Banter Knife

I was the princess sent over by the Werewolf Kingdom for an arranged marriage. I was also meant to be the blood bag of Count Dracula. In my past life, I helped him rule the Bloodsucking Empire. I willingly allowed him to drain my werewolf blood and even risked a dangerous pregnancy by having a baby of mixed bloodline. However, all Dracula did was watch his frail childhood crush dig out the baby from my body to save her life. It was only before I died that I realized he had never loved me. All I was to him was a mobile blood bank. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the Blood Moon Party when I was five months pregnant. Dracula raised the knife with silver blade in his hand. "Be good. All I need is some blood to save Anna." This time, I did not fight back as I did in my previous life. Dracula mistook it for obedience. He had no idea that the Werewolf Princess who had once loved him with her life had become mates with the highly aggressive Alpha King of the Werewolf Kingdom.

Aubrey longed for just one night of pleasure with the Alphas son in bid to get him out of her system and what better day could it be to do so than the night before his wedding? Especially if he was the one that had initiated it. What was meant to be a night of secret pleasure turns into a scandal and ruins Aiden's wedding hereby causing his Coronation to be held on a standstill, to Aiden's dismay. Her claim of having a night with him as the pictures indicated angered him and, fueled with anger Aiden disgraced and slutshames her. In shame and unknowingly pregnant, Audrey is forced to flee her home and leave her life behind. Years later, a knock interrupts the usual banter of her children, only to discover that her presence is needed to cure the land of the pandemic threatening clear the existence of werewolves. Aubrey, now a famous and renowned doctor and married to Hayden, the man that had held her today when she felt like she had no one. They are a little bit too late as she had moved on and wasn't about to let go of the only thing that had kept her normal over the years. The brothers who once betrayed her in their different ways now find themselves at odds - one seeking her forgiveness, and the other hoping to use her for his ends but amidst their differences both of them share a common goal, getting her back by all means. A choice must be made, The Angel, Devil, or the man that had been there for her at her weakest, or why not all? Audrey must decide whether she can let go of the past before it affects everything and everyone around her.

Ava Richards, an adventurous travel blogger with an insatiable wanderlust, never expected her next adventure would lead her straight into the arms of a captivating billionaire. In the sun-kissed streets of Santa Fe, Spain, fate takes an unexpected turn when Ava crosses paths with the enigmatic and devilishly handsome Sebastian Garcia. Sebastian Garcia, a self-made billionaire with a guarded heart, finds himself drawn to the fiery and independent Ava, despite their seemingly opposite worlds. As the owner of luxurious hotels and resorts worldwide, he is used to being in control. But Ava's infectious spirit and undeniable beauty threaten to unravel the carefully constructed walls around his heart. Their initial encounter sparks an intense clash of wills, with their respective worlds colliding in a battle of words and fiery exchanges. Ava and Sebastian find themselves entangled in a passionate game of cat and mouse, each determined to outwit and outmaneuver the other. Little do they know that beneath the surface of their heated banter lies a smoldering desire neither can resist. As they embark on a thrilling adventure through the picturesque landscapes of Santa Fe, their hearts become entwined, and the line between love and hate begins to blur. Together, they explore ancient ruins, breathtaking beaches, and hidden gems, each moment deepening their connection. But when a secret from Sebastian's past threatens to destroy everything they've built, Ava must decide whether to let go of her fears and trust in their love, or retreat to the safety of her solitary adventures. Will Ava and Sebastian surrender to the alluring power of love and bridge the vast divide between their worlds? Can two souls from different walks of life find a way to overcome their differences and create a lasting bond?

The night of our engagement party, I found my best friend playing a dangerous game with my fiancé. The casino on our family's private yacht was where I found them. Clara was sitting on the lap of my fiancé, Killian, the Falcone family heir. Killian held a sharp family dagger, its tip snagging the thin strap of her dress. The blade traced a path along her collarbone. The slightest pressure would snap the silk. It was a dangerous, intimate scene. I stepped forward with a frown, but Killian just scoffed. "It's just a little game to liven things up, Principessa. Don't be so tense." Clara's eyes narrowed, her voice dripping with false sweetness. "We're just playing a traditional family game. The knife game. You don't mind, do you, sweetie?" I was about to speak, but Killian's expression hardened. "We just got engaged and you're already trying to control me?" So I said nothing. I just drew my custom pistol from its holster on my thigh. "So, it's a game," I said. "Then let's play for something real."

When I first met Thomas Hilton, he was still a street punk covered in blood. The only good thing about him was the clumsy sincerity when he tattooed my name on his chest. Later, when he rose to power, with a wave of his hand, he gave me half of Bronze Bay as a wedding gift. Everyone in Harborwood knew that I, Jessica Shaw, was more important to him than his own life. That was until today, when the celebrity Thomas kept finally walked into our house. With a big belly, she said to me with a smile, "Ms. Shaw, are you going to leave with dignity now, or wait until my son grows up and throws you out of this place?" I just raised my hand and ordered a subordinate to help her "give birth". When Thomas saw the pool of blood beneath her, he flew into a rage. He pressed a knife to my neck and said, "Jessica, you should know when to be satisfied!" I laughed softly and pressed the muzzle of a gun against his heart. "You really had a change of heart. Good thing my heart didn't change. My truest self is my ambition." Bang! A gunshot rang out.

After Ryan Spencer cheated on me again with his secretary, I completely lost it. When my mind started to spiral, I grabbed the fruit knife off the table. I just wanted it to end. “Why are you hurting yourself again? He doesn’t love you anymore?” I looked up. The sixteen-year-old Ryan was walking toward me, heartbreak written all over his face. His voice was gentle. “Tell me who he is. I’ll make him pay.” I stared into the bright, earnest eyes of the boy standing in front of me. I didn’t say a word. I simply lifted my hand and pointed at his face. Later, Ryan was the one who had me admitted to a psychiatric hospital. When the sedative began to wear off, the teenage boy appeared again, sitting by my bed. He stared at the man outside who looked just like him. The light in his eyes faded little by little. Then he spoke, his voice strained. “I don’t care who he is. I’ll kill him.” The sixteen-year-old Ryan never lied to me. When he said something, he meant it.

My mate, Alpha Ryan, started skipping my healer's appointments after I got pregnant. He always blamed pack business. But I found him at the clinic anyway. He was with another pregnant she-wolf—his childhood friend, Bonnie. He held her with a tenderness he no longer gave me. "I'll take responsibility for this child," he promised her. "He'll be safe." His words shattered my world. Their child? I stormed in to confront them and saw it: his temporary mark on her neck. He swore the pup wasn't his. He claimed a rogue attacked her and the mark was only for protection. His lie was a knife twisting in our mate bond. I was carrying his pure-blooded heir. But he let the pack brand my child a bastard, while hailing her half-blood pup as his true heir. To protect Bonnie, he locked me in a silver-laced cell. The silver was a living death. He didn't realize his mistake until I took the forbidden herbs, sacrificing our child and collapsing in a pool of my own blood. Only then did he cradle my broken body, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.

I told Charlie my biggest secret—I was the long-lost daughter of the powerful Moore family in Dreslane. He swore he'd help me reunite with them. But the night before I met them, the Moore family made a grand declaration—they'd already found their missing daughter. A ceremony was set. I rushed there, heart pounding, only to see Charlie standing beside his childhood friend, Raine. She was being introduced as the Moore heiress. And somehow, she had the exact same birthmark as me. Before I could do anything, Charlie locked me in a restroom. "It's just a name," he said. "You still have me. So why does this matter? Raine's parents died saving me—she never had a real family. For my sake, can't you just let her have this?" Then, to erase any doubt, to make sure Raine could live as me without fear—Charlie took a knife and carved the birthmark off my body. The shock. The pain. I lost my three-month-old unborn baby that night. And as I lay there, blood soaking through my clothes, I finally gave up.

Leo Carter and I are childhood sweethearts. I once took a knife for him when the Rogue King tried to assassinate him. Since then, he's treated me like his treasure. He's sworn to love only me for life. On the day I turn 18, we become fated mates with the Moon Goddess as a witness. I say to him, "I'll leave you forever if you ever betray me, Alpha Leo." He holds me tightly as tears fill his eyes. He tells me he'll never let something like that happen. After we marry, he drives away all the women in his life. He even expels a beautiful she-wolf from the pack when she confesses her love for him. That's not all. He builds the Wolf Tribe's largest amusement park for me as a symbol of our love. However, I find a vibration device in his car when I'm three months pregnant. It kills me inside. I ingest a potion I bought from a witch and forcibly break my mate bond with Leo. Then, I disappear from his world.

“Say you're mine, Raven,” Declan pushed his tongue against my earlobe. I struggled to stiffle the moan fighting it's way to my lips. It was bad enough I was a squirming mess, I couldn't let him win. “And if I don't?” I struggled to keep my voice steady. “Then I will bend you over and each time you moan, I will inscribe a letter of my name on your neck, where everyone can see it, wherever you run to, my lovely Raven,” the husky whisper sent shivers down my spine. I didn't put it past the psychopath to do exactly as he said. ******* Raven was a trained assassin and pride of the BloodFrang Tribe, until she was tasked with bringing the head of Alpha Declan of the IronClaw Pack. Right when she's about to drive a knife through his heart, she discovers he is her mate and her mission instantly fails. To makes things worse, Declan captures her and her fiance goes ahead to marry someone else. It doesn't take long for her to realise she had been a pawn in their games and now, she just wants to see them burn.