Awake Casting

I'm Alessia Moretti, the most arrogant principessa in the entire underworld of Nuvak. All the mafia heirs hope to take my hand in marriage, and yet I can't be bothered to even spare them a glance. Everyone claims that Vito Luca is the only man who can tame my wild streak. After all, the youngest and most cold-blooded Don in Nuvak always deals with the aftermath of the chaos I've caused as well as shields me from all the bullets that are shot in my direction. I thought my passionate love for Vito had melted the icy defenses of his heart. That is, until I overhear him speaking with his subordinate. It turns out that the biggest lie Vito has ever told is the one he had told me in my face—that he doesn't have a loved one whom he can't be with. Only then do I realize that the marriage alliance between our families is nothing but a transaction from the very start. I'm just a tool meant for Vito to get his hands on life-saving medicine. But ultimately, I'm the obstacle that stands between Vito and his first love. Everyone thinks that I'll beg Vito to return to my side while wailing at the top of my lungs. But what they don't know is that I, Alessia Moretti, have always viewed romance as a piece of pretty but unnecessary accessory. Since Vito has chosen his first love, I shall choose freedom. That's when I turn on my heel and leave without casting him another glance. But after I leave Vito's life, the latter, known for his overwhelming influence in the underworld, has gone completely crazy.

I'm Kate Bamford, and I'm an EA (Executive Assistant), and I've just started a new job with - quite honestly the most gorgeous man I've ever set eyes on. This is a shame because men - gorgeous, sexy, or otherwise are completely off my radar! I can blame my ex for that, he's a controlling, miserable PoS! Weeks of being told what I can and cannot do would drive anyone to murder. Oops! The less said about that the better. No, I didn't stick a knife in his black petrified heart, but I did cause him major humiliation, which, thinking about it might have been even worse. My big worry is I have a secret, and the last thing I need is for my ex or anyone else to find out. Nobody will rescue me if my secret gets out. I'm Darius Graves, CEO of Graves and Son. I have a big problem, it concerns my mother - a matriarchal socialite who lives 3,461 miles away from me in New York. It's not far enough! My 'dearest' mother thinks nothing of getting into her private jet and popping over to see me in London as if she's going to the corner shop for a pint of milk. The thing is, she wants me to get married, but only to a girl she chooses. There is not a snowball's chance in hell of this ever happening. No way. No how. My two best friends are always coming up with various solutions to this problem. i.e. Sell the bank, or keep the bank and work from home in Katmandu. However, their latest idea is a fake marriage. But to whom? I can only think of one person, and that is my new assistant. She's beautiful and thinking about her keeps me awake at night.

Caitlin and Caleb awake in ancient Israel, in the year 33 A.D., and are amazed to find themselves in the time of Christ.

Ancient Israel is a place of holy sites, of ancient synagogues, of lost relics. It is the most spiritually charged place in the universe—and in 33 A.D., the year of Christ’s crucifixion, it is the most spiritually charged time. In the heart of its capitol, Jerusalem, lies the Holy Temple of Solomon, inside of which sits the Holy of Holies and the Ark of God. And in these streets, Christ will take his final steps to be crucified.

Jerusalem teems with people of all religious backgrounds and faiths, under the watchful eye of Roman soldiers, and their Prefect, Pontius Pilate. The city also has a dark side, with its labyrinthian streets and maze of alleyways leading to hidden secrets and Pagan temples.

Caitlin now, finally, has all four keys, but still, she must find her father. Her search takes her to Nazareth, to Capernaum, to Jerusalem, following a mystical trail of secrets and clues in the footsteps of Christ. It also takes her to the ancient Mount of Olives, to Aiden and his coven, and to more powerful secrets and relics than she’s ever known. At every turn, her father is just a step away.

But time is of the essence: Sam, turned to the dark side, has landed back in this time, too, and as he unites with Rexius, leader of the evil coven, they race to beat Caitlin to the Shield. Rexius will stop at nothing to destroy Caitlin and Caleb, and with Sam on his side, and a new army behind him, the odds are in his favor.

Making matters worse, Scarlet arrives back in time alone, separated from her parents. She roams the streets of Jerusalem on her own, with Ruth, and as she begins to discover her own powers, she also finds herself in graver danger than she’s ever been. Especially when she discovers that she is holding a great secret, too.

Mara Quinn is used to walking into places she shouldn’t—because the truth never waits in well-lit rooms. One late-night meet behind a bar goes wrong, and she sees something no one is supposed to witness: a man’s eyes flashing gold, bones shifting, a wolf where a man stood. She runs. The pack’s Alpha doesn’t let her. Gage Blackwood catches her in the dark, tilts her chin up like she’s a problem he can’t ignore, and delivers a sentence that feels like a threat and a promise all at once: “You’re mine until I decide you’re safe.” Except “safe” doesn’t mean free. It means locked inside a packhouse full of wolves who watch her like prey… or leverage. It means rules she never agreed to and a rival who smiles too easily and whispers that Gage will cage her forever—unless she chooses the right side. Mara refuses to be bullied into silence. If they want to keep her contained, she’s going to make herself useful. She demands answers. She digs into the crime she witnessed, she discovers the ugly truth: the blood spilled that night wasn’t random—it was part of a pack purge that went wrong, and the traitor is still breathing. The worst part? Gage’s “protection” wasn’t supposed to bind them. But a single drop of his blood on her tongue snaps something ancient awake—something that shouldn’t exist. Something the council will kill for. Now the Alpha who tried to control her is fighting the bond he never wanted… and the hunger he can’t shut off. Because Mara isn’t just a witness. She’s a secret and the mark she carries might be the one thing that topples a pack—or crowns her in it.

Living with my aunt and her family was meant to be a temporary, quiet arrangement just helping out and keeping to myself. On the first day of the new year, while everyone else was out celebrating, I stayed home, enjoying the rare silence and catching up on sleep. But when we ran out of water, I reluctantly stepped outside to fetch some, and that’s when I saw him. He stood by the gate of the house next door, effortlessly commanding attention with just a glance. A smirk played on his lips, and a flicker of amusement danced in his eyes behind his blue-ray glasses. At that moment, he was impossible to ignore. Meanwhile, I felt disheveled and barely awake, my hair was a mess and still shaking off sleep. But he didn’t seem to mind. There was something about him an air of mystery that made me wonder who he was and why he was there. Before I could look away, he spoke, “Hi.” Caught off guard, I managed a quick, “Hi,” while trying to pull myself together. “Can I know your name?” he asked. I hesitated but replied, “I’m Clara,” and kept walking. “Can I have your number?” he called after me. “Just as friends.” I almost refused but reluctantly agreed, entering my number into his phone. “There,” I said, handing it back. “I’ll call you,” he promised with a smile, as I turned to leave. What began as a chance encounter soon became an inexplicable connection. He had secrets, but there was something about him that saw through me, understanding things no one else did. The man I met next door wasn’t just a fleeting stranger,he became the reason I started questioning everything I thought I wanted.

WE'RE BACK! Yes, your favorite cousins are back at it again, but this time it ain't about me. So, buckle up and grab your wine glasses, because it's gonna be crazy! Mina’s POV: Wait a damn minute. Am I in hell? Because if I am, I need to speak to HR. I didn't even get a chance to plead my case, give a reference or something. I'm about to start freaking out because, I'm not a “go to hell” and mean it type of person. I can't do heat for five minutes let alone an eternity. I feel like giving my life to save a baby and a man should have gotten me at least joint visitation six months in heaven and six months in hell. “Mina, are you awake?” I heard the voice quietly say next to my ear. I tried opening my eyes, but it felt like I had sand in them. I decided to try speaking, but only let out something that sounded like a sick animal. "Wait right there let me get you some water.” I heard a voice whisper again. Who the hell is that? I have heard that voice before but couldn't figure out who the hell it was. “! We need to move; they've found us.” The voice came again. Wait, what? Who the hell are they? I tried opening my eyes again, this time I managed to get them open enough to see the figure picking me up bridal style. Then the stranger turned his head to look directly in my eyes and I knew instantly who it was. “Blaze? You gotta be shitting me.” I said, obviously shocked. “Hey, can we join the party? I hope you are serving food because we are famished.” I heard a man say.

"Kaelen you coward!" I shouted, my voice cutting through the wind, "Come out here and face me like a man!" Soon after, his ranks began to part. "Selene, my love." He said with a small smile. "Am I safe to assume this is your oh so terrible attempt at surrender?" I gave a smile of my own. "Oh, darling no. I just wanted you to take one long look at my face. I want to have the chance to look you in the eyes when I say this: this here is the last face you're going to see before you die." With that, I turned my horse and headed behind my banners. “Prepare the lines,” I called, ready for the war to begin. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Blurb: On the night Selene was to be crowned Luna, her fated mate, the Alpha she had loved since childhood, publicly chose another. Before the entire pack, he marked a foreign princess, casting Selene aside as “unworthy.” Betrayed, humiliated and stripped of her son, Selene swore she would avenge. When a rival Alpha, Draven of the Shadowfangs, offers her his hand, Selene accepts... not for love, but for revenge. Their union is dangerous, defiant, and forbidden… yet the fire between them is undeniable. Now Selene is no longer the abandoned mate. She's a rising queen, torn between a cursed bond to the man who betrayed her and the intoxicating passion of the enemy who would burn the world for her. But war is coming. The mate bond aches, the Moon Goddess herself schemes against her, and her son is trapped in the hands of her ruthless ex. To survive, Selene must shatter destiny itself… even if it means defying gods, breaking bonds, and destroying the Alpha who once claimed her. This isn’t fate. This is war.

“You can play Priest for as long as you like,” he spat, ignoring my protests, “but you will never find salvation.” His words struck like a curse, but that wasn’t the reason my chest heaved, goosebumps littered my skin, and definitely not the reason I felt hot despite the chilling dip from the lake. Ezreal’s eyes widened momentarily, noticing. I winced as his hand shifted, pressing against the stiff betrayal straining against my soaked robes. He stilled for only a second, then a wicked grin overtook his features. “Well, well,” Ezreal drawled, his voice taunting “Look who’s getting excited,” “Stop,” I gasped, squeezing my eyes shut as the humiliation dug deep. “Please….” He leaned forward, his breath hot as his lips ghosted over the shell of my ear. “I will taint you so bad,” he whispered, his hand tightening against my crotch. “So bad you won’t have the courage to stand on the altar you abandoned me for.” ****** At sixteen, Ezreal Vossell took the fall for a murder to protect the only boy he ever loved—Baron Lander, the timid son of the town’s high priest. A known delinquent, the bastard child of the mayor, but the only one who saw him for his true self was Baron. Ezreal made the ultimate sacrifice, and all he wanted in return was Baron’s support. But alas, on the day of the trial, Baron betrayed him, casting him aside to please his father. Ezreal was sentenced to life in prison, his heart shattered beyond repair. Fifteen years later, he was released, but gone was the naive sixteen-year-old. He’s returned as the ruthless leader of a mafia syndicate, and with all the power and wealth at his fingertips, he yearned for one thing alone. Revenge.

Luke finally agreed to bind with me, urged by his mother Monica on her deathbed. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a glow on his golden-brown fur. He stood by the bed, his amber wolf eyes deep and seemingly nervous. As soon as he stepped out of the room, his expression returned to its usual calm, and he said to me coldly, "Emma, let's wait a little longer." "I need to bond with Alina first," he continued, his wolf eyes distant, his tone neutral. "Her mother is seriously ill, and I promised her." "What about your mother? She wants to witness our bonding too!" "I have to bond with Alina first. You don't need to worry about my mother’s health," he said, as he effortlessly removed the vow ring Monica had given me from my finger, then turned and walked away. His little wolf followed, its tail wagging happily, showing no sign of reluctance. But as soon as he left, his mother suddenly took a turn for the worse. By the time Monica passed away, I was the only one by her side. Weakly, she squeezed my hand and whispered, "Emma, don’t wait for him anymore. Find someone who truly loves you." Her hand fell limp, and in the quiet darkness, I made two calls. The first was to the church, changing our marking ceremony to a funeral for his mother. The second call was to my best friend. Her brother was the Alpha of another pack, with dark fur and sharp green eyes. "He once said that if I was willing, he would bond with me... Is that promise still valid?" There was a pause on the other end before a deep voice, full of natural authority, came through: "Emma, have you finally figured it out?"

In the late stages of her pregnancy, my wife slipped away into the mountains with her childhood sweetheart, seeking some reckless thrill under the open sky. Fate, however, had other plans. She suffered a massive hemorrhage, and the two were rushed to the hospital. As a doctor, I took one glance at her condition and instructed the nurse to prepare for the cremation. In my previous life, I had risked everything to save her. On that very operating table, she and the child inside her perished together. Her childhood sweetheart, overcome with grief and fury, rallied others to accuse me of seeking personal revenge. Their rage was relentless, and they broke my hands. "A butcher like you, without medical ethics, deserves nothing less than eternal damnation!" they shouted, their words burning like brands on my soul. Yet I distinctly remembered—the surgery had been a success. Her vital signs had stabilized. Clinging to hope, I begged my in-laws to conduct an autopsy, to uncover the truth buried beneath the accusations. Instead, they called the police, who swiftly charged me with performing surgery under the influence of alcohol. Stripped of my rights, I was thrown into prison, where suffering became my only companion. Years later, upon release, I stumbled across a sight that tore what was left of my heart to shreds—my wife, alive and well, behind the wheel of a luxury car, accompanied by her childhood sweetheart and their child, living off the fortune I had worked tirelessly to build. Their betrayal didn't end there. Coldly and methodically, they lured me into a trap, casting me into a cement mixer to erase every trace of my existence. When I next opened my eyes, time had rewound itself. I was back on that fateful day, the one when her hemorrhage began.