benjamin, who was adjusting his suit by the floor-to-ceiling window. He gestured for her to come over and help him with his tie.

Holding her phone, Martina responded, "It's... complicated!"

The reporter's heart leaped with joy and asked, "Is it heartbroken?!"

Martina was about to nod, but Benjamin raised his eyebrows and took her phone away.

His deep and alluring voice was heard on the other end of the line, "New girlfriend? Whose?"

"Spread your legs," he commanded.

I obeyed without thinking, opening my thighs to him as he positioned himself between them.

"Are you nervous?" he asked.

"Yes,"

His hand drifted lower, over my stomach, until his fingers found my clit. He circled it slowly, deliberately, watching my face. "Do you like how I touch you here?"

I nodded, unable to form words.

"Use your words, Elena. I want to hear you say it."

"Yes," I gasped. "I like it."

"Tell me what you want, Elena." His fingers continued their torturous exploration, dipping inside me then returning to circle my clit. "Be specific."

I swallowed hard. "I want... I want you inside me."

He shook his head slightly. "Not good enough. Tell me exactly what you want."

My face burned with embarrassment. "I want your cock inside me. Please."


In a world where humans rank at the bottom of a hierarchy dominated by vampires and werewolves, Elena once had it all: a loving family and a devoted werewolf boyfriend.
Then her world shattered. Her stepmother schemed to sell her to a vampire as a blood source, while her boyfriend betrayed her for her roommate, claiming Elena was "too ordinary" and "not wild enough" for him.
Drowning her sorrows in alcohol, Elena encounters a mysterious stranger and shares a passionate night with him.
What she doesn't realize is that her one-night stand is none other than the formidable Alpha leader of the Silver Moon werewolf clan—the most powerful werewolf in existence.

"Please," I gasped. "Don’t stop. Fuck me."

He leaned down and kissed me as his cock sank deep into my deepest part.

I tightened my legs around his waist, overwhelmed by the unparalleled pleasure and the perfect rightness of our bodies joining.


My name was once Eileen—a maid who was burned alive for her mistress’s crimes.

Now I’ve woken up in her body: Vespera Thorne, the cruel noblewoman who stole the Dragon’s Heart and dragged me with her to the stake.

Worse still? The Dragon’s Heart is still hidden in Vespera’s room. And the dragon searching for it? He’s now a beautiful, amnesiac young man named Cassius.

He doesn’t know that when he regains his memories, that cold, ancient god will burn me to ashes because of this deception.

If I want to escape being burned alive, I must complete the Soul Contract with him—so that even after he remembers everything, he won’t be able to kill me.

The problem? I don’t know if the Soul Contract succeeded.

And his attitude toward me has become hot and cold… Could it be that he’s already regained his memories?

⚠️ READER ADVISORY ⚠️

This is not a traditional fantasy romance.

This book explores the darker side of love—built on lies, manipulation, and moral dilemmas.

The female protagonist is not a misunderstood good girl. The story contains deception and forced bonds.

The Wife I Forgot to Love

Helena believed she knew every detail of her marriage: the exact time her husband came home, precisely how long the chicken needed to rest, the sound of Damian’s laughter when something truly made him happy. But there was another laugh—one that was never meant for her—hidden behind a door that never quite closed.

When Helena discovers a photograph that shatters everything she thought she knew about her marriage, the carefully built life she’s clung to begins to unravel in silence. Camila Calloway isn’t just a name. She’s the answer to questions Helena never dared to ask out loud.

As the truth slowly comes to light, Helena must confront not only betrayal but also the part of herself that chose not to see what had been right in front of her all along. With the unwavering support of her sister, Cassidy, and burdened by a past that has shaped her more deeply than she’ll admit, Helena embarks on a journey of heartbreak, resilience, and self-discovery.

This is the story of a woman who learns to love herself before deciding whether she can—or should—trust someone else with her heart again. It is a journey of healing, redemption, and the courage to begin again, where every chapter brings her one step closer to the woman she was always meant to become.

Because sometimes, losing everything is the only way to find yourself.

And in the end, after all the pain, anger, and tears, only one word remains to capture it all:

Always.

"You are mine alone and no one else would have you" Jayden the school's well known bully and an unrepentant playboy shrieked at her and she frowned anger seething through her.

"Point of correction, I would never be yours so get that into your thick stupid skull".

"Get away from me for I have a have a boyfriend who awaits me" Rhoda yelled at him pushing him off and walking away from his sight.



Jayden was the school's head bully. Once you refused to sleep with him, he would bully you till you succumbed.

In Rhoda's case, she was strong headed and refused to be affected by his bullies.

She ignored him and bare whatever thing he does to her as long as he never saw her panties.

She was finally happy she when they entered their final class as would soon be freed from his bully but it looked like the moon goddess hated her and would never let her be happy "so she thought".

Rhoda's world crumbled the day she finally turned 18 and discovered that her boyfriend Luca who had been with her ever since she was 8 wasn't his mate, rather it was Jayden whom she dreaded.

Jayden was grateful as the strong headed girl would finally melt in his hands.

But was Luca who rejected his mate a year ago for his girlfriend ever going to allow Jayden have what was his?

Would Rhoda ever accept Jayden as her mate?

Would Jayden be letting her go just because they might refuse?

Read on to find out in this fantastic novel.

I died on my birthday.

While kidnappers shattered my limbs and violated me to death, my family was throwing a grand party for my sister Chloe—yes, we shared the same birthday, but only hers was worth celebrating.

I called my father for help. He sneered and hung up: "Stop using this pathetic kidnapping stunt to ruin Chloe's birthday."

I called my fiancé Mark. He said with disgust: "If you're going to die, do it somewhere far away."

In the final second before the flames consumed me, I finally understood—

I was never loved in this family.

And now that I'm truly dead, now that they've discovered Chloe hired those men to kill me, now that the truth has been exposed to the world...

Will they regret it?

Or will they, as always, continue to favor Chloe and blame everything on me—the dead one?

BLURB

Ravenna Damon was banished for existing.

Darius Pike crossed the border anyway.

They built something in the wilderness. A home from nothing, a child on the way, something almost close to peace. The Moon Goddess let them have three months before she took it back.

Now Darius is dead. Her child is gone. And the man responsible for both is apparently her second fated mate.

The bond does not care what Caleb Nightshade did. It does not care that Ravenna has nothing left to lose, or that the war outside the dungeon walls is burning everything she ever loved to the ground. It simply exists, pulling at her like a tide, patient and merciless and completely indifferent to her feelings about it.

She has a choice. Survive Caleb or die rejecting him.

Ravenna Damon has never been good at dying.

Mated to the Enemy is the second book in the Blood and Ice series. It contains mature themes, grief, and emotional intensity.

They say the truth will set you free, but what if the truth revealed a darker side of your life you would have never believed existed?

Just when Vanika Merrick was finally getting comfortable with her boring life laden with strange rules, Derion Silber barged into it and turned everything upside down.

From making her break every single rule, to unraveling the mysteries surrounding her life, Derion didn't know he was digging his own grave.

When she eventually remembered who she truly was, he found himself positioned as the target she had vowed to eliminate for the second time.

My name is Noah Brooks, and according to my father, I committed one unforgivable crime…

I was born a girl.

Apparently, that means my older brother, Owen is destined to inherit the legendary Brooks hockey legacy, while I’m expected to clap from the sidelines and pretend I’m not the better player.

Yeah… absolutely not.

So when my brother suddenly can’t play for Blackridge University’s elite hockey team, I do what any perfectly reasonable, mentally stable girl would do.

I steal his identity.

Now I’m living as Owen Brooks, sharing a dorm with twenty sweaty hockey players, hiding in bathroom stalls to change clothes, praying nobody notices my voice cracks every five seconds, and trying very hard not to die every time someone suggests group showers.

Easy.

Except my roommate is Jace Donovan.

Campus hockey god.

Professional pain in my ass.

Certified menace.

And unfortunately… my brother’s best friend.

Jace has an annoying habit of barging into our room half-naked, stealing my food, invading my personal space, and looking at me like he knows I’m hiding something.

Which would be bad enough…

…if I wasn’t slowly falling for him.

Now I’m pretending to be the guy he’s known for years while secretly crushing on him like an absolute idiot.

Even worse?

He keeps getting weirdly protective of me.

The lies are piling up.

The championship is getting closer.

My identity is hanging by a thread.

And if Jace finds out the truth…

I won’t just lose hockey.

I’ll lose him too.

For months, my stepsister Mia stole my taste, my nutrition, and my vitality with a mysterious system. While I wasted away to skin and bones, she glowed brighter, stole my career, and took my fiancé.
She thought she could feed on me forever.
But she forgot her fatal allergy. I turned every meal into her poison.
I starved her system, broke her perfect facade, and took back everything she stole. Now the parasite is dying… and I’m alive again.

Zoe Anthony had one mission: assassinate Alpha Jeremy Dylan, the ruthless monster whose family slaughtered her parents. But when her sniper bullet misses and plunges his little sister into a coma, Zoe becomes the most hated captive in the Lakewood Pack.

Bound and marked to be burned alive, she expects a brutal end. Instead, a single touch from the devastatingly handsome Alpha changes everything.

For twenty-nine years, Jeremy has been frozen by a dark curse—unable to feel desire for any woman. Until Zoe. Her touch is the only medicine that wakes his inner beast.

Spared from the fire but condemned to his torment, Zoe is made his slave. By day, she endures the pack's cruelty. By night, she belongs entirely to the Alpha who vows to break her. But the Moon Goddess plays the ultimate trick: they are fated mates.

When a deadly conspiracy forces Jeremy to pull the trigger on her himself, he thinks he’s buried his problem. He doesn’t know Zoe survived. He doesn't know she's carrying his secret heir—the most powerful Alpha ever conceived. And he certainly doesn’t know that the mysterious, lethal foreign princess entering his pack months later is the very same slave girl returned to burn his kingdom to the ground...

One trigger. Two enemies. A bond written in blood.

She rejected him once. Now she must marry him—or watch her pack burn.
Kira Thorne never wanted a mate. As heir to the Crescent Vale Pack, she's spent her life proving she doesn't need one—especially not Damon Reed, the arrogant alpha whose bond she rejected six years ago. But when a territorial war threatens to destroy everything she's sworn to protect, her father makes an impossible choice: marry Damon to forge an alliance, or surrender their lands to their enemies.
Damon has spent years building his power, trying to forget the woman who shattered his pride. Now she's back in his life—not as his fated mate, but as a political pawn. The mate bond still burns between them, a constant reminder of what could have been. But this marriage isn't about love. It's about survival.
As negotiations turn into dangerous games of power and control, Kira and Damon must navigate a minefield of old wounds, pack politics, and an enemy who wants them both dead. The war they're trying to prevent may be inevitable—unless they can learn to trust the one person they swore to hate.

She was supposed to be powerless.

Everyone told her so: her family, her pack, and society itself.
Ravenna Vale was the mistake, the outcast, the shadow they were all ashamed to acknowledge.

But when her hidden power awakened, everything changed.

The Alpha wants her obedience.
The Council wants her compliance.
Her family wants her silence.

And Ravenna?
She wants none of it.

When a hidden Lycan discovers that she's not only powerful, but also unstoppable, she refuses to bow to anyone.
Not her family. Not the Pack. Not destiny.

She will rewrite the rules of their world.

This is the story of the woman who chose to become the feared Alpha, not the one they wanted her to be.

Welcome to HER reckoning.

Three years ago, my best friend Juliana Pierce was raped and jumped from a twelve-story building. I was there. I saw everything. I know exactly who did it.

Alexander Knight—Juliana's boyfriend, brilliant scientist, the man I've secretly loved for seven years—has spent every moment since hunting for answers. He believes I'm shielding a predator. He's dedicated his life to making mine hell.

Now I'm dying of ALS, and Alexander's dragged my broken body onto his "Memory Judgment Stage" for the world to see. His new technology can rip memories straight from my brain and broadcast them as holograms.

"Tell them who killed Juliana," he shouted.

I refuse. So he cranks up the machine, letting the neural probes tear through my dying brain. My hand shatters. My body convulses. But I won't break.

Until the memories start bleeding out anyway.

And when Alexander sees the rapist's face—Completely loses his mind.

Ten years ago, Mara's older brother disappeared just outside of their hometown. With no clues, everyone believed that he'd just run off. But Mara knew better. She vowed to continue the search.

Despite being called crazy, she believed the local legend about a portal to another world. The Old Oak Archway.

Now, after all these years, Mara has found a way through.

What she didn't expect was to find on the other side was her brother living happily with the Golden Draygons.

Suddenly, Mara is claimed by the King and the portal is closed. She is stuck on a planet filled with dragons and thrust into a struggle for power everywhere she turns.

But, Tohr is determined to win her hand and her heart to keep her with him. Mara quickly learns that when a Draygon makes up his mind, he will stop at nothing to make it happen.

Adults Only, Explicit Scenes, Extreme Violence, Hot Dragon Shifters
The Book of Mara is created by Leann Lane, an E-Global Creative Publishing Signed Author.