Crooked Kingdom By Leigh Bardugo

Kai Tanaka is Seattle’s best rescue swimmer, the man they send into black water when the storm decides to take a life. He’s built for cold, built for chaos, built to bring people back. Until one rescue goes wrong. A body disappears. The footage goes missing. And Kai becomes the quiet scapegoat the Coast Guard can sacrifice to keep the institution clean. Suspended and watched, he’s barely holding on when Luca Reyes drags his name into the light. Luca is a true-crime podcaster chasing the truth behind that same night, because his younger brother was on the boat that never came home. Luca thinks Kai is hiding something. Kai thinks Luca is feeding off tragedy. Their first meeting is sharp and ugly. Then Luca is nearly killed for asking the right questions. Kai pulls him from the wreckage and realizes this isn’t internet noise. Someone is laundering bodies through the sea, and they’re using Kai as the fall guy. The only way to keep Luca alive is to disappear with him to an off-grid cabin on the San Juan Islands, where the wind never stops and secrets sound louder. Forced proximity turns into hunger. Suspicion turns into heat. And the closer they get to the truth, the more they realize the storm isn’t the worst thing chasing them.

Erica Vaughn, a 24-year-old woman, discovers she's pregnant on her wedding anniversary, but her joy is short-lived. Her husband, Asher Whitfield, a wealthy and ruthless CEO, reveals he's been having an affair and wants a divorce. To make matters worse, Erica is kidnapped and nearly killed, only to be rescued and left to rebuild her life. Five years later, Erica returns to Texas with her young son, determined to confront Asher and seek revenge. As they're forced to work together on a business deal, their past sparks a passionate and intense reunion. However, their rekindled romance is threatened by Asher's fiancée, Miley, who'll stop at nothing to keep them apart. As Erica navigates her complicated feelings and the treacherous world of corporate politics, she must confront the dark secrets of her past and the true nature of her relationship with Asher. Will she be able to overcome her pain and forgive Asher, or will their love be destroyed by the very secrets that once tore them apart?

Once destined to lead his family’s empire, Liam Harrington’s life shattered after a car accident left him in a wheelchair. Abandoned by friends, mocked by society, and betrayed by those closest to him, his bitterness grew as he faced enemies who sought to exploit his weakness. Ava Bennett, the overlooked daughter of her family, dreamed of escaping her oppressive home. But forced into a contract marriage with Liam, she found herself battling not only her family’s cruelty but also those who wished to see her husband fail.

“Stop Jeremy, you should go slower , I’m out of breath” I whispered and moaned truly out of breath . My thighs had been spread and shaking , Jeremy’s cock slipping smoothly in and out of my pussy,surrounded by cum from both of us , I suppose. He had hit my G-spot accurately with every insert and I could feel every inch deep inside me coupled with the speed I wanted. But I needed to pretend I had had enough of it.He passed his fingers through my red hair, “you know how long we’ve longed for this moment”, “ this is just the beginning”, he whispered, biting my lips and slowing down a bit and then returning sharply to his previous pace. This should’ve been me right?

Elara Whitmore was drugged, framed and left in a stranger's bed by the ones she trusted. She wakes up naked the next morning to a scandal with a man she had never met. Now, the whole city believes she is the mysterious billionaire’s lover. The ones behind the scandal are people she once called family who are determined to steal her father’s company and destroy her. Alexander Knight, a cold and powerful billionaire, wants only one thing, to protect his name. So he offers her a deal; A two-year contract marriage. No love, no feelings and no interference in each other’s lives. They say revenge is easy when you marry the most powerful man in the country and love is dangerous when you marry a man who swore he would never love you. What happens when a marriage that started as a scandal… becomes what neither of them planned?

Minsi is a twenty-five-year-old woman who was blessed with a curvaceous body. She is a calm, loyal, and good herbalist. But then those wonderful things about her aren’t enough for her fated mate, the Alpha of Maplewood pack. The man mistreated her just because she wasn’t his ideal type of woman. Tortured her because of her body. Said she wasn’t perfect to be his Luna and so rejected her and banished her from his pack. Heartbroken, Minsi had no choice but to walk away, not even knowing where she was going. This is until she almost lost her life, but someone miraculously appeared and saved her from being killed by the rogues in a thick forest. Just then, a new bond is formed between her and the handsome stranger. But she didn’t raise her hopes high, knowing about her bad past experiences with mates. “It’s okay. You can reject me. I won’t force you to accept me,” she said in all honesty. “Why should I reject you? I won’t reject you, sweetheart. Because I see you, the real you,” replied the handsome stranger. Minsi is given a chance to start afresh with her life however their is a web of secrets ahead of her that will threaten everything. Who was this man? What would be the fate of Minsi now that she was given a second chance by the Moon Goddess? And what secrets is he keeping?

"She is not property. She is my mate and you will not mention 'her' like you're talking about a burnt banana peel."   My breath hitched.   No one had ever defended me like that.   Not once.   Kael glanced over his shoulder at me, his expression softer now, protective. "But it’s her choice. Not mine. Not yours." .......................................................... At just eighteen, Meeva Vale thought that she had found her fairytale ending, an Omega chosen as Luna by the Alpha of the Sinhound Pack. But six years later, her marriage to Alpha Jared has left her silenced, sacrificed, and stranded in a life that no longer feels her own.   When the powerful Alpha Kael Edgar of the Brawnstorm Pack storms into her territory to confront Jared over a broken trading treaty, everything changes. With a single glance, the bond between Kael and Meeva ignites. But Meeva is already claimed, married even.   But Kael doesn’t give two fucks.   He lays siege to the pack and takes Meeva with him, officially staking his claim as her mate. Her wolf betrays her heart, surrendering to him long before she does. What begins as a sinful passion quickly transforms into a deeper whirlpool.   With a dark sorcerer on their tail, their story is about to take a very unnerving turn.  

Alina believed that Alpha Caleb was her true mate, but as secrets unravel and the truth comes to light, she discovers that she is merely a pawn in a game of deceit and manipulation. Her dreams shatter when she learns that she was never meant to be Caleb's mate but merely a substitute for his deceased wife. Betrayed by the one she trusted the most, Alina attempts to escape the pack and seek freedom. But as she runs away, Alina's path collides with Prince Alaric, her true mate. Haunted by past betrayals, she struggles to trust him, even if they are fated to be together. Alaric, a royal werewolf prince, had tirelessly searched for his mate, but to no avail. Attending a banquet at Caleb's pack, he unexpectedly finds her, but she is hurt and broken. Despite the odds, Alaric vows to heal her wounds and win her trust, determined to show her the love and devotion she deserves. Will Alina open her heart to the one who has been searching for her all along?

Alethea, a young girl from a small village, accepts a tempting job offer to care for a sick employer in the capital city as a way to escape her mother. However, upon arriving at the employer's home, Alethea is shocked to discover that her patient is not the frail, elderly person she imagined, but Sebastian Tarcisio—a wealthy heir who is blind, arrogant, and stubborn. From their very first meeting, Sebastian is rude and constantly insults her, making her regret her decision to take the job. However, her mother has already taken the one-year advance payment, and if Alethea breaks the contract, not only will she face punishment, but her family will also suffer for spending the upfront salary. With no other choice, Alethea is forced to endure. In truth, Sebastian’s insults aren’t because he hates Alethea or doubts her abilities. It’s because he knows that his grandfather, Felix Tarcisio, intentionally placed Alethea in his life in the hopes that they would form a relationship and eventually give Felix a male heir to continue the Tarcisio family line. As time goes on, Alethea begins to realize that Sebastian isn’t as cruel as she initially thought. Beneath his hardened exterior, she sees his vulnerability. And in Alethea’s resilience, Sebastian starts to discover a gentleness within himself that he never knew existed. What will become of their story amidst the shadows of manipulation by Sebastian’s grandfather and the greed of Alethea’s mother? Will Alethea and Sebastian fight for their unexpected love, or will they end up parting ways?

Lena is an Omega, bullied and humiliated by the entire Pack. Her only hope was the mating ceremony where she will get a mate and finally mean something special to someone. But fate is cruel as her mate Ethan, the future Alpha of her pack, brutally rejects her in favor of another woman. Broken and devastated, she flees in tears to a bar and drinking herself to stupor, she had a one night stand with a stranger.  She returns back to her normal life only to find out she was pregnant. Beaten by her guardians, she was told that her baby will be aborted, she ran away at night only to be chased by rogues. Saved by the guards of a neighboring pack, Lena meets Alpha Adrian and they both recognise each other as mates. She doesn't know that Alpha Adrian was her one night stand but Alpha Adrian recognises her and knew that the baby was his own. Lena was glad that fate has given her a second chance mate but then nothing could prepare her for the wrath of Claire, Alpha Adrian's arranged mate who in her jealousy schemes to tear them apart by spreading lies and doubts about Lena's loyalty. Lena is thrown into prison awaiting judgment.  Lena is down and broken but what will she do when Alpha Ethan comes back to save her and reveal her true identity and heritage to her begging her for a second chance.  Will she be able to move past the pain of the past and give love a second chance by forgiving him or will she allow the pain of the past to hold her back? "Alpha's Betrayal, Omega's Triumph" is a story of love, resilience, Forgiveness in a world where secrets could either destroy or heal.