Invisible Labor: Hidden Work In The Contemporary World

Clancy Lockwood was born a Dhampir which changed his life exclusively because he never grew up knowing who his mother was or what she looked like, he was raised artificially in an incubator by Doctor Lloyd Wright. Driven by the rage of vengeance and thirst for revenge, Clancy attained the moniker Rapidfire hunting creatures of the night, mostly vampires as a vigilante because he believed through them, he would be able to reveal his mother's murderer but everything turned from normal to worst after he discovered his life has been manipulated from the start by a biblical prophecy related to the birth of Cain, the first murderer and Lilith, queen of all demons also known as the bride of Beelzebub Lucifer, the devil.

I was eight months pregnant and had just gone into labor, but my Alpha mate, Damien, locked me in a silver cage in the basement to delay my labor. When I cried out for help, he just told me to wait. Because his late brother's mate, Victoria, was also giving birth that day. The Pack Seer had foretold that only the firstborn pup would be blessed by the Moon Goddess and become the future Alpha. "The title belongs to Victoria's child," he said. "She lost Marcus. She has nothing. You already have all my love, Elena. The silver cage will make sure you deliver after her." The contractions were torture. I begged him to take me to the clinic. He grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. "Stop pretending. I should've known you never loved me. All you've ever cared about is wealth and status!" "To force your labor early, just to steal what belongs to my nephew… You're truly wicked." Pale and trembling, I whispered: "The pup is coming, I can't stop it. Please, I'll make a blood oath. I don't care about the inheritance. I only love you!" He scoffed."If you loved me, you wouldn’t have forced Victoria into that contract to give up her pup’s birthright. I'll come back for you after she delivers. After all, that's my pup in there, too." He stood guard outside Victoria's delivery room. Only after he saw the newborn pup in her arms did he remember me. He ordered his Beta to release me. But the Beta's voice trembled. "Luna… and the pup… they're dead." And in that moment, Damien went feral.

In this post-apocalyptic world, all the supernatural species in the world belong to what is referred to as The Hidden. They have banded together to survive the humans destroying themselves and each other in hidden colonies around the world. Amara, future alpha of her pack, and her secret lover Trent, future alpha of an enemy pack, are caught in a love triangle of sorts. Amara’s parents keep trying to push her towards Tobias, alpha of an ally pack. Now the Council Collective is planning on going out to find human survivors and bring them back to integrate into their colony. Amara and Trent decide to go public and tell their families they are together. Alpha John, Trent’s father has other plans. He sends Trent on a mission to pick up survivors, making Amara think he has abandoned her. Not long after, Amara finds out she is pregnant. Amara chooses to go after Trent, and unbeknownst to him she discovers his deep dark secret. She runs away from Trent and everything she knows and ends up finding the last thing she thought she would ever find in this wreck of a world. Could she really have found her fated mate after all this time? And in a human? Will she go back to Trent? Or will she give this unexpected twist of fate a chance?

That guy, he's her roommate. But also a demon in human skin, so sinful and so wrong she had no idea what he was capable of. That girl, she's his roommate. But also an angel in disguise, so pure, so irresistible and so right he felt his demon ways melting. Aelin and Laurent walk on a journey, not together but still on each other's side. Both leading each other to their destination unknowing and Knowingly. Complicated and ill-fated was their story.

Anne believed her toughest battles were juggling school, family, and her secret martial arts training. But when her family’s shadowy past begins to surface, she’s thrust into a perilous world where every step brings new dangers. Determined to uncover the truth about her identity, Anne embarks on a journey fraught with difficult choices. As the line between ally and enemy fades, she must decide who to trust—and how much she’s willing to sacrifice to safeguard the ones she loves.

The contractions were ripping me in two. My vision was going dark. My husband, Don Vittorio, the man who ruled Chicago, squeezed my hand. His dark eyes burned with love. "Just a little longer, mia cara. You'll meet our baby soon." Sweat poured down my face. I still found the strength to smile for him. Then a nurse walked in. She held a syringe. I thought it was to stop the pain. But Vittorio’s hand fell away. He took a single step back. The needle sank into my arm. I heard Vittorio’s voice. It was cold steel. "Dose her carefully. She holds on until midnight. Not a minute sooner. Not until after Ornella delivers." And then I knew. He thought I married him for the money. He was stopping my labor. All for a sick Falcone family rule: the first son born is the next heir. Pain tore through me. I reached for him. Tears streamed down my face. I begged him to stop. He bit his lip. His voice was pure ice. "My brother is dead. Ornella carries his only heir. You will do as you are told. You and your child will not steal his birthright." The drug hit my veins. The violent squeeze in my belly, like some invisible hand, just… stopped.