8176 Book(s) Related to never outshine the master

When their real daughter came home, my foster parents threw me out like trash.
But before I could even leave, my foster sister pinned a murder charge on me.
I watched the police rush toward me. Then I lifted my foster sister's arm—the one still marked with fresh needle punctures—and smiled at the crowd.
They had no idea who they were dealing with.
Beneath this unremarkable face, I am a once-in-a-century medical genius, a phantom hacker, an elite designer... Even if my birth family lived in the poorest slum in the city, I could give them a life beyond their wildest dreams.
But then, the cheerful jingle of an ice cream truck cut through the chaos.
And a fleet of Rolls-Royces pulled up behind it.
Turns out, my real family isn't poor at all. They might just be the richest people in the country.
Well then. The game just changed.

How ruthless can life be? When you've fallen to your lowest point, what choices are left? Would you surrender, or would you fight if someone's very existence hinged on your strength?

Amber's existence with her stepmother and stepsister was a relentless nightmare. She endured their demands, taking on illicit jobs to save her nephew Chase.

One harrowing night, Amber narrowly escaped an assault by a sadistic patron at the casino; she unexpectedly had a one-night stand with a stranger.

When her job at the casino was gone, Amber faced a desperate decision. She was forced into marrying Stefan Morgan. To her shock, Stefan was the very man from her night of forbidden passion.

Would Stefan learn she was just a substitute bride? What path would fate bring her when Stefan’s identity is revealed?

Every glimmer of happiness in Amber's life seems fleeting. Will her marriage to Stefan alter her fate and bring her the joy she desperately seeks, or will it plunge her into a new realm of suffering?

I know what you are thinking!?
That this is a beautiful Lycan Love story. I am exactly not in the right mood to tell you how absolutely wrong you are.
Beautiful? It's not a word I am sure is related to me. Love? I am not entirely sure if I can say I have ever experienced that. Lycan? I have not even been given the luck of being that. What can I even really say I am? Even I lack the right answer to this question. All I know is that right now, I am wrapped around Jacob's back as he runs through the thick forest, blood trickling down my face, his heart beating so fast like it's about to burst open, and am sure he is probably praying to the mother goddess that we do not get caught as he runs with me on his back.
Me?
I am Number 28. No. That is not the name my mother gave me, it is my identity in the pack I come from. I am a Doulos, meaning Slave. No, I am not a slave actually, I am a slave of slaves. Slaves are permitted to keep their birth names, but Doulos, we are identified by numbers, worst than slaves, servants to slaves. We are the lowest rank of shame in the pack, and I, I am one of them, No. 28.
I may have been free once, a noble perhaps, but that may have happened while I was in my mother's womb, and my father was still alive. But everything changed the day I was born. I was told my father died in battle the day I was born while disobeying the Alpha and leading a thousand plus of the packs finest soldiers to death.
My birth name is Ianna Evar, and this is my story beginning from two weeks ago!

For twenty-seven years, Kael Draven bled for the Empire, conquered its enemies, and became the legendary Black Shogun feared across the continent. On the day of his greatest victory, the Emperor he served, the friend he trusted, and the priests he protected repaid him with betrayal and a public execution.
Instead of dying, Kael awakens thirty-five years in the past as a powerless orphan in a forgotten village at the dawn of the Demon Sengoku Era.
Armed with memories of future wars, hidden treasures, legendary heroes, and the apocalypse that will one day destroy humanity, Kael refuses to repeat his fate. He will claim every opportunity before his enemies, build his own kingdom from nothing, and crush those who once stood over his corpse.
But as history begins to change, Kael discovers a terrifying truth: he is not the only one who remembers the future, and someone else is secretly rewriting destiny from the shadows.
In an age of warlords, demons, ancient gods, and endless conquest, can Kael save the world before it falls, or will his second life lead to an even greater catastrophe?

Do you remember the story of Rapunzel, the long golden-haired girl trapped in a tower.

And do you remember the witch that took her, because of a feud from both siblings. The woman no one knew the tower was originally built for.

What you don't know was that that witch was once a Queen. And across the kingdoms of Arrandelle and Seatopia, jealousy does more than poison hearts between two sisters, it created curses.

When Princess Athalia, driven by envy and desperate longing, forges a forbidden pact to gain beauty and influence, she unknowingly ignites a chain of events that twists love into obsession and ambition into ruin.

The sorcerer’s bargain demands an impossible pact, else she will face destruction. But how long will the result of Athalia’s ambition and jealousy grow?

This is the untold origin of the witch and Rapunzel's parents, reimagined into a darker tale where every spell demands a sacrifice and every fairy tale begins with a sin.

Agatha Gonzales grew up seeking the love and care of a father because even though she had never experienced that with her father, the only thing she always saw was her mother’s suffering at its hands.

Ethan Hernandez comes from a wealthy family and he is an heir. He lives like a prince and is full of his father's love but is no longer with his mother because she has died. He gets everything in life.
In an unexpected turn of events, the paths of the two meet.
Is there hope for the two of them?
What is Agatha willing to do just to be forgiven by the man she loves?
Will they have a happy ending or a tragic one?

Kerri Coleman thought her worst nightmare was divorcing Liam Tate - Hollywood's hottest actor and the man she loved in secret.
But when she exposed their hidden marriage, the world didn't crown her his wife... it crucified her as his scandal. Betrayed, penniless, and hunted by Liam's furious fans, she had nowhere left to turn.
Until she met him.
Arlo Frantz. Infamous mafia boss. The man who claimed he could give her back everything she lost. Fame. Power. Revenge.
But his price wasn't money.
It was marriage.
Now, Kerri must decide: will she risk falling into another dangerous union just to destroy the man who ruined her... or will she lose herself to the devil who wants to own her heart?

Selene Marionette Alvarez was once the devoted Luna-to-be of the West Pack—loyal, kind, and willing to sacrifice everything for love. Betrayed by her mate and her own sister, her life ended under the cold light of the full moon.

But death was not the end.

Bound to a mysterious moon hourglass linked to her bloodline, Selene is sent six years into the past, awakening in a life she no longer lives and a world that has not yet broken her. Armed with memories of betrayal and the truth of her own murder, she returns not as a victim, but as a woman determined to rewrite her fate.

As Selene navigates her second life, she hides her sharp mind and simmering rage behind a familiar mask of warmth and charm. While those around her remain unaware, she carefully reshapes relationships, consolidates her influence, and prepares for the future she knows is coming.

When a new mate—Ryzen Jarren Morwood—enters her life, Selene is forced to confront a question she never expected: can a heart once shattered choose love again?

The Luna Who Reversed the Moon’s Hourglass is a story of revenge, rebirth, and redemption—where fate is challenged, power is reclaimed, and a Luna learns that sometimes survival is only the beginning.

I was kidnapped and sold as a slave, which was bad enough, until I found out that a giant, hairy monster had bought me, claimed to be my mate, and had a crazy one-night stand with me, and I realized that he wasn't human! He was a fucking werewolf? He wanted to keep me as his sex slave! Oh fuck, what the fuck had I gotten myself into? !

I didn't bother that we were at a party and that people might be looking at us when Amber grabbed me and crushed his lips against mine. I kissed him back hungrily, loving the taste of whisky on his tongue. Then Allen pulled me onto his laps and ordered me to do a lap dance for him. I ground myself on him, feeling him get harder as I moved.
A groan escaped from his throat and I smiled, loving the effect I was having on him.Alex's hands played with my swollen core until I could take it no more."Please..." I whispered, craving the pleasures that the three brothers could give me.Nancy, an adopted maid, finds herself unexpectedly entangled and irresistibly pulled to the handsome triplets of the Watt family. Despite the inner inner conflicts warring inside of her, she couldn't deny the growing connection that bound her to each of the brothers.Will she continue to resist the alluring call of passion and love, or will she surrender to the seductive pull of the triplets and become a maid made for them?

Rhaegor's hand slid down to my waist as he pulled me closer, his dark eyes never leaving mine.

"You should run from me, Kristi. Do you know what you're getting yourself into? Once you're mine, there will be no going back."

I opened my mouth to speak, but his hand slid down to my wet and throbbing vulva. I closed my eyes and moaned softly.

Even if I intended to run away from him, he had already claimed my body, and if this was fire, I was already burned.

•••

Kristina's life changes the day her own mother sells her.

Desperate to pay her husband's hospital bills, her mother accepts thirty thousand dollars from a trader and hands Kristina over without a second thought. Passed from one buyer to another, Kristina eventually finds herself trapped in a mysterious estate where every housekeeper disappears on the night of the full moon.

The owner of the estate is Rhaegor, a breathtakingly handsome man surrounded by secrets and danger.

But when Kristina accidentally becomes part of his dark secret, she does the only thing she can. She runs.

But what she does not know is that her blood accomplished what centuries of magic could not. It broke the curse, and not only that, she is carrying his child, and he won't stop at anything to get back what belongs to him.

After dying in a meaningless accident, 28-year-old Korean ex-soldier and amateur chef Seo Jun-Ho is transmigrated into a brutal, merged world where Earth has been fused with an ancient tower system. Humanity is forced to climb endless mysterious Towers that appeared during the Great Collapse.
The world runs on "Essence", a system that rewards strength, crafting, taming, and conquest. Most people struggle just to survive the first 10 floors. Seo Jun-Ho discovers he has a unique "Primordial Palate" trait that lets him cook monsters and magical ingredients into dishes that grant permanent stat boosts, skills, and evolution paths. Combined with his military background and a rare Beast Sovereign class, he begins building something far greater than just personal power.
As floors grow deadlier and ancient secrets awaken, Seo Jun-Ho will cook, tame, conquer, and rise until even the gods of the system tremble before the Beast Sovereign.

"A man like me usually has patience. But with you, I’ve exhausted it all. Everyday, you leave me craving you, needing you in my bed like a mad man. Scarlet, what do you want from me?" He growled, staring deep into her green eyes. "Time." She whispered, her voice barely audible. I don' t have time!" His voice rumbled with slight annoyance and a hint of jealousy. "Your heart is torn between me and Brad, "Brad is my mate, my fated mate. And- "And who am I to you?" He pulled her closer to himself. "You’re mine, Scarlet. Every inch and depth of you is mine. And I won' t let that undeserving boy have you. May the best man win your heart."

Bullied and mocked her entire life, Scarlet always dreamed of the day she would find a mate. Someone to love and cherish her. But on her eighteenth birthday, she was rejected by the boy she was fated to love. Unusual red hair, awkward social life, and a complete nerd, she did not expect to be ever wanted again by anyone. But everything changed when she realized she was given a second chance mate—a lycan prince. Driven by jealousy, her first mate wants her back and the prince would rather die than let her go. Now desired by the two most powerful boys in college, what choice would she make? And how would she navigate her complex love life with them?

I am the Millionaire’s Nanny
I can’t resist him
But the Rule is we can only be friends...

-James bexell, who is this? -he answered as he took small steps.

Luna's boyfriend? - he heard through the line.
He stopped quickly.- Yes? Can I help you?
-Yes, Samuel Atkings. May I ask what kind of deal you have with each other that she left town without telling me? - he asked angrily.
-Listen, you idiot, I don't know what your problem is. I know about you and how you've managed to make Luna's life miserable. I don't care who you are, but don't call back, or her.
He cut the call.


Luna Scaloni's life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes involved with a mysterious but notorious millionaire, James Bexell, CEO and single father. As Luna tries to resist him, she can't help but get caught up in the whirlwind of trouble he brings. His past and present will intertwine in a romance full of conflicts from the past that will lead them to unearth the darkest and hidden side of him.

Mia is a stunning mermaid blessed with the extraordinary power of telepathy — she can communicate with mermaids, humans, animals, and even plants. Her gift is often used to heal and bring comfort to those around her. But everything changes when she is unexpectedly kidnapped alongside her sister, Seila, by the sinister Syrens — terrifying half-fish, half-bird monsters and sworn enemies of the mermaid kind. These deadly creatures thrive on consuming the hearts of men, and now they have set their sights on Mia, who is no ordinary mermaid.

Pregnant with the child of Lucas, a powerful and wealthy Alpha CEO, Mia’s unborn baby is destined to be the most formidable being in both the human and mermaid worlds. As the Syrens close in to capture her and claim her unborn heir, Lucas will stop at nothing to protect Mia and his future child — risking everything in a daring battle against the dark forces that threaten to tear their worlds apart.

Will love and courage be enough to save Mia and her unborn child from the deadly claws of the Syrens? Or will darkness prevail in this epic fight for survival and destiny?

Sia Laurent has spent years building an empire and an icy reputation that keeps everyone at a distance. Love is a weakness she can no longer afford, and trusting a man is the last mistake she'll ever make.

But when anonymous threats turn into deadly attacks, she's forced to accept protection from Julian Cross—a dangerously handsome bodyguard with a notorious playboy reputation and a talent for getting under her skin.

Julian knows Sia is hiding scars far deeper than she lets the world see. The closer he gets, the more determined he becomes to protect the woman who refuses to let anyone in.

As betrayal closes in and old enemies emerge from the shadows, Sia discovers that the greatest danger isn't falling for her infuriating bodyguard...

It's losing him before she finally learns to love again.

Can the Ice Queen trust the only man willing to risk everything for her, or will her past destroy their future before it even begins?

Hanna and Ashlee are twin sisters living in a small town lost in the depths of the forest. Despite their charming appearance and golden hair, the sisters' lives are far from perfect. When their peaceful existence is threatened by a mysterious supernatural presence, the young women find themselves immersed in a world of magic and danger.

One day, when the sun disappears and the full moon illuminates the dark horizon, their paths cross with a guy who seems to be perfect named Edgar. Edgar is known in the magical realms as a fearsome leader with a dark heart. However, when his eyes meet Hanna and Ashlee's, something changes within him. His desire of kill and have the two sisters into his hands, will be just the begging...

The twins discover that their blood hides an ancestral secret and that only they have the power to free Edar from his lycanthropic curse. Together, they must embark on a journey full of obstacles and dangers to find the necessary elements that will trigger an ancient ritual capable of breaking the chains that imprison the real identity of Edgar: a cruel werewolf king.

On their journey, the twins and Edgar will face betrayals, fantastical creatures, and the constant struggle against their own inner fears. Meanwhile, love and trust will become the fundamental pillars that keep them united in this extraordinary adventure.

"The Twins and the Serial Killer" is a captivating story that combines magic and romance, showing that even the darkest beings can find redemption through love and inner strength. An epic journey that will forever change the fate of the protagonists and the magical realms they inhabit.

Daniel was in the lion's den once again, but this time, the lion was hungry and craving fresh blood, it didn't look like anyone would shut its mouth. Worst still, the lion king hates gay, and he wants them eliminated from his kingdom, because of his ongoing curse… Daniel.
.......
King Lazarus stood on his balcony, looking at the crying young man. He couldn't understand why he felt pity for Daniel, but seeing his crystal clear eyes on the full moon made him understand that Daniel wasn't an ordinary boy, and the look of vengeance in his eyes got him super curious. As he watched him enter the carriage, his eyes gleamed in curiosity.

They threw him in the river like garbage.
They should have made sure he didn't swim back.
Cain Devereaux gave ten years of his life to the Devereaux crime family. Ten years of loyalty, blood, and silence. He trained their soldiers. He buried their enemies. He kept their secrets even when keeping them meant destroying his own soul. And the moment he became inconvenient, his boss who was the man he called brother, put a bullet in his chest and tossed him into the river like a used cartridge.
He woke up in the dark with water in his lungs and a voice in his head.
The Ledger of Debts has been activated.
Every name. Every betrayal. Every humiliation logged and catalogued, waiting for collection. The System doesn't ask Cain to become a hero. It doesn't demand redemption or righteousness. It demands payment. And Cain is more than willing to be the instrument of collection.
One by one, the people who wrote him off will learn the truth they buried with him: that the most dangerous man in any room is the one you already think is dead.
The debts are due and Cain doesn't negotiate

I was nothing. A magicless girl in a world where power decides your worth. The Storm Kingdom treated me like I didn’t exist, like I was a mistake.

Then came a letter I never sent, a summons I never expected, and everything changed. They called it the Obsidian Spire Academy, a place to train in the chaos of magic, but I had no magic or so I thought.

And then came Kael. A Flame wielder feared across all kingdoms, the boy who stared at me like I held the answers to questions I didn’t even understand. He saved me, but his eyes warned me that danger followed, and that the world I knew was about to crumble.

I’ve learned the truth the hard way: my blood carries power older than the kingdoms themselves. Power that can either destroy everything or rebuild it. Now, hunted by those who want me as a weapon, I must fight, learn, and control the chaos within me or risk losing everything I care about, including Kael, who refuses to leave my side.

Ariana Lynch was working as a tourist guild, and she met a billionaire tourist named Racer Brett and they fell In love,
A few months later, Racer Brett Invited Ariana to his country, and he gave her the best welcome, and he treated her nice, but unfortunately, Racer has been forced to engage Manissa his long time girlfriend In his home country,
Ariana has a twin brother named Lucas, and he does any kind of job to survive,

She planned to give her virginity to her boyfriend.
Instead, she gave it to his best friend.
In the darkness, one mistake changes everything.
Now bound by a secret they swore to bury, Veda and Winslow must pretend nothing happened…
But some nights refuse to be forgotten.
And some feelings? Impossible to ignore.

The night the team wins again, the roar inside the arena could raise the roof.

On the ice, the captain has his arm around the new cheer captain, spinning her under the lights. His skates cut clean lines across the ice. Teammates whistle and shout, someone yells "ask her out!", someone else films on their phone. Everyone waits for me to show up and make a scene. Cry, stumble onto the ice, drop to my knees and beg him to come back. Pathetic, like every time before.

But no one knows I'm in the back of the locker room right now, pressed against a cold metal locker.

The quiet backup player has his hand on the back of my neck, his voice barely steady. "You sure about this?"

I push up on my toes and kiss him first.

My breathing was still uneven when Robert’s phone lit up on the nightstand.
One new message.

"Robert, there’s thunder. I’m scared." —Sarah.

The words cut through me like ice water.

Robert. My mate. The Alpha of the Ashborn Pack. The man everyone praises as the perfect future king.

And me? I’m his Luna. Supposedly the rightful queen at his side.

But no matter the circumstance, no matter the weight of his responsibilities, the first person he thinks of is never me. It’s always her.

At the banquet, when the elders forced him to make a choice—me, his Luna, or her—the room fell into a suffocating silence.

I still remember the way my heart begged him to look at me, just once, just long enough to see what he was about to destroy.

But his answer came sharp, quick, without hesitation.

"Sarah."

One word. One name. And with it, he tore my entire world apart.

That was the moment I understood: not every betrayal needs to be shouted or confessed. Sometimes, it’s as simple as the name a ma

“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) ONCE LOST is book #10 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 900 five star reviews! Still reeling from her former partner Lucy’s death and from her partner Bill’s PTSD, FBI Special Agent Riley Paige does her best to try to keep herself stable and to patch together her family life. She has to decide what to about April’s boyfriend, recovering from his abusive father, and about Blaine, who is ready for their relationship to move ahead.But before she can work it out, Riley is summoned for a new case. In an idyllic suburban town in the Midwest, teenage girls are going missing—and a body has already turned up. The police are stumped, and Riley is called in to catch the killer before another girl goes missing.Making things worse is that Riley is assigned a partner she does not want—her nemesis, Special agent Roston—who had been interrogating her in Shane’s case.Even worse: Shane is on the loose, he wants revenge—and he has Riley’s family in his sights.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE LOST is book #10 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #11 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

Fans of Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum and Jana DeLeon's Miss Fortune will find a new character to love in Holly Hands!Holly Hands. 29. Single mom. Disgraced, former boxing pro. Repo woman.Repossessing Lamborghinis and other exotic toys from criminals is second-hat for Holly.But finding a dead body—and solving a murder—is not.Luckily, Holly has Lucky by her side—a neglected pit bull she found on the wrong side of a job, who refuses to leave her side—and who, like her, has nowhere to go but up. Together, maybe they can crawl their way out of the urban hell of their bad slice of Baltimore, where coming home at night is even more dangerous than going to work. Maybe Holly can manage to get her young daughter the medical treatment she desperately needs, and manage to get her out of her dangerous public school and into the private school of her dreams. Just maybe, she can fall in love with that private school Dad from the other side of town and start a whole new life.Or maybe not.Life has never been easy for Holly. And if the past few days—and the dead body in her trunk—are any indication—it’s about to get a whole lot worse.KNOCKOUT (A HOLLY HANDS COZY MYSTERY) is book #1 in a riveting new cozy mystery series, a page-turning thriller that grabs you from page one and does not let go. Get ready to find yourself reading all night, bleary-eyed, and falling madly in love with a new character who will fight her way into your heart.Book #2 (SUCKER PUNCH) and Book #3 (BELOW THE BELT) in the series are also available.

On the third day of the apocalypse, I was bitten by a zombie while saving a child and was abandoned outside the camp by everyone, left to die.

Three years later, I became the legendary "Masked Monster," secretly protecting those who had betrayed me.

They nailed me to a cross, preparing for a public execution.

Until the Corpse King invaded.

I tore through my chains and charged into certain death, all to protect a girl who still remembered my name.

She raised her gun with tears streaming down her face, aiming at my head.

My influencer roommate paid a small fortune to grow a tub of "all-natural" beauty mud in our bathroom.
Ten days later, the thing crawled out of her face — in front of three hundred people at a party.
And I'd known it was coming from the day I first saw what she was growing.

“A dynamic story line that grips from the first chapter and doesn't let go.”--Midwest Book Review, Diane Donovan (regarding Once Gone)“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)Women are turning up dead in the rural outskirts of Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, and when the FBI is called in, they are stumped. A serial killer is out there, his frequency increasing, and they know there is only one agent good enough to crack this case: Special Agent Riley Paige.Riley is on paid leave herself, recovering from her encounter with her last serial killer, and, fragile as she is, the FBI is reluctant to tap her brilliant mind. Yet Riley, needing to battle her own demons, comes on board, and her hunt leads her through the disturbing subculture of doll collectors, into the homes of broken families, and into the darkest canals of the killer’s mind. As Riley peels back the layers, she realizes she is up against a killer more twisted than she could have imagined. In a frantic race against time, she finds herself pushed to her limit, her job on the line, her own family in danger, and her fragile psyche collapsing.Yet once Riley Paige takes on a case, she will not quit. It obsesses her, leading her to the darkest corners of her own mind, blurring the lines between hunter and hunted. After a series of unexpected twists, her instincts lead her to a shocking climax that even Riley could not have imagined.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE GONE marks the debut of a riveting new series—and a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.Book #2 in the Riley Paige series is now available!

“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)Women are being murdered in upstate New York, their bodies found mysteriously hanging in chains. With the FBI called in, given the bizarre nature of the murders—and the lack of any clues—there is only one agent they can turn to: Special Agent Riley Paige.Riley, reeling from her last case, is reluctant to take on a new one, since she is still convinced a former serial killer is out there, stalking her. She knows, though, that her ability to enter a serial killer’s mind and her obsessive nature is what will be needed to crack this case, and she just can’t refuse—even if it will push her over the edge.Riley’s search takes her deep into a killer’s deluded mind as it leads her to orphanages, mental hospitals, prisons, all in an effort to understand the depth of his psychosis. Realizing she is up against a true psychopath, she knows time is short before he strikes again. But with her own job on the line and her own family a target, and with her fragile psyche collapsing, it may all be too much for her—and too late.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE TAKEN is book #2 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.Book #3 in the Riley Paige series is also now available!

“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) ONCE FORSAKEN is book #7 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 700 five star reviews! When Special Agent Riley Paige finally decides to take a well-needed rest from the FBI, a request for help comes from the most unlikely source: her own daughter. April’s best friend is devastated by the death of her sister, a freshman at Georgetown. Worse, she is convinced that the suicide was staged, and that her sister was murdered at the hands of a serial killer.Riley reluctantly looks into the case, only to discover that two other freshman girls at Georgetown recently killed themselves in the same grotesque way—by hanging. As she realizes foul play may be afoot, she brings in the FBI. The case takes Riley deep into the privileged campus of one of the world’s most esteemed universities, into the unsettling world of the wealthy and driven families that pushed their children to succeed. In time she discovers that this case is far more twisted than it seems—and that she just may be up against the most psychotic killer of her career. A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE FORSAKEN is book #7 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #8 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“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)ONCE CRAVED is book #3 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download!When prostitutes turn up dead in Phoenix, not much attention is paid. But when a pattern of disturbing murders is discovered, the local police soon realize a serial killer is on a rampage and they are in way over their heads. Given the unique nature of the crimes, the FBI, called in, knows they will need their most brilliant mind to crack the case: Special Agent Riley Paige.Riley, recovering from her last case and trying to pick up the pieces of her life, is at first reluctant. But when she learns of the grievous nature of the crimes and realizes the killer will soon strike again, she is compelled. She begins her hunt for the elusive killer and her obsessive nature takes her too far—perhaps too far, this time, to pull herself back from the brink. Riley’s search leads her into the unsettling world of prostitutes, of broken homes, and shattered dreams. She learns that, even amongst these women, there are glimpses of hope, hope being robbed by a violent psychopath. When a teenage girl is abducted, Riley, in a frantic race against time, struggles to probe the depths of the killer’s mind. But what she discovers leads her to a twist that is too shocking for even her to imagine.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE CRAVED is book #3 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.Book #4 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“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)ONCE LURED is book #4 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download, with over 500 five star reviews!Women are turning up dead on a lone stretch of highway in Delaware. Some go missing for an inexplicable length of time, while others are turning up dead, their bodies left out for display in bizarre and mysterious ways. When a pattern is discovered, it becomes clear to the FBI that a twisted serial killer is on the hunt—luring girls in devious schemes—and that he won’t stop killing, ever.The FBI, desperate to crack the case, urges Special Agent Riley Paige to take it on. But the brilliant Riley, still reeling from past cases, has finally found peace in her home life, and is determined to help her daughter April get back on her feet. Yet when the murders become too disturbing, too urgent—and when her former partner Bill implores her—Riley finally realizes she can’t say no.Riley’s hunt leads her deep into the unsettling world of hitchhikers, of drifters, of women that no one else cares for. When she discovers that several women are being kept alive and that there is still time to save them, she realizes she will stop at nothing, obsessing over the case and driving herself to the brink. Yet Riley realizes her own life is falling apart, and her own fragile psyche can barely handle the strain. In a frantic race against time, she will have to plunge deep into the killer’s mind to save these women—and to save herself—from collapse.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE LURED is book #4 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night.Book #5 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“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) ONCE STALKED is book #9 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 900 five star reviews! When two soldiers are found dead on a huge military base in California, apparently killed by gunshot, military investigators are stumped. Who is killing its soldiers, inside the secure confines of its own base?And why?The FBI is called in, and Riley Paige is summoned to take the lead. As Riley finds herself immersed in the military culture, she is amazed to realize that serial killers can strike even here, in the midst of the most secure location on earth.She finds herself in a frantic cat and mouse chase, racing to decode the killer’s psychology. Yet she soon discovers she is up against a highly-trained killer, one that may, even for her, be too deadly an opponent.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE STALKED is book #9 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #10 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“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) ONCE COLD is book #8 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 900 five star reviews! There is one cold case that has plagued Special Agent Riley Paige for her entire career, dwelling at the corners of her consciousness, forcing her to return to it again and again. The only case she has never solved, she has finally put it out of her mind.Until she gets a call from the murdered victim’s mother.It spurs Riley to face the case once again, and to not give up until she has found answers.Yet Riley barely has time to catch her breath when she receives a lead for another cold case, one which, if possible, strikes an even deeper note within her. It is a lead that promises to solve the case of her own mother’s killer.And it comes from Shane Hatcher.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE COLD is book #8 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #9 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“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) ONCE PINED is book #6 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 700 five star reviews! Men and women are turning up dead in the outskirts of Seattle, poisoned by a mysterious chemical. When a pattern is discovered and it becomes clear that a twisted serial killer is on the hunt, the FBI calls in their best asset: Special Agent Riley Paige. Riley is urged to return to the line of duty—but Riley, still reeling from the attacks on her family, is loath to return. Yet as bodies mount, and the murders become more inexplicable, Riley knows she has no choice.The case takes Riley deep into the unsettling world of nursing homes, of hospitals, of drifting caretakers and psychotic patients. As Riley delves deeper into the mind of the murderer, she realizes she is hunting the most terrifying killer of all: one whose madness knows no depths—and yet who may just appear shockingly ordinary.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE PINED is book #6 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #7 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

“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) ONCE HUNTED is book #5 in the bestselling Riley Paige mystery series, which begins with the #1 bestseller ONCE GONE (Book #1)—a free download with over 600 five star reviews! A prison break from a maximum security prison. Frantic calls from the FBI. Special Agent Riley Paige’s worst nightmare has come true: a serial killer she put away years ago is loose. And his main target is her.Riley is used to being the one hunting, but for the first time, she finds herself—and her family—to be the ones being hunted. As the killer stalks her, he also begins a new rampage of kills, and Riley must stop him before it is too late—for the other victims, and for herself.But this is no ordinary killer. He is too smart, and their game of cat-and-mouse too twisted, and he somehow manages to elude her and always stay one step ahead. Desperate to stop him, Riley realizes there is only one way: she must delve back into the past, into this killer’s twisted mind, his old cases, and re-learn what drives him. The only way to stop him, she realizes, is to face the darkness she thought she had left behind.A dark psychological thriller with heart-pounding suspense, ONCE HUNTED is book #5 in a riveting new series—with a beloved new character—that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Book #6 in the Riley Paige series will be available soon.

Since marrying into the Sterling family, I've been pregnant three times. Not one of them survived.

Every time the DNA test report arrived, my mother-in-law would drag me to the clinic for an abortion.

They said the fetus had genetic defects. But I secretly went to an outside hospital for tests, and the report clearly stated everything was normal.

After my third miscarriage, I followed my in-laws to the basement I was forbidden to enter.

I held my breath and pressed my eye to the crack in the door.

In that moment, I finally knew why they had to kill my babies.

My name is Nora Monroe. Thirty-two weeks pregnant, ready to pop anytime.
This morning, my husband Everett left town, leaving me and my cat, Piper, alone at home.
Deep into the night, a strange woman called. Her voice was gentle, apologetic—she said my cat Piper had somehow wandered downstairs. She was severely allergic to cat dander and couldn't bring her up to me. I grabbed my coat, ready to head down, when the baby suddenly gave me a vicious kick. The pain sent me collapsing back onto the sofa, unable to move.
The woman on the phone urged me over and over. I looked up, my eyes falling on the corner of the living room.
Piper was sitting right there, staring unblinkingly at me...

My brother was jealous after I won a $50 million lottery jackpot, so he tricked me into believing an extreme ice-age apocalypse was coming.
Because I trusted him, I spent every last dollar my parents and I had—fortifying the house and stockpiling supplies.
Two weeks later, he told me that there was no coming apocalypse. It had all been a lie.
Just when I was drowning in despair, hail started falling in the middle of summer.
The deep freeze apocalypse had really begun.

When the apocalypse struck, my brother Leo didn't hesitate to choose the offshore sanctuary.
In our past life, faced with a choice between a powerful inland warlord commanding a massive army and a leader clinging to a solitary island, Leo snatched up the first option.
But when a zombie horde overran the mainland and defenses collapsed, he fled to my island for refuge.
Jealous of how well I was surviving the end of the world, he and our parents knocked me unconscious in the dead of night and threw me into the ocean to drown.
Now that I've been reborn, Leo immediately took our parents to the maritime base, leaving the "dangerous" mainland to me.
He thinks the ocean is a natural barrier that guarantees his safety, that he can sit back and relax while the world burns.
But there's one thing he doesn't know.
Zombies aren't just static, mindless walking dead—they evolve.
And when they do, that offshore sanctuary will become a floating hell with no way out.

When the ocean begins to decay, a siren princess is forced to leave the depths and seek salvation from the very predators who once hunted her kind. The nocturnal empire thrives on sea-blood to sustain their immortality, and instead of diplomacy, she finds herself captured—her voice coveted as a weapon capable of enslaving even the undead. Assigned to guard her is a vampire lord untouched by her deadly song, a mystery that draws her closer to him despite the danger. But as the tides creep onto land and corpses surface along the shorelines, she uncovers a devastating truth: the curse poisoning her kingdom is tied to her own power—and to the vampire whose existence may be the only thing keeping her world from collapsing.

If her voice can save her people but destroy the world above, will she choose her kingdom… or the one heart she was never meant to claim?

If you had the chance to escape from your bullies and from your unholy home... Won't you grab it?
Avara is a victim of bullying and a toxic home. She goes through a lot, yet no one, not even her so-called parents, care about the pains she faces at school. One faithful day, she joins her mate on a school trip to the museum, to soak in the tales of supernatural beings that once roamed the land, only to get chased by her raging bully, Stella, who's desperate to make her pay for something she didn't do. To escape Stella's wrath, Avara hides in one of the museum's special room, only to be stunned by what she saw next. A large portrait of a beautiful queen/Luna was hanging on the wall. And the beauty? She looks so much like her! A janitor, who shows up, sees Avara and happily shares the tale behind the queen, revealing she's a Luna from a werewolf kingdom, said to be missing for over four hundred years. The werewolves searched for her but found nothing. So, they began a ceremony every hundred years to search for a new queen, inviting every maidens from far and wide to come. To the janitor, it's just a myth. But to Avara, this has to be real. Unable to bear her sorrowful life anymore, Avara does the most childish thing ever and sends a letter to the werewolves, clinging on to hope that she'll escape her problems soon. And as faith may have it, she gets a shocking response from the supposed none-existing kingdom, inviting her over.
Thrilled, she runs away from her toxic home, excited to start life far away. Only for her to realize that the response came from Stella, not from the werewolves! Scared, poor Avara flees into the woods, getting chased by her enemy. Just when she thought she's done for, she sees what looks like the shadow of three men up ahead, and she runs up to them for help. But as soon as she draws closer, a mysterious force pulls her into a magical entrance, tossing her right into the arms of these men. Stella was gone. Like she just disappeared out of existence, leaving Avara confused. She soon gets herself at the sound of the men's groans, but freezes at what she saw. Their eyes were glowing under the moonlights and their ears were long and furry. Even their manly figures looked nothing like a mere man's body!
That's when it hits her.
They're not humans.
They're werewolves!

Angela Leventis is one of the most notorious assassins in the criminal underworld, earning her the nickname "Angel of Death." She's infamous for her ability to carry out hits without leaving a trace behind.

One night, she hits up a club in Las Vegas with her sister and unexpectedly crosses paths with mafia heir Nikolai Vasillios. To her shock, she wakes up the next morning in his hotel room, with a ring on her finger.

Nikolai Vasillios is the most feared mafia boss out there, known for treating women like disposable items. What chaos will ensue when he discovers he’s married to the woman he partied with the night before? And what about the fact that his father has already picked out a bride for him?

Can Angela escape this drunken marriage and keep her true identity under wraps? Will Nikolai stand up to his father and reject the bride chosen for him, or will the assassin and the mafia don find themselves falling for each other?

“Evelyn, I can make you feel more fucked and satisfied than your ex-husband ever could.”

As the rhythm of our bodies quickened, I groaned and grasped the hair of the man above me. Ryan’s hand gripped and tormented my breasts, his thumb teasing my nipple, while his other hand pressed urgently against my clitoris.

“No matter who you were in the past, you belong to me now. Only to me.”

——

Evelyn had planned to announce her pregnancy on her wedding anniversary, but what awaited her was only the betrayal and humiliation of her husband, Damian.

Evelyn chose to walk away and pick up her drawing pen once more, reclaiming her lost glory in the fashion design world step by step.

But Damian quickly regretted his actions. Unable to control himself, he called her, yet the person who answered was not Evelyn—

“Hello, I am her current husband. You are interrupting us having sex.”

——

Evelyn thought she would never love anyone again. But the mysterious and powerful man known as Mr. K, who pulled her from the abyss, provokes her senses and challenges her emotional boundaries again and again.

"This pup belongs to me," he growled, his voice thick with power.
"Who do you think you are to claim him?" I shouted.
"I am your father and your king."
When Sophie's twin sister dies mysteriously during childbirth, she makes a promise—to protect the baby no matter the cost. But that vow thrusts her into a world she never believed existed, one ruled by savage wolves, dangerous secrets… and a cursed Alpha King who now claims her nephew is his heir.
"You… You're the father?"
"Yes. Therefore, the pup belongs to me."
"No! I promised my sister I'd protect him. I won't let you take him—not even if I have to fight to the death!"
Attacked. Bitten. Marked.
Now Sophie is changing into something she never wanted to be—a wolf. And the ruthless Alpha King who once hunted her now claims she is his destined mate, chosen by the Moon Goddess herself.
Torn between her human emotions and rising wolf instincts, Sophie must fight to survive the excruciating transformation, uncover the truth behind her sister's betrayal, and protect the child who may be the key to breaking a deadly curse.
But when passion ignites beneath their deadly rivalry, Sophie faces an impossible choice: reject the monster who marked her… or embrace the terrifying power awakening inside her.

Syria has always obeyed. Not because she wanted to but because disobedience meant punishment. Or worse, death for the only person she still loves. Controlled by her uncle, silenced by fear, she's spent her life surviving. But on the day of her cousin’s wedding, something inside her finally snaps.Dressed like a bride, paraded like property, she was meant to smile and stay quiet. Instead, she picks up a brush and paints a nightmare, exposing the truth in front of the entire pack. It was supposed to be her rebellion. Her first and final act of defiance before disappearing forever.Then he sees her.An Alpha, cold, powerful, and dangerous, drawn to the fire. And for the first time in her life, Syria chooses something for herself. Something reckless. She asks for one night with him. One night to feel free, to feel like she belongs to no one but herself.But freedom comes with a price.Now they’re bound by more than just heat and instinct. And Syria realizes it was too late…

"Thank you for saving me again,i whispered, ‘’but please can I see your face? Just this once,I want to know who's been protecting me."
The grip loosened slowly and the person removed the mask.
It was Minho….

the industrial, fog-drenched city of Sasha, Han, a former lieutenant from the grueling Loren War, lives a double life as a refined antique dealer. He harbors a dangerous secret: he is the last of the werewolves. His fragile peace is shattered when his old comrade, Joe Manny, arrives with a stolen relic from the "Holy Grail Order," a sinister organization that uses necromancy and steam-powered technology to control the living dead.

Han is forced into a deadly game of survival where he must protect his identity while being hunted by professional werewolf hunters. As the shadows of the Grail lengthen over the city, Han must decide whether to continue hiding his beast within or unleash it to destroy the dark conspiracy that threatens to consume the world.