3213 Book(s) Related to try not to breathe a novel by holly seddon

I once believed fleeing my engagement would set me free, only to fall headlong into a web of betrayal spun by my closest friend and faithless lover.

Now, granted a second life just a week before that fateful wedding, I stand before the man I betrayed—Alexander Stone, the unyielding soul who ended his life in my previous existence, all because of me.

This time, I've sworn to mend what I shattered. But as I reach out to him, his voice cuts like ice: "You don't need to know me. This marriage is purely transactional."

Yet if he's as indifferent as he claims, why did he linger by my hospital bed for two sleepless nights? Why do his eyes flicker with a devastation that could unravel worlds, and why does he shudder at my touch, whispering, "Are you afraid of me?"

As the shadows of old betrayals creep back, will I pierce his frozen mask to safeguard this fragile love reborn? And that haunting whisper in my mind—"Alexander Stone died because of you"—does it seal a destiny I can't escape?

I was in the middle of an affair in the master bedroom when Gu Jingran and his secretary burst in and caught me red-handed.
A thunderous roar ripped through the room.
"Ruan Qinghe!"
I shoved the trembling young man off my body, lowered my eyes, and let out a low, mocking laugh.
"Well, well. My husband rolls up with his side piece to catch his lawfully wedded wife cheating? This has got to be the most unhinged thing I've ever seen in my life."
The secretary, Bai Weiwei, paled instantly, scrambling to defend herself. "Sister Qinghe, you've got this all wrong! Today is your seventh wedding anniversary with Mr. Gu, he only asked me to come help!"
"Whatever was between us ended ages ago! We're just friends now! Don't you dare project your own filthy behavior onto everyone else just because you're acting out!"
I gave her a cool, cursory glance, smiled and said nothing, before finally fixing my gaze on Gu Jingran.
He snapped like a rabid wild beast, slamming and smashing every last thing he'd painstakingly prepared to pieces.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" His voice was raw and hoarse, trembling with rage. "You're trying to get back at me?"
"I was just curious."
I lifted an eyebrow slightly.
"Curious about what cheating feels like. What kind of thrill, what kind of rush, could make you addicted to it over and over again."

Seven years ago, Ronan Blackwood—Alpha of the Beastman Clan—endured 999 lashes and defied the Council's exile to bond with me, a human.

He swore before the gods I'd be his only mate, forever.

But when his childhood sweetheart Camilla was diagnosed with terminal cancer, he dissolved our soul-bond at the Underground Court.

Then he handed me a glowing vial—the Seven-Day Oblivion.

"Sia, I need seven days to give Camilla a proper bonding ceremony before she dies. This potion will make you forget me temporarily. No pain, no memories. After the ceremony, you'll take the antidote and love me again. Then we'll re-bond."

He promised this separation was temporary. That I'd still be his only true mate.

What he didn't know: the potion was forbidden. There was no antidote.

I stared into those amber eyes that once bled for me—and swallowed it anyway.

In seven days, I'll forget him completely.

The year I loved Edward the most, I was envied by everyone in Copper Valley.
They called me the priceless treasure in the palms of my father and my husband.
I was the most precious pregnant woman in the whole Copper Valley.
But before Christmas, when I went to give my husband a surprise, I saw him kissing the cheek of Angela, the daughter of my father's lover.
His friends praised his high-handed means, athat he could actually persuade me to have a fake marriage with him.
"Fake marriage?" I frowned.
Edward told them, "Lucy has everything. Angela has been a bastard for more than twenty years. I should compensate."
I left the club in despair and then replied to the mysterious text message on my phone.
[I can accept you as the nominal father of my child.]

I died on my birthday.

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

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

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

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

I was never loved in this family.

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

Will they regret it?

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

On the night of Reeve’s birthday, I drove to his family’s coastal estate with a premium ribeye and a bottle of Pinot Noir, ready to give him a romantic surprise.
But the rug was shifted three inches, and a single drop of dark blood hid in the floorboards. Before I could run, a gun barrel pressed against the back of my head.
The man was impeccably dressed and terrifyingly calm. Upstairs in my bathtub lay the corpse of his pregnant wife.
He ordered me to help him dispose of the body and cover up the crime. My only thought was to stall until my husband got home.
That is, until he spoke—and revealed the root of this massacre. Everything was my husband's fault.

They gave him 24 hours to hand over the girl.
He gave them 30 seconds to regret .

Jack Cole was supposed to be nobody—just another quiet college student.
No records. No past. No trace he ever existed.

But when a powerful family tries to take his cousin as part of a dirty deal…
and a billionaire heiress becomes the target of a professional kill team…

Something buried comes back.

The campus?
Just his cover.

The truth?
He’s a weapon trained for war—
the kind governments deny, and enemies never see coming.

Now the richest family in the city wants him dead.
A private army is moving in.
And a global biotech empire is pulling strings from the shadows.

They think they’re hunting him.

They’re wrong.

Jack isn’t running.
He’s choosing who dies first.

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

“When you think that life cannot get better, Blake Pierce comes up with another masterpiece of thriller and mystery! This book is full of twists, and the end brings a surprising revelation. Strongly recommended for the permanent library of any reader who enjoys a very well-written thriller.”--Books and Movie Reviews (re Almost Gone) A MURDER IN PARIS is the debut novel in a charming new cozy mystery series by USA Today bestselling author Blake Pierce, whose #1 bestseller Once Gone has received 1,500 five-star reviews.Diana Hope, 55, is still adjusting to her recent separation when she discovers her ex-husband has just proposed to a woman 30 years younger. Secretly hoping they would reunite, Diana is devastated. She realizes the time has come to reimagine life without him—in fact, to reimagine her life, period.Devoting the last 30 years of her life to being a dutiful wife and mother and to climbing the corporate ladder, Diana has been relentlessly driven, and has not taken a moment to do anything for herself. Now, the time has come.Diana never forgot her first boyfriend, who begged her to join him for a year in Europe after college. She had wanted to go so badly, but it had seemed like a wild, romantic idea, and a gap year, she’d thought, would hinder her resume and career. But now, with her daughters grown, her husband gone, and her career no longer fulfilling, Diana realizes it’s time for herself—and to take that romantic year in Europe she’d always dreamed of.Diana prepares to embark on the year of her life, finally turning to her bucket list, hoping to tour the most beautiful sights and sample the most scrumptious cuisines—and maybe, even, to fall in love again. But a year in Europe may have different plans in store for her. Can A-type Diana learn to go with the flow, to be spontaneous, to let down her guard and to learn to truly enjoy life again?In A MURDER IN PARIS (Book #1), Diana hopes to kick off her journey, and find new love, with an unforgettable night at the Versailles ball. But when the dramatic night takes a harrowing turn she could never expect, Diana realizes she will have to solve the crime—or else have her trip end in disaster.A YEAR IN EUROPE is a charming and laugh-out-loud cozy mystery series, packed with food and travel, with mysteries that will leave you on the edge of your seat, and with experiences that will leave you with a sense of wonder. As Diana embarks on her quixotic quest for love and meaning, you will find yourself falling in love and rooting for her. You will be in shock at the twists and turns her journey takes as she somehow finds herself at the center of a mystery, and must play amateur sleuth to solve it. Fans of books like Eat, Pray, Love and Under the Tuscan Sun have finally found the cozy mystery series they’ve been hoping for!Book #2 (DEATH IN FLORENCE) and book #3 (VENGEANCE IN VIENNA) in the series are now also available!

“Morgan Rice's imagination is limitless. In another series that promises to be as entertaining as the previous ones, A THRONE OF SISTERS presents us with the tale of two sisters (Sophia and Kate), orphans, fighting to survive in a cruel and demanding world of an orphanage. An instant success. I can hardly wait to put my hands on the second and third books!”--Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos)From #1 Bestseller Morgan Rice comes an unforgettable new fantasy series. In A DIRGE FOR PRINCES (A Throne for Sisters—Book Four), Sophia, 17, battles for her life, trying to recover from the wound left by Lady D’Angelica. Will her sister Kate’s new powers be enough to bring her back?The ship sails with the sisters to the distant and exotic lands of their uncle, their last hope and only know connection to their parents. Yet the journey is treacherous, and even if they find it, the sisters don’t know if their reception will be warm or hostile.Kate, indentured to the witch, finds herself in an increasingly desperate situation—until she meets a sorceress who may hold the secret to her freedom.Sebastian returns to court, heartbroken, desperate to know if Sophie is alive. As his mother forces him to marry Lady D’Angelica, he knows the time has come to risk it all.A DIRGE FOR PRINCES (A Throne for Sisters—Book Four) is the fourth book in a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, tragedy, action, adventure, magic, swords, sorcery, dragons, fate and heart-pounding suspense. A page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love, and a world you will never forget. Book #5 in the series will be released soon.“[A THRONE FOR SISTERS is a] powerful opener to a series [that] will produce a combination of feisty protagonists and challenging circumstances to thoroughly involve not just young adults, but adult fantasy fans who seek epic stories fueled by powerful friendships and adversaries.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan)

I had to claim Caleb tonight.

I had paid a six-figure premium to contract a high-level werewolf mate from the nation’s top "Fated Mates" agency. I had chosen him for his elite stats, the "absolute submission" guaranteed in his file, and most importantly, a face that could put any Hollywood A-lister to shame.

But over the last few months, things had completely derailed from my expectations.

He refused to let me touch him!

I have to figure out what's going on.

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

“Morgan Rice's imagination is limitless. In another series that promises to be as entertaining as the previous ones, A THRONE OF SISTERS presents us with the tale of two sisters (Sophia and Kate), orphans, fighting to survive in a cruel and demanding world of an orphanage. An instant success.”--Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos)The new #1 Bestselling epic fantasy series by Morgan Rice!In A CLASP FOR HEIRS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Eight), Sophia, Kate and Lucas finally meet their parents. Who are they? Why were they in exile?And what secret message might they hold for them about their identities?Meanwhile, the Master of Crows ravages Ashton, Stonehome lies in danger, and Sebastian must find a way to whisk Violet to safety.Will Sophie, Kate and Lucas return in time to save them?Will they return at all?A CLASP FOR HEIRS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Seven) is book #7 in a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, tragedy, action, adventure, magic, swords, sorcery, dragons, fate and heart-pounding suspense. A page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love, and a world you will never forget. “[A Throne for Sisters is a] powerful opener to a series [that] will produce a combination of feisty protagonists and challenging circumstances to thoroughly involve not just young adults, but adult fantasy fans who seek epic stories fueled by powerful friendships and adversaries.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan)

“Morgan Rice's imagination is limitless. In another series that promises to be as entertaining as the previous ones, A THRONE OF SISTERS presents us with the tale of two sisters (Sophia and Kate), orphans, fighting to survive in a cruel and demanding world of an orphanage. An instant success. I can hardly wait to put my hands on the second and third books!”--Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos)The new #1 Bestselling epic fantasy series by Morgan Rice!In A CROWN FOR ASSASSINS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Seven), Sophia, Kate and Lucas finally get the chance to journey in search of their long-lost parents. Will they find them?Are they alive?And what message do they hold for them?Their journey demands a price, though. Ashton is left without a ruler, and the Master of Crows still lies in wait, ready to strike. As the fate of the realm lies in the balance, help may come from the most unlikely place of all: Stonehome.A CROWN FOR ASSASSINS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Seven) is book #7 in a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, tragedy, action, adventure, magic, swords, sorcery, dragons, fate and heart-pounding suspense. A page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love, and a world you will never forget. Book #8 in the series will be released soon.“[A Throne for Sisters is a] powerful opener to a series [that] will produce a combination of feisty protagonists and challenging circumstances to thoroughly involve not just young adults, but adult fantasy fans who seek epic stories fueled by powerful friendships and adversaries.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan)

“Morgan Rice has come up with what promises to be another brilliant series, immersing us in a fantasy 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)From #1 Bestseller Morgan Rice comes an unforgettable new fantasy series. In A COURT FOR THIEVES (A Throne for Sisters—Book Two), Sophia, 17, finds her world upside down as she is cast from the romantic world of aristocracy and back to the horrors of the orphanage. This time the nuns seem intent on killing her. Yet that doesn’t pain her as much as her broken heart. Will Sebastian realize his mistake and come back for her?Her younger sister Kate, 15, embarks on her training with the witch, coming of age under her auspices, mastering the sword, gaining more power than she ever imagined possible—and determined to embark on a quest to save her sister. She finds herself immersed in a world of violence and combat, of a magic she craves—and yet one that may consume her.A secret is revealed about Sophia and Kate’s lost parents, and all may not be what it seems for the sisters. Fate, indeed, may be turned on its head. A COURT FOR THIEVES (A Throne for Sisters—Book Two) is the second book in a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, tragedy, action, adventure, magic, sorcery, dragons, fate and heart-pounding suspense. A page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love, and a world you will never forget. Book #3 in the series—A SONG FOR ORPHANS—will be released soon.“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)

“Morgan Rice's imagination is limitless. In another series that promises to be as entertaining as the previous ones, A THRONE OF SISTERS presents us with the tale of two sisters (Sophia and Kate), orphans, fighting to survive in a cruel and demanding world of an orphanage. An instant success. I can hardly wait to put my hands on the second and third books!”--Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos)From #1 Bestseller Morgan Rice comes an unforgettable new fantasy series. In A JEWEL FOR ROYALS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Five), Sophia, 17, gets word that Sebastian, her love, is imprisoned and set to be executed. Will she risk it all for love?Her sister Kate, 15, struggles to escape the witch’s power—but it may be too strong. Kate may be forced to pay the price for the deal she made—and to live a life she doesn’t want to.The Queen is furious at Lady D’Angelica for failing to woo her son, Sebastian. She is prepared to sentence her to the Lead Mask. But Lady D’Angelica has her own plans, and she won’t go down so easily.Cora and Emeline finally reach Stonehome—and what they find there shocks them.Most shocking of all, though, is Sophia and Kate’s brother, a man who will change their destinies forever. What secrets does he hold about their long-lost parents?A JEWEL FOR ROYALS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Five) is the fifth book in a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, tragedy, action, adventure, magic, swords, sorcery, dragons, fate and heart-pounding suspense. A page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love, and a world you will never forget. Book #6 in the series will be released soon.“[A Throne for Sisters is a] powerful opener to a series [that] will produce a combination of feisty protagonists and challenging circumstances to thoroughly involve not just young adults, but adult fantasy fans who seek epic stories fueled by powerful friendships and adversaries.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan)

“Morgan Rice's imagination is limitless. In another series that promises to be as entertaining as the previous ones, A THRONE OF SISTERS presents us with the tale of two sisters (Sophia and Kate), orphans, fighting to survive in a cruel and demanding world of an orphanage. An instant success. I can hardly wait to put my hands on the second and third books!”--Books and Movie Reviews (Roberto Mattos)The new #1 Bestselling epic fantasy series by Morgan Rice!In A KISS FOR QUEENS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Six), it is time for Sophia to come into her own. It is time for her to lead an army, to lead a nation, to step up and be the commander of the most epic battle the realm may ever see. Her love, Sebastian, remains imprisoned and set to be executed. Will they reunite in time?Kate has finally freed herself from the witch’s power, and is free to become the warrior she was meant to be. Her skills will be tested in the battle of her life, as she fights at her sister’s side. Will the sisters save each other?The Queen, furious at Rupert and Lady D’Angelica, exiles him and sentences her to execution. But they just may have their own agenda.And all of this converges in an epic battle that will decide the future of the crown—and the fate of the realm—forever.A KISS FOR QUEENS (A Throne for Sisters—Book Six) is book #6 in a dazzling new fantasy series rife with love, heartbreak, tragedy, action, adventure, magic, swords, sorcery, dragons, fate and heart-pounding suspense. A page turner, it is filled with characters that will make you fall in love, and a world you will never forget. Book #7 in the series will be released soon.“[A Throne for Sisters is a] powerful opener to a series [that] will produce a combination of feisty protagonists and challenging circumstances to thoroughly involve not just young adults, but adult fantasy fans who seek epic stories fueled by powerful friendships and adversaries.”--Midwest Book Review (Diane Donovan)

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

In a universe dominated by powerful alien empires, the Kingdom of Valthoriany is notorious for its cruelty and advanced technology. Every year, they hold the Selection Ritual, an event where beings from across the galaxy are forced to compete for the chance to survive as slaves to the Valthorian nobility.

Lira, a young human, is one of the last survivors of Earth, a planet devastated by interplanetary war. Captured by the Valthorians, she faces a terrifying fate: being chosen to serve the ruthless High Consul Xaroth and his enigmatic heir, Prince Rian.

Rian is as cruel as his father, but there’s something about him that intrigues Lira. Behind his cold eyes and impenetrable facade, she senses shadows of pain and conflict. When Rian selects her to be his personal slave, Lira is thrust into a dangerous game of power, desire, and domination. As she struggles against the undeniable attraction she feels for him, Lira uncovers secrets about the prince that could alter the fate of Valthoria.

Amid deadly dangers and political intrigue, Lira must decide whether she can trust Rian or if she should destroy the man who holds the power to either free her or condemn her. But in a world where the line between love and obsession is thin, Lira may end up losing more than her freedom—she may lose her heart.

Five years ago, Emeline Maxwell fled her fated mate and his pack in the middle of the night, saved at the border by her brother, who took her home to safety. Five years of healing, five years of pain... and she then found her second chance mate, a feat that many didn't even believe possible, in the last place she expected. In the middle of a summit to better support werewolf and Lycan unity. The Lycan King was her second chance mate. Not everyone was happy with this arrangement; traditionalists called it traitorous, and her first mate had his own 'concerns'. Can Emeline and Theodore make it? That's the question.

“Please…” I whispered.

“Please, what?”

I ran my wet tongue through my dry lips. Voice barely above a whisper. “Please… please... please make me… make me… make me your little bitch.”

The words tasted bitter and filthy on my tongue. I hated myself for saying them. Hated how my cock twitched when I did.

“I can’t hear you, Jones,” He said, voice hard, low and commanding. “Louder.”

I swallowed again, eyes stinging. “Please make me your little bitch.”

“A little louder.”

My cheeks burned. I forced the words out stronger this time. “Please make me your little bitch.”

He smirked, slow and satisfied. The look in his eyes made my stomach flip.

“Good boy,” He murmured. “Now listen carefully, Jones. If you agree to this, you’re mine. Completely. You don't look at other men. You don’t think about them. You don’t even dream about them. Everything about you; your mouth, your ass, your cock, your body… even your thoughts, belongs to me. All of it. I get to treat and use you however and whenever I want. Rough. Gentle. Mean. Filthy. You take it all. And you praise me for it. Understood?”

I hesitated, heart pounding so hard I thought it was going to explode. The last bit of resistance flickered. My mind was screaming no; to get up, run and never look back.

“Well?” He urged, thumb still holding my chin.

I closed my eyes for half a second, detesting every inch of my being. Then I nodded, voice small. “Yes.”

“Yes, what?”

“Yes… I understand.”

“Good.”

...

Shane Blackwood is his name.

And he's a monster.

He's toxic, cruel and psychotic beyond your wildest imagination.

I knew all this.

And yet, I signed that stupid agreement.

And now... he owns me.

Completely.

There's no escape.

[This is a dark erotica MM. Rated 18+]

"Our marriage is nothing but a deal," he said looking at the girl, her green eyes met his cold silver eye, and both of them glared at each other.
"For any rules you break, I will claim any part of your body," his gaze grew dangerously darker at his word.


Ashley Harlow was at the top of the world, living the perfect and luxurious lifestyle as the legitimate daughter of the well-known Daniel Harlow. But sadly, a one-night stand put an end to that and brought her life upside down and that of her family's name to the ground. To restore his family's reputation, she was forced into marrying Damien Albrecht, a young, ruthless, obnoxious, brutal billionaire and the head of a mafia gang in exchange for her father's company.
This book contains a trigger warning. Please read with caution.

Trevor didn't start by loathing Sireen. Heck, he had always been nice to her. It all went downhill when Sireen's sister, Trevor's mate, Kylie, died in an attack, and a weak Sireen did nothing to save her. In his terms, she's a murderer. Ignoring her trauma, Trevor became Sireen's tormentor. Her bully. The bane of her very existence. So when he finds out at the start of second year that Sireen is his second chance mate, he definitely rejects her. But wait. Not before humiliating her in front of the entire school, exposing her guarded secret which was an outcome of watching her twin sister die.
When Sireen and Trevor are forced to breathe the same air as each other and see each other in and out of school everyfreakingday, at least one person is set to Lose. Their. Sanity.
How much torture can Sireen take?
And just how long can Trevor stand his rejected mate's presence? Delve in to find out!

Darcy Madu never imagined she’d become a billionaire’s nanny or find herself at the heart of a high-profile scandal. But when she walks into Adrian Ashford’s office and instantly calms his inconsolable daughter, Hazel, fate intervenes. As Darcy navigates life in the penthouse, she discovers the man behind the empire is grieving, guarded, and desperately in need of someone who can love them both unconditionally.

Amidst whispers of betrayal, media scrutiny, and Adrian’s own walls of guilt, Darcy and Adrian’s hearts collide in quiet moments of laughter, care, and stolen glances. But can love survive when the world seems determined to tear them apart or will the past and family expectations force them to let go of the only happiness they’ve ever truly known?

Calista was deceived by someone she thought was her "boyfriend," losing all her savings and getting kicked out by her landlord.
Now homeless in a city far from home with no one to turn to, she unexpectedly finds shelter in a shared apartment with three men- Zane, Cedric, and Draven. Not only do they offer Calista a fresh start, but they also bring her into a web of temptation and mystery.
Calista's journey is an emotional rollercoaster as she navigates the complexities of her new living situation while struggling to overcome the pain of betrayal. As she attempts to rebuild her life, she finds herself drawn to the lives of her roommates, each offering a different kind of allure.
Zane: "You're a sweet girl, Calista."
Cedric: "You're making me more intrigued, Calista."
Draven: "You're the first person who made me smile, Calista."
Amid the chaos of her new reality, Calista can't shake the feeling that she's a pawn in a game she doesn't fully understand. Has she stepped from one deceit into another? Can she trust the men she now calls her roommates?

Liora Thornhart was the perfect Alpha heir, the perfect fiancée, and the perfect daughter. Until her world shattered on her fiancé’s birthday.
Finding the Crown Prince, Ronan, with her best friend was a heartbreak. Hearing her father command her to accept the betrayal "for the sake of the pack" was a death sentence. Trapped in a political alliance she no longer wants, Liora decides to do the one thing no one expects: She rebels.
Leonard Cole is the "Bastard Prince"—a dangerous exile with a dark reputation and a grudge that could burn the kingdom to ashes. He’s back to reclaim his name, and he’s starting as the new ice hockey coach at Silverhart College. He doesn’t care about packs, or politics, or his brother’s "perfect" fiancée.
Until Liora walks into his bar, smelling of heartbreak and defiance.
What starts as a one-night stand for revenge turns into a high-stakes game of scandal and survival. Leonard has the evidence to ruin Ronan forever, and Liora is the only one bold enough to play it. But as the ice thaws between them, a forbidden truth emerges:
The bond she shared with Ronan was a lie. The monster she’s using for revenge is her true mate.
In a world of royal wolves and cold-blooded secrets, Liora must decide: will she crawl back to the prince who broke her, or will she claim the bastard who set her soul on fire?

“I, Kael Draven, Alpha of Nightfang Pack,” he proclaimed to the hearing of everyone present, “reject you, Aria Thorn, as my fated mate and Luna.”

Cast out as unworthy, Aria flees into the night, oblivious of the early signs of her growing pregnancy and what it means. Hunted by shadow rogues who crave the power in her womb, she is saved by a moon witch who reveals the truth…the twins she carries are the prophesied Moonshard heirs, destined to end the Shadow War… or destroy every wolf bloodline forever.

Kael, tormented by a bond that refuses to break, descends into feral obsession the moment he learns that she carries his children. He must find her and win her back, while also stopping the Shadow Pack who are closing in to rip the heirs from her belly.

One desperate, blood moon reunion… one explosive surge of living moonlight… forces the rejected mates to face curses, half brother betrayal, and a god’s hunger. They must complete the bond or watch their unborn twins become vessels for darkness.

It’s a tale of heartbreak, primal claiming, and a prophecy written in blood and silver.

During a trip to Athens, in the ancient temple of Apollo, Cecilia's life changes forever. Gerardo is deeply hurt because his ex-girlfriend Beatriz has broken up with him and has committed herself to a new man, his best friend, just two weeks after ending things with him. Desiring to forget his painful past, Gerardo travels to Greece and there he meets Cecilia. Both share a love for ancient sites; she is a beautiful journalist who is studying the temple of Apollo for a report. But amidst hundreds of tourists, they experience an attack by werewolves, with Cecilia and Gerardo being the only survivors. What do these monsters seek in the temple of Apollo? And why do they look at Cecilia as if they want to devour her and possess her at the same time? Gerardo wonders if he is capable of defending this beautiful young woman and facing supernatural beasts, but Apollo will grant him what he needs to defeat the Lycans. Cecilia will have an intimate connection with Gerardo, joining him forever, and later, when she is kidnapped by the Alpha Lycan of the pack, he will reject her upon discovering the truth.

When Mafia King Dante Valeri steals Elena Hayes from her quiet life, it isn’t for ransom…
It’s because she’s the only woman he has ever wanted—and the one he should never touch.

With every day in his gilded prison, Elena discovers the monster the world fears may be the only man capable of protecting her.
But Dante’s obsession burns too hot…
And the enemies closing in want her dead.

Will she escape the king who stole her life—or surrender to his forbidden desire?

"I didn't marry you because I love you, but because I was forced by my father to do so, so you have to keep your distance from me, So here and now, I, Melvin Zest from the Peking pack reject you, Audrey, from the mekreh pack as my mate!!!"


Audrey had lived her life like a prisoner in her own pack. Her greedy father never loved her, all he wanted was to be rich and powerful, and to achieve that he gave all his daughters for marriage to rich and unknown packs. Now it was Audrey's turn, she was getting married to someone she knows nothing about

Melvin, a ruthless Alpha who had always turned his dark side to women, was forced by his father to get married, he chooses a girl, from a far kingdom. His twin brother pretended to love her just to get to his brother. Because of jealousy both slowly fell in love with her

Who would she choose?
Will she forgive the for both rejecting her?
How would both brothers be?

After rebirth, I switched wedding engagements with my sister Maya.

In my past life, she was forced to marry the West's most ruthless Alpha—Zane Blackwood. Three years. He never touched her. His "sister" Sienna stole the Luna's position, power, dignity. Maya became a joke. No mark, no status. She froze to death on a snowy night, not even left with a complete body.

And me? Married to someone I didn't love, drifting through life in a daze. When I woke up, Maya was dead.

Then I died trying to avenge her.

After rebirth, I kicked down the door and snatched the engagement: "This time, I'm going."

Rode my bike sixteen hours straight. Got ambushed on the road—cracked skulls with a wrench. Covered in engine oil and blood, I crashed into the Black Moon engagement party.

Sienna screamed: "Psycho!"

Damn right.

I grabbed that stone-faced Alpha, ignoring his death glare, and bit into his neck in front of everyone.

"Listen up," I licked the blood from my lips, "I'm your Luna now. And if that bitch messes with me—"

I leaned close to his ear:

"You're dead first."

The night her sister steals her fiancé, Calista makes a bold, reckless move:
seduce her ex's father, marry into the family-and make them kneel and call her "Mom."
But when she wakes up, it's not her ex's father beside her.
It's Lancelot.
A construction worker by appearance-
in truth, a powerful CEO and the shadowy head of a family no one dares to cross.
"You seduced me," he says, pinning her to the wall. "Now you're mine."
But Calista isn't just a scorned socialite with a revenge plan.
Behind her quiet retreat from high society hides:
the true heiress of the richest family,
a world-class hacker,
a legendary thief,
and a gaming champion feared across continents.
They clash. They scheme.
But the more they fight, the harder they fall.

“He is the arrogant heir to the Alpha dynasty. I am the pack’s mute, broken outcast. One forbidden night in the forest changed everything—now, I’m carrying his heir.”

At Saint Remy Academy, Luna Rivers is invisible. Poor, bullied, and unable to speak, she is the favorite target of the elite wolf aristocracy. But one fateful night in Eden Forest, a feral encounter with a magnificent dark wolf binds her soul to a stranger.

She wakes up changed, her silent world shattered by an ancient, silver power awakening in her veins.

Enter Damian Blackwell. The golden boy. The ruthless future Alpha. He commands the school, and he is destined for a perfect, high-society mate. But the moment his eyes meet Luna’s, his wolf goes savage with obsession.

Neither knows they’ve already mated. Neither knows the dangerous secret growing inside Luna's womb.

But when an ancient prophecy reveals that Luna carries the forbidden Silver Wolf blood—the greatest threat to the Blackwell dynasty—Damian is forced to make a cruel choice. To protect her from his tyrannical father, he does the one thing that breaks her completely:

He publicly rejects her.

Heartbroken, pregnant, and hunted by a jealous ex who wants her dead, Luna must flee. But you can't run from the moon. When the broken, mute girl finally finds her voice, the entire supernatural hierarchy will burn.

Love lost, love chased, and love reborn—this collection of werewolf short stories weaves together tales of passion, heartbreak, and redemption.

From powerful Alphas who regret letting their fated mates slip away to strong-willed heroines who rise above betrayal, each story explores the raw emotions of second chances and self-discovery. Some wolves fight to reclaim what they've lost, while others learn that true strength lies in walking away.

As the moon guides them through pain and healing, they must decide: cling to the past or embrace the future?

In "Fated Mates Torn by Hate", experience stories of chasing love, finding self-worth, and letting go of old wounds to step into the light of a new dawn.

Your typical rejection classic plot, but make it at school and in front of everybody! The queen bee and senior year's school president started their last school year with a blast of a gossip! But Sophia is not having it, she will not let him have it his way!

Blurb -
"I, Jacob Carter of the Blood Moon Pack, reject you, Sophia Addison of the Crescent Moon Pack as my Luna-to-be." He announced with his full voice. I can hear loud gasps and whispers throughout the place. They cannot believe that their goody two shoes of a senior year president is making this claim in front of everybody. What goody two shoes? More like a two faced jerk!
"Sophia Addison, your answer?" He spat. I can feel the people's anticipation.
"I, Sophia Addison of the Crescent Moon Pack, deny your rejection Jacob Carter." I smiled triumphantly at him and he just glared at me. I looked away and turned my back at him.
I wouldn’t just let myself suffer a rejection! Let us suffer both!

Synopsis/Blurb:
After a devastating divorce with the man she had been married to for over three years, Rachel thought her life was over. Her family disowned her, they wanted nothing to do with her anymore and she couldn't blame them.

She had just divorced David Hart, one of the top successful bachelors in the country and heir to the Hart industries. But they would never understand that she didn't divorce him, he divorced her after she caught him cheating on her with her god-damned best friend!

Rachel was just about to end everything by jumping off a bridge when she was saved by the most unexpected person. The boy she once bullied severally in highschool because he always wore ugly glass and was from a poor background, how come that glass make him so hot now?

Why was he helping her get revenge on ex-husband who is trying to make her life even more miserable? And most important how did he get so handsome?

What exactly does he want from her?

...
"No, you must want something, anything. If you can really help me get revenge on David and Lana, I can't just let you do it for free."

Ethan went quiet for a while.

I held my breath waiting for what his request might be.

If it was something money could buy, I'll try my best to get it for him even though I was somehow broke right now.

"You're right I do want something." He said after thinking.

"What?" I asked slowly.

"Until you get your revenge on David, Lana and every other person you want, you will live here."

What! I screamed internally.

"What are you saying?"

Ethan moved his face closer to mine that our nose almost touched.

"I want you to be with me!"

After a devastating divorce with the man she had been married to for over three years, Rachel thought her life was over. Her family disowned her, they wanted nothing to do with her anymore and she couldn't blame them.

She had just divorced David Hart, one of the top successful bachelors in the country and heir to the Hart industries. But they would never understand that she didn't divorce him, he divorced her after she caught him cheating on her with her god-damned best friend!

Rachel was just about to end everything by jumping off a bridge when she was saved by the most unexpected person. The boy she once bullied severally in highschool because he always wore ugly glass and was from a poor background, how come that glass make him so hot now?

Why was he helping her get revenge on ex-husband who is trying to make her life even more miserable? And most important how did he get so handsome?

What exactly does he want from her?

...
No, you must want something, anything. If you can really help me get revenge on David and Lana, I can't just let you do it for free".

Ethan went quiet for a while.

I held my breath waiting for what his request might be.

If it was something money could buy, I'll try my best to get it for him even though I was somehow broke right now.

"You're right I do want something". He said after thinking for few minutes

"What?" I asked slowly.

" Until you get your revenge on David, Lana and every other person you want, you will live here".

Live here as in...? 

" Wha... What are you saying? ". I stammered hoping he wasn't saying what I thought he was saying. I tried to step back but I missed a step and almost fell on the bed but Ethan caught me holding me in his muscular arms. 

Ethan moved his face closer to mine be was so close, our nose almost touched.

" I want you to be with me! ".

Michael Nate Clark has always been identified as the stuttering boy. His previous three years of high school were a disaster where he was constantly bullied and made fun of for his stutter.
Now Nate is about to have a fresh start as he got admission into a highly reputed boarding school in Texas with a scholarship. He has some hope that people in this new school would leave him alone and he can finally have a prosperous school life. But he is prooved wrong as he happens to stare at Ethan Vance, a guy from his Calculus class, who looks like his late brother Alex. Ethan turns out to be a bully and starts bullying Nate along with the rest of the jocks.
But does Ethan like to bully Nate or is he doing it to keep his place in the popular crowd? What happens when Ethan and Nate have to share a dorm room? When will the bullying stop? Will it ever? Or will Nate learn some shocking truths regarding his birth?

I thought marrying the Alpha would finally give me a place in the pack.
I was wrong.
On the night we were bound, he rejected me. Not in private. Not with mercy. He tore the mate bond apart before the entire pack and accused me of carrying another man’s child. I was stripped of my title, cast out, and left to survive alone while pregnant with the very heir he denied.
I should have died in those woods.
Instead, I was found by something far more dangerous than an Alpha.
The Direwolf Alpha is feared by every pack. Exiled. Scarred. Ruthless. He does not follow pack law or bow to fate. When he looks at me, he does not see a weak, wolf-less woman or a burdened womb.
He sees something worth claiming.
As my body changes, so does everything I believed about myself. The wolf I was told I did not have begins to stir, and the child I carry draws whispers of prophecy and power. The pack that rejected me wants me back. The mate who humiliated me suddenly remembers my name.
But the Direwolf who claimed me has no intention of giving me up.
I was rejected while pregnant.
Now I must decide who I will become and which bond I will choose.

A shadow moved in the doorway, and my heart sank. I didn’t need to turn around to know who it was.

"Why?" Ace’s voice was low, gravelly, but it sliced through the quiet like a blade.

I exhaled slowly, not wanting to wake Liam. My hands rested on my knees as I stood, deliberately taking my time before facing him. "Why what?" I asked softly, though I already knew the answer.

His form filled the doorway, his presence almost suffocating. His jaw was tight, his shoulders tense. "Why didn’t you tell me about him?" His voice trembled, barely controlled.

My stomach twisted, and I met his piercing gaze. "I tried, Ace. After that night, I called. I searched. I asked everyone who might have known where you went. But you left the city, disappeared like a ghost. What was I supposed to do?"

"You tried?" he hissed, stepping closer, his fists clenching at his sides.

♤

Ace Callahan

The descendant of Xalaria and the rightful heir to the throne, moves like a ghost through the shadows of Earth. Abandoning his war-torn planet to evade his tyrannical father—a ruler thirsty for his blood—Ace hides from the hunters dispatched to track him down. Though adept at blending into the human world, his solitude shatters when someone travels through the threads of time, arriving with a singular purpose: to find him.

Zephyr Vance

A hardened single mother with nothing to lose, is abducted by an unknown faction. They force her into an impossible mission—to locate and capture the one man she swore to hate forever: Ace Callahan. Her assignment is a mystery, but her disdain for Ace burns as fiercely as her will to protect her child.

When their paths finally cross, it’s not the reunion either expected. Mistrust clouds Ace’s judgment, and in a flash of instinct and fury, he knocks Zephyr unconscious, binding her as his captive. Awakening in chains, Zephyr finds herself thrust into Ace’s world—not as his equal, but as his reluctant slave.

I gave him my innocence. He gave me a public rejection.
I gave him my everything. He handed me rejection on a silver plate.

I thought I would be saved by Alpha Kael. I thought that this internal heat of ours meant we were fated. The morning after I gave myself to him, he didn't claim me—he broke me. "You are a traitor's daughter," he announced before the whole pack. "I reject you."

Shattered and humiliated, I fled. I welcomed death. But fate was cruel: I was pregnant.

Three years later, I had to go back to the place where I'd been broken. Not for love, not for revenge. My secret son is dying, and the only cure is in Kael's blood. I plan to steal it and disappear. But I underestimated the Alpha. He caught me in the dark. He locked the door. And this time he looks at me, not with hatred, but with hunger.

"You stole from me, Maya," he growls. "Now, you are mine."

When her twin sister runs away on her wedding day, Elinra Cyrus is forced to take her place, to marry the cursed Alpha of the Zarek Pack. But the ceremony goes horribly wrong, binding her not to one… but three powerful hybrid Alphas.

Trapped in a cold land ruled by secrets and moonlight, Elinra must navigate deadly passion, betrayal, and a curse born from forbidden love. As desire and danger intertwine, she discovers that one of the Alphas, the ruthless Kaelrix, might be her true mate… and the key to breaking the curse.

But when betrayal comes from the people she loves most, Elinra must decide, surrender to fate, or rise against it and rewrite her destiny.

A past generations’ wrongful case makes Julian mistake innocent Sienna for his foe’s daughter. Exploiting her crush, he ruins her Cambridge dream on graduation night, destroying her family. For five years, Sienna works in a sleazy club to fund her sick mother’s care.
Their unexpected reunion leaves Julian torn between disgust and secret affection. When the truth surfaces, consumed by regret, he cancels his wedding and spends all his wealth to atone. Yet Sienna’s love is long gone. After settling her family with his money, she leaves forever.

I'm Ailee and the princess of the largest most feared Irish Mafia and next in line for the thrown. I'm known as the Ice Queen because of my ruthlessness towards my enemies. I came to the Renegades to find my father and get his bone marrow to save my life. I don't need anything else from him ort his club. That is until the resident cowboy catches my eye. He says I'm his but can our world's collide without a deadly expulsion?

I'm Lug Nut and from the moment I see a picture of Ailee I know she is mine. I will make sure that her father saves her life so she can be in mine. Our worlds are as different as they can be but that isn't going to stop me from claiming what is mine. When a baby is suddenly dropped in my lap will Ailee stay by my side or will it be too much. This cowboy Renegade will to whatever it takes to keep Ailee and the baby that his only blood family left.

"You're nothing but a traitor's daughter."
Donovan's growl vibrated against her skin as he pinned her beneath him, his weight unrelenting. His breath was hot, ragged—hungry.
"You don't get to judge me," he hissed, his lips brushing the curve of her ear. His fingers traced a slow, torturous path down her spine, possessive and deliberate.
"Every inch of you is mine. Every shaky breath. Every broken moan."
She shuddered despite herself, yet her core was still wet for him. Only him.
"I own your pleasure, Amanda. And your pain." His grip tightened, forcing her closer. "Never try to run away. There's nowhere in this world you can hide from me."

Overnight, Amanda Porter's life became a nightmare.
Her father—the pack's most beloved Beta—was branded a traitor. And the boy she trusted most?
He was the first to turn on her.
Donovan Reed. The Alpha's son. Her best friend. Her fated mate.
Now he torments her in public. Refuses to acknowledge the bond snapping between them. But he can't stay away. The forbidden heat between them burns hotter than his hatred.
He treats her like a dirty secret. Degrades her like she means nothing. Then pulls her back into the shadows, again and again.
Amanda gave him chance after chance, hoping the boy she loved was still somewhere inside the monster.
But all she got in return were scars.
So she walked away.
What Donovan doesn't know?
Something inside Amanda is waking up. Something ancient. Something powerful.
And when she rises—everyone will regret underestimating her.
She won't just break free.
She'll teach the Alpha's son a lesson so brutal, so searing—
it will burn in his soul forever.

Karen had invested her last penny in the business she had recently established and was eagerly awaiting the promised funds from her benefactor to take it to the next level.
"Maybe he forgot. I should remind him," she thought, and promptly sent a text message: ‘I hate to sound desperate, but my finances are tight.’
After sending the message, she realized she had used the wrong number. She quickly started typing, ‘Please ignore the...’ when an alert popped up on her phone: ‘Five billion dollars transferred to you by Roger Dawson.’
Roger? The first name sent a chill down her spine, but the last name left her puzzled. "Roger? Could it be Tonia's bodyguard?" That was his number, but when did his name change?
Her phone rang immediately, and the name she had feared for months echoed in her ears, his voice filled with emotion yet calm like a winter breeze. "Karen, stay put, I'm on my way to you."
The call ended before she could process it. He was the reason she had fled, refusing to sign the divorce papers.
Her love for him was unrequited, his heart belonging to her adopted sister, but what hurt more was the feeling of being traded between friends like a commodity.
She would rather die than return.

He was too busy to give attention to his female admirers who had a crush on him. Now, he begging to be loved.