"All Nevena wants is to be like all the other seventeen-year-old American teenagers: go out with her friends, date a cute boy, and get a driver's license. But Nevena's mom wants her to be true to her Serbian roots and tries to raise the girl in a traditional manner. After Nevena hears that her mother plans to take her to Serbia for the summer, she plans to escape and hide at her best-friend Rachel's house, but her plans go out the window when she is swept off her feet by a handsome vampire named Ivan and taken to Slavonika Academy, a school for those gifted with Slavic Magic. This new world is more dangerous for Nevena than Ivan expected, especially since Nevena seems to be just a human. She's caught in a world too perilous for her to navigate without any Magic abilities. But Ivan got her into this mess, and he promises to do anything in his power to protect Nevena. The Embrace of the Vampire is created by Matteo Morgenstern, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."
When the school bell finally rang for the last time of that school year, I joined the voice of the beast that suddenly seemed to have awaken inside the school building and roared loudly, finally free at last.
I rushed out of the classroom, and Rachel was already waiting for me in front of it.
"Summer break is finally here!" she said and she hugged me and started jumping up and down. I joined her, as streams and streams of students passed us, headed towards the exit.
Jessica found us like this, and she just rolled her eyes. "Let's go," she insisted. "I need some fresh air. This place smells like a dump."
That was Jessica in a nutshell she always complained about one thing or the other, but she was actually a really good friend, great listener and gave good advice, and for whatever reason she liked me and Rachel the punk-goth and the immigrant's daughter with the weird wardrobe because my mom bought new clothes once a lifetime or so it seemed, so I had to wear a lot of her clothes most of the time.
The day was gorgeous outside. It was late May in Texas, but the weather was still not too hot, the sky was clear and even beside the chatter of excited students, you could hear the birds chirping overhead.
"Let's walk home," said Rachel. "I don't want to get on the bus and breathe the same germs like those losers."
"Rachel!"
"What? I'm just stating the truth. I'll have to do it again in August and I'm not looking forward to that at all."
Rachel is my best friend. She wears black clothes and very heavy make-up, which my mom doesn't understand because she keeps saying that Rachel's face is too pretty and that she shouldn't paint it like a clown. When she said that in front of Rachel the first time, I thought I was going to lose a friend, but luckily for me, Rachel thought it was funny.
My mom would never let me do anything like that. She kept me on a pretty tight leash.
"I can't walk," I said, frowning. "My mom is expecting me home soon, and she'll get worried if I don't get there on time before she has to go to work."
"Awe, come on, Nevena," said Jessica. "I'm not the one for walking myself, especially after the incident, but the day is gorgeous."
"I don't know," I said. "You know how my mom is."
Rachel and Jessica nodded in unison. Rachel had pitch black hair, dyed of course, big blue eyes and dark-purple lipstick. Her eye-shadow was applied heavily and her face looked serious. Jessica's hair was blond, and she had the brightest brown eyes I've ever seen in anyone. Her make-up was minimal, her nose petite, and her lips full and naturally red. She could've definitely been the most popular girl in school instead of hanging out with losers like me and Rachel, but she always said that she had too much integrity for stupid crap like that.
And then there I was the Serbian potato with my too-Slavic face long brown hair (because girls have to have long hair, according to my mom) that is always too oily no matter how much I wash it, big forehead, thin mouth and a nose that was just a tiny bit too large for my face. The only thing I liked about myself was my emerald green eyes, but my mom said that I couldn't wear make-up until I turned eighteen so I couldn't use my eyes to my advantage just yet.
"Jessica! Over here!"
All three of us turned towards the direction where the voice was coming from. It was Griffin Lockwood, one of the star football players from our school, and the most recent boyfriend of Jessica's. He was driving a yellow shiny convertible and was waving at his girlfriend. We all approached him, led by Jessica.
"Did you steal it? I actually don't care if you do, because – hot damn!" Jessica put her arms on the car and rubbed them as if she had just discovered the rearrest of diamonds.
"You seem more excited to see the car than you are to see me," said Griffin. "Hello Rachel. Neeveena."
I blushed. Partly because I've liked Griffin for the last two years, although I was never going to share that fact with Rachel or Jessica, and partly because he got my name wrong – again.
"Ay, don't be such a jerk, Griff," said Rachel. "It's Neh-veh-nah. Not Neeveena. You know that already."
"Sorry!" said Griffin, and he smiled at me, looking me directly into the eyes. His skin was golden-brown, his eyes were dark brown, like melted chocolate, and he had one of the most irresistible smiles I've ever seen in real life. "How about I just call you N, would that be cool?"
"No, that would not be cool..." Rachel started, but Jessica interrupted her.
"Come on, get in y'all, Griffin will give us a ride home," she announced.
"But..."
"Let's drop Nevena off first, before her mom freaks out."
Griffin knew that he was fighting a losing battle, so as soon as we got inside of his car, he started driving. I explained where I lived and we were on our way.
The wind was blowing my hair backwards, and I simply closed my eyes for a second, letting the chatter of my friends disappear as I sank deeper into my head, my fantasy fueled by the scent of Griffin that carried through the wind, back to me, tickling my nostrils.
I know that he is Jessica's boyfriend, but I've been dreaming about Griffin for the last two years, and it is completely my fault that I never shared that with my only two friends. But for me, Griffin was the perfect guy in every sense of the word he was American, which was most important to me. My mother had the silly notion in her head that I was going to marry a Serbian, but not if I could help it. He was half-black, half-white, and he was so hot. By far, the hottest guy in our school, even though not everyone would've agreed.
I wanted a boyfriend so bad, but according to my mom, I wasn't allowed to date until I was out of high school, which meant a whole another year. It sucked, but hey, at least a girl can dream.
"... party tonight? Nevena?"
Hearing my name, snapped me back in reality. Jessica had turned around to look at me from the front seat, and Rachel had her arm halfway towards me as if she was about to check if I was still alive. Griffin was watching the road, but his eyes were also looking at me in the mirror.
"What was that?"
"Did you fall asleep?"
"No, no, I was just..." but I didn't know what to say and I could feel my treacherous blood rush to my face. "What did you ask me?"
"Griffin is having a party at his house tonight to celebrate the end of the school year," said Jessica. "We were wondering if you can come."
My mood deflated instantly, because I knew that my mom would never let me go, but suddenly for whatever reason, I felt defiant. "I'll come," I said. "I promise."
Rachel and Jessica looked at each other in surprise, like they couldn't believe it. "Great," said Rachel. "That's great."
We arrived in front of our apartment building, and I said goodbye to my friends and Griffin and started walking up the stairs to the third floor, apartment 314.
"Dobar dan, mama," I said in Serbian, greeting my mom the same way I've done in the last fifteen years, ever since I started speaking. The weird thing was that I didn't get a response. I proceeded into the living room, and my mom was getting up and wiping her eyes as she did so, trying to pretend like she wasn't crying. "Oh no," I said. "What's going on?"
"It's your grandmother," said my mom, and my stomach clenched because I knew that whatever it was, wasn't going to be good news for me.
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
After spending a night with a strange man on the day before her wedding, Arianna left the country to start her life afresh. The 22-year-old Arianna Jason lived her life pleasing those she loved the most, without knowing that she was simply a prey being nurtured for the day of her ruin. Her life has tasted the butter pill of betrayal. She wants to give back to the world what she's got but how can she change her good, innocent personality to fit into a cruel society and world? Can her sweet nature be contaminated, or will she make it through, paddling on the right path?
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!
For ten years, Daniela showered her ex-husband with unwavering devotion, only to discover she was just his biggest joke. Feeling humiliated yet determined, she finally divorced him. Three months later, Daniela returned in grand style. She was now the hidden CEO of a leading brand, a sought-after designer, and a wealthy mining mogul—her success unveiled at her triumphant comeback. Her ex-husband’s entire family rushed over, desperate to beg for forgiveness and plead for another chance. Yet Daniela, now cherished by the famed Mr. Phillips, regarded them with icy disdain. "I’m out of your league."
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but Little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.