1977 Book(s) Related to one hundred years of solitude characters

(Love after marriage+Pregnancy+She-power)

For four years, Serena lived as the unwanted wife of Lorenzo Russo, the ruthless Mafia King feared across Europe.
Their marriage was never built on love. Lorenzo believed Serena had trapped him for money and status. Manipulated by his Mother and possessive sister, he ignored every sacrifice Serena made, humiliated her in public, accused her of being infertile, and filled the tabloids with scandals involving other women.
Everything changed when Serena discovered she was pregnant. Instead of believing her, Lorenzo accused her of carrying another man's child.
His sister and mother forged evidence while his trusted men turned against Serena and on the night Lorenzo ordered her execution, Serena escaped with nothing but the lives growing inside her.

Four years later...
Serena is no longer the broken woman who begged for affection. She is the mysterious CEO of the world's fastest-growing luxury empire, admired by billionaires, princes, and business tycoons alike and by her side are her three extraordinary children—triplets whose intelligence, courage, and charm captivate everyone they meet.
When fate brings Serena back into Lorenzo's world, the ruthless Mafia King is stunned to discover the children share his eyes... and his blood.
Now the man who once destroyed her wants a second chance.
But Serena has countless powerful men asking for her hand, three children to protect, and a heart that refuses to forgive.
Can a Mafia King win back the woman he tried to destroy?
Or has he lost his family forever?

Imagine being forced to marry a stranger.

Reina's only ever known her family's sunny farm. She can bake bread, mend a fence, and wrangle a goat but she’s never seen a skyscraper or used a subway. Her whole world changes when her grandfather’s old promise lands her in a penthouse with her new fiancé, Orion who looks at her like she’s a mud stain on his expensive shoe.

He’s a wealthy city prince who hates that he’s stuck with a country girl. She’s a whirlwind of chaos who invades his space, breaks his things and has no idea how stunning she is.

He’s counting down the days until he can send her home. She’s just trying to survive the city without embarrassing herself. There’s just one problem: the more she drives him crazy, the less he wants her to leave and the more he wonders if her kind of crazy is exactly what he needs.

But can a girl who talks to goats ever fit into his glittering world? And what happens when the simple farm girl starts to see the lonely man behind the money and decides to heal him, whether he likes it or not?

I was a herbalist, a healer who saved lives, but I was falsely accused of spreading plague and hanged on the gallows, awaiting the flames. Then I heard them—a swarm of rats emerging from the earth, gnawing through the noose and dragging me back to the world of the living. But this was not salvation, but the beginning of a curse. Plague swept across the land, the church peddled counterfeit medicines, and lords squeezed every last grain from the farmers. The rats looked at me and whispered to me — the end has come, and you will become the calamity.

I am the top algorithm genius on Wall Street.
When my wife's first love got into serious trouble, she didn't hesitate to cut off my daughter's medical expenses and force me to go to jail for that scumbag.
But she didn't know that without me, her multi-billion dollar empire was just an empty shell that could explode at any moment.
She could never have known that the little girl she cursed as a "bastard" and who was driven to her death by her own hands was actually her own flesh and blood, whom she thought had died at birth.
When, a few days later, I, who should have been dying in prison, suddenly arrived with short-selling capital and a top-secret paternity test... I wonder if this high and mighty queen will still be able to laugh.

The mark disappeared, the blood oath broke, and wives and children were torn apart.

They thought I would never wake up again .

But they all forgot—I have the blood of the wolf king flowing through my veins.

My husband's childhood sweetheart lost her entry for the competition,
so he gave mine to her.
It was I who saved him all those years ago,
and that's why he married me.
But he turned his back on me right after our wedding.
I've been childhood sweetheart all these years.
But this time,
I suddenly feel like this marriage has lost all its meaning.
After handing in the transfer request I had prepared long ago to the factory director,
I rejected his offer to stay.
I can't bear to stay in this place for another day.
I want to go to New York,
start a new chapter in my life,
and let everything that happened before just drift away. all its meaning.
After handing in the transfer request I had prepared long ago to the factory director,
I rejected his offer to stay.
I can't bear to stay in this place for another day.
I want to go to New York,
start a new chapter in my life,
and let everything that happened before just drift away.

Stacy was a brilliant and beautiful girl in her days in Hillary High School, Everyone want to be friend with her.

She is one of the hottest girl in the School. She was indeed the Queen in the Hillary High.

Her Parents were business Tycoons. So they were super dopey Rich.

They were not always home and not always available though they provided her with more than enough money.

She sometimes lack parental care and this has always sadden her, she never got the love and attention she needed. She was a genius, always taking the First position.

She had a lot of admirers, boys always trying to woo her but she declines them and hates to be pestered. But Luckily that's gonna change as a matter of time.

It was a new day in Hillary High School. This day was the day of Resumption. Stacy was now in Grade 11 {SS2}, she had done well asusal in collecting most Prices at the Price giving day Emerging as the Overall Best Student, but she is ignorant of a New Rivalry.

As Stacy been the goddess of Hillary High.

One day, came a god

His name is.

Sophie Ashford's perfect life shattered at her husband Ethan’s 35th birthday party. In front of everyone, he announced their divorce, accused her of being the reason for their childlessness, and revealed his engagement to her best friend, Veronica who is already pregnant for him. Humiliated and heartbroken, Sophie fled, vowing never to look back.

A chance encounter with Lucas Ashford, a mysterious stranger at a bar who she didn't know his name at that time, led to a one-night escape that changed everything. Weeks later, Sophie discovered she is pregnant, giving her the strength to rebuild her life at least for the sake of her child.

Four years later, Sophie had finally found peace until Ethan reappeared, claiming her son was his and begging for forgiveness. But Ethan wasn’t the only one determined to claim Sophie’s heart. Lucas, the man from the one-night stand, returned and learned the truth, that the child was his. To complicate matters further, Lucas turned out to be Ethan’s estranged cousin.

As Sophie became caught in a fierce love triangle with two brothers, Will Sophie forgive Ethan’s betrayal for her sake? Can Lucas prove his love is genuine? Or will Sophie choose herself and carve out a new path free of these men?

"Let's play a game."
"What game?"
"One that involves you not screaming."

★★★★★
I'd been the perfect girlfriend to my star hockey player for two years.
Stood in the rain at his practices. Drove hours just to watch him warm benches. Wore his jersey like it meant something.
And he repaid me by fucking his way through half of Chicago—including the sister of the one man he's been obsessed with for years.

Zane Mercer.

The NHL's most dangerous player. My stepfather's worst enemy. And the man who looked at me like I was something worth destroying the world for.

One impossible offer.
One desperate bet.
One night that changed everything.

Zane doesn't do fake. He doesn't do half measures.
When he tells me I'm his for two months, he means it. In every way that matters.
But Zane has secrets buried so deep they connect to my family's past in ways I never imagined. Dark secrets. Deadly ones.

What starts as a transaction turns into obsession.
What starts as revenge turns into something I can't walk away from.
And what starts as a lie might be the only truth that matters.
They say some men are too dangerous to love.
They're right.
But I was never good at following warnings.


This book contains explicit sexual content, dominant/possessive behavior, morally gray characters, family conflict, and themes that may be triggering. Intended for mature readers 18+.
This isn’t your normal hockey romance. It’s dark, raw, and unrelenting—where obsession, desire, and power collide, and nothing is off-limits.

Eliana whom was maltreated by her stepmother, after her father died, planned to elope with her highschool sweetheart. Instead, when he found out she was pregnant, he left their small town without her. Years later she met a man and try to give love another chance. Without knowing the real identity of the man. She also heard about a famous footballer was in town and he is her baby daddy sworn enemy. She tries to find this sworn enemy of her baby daddy so that she could use his help to get her revenge on what he did to her.

I didn't know the stranger in the club was a devil. I didn't know he’d been watching me for years.

Dmitri Thorne is the undisputed king of Hudson University—a hockey star with a lethal slap shot and a heart of ice. To the world, he’s a god. To me, he was a one-night mistake I never intended to see again

Then my mother married his father.
Now, the "Devil of the Ice" lives across the hall. He doesn't want a sister. He wants a captive. He has turned his family’s penthouse into my golden cage, clearing a path through anyone who dares to look my way. But as the secrets of our fathers’ pasts begin to bleed into the present, I realize Dmitri’s obsession isn't just dark—it’s a trap.

Four years ago, I ran to the edge of the world to escape him. I traded my name for a lens and my heart for a camera. But the Devil doesn't forget. And he’s finally come to France to collect his debt.

Elizabeth Stone had loved one man, Crimson Phoenix. But after six blissful years together, he shattered her heart and walked out of her life. Nothing could have prepared her for what came next: within months, he was engaged to her best friend, the beautiful and successful actress Celestine Ford, who was pregnant with his child. Now, four years later, Elizabeth thought she had escaped the scandal that had made her the most hated woman in Flintstone City. However, she is back as the heiress to a vast chain of resorts and hotels. Her life is thrown into chaos once again when her ex returns, begging for her forgiveness and a second chance. But can she truly forgive the man who was the reason she lost her baby?

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," he chanted as his cock pulsed again and again, pumping what felt like an endless amount of cum deep inside me. 
"You're milking me dry, mate, taking every fucking drop."
The knot kept us locked together, and I could feel him still hard and throbbing inside me as he continued to pulse and fill me. My stomach felt distended from how full I was of his cock, his knot, and his cum. 
"Can you feel it?" he whispered against my lips. "Can you feel how much I'm giving you? How much am I filling you?"
"Yes," I whimpered. "It's so much. I'm so full."


Christmas was meant to be magical, yet for Rosie Martinez, it became the night her world ended.
A cruel bet. A viral video. A betrayal that left her reputation in ruins. Desperate to breathe again, Rosie runs to a quiet mountain town where no one knows her name.
She didn't expect him.
Jude Winters, hockey captain, future Alpha of the Winters Pack, and the stranger who saved her in the snow. The moment he touched her, he knew.
Mate. His. Forever.
Rosie has no idea what she is to him. No clue about the supernatural world hidden beneath this frozen town. She only feels the way her body awakens around him… and the way he watches her like she's the only woman he's ever wanted.
But when her past crashes into their peaceful relationship, threatening the one person he cares about, Jude's control snaps.
And Rosie learns the truth: Wolves are real. Mates are fated. And she's his.
And Jude Winters will burn the world before he lets anyone take her away.


Mid Slow Burn with Yearning MMC
Knotting
Claiming
Mate Frenzy and Rutting
Check the trigger warnings. The FMC is a plus-size woman who insecure about her body, but as the story progresses, she'll learn to love herself.

"She was a ballerina until the stage broke her.
Now she’s spinning in the arms of her brother’s playboy best friend."
After a devastating ankle injury destroys her ballet dreams, 17-year-old Rory Sinclair is forced to try figure skating for recovery at a rundown Brooklyn rink.
The last person she wants to see there is Julian Reyes — her older brother’s dangerously charming best friend, the city’s hottest figure skater, and a notorious playboy who leaves broken hearts everywhere he glides.
When the rink faces closure, Rory and Julian are forced to become partners for a high-stakes mixed pairs competition. Now she must spend every freezing morning wrapped in his strong arms — lifted, spun, and held closer than any ballerina should allow.
As their routine fuses her graceful ballet with his powerful skating, the line between hate and desire begins to blur. But with her protective brother warning her to stay away, Julian’s jealous past flings watching their every move, and both their futures on the line…
Falling for the playboy might be the most dangerous performance of her life.

Sloane Hartford spent years building herself from nothing after her ex, Cade Whitmore, chose his father's approval over her. Her grandmother has passed, and her will drops a bomb: marry Cade within six months or the hotel empire goes to a cousin who'll gut it for profit, destroying the legacy and the thousand families who depend on those jobs.
Cade has his own agenda. His sister Lily died six months ago in what police called a suicide. He knows it was murder, tied to a human trafficking ring using luxury hotels as cover. His investigation points to the Hartford empire, maybe Sloane's own family. He'll marry Sloane, give her the empire, but only if she helps him infiltrate the operation and get justice for Lily.
It’s forced proximity in a pressure cooker. They're planning a wedding while hunting criminals, navigating family dinners while investigating her relatives, sharing a penthouse to maintain appearances while the hurt between them is still raw. Cade is harder now, willing to burn everything down for truth. Sloane discovers she never stopped loving him, but can't ignore that he suspects her family of monstrous crimes; and worse, she's finding evidence he might be right.
How do you reconcile loving someone who might destroy your family? How do you rebuild trust when it was shattered by different values, and those same values are now in conflict again?

A young woman trying to make it in a small town. She was born and raised here, everyone knew her and she knew everyone. That does not make life easy. The lies, manipulation, cover ups. Everyone knows the secrets, they see the scandals but no one is brave enough to say anything. To stand up for her. They will help when it seems like the time is right but they also use and abuse her when the time is right. How will she ever break free and become her own person. Abuse can come in many different ways. Mental and physical are the most common. She nees to get away from her home and everyone in this town. But at what means. What all will she lose?

Five years ago, Lucy broke up with Alexander because of his ‌poverty‌.
After their reunion, Alexander offered ‌millions for just one night with her‌, ‌stomping the check under his foot‌ and demanding she ‌crawl over‌ to pick it up.
As the truths of the past were uncovered piece by piece, Alexander realized ‌how gravely mistaken he had been‌.
Four years later, she returned, ‌a phoenix rising from the ashes‌, reborn... but she had ‌forgotten him‌.
Yet, loving him remained an act ‌ingrained in her very blood‌.
Alexander thought he loved Lucy ‌deeply enough‌, but she ‌always loved him just a little more‌.
"Then I entrust ‌the rest of my life to your care‌."

Seven years ago, I crawled on my knees to save Alex Benedetti's ass, and got marked as the bitch who betrayed him.

Seven years later, he came back as New York's deadliest mob boss. Lucy Ferraro, some spoiled mafia princess, was warming his bed while I was on my hands and knees scrubbing his floors.

He let his fiancée treat me like garbage. When I started coughing up blood, the son of a bitch laughed and said I had it coming.

He didn't know the brain cancer was eating me alive.

The day I died, Alex was putting a ring on another woman's finger. He never found out that the girl who took bullets for him—the one he destroyed—was already rotting six feet under while he was saying "I do."

“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.

Warning: This is not your regular love story. This is a collection of explicitly sinful acts. Confession, forbidden deeds, Raw, vivid.

DON’T READ IN PUBLIC.

Unless… you enjoy the risk of being caught.

It isn’t just a book. It’s an experience that will make your body burn.

Every story in this book is fast, wild, and full of heat. Bold women take what they want. Dominant men fight their urges. Every touch, every look, every whispered word will make you crave more.

As you read, your heart will race. Your body will react before your mind can catch up. You’ll gasp, shiver, and ache for pleasure. Each story is written to make you move your hand as you read, to feel every word.

We have it all—MF, MM, FF, MFM, FFM, MMMF, and everything in between. Every fantasy you can imagine. Every kind of desire. Every risky mix of heat.

The thrill of being caught. The rush of secret wants. The pull of power and lust. It’s all here. You’ll imagine being there, feeling every touch, every kiss, every deep push.

No holding back. No rules. Just raw, hot desire. Your eyes read the words. Your hand follows your body’s needs. You’ll touch yourself, tremble, and feel the heat grow.

By the last page, you’ll be breathing fast, shaking, and wanting more. And the stories won’t leave your mind. They’ll stay with you, making you ache for the next word, the next touch, the next release.

This isn’t just reading. It’s indulgence. One hand holds the phone. The other? That’s up to you.

Are you ready to give in?

This story is about a young girl trying to find her way out from under her mothers roof and away from her pimp. She is still a high school student who is just trying to survive under the same roof as her mother and her mothers pimp. All she was is to continue to be invisible, but her body and her mothers pimp are determined to break her every step of the way.

When dragons call, only the brave answer.

"Inside you will face the deadly minotaurs, armed with blades and protected by magic. "

"Danger number two is man-eating monsters. "

"Your final threat today is each other."

Icy dread crackles through my veins.

“Nearly one hundred have gathered today to test the fates and risk their lives, but only five can become Slayers.”

This year, it’s win or die.


Anara refuses to be defined by her past. As the queen’s favored maid, nobody expects her to enter the deadly Slayer Trials. Desperate for redemption, she’s determined to slay the ultimate dragon—the silver king himself.

Or die trying.

Except the Slayer Trials test Anara in ways she could never have imagined. Danger is as ravenous for death as the dragons themselves, enemies hide among friends and shadows. And an unexpected specter from her past appears, Prince Zaries. His hatred of her is understandable, her crime against him unforgivable. Her draw to him is a complication she doesn’t need.

Nor is the secret she harbors, an inexplicable affinity towards the very creatures she's sworn to destroy.

Ultimately, Anara's enigmatic connection to dragons will be her strength or her greatest vulnerability. It will challenge her resolve and reshape her destiny.

And the fate of Amaranthine and the unknown worlds beyond.

“Inside you will face the deadly minotaurs, armed with blades and protected by magic.
Danger number two is man-eating monsters.

“Your final threat today is each other.”

Icy dread crackles through my veins.

“Nearly one hundred have gathered today to test the fates and risk their lives, but only five can become Slayers.”

This year, it’s win or die.

"Harder, Daddy."
That's what I whisper in my sleep. Every night.
To a man whose face I've never seen, whose name I don't know, yet whose touch feels more familiar than anything I've ever known.
For weeks, the mysterious man from my dreams has haunted my nights. I told myself he was nothing more than a fantasy, a secret desire my mind created.
Until he walked into my reality.
My new boss was supposed to be my escape from those impossible dreams. Instead, he turned out to be the man who had been owning my nights.
Powerful. Ruthless. Dangerous.
The kind of man everyone fears, the kind of man I should run from.
"I own this place," he said, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "I own this empire, and I own you too."
I never expected the stranger from my dreams to be the infamous Mafia Boss. I never expected his world to be filled with enemies, betrayal, gunshots, and threats that could destroy everything I know.
But when danger comes for me, he is the only person standing between me and death.
He says I belong to him.
I should hate him for it.
I should fear the darkness that follows him.
But the more I uncover about the man behind the power, the more I realize that my greatest danger may also be the only person who can save me.

Melissa Roger never wanted to stand out. A simple girl in the strong Moonvalley Pack lived in the shadow of her once-great family. But when her mate, the cruel Alpha Dennis Bruce of the Storm Pack, rejects her for her perceived weakness, Melissa’s world shatters. However, what was meant to break her instead sparks a flame deep within, pushing her on a journey to find a power hidden within her bloodline.

As pack tensions rise and a dangerous plot threatens the delicate balance between the rival packs, Melissa is caught between dangerous lovers, changing alliances, and enemies who seek to destroy her. But with every deception, Melissa only gets stronger.

Will Melissa rise from the ashes of her rejection and find the strength to face the guy who broke her heart? Or will she fall prey to the pack’s dangerous secrets?

Sylvie Crane has spent years living as a ghost. She has no roots, no record, nothing for anyone to take note of.

When a criminal faction traces her to a warehouse in Velthorn City, it is Zarek Nox who steps between her and the predators they sent after her. He proposes an arrangement afterwards—stay close to him, as a matter of fact, marry him and become untouchable.

With no option left, she accepts, taking him as her only means of survival and the one who might actually save her from running.

What Sylvie doesn't know is that Zarek has known her for longer than she knows, that he had been searching and found her before the faction did. That the night they met was not by chance at all.

What she does know though is that she feels safer beside him than she has ever felt anywhere in a very long time.

And for the first time in years, part of her actually wants to let someone stay even though this someone was responsible for her brothers’ death.

Rejected and humiliated on her bonding day by her fates mate, Omega Elara is cast aside for her pregnant twin sister. But the moon Goddess has other plans. Awakened as the legendary Fenrir Heir, Elara rises from the ashes with power that can scatter packs or forge an empire. When she forms a dangerous alliance with her mate's ruthless enemy, Alpha Darius, old flames and new desires ignite. Will she choose revenge or the bond that was always meant to be? A tale of betrayal, power, and fierce love

What if waking up as a Greek princess meant becoming a sacrifice to the most brutal god?

Jill Adelaide, an Oscar-nominated actress, never believed in fate—until she woke up in the body of Portia, the most beautiful princess of Sparta.

Her new life comes with a death sentence: she is betrothed to Ares, the God of War. To the world, he is a bloodthirsty monster. To her, he is infuriatingly handsome, possessive, and impossibly tempting.

But Ares is hiding secrets behind his piercing gaze. A mysterious prophecy binds them, and a hidden rebellion threatens to tear Olympus apart. As Jill navigates a world of demigods, monsters, and divine treachery, she must decide if she's merely a pawn in the gods' games—or the one woman who can tame the heart of the God of War.

He craves her soul. She needs his trust. But in a world where gods never fall in love, falling for Ares might be the deadliest risk of all...

What if everything that you thought defined you-suddenly didn't?

Scarlett Ryan McKenna had one plan: run fast, win big, and leave everyone else in dust. But after a devastating careless injury ends her track career, she's forced to move into a house full of hockey players-crutches, pride and all.

Sean Callahan wasn't planning on female roommates, especially not the sharp, stubborn girl who steals his hoodies, challenges his routines, and somehow sees straight through the golden boy act he shows everyone else.


He is the NHL-bound captain who's supposed to have it all figured out.

She is the track star learning how to stand still for once.

And neither of them knows how to handle the kind of chemistry that can't be trained for.

What if healing meant breaking the rules-and letting someone in?

Line Change is a swoony, emotionally-charged college romance about second chances, learning how to breathe again, and falling for the person who sees the parts of you you've tried to hide.

This is the first book of the Line Change - Boston University Sports Romance Series.

The two met in the past at the Auxier kingdom and fell in love with the blessing of the other protectors. Their adventures begin, and after Nivia's passing, one of the Nine Protectors, Lucas Collymore, waits for nearly decades for Nivia Genesis to be reincarnated because he knows they will meet again. Fast forward to the present day, Lucas is now aware of Nivia's reincarnation is so, and another journey is about to begin for the two couples, along with the other protectors against the Blawnox.

Hazel has spent five years away from the pack, nursing the wounds of a broken heart. After being humiliated by her mate, Alpha Jordan, she’s finally returned—not for him, but to reclaim her life. But the secrets surrounding her past are far from over. Why was Jordan hiding the truth about the poison that’s slowly consuming him? At a party meant for suitor hunting, Hazel’s attention is caught by another alpha, Logan. Just when she thinks she might move on, Jordan steps in, claiming her in front of everyone. Their confrontation sparks something deep within Hazel—something she’s been trying to bury for years. But when masked men attack, everything changes. Hazel’s escape takes a painful turn as the mark on her back burns, pulling her back toward Jordan. What she finds is not the man she once knew, but a beast—one that might be more dangerous than she ever realized. As dark secrets unravel, Hazel is faced with a choice she never expected. And the truth about her bloodline could cost her everything. The question isn’t just who she is, but who she’s willing to become. Will she risk it all to save the man who shattered her heart? Or is it already too late?

Leon Sterling — the cold, calculating heir to a powerful corporate empire — doesn’t believe in love, nor does he care for marriage. In a world where everything can be measured, traded, or bought, he chooses a different path: fatherhood through science, with no strings attached.

Anna Monroe — a gentle, ordinary woman — unexpectedly becomes the surrogate chosen for Leon’s child. But beneath the layers of a sterile contract, what begins as a purely transactional relationship slowly unravels into something far more fragile… and dangerously real.

An old accident.
A handkerchief once dropped.
A forgotten memory that refuses to stay buried.

As fate tightens its grip, they find themselves caught in a game of heart and consequence — where emotions grow in the most unexpected places, and nothing goes according to plan.

When the contract ends and the lines blur, will Leon still choose solitude… or will he fight to keep Anna — not as a surrogate, but as the one woman he can’t let go?

“Morgan Rice did it again! Building a strong set of characters, the author delivers another magical world. ONLY THE WORTHY is filled with intrigue, betrayals, unexpected friendship and all the good ingredients that will make you savor every turn of the pages. Packed with action, you will read this book on the edge of your seat.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto MattosFrom Morgan Rice, #1 Bestselling author of THE QUEST OF HEROES (a free download with over 1,000 five star reviews), comes a riveting new fantasy series.In ONLY THE BOLD, the epic finale to the Way of Steel, Royce finds him transformed after looking into the magic mirror. Has he gained the ultimate wisdom? Or has he gone mad?The mirror reveals many secrets, and Royce finds himself heading towards his father’s hiding place. Will he meet his father for the first time?Genevieve and Royce’s tragic romance finally comes to a head, culminating in a surprise twist that will change both of their lives forever.And amidst all of this comes the epic battle with the king’s armies, one that will determine the fate of the land—and the kingship—once and for all.ONLY THE BOLD weaves an epic tale of friends and lovers, of knights and honor, of betrayal, destiny and love. A tale of valor, it draws us into a fantasy world we will fall in love with, and appeals to all ages and genders. Please visit www.morganricebooks.com for updates about the release of Morgan’s forthcoming fantasy series.

“A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. 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) CITY OF PREY (An Ava Gold Mystery—Book 1) is the debut novel in a long-anticipated new series by #1 bestseller and USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose bestseller Once Gone (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. In the rough streets of 1920s New York City, 34 year-old Ava Gold, a widower and single mom, claws her way up to become the first female homicide detective in her NYPD precinct. She is as tough as they come, and willing to hold her own in a man’s world.But when a psychotic serial killer unleashes a rampage, murdering young women across the city, Ava will have to search the dark canals of the twisted killer’s mind if she has any hope of hunting him down. With psychological profiling still in its infancy, and mocked by most, Ava will be even more alone as she follows her instinct, and hunts him down in a dangerous game of cat and mouse.Just when it seems the stakes couldn’t be higher, Ava comes to an awful realization: she herself may be the next target.Amidst the speakeasies, jazz clubs, mafia-run prohibition rings, horrific mental asylums and dangerous back alleys of the city, can Ava achieve what all the men cannot: enter the sick mind of a killer, and stop him before more women die?A heart-pounding suspense thriller filled with shocking twists, the authentic and atmospheric AVA GOLD MYSTERY SERIES is a riveting page-turner, endearing us to a strong and brilliant character that will capture your heart and keep you reading late into the night.Books #2 and #3 in the series—CITY OF FEAR and CITY OF BONES—are now also available.

Aella Moore
- A 27 years old American woman, with gray eyes. A woman who is very jolly and always smiling amidst of everything that happened in her life. A daughter who cares for her parents more than her own life. An Aunt who protects with all of her might and a lover who loves more than she can thought she can.

Vincent Nicholas Johnsons
- A 29 years old Australian cold hearted busi-nessman, with blue eyes. The Australia’s most eligible bachelor and the man who would have everything in a silver platter.

Aella and Vincent who were just acquaintances in the beginning but little did they know they both have the same stories. They were not looking for love at that time because they both just got their heart broken, both came from a long term relationship but when that time when they two met through a relative, tell their stories and got to know each other. They both want to make sure that they will not be hurt again this is why they were hesitant and pretending that they are not falling with each other at first. Will they overcome every obstacle that life will throw them?Will their get the approval of their families? Will they face the tragedy of their past together, all the pain and sacrifices they’ve been through? Will it all be worth it?

A horde of 100,000 mutated beasts besieged the city, and a ten-meter-tall abyssal wolf pressed its claws against my throat.
My enemy, riding on the wolf's back, laughed maniacally, threw down the chains, and ordered me to kneel and surrender immediately.
The fortress garrison closed their eyes in despair. But looking at that gaping maw so close to my face, I let out a long sigh of relief, even laughing aloud.
"What are you laughing at, facing certain death?!" she shrieked.
"I'm laughing at your pathetic stupidity." I gently crushed a poison capsule in my sleeve. "You really think I threw down all my weapons and walked out of the city gates to face this 100,000-strong army to surrender?"
"That's because if the distance exceeds three meters, my genetic virus can't be precisely injected into this beast's lungs."

Lydia Abbott once loved Henry Lawson with everything she had. For ten years, she endured his cruelty, his silence, and the weight of a crime she didn't commit. After a tragic accident took his father's life and left him in a wheelchair, Lydia became the scapegoat—the daughter of a killer. He adopted her, only to torment her with relentless cruelty.

Betrayed, imprisoned, and stripped of her child, Lydia nearly lost her life. When she reached her lowest point, all she received was his cold words: "You deserved it."

But the truth always finds its way back. When the lies unravel and Henry finally sees what he destroyed, it's already too late. Lydia vanishes in an explosion that leaves only ashes behind.

Five years later, she returns—not as his silent bride, but as a world-renowned scientist, powerful, untouchable, and breathtaking. She looks him in the eye and says with a smile, "Henry Lawson, everything you owed me, I'll take back—twice over."

This time, she's not the one begging to stay. He is.

"I have no husband. And my son has no father. To me, Alpha Kael died five years ago."

Five years ago, Selene was cast out of the Silver Moon Pack while she was pregnant. She was shamed as a traitor, and left to die in a storm by her own husband, Alpha Kael. He chose to believe a vicious lie over the woman who was his mate.

Selene did not die, though. She survived in exile, raising Leo, a child with forbidden powers strong enough to shake the earth. Selene swore she would never return, until fate brought them together again in a deadly confrontation.

Now, Kael kneels at her feet, begging for forgiveness as he looks at the son whose face mirrors his own. The once cold and cruel Alpha is now willing to lose his throne and his life to win back the family he cast away.

But Selene’s heart is tightly closed. She has returned not for love, but to take revenge on everyone who ever destroyed her.

As the secret of the "Golden Heir" begins to come to light, will Kael manage to atone for his sins? Or is his betrayal too deep to be forgiven?

I only came to the Academy to survive. Love was never part of the plan.

But the moment my eyes met his-Darius Fenrir, heir to the most powerful Alpha line-my wolf whispered one word that shattered everything.

Mate.

He should have been my destiny. Instead, he rejected me in front of everyone.

Weak. Unworthy. Unwanted.

Now I walk the halls branded by his pride, whispers snapping at my heels, every look reminding me that I'll never be enough for an Alpha.

But I refuse to bow.

Because while Darius watches me with storm-dark eyes full of regret, another wolf circles closer-Gideon Wicke, his rival, his enemy... and the one who offers me the power to strike back.

Two Alphas. One bond.

And me, caught between pride, love, and a war that could tear the Academy apart.

He rejected me once. This time, I'll decide who burns.

"What do you think I want to do Amelia?" Mr handsome asked as he brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear, he placed his lips just below it as he sucked on it.
"Nngh don't do that" Amelia practically moaned as Mr handsome's tongue swirled on her sensitive spot, far too urgently. Amelia forced her hand out of his grip as she pushed his chest gently.
Mr handsome pulled out a red velvet box from his pocket, Amelia stared at it skeptically. "What is that?" She asked as she looked up at it.
Mr handsome thought she knew what it was but sadly she didn't.
"It's a wedding ring, Amelia. I'm agreeing to that tempting proposal of yours and I'll have my lawyer draft out the agreement," Mr handsome said as he stood up from the bed, standing in front of her as he put on a sexy smirk.


On her wedding day, Amelia’s world shatters when she catches her fiancé, Diego, betraying her with her best friend, Viola. Devastated, she flees, only to be involved in a car accident—yet a mysterious man saves her.
That man is Colton—Diego’s uncle—who, coincidentally, needs a wife for his own reasons. Seeing an opportunity for revenge, she proposes a deal: she’ll pose as Colton’s fiancée and take down Diego and Viola.
As their scheme unfolds, Amelia and Colton find themselves drawn to each other in ways they never expected. But their growing feelings are tangled in deception, old wounds, and unresolved secrets. When Amelia is poisoned and barely survives, Colton vows to uncover the truth and protect her at all costs.
Can their love survive the weight of revenge, or will the truth tear them apart?

My name is Lucas Moretti.

I was a demon abandoned by my own parents from the moment I was born because of the horns growing from my head.

Fortunately, my grandfather loved me. I spent eighteen years living with him in the countryside, where he raised me as his own.

People often whispered behind my back, calling me a demon. But I never truly cared, because my grandfather always told me that I wasn’t one.

Until the day my grandfather mysteriously died in Harmony City.

The villagers claimed I was the source of evil—that I was the reason my grandfather died.

That was when I lost my temper.

The power of Pan hidden within my bloodline erupted in an instant. If it hadn’t been for Michael Jenkins holding me back, I might have slaughtered everyone in the village.

After I finally regained control, I set out for Harmony City to confront my parents and uncover the truth behind my grandfather’s death.

But on the very first day I returned home, I felt nothing but disgust.

I always knew my parents were cold-blooded.

But I never imagined they could be this cruel...

In a world where magic and Dragons are real, where magic is taught at a school's and kingdom's rule over the land. Why are dragons so scarce and why is magic not so widely used if it's available for everyone to learn and use. History is told by the victor and that often leads to a miss telling in the tale, leaving those who read it to miss out of the true story. But when Young Nova discovers her past and goes on quest to discover her true self, she will meet friend's she will come to hold as family and they will discover the truth behind magic. As everything comes to light, and the truth comes to light, their resolve will be tested.

“Shades of THE HUNGER GAMES permeate a story centered around two courageous teens determined to buck all odds in an effort to regain their loved ones. But the true strength in any story lies not so much in its setting and events as in how the characters come across, come alive, and handle their lives--and it's here that ARENA ONE begins to diverge from the predictable and enters the more compelling realms of believability and strength….ARENA ONE builds a believable, involving world and is recommended….for those who enjoy dystopian novels, powerful female characters, and stories of uncommon courage.”--Midwest Book ReviewD. Donovan, eBook ReviewerThe #1 Bestseller! New York. 2120. American has been decimated, wiped out from the second Civil War. In this post-apocalyptic world, survivors are far and few between. And most of those who do survive are members of the violent gangs, predators who live in the big cities. They patrol the countryside looking for slaves, for fresh victims to bring back into the city for their favorite death sport: Arena One. The death stadium where opponents are made to fight to the death, in the most barbaric of ways. There is only one rule to the arena: no one survives. Ever. Deep in the wilderness, high up in the Catskill Mountains, 17 year old Brooke Moore manages to survive, hiding out with her younger sister, Bree. They are careful to avoid the gangs of slaverunners who patrol the countryside. But one day, Brooke is not as careful as she can be, and Bree is captured. The slaverunners take her away, heading to the city, and to what will be a certain death. Brooke, a Marine’s daughter, was raised to be tough, to never back down from a fight. When her sister is taken, Brooke mobilizes, uses everything at her disposal to chase down the slaverunners and get her sister back. Along the way she runs into Ben, 17, another survivor like her, whose brother was taken. Together, they team up on their rescue mission. What follows is a post-apocalyptic, action-packed thriller, as the two of them pursue the slaverunners on the most dangerous ride of their lives, following them deep into the heart of New York. Along the way, if they are to survive, they will have to make some of the hardest choices and sacrifices of their lives, encountering obstacles neither of them had expected—including their unexpected feelings for each other. Will they rescue their siblings? Will they make it back? And will they, themselves, have to fight in the arena? “Grabbed my attention from the beginning and did not let go….This story is an amazing adventure that is fast paced and action packed from the very beginning. There is not a dull moment to be found.” --Paranormal Romance Guild {regarding Turned} "I will admit, before ARENA ONE, I had never read anything post-apocalyptic before. I never thought it would be something I would enjoy….Well, I was very pleasantly surprised at how addicting this book was. ARENA ONE was one of those books that you read late into the night until your eyes start to cross because you don't want to put it down….It is no secret that I love strong heroines in the books I read….Brooke was tough, strong, un-relentless, and while there is romance in the book, Brooke wasn't ruled by that....I would highly recommend ARENA ONE.” --Dallas Examiner ARENA ONE is Book #1 in the Survival Trilogy, and is 85,000 words. Book #2 in the series, ARENA TWO, is now also available.

“An action packed fantasy sure to please fans of Morgan Rice’s previous novels, along with fans of works such as The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini…. Fans of Young Adult Fiction will devour this latest work by Rice and beg for more.”--The Wanderer, A Literary Journal (regarding Rise of the Dragons) The #1 Bestselling series! RISE OF THE VALIANT is book #2 in Morgan Rice’s bestselling epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS (which begins with RISE OF THE DRAGONS, a free download)! In the wake of the dragon’s attack, Kyra is sent on an urgent quest: to cross Escalon and seek out her uncle in the mysterious Tower of Ur. The time has come for her to learn about who she is, who her mother is, and to train and develop her special powers. It will be a quest fraught with peril for a girl alone, Escalon filled with dangers from savage beasts and men alike—one that will require all of her strength to survive. Her father, Duncan, must lead his men south, to the great water city of Esephus, to attempt to free his fellow countrymen from the iron grip of Pandesia. If he succeeds, he will have to journey to the treacherous Lake of Ire and then onto the icy peaks of Kos, where there live the toughest warriors of Escalon, men he will need to recruit if he has any chance of taking the capital. Alec escapes with Marco from The Flames to find himself on the run through the Wood of Thorns, chased by exotic beasts. It is a harrowing journey through the night as he quests for his hometown, hoping to be reunited with his family. When he arrives, he is shocked by what he discovers. Merk, despite his better judgment, turns back to help the girl, and finds himself, for the first time in his life, entangled in a stranger’s affairs. He will not forego his pilgrimage to the Tower of Ur, though, and he finds himself anguished as he realizes the tower is not what he expects. Vesuvius spurs his giant as he leads the Trolls on their mission underground, attempting to bypass The Flames, while the dragon, Theos, has his own special mission on Escalon. With its strong atmosphere and complex characters, RISE OF THE VALIANT is a sweeping saga of knights and warriors, of kings and lords, of honor and valor, of magic, destiny, monsters and dragons. It is a story of love and broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is fantasy at its finest, inviting us into a world that will live with us forever, one that will appeal to all ages and genders. Book #3 in KINGS AND SORCERERS is now available! “If you thought that there was no reason left for living after the end of the Sorcerer’s Ring series, you were wrong. Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of trolls and dragons, of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Rise of the Dragons) “[The novel] succeeds—right from the start…. A superior fantasy…It begins, as it should, with one protagonist's struggles and moves neatly into a wider circle of knights, dragons, magic and monsters, and destiny.…All the trappings of high fantasy are here, from soldiers and battles to confrontations with self….A recommended winner for any who enjoy epic fantasy writing fueled by powerful, believable young adult protagonists.” --Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer (regarding Rise of the Dragons) “A plot-driven novel that’s easy to read in a weekend…A good start to a promising series.” --San Francisco Book Review (regarding Rise of the Dragons)

“An action packed fantasy sure to please fans of Morgan Rice’s previous novels, along with fans of works such as The Inheritance Cycle by Christopher Paolini…. Fans of Young Adult Fiction will devour this latest work by Rice and beg for more.” --The Wanderer, A Literary Journal (regarding Rise of the Dragons) The #1 Bestselling series! THE WEIGHT OF HONOR is book #3 in Morgan Rice’s bestselling epic fantasy series KINGS AND SORCERERS (which begins with RISE OF THE DRAGONS, a free download)! In THE WEIGHT OF HONOR, Kyra finally meets her cryptic uncle, and is shocked to discover he is not the man she expected. She embarks on a period of training which will test her stamina and her frustration, as she soon encounters the limits of her power. Unable to summon her dragon, unable to search deep within, and feeling an urgency to help in her father’s wars, Kyra doubts if she will ever become the warrior she thought she was. And when she meets a mysterious boy, more powerful than her, deep in the forest, she wonders what her future really has in store for her. Duncan must descend the peaks of Kos with his new army and, vastly outnumbered, launch a risky invasion on the capital. If he wins, waiting behind its ancient walls, he knows, will be the old king and his nest of nobles and aristocrats, all with their own agendas, all of them as quick to betray as they are to embrace. Unifying Escalon may, indeed, be harder than freeing it. Alec, in Ur, must tap his unique skills in the forge to aid the resistance if they have any chance of defending against the looming Pandesian invasion. He is awestruck when he encounters Dierdre, the strongest girl he has ever meet. The time she has a chance to make a stand against Pandesia, and as she bravely faces off, she who wonders if her father and his men will have her back this time. Merk finally enters the tower of Ur, and is stunned by what he discovers. Initiated into its strange codes and rules, he meets his fellow Watchers, the toughest warriors he has ever encountered, and he finds that earning their respect will not be easy. With an invasion looming, they must all prepare the tower; yet even all its secret passageways may not keep them safe from the betrayal lurking from within. Vesuvius leads his Troll nation across a vulnerable Escalon, devastating the land, while Theos, enraged at what becomes of his son, is on a rampage himself, and will not stop until all of Escalon is aflame. With its strong atmosphere and complex characters, THE WEIGHT OF HONOR is a sweeping saga of knights and warriors, of kings and lords, of honor and valor, of magic, destiny, monsters and dragons. It is a story of love and broken hearts, of deception, ambition and betrayal. It is fantasy at its finest, inviting us into a world that will live with us forever, one that will appeal to all ages and genders. Book #4 in KINGS AND SORCERERS is now available! “If you thought that there was no reason left for living after the end of the Sorcerer’s Ring series, you were wrong. Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of trolls and dragons, of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy.” --Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto Mattos (regarding Rise of the Dragons) “[The novel] succeeds—right from the start…. A superior fantasy…It begins, as it should, with one protagonist's struggles and moves neatly into a wider circle of knights, dragons, magic and monsters, and destiny.…All the trappings of high fantasy are here, from soldiers and battles to confrontations with self….A recommended winner for any who enjoy epic fantasy writing fueled by powerful, believable young adult protagonists.” --Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer (regarding Rise of the Dragons) “A plot-driven novel that’s easy to read in a weekend…A good start to a promising series.” --San Francisco Book Review (regarding Rise of the Dragons)

“If you thought that there was no reason left for living after the end of the Sorcerer’s Ring series, you were wrong. In RISE OF THE DRAGONS Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy of trolls and dragons, of valor, honor, courage, magic and faith in your destiny. Morgan has managed again to produce a strong set of characters that make us cheer for them on every page.…Recommended for the permanent library of all readers that love a well-written fantasy.”--Books and Movie Reviews, Roberto MattosThe #1 Bestseller! From #1 Bestselling author Morgan Rice comes a sweeping new epic fantasy series: RISE OF THE DRAGONS (KINGS AND SORCERERS—Book 1). Kyra, 15, dreams of becoming a famed warrior, like her father, even though she is the only girl in a fort of boys. As she struggles to understand her special skills, her mysterious inner power, she realizes she is different than the others. But a secret is being kept from her about her birth and the prophecy surrounding her, leaving her to wonder who she really is. When Kyra comes of age and the local lord comes to take her away, her father wants to wed her off to save her. Kyra, though, refuses, and she journeys out on her own, into a dangerous wood, where she encounters a wounded dragon—and ignites a series of events that will change the kingdom forever. 15 year old Alec, meanwhile, sacrifices for his brother, taking his place in the draft, and is carted off to The Flames, a wall of flames a hundred feet high that wards off the army of Trolls to the east. On the far side of the kingdom, Merk, a mercenary striving to leave behind his dark past, quests through the wood to become a Watcher of the Towers and help guard the Sword of Fire, the magical source of the kingdom’s power. But the Trolls want the Sword, too—and they prepare for a massive invasion that could destroy the kingdoms forever. With its strong atmosphere and complex characters, RISE OF THE DRAGONS is a sweeping saga of knights and warriors, of kings and lords, of honor and valor, of magic, destiny, monsters and dragons. It is a story of love and broken hearts, of deception, of ambition and betrayal. It is fantasy at its finest, inviting us into a world that will live with us forever, one that will appeal to all ages and genders. Book #2 in KINGS AND SORCERERS is now available! “RISE OF THE DRAGONS succeeds—right from the start…. A superior fantasy…It begins, as it should, with one protagonist's struggles and moves neatly into a wider circle of knights, dragons, magic and monsters, and destiny.…All the trappings of high fantasy are here, from soldiers and battles to confrontations with self….A recommended winner for any who enjoy epic fantasy writing fueled by powerful, believable young adult protagonists.” --Midwest Book Review, D. Donovan, eBook Reviewer

“A MASTERPIECE OF THRILLER AND MYSTERY. Blake Pierce did a magnificent job developing characters with a psychological side so well described that we feel inside their minds, follow their fears and cheer for their success. 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) FACE OF DEATH is book #1 in a new FBI thriller series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone (Book #1) (a free download) has received over 1,000 five star reviews. FBI Special Agent Zoe Prime suffers from a rare condition which also gives her a unique talent—she views the world through a lens of numbers. The numbers torment her, make her unable to relate to people, and give her a failed romantic life—yet they also allow her to see patterns that no other FBI agent can see. Zoe keeps her condition a secret, ashamed, in fear her colleagues may find out.Yet when a serial killer strikes across the Midwest, strangling women in remote places and seemingly at random, Zoe, for the first time, is stumped. Is there a pattern? Can there be no pattern at all? Or is this killer as obsessed with numbers as she is?In a mad race against time, Zoe must enter the diabolical mind of a killer who always seems to be one step ahead of her, and stop him from claiming his next victim before it’s too late. At the same time, she must keep at bay her own demons, which may ultimately prove to be even more threatening.An action-packed thriller with heart-pounding suspense, FACE OF DEATH is book #1 in a riveting new series that will leave you turning pages late into the night. Books #2 and #3 in the series—FACE OF MURDER and FACE OF FEAR—are also available for pre-order.

I'm screwed.

If I want to keep my dream job, my new (and way-too-attractive-for-his-own-good) boss says I have to score an interview with one of the legendary Fontaine brothers of Hollywood.

I know three things about the Fontaine brothers:

that they're Hollywood royalty,
that all four of them are ridiculously, mind-numbingly sexy,
and
that they never, ever give interviews.

My only chance is to seduce one of them. The only problem? Historically speaking, I'm way more likely to put my foot in my mouth (or generally make a fool of myself) than charm the pants off anyone.

That's where my way-too-sexy boss comes in. He might hold the fate of my job in his hands, but he's also totally willing to teach me the art of seduction. I only hope I can survive his lessons. . .

Due to explicit scenes, this steamy romantic comedy is rated 18+.

The Secret to Seduction is created by Ember Casey, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

My name is Shawna I was raised in a small town with a motorcycle gang. It was rumored that my father was a leader of a motorcycle gang and that my mother was too young to take care of me. I was put up for adoption when I was a baby. For as long as I could remember I was not allowed outside at night. You would hear Harleys and growls coming from the darkness. There was several times that I wanted to explore these noises but my windows were barred and the only way out of the house was through the front door. One night I got off work late and was heading home from work and I was attacked by a huge wolf. Then in a blink of an eye there was a human. He ripped my clothes off and slapped me. Then I heard an Harley pull up and the leader and president of the motorcycle gang was there. Before everything went dark I only heard one word " Mate."