Barnes And Noble Desert Ridge Novels & Stories

She trembled in fear as she made her way to his room. It is tonight, the time she will fulfil her duties to her master, which is serving and pleasuring her master in bed. After all, that is why he bought her. Who is she? Imogen, a beautiful young lady who just turned eighteen. When she was eight, she got sold by her mother to a famous auction house that deals with selling girls as sex slaves to the noble. After being tried at the auction house, she got sold to one of the powerful man in the country. The popular and feared noble man in the kingdom, Lord Simon Sebastian a man of many mysteries, cold-hearted and brutal, the rumours of his brutality spreads across the kingdom most especially to his slaves. However, imogen got sold to him as his slave, at that particular moment, she knew her worst nightmare has just begun. What happens when her master falls in love with her?And his cousin who she considered a friend also confessed her feelings to her. It would only make it more worse if people finds out that the two noble men is in love with a sex slave. Now, the real question is who does her heart belong to? "I will save your friend if you give me what I want" Her master said to Imogen who was on her knees pleading. "I belong to you, Master. You don't have to ask, my body already belongs to you" "Yes, it does. But there is something I don't have yet" He stated. "What is that, Master?" She questioned with her head down. Lord Simon squatted to her level. "Your heart, I don't have that yet. And I want it, I want it to be mine, mine only"

Xalara Silvyn, a seemingly powerless girl from the Shadowveil slums, is claimed as a fated mate by Cassian Holt, heir to a powerful noble house of ember magic. After being brought to his estate, she discovers their bond was merely Cassian's temporary fascination. At his engagement gala to Vionna Kress, he publicly betrays Xalara, relegating her to servitude under his cruel fiancée. As Vionna systematically humiliates Xalara, the crystal pendant Xalara found in a hidden chamber beneath the Veil becomes her sole comfort. With help from Cassian's brother Verin, she learns the crystal may connect to House Silvyn—a noble family of essence-based primal magic supposedly destroyed centuries ago. When Vionna arranges to transfer Xalara for potentially fatal bond severance after her wedding to Cassian, Xalara's desperate situation takes an unexpected turn. During the wedding feast, she encounters Lord Elaric Nox, a feared shadow magic tyrant avoiding political marriage proposals. After overhearing his frustrations with traditional arrangements, Xalara's impulsive quip "Where do I sign?" intrigues him. Elaric's emissaries arrive at the wedding with a formal offer—a contract marriage of mutual benefit. Elaric gains a shield against political marriage pressure while offering Xalara protection from Vionna and access to knowledge about her crystal and heritage. Their three-year contract specifies a purely practical arrangement with no emotional obligations. At House Nox, Xalara begins training in essence magic under Elaric's guidance, discovering her "minor" warming ability is actually rare primal magic thought extinct. As she awakens to her true abilities and learns about her possible connection to House Silvyn, the bond with Cassian naturally fades. Meanwhile, a complex but respectful dynamic develops between Xalara and Elaric as they navigate their unconventional arrangement.

When we were only kids, Sam Harris and I made a promise we'd marry each other if we were still single when we turned thirty. Well, my thirtieth birthday has come and gone and I'm still as single as ever. And as far as I know, so is Sam. But it's been ages since we've seen each other, and after what he did to me our senior year of college, I wouldn't put his ring on my finger even if he begged me to marry him. Never mind his devilish good looks. Or the fact that the playboy partier is a doctor now. Nope, I'm sticking to my guns with this, and when I go back to my hometown of Silver Ridge for the first time in years, I won't pay him the slightest bit of attention. Well...until he convinces me to go out for drinks to catch up. I knew it was a bad idea the moment I agreed to it. And then he brings up our childhood promise. It might be fun and games to him, but it's not to me. Because as much a I don't want to admit it, Sam has always been my first choice. And I don't want to be nothing more than his backup plan.

Clint Nelson has been the best friend of the future Alpha of Canyon Ridge pack, Anders Forte, his entire life. So, he was surprised but unconcerned when, on his 10th birthday, his wolf awakened as a Guardian. His original plan to be Anders' Beta changed to becoming his top warrior so that he could ensure that Anders always remained safe. Lily Raines has grown up with Calista Johns most of her life. They have shared their hopes and dreams of what their life will be when they finally meet their mates. When Clint and Anders begin showing an interest in them, neither is happy with the attention. Lily continually refuses to date Clint, knowing his playboy reputation. When her wolf is suddenly blessed with the Guardian spirit at 17, Lily's life will turn upside down, and she will be forced to turn to the only person that can help or understand her, Clint. Clint will train Lily and help her to understand the nature of her Guardian spirit. Through their time together, a respect and romance will blossom until Lily turns 18 and realizes that Clint is her fated mate. The two will have a beautiful romance, celebrating their life, the birth of their daughter and protecting the pack they love until one day tragedy strikes, taking one life and leaving the other broken, having to raise their daughter alone.

Just when Dan, Bruce, and Shen thought they could take some time to unwind and recover from their horrific ordeal with the mutant vampires in the Las Vegas den they destroyed, Bruce has an unexpected run in with werewolves outside his cabin in the hills of Owego, NY and is wounded. Now, instead of searching for vampires they’re searching for a cure for Bruce before the werewolf affliction takes hold of his body permanently. Hearing about a paranormal group in Phoenix AZ that could possibly help them, they wasted no time boarding a plane.The mutant vampire den may have been destroyed, but Dracula’s vampires are still out in full force... and they’re looking for the vampire slayers by orders of Dracula! To add to their peril, they’re forced to partner up with the local vampire leader to help them hunt for Bruce after he morphed into a werewolf and ran off into the desert mountains before a mystical high priestess was able to admister the cure. While roaming the caverns of the Arizona mountains Bruce meets up with Tatyana, a young woman who is running from the vampires. Fortunately for him she’s no stranger to the occult and accpets him in both human and werewolf form. It’s a bonus that she’s able to commincate telepathically! Even though she vows to stay with him no matter what form he’s in, she’s in agreement with everyone that a cure would be the best for all. Would they get it into him in time?

Claire was quiet, brilliant, and invisible—until she uncovered the truth that got her murdered. But death was just a transition. She awakens in the body of Clary, her hidden twin sister, a werewolf noble who had chosen poison over a forced marriage to the most feared man in the realm: Alpha Damon. Once a hero, now a bloodthirsty beast, he is a man who seeks a wife only to satisfy a debt of blood. Traded like cattle by the only family she has ever known, Clary—now inhabited by Claire’s soul is thrust into a world of primal laws and brutal instincts.Clary must play the part of the submissive bride to survive, but the Alpha’s touch awakens more than just desire. It unlocks the suppressed memories of a stolen life and a terrifying, rare power her birth parents tried to bury.

In a world where magic is a distant memory, where humans have the ability to harness a dormant power within them called Battle Force... A man from modern Earth suddenly awakens in the body of Norton Lorist, a young man of noble ancestry who has been exiled from his northern homeland by his family to Morante City, the capital of the Forde syndicate, under the guise of furthering his education. Little did he know what was in store for him when, years later, he received a summons from his family to return to the northern lands and inherit the position of head of the family... This is the story of his life before the summons... This is the story of his journey north and the allies he gathers along the way... This is the story of his rebuilding of his family's dominance and his protection against other power-hungry nobles... These are the "Tales of the Reincarnated Lord".

"Since you're a dealer, let's make a deal." That simple statement changed Elaine's life completely. Elaine Jones is a beautiful, young woman who owns a flower shop. Despite her quiet exterior, she has a dark past of being a thief and con artist. Being her young sister's only family, she decides to stop her dealings but when her sister lands in a hospital, she gets desperate. Zack Dobre is the charming CEO of Noble Armour, a popular jewelry brand. Being over his thirties and with a son, his parents are persistent on getting him married. One night, he throws a party to celebrate his new collection and notices a thief in their midst. They're not in love, it's just a marriage of convenience and neither is willing to yield. Or so they thought.

Grace Ivy is just an ordinary girl who wants to live a quiet life with her beloved parents, however, the quietness was destroyed by a hunt among lower-class people for vampires. Grace Ivy’s parents sacrificed themselves to let Grace Ivy’s escape, but she was still captured by a slave trader and became a commodity for sale in the slave market. Her buyer, the so called Lord Noah Creed is not an ordinary human being, but a noble man from vampires world who’s heartless and pompous. Grave Ivy being who was just an ordinary girl begged Noah creed to spear her life but Noah creed being the heartless man didn’t agree to her request. Will Grace Ivy , the vampires pet become her master’s dinner, sex slave or lover?

In the third year of our marriage, my husband's first love got a divorce. He gave her the forty-five thousand dollars we had saved for a house because she was left with nothing and struggling to make ends meet. I urged him to ask for the money back, but he pointed at my face and angrily shouted, "You used to be so gentle and virtuous—what happened? Why are you so selfish, so shallow now?" "Is forty-five thousand dollars really worth you making a fuss over?" "Chloe is starting over with nothing, raising a child on her own. Don't you feel any sympathy for her?" Fine. He was noble, he was merciful. I did not argue further, because the one who needed money for cancer treatment was him, not me.