Novels by DEBORAH BASSEY

"Feeding off what?" Caleb asked, his rifle sweeping the area.Before Finn could answer, a low growl echoed through the village. The team froze, their weapons trained on the source of the sound. From the shadows emerged creatures unlike any they had faced before. Their forms were barely humanoid, their bodies composed of writhing tendrils and jagged shards of obsidian. Their glowing eyes burned with malice."Contact!" Ruby shouted, firing the first shot.The creatures attacked with terrifying speed, their movements unnatural and erratic. Caleb fired at the nearest one, his bullets shattering its obsidian exterior but failing to slow it down. Selene charged forward, her blade glowing as it sliced through a tendril that lashed out at her."Aim for the cores!" Finn yelled, his device beeping wildly. "The glowing spots in their chests!"Ruby adjusted her aim, firing at a creature's core. The shot landed true, and the creature let out a guttural scream before collapsing into a pile of ash a

breath felt empty like the air was too thick to breathe. ''I'll feel better if I sleep, I told myself.Ghb yuu yuu y7u rrd tre oil uiuBut immediately as I was about drifting into sleep, I heard a sound that made me jump right up from bed.Asher's ears sparked in defense, his growl filling the whole room. The sound alone sent a chill running through my spine, but I couldn't look away from the window. There was a shadow outside that seemed to shift, stretching and bending unnaturally than they should have.I stood in fear, not being able to feel my legs which felt heavy. All I could hear was the sound of my heartbeat which kept on thundering in my chest. A loud bang at the door made me jump from my bed. I gasped out of shock, crawling on my knees in order to peep through the door. before I could even make it, the door burst open with enough force to slam against the wall. Two figures stood in the doorway, covered in dark shadows.GyyTheir eyes were glowing with yellow, a sight that

"Another kilometer," Finn replied, adjusting the scanner. "But the energy is… erratic. It's like the cluster is unstable, but it's pulling resources from somewhere."Ruby nodded, her grip tightening on her rifle. "Stay alert. The Shadow never makes things easy." The whole team were on high alert as they lifted their weapons higher ready to attack at the slightest movement The cluster appeared suddenly, nestled within a narrow gorge. Tendrils of dark energy snaked along the ground, pulsating faintly. At its center was a twisted structure, a crude spire of shadow and stone that seemed to breathe with unnatural life."Looks like a smaller version of the core," Finn murmured. "But it's… fractured. If we can destabilize it, the whole thing should collapse."Ruby surveyed the area. "Let's make it happen. You handle the spire. I'll cover you."As Finn approached the structure, the ground trembled. Creatures emerged from the shadows, their forms misshapen but vicious. Ruby fired a quick burs

Finn's scanner beeped intermittently, struggling to maintain accuracy. "The interference is worse than I expected," he admitted, frowning at the flickering display. "We're flying blind out here."Selene's eyes scanned the horizon. "Then we rely on instincts. This isn't the first time we've worked without a map."Zoe smirked faintly. "She's right. Besides, if anything jumps out, I'll just cut it down."Ruby kept her rifle at the ready, her voice cutting through the tension. "Stay sharp. Whatever's waiting for us, it knows we're coming."The signal led them to an ancient ruin, partially buried beneath layers of shadow-infused earth. The structure was unlike anything they'd encountered before—crumbling stone walls laced with veins of pulsing dark energy. Tendrils of shadow coiled and twisted through the air, moving as if alive.Finn's eyes widened as he studied the ruin. "This place… it's amplifying the signal. The core's energy is dormant but concentrated here. If we can disable it, we'

Ruby led the way, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Stay together! Keep moving!"A massive tendril slammed into the path ahead, cutting them off. Selene darted forward, her blade slicing through the tendril in a single, decisive strike. "Go! I've got this!"The team pushed forward, the exit coming into view just as the chamber let out a deafening roar. They burst into the open air, the ground beneath them trembling as the chamber collapsed entirely.Finn stumbled to his knees, his scanner clutched tightly in his hands. He stared at the screen, his face pale. "The energy… it's… it's heading somewhere else."Ruby turned to him, her expression grim. "Where?"Finn looked up, his voice shaking. "I don't know. But whatever it is, it's not good."The team's breaths came in heavy gasps as they stared out over the Wastes. The Shadow's remnants weren't just lingering. They were regrouping, gathering strength for something far worse.Ruby's grip tightened on her rifle. "We'll stop it. Whatev

Isabel POVExplosions and gunfire ricocheted off concrete walls, punctuated by shouts and screams. Isabel POVExplosions and gunfire ricocheted off concrete walls, punctuated by shouts and screams. The mechanical voice over the intercom had been haunting in its finality: "Containment protocol initiated. No one leaves."I bolted from the server room with my laptop clutched to my chest, my mind racing. Somewhere in these files was a way out, a weakness in the system I'd unwittingly helped build."Miguel!" I called, spotting him barricading the main corridor. His eyes snapped to me."What did you find?" he demanded, not pausing in his task of positioning wreckages for cover."More data on the project—but it's a mess. They've buried the important files under layers of encryption.""Then unbury them," he snapped. "We're running out of time!"I didn't argue. My hands shook as I knelt beside him, setting up my laptop on a nearby crate. The battle outside raged, but my focus was on the scre

Sunday DinnerLily's PovThe Hunt family mansion made Alexander's penthouse look modest.Elena had driven me separately. Alexander didn't offer. He'd left hours earlier without a word.I stood at the massive front doors in the navy dress he'd chosen, feeling like an imposter.A butler opened the door. "Mrs. Hunt. They're waiting in the dining room."My heels clicked on marble floors. Voices echoed from ahead."...finally bringing her around. Took him long enough.""Probably ashamed. Did you see the wedding photos? Plain as dishwater."I froze outside the doorway."Now Cassandra, that's a woman worthy of the Hunt name. This girl is just….""Father." Alexander's voice cut through. "That's enough."I stepped into the room.Six pairs of eyes turned to me. Alexander sat at the far end of a table that could seat twenty. Margaret was beside him in a wheelchair, oxygen tubes in her nose. She smiled warmly.To Alexander's right sat an older man who could only be his father, same cold eyes, sam

The First MonthLily's PovThree weeks passed like a blur of loneliness.Alexander left before I woke up and came home after I went to bed. When we did cross paths, he looked through me like I was invisible.Elena became my only companion. She taught me Alexander's preferences, his schedule, his habits. Not that he noticed anything I did.I cooked dinner every night anyway. His favorite dishes that Elena mentioned. I set the table for two and waited.He never came. The food went cold. I ate alone. Threw the rest away.Every single night."You should stop," Elena said one evening, watching me plate another untouched meal. "He's not going to eat it.""I know."My phone rang. Sophie's weekly call."Lily! Guess what? My physical therapy is going so well! The new doctor says I might be able to walk with braces in a few months!""That's amazing, sweetheart." I forced brightness into my voice."It's all because of you and your new job. How's everything?""Just working hard. But I'm happy." L

The WeddingLily's PovThe courthouse was gray and cold, just like everything else in my new life.I wore a simple cream dress from the closet Alexander's stylist had filled. No veil. No flowers. No guests except the two witnesses Alexander's lawyer brought.Alexander stood beside me in a black suit, checking his phone while the judge read the vows."Do you, Alexander James Hunt, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife?""I do." He didn't look at me."Do you, Lily Marie Morgan, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?""I do." My voice barely worked."You may kiss the bride."Alexander's jaw tightened. He leaned in and pressed his lips to mine for exactly two seconds. Cold. Perfunctory. Like signing a document."Congratulations. You're now husband and wife."Mrs. Lily Hunt.It was done."My grandmother expects us in an hour. We need to go." Alexander was already walking away.I followed him to his black car. A driver opened the door for me. Alexander sat on the opposi

Moving InAlexander's Pov"She's perfect, Alexander. So timid and forgettable. Your grandmother will never suspect this is fake."Cassandra traced her finger down my chest as she spoke. We were in my office, door locked, an hour after Lily Morgan had left."She signed. That's all that matters." I moved away from Cassandra's touch to pour myself a drink."Did you see her face when I introduced myself in the elevator? She looked like she might cry." Cassandra laughed. "This is going to be easier than we thought."I downed the whiskey. "Just keep the embezzlement quiet until the contract ends. Two years, then we're free to do whatever we want."Cassandra's smile faltered. "Two years is a long time to pretend, darling.""You'll manage. The alternative is prison for stealing from my company." I set down the glass. "Or did you forget I have the evidence?"Her eyes flashed with anger before she masked it with sweetness. "Of course not. I'm just saying, living with some pathetic nobody under

The ProposalLily's Pov"Your father's debt is now yours, Miss Morgan. You have seventy-two hours, or I start with your sister's fingers."Vincent Shaw's threat from this morning still rang in my ears as I stood outside Hunt Hotels Corporation. My hands wouldn't stop shaking. Three million dollars. I didn't have three hundred.The envelope in my pocket felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. Inside was a contract marriage proposal from Alexander Hunt himself. I didn't know why a billionaire would want someone like me, but I was out of options.Sophie needed me. That was all that mattered.I pushed through the glass doors into a lobby that screamed wealth. I looked down at my worn flats and wanted to disappear."Miss Morgan?" A woman in a tight skirt appeared. "Mr. Hunt is waiting. Twentieth floor."His office door was open. Alexander Hunt stood at the window, tall and broad-shouldered in a black suit. He didn't turn around when I entered."You came." His voice was ice."Yes, Mr. Hunt.