My name is Scarlet Jones, and I'm a witch... sort of. At least, that's what I've come to believe. Growing up, everyone saw me as the spoiled brat nobody wanted around. Sure, I broke things on purpose, stole a few items, and maybe set half my school ablaze, but can you blame me? They were too hard on me! In a family of powerful Blood witches, my peculiar magic always felt out of place. I thought I was the only one like me-an undeniable freak of nature-and I relished the uniqueness. I lived independently, hunting mindless creatures that drained my magic whenever they got the chance. I even threw a party for them, hoping to teach them some manners. But my plans unraveled when four strangers crashed the party-people who were just like me. Suddenly, I didn't feel so special anymore. With four unconscious bodies at my feet and no clue about what had just happened, I figured things couldn't get worse. I was dead wrong. Now, my journey is just beginning, and it looks like it's going to be anything but smooth.
The way I figured it, if those mindless things were coming after me, whether I liked it or not, why not throw them a welcoming party? I'd take pride in being the best hostess they'd ever had. Everything was laid out for their hearts' desire-never mind that I had no idea if they even had hearts. I aimed to please and surprise them so hard they'd drop dead on the spot. If I were a lucky girl. But I was a believer, and that's why I was at a construction site in the middle of Manhattan, making sure my guests had everything arranged for their pleasure: thirteen hearts, two Desert Eagles, some throwing knives, and last but not least, my two Butterflies-Butter and Fly.
I never claimed to be creative. The hearts were among my favorite weapons, metal shaped into perfect hearts-almost paper-thin and able to cut through anything, except bone. My Desert Eagles, a heaven of black aluminum and stainless steel, fit perfectly in my hands. My throwing knives had become like removable fingers to me, and my Butterflies were my most prized possessions. The blades were as long as my forearm, making them easy to conceal and carry. They were identical, with longer-than-usual crossguards that allowed me to hold them in several different positions; their single-edged blades sliced through bone with ease. I loved my babies, and I was pretty sure my guests were going to... Oh, shoot. I blew it, didn't I? I'd arranged everything for my pleasure, not theirs. Bad, bad, Scarlet.
Resisting a smile was impossible. I'd waited for this night for over two years, and it was finally coming together the way I wanted it to. My magic surged in short bursts of energy. I couldn't see it, but I felt it. I intensified it while holding my breath, because I needed my guests to arrive soon. Rain poured heavily outside. It was cold up here, on the ninth floor of the building under reconstruction. The walls were missing, and tools littered the ground-tools I'd use as weapons if necessary.
And my guests... I wasn't sure what they were, but they looked pretty ordinary if you missed their pupils, which were vertically slit like a cat's. Oh, and they were all men, too. No idea why. The first time I saw one was almost two years ago. He chased me like a hawk its prey until he cornered me in an alley and began to suck me dry. Vampires were bad, but this guy? He was horror incarnate. He drained my powers and left me for dead. I didn't wake up for a full day afterward. At the time, I had no idea what had happened or what he'd done to me. I thought he'd taken all my magic, never to be restored again. To this day, I still can't figure out if I was happy or sad about it. But my magic returned, just like always, and within forty-eight hours, I was as good as new.
It was another three months before I encountered Mindless Thingies Two and Three. They did exactly what the first one had, and I bounced back just the same. I called them mindless because they never spoke. I'd never heard any of them utter a single word or make a sound. They came, they stared, they smiled, and they sucked power. They felt it, too. That's how they found me four times in a row before I learned to shield myself. Shield my powers.
Which was another thing I had no idea about, because I'd never met anyone like me or anyone who knew others with the same kind of magic. I had magic; I felt it and could use it, but didn't. Using it meant attracting the mindless thingies, and you never knew when they might decide to end me for good. I'd spent a lifetime hiding my magic, but hiding it from them was a whole other story. They felt it, even when I wasn't using it, so I had to teach myself how to lock it deep inside. It took me a year, but now it was as easy as breathing.
My eyes closed as I focused on my ears. When I heard footsteps a floor below me, I let out a long breath and turned around. It was time to properly welcome my guests. With Butter in one hand, Fly hidden under my sleeve, and four throwing knives in the other, I was ready. Guns were fun, but they didn't seem to hurt them-at least not unless I got close and personal, the barrel kissing their skulls. It was just a theory, one I had yet to prove, but I was taking my chances.
The first one who stepped onto the open floor, surrounded by dirt, tools, and a few pillars, was really tall. His black hair was slicked back, his muscles rippling under his black shirt. After him came three others. They all looked somewhat alike, but not quite. At first glance, you'd think they were brothers, but if you looked closely, you'd spot the differences-like how the second guy's eyes were wide-set, the third was bald, and the fourth had muscles like he was on steroids. A chill crept up my spine. I was prepared for only two, because they always came after me in pairs. Fear snaked its way to my throat, forming a lump that made it hard to breathe. The thunder outside shook the building in response to my hammering heart.
They all smiled at me, and I smiled back. "Scared" didn't even begin to describe how I felt, but I wasn't backing down. I was tired of running. It was time to serve them a few refreshments-my throwing knives. Locking down my magic tightly inside, I threw all four knives at once and ran forward in the same breath. They were ready, as ready as ever, charging at me in an instant, oblivious to the knives now buried in their bodies. Swinging my arm, I caught the first one across the face with my sword. Blood exploded, spraying my face as I spun around and took out the next. They each tried to grab my hair-a move I expected. I dodged away and swung my arms as fast as I could.
There were four of them and one of me, and no matter how much of a kick-ass I thought I was, I had to step back while they came after me with fists and kicks. But that was a move I anticipated. I left my other weapons in the middle of the room, and now I was barely four feet away from them. Good thing the mindless thingies didn't use weapons. Bad thing: their fists were huge and felt like hammers-like the one the bald guy hit me with on the jaw. No teeth came out that I could tell, but my vision blurred long enough for one of them to kick me straight in the chest and send me flying. I landed on my back on the concrete floor. The fist that came for my face sent my senses into overdrive, and I began swinging my arms uncontrollably. The next thing I knew, a fist was actually on my face-except now it was detached from the rest of the arm.
My husband is the love of my life-gorgeous, powerful, and full of secrets. We had one perfect year of marriage before everything fell apart. Now, he reeks of cheap perfume and beautiful lies. But giving up on us, after all we've been through, is unthinkable. So, when I hear about a mechanic who fixes broken relationships, I waste no time tracking him down. The only issue? Doc doesn't meet with wives. But I'm desperate, and I'm willing to break the rules. I need to convince him to make an exception, or I might lose my husband forever. Will Doc take me on before my husband destroys our marriage completely? And even if he does, will his methods work on a relationship this damaged? I still believe in love, even though it's torn me apart. My husband is the love of my life, but I'm not sure he'll ever change. Can Doc repair a marriage this broken?
Imogen is a lady on the brink. Due to her mother's therapeutic condition, she's been constrained to live out of her car, in her workplace's car carport, no less. She can scarcely make closes meet, and her as it were center is how to survive fair one more day. Tobias and Theo are her bosses, and it doesn't take them long to find her mystery, but unbeknownst to her, they have a mystery of their possess, one that may alter everything.She's their mate, and they'll do anything they have to in arrange to keep her for themselves, indeed if that implies breaking her to begin with. Imogen knows she will never be free of them, and being human against a Lycan and vampire, she might as well donate up; As it were presently, she was not as it were battling to elude her mates who captured her but battling for her humankind. Constrained into a world she never knew existed, one thing gets to be clear. No people permitted! Imogen before long finds the most secure put for her may really be with her mates, but at what taken a toll? Will Imogen truly fair let them take anything they need, or will she battle back?
I was never meant to be discovered. After my father's death, my mother severed ties with the Jacksonville Pack and retreated into the swamps to hide a secret-me. Raised in this dangerous, isolated wilderness filled with ogres, panthers, and bog hags, I've never had contact with anyone except my mother. That is, until the Alpha of the Jacksonville Pack shows up, claiming that we share the rare and fated bond of True Mates. Unfortunately, my awkwardness and lack of social experience make me an unsuitable match, and he quickly breaks our bond, sending me back to the swamps. Just when I've given up hope, a mysterious man rescues me and brings me to his home, where I meet his two rough, biker brothers. Cast out from the pack for defying its Alpha, these triplets are also lone wolves. Unlike others, they don't mock me for my lack of social skills-they take care of me, heal my wounds, and show me the world I've been kept from. But dark forces are closing in, and they're determined to claim my life just as they did my father's. Can these three protectors save me from the same fate? "True Mate Rejected " is the first book in a trilogy of steamy, near-future paranormal romances featuring an innocent, sheltered heroine and her multiple, tough, protective mates who share her love. There's no choosing between them. The book contains mature scenes for readers over 18, with mild kink and an age gap. All intimate moments are consensual.
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, “She’s quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and you’re crossing me.” The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
"We are divorced, Adams." She sighed and wanted to walk away, but he held her. "It doesn't matter." He answered, his voice laced with determination. "I don't love you anymore." "That doesn't matter either. What matters is that I want you, and there's nothing you or anyone can do about it." ***** Alicia's life has been a series of ups and downs. She suffered abuse from her husband and his family because she couldn't give him a child. She thought she had seen it all, but not until the day she returned home only to receive the divorce papers from her husband's parents. She pleaded with them, but was met with deaf ears, and so she signed the documents and left. Little did anyone know that she was pregnant. She returned six years later with her baby girl only to find her Ex-husband craving her once more. How will she take this, and what other surprises does fate have in stock for her?
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."