"They say the rain follows me. That I was born cursed. Marked. Promised to a monster who lives in the shadows." When seventeen-year-old Elira is torn from her village during a storm, she's told she is the "Storm Bride"-a girl bound by blood to the feared Shadow Lord. Whispers say he's not human, that his castle breathes, and that every bride before her vanished without a trace. Now trapped in a dark fortress where the walls seem to whisper, and eyes watch her every move, Elira must uncover the truth about the curse tied to her bloodline and the mysterious man she is bound to marry. But the deeper she digs, the more twisted the truth becomes. Because the Shadow Lord isn't just hiding secrets... He's hiding her destiny. A slow-burn fantasy romance filled with ancient magic, dangerous court intrigue, and a girl who was never meant to be ordinary.
They say the rain follows me.
That wherever I go, the clouds gather-low and heavy, waiting. I used to think it was a coincidence. A cruel joke the sky played on me. But the night they came for me, I knew it was more than that.
It was fate.
The storm had started at dusk-sharp winds rattling the wooden shutters, thunder cracking like the gods were angry. I was curled beneath the table in my aunt's kitchen, barefoot, still in my nightdress, the hem soaked from where the water seeped in through the floor.
They didn't knock.
The door slammed open, and suddenly the room filled with masked guards in black cloaks, dripping with rain and silence. I tried to run, but my aunt just stood there, pale, shaking, whispering a prayer I'd never heard before. She didn't even try to stop them.
"The Storm Bride," one of them said, as if naming a ghost.
They bound my wrists, rough rope against skin already raw from days of cold. I screamed, kicked, begged-but the thunder swallowed my voice whole.
No one in the village helped me. Not one.
Because they believed the stories. That I was cursed. That I was marked. That the Shadow Lord would come for me when the rain returned and he had.
They dragged me through the mud, through puddles reflecting a sky split by lightning, and shoved me into a carriage as black as obsidian. The door slammed shut. The lock clicked.
And that's when I heard the voice-soft, from somewhere far away. Maybe in my head.
"He's waiting."
My breath caught. My fingers trembled against the wood.
The rain kept falling.
I didn't sleep.
The carriage rattled through the night, through what felt like endless woods. The only sounds were hooves hitting wet earth, the crack of distant thunder, and the constant, steady drip of water from the carriage roof onto the floorboards.
Drip. Drip. Drip.
It was cold. The kind that settles into your bones and doesn't leave, even when you stop shivering. My wrists ached where the rope had rubbed them raw. I pulled my knees to my chest, trying to be small, invisible.
But there was no one to hide from. Only the dark.
They said he lived beyond the edge of the world. That the Shadow Lord's fortress was built into the cliffs themselves, carved from black stone by gods who had long abandoned us. They said it breathed. That it watched.
And I believed them now.
By the time the carriage stopped, the rain had slowed to a mist, like the sky was whispering instead of screaming. One of the guards opened the door. He didn't speak, just reached in and yanked me to my feet.
What I saw outside made my breath stop.
The fortress was massive. A jagged silhouette against the pale gray sky, all towers and spires, its walls crawling with vines that looked like they'd bled in the rain. No flags. No warmth. Just black stone and silence.
They marched me across the bridge that led to the gate. Below it: nothing. A sheer drop into fog and darkness. My legs wanted to give out. My heart beat loud in my ears.
When the doors opened, I was swallowed whole.
Inside, it was colder. The halls stretched endlessly, lit by torches that cast shadows like moving arms. I tried to memorize the turns. I lost count after five.
Then we stopped.
A heavy door opened. A woman stood inside the room tall, silver-haired, eyes the color of frost. She looked at me like I was something she hadn't ordered.
"This is the girl?" she asked.
"She is the one the rain chose," the guard replied.
She exhaled, turned her back. "Bathe her. Dress her. The Lord sees no one in rags."
And just like that, I was no longer a person. Just a duty to be done.
But something told me this was just the beginning.
As the maids dragged me toward the bath chamber, I caught a glimpse of a painting on the wall, faded, and cracked. A woman in a black gown standing in the rain, a man behind her shrouded in smoke. Her face...
It looked exactly like mine.
Joanne Ogoin's life has never been easy. As the third daughter of a wealthy family, she's always felt like an outcast. Her chronic illness has made her parents all but dismiss her, favoring her healthier, more vibrant sisters instead. But when Joanne's family arranges her marriage to Marcus Thompson, the wealthy and ruthless CEO, she's horrified. Marcus is notorious for his brutal business tactics and acidic tongue, and Joanne knows she's in for a world of pain. What she doesn't expect, however, is the complex, vulnerable person beneath Marcus's harsh exterior. As they navigate their tumultuous relationship, Joanne begins to chip away at Marcus's defenses, revealing a deep well of emotion and longing. But as they struggle to overcome their pasts and the societal expectations that haunt them, Joanne and Marcus must confront the darkest corners of their own hearts. Will their love be enough to heal the wounds of their past, or will it succumb to the crushing weight of their families' ambitions?
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
The whispers said that out of bitter jealousy, Hadley shoved Eric's beloved down the stairs, robbing the unborn child of life. To avenge, Eric forced Hadley abroad and completely cut her off. Years later, she reemerged, and they felt like strangers. When they met again, she was the nightclub's star, with men ready to pay fortunes just to glimpse her elusive performance. Unable to contain himself, Eric blocked her path, asking, "Is this truly how you earn a living now? Why not come back to me?" Hadley's lips curved faintly. "If you’re eager to see me, you’d better join the queue, darling."
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
"Who is she?" I asked, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "He met her at the Alpha training camp," he said. "She is a perfect suitor for him. It snowed last night, indicating that his wolf is happy with his choice." My heart sank, and tears made their way down my cheeks. Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing in his office as his Luna. **** Emily never shifted on her 18th birthday and became the laughingstock of the pack. When her old crush, Alexander Black, returns from Alpha Training, she never expected him to be her mate. After a night of passionate love, Emily finds out that young Alpha Alexander has taken a chosen mate. Heartbroken and humiliated, Emily runs off and disappears from the pack. Now, five years later, Emily is a high-ranking warrior in King Alpha's army, specializing in sensitive matters. When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate, Alexander. Will Alexander figure out it is Emily? Will he chase after her, and most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe?