Delusional Games

“My brother would kill you, Roman. Hell, I shouldn’t even be here!” He moves closer, blocking the exit. “He’s not here, and you’re not telling me to stop, Nikki. So, why don’t we stop lying to each other and admit the truth?" I glare at him. My heart’s slamming against my chest. “Which is what exactly?” A wicked smirk curves his lips. “That we want each other. Always have. No matter how badly we shouldn’t.” *** Ten years ago, I almost kissed the one guy I should’ve stayed away from, my brother’s best friend, Roman Hayes. But then he vanished from our lives and has somehow become the person my brother hates the most. I haven’t seen him in years. The last place I expect to find him is at a high-end gala where I’m meeting potential sponsors for my charity, dressed in a ridiculously expensive suit and reeking of sin—and somehow, he might be the answer to all my prayers. But there’s a catch: I’m not supposed to be anywhere near him, and the moment our eyes lock, I know I’ve made the biggest mistake of my entire life. He’s my brother’s ex-best friend, after all, and there’s a spark between us that’s never been extinguished, and a truth neither of us wants to admit. But some truths are darker than I could have possibly imagined, and some games are too wicked and wild to be entertained. This man might just destroy my life in ways I never saw coming… And the worst part? I’ll enjoy every second of it.

For two years, Alexandra “Lexi” Richmond Blackwood played the perfect wife. To the outside world, she was married to Ethan Blackwood, the billionaire every woman dreamed of and every man envied. Their love was the envy of New York’s elite. Their smiles, flawless. Their empire, unshakable. But behind the marble walls of their penthouse, Lexi found out the hard truth. His fake marriage and his betrayal withSophia Mendez, the childhood friend and mistress Ethan couldn't let go of. She knew about the lies, the betrayal, and the mockery he made of their vows. And she knew how to destroy him. For two years, Lexi had waited. She’s played the part, worn the diamonds, smiled for the cameras, hoping he would love her someday. But knowing the truth hurts too much and so she plotted. A carefully constructed plan takes an unexpected turn the night she meets Maxwell Reed, Ethan’s most dangerous rival. Maxwell is powerful, cunning, and devastatingly charming, a man who sees through her games yet can’t resist playing them. What begins as a strategic affair turns into something far more dangerous… passion. As Lexi seduces her way through a world built on power and lies, she finds herself caught between two men: One who ruined her life. And one who could ruin her heart. When Ethan’s empire begins to crumble and long-buried secrets rise to the surface, Lexi realizes the most dangerous betrayal may not come from her enemies, but from herself. In a world where loyalty is bought, love is a weapon, and revenge has a price, Lexi will either reign as queen… or lose everything.

Mom cleared her throat and said, “I have an idea.” I frowned. “What are you talking about, Mom?” “I’m talking about I have an idea.” She stood up and leaned on her desk, saying, “We will hold the Queen’s Guard Tournament.” “I still don’t understand, mom.” “I propose a tournament with several tests, games, balls, bullfights, interviews, dates and parades. I suggest we go wild with different activities that guarantee the election of the new alpha kings.” “Okay… I’ll take the bait. Who will participate?” “Anyone who is an alpha or some equivalent to that. We put their names inside the sky crate so that destiny can choose the 20 lucky ones who will compete for the love of the future sovereign. The three winners will be crowned the alpha kings of the south, east and west. Obviously, the north is occupied by Alonso.” “And what will happen to Sokaris? He’s mine too, mom!” “I wouldn’t worry about him, Maddie. In my dreams, I saw him putting on a great show.” “What will happen if my other fated mates show up?” “Destiny will take care of it, Maddie. Your mates will be selected. But to win, we must give our enemies a mirage of hope that makes them believe they can govern.” “And in the end, they will be exposed to everyone, without us having to intervene,” Mom nodded, with a triumphant smile. I sighed. “If this is our best option, then let’s use the ball that is already being planned as the tournament’s opening event.” Mom nodded. Dad slapped his hands together and said, “Well… we have a tournament to plan and a lot of announcements to make. Let’s get started!” ________________ Reverse harem / 4 fated mates / Magic / Royal Lycan Family / Vampires

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

In the brutal world of professional hockey, where alphas dominate the ice and omegas are sidelined or hidden, enforcer Jax Harlan has always played as a beta tough, unyielding, invisible to scents. Until one brutal check during a heated rivalry game shatters everything. His body betrays him mid-shift: pheromones flood the rink, heat crashes in waves, and the league's suppressants fail spectacularly. Jax isn't a beta. He's a late-bloomer omega, and the revelation hits like a body slam identity crisis, shame, fear of losing his career in a sport that chews up "weak" secondaries. Enter Ronan Kane, captain of the rival team, the Ice Wolves. Cold, commanding, and haunted by his family's dark legacy his father was banned from the league after a scandal involving pheromone manipulation and fixed games that ruined their pack. Ronan swore off omegas to avoid the same downfall, burying his instincts under layers of control and victory. But Jax's sudden, intoxicating scent during that game? It awakens something primal Ronan can't ignore. Forced into proximity by a league investigation into "tampered suppressants" , the two enemies clash on the ice in brutal checks, off it in locked locker rooms and quarantined hotel suites during Jax's first uncontrollable heat. Jax fights his new biology, refusing to be claimed or pitied. Ronan battles his possessive urges, terrified bonding will expose his family's secrets and destroy them both. As playoffs loom and the truth unravels corrupt pack politics rigging trades, hidden mpreg risks for omegas in pro sports their rivalry ignites into something deeper: slow-burn trust, raw vulnerability, and a knot that could either save or ruin them. In a world that demands alphas conquer and omegas submit, can two broken players rewrite the rules... or will the ice crack under the weight of their claim?.

Isabelle Ashford's aristocratic family is drowning in debt and scandal when Dante Marchetti offers a devil's bargain: marriage in exchange for erasing their financial ruin. She accepts, believing she's sacrificing herself for her younger sister's future. But from the moment she steps into Dante's fortress-like mansion, she realizes this isn't a marriage of convenience; it's a beautifully constructed prison. Dante is cold, controlling, and seems to delight in psychological games that leave her questioning her own sanity. He monitors her every move, isolates her from the outside world, and treats her like a possession he's studying under glass. As weeks pass, Isabelle begins noticing inconsistencies. Dante's cruelty sometimes feels like protection. His surveillance system captures threats she didn't know existed. His empire, built on blackmail and coercion, seems designed to destroy specific people connected to her family's past. When she discovers hidden files in his study, she learns a horrifying truth: her father wasn't just a failed businessman; he was part of a criminal syndicate that trafficked information and ruined lives. Dante's parents were among their victims. Her marriage isn't random, it's revenge twenty years in the making. But as Isabelle digs deeper, she uncovers something even more sinister: the syndicate her father once belonged to has been hunting Dante for years, and now they've marked her as their way to destroy him. Caught between a husband who married her to break her and enemies who want her dead, Isabelle must decide whether to escape the monster she married or join him in a war that could consume them both.

Tamed by the Devil Stepbrother Nolan Carter is everything Clara Bennett despises—cocky, cruel, and sinfully irresistible. On campus, he’s the untouchable golden boy: captain of the team, the star every professor favors, and the devil every girl wants in her bed. And Nolan gives them exactly what they crave. One night. No promises. No emotions. Just filthy satisfaction. His harem of willing admirers proves he doesn’t need to lift a finger—women fall at his feet. But behind that perfect smile hides venom. Nolan has no love for his new “family.” He hates Clara’s mother for marrying his father, and he hates Clara even more—for invading his world, stealing space in his home, and daring to defy him. Clara isn’t like the girls who line up outside his door. She’s sharp-tongued, stubborn, and immune to his charms—or at least she pretends to be. Nolan delights in breaking her down, tormenting her with cutting remarks, cruel games, and dark whispers meant to ruin her reputation. Everywhere Clara goes, Nolan lurks—reminding her she doesn’t belong, reminding her he’s in control. But the more he pushes, the more the lines blur. Hatred burns hot, and desire burns hotter. Clara swears she’ll never fall for him, never be just another notch in his bedpost. Nolan swears he’ll never want her, never crave the one girl who dares to fight back. Yet temptation is a dangerous game. Because when the devil stepbrother sets his sights on you… you either burn, or you break. And Clara is about to discover what happens when hate becomes hunger—when the boy who torments her decides she’s the only sin he can’t resist.

'THE BIG FOUR': Steven Chase Baron Sage Iphan Carter Kane Richmond A group of gangsters who for their own interests, build up a conglomerate with the label, 'X-HABIT'. Their activities are no different from vices, but their main aim is to keep the money rolling in, Kaching! Kaching! In hard, hard currency. Betrayed by one of them, the conglomerate fades into fragments of two: X-HABIT and ICE, syndicates of their own, tugging at each other's throats. Steven's regime faces out, but he leaves behind an heir, who continues the game: shuffling, dealing and cutting cards, playing tit for tat. The heir? He's Adrian Chase. A drop dead gorgeous billionaire, an Adonis and New York's shaker. Out of the blue comes 'THE MEN', a rival who watches Adrian keenly and has eyes on everything he's got. This only lengthens the saga, creating another pile of screwed up shit. Aside from Adrian's lethal life, he's got an allergy - WOMEN. Only a quartet add up to his living: his daughter, his step sister, his step mother and his nanny. The rest are no lesser than muddle-headed, fatuous bitches. Well, there's that 'bitch', a naive Megan Stones whose world crumbles when the cold jaws of death snatch her parents away, leaving her with a mouth to feed. She is a college drop-out who's a waitress and a washer-up by day, a stripper at night. Fate punches some buttons, Chase and Stone happen to meet. Strings are pulled and sparks fly. She quenches his allergy and ignites in him, an addiction: HERSELF. Their love story has its fair share of thorns but after many times of falling and rising, they solemnize their love in holy matrimony. After tons of games, gut flaunting and bloodbaths by these rival syndicates, X-HABIT is ascribed the glory.

Luna Taylor has never hated anyone the way she hated Alpha Dante Valerian. Arrogant. Cold. Untouchable. From the moment they met, he refused to look at her, refused to acknowledge her existence — even after she became his son’s chosen mate. And she despised him for it. Soon enough fate comes out to play, when the man she loved betrays her, murders her, and attempts to steal her pack, she expects death to be the end. Instead, the Goddess restored her back to earth but this time stronger than any wolf to ever exist. She's determined to not let anything get in the way of her revenge- not even the second chance mate the goddess gifted her. *********************************************** Alpha Dante Moreno has spent five years battling an obsession he should never have allowed to grow — his son’s mate. The fiery, sharp-tongued heiress who tempts him in ways no woman ever has. She is forbidden, too young for him. And he has a curse bound to his life. Trouble and hardship they say makes a Lycan, so he stayed close watching his obsession from afar and trying even harder to stay away from her. What happens when he finds her dead after leaving her safely in his son's pack three hours ago? Who wanted her dead and why? Why did the goddess grant her another life? Why are they mated together this time? The Lycan and his daughter in law are about to set the werewolf world as they know it on fire because it doesn't matter how much she hates or pushes him away; He's not letting her go this time. She fighting away from him and he's fighting to be closer to her. And so the games begin. May the best Fighter Win.

🌙 Moonlight Mystique At Halewood University—an ivory tower of privilege, ambition, and secrets—Eliot Navarro is a stranger in a world that doesn’t want him. A scholarship student with nothing but grit to his name, he vows to keep his head down, earn his degree, and escape unnoticed. But fate, and one storm-gray gaze, have other plans. Damien Leclair is Halewood’s untouchable king. Beautiful, brilliant, and cruel, he rules the campus with arrogance sharpened to a weapon. To everyone else, he is danger wrapped in silk. To Eliot, he is an obsession he never asked for—a storm that refuses to let him breathe. From the moment Damien’s eyes lock on Eliot, the game begins. It isn’t friendship. It isn’t rivalry. It’s possession. Damien doesn’t chase—he claims. No matter how Eliot resists, no matter how fiercely he builds his walls, Damien circles closer with every step, unraveling his defenses thread by thread. And just when Eliot thinks he’s found a safe harbor in Theo—the warm, messy boy who makes him laugh—Damien’s shadows stretch long. Because Damien doesn’t share. Every smile, every touch, every stolen moment with Theo becomes fuel for his jealousy, twisting into dangerous games that blur the lines between desire and destruction. Caught between two worlds—warmth and fire, safety and obsession—Eliot must decide whether to run from Damien’s grasp or surrender to it. But surrender means more than passion. It means losing himself to the storm, to the man who promises not love, but a haunting claim written in blood and moonlight. Dark. Steamy. Arrogant. Possessive. Moonlight Mystique is a campus boys’ love saga unlike any other—120 chapters of forbidden romance, razor-edged obsession, and a slow burn that ignites into an inferno. It’s a story of dangerous attraction,