Not A Drop To Drink

Elias's grip tightened around Jace's wrist, pulling him closer until their bodies were flush, the heat between them undeniable. His voice was a low growl in Jace's ear. "You're mine now," he whispered, his thumb tracing the line of Jace's jaw. "And I'll make you beg for every inch of me." ......... Jace Rivera is a man on a mission. A struggling artist and bartender, he's desperate to save his brother, Noah, who is dying from a critical illness and needs a kidney transplant. With no money and no hope of finding a donor, Jace's only option is to destroy the Crane family from within. His plan? Seduce Elias Crane-the handsome, emotionally detached heir to the Crane fortune-and use him to exact his revenge. But Elias is more dangerous, more seductive than Jace ever imagined. The closer he gets to the puzzling billionaire, the more he's pulled into a web of obsession, betrayal, and forbidden desire. What starts as a quest for vengeance becomes a fight for survival, as Jace realizes his feelings for Elias are more complex than mere revenge. In a dangerous game of power and passion, Jace will have to decide if his need for justice outweighs the love he's unwilling to admit. Will he risk it all to bring down the Crane empire-or will the fire between him and Elias burn everything to the ground?

Everyone believes Elara is the unwanted daughter of one of the kingdom's richest merchants. Cold, unloved, and treated as nothing more than a burden, she expects her father's final betrayal—but not this. On her twentieth birthday, she is offered as payment to the most feared vampire lord in the realm. Lord Damien Ashcroft is as dangerous as the stories claim—cold, infuriatingly handsome, and armed with a wit sharp enough to cut through anyone's pride. He has no interest in a human bride, yet he accepts the bargain for reasons he refuses to reveal. Their marriage begins with resentment, sarcasm, and endless clashes. She despises his arrogance. He mocks her stubbornness. Neither has any intention of falling in love. But strange things begin to happen. Ancient vampires who have hidden in the shadows for centuries suddenly emerge. Assassins hunt Elara wherever she goes. Secrets buried for generations begin to unravel, revealing a truth more terrifying than either of them imagined. The man she called Father was never her father. Elara carries one of the last surviving bloodlines of an ancient race—a bloodline powerful enough to save the vampires from extinction... or destroy them forever. Now every vampire kingdom wants her. Some want to protect her. Others want her blood. As enemies close in and old prophecies awaken, Damien must choose between the survival of his people and the woman he never meant to love. Because in a world ruled by hunger... Love may be the deadliest thirst of all.

Back in my hometown, the women would brew wine at a young age for their future husbands. Since college, Jake Sanders and I had left our hometown for a brighter future in a city far away, and we finally returned in glory. I was finally able to open my vat of wine, which had been kept for 28 years. I knew that Jake was quite particular about hygiene, so I changed my wine to store-bought wine during the town celebration, even though I knew it was taboo. When I was about to share this secret with him, I heard his conversation with his buddies. "Are you sure you're going to drink Erica's wine? You'll have to marry her according to tradition if you do that. Won't Cassie be mad?" "Yeah. Cassie has already opened her vat of wine. If no one drinks from it, she can't marry." Jake laughed with indifference. "She won't be able to leave me. She's even willing to change that vat of wine for me. Besides, her wine has been left for 28 years. Who would want to drink that? Erica's wine is only 20-years-old, and I heard wine is sweetest at this stage. "Even though I've chosen Erica, I'll still make sure to treat Cassie well. I'll marry her if no one will." It felt like my heart had been cored out and a cold wind was gusting through it, but I decided to let this go because I was not an unwanted woman, and Jake was not the only man in this world. I replied to the text that was sent to me every year: [Will you marry me?] He replied right away: [Wait for me.]

There are three types of apples that fell into this world. The one that hit my head was the forbidden one. ************ In which an English country girl goes from being a waitress, to being the wife of the richest billionaire in London. “It is simple, all you have to do is get my husband into a hotel room, and you’ll get a hundred thousand pounds” she said looking the innocent girl in the eye, their eyes met and the girl cowered as she looked at the woman, processing what she was saying and how much she was offering. “You want me to seduce your husband?” The girl asked looking at the woman who stood above her head, like a predator threatening her prey. “No, all I want you to do is get him into a hotel room, leave the rest on me” she said looking at the girl who was shocked, her heart racing as she thought of what that woman was asking her to do. “Why would you want a girl to get your husband into a hotel room? And more importantly, why me?” “I need to get a divorce, and you need to stay away from my son. See, it’s a win, win, darling”

Eight months pregnant, a contraction tore through me like a blade. But my husband, the Mafia boss Darren, refused to take me to the hospital. His sister-in-law, Angelina, his late brother's widow, was also due. To ensure she gave birth before me, she produced so-called proof of my infidelity, insisting the child I carried was no true Falcone. Because the heir to the Falcone family had to be the firstborn grandson. Darren believed her. He locked me in an abandoned wine cellar. “Don't think for a second I don't know what you've been up to.” “Let me tell you, you're not giving birth to that bastard until I've verified its bloodline myself.” “Angelina’s boy is of pure blood. I have to make sure her boy is the family's firstborn grandson.” I tried desperately to explain. “My water is about to break! Please, take me to the hospital! He’s your son, I swear on my life!” “I’ll never fight for the position of heir! I just want my baby to be safe!” Darren simply kicked me and shot me a glance. “Who knows if you’ll change your mind later? Don’t worry. I’ll come for you after Angelina gives birth. When the baby is born, I’ll see for myself whose it is.” Later, as he gazed at the crying infant in Angelina's arms, he finally thought of me. But one of his men informed him, his voice trembling: “Boss, the Madam… and the child… they're both dead.”

For nineteen-year-old Elara Veyne, being different has always been a curse. Unlike every other werewolf, Elara has no scent. No wolf can track her, identify her bloodline, or sense her presence unless they see her. She has always believed it was simply a strange flaw until the Moon Choosing Ceremony. Kael Draven, the most feared Alpha in the Northern Territories, has never encountered a wolf his instincts couldn't read. Until Elara. The moment he sees her, his wolf makes an impossible claim. His mate. But there is no scent. No bond. Nothing that should make sense. While Kael becomes determined to uncover Elara's identity, her adoptive brother Damon will do anything to keep them apart. Because Damon knows what Elara doesn't: Her parents didn't abandon her. They died protecting her. Elara belongs to a bloodline believed to have vanished generations ago, a bloodline carrying an ancient power feared even by the strongest Alphas. Then Elara's nightmares begin to reveal fragments of a forgotten past. And the mysterious man who has haunted her dreams for years is none other than Kael. But in every dream, Kael stands over her bloodied body. As enemies begin hunting Elara and the packs move toward war, Kael must choose between protecting the woman his wolf has claimed and uncovering the secret that could destroy his pack. And Elara must discover why the moon chose her. Because being scentless was never her greatest secret. It was the reason everyone wanted her dead.