Desert Survival

I came here on a scholarship. No parents. No safety net. Just brains, bruises, and a shot at a better life. Now they want me on the hockey team? I’ve never even touched a stick. And if I say no—I lose everything. The only thing colder than the rink is how they look at me. The rich girls with their designer skates and perfect smiles. The coach who’d rather pretend I don’t exist. And him—Jaxon Reid, the team’s golden boy, who skates like sin and speaks with his eyes more than his mouth. He thinks I’m a joke. They all do. But I’ve fought for every inch of my life, and I’m not about to back down now. Not when college is the only thing standing between me and going back to nothing. So I’ll lace up. I’ll fall, I’ll bruise, I’ll bleed if I have to. And maybe—just maybe—I’ll learn how to play their game better than they do. Because survival isn’t about being the best. It’s about refusing to lose.

Livia Rossi had done everything to escape her father and the Italian Mafia. She denied her roots and even changed her last name. All her efforts go down the drain when her family finally finds her. To punish her for her indiscretions, she suffers and is later sold to the highest bidder as a slave. She is sold to her father’s rival, the Russian Mafia. She fears for the worst but things take a turn when she realizes her chance for survival is to pretend she’s not an Italian Mafia Princess. Since her family murdered the sister of the Pakhan of the Bratva, she knows the Bratva will kill her. What happens when she falls for the big bad Pakhan? Will he forgive her when he finds out she’s the daughter of the man who killed his sister, or will Livia escape the throes of the Bratva? In a foreign land where she doesn’t know anyone, she has to do anything to escape. Even if it means crossing Maxim Novikov and Bratva. She can’t let anyone, especially the Pakhan, deter her plans to destroy her family.

Cursed by the Moon Goddess and shackled to a life of torment, Alpha Kane Ironclaw rules the Dark Howl Pack with a ruthless grip and a fractured soul. Blamed for the tragic deaths of his first mate and unborn child, he is haunted by an inferno that consumes him with every full moon, turning him into a mindless beast. But behind the flames lies a darker truth—a web of betrayal spun by the one he trusted most. Nevaeh Rowen has always felt out of place. With her wolf dormant and an unexplainable pull toward the shadowed forests of Cedar Ridge, her life has been anything but ordinary. But everything changes the night she crosses paths with Kane. Their undeniable bond as fated mates ignites a storm of passion, danger, and unraveling secrets. As Nevaeh’s wolf awakens, so too does the dark prophecy that binds her to Kane’s fate. She alone holds the key to breaking his curse—but at a devastating cost. Her life. Torn between love and survival, Nevaeh becomes the center of a battle that threatens not just Kane’s pack, but the fragile balance of power among rival alphas. When fate demands a scarifice, does love have the power to defy death?

Misery has followed Gaia since childhood—her mother lost to a cruel fate, her life spared only by a desperate escape, and a strange mark on her face that brought nothing but endless hardship. Labeled a curse that brought misfortune, she was sent to a dangerous place where only the chosen served as guards. It was a chance to prove herself, but everyone there wanted her dead. As a result, she trusted no one, and survival depended solely on herself. Over time, her emotions vanished, leaving only a coldness that struck fear into her comrades. She was tough, skilled, and fearless, but one thing weakened her—her mark, the very thing that restrained her strength. She tried to uncover the truth behind her mark, but no information could provide answers until Aurus La Mier came into her life. A complete stranger offering help, yet she hesitated, doubting his true intentions. His kindness felt too suspicious, and she could not fully trust him. Could Aurus break through the wall she had built around herself? And if she discovered that her mark held a deeper meaning, would she be able to accept it?

In a world of wealth, power, and family feuds, Shay Falcon fights to break free from the shadows of her billionaire dynasty. The youngest daughter of the renowned Falcon Group's CEO, her life is a blend of neglect, sibling rivalry, and the suffocating pressure to conform. But beneath her fragile facade, Shay craves independence and forges a secret path as a secretary at the illustrious C&E Holdings, a company owned by her family's bitter rivals. Just when Shay believes she has found solace in her hidden sanctuary, fate intervenes, thrusting her into a tumultuous whirlwind. The enigmatic Jason Cartwright and the charismatic Chase Evans, the powerful bosses of C&E Holdings, uncover Shay's clandestine identity. Their shocking discovery sets in motion a chain of events that will shatter the fragile facade of her life. In the heart of the cutthroat corporate battlefield, where power is a weapon and loyalty a luxury, Shay Falcon's life becomes a gripping tale of survival and redemption. Can she transcend her tainted lineage and reshape her destiny, or will the weight of her family's legacy consume her? Prepare to be captivated by a story where ambition collides with fate, and the untamed spirit of a young woman defies all odds.

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.

Alliyah Agustin thought her life was finally falling into place. She was about to marry her long-time boyfriend, Chester — the man she’d built her dreams around, the man everyone envied her for. The venue gleamed with gold, the air smelled of white roses, and her so-called best friend, Kassandrah, stood by her side as maid of honor. Everything was perfect. Until it wasn’t. When the ceremony began, Chester was nowhere to be found. In his place stood a stranger — dark suit, darker eyes, a smirk that didn’t belong anywhere near an altar. The crowd murmured, the priest hesitated, and before she could even process what was happening, the papers were signed. She had just married Alexander Nicholas Astley, one of the most powerful billionaires in the country — and the most feared man in the underground world. What Alliyah didn’t know was that her “perfect” fiancé and “trusted” friend had sold her — a deal made to clear a debt, sealed with her hand in marriage. And in the dangerous world she was dragged into, her survival would depend on one impossible question: Was Alexander her captor… or her savior?

Somewhere between staying silent and screaming for help… she existed. Seventeen-year-old Maren has mastered the art of disappearing in plain sight. Haunted by past trauma, locked in a toxic relationship she can't escape, and drowning under the pressure of school and a world that never cared to understand her, she begins to wonder if life is even worth staying for. No one sees her pain—until he does. The new boy, Kade, has his own shadows. He’s blunt, observant, and completely unafraid to call her out—making him an instant enemy. But when he overhears a moment no one was meant to witness, he realizes the truth: the girl everyone overlooks is barely holding on. As Kade steps deeper into her shattered world, their connection becomes a lifeline. But secrets run deeper than he imagined, and when Maren goes missing, no one believes she’s worth finding—except him. Fighting time, silence, and the lies that built her cage, Kade refuses to give up. Because sometimes, saving someone means proving they were never invisible at all. A heartbreaking, haunting, and ultimately hopeful story about survival, truth, and what it really means to be seen.

Daniella Thornhill, a hybrid and orphan has endured seven years of silent torment as the loyal assistant—and secret lover—to Liam Garvalle, the cold and calculating Alpha of the hollow pack. Trapped by love, duty, and her own frail humanity, Daniella has silently borne the pain of a one-sided mate bond, a cruel twist of fate that Liam himself remains oblivious to. When Matilda, a perfect purebred re-enters Liam’s life claiming to be his true mate, Daniella’s world begins to unravel. Lies, betrayal, and cruel manipulation follow Daniella at every turn as Matilda's schemes tighten the noose around her. What Liam sees as loyalty to his pack and legacy, Daniella feels as suffocating control. With her unborn child at stake and no one to trust, Daniella faces a devastating decision that could break her completely—or awaken a long-dormant strength within her. Unknown to them all, secrets lie buried: a father searching for his lost daughter, a wolf waiting to emerge, and a bond more powerful than any deception. As Daniella’s carefully maintained composure begins to crack, the cost of love, vengeance, and survival looms large. Who will emerge unscathed when fate turns its merciless wheel?

In the shattered remains of a divided world, Rivermirror stands as a city of shadows—ruled by chaos, secrets, and ruthless ambition. Among its broken streets and hidden corners, two lives converge: Hound, a mercenary cursed by visions of fractured futures, and Argent, a deadly assassin whose silver-braided hair slices through enemies as easily as her carefully crafted lies. Bound by a soul brand, their uneasy alliance thrusts them into a heist that ignites a chain of betrayal, war, and unimaginable consequences. When a daring raid on River's military vault unearths a dark attribute symbiote and a mysterious core relay, the balance of power between two fractured nations is forever altered. As commanders plot revenge, and Rivermirror’s elites spin their webs of deceit, Hound and Argent must navigate a labyrinth of loyalty, survival, and ambition. But trust is a luxury in a city where betrayal is currency, and every choice pushes them closer to a future neither can fully control. With the line between villain and hero blurred, how far will they go to escape their fates? And what price are they willing to pay to survive in a world where hope is as fleeting as shadows? Dark, gripping, and unapologetically raw, Deep Down Your Black Heart is a dystopian fantasy that delves into the depths of ambition, morality, and the haunting weight of choices.