After Dark Haruki Murakami

Billy had a tough life and had always lived by one unshakable rule. But one fateful night at an elite party, where she worked as a part-time server, everything changed as she caught the intense eyes of a stranger—a man whose allure was impossible to resist. And against her better judgment, she broke that rule of hers, surrendering to a night of passion and desire that left her breathless. But when she woke up in the morning, the bed was empty, and the stranger was gone, leaving Billy with nothing but memories of that night. Weeks later, she discovered the consequences of that night: she was pregnant. With no clue, and no way to find that stranger, she braced herself to face motherhood alone. Months passed, and Billy landed another job—serving at the engagement party of one of the city’s most powerful billionaires. But when she was called to serve a drink at the party, her world tilted as the groom-to-be was none other than the man she had been searching for: Marcus Lorenzo. Marcus, the cold-hearted billionaire with a reputation for ruthlessness, had been haunted by that night he had with Billy. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget the mysterious woman who had set his soul on fire. Now, faced with Billy again, he keep finding himself drawing closer to her and this brings out their lust for each other despite the obstacles between them. As their shared desire reignites, the boundaries of their lives blur. But with secret and lies threatening to destroy them, Billy and Marcus must confront the question: Was their night of passion a fleeting mistake, or the start of something far more dangerous?

Celeste Costa-Allegra was raised to be the perfect woman and the ideal wife for Darson Allegra. All her achievements as a woman were dedicated to her husband. One day, Darson brought a mistress into their home, even though Celeste was already four months pregnant. Her husband soon divorced her and callously abandoned her in a dangerous place after the mistreatment she had endured, while her in-laws stripped her of everything she had. Filled with hatred and resentment, she vowed to seek revenge against them. Little did she expect that, in that perilous situation, she would accidentally save the life of the infamous and ruthless Primo Semion Lombardi, who would then unexpectedly offer her a marriage proposal!

I am Ebony Bronfall, Luna of the Crescentmoon Pack. A human. I thought I achieved what no one achieved before. I was a human and the Luna of a powerful pack; it wasn't for everyone to achieve what I did. But it turned out I was merely a pawn for him to use. Frederick betrayed me the worst betrayal in my life. He told me I was his mate, made me fall in love with him, used me for everything I could offer and tossed me when I was of no longer use to him. Even the best friend I thought she was, she was his true mate and they were playing me like a fool. At the end, it's not about what I have or what I have accomplished, it's all about what I can still offer to him and I had nothing to offer anymore. At the last moments of my life, I learnt that I wasn't even his true mate. He was lying to me all along. I regretted giving him everything, my time, my energy, my body, my life… ...I received nothing in exchange. All because I loved him with everything I had. When my life shut down and I thought I was gone, everything reverted back to when I was still in high school. Time reversed and I was again the eighteen years old girl struggling to survive. I was given a chance to start all over again. "I gave too much and now, it's time to receive.”

The Ravennites: children of the lost Seluitah tribe and the white refugees from the Old World. For generations their civilization had remained hidden and kept secret from the constant, prying eyes of the Outside. Life as the Ravennites once knew it, however, would soon fall to bitter change when enemies from the Outside world seek to take away from them everything they had always known and loved. Lost and helpless, the Ravennite civilization has all but fallen into ruin. That is, until a young outsider named Alex Lee discovers the hidden culture and the dire situation that has overshadowed them. Suddenly thrown into the middle of the conflict, Alex feels as though he has no choice but to make a stand and help his brave new friends in the fight to take back what is being stolen from them; while along the way gaining an incredible new insight on the life which he had left behind, and developing a powerful bond with a young Ravennite girl. The choice is his to make: to join with the Ravennites in their fight against their greatest enemies, or to fall into darkness along with all that is left of their hidden civilization, running away is no option. Whatever the path he chooses to take, however, what Alex does not yet realize is the exact nature of the mysterious forces which he constantly senses continue to surround him, and that they have had their sights set on his bloodline for a long time.

“I can't stay married to you anymore, Nolan. You bring out the worst in me, you treat me in the nastiest ways. You don't love me. You don't even like the presence of me…” I winced slightly while trying to hold his gaze. His eyes darkened as they fell on my open thighs in the night dress I was wearing. “Your mouth says one thing Alanna but your body wants another thing. I can feel you already getting wet.” He put his lower lip as he moved his mouth closer to my ear to whisper something to me. Alanna has been humiliated, and disgraced by everyone. Married to a man who doesn’t love her. Hated by her family, she has no choice but to get a divorce and leave. Alanna is back now as a CEO and she determined to make everyone pay, especially her Ex-Husband. The man who onced despised her is falling heads over hills in love with her. Can she forgive him? Or will she go ahead with her revenge and make him pay? Knowing he is the father of her kids.

Michael Carter is an undercover FBI agent on a mission to take down ruthless mafia king Fernando Ramírez—the man he believes killed his sister. But getting close to Fernando means playing a dangerous game, one where seduction and power blur the lines between enemy and lover. When Michael uncovers a shocking truth, his thirst for revenge turns into a fight for something far more dangerous—his own heart. Now, torn between duty and desire, he must decide: destroy the man he swore to take down or surrender to the one thing he never saw coming. Love has never been more lethal.

He moved so fast, my brain didn't seem to catch up until I was pressed against him, his one hand entwined in my hair as he forced me to look into his eyes - those dark rimmed, forest green eyes - while his other hand cupped my backside, lifting me so that I was forced to stand on my tiptoes. "I may not be your alpha, cara mia, but I am your owner and you will obey me until you pay back what you owe me," he said slowly, enunciating each word carefully as if he were fighting his wolf for control. "Until that day, you are mine and mine alone." --- Being owned by her own mate was not a scenario Eliana ever thought she'd be in. However, when Luca Castello won her in an auction, she found herself in a desperate situation - especially when he rejects her and demands that she works for him in order to pay off what she owes him. Will she be able to live her life under his command without succumbing to the attraction she feels for him, or will another claim her heart and body?

“He said… that if I loved the… pack as I claimed to… I should leave quietly. He said it so calmly! Like I was nothing to him! Like the past years we spent together was nothing!” Shattered and heartbroken by her husband's words and actions, Elena left with one secret she would have shared with her husband, Alpha Rex. Years later, her husband spots her with two children that look like him, filled with regrets and pain after being betrayed by the same woman he left Elena to marry, he approaches her, apologizes and asks her to return to his pack, but she's now a hard nut to crack. She's not the same weak lady that any man would toss around as they want. Sit tight and enjoy this story of love, regrets, pain, hurt and many other challenges that stand as a threat to Elena and Rex's relationship.

“Louder,” he said while watching me like a predator ready to strike, “I-I belong to you,” I stuttered while swallowing the lump formed in my throat. “To?” he gritted his teeth, “Nikolai Vasiliev,” *** Nikolai Vasiliev, the most feared and respected don of the Russian mafia. He was known as the ruthless king of the mafia whose world revolves around blood and lust. Love is forbidden to him as he promised himself not to love again. Juliana Mitchell, a brave, stubborn, hardworking and beautiful woman leaving her normal life, dreaming to find her happily ever after. All her life she was constantly reminded that she’s useless and ugly compared to her younger sister which made her doubt herself all the time. One encounter with the Russian don changed her life completely, pulling her into a web of lies, manipulation and pure torture. She’s ready to do anything to get away from his clutches but the question is, Will he let someone walk away from him the second time?

My Alpha mate, Dominic, rules the entire Stormfang Pack, but in our ten years together, he has never once given me a gift. Even our bonding tokens—a pair of rare healing crystals that cost me an entire year's savings—were taken by him without hesitation. He claimed that as Alpha he needed to appear frugal and understated, which is why he marked me in secret without hosting a proper mating ceremony. Because of this, most pack members don't even know I'm his mate. Yet when Sylvia, his childhood sweetheart, returned to Stormfang territory, he publicly announced their mating plans. He even dipped into the pack's long-term savings to throw her an extravagant celebration. When my mother was attacked by rogue wolves and left critically wounded, I begged Dominic to return my healing crystals—the only things that could save her life. Instead of helping, he denied knowing me in front of the entire pack and ordered his guards to drive me away with burning torches. Later, my mother died during the Blood Moon Festival. I lost my only family during what should have been our most sacred celebration. I renounced my Stormfang membership that same night and accepted the Northern Shadow Pack's Chief Healer position. While packing my belongings, Dominic returned from his honeymoon with Sylvia. He found me and assumed I was merely sulking. For the first time ever, he made a generous offer: "Come on, what could possibly happen to your mother? At worst, I'll give you that fancy mating ceremony you've always wanted. That should satisfy her desire to be an Alpha's mother-in-law." What he didn't realize was that from the moment my mother died, I had already sworn to the Moon Goddess that our mate bond would be broken forever.