When Amber Duvall moves to the secluded town of Shadow Creek, she's determined to leave behind the traumatic events of her past. But when a series of brutal murders in the nearby woods bear signs of a werewolf's attack, Amber is thrust into a world she thought was only mythical. As her connection to the town deepens, Amber discovers she's linked to its cursed history-and her own blood holds the key to either saving or destroying the pack of wolves that protect it.
Amber Duvall stood at the edge of the small town of Shadow Creek, her eyes scanning the quiet streets that stretched before her like a forgotten relic of a past she didn't understand. The air was thick with the scent of pine and damp earth, the cool breeze carrying with it an odd, unsettling chill that wrapped around her like a second skin. She hadn't expected much when she left the city behind, but the isolation of this place felt more oppressive than she had anticipated.
Her car, an aging sedan that had seen better days, hummed softly as it idled by the side of the road. The sign welcoming her to Shadow Creek was simple-wooden and faded, the paint chipped and peeling from years of neglect. It seemed to echo the town itself: forgotten by time, but still clinging to some faint, inexplicable sense of identity.
Amber turned the key in the ignition, silencing the engine, and let out a deep breath. She was here now. This would be her fresh start. Or at least, that's what she had told herself for the last six months as she prepared for this moment.
Her aunt, Evelyn Duvall, had passed away just a few weeks ago, leaving behind the old house Amber had now inherited. Shadow Creek was not a place she had ever expected to visit, let alone live. It was a town she had only heard about in the occasional letter her aunt had sent over the years, full of cryptic details about the weather, the neighbors, and most often, the town's mysterious past. But Amber had grown tired of the city-tired of the noise, the people, and the haunting memories that lingered like ghosts no matter how many miles she put between them. She had come to this town seeking peace, an escape from the tumult of her life.
She swung her legs out of the car and stepped onto the gravel road, feeling the crunch beneath her boots. The town was small, barely a handful of buildings nestled between thick forests and hills, but there was something about the place that made Amber uneasy. She didn't know what it was yet. It could have been the dense canopy of trees surrounding the town, blocking out the sun and making the air feel heavier, or the faint sense of being watched that seemed to lurk just beyond her awareness.
The house, however, was all hers now. It sat a little outside the town center, on a narrow street that ended where the woods began. A large, two-story Victorian, it was painted in a muted shade of gray with ivy climbing up its walls. The porch was overgrown with vines, and a few loose shingles hung from the roof, but it had potential. Amber had seen the photos her aunt had sent her, but the house looked even more imposing in person.
She walked up the creaky steps, the wooden boards groaning underfoot as she reached the door. Her key turned in the lock with an eerie click, and the door creaked open to reveal the dim, dusty interior. The scent of old wood and musty air hit her, and for a moment, she just stood there, staring at the shadowed hallway ahead. There was a certain silence in the house that felt almost unnatural. No chirping of birds, no rustle of leaves outside-just silence, heavy and still.
"Welcome home," she muttered to herself, though the words felt hollow. There was no one here to greet her, no one to ease the strange feeling in the pit of her stomach.
Amber walked inside, setting her bag down on the wooden floor and glancing around. The house was as she remembered from the pictures-antique furniture covered in sheets, walls adorned with faded photographs of people she had never met. It felt like a house that had been frozen in time, caught between memories and the present.
As she explored the rooms, she found herself drawn to the attic. The door was hidden behind a set of old wooden bookshelves, their contents thick with dust. She pulled the door open, wincing as it creaked loudly in protest. The attic was narrow, filled with boxes of forgotten belongings, books, and old furniture. There were a few items she recognized-some from her aunt's letters, others that seemed too old to have any practical purpose.
In the corner of the room, she noticed a large, ornate trunk. It was old, the wood dark with age, but the brass handles gleamed as though they had been polished recently. Amber approached it cautiously, feeling a strange pull toward it. It felt significant, like it held something important-something tied to her aunt, and perhaps to the town itself.
She knelt down and unlatched the trunk, lifting the heavy lid with a grunt. Inside, there was a mixture of old clothes, papers, and odd trinkets, but what caught her eye was a leather-bound journal lying at the bottom. The cover was embossed with an intricate design-a symbol she couldn't place, but one that felt oddly familiar. She reached for it and ran her fingers over the worn leather. The weight of it seemed to settle in her hands, as though it had been waiting for her.
Amber opened the journal to the first page, where a simple line of handwriting was scrawled in faded ink:
*"The wolves are always watching."*
A shiver ran down her spine as she read the words, but she quickly pushed it aside. It was just the ramblings of her aunt, she told herself. Evelyn had always been eccentric, writing strange things in her journals, but this seemed different. The words felt too deliberate, too cryptic, like a warning or a message that held meaning she couldn't yet understand.
She flipped through more pages, each filled with more bizarre statements, stories, and sketches. Many of the pages were stained, the ink smudged, but the patterns were unmistakable-wolves. Full moon rituals. Curses. Bloodlines. The pages grew darker and more frantic as they went on, the last entry reading:
*"The mark is not a gift, but a curse. It chooses you. The bloodline must be severed before the full moon, or all is lost."*
Amber closed the journal with a snap, feeling a surge of unease. She had always been skeptical about superstitions and folklore, but something about the tone of her aunt's writing made it hard to dismiss as madness. The last line haunted her-the mark. What mark? And why had her aunt kept this journal hidden away, full of secrets that she had never shared?
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a car pulling up outside. Amber stood up quickly, brushing the dust from her hands as she went to the window. A truck, dusty and old, was parked by the side of the house, and a man was getting out. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and a weathered face that seemed to have known both hardship and the wilds.
It was Marcus Blackwood, the man from her memories. The one person she had seen only briefly in her childhood. He was older now, but there was something familiar about him-a rawness in his gaze that made her feel both nervous and curious. He hadn't seen her yet, his back turned as he unloaded a few boxes from his truck.
Amber hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do. She had expected the town to be quiet, peaceful, but seeing Marcus brought a rush of memories and questions. Was he just a local handyman? Or was there something more to him-something connected to the odd things her aunt had written about? She knew she would have to talk to him, but not now. Not yet. There was too much she didn't understand.
For now, she closed the attic door, taking the journal with her as she left the room. The house would be her home now, and Shadow Creek, for better or worse, was where her new life would begin.
As she made her way downstairs, the sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the floor. It was time to get some rest-tomorrow, she would explore the town, meet the people, and begin to piece together the mysteries her aunt had left behind.
But as Amber stood at the bottom of the stairs, her heart pounding in her chest, she couldn't shake the feeling that something-someone-was watching her from the depths of the woods.
After a decade of chasing success in New York City, Emily Monroe's career in interior design is everything she dreamed of- until a failed project sends her back to her sleepy hometown of Riverbend to regroup. Tasked with restoring the town's historic library, Emily is ready to prove herself again. But when she discovers that the project's lead contractor is her high school nemesis, Jake Harper, sparks fly in unexpected ways. Jake has spent the last ten years building a reputation as the go-to craftsman in Riverbend, trading his wild teenage years for stability. Working with Emily means navigating their complicated past-and a growing attraction neither of them expected. As they rebuild the library, they'll have to decide: can two people with such different lives make room for love, or are some paths better left uncrossed?
When ambitious architect Olivia Harris is hired by the elusive billionaire Leo Caldwell to design his company's new headquarters, she never expects to become the center of his carefully crafted world. Leo is a man of mystery, known for his icy demeanor and ruthless business strategies. But as they spend long hours together, Olivia begins to see the layers of vulnerability beneath his powerful exterior. When Leo proposes a business partnership that blurs the line between professional and personal, Olivia is torn between her career aspirations and her growing feelings for the man who could make or break her future. But Leo's secrets are deeper than she ever imagined. As they navigate a high-stakes world of power, wealth, and betrayal, Olivia must decide if she's willing to risk everything for a chance at love-and whether Leo can truly let go of the shadows that haunt him.
The small town of Lakeridge has always been steeped in mysteries and whispers, but nothing could prepare it for the night the full moon brought a series of brutal attacks. For Lana Thorne, a recent college grad returning to her hometown to settle her late grandfather's estate, Lakeridge is home to bittersweet memories-and a dark legacy she never expected. As bodies pile up, she uncovers a family secret: her grandfather was the leader of an ancient order tasked with keeping the "Moonborn" at bay. Now, Lana must learn the ways of the hunters and face an enemy older than any legend, all while grappling with an undeniable attraction to the mysterious Aiden Wolfe, a loner with secrets of his own. But as the next full moon approaches, she faces a harrowing choice-sacrifice everything to stop the creatures or risk losing herself to the wolf within.
Billionaire CEO Julian Styles must merge his company with rival firm, Harrison Enterprises. But when he meets Harrison's brilliant and beautiful CFO, Avery Wellesley, Julian's focus shifts from business to pleasure. As they navigate the cutthroat world of corporate finance, Avery's hidden past threatens to derail the merger and their blossoming romance. Can Julian and Avery balance power, loyalty, and love?
In a world where memories can be implanted, edited, and even stolen, 28-year-old Kaelyn Rivers discovers her memories are false. Her entire identity is a fabrication. As Kaelyn searches for the truth, she's hunted by the sinister Organization that created her. With the help of enigmatic underground activist, Asher Monroe, Kaelyn must navigate the blurred lines between reality and deception to uncover the secrets of her past and the truth about the Organization's sinister plans.
When a quiet town nestled deep in the forest starts experiencing gruesome animal attacks, young artist Mina Sullivan finds herself drawn to eerie visions in her dreams. Her new neighbor, Alec, is hiding something monstrous-and his arrival coincides with the escalating violence. As she discovers her own mysterious connection to the werewolves haunting the forest, Mina must decide if her future lies in joining their world or fighting against it.
22-year-old Evelyn Carter is attempting to start over in California while avoiding her past. She will be embarking on a new career path as a private school teacher. She is smart, attractive, and doesn't put up with nonsense. Who wouldn't notice her? However, what happens when she attracts the attention of someone unwilling to let her go? Who wants her and nothing else after falling in love at first sight? A 25-year-old billionaire CEO and single father, Lucian Carrington. He takes what he wants and he is also a very dangerous man. All it needed was one look at a stunning woman to realize she was HIS, even though he doesn't believe in relationships because they always end. Preview: Miss Carter, you will be mine. I say firmly. "Release my arm, Mr. Carrington, before I force you to." She says, seeming to smile at me. I give her a sly smile. Squeezing my wrist with her other hand, she twists it uncomfortably. I gave a painful hiss. "Don't underestimate me, Mr. Carrington." "This is the only time I will allow you to walk away from me, Miss Carter." She glared at me as she turned. "Mr. Carrington, I am no possession of yours." I was left standing there when she opened the classroom door and left.
When Corynn mustered up the courage to tell Elliot about her pregnancy, she unexpectedly found him gallantly helping another woman from his car. Her heart sank as three years of effort to secure his love crumbled before her eyes, compelling her to leave him behind. Three years later, life had taken Corynn down a new path with someone else, while Elliot was left grappling with regret. Seizing a moment of vulnerability, he pleaded, "Corynn, let's get married." Shaking her head with a faint smile, Corynn gently replied, "Sorry, I'm already engaged."
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
"I'm going to tell you what I have in mind," he murmured. "First you're going to strip down until you're completely naked," he whispered against her ear. "Then I'm going to tie you up so you're completely powerless and subject to my every whim." "Mmm, sounds good so far," she murmured. "Then I'm going to insert a plug to prepare you for me. After that I'm going to spank that sweet ass of yours until it's rosy with my marks." She shivered uncontrollably, her mind exploding with the images he evoked. She let out a small whimper as he sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth. God, she could cum with just his words. She was already aching with need. Her nipples tingled and hardened to painful points. Her clit pulsed and twitched between her legs until she clamped her thighs together to alleviate the burn. "And then I'm going to f**k your mouth. But I won't cum. Not yet. When I'm close, I'll flog you again until your ass is burning and you're on fire with the need for relief. And then I'm going to f**k that ass. I'm going to take you hard and rough, to the very limits of what you can withstand. I won't be gentle. Not tonight. I'm going to take you as roughly as you can stand. And then I'm going to cum all over your ass. Are you ready to be completely and utterly dominated?"
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!