Arcane Firelights Masks

*The children of Gaia is the first book in the series Thirteen tribes, forming from the intro book Hybrid.* Rainn is the daughter of alpha Edgar and luna Gabriella of tribe Arcane, they are the royal descended bloodline of and therefor reign over an ancient and powerful tribe of werewolves called the children of Gaia. Rainn and Kai have been best friends since they were born, how could they not be when they share a birthday and he’s the youngest son of the beta. Their eighteenth birthdays are coming up and both of them can’t wait to finally be able to give themselves to one another, becoming mates for life. But things take a drastic turn when both Rainn and Kai discover that they are not fated mates, instead Rainn comes to the shocking discovery that she’s fated to Kai’s older brother, Beau. This sends her life in complete turmoil as she begins to wrestle with emotions building inside for Beau and her loyalty to her best friend, Kai. This won’t end well, someone’s going to get hurt. But as future Luna and queen of Gaia, Rainn’s position will demand that one of the brother’s stand by her side as alpha, except which one?

Marcus Thorne wears several masks in his life—playing retired pirate, Captain Hawk, is his favorite, but if his secret is discovered, he could die. Captivated by his enemy’s daughter, Marcus kidnaps her, but in return, she captures his heart…until he discovers Isabelle is one of Napoleon’s spies with the power to endanger his life and the lives of his friends. After her release, Isabelle can’t stop thinking about her masked abductor and how he’d stolen her heart before ridding her of his presence. Betrothed to a man who strangely reminds her of the man whose kisses set her ablaze, she marries him, only to discover he’s not who he seemed to be as he is withholding secrets. But then…so is she.

I wasn't supposed to fall in love. My job was simple, spy on him, and help break Capo Enzo Valenti but now, I'm the one breaking. He kisses me like he owns me, f*cks me like I’m the only thing holding him together, and I let him. Every.Single.Time. Because somewhere between the lies and the orgasms? The lines blurred and my loyalties conflicted. My name is Alessandra, and I’m holding a knife to my husband’s back while begging him to f*ck me like I still belong to him. . . 🦋 When Alessandra Romano's sister angers the next Capo dei Capi Enzo Valenti, he picks her to replace Sofia. However, she has secrets, secrets that would make Enzo bury her. But, what happens when Alessandra finds out she's not the only one holding secrets in their marriage? Can a love built on lies survive the truth, or will they destroy each other the moment the masks come off?

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Roselle Jackson Roselle has seen too much and endured a lot in life. After losing her parents and brother to a gruesome murder, she's thrown into foster care. She gets adopted and it turns out her new family isn't as innocent and caring as they pose. Facing child labour,abuse and negligence till she's 17, she plots to get out as soon as she finds out the truth about her family's death. Her plan is discovered and she's murdered by the same people who killed her family but this time she has seen the ugly faces behind those masks, she knows a lot about them and she's coming back for revenge.. Snow De Luca I've always had people do my biddings. Yes!! I'm a boss, a monster and some say I'm worse than death itself but who cares. I love to feed on fear and I must say am sick and twisted, no hope of salvation or redemption until her... She's everything I want and even more. She wants revenge, I want every single piece of her soul.She's my own personal brand of heroin. I always get what I want and I never loose but this time am up for a fail and I can see it...

There are a lot more truths in the books we read, than we’d like to admit. What if a book delves into the lives of the very town you live in? Reveals to you some personal stories of people you know? Or thought you knew. Bookstore owner Kevin Ellison faces this truth when a mysterious book shows up in Through a Mirror, Darkly by Kevin Lucia. Through a Mirror, Darkly is a Supernatural Thriller collection masked as a novel. With elements of mystery, suspense, and otherworldly horror, Through a Mirror, Darkly successfully delves into the worlds of Lovecraft, Grant, and the mysterious Carcosa. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing Arcane Delights. Clifton Heights' premier rare and used bookstore. In it, new owner Kevin Ellison has inherited far more than a family legacy, for inside are tales that will amaze, astound, thrill...and terrify: An ancient evil thirsty for lost souls. A very different kind of taxi service with destinations not on any known map. Three coins that grant the bearer's fondest wish, and a father whose crippling grief gives birth to something dark and hungry.

On the day I was diagnosed with uremia, my husband asked me to donate a kidney to his one true love. I turned him down, claiming I wasn’t feeling well. I didn’t expect him, my own husband, who was a doctor, to drag me to trial. The charge? Ingratitude. If found guilty, I would be executed on the spot, my kidney forcibly harvested, my soul condemned for eternity. But if the charges were dismissed, my husband would face immediate execution. His love would fall into ruin, plagued by illness and poverty. Everyone pressured me to confess. After all, when I nearly died in a car crash years ago, it was her blood transfusion that had pulled me back from the brink of death. But what they didn’t know was… I had been reborn. In my past life, I died never knowing my husband and his lover had orchestrated the car crash that nearly killed me. Now that I had returned, I would tear off their masks and expose their malice for all to see.

The Shadowed Alpha Series: Bride Of The Shadowed Alpha Book 1 Marked By The Shadowed Alpha Book 2 "I will give you the most pleasurable pain you’ve ever had. You like pain, and lucky for you," his smirk deepened, his gaze dark with promise, "I know how to give pain until you cry for me." The villain wasn’t meant to be emperor, nor was he supposed to be handsome. Yet for reasons I can’t understand, he hates me. At the Academy of the Arcane, I became untouchable, unstoppable. My beauty was both a weapon and a curse, a cruel reminder of the life I lost. But none of it mattered to him. Tharros. The Emperor of Shadows. The unchallenged ruler of witches, vampires, werewolves, and fae. His gaze burned with something raw, something personal. "You made me this way." he growls. I stared at him, confused. "I don’t even know you." His laughter was slow, cruel. "Then I’ll make sure you never forget." Days later, I woke up as his bride. Bound to him by marriage, a punishment, a prison. Now, I must untangle the truth of his hatred, uncover the past he swears I buried, and face the dark memories that lie in wait. Because in this game of vengeance, I am both his prisoner and his beautiful prize, one he will break. He craves my pain, but I crave the way he gives it. Book 2 My name is Obsidian Sigil of Liora. They say he’s cruel. That no one knows where he came from. But I remember how he looked at me, like I was the only thing he ever wanted. And I ruined him. I betrayed him. But this my second life, I will make it right. Warning: Extremely Dark Romance | Rated 18+

“Reject us,” Kellen commanded. “No.” The word slipped from Daciana's lips. The murmurs in the crowd grew louder, shock spreading like wildfire. The triplets’ eyes widened in disbelief, their confident masks slipping. Kellen’s hands balled into fists, his jaw clenched tight as he glared at her. “What do you mean, no?” Axel’s voice broke through the noise, disbelief clear in his tone. “You’ve always hated us. You don’t want this. Reject us!” “I won't reject you” Daciana stood her ground, she had never had this kind of leverage over them before, For years, they had been in control, tormenting her at every turn. But now… now they were at her mercy. They were begging for rejection? That wasn't going to happen. She would make sure they paid for everything they've done. This mate bond they desperately wanted to break…. will not happen! **** When she didn't get her wolf on her eighteenth birthday, Daciana became an element of mockery in her pack. Everybody hated her and the students at school derived joy in bullying and making her life miserable. Daciana has hated the royal triplets all her life. She wanted nothing to do with them, and they equally hated and made her life hell. She wished to have nothing to do with them, but fate played a quick one on her, and she got mated to all three of them. The triplets, having no power to reject her, asked her to reject them, but Daciana, knowing the leverage she had, refused with the sole aim of making them pay for everything they did to her. But how long will she be able to play this game? Will she win, or will she be pulled into their seductive web now that they didn't want to let her go?

Inconvenient Love follows Claire Hugh, a marketing analyst burdened by her family's financial crisis. To settle her father's debts, Claire is married off to Alexander Vermont, a billionaire CEO focused on reclaiming his father's empire. Their union, born out of necessity, masks a deeper connection from a chance encounter at a club a year prior, where they shared a passionate night, unaware of each other's identity. Claire, haunted by her family's rejection and Alexander's lingering attachment to his first love, Aubrey Chen, navigates a loveless marriage marred by neglect and emotional distance. As Claire discovers her pregnancy, she faces a dilemma: reveal the truth and risk losing the baby in her womb, fearing that Alexander would force her to terminate the pregnancy, or hide her pregnancy and secure a divorce and escape the country. Believing Alexander desires freedom as much as she does, Claire presents him with divorce papers, only to be met with silence. Determined to move on, she leaves for Hong Kong, building a new life and business with her best friend while raising her child. Years later, Alexander realizes his mistake and searches for Claire, unaware she had left the country. Their reunion sparks confusion, misunderstandings, and eventually, a revelation of their shared past. Alexander's refusal to sign the divorce papers and his desperate search for Claire highlight his realization of love and regret. The story culminates in a poignant reconciliation as Alexander pleads for a second chance, promising a proper marriage and genuine affection. Claire, torn between past hurts and newfound hope, ultimately forgives him, unveiling the truth about their history and the child they share. Inconvenient Love is a gripping tale of love tested by circumstance, secrets, and second chances, weaving a narrative of redemption, forgiveness, and the transformative power of true love.