Gilded

“Are you here to save me?” I asked bitterly, thinking of the look in my father’s eyes as he tried to wring the life out of me. “Or are you just here to bring me gifts and false hope?”The stranger didn’t answer, but I could feel his presence as he approached. Still, I didn’t turn to face him, even when I felt a warm, gentle hand squeeze my shoulder.Abused. Neglected. Caged. That’s how Princess Ember, the daughter of the Alpha King of Allusia, has spent her young life. Sold like chattel to another Alpha in exchange for the promise of warriors for her father against an uprising, Ember’s life feels like it might be over. But a stranger comes to her in the night, her only refuge from the daily attacks from her father. Will he be her savior? Or will she just find herself in another gilded cage?An Alpha for the Stolen Princess is created by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.

In Catania, beneath the shadow of Mount Etna, the mafia rules with fire and blood. No name carries more fear than the Valerios and no one is more protected than Lucy Valerio, the youngest and only daughter of the ruthless boss, Salvatore. Sheltered by her brothers, especially Vince, the heir to the Valerio name, Lucy lives in a gilded cage where freedom is only a dream. Until one reckless night changes everything. At The Velvet Room, the city’s most dangerous nightclub, Lucy meets Angelo, dark, magnetic, and scarred by secrets. Their chemistry is undeniable, but their love is forbidden. For Angelo is no ordinary man: he is the prodigal son of Giovanni Mancini, Salvatore’s sworn rival. A man who once abandoned the mafia life, only to be pulled back into its shadows. As passion ignites between them, the past resurfaces. Old betrayals, family feuds, and the reappearance of Angelo’s first love turn their bond into a deadly gamble. In a city where love is weakness and betrayal is currency, Lucy must choose: loyalty to her family… or the man who could destroy it.

She sold her soul to save her daughter… but the devil wears a billionaire’s smile. Emily Carter is a desperate mother clawing her way through the filth of New York’s underworld, dancing for dollars in a club that devours women whole. When her baby girl falls deathly ill, she’s forced into an impossible choice: let her child die… or marry a cold-hearted billionaire with a past darker than her own. Alexander Richie doesn’t believe in love but he believes in ownership. His proposal isn’t a lifeline. It’s a leash. Thrust into a mansion of lies, judgment, and cruel stepchildren, Emily trades one nightmare for another. Her new life is gilded in luxury but soaked in venom, and the people inside want to break her. But Emily didn’t survive the streets to become anyone’s victim not even his. Love wasn’t part of the deal. But what happens when the broken start to feel? And how many bodies must fall before the truth is revealed?

Nyxara Vale is a living anomaly a woman with no scent whose very presence silences the primal mate bond that rules hidden werewolf society. Rhydian Blackthorne is the ultimate Alpha, a creature of absolute instinct and control, until he meets her. For the first time in his long life, the fated bond doesn't trigger. There is only a profound, unsettling silence... and an obsession born purely of his own will. When Rhydian defies ancient law to claim her by choice, not fate, he makes them both targets. To his pack, she is a blasphemy. To the ruthless Elder Council, she is a disease to be eradicated. Trapped in a gilded cage of corporate intrigue and ancient power struggles, Nyx and Rhydian must fight not just for their lives, but for the validity of a love that was never supposed to exist. INSTINCTLESS is a slow-burn romance with an explosive payoff, exploring whether a love that is chosen can be stronger than one that is destined. It’s a story about defying biology, burning down old worlds, and forging a new one where the greatest power isn't instinct it's choice.

After a rogue attack orphaned her, Kathleen woods thought she would find her happy ending with her chosen mate, Alpha Drake Cole. But on their wedding night, he shattered that dream by bringing his fated mate into their bedroom. Humiliated and enraged, Kathleen refused to apologize to the woman who stole her life. Instead, She chose 50 brutal lashes to brand the betrayal on her skin forever. Deciding to leave it all behind, She finds out her parents weren't killed by a random rouge attack. Driven by a new purpose for vengeance, she finds herself caught in a deadly triangle of power. The ruthless Lycan king, offers her the world, but his obsession is a gilded cage. The shadowy Rogue king offers her answers, but his motives are a secret. And all the while, a latent power stirs within her, awakening to a destiny far greater than any Luna's title. To get her revenge, she must navigate the desires of the king and the Storm of her own awakening.

Claimed by Samael Velasco to be his future bride, Merryn hid in the shadows of his protection from the day he found her. She lived her entire life believing it as truth until the day came when this shattered. The shocking revelation that changed her perception also urged her to escape from Samael’s gilded cage. To him, she was just a possession and his precious pet. Her heart throbbed and yearned for something real. She knew not what this meant, at least not yet. Until she escaped, and ran right into the arms of Samael’s known mortal enemy… Giovanni Salvatore, a rare lycan of Royal bloodline. He is the king of the lycans and the werewolves. The ruler of the Mystic Mountain Kingdom. Merryn’s appearance in Giovanni’s life upset a few well-laid plans for his future. And so began a path of mutual discovery and perils they couldn’t begin to imagine. What will she do when she finds herself in the cave of wolves? ^~*~^ This tale is for those 18 or older. Reader’s discretion is advised.

York Langston locked me up for six months. Word on the street was he dropped over 100 million to buy me my own private island. Security here? Tight enough to rival the White House. Even a bird that flew past the area would get shot down on sight. But what nobody knew… All that luxury people envied? To me, it was just a gilded cage. It wasn't until he found a woman who looked almost like me that his interest began to fade. One day, she stormed the island with a gang at her back while he was away. She slashed my tendons and carved up my face with a blade before locking me inside a cage with a rabid dog. I was barely breathing by the time York finally found me. "York, this woman thought she could fool you by imitating me? She must be a spy! You'll have to flay her alive if you want her to talk!"

On the day of her wedding, Liliana Crawford’s life shatters when the church doors burst open and Dante Moretti, the ruthless head of the Italian mafia, claims her as his own. What should have been the start of a safe, predictable life with her fiancé turns into a nightmare of blood, betrayal, and chains. Dante doesn’t want her love—he wants her obedience. To him, Liliana is more than just leverage; she’s a weapon, a possession, a doll to break and reshape. But as days in his gilded cage stretch into nights filled with dangerous temptation, Liliana discovers that beneath his cruelty lies a twisted obsession that burns hotter than hatred. Torn between the man she was raised to marry and the devil who stole her, Liliana must survive a world of violence and power games where every touch is a threat, every kiss a battle, and every promise comes drenched in blood. Dark, intoxicating, and dangerously addictive, The Devil’s Claim is a mafia romance where love is war, passion is punishment, and surrender might be the only way to survive.

Abandoned as a child, Andrea’s life was a script of hardship. Her mother, once an aspiring actress, left her poor father for a wealthy man, erasing them from her glamorous new life. Raised by a loving stepmother, Andrea harbors a burning desire to conquer the acting world and surpass her mother’s success. Now her world is shattered: her stepmother's cancer is in its third stage, her acting career crumbles due to a false accusation, and her boyfriend's betrayal leaves her heartbroken. A drunken night leads to an unexpected encounter with Niklas, a wealthy but arrogant heir. Desperate to save her family from financial ruin, Andrea reluctantly agrees to a marriage of convenience. However, this marriage intended as a lifeline, becomes a battlefield as Niklas's lover returns, threatening to destroy Andrea's already fragile existence. When a heartbreaking miscarriage leaves her reeling, she must confront a crucial decision: will she remain in the shadow of others, or break free from her gilded cage to reclaim her dreams and identity?

His body collapses into mine as my back slams on the wall. “You were touching yourself because of me weren't you” his musky scent suffocating me. My core immediately picks up a heart beat with our proximity as he pins my hands above me on the wall. My bare nipples harden at his touch. I can only think of two words at this moment. Touch me. ***************************************************** Never in Ivy Carter's life did she ever think that she'd fall for a man she couldn't have,especially when the man was not only her professor but also her new step brother. Caden's heart has always been where his pack is, gilded by the pack's legacy but the minute he lays eyes on Ivy Carter his walls come crashing down. But he can't have her even though she's his mate. Their worlds collide with an irresistible force and it's only a matter of time till they cross the line, breaking all restraints with an unholy attraction.