Deer Crystal

“You're perfect,” Daniel whispered, his large hands moving urgently over my body, one settling on my waist and the other moving up towards the gentle swell of my breast. “Right here, right now, in this moment, in this garden, you're perfect.” **** In order to secure a lucrative contract, Daniel Sutherland needed a wife for a year. A wife he could court in public, and share a bed with at night. But who could he find to fulfill this special position? When a grave illness almost took the life of her step mom and when her fiance ended things with her after betraying her, Jessica Adams was ready to grasp at any straw to salvage what's left of her esteem as a woman and more importantly to save her stepmom's life. And when Daniel asked her to marry him for a year, it suited her to accept. She had no feelings for Daniel or he for her- or so she thought, until Crystal Rodriguez came back into his life. And by then, it was too late.

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.

Blame it on fate, circumstance, or bad luck - but one thing's certain: Crystal's life has been a masterclass in chaos. From a treacherous boyfriend to an abandoning mother, to finding out she's half werewolf, she's been dealt a rough hand. But nothing could prepare her for being selected for the Alpha's Apprenticeship program, where the stakes are way higher. And then, there's the Alpha himself - the one person who holds all the power in the Silvercrest Pack. The one person who holds her biggest secret. Can Crystal navigate the treacherous landscape of her life, or will she become the program's latest casualty?