Duke Library Hours Novels & Stories

When we were about to head to the amusement park, my Beta boyfriend, Drew, brought along a woman and her daughter. There happened to be one seat short in the car. Drew told me to get out and give my seat to the two of them. “Laura has a kid with her. Let them go first. I’ll come back for you later,” he said. I calmly stepped out and watched as the car slowly pulled away from the pack. Three hours later, they arrived at the amusement park for the fireworks and feast. When a friend asked Drew why he still hadn’t come back to get me, Drew was patiently helping Laura light a giant firework. He wasn’t in a rush at all and even said, “It’ll be fine if I pick Sienna up later. She won’t mind. I’ll coax her a bit, and she’ll stop being mad.” Anger only worked on people who cared about someone. My dad, mom, and brother never cared, and now, not even Drew cared anymore. It was time for me to leave for good.

"If I can cheat, so can you. It’s an open marriage, babe. Get used to it." Those were the words my husband spat at me after I caught him with his third assistant this year. So, I took his advice. He thought he could break me. After ten years of his "open marriage" demands and revolving door of mistresses, I decided to play his game. So, I bought a man. A cold, nameless call boy to help me settle the score. I left $5,000 on the nightstand and slipped away before dawn, finally feeling even. Until I missed my period. Two hours after that, my husband dragged me to his firm's annual gala to meet the new CEO; the man who holds my husband's entire career in his hands. My heart stopped. Standing there in a $10,000 suit, looking like a lethal god, was my "call boy." Julian Vane isn't a sex worker. He’s the most powerful man in the state, my husband’s biggest rival, and... he’s the father of my baby.

I am Alpha Asher's fated mate. His Luna, blessed by the Moon Goddess. But when I started bleeding out, our pup's life hanging by a thread, Asher was at a party for her son—Seraphina's son—celebrating his first shift. I cried out to him through our mind-link, begging for help. He just sounded annoyed. "Bleeding? How long are you going to keep up this act? Last time it was a headache that turned out to be nothing. Now it's bleeding. Aurora, enough is enough. I'm at Leo's first shift party. This is a huge day for him. I can't just leave." Then I heard Seraphina's child call him "Daddy," and Asher's voice, so full of love, answer him. Before I could say anything else, he ruthlessly severed the link. Three hours later, the doctors declared my pup dead. I sent Asher the wolfstone that held our pup's shattered soul, then went to the pack elders alone. "Asher has betrayed me. I demand the severing of our mate bond."

"We want you to accept the mate bond," Nate whispered seductively into my ears and my nipples hardened at the arousal I smelt from all of them. "Else you won't live here in peace," added Damon as his hands cupped my breast and I moaned out his name. "See, you are attracted to all of us. So why don't you accept us fast so that this can be more enjoyable?" Tiger purred, his hands spanking my ass that my erotic mind immediately pictured him doing that with his penis. Richmond didn't need to say anything for his actions delivered more than his words could ever do. His hands went into my thighs and he rubbed his rough fingers along my clit, feeling my wetness in his hands. "Prishy baby, you belong to us all and I'm ready to share you with my brothers." It was Duke who spoke then, his voice as gentle as that of a dove. He was the one who my heart had first drawn to but at this moment, I felt like they all meant same to me. And I knew that I was doomed without them. **** This is my first book please be nice. You will find errors so be warned. If after this warning and you still go ahead to read it, do not leave any bad comment because it hurts. So many readers love it regardless of it's errors ,so if u are up for it, go ahead!

Synopsis - Isabelle Ellwood, a plain, fuller-figured 19-year-old, hides her poetic soul and dreams of teaching behind dry wit, overshadowed by her beautiful sister who is counted as a family jewel for her grace and beauty and an ambitious father dreaming of snagging a royal title. When Prince Sebastian Nathaniel Winthorne, a bold, dark, and formidable warrior-king at 30, announces a bride-selection season at Cresthaven Palace, Isabelle dares to hope—not for love, but to glimpse the scarred-handed savior of her childhood. Unbeknownst to her, and him, he’s Sebastian, whose commanding presence and passionate heart blind him to her worth, fixated instead on the angelic Amelia Everhart, Isabelle's dearest friend. A secret library meeting shatters Isabelle’s illusions: Sebastian seeks her help to woo Amelia, praising her mind yet oblivious to her love. Their friendship deepens—his admiration grows, her longing festers—culminating in a rain-soaked confrontation where the lavender and breeze ignites his primal desire, clashing with her insecurities. Public scorn and familial cruelty drive Isabelle to flee, forcing Sebastian to confront the void she leaves. As time apart unravels his obsession with Amelia, he pursues Isabelle, his awakening raw and relentless. Their reunion at a glittering ball sparks a dance of resentment and longing, leading to a climactic confession where love triumphs over doubt. Isabelle’s journey from invisible dreamer to empowered princess, and Sebastian’s shift from idealized obsession to soul-deep love, crafts a tale of unseen hearts finding their place—a fiercely unique love story for readers craving wit, angst, and romance. In the opulent yet unforgiving world of Regency-inspired Eldoria, The Crown's Wrong Kiss weaves a slow-burn romance of unrequited love, repressed desire, and transformative self-worth.

For 1,095 days, Maya Vance was a ghost. She cooked three-star meals for a man who didn't know her favorite color and kept his failing shipping empire afloat with anonymous billions. She was the "Safe Choice." The "Placeholder." On their anniversary, Lucian Blackwood brought home his "White Moonlight," Cynthia Thorne. With a cold flick of a pen, he handed Maya a divorce decree. "She’s back. I don't need a substitute maid anymore. Get out." Maya didn't cry. She smiled—a smile that should have terrified him. Within twenty-four hours, the Blackwood name is erased from the stock exchange. The mysterious "Phoenix," the world’s youngest tech trillionaire, emerges from the of shadows to dismantle Lucian’s life piece by piece. When Lucian finally tracks down the woman ruining him, he doesn't find his "homely" ex-wife. He finds an Empress on a throne of his broken dreams. Now, he’s on his knees in the rain, begging for a second chance. But Maya Vance doesn't give second chances. She only gives invoices.

“For the record, I, Alpha Dane of the stonewood pack, reject you, Crystal whatever-your-last-name-is as my mate!” Dane’s cruel words washed away the promises he whispered into my ears hours ago. Rejected and betrayed by her mate, Crystal, a lowly omega, finds herself on the bed of the cursed, dreaded Alpha King Xavier known for his ruthless deeds and his mates dying in mysterious ways. However, there’s a twist, Xavier is drawn to Crystal as it dawns on him that she is his mate, left with no other choice, Xavier takes Crystal back to his pack against Dane’s wishes. Torn between the choice of protecting her from himself and his love for her, Xavier is forced to subject Crystal into slavery in his pack keeping her at arm's length but Crystal fights through, training in secret as she discovers she might have the powers to undo his curse, but having it is not enough. Would Crystal be able to find happiness? Would Xavier be able to let go of his guilt and accept Crystal? Find out in this enthralling tale how Crystal and Xavier navigate their love story despite all odds and destiny itself.

On the night of her birthday, Clara receives a crescent pendant and overhears a secret that splits her life in two. Hours later her mother is taken, Ronan—the rogue who collects the broken—calls from the trees, and Jasper drags her behind the walls of the Holdfast. Inside, Clara survives the Trial of Teeth and tastes the edge of the wolf living under her skin—becoming the problem the pack cannot agree on. Vivian sees a survivor; Jason sees a threat; the forest keeps blinking ash eyes while human cameras bloom among the pines. As a fated pull to Jasper presses closer and Vivian’s missing sister hints at what Ronan does to the taken, Clara must decide what to be: weapon, heir, or something the old laws have no word for. When betrayal leaks through the ranks and the border turns into a stage, mercy may prove sharper than fang—and the story others try to name for her is the one she’ll have to rewrite in blood and moonlight. A dark, romantic werewolf fantasy about power that refuses to be inherited, love that asks for consent, and a girl choosing the kind of Alpha she will become.

" sometimes the strongest hearts carry the heaviest scars." Two years after losing her parents, 21-year-old Jane is left raising her two little brothers on her own. Abandoned by her oldee sister and juggling two exhausting jobs, Jane barely has time to breathe_let alone chase her long-forgotten dream of studying law. Every day is a battle to survive: Working long hours, skipping meals, some strange dreams, and hiding her tears behind a fake smile. But even when she breaks down in the middle of the street or collapses from exhaustion, she always gets back up- for Elhoïme and Mathias, the only family she has left. Just when she thinks no one sees her pain, Brian, a kind coworker and a long time friend, start offering small gestures of help- cofee, silence, time, understanding. She pushes him away at first, afraid of needing anyone. But his quiet presence slowly starts to feel like hope. Can Jane allow herself to lean on someone else for once, without losing her strenght- or her heart?

She was supposed to be a just another girl behind the bar. He was never supposed to remember her just another night to forget. But that one night... changed everything. Aria Lane has known pain for as long as she can remember. Orphaned in a tragic accident and taken in by a family that sees her only as a burden with a price tag, she works long hours just to survive. When a mysterious, powerful stranger walks into the bar one stormy evening, she doesn't expect him to notice her. Let alone offer her something that feels both wrong and irresistible. Damien West... young, dangerously handsome, and heir to a billion-dollar empire has secrets buried deeper than his pockets. One night with Aria was supposed to be a mistake he could walk away from. But Aria can’t walk away not when she finds herself pregnant and alone. With no money, no support, and no way to find the man who changed her life with a single touch, she must fight to protect her unborn child... and herself. What happens when their paths collide again? Will the truth tear them apart or bind them forever?