Iron Bars

Mercedes Underwood is a lost girl. Lost from her world and herself. She grew up with abusive parents and had a really shitty childhood. Sometimes she believed that they were not her parents much less rassemblements between her and them. When she turned 18 years old, her parents attempt to sell her off to some bad people to pay off their debt. That did not come as a surprise that they would do such a thing and there was no love lost there. But what came as a surprise was when she woke up naked the next morning, walls splattered with blood and four people ripped to shreds. Life went from bad to bloody worse for Mercedes. It was like waking up in a horror scene. She was petrified and confused, nothing made sense but what did make sense was for her to pick up what she can and run. Felix Ransom is the Alpha of the White Claw pack. He leads his pack with an iron fist and ensures everyone's safety and makes sure the pack thrives. But something is missing. The gentle touch of a Luna. Felix is already 25 years old and has not found the one the Moon Goddess chose for him. His other half and mate. Each day without the one for him made his hope of ever finding her wither away. At a point, he even thought that she might have died. It never occurred to him that his made would come right to him much less be a human who is a fugitive for murdering 4 people. Or was she a human being after all?

Once upon a time, the blue of the sky fell in love with the calm of the sea, the clouds in between whispered "Alas." Farisha is the only child to billionaire Alhaji Shehu, she is spoilt, brattish and untamed. Having watched her mother suffer neglect and pain from her ever-busy nonchalant father for so many years, she develops in her heart, an unnatural hatred for all men, despising them all with a great passion. Risha (Farisha) hence makes it her full-time business to frustrate, ruin and destroy any unlucky prey she happens to pounce on. An insatiable frustration struggles within her leading to immoral habits, ever priding herself as the iron lady with a heart of stone, she is immune to love (or at least so she thought). She holds this notion of herself until she meets the calm, charismatic, humble, heart stopping ruggedly handsome and rather too "nice-quiet” Farhan, an upcoming lawyer in her father's company. To her out most disgust and anger, she finds her searching heart greatly attracted to this enigmatic character. For making her feel this supposed weakness, she develops what could be termed an “unnatural hatred and obsession”. In her own crazy way, she sets out to punish him in a way she had never punished anyone. And what better way than to trap him than in what she considered, the worst fate any could endure, “MARRIAGE". Will she succeed in her ruthless plan or will her searching heart betray? Find out in this heart stopping saga of love, hate and intrigue. "Risha is not evil, she is just mostly up to no good."

She was running from her past. He was still mourning his. What happens when both come back from the dead? After Samantha's world is shattered by a viral betrayal she never saw coming, the last thing she expects is a lifeline from the coldest man she’s ever met—David Smith. Ruthless, rich, and emotionally locked behind iron gates, David offers her a deal: marry him to fix his image, and in return, she gets her life back. No strings, no emotions, no expectations. But Samantha isn’t the naive girl she once was. She knows better than to fall for a man who still wears the ghost of his ex like a second skin—especially when that ex is the same woman who once destroyed her in college. Still, something unspoken brews between them. Something dangerously tender. Just when the ice begins to melt and Samantha thinks she might have found a home in his arms, the unthinkable happens: Kimberly—David’s dead ex, Samantha’s worst nightmare—walks back into their lives… very much alive. And Samantha? She’s pregnant. Now trapped between a man she can’t trust, a woman who haunts her every breath, and a secret growing inside her… Samantha must ask herself: Was she ever more than a placeholder for the woman he couldn’t bury? Or worse—did he already know Kimberly was alive all along?

"You shouldn’t be here." Lila’s voice trembled, betraying the iron resolve she clung to. Cassian smirked, his broad frame blocking the doorway. "And yet, here I am." His gaze lingered on her, dark and hungry. "You didn’t think I’d let you go so easily, did you?" Two years ago, he shattered her heart with a rejection that still stung like a fresh wound. Now, the powerful Alpha stood in her doorway, his scent wrapping around her like a forbidden promise. "You made your choice, Cassian," she said, stepping back, even as her pulse quickened. "I’ve moved on." "Have you?" His voice was low, dangerous, as he closed the distance between them. "Because I haven’t. Every moment without you has been hell." Lila’s breath hitched as his hand brushed her cheek, the touch sparking a fire she thought had long since burned out. "You don’t get to do this," she whispered, though her body betrayed her, leaning into him. "I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine again," he growled, his lips just a breath away from hers. "Even if I have to fight the entire world you to prove it." But Cassian isn’t the only one after her heart. And this time, Lila refuses to be anyone’s second choice.

“No! Please, Santiago--” I whimpered, as his hand seized my wrist with an iron grip, yanking me forward, dragging me effortlessly toward the chair he had pulled into the center of the room the night before. The symbol of my humiliation. He stopped right in front of the chair, spinning me around, facing him. "You want me to be your monster, mi ángel?" His hand grabbed my throat, tilting my chin up until my eyes locked with his dark gaze. I flinched from the sudden movement. "Cause I’ll be your favorite monster — just say the word, cariño." Santiago’s face hovered only inches from mine. His lips so close, I could taste the sweetness of his breath — once making butterflies take flight in my stomach, now curdling my insides into a cold, suffocating fear. Slowly, his free hand rose toward my face. I held my breath. His touch was deceptively soft and gentle, caressing my cheek. His thumb lingered against my lips, tracing them slowly, his eyes fixed there as he spoke — his voice soft, yet heavy with menace. "Divorce is not an option, mi amor. We took a vow five years ago. Remember?" He finally lifted his gaze to meet mine, catching every flicker of fear before he delivered his last words like a verdict: "Till death do us part."

**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.

Selena, a mere salesgirl at a quaint coffee shop in Laketown, leads a life of quiet simplicity. She is the second daughter of the Robinsons—amiable, principled, and respected members of the Redbone Pack. The pack is ruled with an iron fist by Alpha Wilson Smith, an untouchable billionaire known for his arrogance and fierce recalcitrance. The gulf between Selena and Wilson is vast—defined by age, status, and power. A romantic entanglement between them seems not just improbable, but absurd. Yet, fate, with its penchant for irony, has a ludicrous twist in store. The cold war between them rages for years, an unspoken battle of wills. Selena, with her fiery spirit, finds Wilson’s arrogance insufferable, cringing at his every attempt to assert his dominance. Yet, Wilson, instead of being repelled, is intrigued. Her resistance is a puzzle he cannot resist, a challenge that stirs something deep within him. This low-born girl from Laketown, with no claim to fame or fortune, inexplicably fascinates him. As their paths cross repeatedly, the tension between them grows electric, charged with a mix of disdain and undeniable attraction. And then, in the most dramatic of revelations, they discover they are fated to be mated for life. The bond, as undeniable as it is inconvenient, shatters their defenses. Wilson realizes that his obsession with Selena’s defiance is more than a passing interest. But just as they begin to navigate this newfound connection, another secret surfaces—one that threatens to upend their fragile union. Wilson unearths a startling truth: Selena is not who she appears to be. This revelation casts a shadow over their relationship, raising questions that demand answers. What is hidden in Selena’s past? And how will the truth, when finally revealed, shape the destiny of the Alpha and his Luna?

One night of forbidden passion broke her heart. One secret will change his empire. Three years ago, Elara Vance was a "nobody" Omega—a servant in the Silver Moon packhouse who committed the ultimate sin: falling for the Alpha King, Silas Thorne. But Silas didn't want a mate; he wanted a legacy. After a brutal rejection that left her soul in tatters, Elara vanished into the human world, carrying a secret that could topple a throne. Now, she’s back. But she didn't come for a second chance. She came to save her son. Leo is three years old, growing stronger by the day, and his awakening power is a death sentence without the protection of a pack. Elara only intended to stay long enough to stabilize him—to take the medicine and run. She didn't account for the primal, suffocating intensity of the bond she thought she’d killed. Silas Thorne is a man of ice and iron, but the moment he catches the scent of his own blood on the boy, the beast within him awakens. He doesn't just want his heir; he wants the woman who "stole" him. "You ran once, Elara. But in my territory, everything belongs to the Alpha. Including you." Trapped in a gilded cage and surrounded by enemies who want her dead, Elara must survive a deadly Blood Trial to prove she is worthy of the crown. But the real danger isn't the pack... it’s the man who claims to hate her, yet refuses to let her go.

Adrian Quirrel, the heir to the Quirrel family, had been in poor health since childhood. Guided by the old superstition that marriage could restore his health, his family had taken in four young women, with only one to be chosen as his bride. On the selection day, they invited a renowned astrologer to read our birth charts. As soon as he said I carried a healing energy and could bear healthy heirs, the Quirrels decided on the spot that I would be Adrian's bride. Three months later, his health miraculously improved, and I soon found myself pregnant with twins—a boy and a girl. The family elders were ecstatic and even promised that my son would become the Quirrels' future heir. But on the night of the christening, Adrian locked me and the babies in the basement. I broke down and demanded an explanation. He sneered and replied, "If it weren't for your so-called 'healing energy,' Emily would've been my wife. "She wouldn't have jumped to her death at such a young age if she hadn't been pushed to that point. Tonight, I want you and your children to accompany her in death." He grabbed a nearby iron rod and savagely brought it down onto our babies. I threw myself over the babies, but Adrian kicked me aside. Blood splattered across the walls and floor, and my babies' breathing gradually weakened until it stopped. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day Adrian chose his bride.

They say I killed my father. They say I ordered my maid, my dearest friend, to poison him. They say she confessed before taking her own life. Lies. The real murderer stands before me, weaving her web of deception and has the entire Royal court in her grasp. Queen Andessa, my wicked stepmother. My father’s killer. She has stripped me of my title, my crown, my very birthright, and has offered me up as a tribute to the Dragon King of Drakarith. A mercy punishment, she calls it. But I am not broken. She thinks she has won. That I will succumb to defeat and forget who I am. But she's wrong. I am Dahlia Rhadaya Balerion, the rightful Queen of Velmira. And I will return to reclaim what is mine and rip out Velmira's corruption by its roots. Starting with Andessa's rotten fertilized eggs. My callous step-siblings. Velmira is my home, my kingdom, and I will not let it rot under the rule of vipers. But reclaiming what is mine will not be easy, especially trying to achieve that from the dragon lands of Drakarith, under the watchful vigilance of Azraelyrs, a dragon king I have heard rumors about his cold-heartedness and rules with an iron fist. To survive, I must play the game of seduction and manipulation against my enemies. To win, I must be sharper, stronger, and more ruthless than I have never been before in my life. Let the games begin.