Guilt-tripping

**Evelyn Karamazov** I’ve spent all twenty-three years of my life immersed in the world of the mafia, groomed to rule with an iron fist. But power in our world doesn’t come without a price, and that price is marriage—a union built on strategy rather than so-called love. It’s the last thing I want, but in this life, sacrifices are the currency we trade in. And if I have to choose, I’ll sacrifice to the devil I know rather than the angel I don’t. But make no mistake, a sacrifice is still a sacrifice, and it demands its due. **Killian Bandini** Sixteen years—that’s how long I’ve waited to exact my revenge. Sixteen years to drown in nightmares, consumed by guilt and the unyielding desire to set things right. My father is dead, and now the Bandini empire is mine. The time has come to collect what is owed, and God help those who wronged me, because they will pay with blood. ★ What happens when the most lethal, most infuriating man to ever walk the earth crashes your wedding, puts a bullet in your would-be husband’s head, and holds everyone at gunpoint just to ensure you marry him instead? Killian Bandini doesn’t ask; he takes. But if he thinks I’m some meek bride to be bartered and controlled, he’s dead wrong. I may have to marry him, but I sure as hell won’t make it easy. He’s come for blood and power, but he doesn’t know that I’m not just a pawn—I’m a queen, and this game has only just begun.

Antonius Rockwell, the enigmatic CEO of a prestigious company, leads a life of power and influence yet feels a hollow void in his existence. That changes the day he notices Kirsten Zaldua, a diligent delivery girl whose quiet determination and sincerity intrigue him. Struggling to support her ailing mother and balance her studies, Kirsten unknowingly becomes a beacon of hope in Antonius’s sterile world. One fateful afternoon, Antonius watches her collapse from exhaustion in his company lobby. Acting on instinct, he rescues her but conceals his identity, fearing the threats surrounding his life could endanger her. Instead, he sends his brother to assist her, an act he later regrets. To Antonius’s dismay, Kirsten mistakes his brother for her savior and begins a relationship with him. From the shadows, Antonius watches as his brother manipulates her into a toxic situation, leveraging her debts and her mother’s health to control her. Powerless to intervene without revealing the truth, Antonius retreats, heartbroken by his inability to protect the woman who has unwittingly captured his heart. Months later, a chance encounter reignites his connection with Kirsten, leading to an intimate one-night love affair born of misunderstanding. Though their bond deepens, Antonius remains tormented by guilt and longing. When Kirsten discovers he was her true rescuer, a spark of hope reignites between them, but Antonius’s brother, jealous and desperate, threatens her mother’s care, forcing her to break things off. Will Antonius’s love and determination be enough to rescue Kirsten from her nightmare? Or will the weight of her sacrifices pull them apart forever? Only time will reveal if their love can triumph against all odds.

To save his mother’s life as she lay critically ill in the operating room, Dante had no choice. The hospital bills kept piling up. Every door he knocked on for help closed, one by one. Until an offer came—dirty, dangerous, and binding. To become a mafia boss’s kept man. Leonard Virelli was not just a wealthy man. He was the shadow ruler of the city—ambitious, manipulative, and accustomed to getting whatever he wanted. Including Dante. Dante knew this was not simply a “relationship.” It was an unspoken contract of ownership. Of a body paid for. Of a life slowly brought under control. He had never imagined himself stepping into a world like that. But for the cost of the surgery, for the only family he had left, Dante was willing to swallow his pride. What he did not expect was how dangerous Leonard truly was. The man did not only want Dante’s presence at his side—he wanted obedience. Loyalty. Perhaps even… his heart. Behind the expensive suits and cold smiles, Leonard harbored an unhealthy obsession. He was not used to being rejected. Not used to losing. And the more Dante tried to keep his emotional distance, the tighter Leonard’s grip became. Trapped between guilt, desperation, and feelings that began to grow without permission, Dante found himself asking a question he was afraid to answer: Did he sell himself to save his mother? Or had he unknowingly surrendered himself to a man who would never let him go? In the mafia world filled with blood and betrayal, love is not tenderness. Love is possession. And Dante has just signed a contract with the most dangerous man in the city.

🥀🖤🥀 ‎"You're mine, Judy. No one else gets to touch you like this. I will ruin you for anyone else."‎ This is wrong, so wrong. He is married to Eliza, my sister, but the taboo only fuels the fire, the guilt twisting into a dark thrill that coils tighter in my core. ~ "Tell me, Judy," he demands, his grip on my wrists tightening just enough to send a delicious jolt of pain through my arms. "Tell me what you meant back there in the conference room. What bond were you talking about?" The absolute desperation in his eyes shatters my defenses. For two fucking years, I have suffered the agonizing loneliness of writhing in pain on my bed and hiding my true nature. Tears prick the corners of my eyes, the truth clawing its way up to my throat. I can't hold it back anymore. “The bond… I…” “Say it.” He pushes. “You stupid, blind Alpha," I sob, my next words ripping out of me. "The bond is my mate bond with you, Kieran. I am your fated mate." ~ 🖤🥀🖤‎ Warning: 🔞 Reader's discretion is advised. This story is a DARK ROMANCE dripping with the forbidden 🥀🖤🥀, so tread carefully. If you love a weak to strong sassy FMC who finally grabs her power back and an equally possessive filthy talker ML who will burn the world to keep her, then you are in the right place. This is not just a story, this is a dedication to every 'JUDY' out there who has been casted aside for being 'UNWORTHY'. Grab your power back. Also, don't forget to grab your seatbelts too because this ride is not for the strapless. See you on the darker side 🔞🥀🖤🥀

Seraphina's world shatters the night she finds her beloved Kaelan, the future Alpha, in bed with her best friend. She ends their relationship without a second thought. But fate delivers a cruel blow when Seraphina discovers on her eighteenth birthday that Kaelan is her destined mate. Seeing a chance for vengeance, she publicly rejects their bond, ignoring his desperate pleas to save his face in front of the pack. Her vengeance is short-lived. Seraphina soon uncovers a devastating truth: her best friend, consumed by bitter jealousy; had drugged Kaelan and staged the entire scene. He was innocent. Shattered by her catastrophic mistake, Seraphina searches for Kaelan to apologize, but he has vanished without a trace, abandoning his pack and his old life. For ten years, Seraphina is shackled by guilt, while her pack weakens and crumbles toward ruin. As a last resort, her father secures an alliance with a mysterious and powerful pack rumored to be ruled by a ruthless Alpha known only as Lucifer. To save her people, Seraphina is forced to sign a contract, binding her fate to this feared stranger. Her doom is sealed when she comes face-to-face with the legendary Lucifer and finds the boy she rejected is gone, replaced by a cold, formidable, and terrifying man. Kaelan makes it clear he is back to claim what is his, and his intentions are laced with vengeance. Although, Seraphina is determined to atone for the past, Kaelan is a wall of ice she cannot melt. To survive, she must unravel the secrets he guards so fiercely. But the truth he’s hiding is more dangerous than his hatred, and her discovery of it will not just break her—it will destroy her completely and threaten to burn their entire world to the ground.

In a world where love and betrayal walk hand in hand, Shattered Promises unravels the haunting story of a woman whose heart became both a weapon and a wound. Alina Carter thought she had everything — a passionate love, a promising future, and a man who swore the stars would always belong to her. But when his lies shattered her world, all that remained were broken promises and the echoes of a love she no longer recognized. The night she discovered his betrayal was the night her innocence died — and something darker was born within her. Years later, Alina has rebuilt her life, or so it seems. Behind her composed smile hides a storm of pain, guilt, and vengeance. When fate brings her face-to-face with the ghosts of her past — and a stranger whose presence feels dangerously familiar — she’s forced to confront not only the man who ruined her, but the woman she has become. Every secret has a cost. Every lie leaves a scar. And every shattered promise demands a reckoning. As Alina’s world spirals into a web of deceit, obsession, and passion, she finds herself torn between the darkness that seeks revenge and the light that offers redemption. But can love be reborn from the ashes of betrayal — or is she destined to destroy the very thing she’s trying to save? Shattered Promises is a gripping suspense thriller laced with forbidden desire, twisted secrets, and emotional intensity. It explores how love can heal or haunt, and how sometimes, the heart’s most dangerous enemy is the truth we refuse to face. In a story where trust is fragile and loyalty comes at a price, Alina must decide: will she be the victim of her past

Zavier, the Alpha of the Crescent pack, sits at a large wooden table in his office surrounded by his trusted advisors. He looks tense and conflicted as he addresses something important. "My dear advisors, as you know, my Luna and I have been trying to conceive a child for years, but with no success." The advisors nodded sympathetically. "After much thought and consideration, we have decided to look into surrogacy. I know this is not a conventional path for us." "However, I want to make one thing clear. We will only consider she-wolf from our own pack for this. It's important that we keep the bloodline within our community." Zavier's eyes wander over the group of she-wolves until his eyes landed on Sophia, locking it's glare like she's a piece of gem. There's something about her that catches his attention, and he can't look away. "You. The she-wolf with an ash grey hair." "Yes, Alpha?" "I think you would be perfect for this role. You have a strong spirit, and I believe you would make a great surrogate for my Queen." "Me, Alpha?" "Yes, you. You are the chosen one." "I'm willing to take the risk, Alpha. I would be honored to help you and our Luna Queen to have a child." In a moment of passion, Zavier impregnates Sophia, but keeps the truth hidden from his unsuspecting wife, believing that the baby will be a precious gift to her. Meanwhile, Zavier struggles with his own feelings of guilt and conflict. As the pregnancy progresses, the truth about Zavier's actions threatens to come to light, with devastating consequences for all involved. Will Sophia and the Zavier find a way to navigate their complicated emotions and build a future together, or will their secrets and lies tear them apart forever?

Gregory Wolversen the Alpha of the Black River Pack. He was forced to banish his brother and declare him rogue for challenging his right for the pack. But his brother is mysteriously dead now on the other side of the country. Gregory knows there's a woman claiming to be his brother's bride, but the woman missing and no one has her name. What does she know about his murder? Did she kill him? His money and belongings have been accounted for. So is she a victim too? Aricka Daniels is a widow, a single mother and waitress/librarian who's struggling to survive. It's been seven years and she still looking over her shoulder. Widowed less than seven days after her wedding. She must come to grips with no home or job and a baby on the way that she was never able to tell her husband, Richard about. Her husband had told her to always stay away from his family because they weren't just rich but dangerous. For that reason she fears they might have had a hand in his murder and also fearing they might ruthlessly try to take her son from her. She never told them of him. Recently out of guilt she'd left a cryptic note informing them of his existence. The Black River Pack are the enforcers of the supernatural world in the area. It's their job to deal with the supernatural criminal element. If they don't then they will look weak to the North American Ruling Council and lose the right to their territory. With Gregory's very own parents on the Council they would suffer a lost of power that would rock the supernatural community as a whole. Can he do it all and find his mate and Luna to keep his pack stable?

Rosemary is an orphaned werewolf girl with extreme gifts. Taken away from her childhood friend Jesiah who is destined to become the king of werewolf’s. Forced to train to become an assassin for the Vatican to kill their eternal enemy Lucifer. Rosemary finds herself in the middle of romance between Lucifer whom she was sworn to kill and Jesiah her loving mate. Enjoy! Excerpt - With my eyes closed, I stretched my arms to feel silky sheets all around me. Coming to, I remembered blacking out near the river so why am I feeling silk and pillows?!? I shot up and took in my surroundings. I noticed a dagger on the wall. Is this another one of Enora’s drills? I thought feeling confused. Then the flood of memories from the past night hit me. I killed her. I killed hundreds of wolves in training. The realization began to sink in and though they were vile creatures and Enora treated me less than an animal, I felt guilt. Guilt that I gave into the monster they created in me. The nuns, the Order, Enora. They never wanted me alive because they cared for me. They didn’t train me and push my power for the purpose of helping protect myself or others. No, they wanted to use me. The empty angry void in my soul was because of them. I was never nurtured in all my time at the convent nor Enoras prison. I was completely unloved. Though I needed so badly to burst into tears, I couldn’t bring myself to cry. Lost in my thoughts, the door to my left began to open and before my host could walk completely in, I grabbed a chunk full of hair on the top of their head and put my dagger to their muscular neck.

“Lou,” He called out before I could open the door to his office, “I have always wondered just how loud you would scream when I'm fucking you.” I stop in my tracks, unable to move or turn back to look at him, because if I do, he will see just how much his words affect me. Because this idiot man has not just said if, he said when. Years after I fled town with a shattered heart, trying to outrun the pain of a high-school romance that turned out to be nothing more than a cruel bet. But life brings me face-to-face with the last person I ever wanted to see again. The boy who broke me is now a man, and he is now the owner of the strip club I work in. I need this job to keep a roof over my grandmother’s and my head, and he knows it and he uses it tooo well. With a single sentence, he doubles my salary and pulls me right back into the gravity of his presence, like the years apart never happened. But everything changes the moment he finds out I have a boyfriend. The guilt I saw in his eyes hardens and darkens, then turn into possessiveness, something I remember all too well. He once walked away from taking what that stupid bet demanded… my virginity, and now, it’s painfully clear he intends to make sure I don’t give that part of myself to anyone who isn’t him. Because in his mind, no matter how many years have passed… I’m still his.