Guilty Circle

My stepfather arranged my marriage to a man twice my age. It's his way of making me pay for the sin of sending his son to prison. Two years ago,I made a mistake. One scream. One phone call. And I became an outcast,a traitor for people who called my stepbrother their lord. Now the man I once crushed over, Dante Morelli,my stepbrother is back.And he wants nothing but cold vengeance. He used to look at me with disdain,now he looks at me like he wants to break me into pieces and scatter it around. Older. Colder. Ruthless. He's a nightmare that once was my dream. And he isn’t here to forgive.He’s here for revenge. He doesn’t know what his father has planned for me.He doesn’t know that I’m already promised to another man.All Dante wants is my submission... my body, my soul, my very being, piece by piece, until nothing of me is left untouched. And he isn’t alone.His best friends now circle me like hungry sharks. Oliver and Allister are playing their own games, because my sin affected them too. Three men who not only rule the town, now rule me. I should hate them. I should fight. But before my arranged fiancé could claim me,Dante already had. Now, I’m his. Trapped in a twisted game of power and punishment. And the most dangerous part? A part of me wants to lose. This isn’t a love story. It’s a tale made of vengeance, obsession, and ruin. And when Dante decides my heart is what he wants next… he’ll take it too. Because the Lords always get what they want. And this time, they want me. Wrong Marriage, Right Love.

He broke the bond. Now, her brothers will break his empire. Sierra Vaughn was the Steele Pack’s best-kept secret—a "wolfless" Omega who served her Alpha husband, Cameron Steele, with a quiet, devastating devotion. For three years, she endured his cold stares and the pack’s whispered insults, all for the sake of a fated match he refused to acknowledge. But the night she finally discovers she’s carrying his heirs—twins with a scent more powerful than any Alpha in history—Cameron delivers a killing blow. He demands a Severance of the Mate Bond to marry a "worthy" high-ranker, Lexi Hart. Left for dead and exiled into the winter wilderness, Cameron expects Sierra to fade into a memory. Instead, he ignites a war. Because Sierra Vaughn isn’t an Omega. She is the True Lunar Heiress of the legendary Vaughn Circle—the most ancient, lethal, and wealthy Great-Pack in the Northlands. And she has six overprotective Alpha brothers who have been waiting for the moment she finally comes home. Landon, the Real Estate Titan, who builds her a fortress. Miles, the Tech Genius, who silences Cameron’s communications. Dr. Aaron, the Healer, who vows to keep her and her pups safe at any cost. Julian, Cole, and Ryder, who use their fame and power to dismantle the Steele Pack’s reputation, brick by bloody brick. As Sierra transforms from a discarded wife into a Sovereign Queen, her scent becomes an intoxicating drug that Cameron can no longer ignore. He’s feral with regret, desperate to reclaim the mate he threw away. But Sierra is no longer a submissive wolf. She’s a Vaughn. And if Cameron wants a second chance, he’ll have to crawl through a gauntlet of ten protective Alphas just to catch a glimpse of the throne

Aralyn Leto and her mother Larissa, are running across Soovaree, a mystic supernatural realm, to escape Malleteagan, Aralyn’s father and Larissa’s destined mate. At tender age of 13, Aralyn witnessed Malleteagan killing Larissa in a cold-blooded murder. Taking her last breaths, Larissa made Aralyn promise to continue to live and fight. Brokenhearted yet determined to keep her promise, Aralyn continues running away from Malleteagan. Blinded by the hatred, Malleteagan (Aeolian Warlock’s Royalty, the Lycan King and son of Moon Goddess) believes that Aralyn’s death is needed to break the Moonlight curse cast upon him by the God of War. Left with no choice, Aralyn finally escapes from Malleteagan to Wengarthria (the supernatural hell of Soovaree). In Wengarthria, Aralyn enters Oribus, the first of nine levels of hell. In Oribus Aralyn meets Sentaya, enigmatic Oribian ruler and gatekeeper of Wengarthria. Sentaya offers a hideout to Aralyn, who agrees to work for Sentaya in exchange. About five years later, Malleteagan discovers Aralyn’s hideout in Oribus and attacks Sentaya when she refuses to handover Aralyn, only to lose the battle. However, Aralyn’s relief to hear about Malleteagan’s battle loss and retreat from Oribus is short-lived. Upon the battle end, Aralyn’s hideout was discovered by Marcellus Riggs, the illegitimate son of Hades. As commanded by his father, Hades, Marcellus, the seasoned army commander and heir apparent to Wengarthrian throne, led the army to Oribus to collect the souls of Malleteagan’s fallen Lycan soldiers. When he discovers Aralyn. Marcellus is annoyed to discover that she is his destined mate. Due to personal vendetta, Marcellus abducts Aralyn and imprisons her in dungeons of the last circle of Wengarthria with a plan to destroy Aralyn and get revenge. Will he manage to get going with his plans?

Two years ago, Fabiola Cruz walked out of Alessandro’s life without warning, taking his heart and vanishing into the shadows. Now, he’s no longer the reckless man who once whispered forever into her skin. He’s Alessandro Armani, a ruthless billionaire kingpin feared across continents. He’s a feared Mafia Don with ice in his veins and blood on his hands. Love is a weakness. And Fabiola? She’s the ghost who made him ruthless. So when fate throws her into his world again, working as a waitress in a club, desperate to pay for her daughter’s hospital bills and pay her father’s debts. One night, thugs cornered her, and it's Alessandro who saves her. And he’s not interested in forgiveness. He wants her to be his mistress. And pawn. As past secrets resurface and enemies circle like wolves, Fabiola and Alessandro find themselves trapped in a game of lust, lies, and betrayal. Fabiola wants out of the business once she’s done, because of her daughter, but Alessandro calls her out. “Amore mio,” he smirked, his eyes gave me a thorough stare down. It was slow and deliberate. My heart was a high-speed train. I could feel my face burning, turning a shade that betrayed everything I was trying to hide. “When I said you were mine, I meant it.” He said. He stood and closed the gap between us. I tried to leave. “Stop!” and I froze. “Look at me.” It was an order, and I did exactly that. He gave me his evil half smile. “Fa,” he paused. “Bi,” another pause. “Ola,” he rasped. “You know you will always be mine,” he paused as if to let that sink in, with his laser icy blues staring right into mine. “Right?”

My CEO wife, Cassandra Solis, has high hopes for me. In fact, she has drafted an elite training program for me. I have to work over 20 hours a day, finish every meal within 3 minutes, and spend no more than a minute in the restroom. "Honey, elites must achieve what normal people can't. Only when you become a true elite can I entrust the company to you." I can feel the major responsibility weighing down on my shoulders. Every day, I devote everything I have to work. Five years later, I've successfully taken the company public. I've also completed Cassandra's hardcore training program. But at the end-of-the-year gala, Cassandra hands over the position of the Executive Vice President—the same one that she's promised to me—to her newly-recruited assistant. Upon noticing my displeasure, Cassandra explains to me smilingly while holding a bouquet of flowers, "Oh, silly you! Having a completely useless boss is the final trial I've set up for you! Once you've completed this trial, I can finally hand the company to you!" But lines of text suddenly flash across my vision. "Oh, poor Harvey! He still has no idea that Cassandra has been training him just so he can earn more money in order to clear off Xavier's debt! Not only that, but she also steals the position Harvey has been longing for and gives it to Xavier! Cassandra really has crossed a line this time!" "You're being too dramatic. Cassandra is just paying Xavier back for his benevolence. She feels guilty for what she's done to Harvey, you know. Once she's done paying back her debt to Xavier, she'll pay attention to Harvey once again and live happily ever after with him." I'm stunned by what I see. Is this the actual purpose behind the elite training program? I'm about to pull out the terminal cancer diagnosis report, but I quickly stuff it back into my pocket. It's a shame that I'm about to die. I suppose that I can't live long enough to see that day.

To afford train tickets home for New Year's Eve, I searched for a part-time job and stumbled into a livestream that was practically throwing money at the chat. A young woman in a silk robe rested her chin on her hand. Behind her, a villa glowed under expensive lighting that reflected off polished marble floors. "Being kept in here is suffocating," she said in a voice that mixed boredom with sweetness. "My sponsor gives me more money than I can spend. Help me out. Take some off my hands." Cash drops flashed across the screen one after another. I tapped as fast as I could, my heart hammering. A few large ones landed in my account. I was close. One more would cover both my ticket and my boyfriend's. The streamer leaned closer to the camera. "He keeps saying my tear mole looks like his girlfriend's," she said, her mouth twisting with disgust. "So unlucky. Of all things, I had to match with some broke girl." My finger slipped. I had a tear mole under my eye in the same spot. The live chat flooded with questions. [How is the sponsor's girlfriend broke?] The streamer gave a short snort and reapplied her lipstick, as if correcting a minor flaw. "He's just messing around. He tricked her into 200,000 dollars in debt. She's so stupid she works multiple jobs to help him pay it off." A chill settled in my chest. My boyfriend also owed 200,000 dollars. She continued, her tone light, "The funniest part? He slept with me for three days. When he left, I asked if he was giving her a taste of honey." She smiled cruelly. "He said all he has to do is claim he's going to work a construction site hauling rebar. The idiot will feel guilty and deliver food all night. So he won't need to please her." Another large cash drop flashed across the screen. The total reached the exact amount I needed. My phone rang. Benjamin's name lit up the display. When I answered, his voice sounded worn down, as if it had scraped against concrete. "Via, we still don't have enough for the tickets," he said. "I hauled rebar and made a little over 40 dollars. I'm heading home now."

The night Enzo was made boss of the Moretti family, I gave him my virginity. He was the heir I'd been promised to since before I could speak. We kissed against the floor-to-ceiling windows, tangled in the humid, twilight heat... His rough, urgent hands hurt me, but I didn't pull away. Even the pain felt sacred, a sacrifice I was willing to make for love. Lost in the heat of the moment, he promised me a pair of the most beautiful crystal shoes, so I could dance the opening waltz with him at his coronation ceremony the next day. The first dance is always reserved for the new boss and his future bride. I cried with joy, believing my years of secret pining and patient waiting would finally culminate in a fairytale ending. But I was wrong. So terribly wrong. The next morning, I dragged my aching body out to get his favorite espresso, only to overhear the guys joking as I returned: "So you finally popped the family cherry, huh? How was Vivian on your first night as boss?" Enzo's voice was lazy, mocking. "Face of an angel, body of a devil. She's a hot little viper in bed." The room erupted in sleazy whistles. "So, you really gonna marry her, young boss?" "Are you kidding me?" Enzo scoffed. "Vivian's just a warm-up. Once I get some practice in, I'll go tame the Falcone ice princess. When I get bored, I can always circle back and put a ring on her." I stood frozen in the doorway, my vision blurring, the coffee cup trembling in my hand. Before the world faded to black, I sent a coded message to the Don: "Uncle Romano, for the promotion in three days, get me a transfer. As far away from Enzo as possible."

They say darkness lives in us all... It's a lie, though. Because the darkness lives within me. Elara Temptation to sweet, lips too thick. When a handsome man invited me to a Halloween party,  I wasn't expecting to be drugged, abducted and offered as a human sacrifice for his dark cult, but I should've. Life had been miserable, and I'd never fitted in. So when death came for me, I welcomed it. Arms. Wide. Open. But Asher had other ideas. He stole me to kill me, but now? He keeps me just to play. His kisses left scars. His touches, fingerprints on my bones. But when he wakes the darkness in me, I realised he may just not like the monstrous little witch he created - Cross my heart. Asher. I had a job. Bring a woman to the circle just like my brothers had - kill the women presented, gain more power. It should've been easy. But then I saw her. My shadowed Vixen. Something whispered to me in the dark, a pulse in the air surrounding us. She felt different. She felt eerie and aloof, a mystery that lured me in. We had to know. I had to know. So I gave her a chance. Join us, or die. She laughed and told me she wasn't afraid of dying. So I made it my mission to drag her into my darkness, to toy with her until only a monster remained. And a monster was just what I got. Now, I'd do anything to get my girl back, even if it meant letting the darkness consume me, just so she could be bathed within the light - and hope to die.

Violet eyes with piercing sight. Mane of gold in pale moonlight. Skin so hard and lily white. Voice so soft, yet filled with might. He comes to me in the dark of night. Flash of teeth, smile so slight. There is no fear, no need to fight. In his embrace, I crave his bite. -S.R. Michele, or Shelly to those closest to her, is a typical 21 yr old, trying to find her way in life. She has good family, a close circle of friends. She's outgoing and friendly, and a bit reckless and impulsive sometimes. And she has certain gifts...when she touches things, she can see into the past, she can feel what was felt by others, and she can sense things before they happen. Ok, so maybe she's not so typical. An impromptu trip to New Orleans, a party on Bourbon Street, and an attempted assault in a dark alley lead her into a world she didn't know existed...but one she's not afraid of. She doesn't know if the violet-eyed stranger that comes to her rescue, and follows her home, is a friend or a foe - and honestly, she doesn't care. Once you've had a taste of the darkness, it's hard to pull away... **** This book was written in the late 1990's - early 2000's, and originally published in 2004, under the title: Diary of a Vampire by S.M. Royston. It was my first book, and it wasn't long until I came to hate it! (Please, don't look it up - I promise you, it's terrible) So here we are, years later, and I've decided to throw out my original work, and re-write it. Because I'm the author, and I can do that. The story, characters, and settings are the same - but the writing style is different, and in my opinion, much, much better. I hope you enjoy it. ****

In my second year running the company, my high school class monitor suddenly started tagging me nonstop in the group chat. [Alice, Vivian was only joking with you back then. Why won't you come to her party? Are you trying to make her feel guilty?] I didn't understand what was going on. Only after reading the messages did I realize that our class beauty, Vivian Spencer, had recently found her biological parents—and today, she had thrown a party to announce it to the world. Me: [I'm busy.] I had no intention of attending a party hosted by someone who used to bully me. But my answer didn't shut them up. Instead, it stirred up even more absurd speculation. [Don't tell me you're doing some kind of labor job and can't take leave?] [We're all former classmates. If you show up, I'll give you sixty dollars. That should cover two days of your salary.] Vivian chimed in as well. [Alice, it was just a joke back then. And I'd already dropped out by then. Why can't you let it go?] I stared at her message for a long moment before typing: [Only trash would call bullying a joke.] The group exploded instantly. [Vivian's no trash! She's a wealthy heiress. She's not even in the same league as you. Poor people really love to nitpick.] Vivian, ever the hypocrite, tried to smooth things over. [No matter what, today marks a new beginning for me. I hope you'll come to witness it. [We're classmates, after all. I don't hold it against you for forcing me to drop out. If you're short on money, I can even ask my dad to arrange a job for you.] Then she sent a screenshot of her chat with her father. When I saw her father's profile picture, I froze. Wasn't that the same profile picture as my freeloading dad? But I look seventy percent like my mom—it's impossible for me to be a fake daughter. And Vivian was two months younger than me. I let out a laugh. "Alright, I'll definitely attend your recognition party."