26 Contemporary Books That Should Be Taught In High School

The first time I lived, my sister and I found two dragon eggs. The black one pulsed with raw, untamed power. My sister, Isabella, claimed it without a second thought. The white one was left for me. A cracked, forgotten thing. It held only a whisper of magic. I took it out of pity. Within a year, the black dragon shattered his shell and emerged a man so beautiful it was a curse. He became Isabella's devoted weapon, his power forging her path to godhood. Meanwhile, the white egg fed on me. I poured everything I had into my white egg. My magic, my money, my soul. For ten long years, it gave me nothing. Everyone said to abandon it. But I couldn’t. I was an orphan, ignored by my sister. I just wanted a companion. But as the dark plague swept the lands, the egg I'd nurtured for a decade hatched overnight—while I was dying, he soared past me to save Isabella. He could have hatched years ago. Could have been human all along. But he chose Isabella. He mistook her for his savior. Then I was back to the day it all began. This time, Isabella lunged for the white egg first, afraid I'd take it. I slung my worn satchel of herbs over my shoulder. Turned my back on them both. "You can have them both," I said calmly. "I choose myself." This life, I swore I would have nothing to do with Adrian. But now, he's the one filled with regret, willing to give his own life just to have me look at him one more time.

His word is law and he says I'm his.Edward Collins is a ruthless billionaire,a gorgeous distraction in my life and the architect of my crazy fantasies. He charms and tempts...captures and claims her.Between resisting and surrendering,lies the thrill.He knows her boundaries, beautifully pushing her limits a little further everytime thereby creating a space for himself in her heart. It was just a relationship built on the ground of pretence.She didn't expect it to become a raging ball of fire and dark love eating her up with a flaming guilt. When it became too much for Diana to handle,she cried... ..be careful with my heart... ..to all four billionaires.

Zeve was bullied and abused in her pack because she was 'different' from the others girls in her pack. Her life was hell with only one spark of hope -- her mate, Chaz Enver. Chaz helped her love herself again, but just when they were about to get married, the strongest alpha also the most dreaded attacked her pack. He not only killed Chaz right before her eyes, but also forced him to reject her before slitting his throat. Fearing him she runs to save her life, but he finds her but not to kill her, but to make her His Luna. Who is this mysterious man? Why is he chasing after Zeve? Why did he forcefully severe their mate bond? Why did he kill Chaz? What will Zeve do when she discovers a little more about the Alpha? What will she do when she finds out that the person she thought to be the villain of her story was actually the one who protected her? Will love spark between them or will the flames of hatred engulf the two hearts? Will the man as cold as perpetual nights, shed his icy walls for Zeve or will he end up becoming her worst nightmare? As the story unfurls fates and destinies take a sharp turn with vampires, magic and mystery of a world where the 'day' is dead and all that's left for warmth in the perpetual night is love. Read to discover the real truth and solve mysteries of a world that hadn't witnessed days for ages and was constantly drowning in nights.

"There's no way i have a wolfless and stuttering mate like you, Tessa." With that, Alpha Frederick threw the pregnancy test I handed him back in my direction. “Go find the father of your baby on your own and don’t ever come to me again." ***** Having me as a pack member is a shame enough for Frederick Alonso, my Alpha and the man I have loved since I was twelve. What would happen when one day, it turned out that we were a fated mate? Furious isn't even enough to describe it. Alpha Frederick thinks I'm playing tricks on him. Rejected, slandered, humiliated, and now hated by my family and the whole pack members, I determined to make him and them all regret it. Just when I already killed the pathetic girl in the past, he came back into my life. But I am no longer the stuttering weakling, I'm the most powerful hybrid that everyone worships. Now that I believe love only makes me weak and Frederick isn’t worthy of me anymore, am I going to let him be my weakness?

Everyone in the pack knew I was in love with the Alpha, Luther Pauley. I had done whatever it took to win him over, even sneaking into his bed more than once. When I turned 18, the pack's seer predicted that Luther was my destined mate. But I refused the marking ceremony and chose to leave the pack instead. Luther looked stunned as he blocked my way out. "If you walk away now, don't ever come back." No one in the pack believed I would really go. They were even making bets about how soon I'd crawl back. "I'm calling three days!" "You're giving her too much credit. I'll wager a bottle of healing tonic that she'll be running back here in three minutes!" I ignored them and went straight to Sawyer Dunn, the Alpha of Graymoon Pack. This time, I swore I would never look back again.

Marcus Myers is the classic millionaire playboy, handsome and a rebel, the perfect formula to get what he wants, no woman resists him until he meets Daniella Douglas; she will not fall easily to his charms; she is a determined and intelligent woman, and does not intend to be anyone's toy. Both are about to start College, when by chance, they meet, the attraction between them makes desire and passion inevitable. Daniella is reluctant to be one more in his list of conquests, but Marcus will not give up until she is his and no one else. Marcus and Daniella are attracted to each other in every way, but who will be the one to give in to this relationship, who will take the first step when they both fall madly in love. This is book 2, the sequel to "When you leave your heart behind" book 1; however it can be read as a stand-alone story.

No fling! No way! Not now, not ever! Mackenzie Swanson is not having a fling with Wyatt Carlyle! And she has told him so… time and time again. But that's fine with Wyatt. She's not his type anyway. He's a ‘wham-bam-thank-you-ma'am’ kind of guy who believes in true lust, and she's a former virgin who believes in true love. Not a match! Nope! Not suited at all. But after their one seductive night together, Wyatt is strangely hooked. He's prepared to follow this gorgeous virgin anywhere and everywhere. He can't keep his hands off sexy Mackenzie and he can't keep out of her oh-so-tempting bed. So, he's going to prove that what she thinks isn't happening is actually the most passionate fling of his life.

Adira is the first dhampir born in hundreds of years, a being born of a human woman and a vampire father, or so she had been told since birth. Because of this she was not allowed to leave the mansion grounds, and was kept like a prisoner. Her heritage to both the humans and vampires planted a seed of hatred in the hearts of the rest vampires. She was treated like an outcast, till she decided she had had enough and she was going to run away and live her life far from the drama of the supernatural world. A twist of fate brought Theodore, the seductive young handsome Alpha of the moonlight pack and a mortal enemy to her conclave of vampires, in her dream the night before she would escape the Mansion. It was just a dream, she thought and continued her plans to escape the conclave. Things however quickly took a huge turn after she met Theodore in real life, saving her just at the nick of time from an accident that should have ended her life. Both of them were quickly swept off their feets with feelings that they could not explain, even though they tried as much as possible to fight it. After a long series of events, it was revealed to them that she was his Destined Luna. But how? Adira was a child of the two of the werewolves' biggest enemies, humans and vampires. The pack would never accept her as their Luna, nor would Theodore's already chosen Luna, Shira. Neither will the vampires who will do anything to get Adira back under their roof as a captive, because they knew what she truly was, and it wasn't a dhamper. The tale of the two destined lovers from unlike backgrounds awaits…

"You’re fighting a losing battle,” he says, his voice dangerously low. “I suggest you save yourself the pain and step aside.” I can’t believe my ears. Anger rises up my throat. “You don’t scare me, Mr. D’Amato," I snap. “Erik belongs with me, and I’ll fight for him no matter what it takes.” ***** A grieving aunt. A powerful billionaire. And a baby caught in the middle. When Pamela loses her little sister, she vows to raise her nephew, Erik, all by herself. But Massimo D’Amato has other plans. His proposal is simple: A two-year marriage contract or she'd never see Erik again. As they both fight for Erik’s future, feelings they never expected begin to grow. But love was never part of the deal nor were the secrets that could tear them apart.

The strongest Alpha—undefeated in battle. But fate plays a cruel joke when his fated mate turns out to be a simple human girl. Can he win the hardest fight of all… when his greatest enemy is his own beast? This is the story of Alina—a girl who once lost her faith in love and closed her heart for years. On her very first day at a new job, she manages to mess up in front of the one man she should have feared most: the cold and fearsome Alpha Wayland. But what begins as punishment from the Alpha takes an unexpected turn. Will the powerful leader be able to break his own rules and accept a human as his true mate? Passion, humor, danger, harsh words, steamy scenes (18+), and a love that refuses to be denied.