The Cross Of Lead

Marina had spent her life clawing against poverty, illness, and desperation. With her mother and brother gravely unwell and her family barely surviving, she makes a dangerous choice. To become a royal consort. Trading her body and freedom for the power to save the people she loves. It is not romance she seeks, but leverage. King Xanthanius was murdered by betrayal and brought back from the dead by a single, fatal error made during his killing. Immortal but incomplete, half of his life force was stolen, leaving his resurrection imperfect and his existence unstable. Determined to reclaim what was taken, he rules with calculated cruelty and a singular obsession. Restoring his immortality at any cost. When Marina enters his court as a consort, Xanthanius initially sees her as nothing more than a crowd to his space then a disposable pawn, useful for navigating political traps and accomplishing delicate tasks beneath a King’s notice. But Marina is not as expendable as he assumes. Her presence is an untold key to the missing half of his immortality. She is tied to the very power Xanthanius needs to survive. Bound by mutual exploitation, desire, and distrust, Marina and Xanthanius use each other to pursue their own ends until ambition blurs into intimacy and manipulation gives way to something far more dangerous. Because falling in love with Marina may cost Xanthanius the immortality he’s willing to kill for and Marina must decide whether saving her family is worth destroying the man she’s come to care for. #romantasy #darkromance #mistress #ruthlessking #steamy

"Evelyn Vane. You conspired with the Fallen. You tried to murder Tania Swann, future Lady of the Nightfall Court. Today, your blood wakes the Blood Mirror. We will rip out your memories. We will seal your fate." In the ancient catacombs, the Blood Mirror cast a dark red halo in the candlelight. My former fated mate lounged on his black velvet throne. He was Valerius Cross, the noble Lord of the Nightfall Court. Those eyes used to look at me with love. Now, they held only disgust. "The Blood Mirror will show every betrayal you've committed against this Court. Our entire kind will see the monster hiding under that pretty skin!" Tania clung softly to Valerius's broad chest. She traced lazy circles on his skin. A sweet, smug smile played on her lips. She was so sure the mirror would condemn me tonight. She was so sure I'd burn to ashes. The rune-carved silver chains bit deep into my flesh. Black smoke hissed from my burns. Even so, I spoke. My voice was broken. "Valerius, are you sure about this? Do you really want my blood to show you my memories? Once it starts... none of you can turn back."

When her father offers her as tribute to save their dying kingdom, nineteen-year-old Eryndra Nightveil becomes a pawn in a game far deadlier than politics. King Malakar Veyrath has ruled the Kingdom of Valethorne for over two centuries, his very name striking terror into neighboring realms. What the world doesn't know is that their most feared monarch is actually a demon king who feeds on human suffering—and he hasn't had a queen to torment in decades. Eryndra arrives at the fortress-palace believing she's entering a political marriage that will save her people. Instead, she's walked into the lair of a predator who views breaking her spirit as his newest entertainment. But the sheltered noblewoman harbors secrets even she doesn't understand—dormant witch blood flows through her veins, and something about her presence unsettles the demon king in ways he's never experienced. As Malakar's games of psychological torture begin, Eryndra must find strength she never knew she possessed. Because in the perpetual twilight of Valethorne, survival isn't just about enduring the darkness—it's about discovering the light that lies hidden within. Some monsters can be defeated. Others can be transformed. But first, you have to survive long enough to find out which kind you're facing. _______ Book One: The Crown Of Shadow A sheltered noblewoman is forced to marry a demon king, but her hidden witch heritage and unexpected love begin to transform them both. Book Two: The Hybrid's Dawn The birth of the first demon-witch hybrid child triggers supernatural wars as ancient powers fight to control or destroy the unprecedented being. Book Three: The Celestial Bond The hybrid prince must choose between political alliances and true love while ancient gods stir and threaten all realms.

When the moon turns black, blood will choose its master. Kaelira Voss was never meant to lead—only to obey. Branded as a volatile wolf with a dangerous temper, she spends her life fighting for scraps of respect from a pack that will never trust her. But when a dying boy stumbles across the border whispering of experiments, moonfire, and a coming plague, Kaelira’s act of mercy ignites a chain of events that will change everything. The Lycan King, Zevran Kaelith, arrives to reclaim what’s his: the fugitive boy and the secrets he carries. But when Kaelira’s blood destroys the curse consuming him, Zevran sees the impossible—witchcraft flowing through a wolf’s veins. Bound by ancient magic neither understands, the two become reluctant allies as an ancient prophecy awakens beneath the rising Black Moon. Haunted by visions of her dead mother and hunted by both her former Alpha and the High Lunar Dominion, Kaelira must master the power buried in her blood before it consumes her completely. But the closer she gets to the truth, the harder it becomes to ignore the pull between her and the cold, infuriating king who swore he’d never love again. Enemies by birth. Fated by blood. Together, they are the spark that could burn kingdoms—or save them. Blood of the Black Moon is a dark fantasy romance filled with betrayal, power, and slow-burn passion between a fierce female lead and the Lycan king destined to destroy—or worship—her. Perfect for fans of forbidden bonds, hidden magic, and enemies-to-lovers tension that hurts so good.

A priest has shown up at my first birthday party. He claims that I'm a cursed soul—that my presence will bring doom to those close to me, and my existence itself can snatch everyone's luck. The only way to counter this is to give me up to an orphanage and let me live a life of poverty and suffering. Without a family, I'll be able to overcome my fate as a cursed soul. Daddy has the priest cast out of our home immediately. Meanwhile, Mommy hugs me tightly. "My son is the luckiest boy in the whole wide world!" But everything has changed when my younger brother, Andy Lawson, has fallen off the 20th floor. His body is completely shattered from the fall. I can only stand by the window uneasily. Fear is evident in my eyes as I wave my hands with all my might. "It wasn't me! It really wasn't me!" The wind that day is very strong, but it can never drown out Mommy's cries. Daddy hoists me up and stuffs me into Andy's coffin. I keep latching onto the sides of the coffin to the point my fingers are all bloodied and trampled over. At the same time, I keep screaming for Mommy. Mommy stares at me blankly at first. But her hollow gaze is soon filled with hatred. "Why aren't you the one dead? That priest told us that you'll have to stay in the coffin for seven whole days and nights just to atone for your sins! Only then can Andy's soul rest in peace! "This is your fate and your sin, Adam!" The heavy lid slowly covers the coffin, soon sealing my hoarse cries and screams away. A long time later, a few voices ring out amid the sorrowful melody played by the organ. "Why is there a tiny gap in the coffin? Hurry up and nail it shut! We can't afford to have misfortune spread to us!" When the final nail is bolted onto the lid, I close my eyes. Mommy, Daddy, I'm no longer a cursed soul.

In my previous life, I was born at the stroke of a cold, pitch-black midnight on New Year's Day, an omen the old town whispered about. They called me a Deathbringer's child, destined to guide the souls of the stillborn to rest. From the age of six, I carried small coffins alone to the graveyard by the church, burying them in silence. Each time, when I reached into the velvet shroud that wrapped the tiny casket, I would find a golden coin resting inside. My mother sold those coins for money, buying my brother a grand mansion, while leaving me behind in the crumbling family house to keep doing the work. No one expected the world of Haunts to descend. However, those coins turned out to be tokens of command, keys that bound the Haunts of the apocalypse to my will. With them, I became the Empress of the End, feared by all, ruling with every resource at my command.