Burning Bright

After Noah's death, what greeted him was an AI system calling itself Black, offering him a job working for the World and Soul Management Bureau.  He has to travel to many different worlds, taking over an identity of some unfortunate soon-to-be-dead dude, and live out the remainder of his new life there however he wanted. Easy-peasy! ...Right? ...Ok, sure, there are a few small kinks here and there... like terrorist attacks, murder plots, zombie apocalypses, and the like... but one should always look at the bright side! Noah: "...Blackie, is it just me, or is this good brother of mine looking at me like a hungry wolf seeing a juicy piece of meat?" (°△°|||) Black: "Don't worry, host. He is just a bit excited due to nearly losing his life back there. You know, adrenaline." (¬‿¬) Noah: "…are you sure that's what's really going on here?" (っ °Д °;)っ Black: "Absolutely!" (≖‿≖) … ~ Many worlds later ~ Noah: "This secret mission that you can't tell me about… it can't possibly be to get fucked by the least appropriate target?!" (°ㅂ°╬) Black: "Of-of course not! Ho-how could that possibly be, eh?" (; ﾟ 3ﾟ )~♪ ML: Right, right, that's just a very (not so) coincidental bonus. Ψ(╹ڡ╹ )Ψ 💠 Author Note 💠 * SSC has long arcs. Each world is a fully-fledged novel on its own. * Don't let the summary (or the cover) fool you! While SSC does have an occasional explicit smut, it is primarily a fluffy and hilarious romance! * Pairings are one-on-one and taboo-ish. (E.g. hired assassin and his target, monster tamer and his tamed beast, master and disciple, siblings, brothers-in-law, etc.) * More info in the info chapter Author website: lucypandora.com Support the author on ko-fi: ko-fi.com/lucypandora Discord: lucypandora.com/discord

I used to live my life believing that there was something corrupted within me. I had never felt comfortable walking in the searing, bright daylight. It felt as if I didn't belong there. Is that why I felt this sudden attraction to a man who seemed to be the embodiment of darkness? Ashtar Malachious resembled the sum of my sexual fantasies. The shades surrounding him were like a captivating essence. Others called him the predator, the fallen, or the death. I knew that, but my eyes saw him differently. He saved my life in more than a literal way. He seduced me, slowly enticing all my senses. He showed me what a touch could feel like. He let me taste the pleasure I had never thought existed. The one thing he wanted from me was my blood. I knew that if I gave it to him, it would be along with my body, heart, and soul. His irresistible aura blinded me to the dangers that surrounded me. Like a moth to the flame, I stepped closer until the hellfire licked my flesh. Then the wicked flames revealed the cruelest truth—this love kills. In the end, one of us will die.

Fleeing a sour past and chasing a seemingly bright future, Sreya Dronian manages to lock a career as a highly respected Neurosurgeon in Verum City. Soon, she falls into a heart-melting affair with Xaver Kirkgarde, multi-millionaire and heir to K.G Inc. who was already betrothed from birth to the dazzling and wealthy Crystal Justice. But as she struggles to protect her heart from the hurting shackles of love, the past comes knocking, launching her, with merciless vehemence, into a raging tempest ...

He stared down at me, his dark eyes burning with desire. His touch was electric, sending shivers through my body as his fingers teased me, leaving me breathless and aching for more. "You want this?" he murmured, his voice rough with need. I could barely think, barely speak—all I knew was that I needed him. "Yes..." I gasped, arching against him as his touch grew bolder, more demanding. Every stroke, every whispered word pushed me closer to the edge. I was lost in him, in the way he claimed me without hesitation. "Who are you?" he demanded, his grip tightening.” "I am your dirty little slut." I gasped... A month after her dad died, she moved to L.A.—to live with his best friend. A man rich enough to own the city, and powerful enough to stay untouchable. She thought it’d be awkward. Quiet. Maybe even safe. But then came the night. One mistake. One touch. And everything changed. Now they’re caught in something they can’t control. It’s wrong. It’s dangerous. And it feels way too good to stop. She knows this can’t last. He knows it too. But the more they try to stay away, the harder it gets to breathe without each other. And if anyone finds out— It won’t just break hearts. It’ll ruin lives. This story is rated 18+...

Ever since I lost my Alpha, Kael, in a brutal fight with some nasty rogues, I've been raising our young son, Finn, all by myself. My old pack has been pushing me to take a new Alpha, you know, so Finn and I would have protection. But I truly believed my Mate Bond with Kael was unbreakable. Then, on the Blood Moon ceremony, the fifth anniversary of Kael's “sacrifice,” I overheard Kael's father, old Alpha Marcus, tearing into Kael's quiet twin brother, Ronan: “Kael! You damn wolf! It was Ronan who went down on Blood Moon Cliff five years ago! He was the cursed one! You faked your death, lived as Ronan, all to protect Alina? You lied to the whole pack, to your sacred mate, and your own flesh and blood! Was it worth it?!” “For five years, Elara has raised Finn from a tiny pup all alone. You gave your so-called 'niece' a fake 'father,' but did you ever think? The day you put on Ronan's mask, Finn lost his real father for good!” I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. After Kael “died,” Ronan had been the dutiful uncle, “looking after” Finn and me. I never dreamed he was Kael in disguise. And he did all this just to protect Alina, Ronan's destined mate, who was already pregnant?! That night, under the bright moon, I snuck away and sent a message to my cousin, the Head Beta of the Silver-Moon Pack: “Tell your Alpha Lucian that I, Elara, accept his courtship offer.”

"I won't marry you, it's just an accident." I buried my face in my hands, trying to block out the sight of the Alpha's strong, naked body next to me. He had just proposed, but I didn't even know his name. What the hell had I done last night after getting drunk? "Accident? You are my mate. Didn't you feel that?" He gripped my hand tightly, his eyes burning with danger. "No, that's impossible..." I exclaimed in panic. Because I was a wolfless Omega. *** Harper Laurier was one of the daughters of the Slivergray Pack Alpha, but not the real one. As a wolfless Omega, she was nearly isolated and bullied by the entire pack. Heartbroken and battered, she decided to leave the pack and find a way to awaken her wolf. But an accident brought this ordinary 18-year-old girl's life into contact with the first prince of the Werewolf Kingdom. The dangerous and charming prince claimed to be her mate and asked for her hand in marriage, but Harper didn't feel it at all. Should she promise him? Or should she live a life uncontrolled by anyone? As the first heir to the Alpha King, countless assassination attempts left Wyatt Elliot cold and paranoid. He decided to trust no one, and nothing could stop him from ascending to the throne. However, a girl suddenly entered his life and opened his long-frozen heart. Her fatal attraction told him she was his mate. He couldn't wait to make her his own, but she was unaware of the mate bond and even tried to run away from him. How would Wyatt treat the first girl to reject him? Should he forcefully possess her or gently win her trust and heart?

The day Yancy Shepherd died, Benedict Page poisoned our dinner. His eyes were wild, and bloodshot, as he watched me writhe in agony. There was a madness in his gaze, but worse was the hatred, a disgust so deep it twisted his face into something unrecognizable. "If it weren't for you forcing your way into our lives, Yancy wouldn’t have died from heartbreak. You ruined us! It’s all your fault!" A photo slipped from his trembling hand and landed at my feet—Yancy at twenty, looking radiant, her smile as bright as a blooming flower. I collapsed to the ground, my strength fading fast like a rose withering in the final grasp of winter. Helpless, I waited for the darkness to claim me, consumed by despair and bitter regret. Why hadn’t I listened to the system and killed him when I had the chance? But when I opened my eyes again, everything was different. I stood watching Benedict flee our engagement ceremony. My brother moved to chase after him, but I quietly raised a hand, stopping him. This time, things would be different.

My dream was simple: Build a quiet life with the person I adored after college. However, destiny had a different course in mind when my father revealed that I had to rescue my late mother's struggling business by marrying the merciless CEO, Alexander Blake. At first, life with Alexander appeared promising, but as the saying goes, nothing good lasts forever. That was until his childhood sweetheart barged in, shattering everything I held dear and leaving me with a whirlwind of shame, bitterness, and fury. I fled Texas for London, where I spent the next six years rebuilding my life. Now, I’m back in Texas with my son, Franklin, driven by a burning desire for revenge against everyone who has wronged me.

In a world ruled by power and betrayal, Blossom is a shy yet stunning young woman trapped under her uncle Alejandro's cruel control after losing her parents. With a deep hatred for her uncle and a burning desire for freedom, she feels like a pawn in a brutal game when her daring sister, Diana, escapes to find love, leaving Blossom to take her place in an arranged marriage to the brooding Alpha Dean. Dean is still haunted by his late wife, Eliza, whose memory looms large over the pack. When he unexpectedly rejects Blossom, she sees an opportunity to break free from Alejandro's grasp. In a bold move, she confronts Dean and convinces him to marry her. As Blossom steps into a new life, she faces hostility from those who resent her presence, including the bitter Liza and Eliza's vengeful sister, Fina. Misunderstandings abound, especially when Blossom misinterprets a moment between Dean and Liza, leaving her heartbroken and questioning her place in the pack. In this captivating tale of love, rivalry, and determination, Blossom must navigate dangerous alliances and complicated relationships. Will she find her true strength and escape the shadows of her past, or will she forever be trapped in a world of schemes and jealousy?

"You are so daring; do you know that? What will I do with you?" He asked, gazing into her sparkling, beautiful eyes. "Permit me to love you, Andy. That's all I want." She answered with so much boldness and honesty that it almost made his stone heart melt. A billionaire who gave up on love even before experiencing it because all that life threw at him were nothing but rejections since birth. Nobody wanted him, and she was a poor and naive girl with family problems weighing her down. She has never been in love, and love is not on her list of priorities. Two extremely different people were brought together by unavoidable circumstances, or perhaps fate. Call it whatever you want. When their worlds collide, their goals get compromised by their undeniable burning desires for each other, and this fire melts down their fears, worries, and beliefs in a blink of an eye. An insecure single father and a naive maid are swimming in the ocean of an unnamed fire that promises to consume them both if they tend to rebel against its power. Call it lust. Call it addiction. Call it obsession. Give it the tag you see as best fitting. But truth be told, theirs is a milestone of a complicated, challenging, but prodigious heart-stirring romance journey like no other.