Dimmed Lights Flicker

“If you leave this palace tonight, you become prey” Lyra Vale got rejected by her fated mate like yesterday’s trash, hauled into enemy land, and turned into the single most lethal prize a blood-soaked kingdom has ever drooled over. In Dravenhold they don’t chain prisoners. They drape them in silk that costs more than most packs see in a lifetime and call them queen. Kael Draven, the Enemy King, had every reason to slit her throat the second she hit his dirt. Instead he put his mouth to her ear and claimed her protection. Claimed her. Now the whole damn continent whispers the same filthy truth: her blood can make kings. Or drown them. The past won’t stay buried. Rowan, the Alpha who ripped her heart out to “save his people,” creeps back through the shadows with one desperate, cocky demand: come back to me. Stay here and she becomes Kael’s living blade, soaked in power and whatever else he decides to take from her body. Leave, and she lights the match that turns every pack into smoking graves. One man wants her soul to rule with. The other already shattered it and still thinks he deserves the pieces. Lyra’s done being the girl who waits to be chosen. In a world where power gets ripped out of throats, not politely handed over… she isn’t prey anymore. She’s the f*cking throne. And she’s deciding who bleeds for the right to sit on it.

To settle a debt of gratitude, Adriana Adler left her first love and married Chris Slater—a man who, by all appearances, was paralyzed from the waist down. For five years of marriage, he had been her husband. Before that, he'd been the protector she'd known since they were kids. She played her part as his devoted wife—the quiet shadow behind his wheelchair. Chris was certain that no matter how openly he doted on his ex-fiancée—who had just returned from overseas with a child—Adriana would never leave him. What he didn't know was that in Adriana's heart, only obligation remained. The love had died years ago. The day the truth came out, she set the divorce papers calmly in front of him. He panicked. His eyes burned as he grabbed for her, desperate, clinging like she was the only thing keeping him grounded. Adriana looked down at his legs—standing firm and strong—and felt a deep, icy quiet fill her chest. Five years of lies. Five years stolen from the man she truly loved. There would be no forgiveness. The once-untouchable Chris dropped to one knee, his eyes red-rimmed and raw. "Adriana… you're all I have left." Her expression didn't waver. Not a flicker of softness crossed her face. She stepped back toward the man she'd never stopped loving, her voice steady. "But you're not all I have, Chris." He was the power player all of high society scrambled to please—the one who'd lit up her younger years. He'd always assumed she would love him forever; it never crossed his mind she might walk away. But the poised, mixed-heritage gentleman who'd loved her all along said nothing. He simply slid a priceless diamond ring onto her finger. This was the day he had waited five years for. This was the happiness Adriana should have had all along.

The nights in Vicente were a coexistence of order and gunfire. Tonight was the wedding, ten years overdue, between Anthony Oliver, the don of the Oliver mafia family, and Mabel Samson, the woman who had stood beside him through bloodshed, betrayals, and underworld wars. A top-tier luxury hotel had been cleared by the family's soldati. Below them glittered a sea of city lights; above them bloomed fireworks commissioned for the future Donna alone. The man known for his ruthlessness knelt on one knee with a rare diamond ring, his eyes filled with rare tenderness. "Mabel," he said, "you walked through hell at my side. Let me give you peace for the rest of your life." It seemed that all the sacrifices and patience had finally led somewhere. However, just as Mabel's fingers were about to touch the ring, a piercing scream came from above. "Don't! Anthony! Save me!" That single cry drew all of Anthony's attention away. The girl was not unfamiliar to Mabel. Two years earlier, Anthony's twin brother had been tortured to death by a rival mafia family while covering his retreat. His body was never recovered. And Cheryl Reyes was the fiancée he had protected with his life. Mabel watched as the man she loved abandoned everything without hesitation and ran toward another woman. She stepped forward and tried to stop him. "Don't go. The wedding isn't over." However, when their eyes met, the Don accused her coldly of being heartless and selfish. And in that moment, Mabel felt tired. Perhaps it was time, just once, to choose herself over the Family.

Alexia’s life has never been easy. Raised in an orphanage after her mother — tormented by emotional disorders — took her own life without ever revealing who her father was, Alexia grew up knowing only instability and loss. Now, all she wants is a sense of safety she’s never had. But what should’ve been just a night of fun at Nox Trium, the most exclusive club in town, turns into a descent into the forbidden when she’s shot and crosses paths with two men as enigmatic as they are irresistible. Caelith, with his magnetic presence, and Samiel, dangerously charming and impossible to ignore, are not human. They are the cursed sons of fallen angels and mortal women — doomed to wander the earth, dependent on a rare kind of blood that only a few, like Alexia, can provide. Between glances that burn hotter than they should and a tension that threatens to consume her reason, Alexia finds herself torn between an inevitable attraction to Cael and the dangerous chemistry she shares with Samiel — one that stirs both fury and desire in equal measure. But Nox Trium hides secrets far darker than flashing lights and late-night excesses. Secrets that tie her to enemies capable of ending her life — and to a buried past now clawing its way to the surface. After being targeted by Azrion, another one of their kind, Alexia needs Cael and Samiel’s protection. She must decide whether to run… or surrender to the lethal fascination of the one who provokes her most. In the end, only two questions remain: How far is Alexia willing to go to uncover the truth about her origins? And how far will they go to keep her bound to their clan?

I was born into a poor low-ranking family within the pack. But through my own hard work, I managed to rise to the position of Gamma in our pack. My parents told me they were getting older and wanted to see the world before their eyesight failed them. So, I used most of my savings—500 thousand dollars—to book a luxurious European trip for the whole family, including a special northern lights cruise. However, before we could leave, my parents' biological daughter heard about our planned trip and announced she was coming along with us. That's when I discovered I was adopted. My parents didn't hesitate for a second. They told me to give up my top floor cruise room that I booked for $5,000 a night to their biological daughter and ordered me to sleep out in the snow during our northern excursions. They completely disregarded the fact that I have a rare condition where extreme cold could trigger my wolf to shift uncontrollably so that I could potentially die from the exposure. Even worse, they demanded that I transfer all MY remaining savings to support their biological daughter’s luxury trip. But worst of all was when Alexander, my mate of three years, sided with them. The man I had supported financially, the wolf the Goddess herself had chosen for me, betrayed me without a second thought. So I canceled the entire trip through the pack's travel agency, took the refunded money, and went traveling for a month to enjoy life on my own. I ignored all their messages through our pack mind-link and stopped responding to any of their demands. That's when my family and Alexander started to panic...

"Take off your clothes. Spread your legs." "...What? Why?" The voice cut through the silence, and my heart seized. I instinctively covered my stomach. It was the first anniversary of my marriage to Alessandro, the Don of the Santoro family. I was pregnant and had wanted to surprise him. But his secretary, Liliana, had blindfolded me and brought me to this unfamiliar place. "Donna, stop playing the victim. Seducing men is your specialty, isn't it?" "Tonight, in this underground auction house, you are the final item on the block." A chill shot down my spine, and my voice trembled. "Are you insane? I'm the Donna of the Santoro family! I'm carrying his heir! Alessandro will kill you..." Liliana scoffed and ripped off my blindfold. Blinding lights bore down on me. I squinted, and gradually, a man sitting in the VIP section came into view... It was Alessandro! I stared in disbelief as he slowly extinguished the cigar in his hand. "Pregnant? Whose bastard are you carrying?" "It's yours!" I cried out. "Liar!" He raised his hand, and a report was tossed at my feet. The bold letters "PROBABILITY OF PATERNITY: 0%" burned my eyes. He came closer and gripped my chin. "Liliana was right. Women like you are rotten to the core." "My love was never enough to satisfy your greed." "And I, Alessandro, will never raise another man's bastard." Later, he finally learned the child was his. For the first time, the man who was always so composed, arrogant, and in control knelt before me, his voice trembling. "Celeste, I'm begging you... even if you can't forgive me, please, let me make it up to you." But I felt nothing for him anymore.

Ciara Mendes is a talented and captivating journalist at Flare Magazine, the best, where she tirelessly chases compelling stories while grappling with the emotional fallout of a recent heartbreak. Her journalistic prowess is matched only by her determination to heal personally, as she balances the demands of her high-pressure career with her pursuit of emotional recovery. Meanwhile, Giovanni Haynes, a strikingly handsome and enigmatic CEO of Anton Industry, captivates everyone around him with his undeniable charm and affluent lifestyle. Widely regarded as L.A.'s ultimate womanizer, Giovanni embodies a magnetic confidence that conceals a haunted past filled with betrayals and unfulfilled desires that linger like shadows in his life. As fate intertwines their paths, tensions rise, and the undeniable chemistry between Ciara and Giovanni ignites a spark that neither can resist, drawing them into an intoxicating whirlwind of passion and vulnerability. Their lives grow increasingly intertwined as they confront unresolved issues from their pasts, leading to a cascade of secrets surfacing that reveal a world rife with deception, lies, and hidden agendas. Each revelation pulls them deeper into the complexities of their connection, forcing them to navigate a maze of ambition, longing, and trepidation. Torn between their professional ambitions and the burgeoning attraction they cannot deny, Ciara and Giovanni find themselves at a crossroads where love becomes both a beautiful gift and a perilous gamble. Ultimately, they will come to understand that the most powerful stories are the ones that unfold in the depths of the heart, guiding them toward a reckoning that could change everything they thought they knew about love, trust, and forgiveness. In a city beautiful city defined by ambition and allure, where the glimmer of neon lights often masks the shadows of hidden agendas, Ciara Mendes and Giovanni Haynes find themselves at a crucial juncture.

After a decade of chasing Carter Worthington, I'm finally worn out. Letting go of my unrequited love, I choose to embrace the man who has quietly loved me all along. His name is Eli Loxley. Not only is he a skilled surgeon, but he's also Carter's stepbrother. Although Eli spent his childhood living in Carter's shadow, he's the one who has captured my heart. On the night I accept his heartfelt confession, he lights up the entire Marrowfield sky with fireworks. He even buys a private island by the sea, where he proposes beneath a blanket of stars. I believe this is the start of my happiness. But before our wedding, Eli disappears without a trace. I end up finding him on a private yacht on the Redridge River, laughing and chatting with his friends. "The only reason I pursued Anya was to get back at Carter. "She's only enticing when she's out of reach. After sleeping with her, I realized she's nothing special. "Marriage isn't what I'm after. But using it for payback? Now that's the real temptation, wouldn't you agree?" I don't shed a tear. I slip the ring off my finger and toss it aside. On the day of the wedding, the venue would stand empty. The entire city of Oakmont would mock it. After everything, I've decided to be the one who runs away as well. But why is the one who didn't love me then now frantically pleading for me to return? I'm afraid this chapter has closed. I won't turn back.

I was perfect at everything. I have perfect beauty, perfect at school, etc. I can do a lot of things. Everyone envies me. And everyone adores me. But, there’s no such thing as perfect in this ugly world. Everyone has their own darkest secrets that are kept hidden from everyone else. I had mine and none of these people who envied and adored me knew how hard it is to keep them hiding in my closet. I had to be tough to survive. But, when I started getting along with the long-haired 33-year-old man, I realized how flawful I am in my perfect world. He made me realize my imperfections, that I can do sinful things, that I can also be a rebellious daughter, that I can also be an ordinary girl, that I can show off my true identity in front of him without being judged. He understands me because just like me, he’s also a broken soul. He embraced my imperfections. Little by little, my heart recognized him as a lover. I let him get into me, not just through my body, but through my heart, too. Princes do come in unexpected ways, isn't it?! But, behind actions are devious intentions. How did I fall into such a trap of destroying me and my whole clan? How did I not see the red lights? Oh wait, maybe because he's a master of deception. I thought he was the prince, the prince who's going to save me from the poisoned apple. He was the poison I should've run away from the first time he showed me the apple and said that it will grant all my wishes. I was the princess and he was the monster in disguise.

Akira, daughter of fruit vendors, was living happily with her family in Ehtrehto Edis. A world far from the human world. Her family got killed by the Aquans, headed by the cruel general of Aqua Edis. She was able to escape but she was chased by his men. Marcus, the son of Aqua Edis King, helped her to escape to the human world where Martin and Margarette adopted her and allowed her to use their lost daughter's identity. She was then known as Adele Brown. When they died, she was left alone in their house. Her life is set to one ultimate goal. That is, finding the real Adele as Martin's last wish. Akira happened to help a woman from wicked men. It's Catherine whom she later became friends with. One incident leads her to suspect that Catherine is the real Adele. That same day, the nightmares from her fast flipped backward. She crossed paths with some Ehtrehtians, who together with his long been friend, Hunter, persuaded her to flee back to Ehtrehto Edis. Akira's identity was then revealed. She's Lady Amara, one of the four Guardians of Lights and the last immortal. She was faced with many battles when she came back to her world. The Aquan king is determined to kill her and even sent an assassin to kill her. In Manhakan, a village where people who do not surrender their loyalty to any of the four empires of Ehtrehto Edis live, she had a face-to-face encounter with General Thud, the one who headed in the killing of her known family. Just when they were about to be defeated, Hunter, Ignis Hella Knights, and her biological father King Suxx came. Will they be able to save their world? Is Catherine the real Adele as she suspected?