Image Of A Ruler

> “Stay still, Little Thorn… I want to taste you slowly.” His voice was velvet and ruin. His mouth, a weapon. And I—fool that I was—leaned closer. Before death wore a suit and called itself a lover, I used to believe in beauty. Before the blood. Before the runes. Before I painted the image that killed my parents—I believed my art could save me. Now I know better. I was just weeks from graduating when the painting came to me like a fever. I didn’t choose it. I didn’t plan it. My hands moved, possessed, dragging symbols I’d never seen and a face I’d never forgotten—his. Eyes red as wine. A crown pierced with thorns. And a girl in the center… me. Offering herself. I signed it with a mark I didn’t recognize. I sold it to a stranger. And days later, my parents were dead—no wounds, no reason, just... gone. The police said stress. I say fate. Now I’m being hunted by a world I didn’t know existed. Vampires with ancient courts and older grudges. Symbols that whisper in my blood. And Lucien D’Aragon—the vampire who says I summoned him with my brushstroke. That I belong to him. He says I’m his prophecy. His ruin. His Little Thorn. But I’m not just prey. Something is waking in me. Something hungry. Something I was never meant to survive. If I give in, I lose everything. If I fight, I might finally learn the truth. About my art. About my bloodline. About what really happened that night. And why he keeps whispering that I was painted for ruin... but made for him.

As the son of Zephyr and Avani, Ancalagon is the last pure dragon. Because of his time in a scientist’s laboratory, he not only has the air and earth elements, but also fire and water, making him the only dragon in history to have all four elements. However, the scientist created a flaw in Ancalagon's DNA. If he isn’t claimed by his mate, he could lose his humanity. Eliane is the daughter of Oliver, the scientist who tortured Ancalagon. She, herself, was experimented on, never seeing the outdoors until the night the dragons came for Ancalagon. When Ancalagon tried to rescue her, Oliver snatched her away and for months he tortured her in the same way that he'd tortured Ancalagon. Eventually, Eliane believed that Ancalagon left her to suffer at her father's hands. When she finally escapes, Eliane runs, trying to hide from all supernaturals. She begins having blackouts, large periods of time where she has no recollection of what happens to her. It’s during one of these blackouts, that she meets Snow, another dragon. They become friends and begin helping each other, protecting each other from the bad hybrids who are hunting them. When Snow shifts, telling Elianne that his name is Iniko, he leaves a strange mark on her, his image over her heart. It forges a deeper connection between them and when the bad hybrids capture him, she runs to the elemental dragons for help. What will happen when Ancalagon realizes that his brother has been claimed by his mate? How will Eliane react when she realizes that Ancalagon has been searching for her all this time. Will she be able to heal his broken DNA and help him regain his humanity, or will she leave him, breaking what's left of Ancalagon?

Aliyah has spent her entire life living in the shadow of her sister, Aleli. Aleli often took away the things that made her happy, including her boyfriend, Benedict. She caught them in bed together, and instead of apologizing, Benedict blamed her for his infidelity. He accused her of lacking too much in their relationship, saying that Aleli filled those gaps and was better than her in every way. Aliyah’s heart shattered completely when the two got engaged. At their engagement party, Aleli created a scene, accusing Aliyah in front of their parents of trying to seduce Benedict. Heartbroken and humiliated she ran out of the party. She almost got hit by a car, and with so much stress and shock, she fainted. When she woke up, she found herself in Conner’s bedroom, Benedict’s uncle, a congressman. Conner made her an unexpected offer: a marriage of convenience. He needed a wife to improve his public image for the upcoming election. Aliyah and Conner’s relationship was starting to improve, but it didn’t take long before the fragile foundation they were building began to shake when Aleli found out about her marriage to Conner—a man far wealthier and more powerful than Benedict—started to do things and create issues to ruined her marriage to Conner. Despite that, Aliyah and Conner grew even closer. They discovered each other’s strengths and weaknesses, which only strengthened their bond. Just when Aliyah thought nothing could break them and she was finally ready to admit her love for Conner, his mother arrived along with Conner’s ex-girlfriend and dropped a bombshell—she had returned to tell Conner that they had a child together. But Conner did everything to prove that no matter what happens, he will always choose her above everything else.

He is supposed to be my best friend—at least I have been seeing him as one—doing a lot of things with him together. We go to school together, share the same hobbies, and love the same sports. He is my day one, my buddy. Up until after the summer vacation when we started a new life in the same college as freshmen. That is when I discover that I have developed a soft spot for him, which accounts for the way I missed him during the summer vacation. I have never missed Liam like that. I mean, I do miss him but not compared to last summer. I wanted him around me and his image occupied my mind's eye. Starting college with a crush on my best friend is not an ideal way to begin the academic year. No matter how I try to suppress it by going on dates and accepting relationship proposals from guys, instead of it going away, it doubles. Worse still, he sees me as his buddy. He has never looked at me the way he looks at other girls. I know I am a bit of a tomboy. My other friends tell me that my dress sense is a bit masculine. I try changing my fashion sense but to no avail. Sadly, all I am to Liam is his day one bestie and buddy. I do not want to tell him about the feelings I have because I do not want to put our friendship in jeopardy. I had already given up hope Until the dare at one of my other friend's parties _ Evie. The dare for Liam to kiss me. The kiss opens another chapter; I would never have believed in my entire life to be possible—Liam actually likes me!

"Don’t you just hate it when someone destroys all your carefully made plans? I mean, I had goals: college to graduate in one semester, a future I was working hard to reach, and an image of myself I wanted the world to see. My life was stacked into these precisely placed blocks. But then Colton Gamble came along and knocked them all askew. I hated how he messed everything up, how he could hog all my attention whenever he was around, how he made my pulse quicken—but only because he ticked me off...not because I was attracted to him. Oh! And I hated how he knew how attractive he was too, the shallow, full of himself, doesn’t take no for an answer, too flirty, too cocky, extremely irritating jerk. The boy had all the qualities that turned me off. Or so I thought. One night he wasn’t quite the brainless, overconfident jerk I assumed he always was. One night, he took care of me when I was at my lowest. He opened up to me and made me open up to him. Now I’m learning maybe he’s not what I first thought he was. And maybe I’M not what I first thought I was. Maybe it’s okay to rearrange a couple of my perfectly set blocks. Maybe, just maybe, I’ll stop worrying about what I’m afraid everyone else will think and finally reach for something I really want. It’s possible some of my plans need to be destroyed, and Colton Gamble is exactly the kind of mess I need in my life. What do you think? Should I give him a try? Desperately seeking your advice, Julianna Radcliffe"

WARNING Please read BOOK 1 first . Book 2 is the continuation ". Don't get me wrong, okay? I am just making sure if it's really mine. I am a very busy and famous businessman. Now, if you are not so sure that that baby inside you is not mine then it will bring chaos and a big problem to my image and to my family. Get it?" D-do you really think I-I am that kind of a woman? Do y-you think that I w-would let you take my v-virginity when I h-have a boyfriend? She said in a painful tone. But he was just staring at her with his emotionless eyes. " Okay. But I want some test miss. I want to make sure that it's really mine. I want a paternity test" B-but I don't have m-money for paternity test.. "She mumbled and he heard it. He laugh sarcastically. He knew it! He then look at her with his fierce and sarcastic eyes. Yup. She is definitely like them. " You don't have money? You want me to give you some? "" I knew why you're here. And I was right. If I give you money, will you leave me alone now? Because I know that's what you need and why you're here. So tell me, how much do you need? "She looked at him in disbelief. " D-do you think I'm here for y-your money? Do think I'm a gold-digger? ""I don't know... Maybe. "she Shook her head in disbelief. " I can't believe you. "She mumbled with her teary eyes as she look at him, he just stare at her with emotionless look.She came all the way here just to hear his judgement , insulting words? Her tears fall down and she quickly wipe it. She looked at him with anger and pain in her eyes.

I am the sole heir to the Alpha King of Northaria, but I'm an Omega. All of Northaria awaits the day I come of age, hoping I'll awaken the kind of Alpha bloodline strong enough to claim the throne. But when the day finally comes, I'm still just a low-rank Omega. So, they say that the true heir must be one of the three "pledged Alphas" my father adopted from the major tribes. Whichever one of them marks me becomes the ruler of all Northaria packs. But none of them have ever truly looked at me. The one I like most is Quin Lawson. When I fainted on the snowy plains as a child, it was he who carried me back to the pack. I've tried countless times to get close to him, only to be met with nothing but cold, contemptuous stares. I used to think he was just emotionally distant—until the Moon Goddess Festival. That night, I saw him kneel before Silvia Anderson, the daughter of my father's second-in-command. His voice is soft, and his gaze is tender. "I'm marrying Evelyn only to repay the Alpha King's kindness. Once I get the inheritance, I'll make you my Luna. As long as she doesn't harm you, I'll even grant her a piece of land to live out her life in peace. You're my true mate." The night before the marking ceremony, my father asks me who I choose. I think of the way all three of the pledged Alphas look away whenever our eyes meet. I smile and say, "I'm the rightful heir of Northaria. My mate should be someone who brings the greatest strength to our pack. And so, I choose Alpha Heath of the Pyraxis pack." The air goes still. My father frowns. "Him? Are you sure? Every one of his mates has died under mysterious circumstances. His wolf is known to be vicious—no one dares get close to him. You truly want to be his mate?"

On my eighteenth birthday, the High King summoned the heirs of the four great clans—the Vampires, the Werewolves, the High Serpent Clan, and the Merfolk. He laid their portraits before me and said, "Choose one to be your bondmate." I did not hesitate. I pointed to Damon—the werewolf with no noble bloodline, born in a forgotten corner of the realm. The entire court erupted in disbelief. Everyone knew who I used to love. Alpha Iris—the heir of the most powerful Lycan bloodline. For seven years, I chased him with blind devotion. No matter how harshly he treated me, I never gave up. I confessed to him over and over, sometimes right in the royal court. I even performed a blood-binding ritual—slitting my wrist—to earn the right to marry him. In my previous life, I got what I wanted—I married him and we performed the mate bonding ceremony. With that union, he inherited the High King's resources and rose to become the ruler of all four clans. However, what I did not expect was that after our wedding, he turned around and marked my adoptive sister. My parents were furious and sent her away. From that day on, Iris hated me with a vengeance. He surrounded himself with women who all looked eerily like her. One by one, they came—each more vicious than the last. With his silent approval, they tore me down, piece by piece, until I was nothing more than a joke—no longer the queen I once was. The suffering pushed me into severe depression. Only suppressants keep my wolf form from spiraling out of control. Until one day, my medication was replaced with a slow-acting poison. He was the one who did it. I died alone, locked away in the cold palace, a child still growing inside me. However, fate gave me another chance. In this life, I would not make the same mistake. When the High King once again asked me to choose a partner for the marriage alliance, I chose Damon—the one no one ever noticed—without even blinking. I thought I was finally free of the past. However, the moment the engagement was announced… Alpha Iris lost his mind.

Isabella Santos's world revolves around saving her sister Jenny from a rare blood disorder. Working multiple jobs in BGC barely covers the hospital bills. One fateful morning, her trembling hands spill hot coffee on Alexander Del Rosario's ₱50,000 suit. Instead of anger, his eyes hold an intriguing proposition. Xander's mother, Regina keeps arranging matches with socialites he can't stand. When he meets the fiery barista who stands up to him despite her mistake, he sees an opportunity. He offers Isa a one-year marriage contract worth ₱10 million - enough to save Jenny. But their undeniable chemistry challenges the contract's "no feelings" clause. During a company retreat in El Nido, one passionate night changes everything. Their fake relationship starts feeling real until Isa discovers documents linking Del Rosario Industries to her father's death. The shock triggers a panic attack, leading to her hospitalization where she learns she's six weeks pregnant. "Hindi ko kaya 'to. I need to protect my baby from them," she decides, disappearing without a trace. Three years later, fate reunites them at a charity gala. But Xander meets his daughter Sofia, the spitting image of him. "Paano mo nagawa 'to sa akin?" he confronts Isa. Before they can reconcile, and clear out everything, Marco emerges claiming to be Sofia's real father. Regina orchestrates DNA tests and custody battles. Through investigating his father's old records, Xander uncovers Regina's manipulation in destroying the Santos construction company. He confronts his mother: "Pinili mong sirain ang buhay nila dahil lang sa pride mo?!" Meanwhile, Isa faces kidnapping attempts and corporate espionage. The truth about Marco's involvement with rival companies comes to light. During a dramatic confrontation at the Del Rosario's mansion, Xander chooses Isa and Sofia over his empire. "Wala akong pakialam sa company. Kayo ang mahalaga sa akin."

Mélaine "Si j’avais su ! Franchement, si j’avais su que suivre ma meilleure amie en boîte ce vendredi soir allait provoquer un tel séisme dans ma vie, j’aurais enfilé mon pyjama pilou et binge-watché ma série préférée avec un pot de glace à la main." Mais voilà, le destin a toujours le chic pour se moquer de moi. Et me retrouver nez à nez avec lui, le lundi matin, dans MON bureau… après lui avoir accidentellement vomi dessus… ce n’était pas exactement l’image de « la femme fatale » que je rêvais de projeter. Thomas "Et qu’y a-t-il sous ces vêtements, Mademoiselle Vierra ?" Une question simple, presque innocente… sauf que dans ma bouche, elle sonnait comme une déclaration de guerre. Son regard s’est figé dans le mien, ses joues se sont empourprées, et moi… je n’ai vu qu’une proie délicieuse, un secret irrésistible. Ce qu’elle ignore, c’est qu’entre elle et moi, il n’y aura jamais de demi-mesure : amour ou vengeance, passion ou destruction, tendresse ou provocation… Nous ne marchons pas vers une romance tranquille, mais vers une tempête. Entre éclats de rire et étincelles, maladresses et attirances incontrôlées, Mélaine et Thomas se lancent dans une relation où chaque baiser peut être une promesse… ou une menace. Et le plus fou, c’est que ni l’un ni l’autre ne semble vouloir appuyer sur pause.