Blood Shades

Kingdom of Ash and Blood Book one of the Sicilian Ruin Series She was the fire he thought he had extinguished. He was the ruin she barely escaped. Three years ago Amara Varela vanished without a trace --- betrayed, broken, and hunted by the man who once owned her heart. Now she's back in Sicily, not as the naive girl he left behind, but as a woman forged by survival and secrets. She has a score to settle and Luca Moretti is at the top of her list Luca, the heir to the brutal Moretti empire, never forgives himself for losing her. When he finally finds her alive, everything he buried erupts --- lust, rage, obsession. But the Kingdom he now rules is built on blood, and his bride-to-be is not the one who haunts his dreams. Torn between a crown he never wanted and a woman who could destroy it all, Luca must choose loyalty or desire, power or love. In a world of violent cartels, arranged alliances, and ruthless vendettas, Amara and Luca's reunion is anything but tender. It's a war. And their passion? It could burn Sicily to the ground. Dark. Obsessive. Addictive. This is not a love story. This is a Sicilian ruin.

In the shadowed swamps of the South, where ancient cypress roots drink deep from the earth, something older and far more dangerous stirs. Rio never asked to be reborn into darkness, but as a fledgling vampire trained by the ruthless and alluring Odessa, he’s learned quickly that survival demands both strength and sacrifice. Haunted by the family he left behind, Rio carries the weight of his choices—yet he can’t ignore the fragile bond forming with Junie Elowen, a newly turned vampire whose bright green eyes hide grief, fear, and an untapped power that could change everything. Odessa’s control slips as her complicated attachment to Rio deepens, forcing him to question where loyalty ends and obsession begins. But greater threats rise when Cassian—an ancient vampire and Junie’s sire—emerges from the shadows, determined to claim what he believes is his. Power struggles ignite, alliances fracture, and the swamp itself seems to whisper warnings of blood yet to be spilled. A story of forbidden bonds, found family, and the price of power, Blood Beneath the Cypress is a dark, atmospheric tale where love and loyalty are as dangerous as the monsters lurking in the night.

Blood dripped from the edge of Damian Moretti’s knife when he first saw her.Adriana Rossi should have turned away—any sane woman would. Instead, she met his stare across the bloodstained marble floor, her chin tilted like a challenge.Two families. One war. A love carved out of violence.“You shouldn’t be here,” Damian murmured, voice low, dangerous.Adriana’s lips curved. “Neither should you.”

Aria Bennett never believed in the supernatural. To her, the world was simple… college classes, late-night study sessions, and quiet walks through the woods near her campus whenever life became overwhelming. One night, that walk changes everything. After wandering too far into a forest she has never seen before, Aria unknowingly crosses into territory that does not belong to humans. Within minutes she is surrounded by wolves… massive, terrifying creatures that should not exist. But the real shock comes when the wolves shift into men. Kael Nightfang, Rowan Vale, and Dante Moreau are the three Alpha heirs who rule the territory together. Feared across every pack in the region, the men share power and loyalty. Yet nothing could prepare them for the moment they catch Aria’s scent. Mate. The word slams into their instincts all at once. But the Moon Goddess has made a mistake… because the fragile girl standing in front of them is human. Now the three powerful Alphas find themselves drawn to the same woman, their wolves demanding they claim her while their minds battle the impossible bond between them. Kael, the dominant leader, refuses to share what should belong to him alone. Rowan, the calm strategist, suspects Aria’s presence may mean something far greater. And Dante, reckless and dangerously charming, is more than willing to fight both men for her heart. Caught in a world she never knew existed, Aria must survive pack politics, jealous she-wolves, and the growing tension between the three powerful men who want her. Because loving one Alpha is dangerous. But being the mate of three? That could start a war.

Umuora Kingdom unleashed terror in society when they created a deity without the wizard's enchanted sword. The deity left Umuora and settled in Ohanta community, where he appeared in human form to defy innocent virgins. No one could escape from him, and no one challenged his authority. Ije, a young virgin, and a contemporary heroine stood out against the crowd and fulfilled a personal destiny. She traced the origin of the deity and corrected the mistake that was made on the day it was created. She fell in love along the line, which almost ended her mission, but gods had it all planned for her.

After two years of development, my game finally launched successfully. My wife had promised me a $75,000 bonus, but instead, she gave the entire $750,000 payout to her male secretary, Wayne. All she tossed me was a $50 grocery coupon. "You're just a stay-at-home husband," she said casually. "You don't spend much. Go buy some groceries and cook dinner." I stared at her in disbelief. "That money is for our son's transplant surgery," I said. "If it's delayed for even a few days, he'll die." Her expression did not change. "He's weak. If he dies, he dies," she said flatly. "At least you won't bring any more bad luck into the office and pass it on to Wayne." She turned away, her tone instantly brightening as she talked about taking Wayne out that night to celebrate with a lavish dinner worth tens of thousands of dollars. In that instant, my heart froze. She had forgotten one thing. The game might be registered under her name, but I still held the core encryption key. I picked up the phone and called a rival company. "You've been trying to get Genyxis's core technology for a long time, haven't you?" I asked calmly. "All I want is $75,000, and it’ll be yours.”

To end a twenty–year war, she must marry the monster who made her people bleed. To survive him, she’ll have to become something worse. Princess Maris Corvin of Aradal has spent her life blessing soldiers in a holy war against the werewolves of Tharros. When a fragile peace is finally brokered, the price is her hand—and her freedom. Sent to the cliff-carved fortress of Fenrith Keep as bride and hostage to the infamous Werewolf King, Rhael Vargan, Maris expects a barbarian beast. Instead she finds a ruthless, war-broken king, a court ruled by teeth and loyalty, and a bond of blood-and-moon magic that refuses to let her forget she is no longer entirely human… or entirely his enemy. As Maris navigates a brutal new world of pack law, shifting alliances, and howling moons, she uncovers a darker truth: the war was never just between humans and wolves. Something ancient and hungry stirs beneath the ravaged border known as the Wound, and it is feeding on their hatred. With fanatics in her homeland calling for her death and Rhael’s own people divided over their human queen, Maris must decide where her loyalty truly lies. Because if she and Rhael cannot learn to trust the bond that ties them together, the next war won’t just burn their kingdoms. It will wake the Red Warden—and devour them all.

In Valle Vitale, nothing stays buried. Not blood, not secrets, and certainly not the dead. Auryn was trained to be sharp, silent, and dangerous. Working as a risk analyst for Obsidian—a private security firm that caters to powerful clients with darker secrets than most—was supposed to be her quiet cover. But after a savage attack on her first night, she realizes nothing about Valle Vitale is safe. The creature that mauled her wore a familiar face. The man who saved her is her cold, beautiful billionaire boss—Killian DuskBane, an Halomir. And the people she had spent all her life loathing might be her only hope of surviving what comes next. Something ancient stirs in the dark, something that once shattered the world. And now, it’s calling to her. But she's just the spark. And every faction—Mystic, Halomir, Hollowed, and human, is about to burn.

Laura Legoza was born into an ancient noble family as the youngest daughter, doted on by everyone. But since her mother's departure, her most trusted fiancé, along with her sisters, had branded Laura as an illegitimate child and conspired against her in various ways. She was imprisoned in an iron cage with wild wolves, enduring mockery and humiliation. Those who were once closest to her had become the most terrible demons to torment her. She wanted revenge. Recalling an array, she had read about in an ancient book, she used her own blood to summon the demonic werewolf Ned in the dead of night. "For humans to make a deal with me, it comes at the cost of flesh and blood," he said. "What use is this flesh and blood to me if I cannot have my revenge?" she replied. Laura had nothing left to lose in her quest to drag her former enemies down into the abyss. She would sacrifice anything for retribution. But the handsome Alpha werewolf, Ned, didn't want her life or her soul. He leaned in close, looking down into her eyes. "Let me taste the pleasures of you, human, and I will grant you your wish." he whispered. Was it right or wrong to sign a blood contract with such a dangerous Alpha werewolf?

My foster sister, Gloria Binder, and I married a pair of werewolf brothers. I married the older brother, the steady one who ran the Dixon household. She married the man who held power over the entire pack. We got pregnant in the same year. In a couple of months, they would be able to take a sample of our babies' cardiogen and use it as medicine to treat their fathers' illness. Two months before my due date, the gates of the outer villa were kicked open. The intruders beat me, fists and boots coming down hard, then forced a bowl of labor-inducing medicine down my throat. I screamed at the maid beside me to run and get my mate. But all I got back was his message. He was furious. "You said you wanted peace and quiet and insisted on staying at the secluded villa to rest. Now you're pulling something this low just to drag me over there? I don't have time to waste on you. Judy needs a few plants moved into her yard. She's delicate and can't do heavy work. I'm helping her." The medicine had already taken effect. I could feel the baby thrashing, as if it were about to tear its way out of me. I would have died from the pain if Gloria hadn't come back from gathering herbs and saved my life. She sent people to find my mate and demand justice for me. Yet, all she got was another message. "You're living just fine in the villa. Who would dare hurt you? I need to help my brother plant a few more shrubs for Judy. I don't have time for your petty drama!" Gloria was pregnant, too. After being beaten and kicked, she lost her baby. We lay in a pool of blood, holding each other. "Gloria," I whispered through tears, "I don't want to repay any debts anymore. I want to sever my bond with Lesley."