When Princess Ravenna is thrust into an arranged marriage with rogue king of Cestria, King Zariel Blackthorne, to prevent war on her kingdom, she is forced to give up her free nature. As she becomes Queen of Cestria, she is slowly seduced and charmed by the rogue king. A bond and sizzling passion is born, Ravenna starts to see beyond the rumors and legends surrounding her husband. But beneath the surface of their sizzling passion, a dark and sinister secret lurks, threatening to consume them both. As Ravenna tries to understand the changes occuring, she is entangled in a puzzle that puts her life and that of the kingdom at risk, making her question everything - including Zariel's true intentions and who he really was. Torn between her love for the rogue king and the danger that surrounds her, Ravenna must choose: will she succumb to the darkness and risk losing herself forever, or will she trust Zariel and their all-consuming love to save them both from the evil that's closing in? or will it become their ultimate doom?
No! I will never marry the rogue king! You can't be that heartless to make me suffer this way," The air in the throne room froze at the outburst. Ravenna looked at her parents, her eyes filled with anger.
"She talked you into this didn't she, father?" Ravenna cast an accusing glance at her mother. The queen had a plain look on her beautiful face. Ravenna's tantrums didn't faze her, her head held her crown, her eyes focused on Ravenna.
"Ravenna, child, it is for the good of the kingdom." Her father said, his voice calm.
"Good of the kingdom you say? You're whisking me off like an object, without a choice? I refuse to marry the rogue King. I'll rather spend the rest of my days in the dungeon." Ravenna spat, her tone defiant, her eyes suddenly begining to water.
No, she wouldn't cry, she wasn't weak. She will refuse this shackles of slavery in the paintings of a marriage.
" Oh stop your childish mindless tantrums, Ravenna. You are a princess and it is your duty to marry for the good of the kingdom. You are twenty and three already, grow up." Her mother said with a rather stern voice. Queen Elyria stood up and walked down, her gown swooshing with each graceful step. She stood facing Ravenna.
"Ravenna, child, this is not as bad as you think. The king of Cestria is good. My dear, it is your royal duty and you have no choice in this." She said again with a stiff smile as she took out the twig in Ravenna's hair. Her long dark hair was made into two big braids, dropping to her waist.
Ravenna glared at her mother, wishing more than anything to disappear from her intimidating presence. She was nothing like her mother- fair skinned, fair haired and blue eyed.
Ravenna looked to her father, the one she was similar to. " Father, please, don't make me marry the rogue King. I promise, by the gods, I won't sneak out of the palace and go night riding anymore. I'll take my classes seriously, please don't make me suffer this way." She begged. Ravenna walked up to her father, tears in her eyes.
"The king of Cestria has promised to take care of you, my lamb." Her father's heart broke to see her cry.
"But I can't marry a man I do not love, a man I do not know!" She said.
Her mother tutted, turning her stern blue eyes to face her. " This isn't about love, Ravenna, it is about duty. Besides, I hear he's quite eye catching. You'll fall in love with him as time progresses."
The door flung open and Xanthea came in, looking exactly like their mother.
"Mother, Father." Xanthea said as she did a graceful courtesy.
See? This was a princess!
"Why didn't you just give him Xanthea? She is the prettier one and has learned a lot. I still have a lot to learn. You can't just whisk me to be queen in some strange land when I haven't learned being a princess." Ravenna said, her eyes darting from her mother to her sister.
"Stop with the excuses, Ravenna. Xanthea is already betrothed, and the king chose you. You will marry the rogue King and that is final..." Her mother said.
"A war is coming and we need to be in alliance with Cestria to save Valtoria from the raids." Her father added.
A war? They were sending her to be some sort of plea?!
"So, you're offering me as wife to the rogue King just so you can be in his good books? How hypocritic of you!" Ravenna snapped.
"You do not speak to us in such manner, Ravenna." Her father's voice thundered.
Ravenna let out a hysterical laugh.
"Ravenna!" Xanthea called softly.
"Oh, stay out of this, Princess." Ravenna spat at her sister, her voice heavy with sarcasm.
"You are offering your daughter as a bride to a ruthless king to avoid war? Are you not King Wolfric Valois the great? Cause I see nothing great in this-this marrying me off to prevent a war is a sign of weakness, father dearest," Ravenna said.
Her mother launched at her, slapping her across the face. " How dare you?"
Ravenna held her face, the faint sting from the slap still ringing in her ears. She looked up at her parents in disbelief.
"I am not asking you as your father, Ravenna, I am ordering you as your king. You will marry the king of Cestria in two days and that is final!" King Wolfric said, his eyes flashing with anger.
In the end, she was unable to hold it tears streaming down her face in an instant.
"I will never marry the rogue King. I will run away and you'll never find me!" Ravenna yelled and ran out.
"Ravenna! Get back here!" Her mother called.
"Leave her be, mother, she'll come around." Xanthea said softly to her mother.
Ravenna ran as fast as her feet could carry her, holding her gown as she went. The sheer bulk of the gown made her stumble a few times but she didn't bother with it, tears of rage and sadness blinding her.
"Raven?"
Even Percival's call hadn't stopped her. She breezed past him heading straight for her chambers.
Ravenna sobbed into her bed, her shoulders rising and falling with each sob.
"My lady, I have prepared your riding clothes." A dainty looking maid said as she entered the princess's chamber.
"Leave me, Isla." Ravenna said into the pillows.
"My lady, Lord Gwaine is waiting for you." Isla reminded softly.
Ravenna snapped, " Leave me, Isla."
"Yes, your majesty." Bowing slightly, Isla left the room, closing the doors gently.
Then, there was a knock on the door.
Ravenna gripped her sheets, her brows furrowing. She wanted to be alone. Was that so hard to understand?
"Isla, do not test my patience."
The door opened. "It's not Isla." Percival said as he stepped in.
Ravenna got off the bed and ran to hug the knight. " Oh Percy." She sobbed into his chest.
"There there now, Raven. What's the matter? Why are you so upset? Did a horse die?" Percival asked.
Ravenna let out a small chuckle.
"No, but a dead horse is better than being the rogue king's bride." Ravenna said as they broke the hug.
"Ohhh!"
"You knew?" Ravenna questioned.
"Yes, Raven. I couldn't talk them out of it and they made me understand the reason for it." Percival's voice was calm as he spoke.
Ravenna sank on the bed, her shoulders falling. " Why didn't they give Xanthea to him? She's the beautiful one and has everything they be a queen."
Percival looked at her with a cool softness. If only she knew that her dark eyes were the prettiest he'd ever seen.
"You are a beauty, Raven. Why do you think Lord Gwaine and Lord Frasier ride with you all the time?" He asked instead.
"They just enjoy losing to me." Ravenna replied with a laugh, one that sounded like music to Percival's ears.
"No, Silly. They are your admirers and have pleaded for your hand in marriage countless times." Percival sat beside her.
"I can't marry him, Percy. You have to help me escape. We could go together, please, Percival." Ravenna held his hand as she spoke.
"The king would find us and have my head on a pike." He said.
"You're in support?" Ravenna's heart broke.
"Raven, I do not support but you are a princess and Valtoria needs this alliance." Percival tried to convince her.
"No! Nonsense! This is cowardly of you to say, Percival, I thought you to be a fearless knight."Ravenna was standing now, pacing back and forth. " I need to go for a ride." She added as she went to her changing chamber to get ready.
" Your people need this, Ravenna. You don't even need to marry him for years, you can always end the marriage after a year according to the land laws. And if it interests you, Cestria is known for their mastery of alchemy. You could freely be an alchemist." Percival said.
Silence. Ravenna didn't say a word. "Raven?" He called.
"I just can't, Percy. I can't let a man I do not love bed me. I can't even think of it." Ravenna sounded frustrated.
"Consider this, Raven. I promise you, after a year, the war would have passed and I'll do everything to help you leave Cestria." Percival said again.
"You'll be coming with me then?" Ravenna asked.
"If you want, your highness." Percival said.
Silence again.
" Would you bed a woman you do not know or love, Percival?" Ravenna asked.
Percival felt his face heat up. " This isn't about that, Ravenna." He said.
Ravenna sighed. " I do not know anything about being queen."
"You'll do just fine." Percival assured her.
Ravenna stepped out of the changing chamber, now in riding clothes and her hair tied up in a messy ponytail. " Let's just go riding. I need to clear my head."
" You don't have to love him, Raven, just marry him for Valtoria." Percival said.
"For Valtoria." Ravenna repeated.
Roxanne Santos, a talented 24-year-old gymnast, finds herself in a challenging situation. She takes on a job as an exotic pole dancer in an exclusive club, all to gather the funds needed for her father's life-saving heart transplant and her sister's college fees. During her very first performance, Roxanne captures the attention of numerous male guests, including the handsome Jaxon Hearst. Little does she know, this encounter will change her life forever. In a turn of events, one of the guests follows Roxanne to the changing room, attempting to take advantage of her. But in a twist of fate, the handsome Jaxon Hearst, who turns out to be the club's owner, comes to her rescue. Roxanne is taken aback, as Jaxon doesn't fit the image she had in mind for a club owner. As Roxanne continues to showcase her talent through more performances, Jaxon becomes more intrigued by her. He seeks her presence, desiring a different kind of connection. He proposes an unconventional arrangement: for Roxanne to become his Mistress, a partner not only on the stage but also in his personal life. At first, Roxanne is shocked by his bold request, but after carefully considering her options, she decides to take a leap of faith. Jaxon, in his own way, offers Roxanne a lifeline. He promises to alleviate her father's financial burdens, providing weekly allowances in addition to her pole dancing salary. Roxanne's heart is torn between her obligations, her own desires, and the complexities of their arrangement. As Roxanne becomes Jaxon's mistress,she finds herself indulging his unconventional desires, enduring his possessiveness and witnessing his dismissive and narcissistic behavior. As time goes on, Roxanne begins to see beyond the surface. She discovers the real Jaxon, unveiling layers of vulnerability and depth that deepen her feelings for him. However, Jaxon, initially resistant to attachments, finds himself grappling with conflicting emotions. He struggles to maintain his sense of self and independence, as the love he feels for Roxanne becomes harder to deny. Roxanne embarks on a journey, navigating the delicate balance between fulfilling Jaxon's fantasies and the heartbreak that comes with loving such a complex man.
Eighteen-year-old Amora Jackson's life is turned topsy turvy when she discovers she wasn't from the world she had always known but from another - Vadina, Mystia. Born originally as Ulanni Daeva to two Mystian parents; A healer and an Essence. Her real parents are killed just after dropping her at the doorstep of a retired soldier in the human world who raises her as her own. Amora's identity is let known to her by her foster mother just on the night of her eighteenth birthday. She is confused and scared of everything happening around her as she links everything to her recurring dreams. Amora does not want to believe in the existence of another realm, she only wanted a normal life of happy high school graduation, college experience, and camping every summer with the woman she grew to know as her mother. Everything comes to a halt when something tragic happens and she finds out someone is after the powers she never knew she had. She is forced to journey into the unknown mystic lands she never believed in to fulfill her destiny as a Mystian. Her journey takes her into Vadina, her birthplace, where she meets her strange extended family, meets new friends, and also ventures into other mystic lands and to the dwelling of evil.
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."
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
"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.
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"