Joaquin Phoenix Johnny Cash

I was sold to the Devil. Rider Thorne. The Alpha King. A man whose name alone makes grown wolves tremble. My stepfather cleared his gambling debts by trading my life for a stack of cash, handing me over with a single, chilling instruction: Give the King an heir, and you go free. I accepted my fate. I prepared to be nothing more than a vessel, a temporary fixture in his cold, luxurious prison. I told myself I could survive his cruelty, his indifference, and his icy glare. But the moment he walked into the room, the universe played a cruel joke. The scent of rain and dark chocolate. Mate. The cruelest Alpha of all time is my soulmate. The sad part? He doesn't know. Or worse—he doesn't care. To him, I am just a tool. A breeder to secure his lineage before he discards me like trash. Heartbroken and realizing he will never look at me with love, I made a choice. I will give him what he bought, but he will never have my heart. But when I discover I’m carrying not just one heir, but three, and that my life is in danger, I did the unthinkable. I ran. Now, the Alpha King is tearing the world apart to find me. He realizes too late that the "tool" he bought was the other half of his soul. But he’s not chasing a submissive girl anymore. He’s chasing a mother protecting her cubs. Run, Bailey. Run.

At the annual company raffle, I had barely stepped onto the stage when my supervisor, Lily Smith, pressed a crumpled slip of paper into my palm. "A special reward for our top salesperson," she chirped. "Go ahead, open it. Let everyone see." Under the eager gaze of the crowd, I unfolded the note. Written in messy handwriting were the words: Clean the company toilets for three days. The room erupted in laughter. Lily folded her arms, cocked her head, and smirked at me. "Nice, right?" she said. "Everyone knows those sales of yours came from sleeping with old men. Dirty money. To keep things fair, the others get a break, and you pick up a little extra work. You don't have a problem with that, do you?" The laughter surged again, nearly lifting the roof. From the side of the room, my boyfriend, Seth Hoffman, the company's CEO, watched everything unfold. As usual, he said nothing in my defense. They all thought I would fall apart, cry, or make a scene. Instead, I simply gave a calm nod. The very next day, the company was hit with over three hundred property cancellations. Its cash flow collapsed overnight. That was when Lily and Seth rushed to me, demanding I go plead with the buyers. I smiled and said, "No thanks. I wouldn't want to help the company recover and end up with strong numbers again. That might make everyone even more uncomfortable."

Extract Alpha Dominic’s gaze cut through me like ice. “I don’t know you,” he spat, his voice filled with disgust. “How dare you show up out of nowhere, claiming to be my mate, claiming to carry my child, when I have never laid eyes on you before?” “Um, I—” I opened my mouth to explain, to tell him everything, but he cut me off. “Are you here for money? Is that it?” Without waiting for an answer, he reached into his car and pulled out a bundle of cash, flinging it at my feet. “I don’t want to see your filthy face again. I won’t waste my energy rejecting you. We will never be together. The moon goddess must have been mistaken to think a lowlife like you could be my mate.” The money lay scattered on the ground as hot tears blurred my vision. “I’m not lying,” I sobbed. “I am carrying your child.” Wolfless and satisfied, all Odette ever wanted was to be promoted and to become a full-time teacher. But her world came crumbling down when her boss made sexual advances at her, saying it was the only way for her to keep her job. Brokenhearted, she ran from the school, and instead of going home to her family, she went to a hotel, got drunk, ended up in the bed of a stranger, and got pregnant afterwards. She was sent out of the house by her mother until she aborted the baby. Will she abort the baby? Or find the father of her child?

He’s an Alpha looking for a home. She’s an outsider with no one to call her own. Can they find what they’re searching for in each other? Derrick Rand is an Alpha Dire Wolf, a rare and powerful species of Shifter. When he hears about the seemingly ideal town of Blue Valley, New Jersey, he, and his crew, fill their tanks and mount their bikes for the long cross-country ride. Tired of the nomadic life, Derrick is determined to find a place to call home. Lucy Corwyn leads a fairly simple lifestyle, moving from town to town and working crappy jobs to make ends meet. Feline Hybrid Shifters aren't exactly high enough on the food chain to claim territory. After her junker breaks down, Lucy finds herself stranded and without funds. Time is of the essence for this not-so-big Cat. She needs to earn some fast cash to fix her car before some dumb Shifter tries to turn her into a chew toy. Luckily, she spies a help wanted sign at a biker bar. Walking into Serious Moonlight to inquire about a job is a piece of cake, or so she thinks. Imagine her surprise when the sexy new owner turns out to be her mate… and that's not all. The gorgeous male is not only a Dire Wolf, he's the Pack Alpha. Larger than life and chock full of testosterone, this monster is used to getting his way, but that doesn't mean Lucy will make it easy on the big guy. No way. No how. If the big bad Wolf wants to catch this little she-Cat, he's gonna have to shake that sass.

On the day the real heiress was welcomed home, my fiancé was already sleeping with her. Staring at the blue pills and torn lingerie scattered on the floor, I told them to get the hell out of my wedding house. But a second later, my father stormed in and slapped me hard across the face. "Who are you to tell her to leave? Bella is our real daughter!" "Elena, you’re just an outsider we took in by mistake. You’re the one who needs to get out." Marco wrapped his arm around Bella, his tone impatient: "Elena, I’m the heir to the Moretti family. I can’t marry a mongrel with impure blood like you. If you don't want to bring shame to the family, be smart and go tell the Don the wedding is off tomorrow." Bella gave a coy smile and tossed a stack of cash at my feet like she was giving alms: "Sister, I know Marco and I hurt you, but we’re true love." "Take this as your severance package. Take the money and get lost." I suppressed my rage and stepped forward to throw these disgusting people out, but Marco shoved me violently. "I told you, I’m not marrying you! Keep pestering us, and don't blame me for getting rough!" My stomach slammed against the table. I laughed out of pure anger. Who said I wanted to marry him? The one I’m going to marry is his father—the Don of the Moretti family, Lorenzo.

Born as an Omega, Riley was treated with little respect by the pack and worked like a slave to survive. Like a joke made by the Moon Goddess, she was fated to be the mate of the young Alpha, thereby becoming the pack’s Luna. Riley has been the perfect Luna for the Green Creek Pack, dedicating herself wholeheartedly to everyone’s well-being. Everyone except herself. Jude promised to love her as if they were fated mates, because he understood her, appreciated her, and cherished her. However, after a few years of separation, Jude returned with another woman, Ruth, claiming she was his fated mate. He insisted that Ruth wouldn’t affect their relationship, but that was the beginning of Riley’s nightmare. Though she had been fated to be his mate, Jude never considered Riley a proper Luna for the pack, or accepted her as his mate. He used her, exploited her, and gave her the false hope of a better life. What awaited her was a shattered heart and twisted truths to be silenced till the day she died. An evil trap closed in on her like a wild beast, ready to devour her alive. Heartbroken and torn, how will she escape the claws of these shameless people and rise from the ashes like a phoenix? How will she make them regret losing her and ensure they face the consequences they deserve? Will it eventually be her betraying husband who redeems himself and wins her back, or will she find another man who truly deserves her trust and love?

Just when Dan, Bruce, and Shen thought they could take some time to unwind and recover from their horrific ordeal with the mutant vampires in the Las Vegas den they destroyed, Bruce has an unexpected run in with werewolves outside his cabin in the hills of Owego, NY and is wounded. Now, instead of searching for vampires they’re searching for a cure for Bruce before the werewolf affliction takes hold of his body permanently. Hearing about a paranormal group in Phoenix AZ that could possibly help them, they wasted no time boarding a plane.The mutant vampire den may have been destroyed, but Dracula’s vampires are still out in full force... and they’re looking for the vampire slayers by orders of Dracula! To add to their peril, they’re forced to partner up with the local vampire leader to help them hunt for Bruce after he morphed into a werewolf and ran off into the desert mountains before a mystical high priestess was able to admister the cure. While roaming the caverns of the Arizona mountains Bruce meets up with Tatyana, a young woman who is running from the vampires. Fortunately for him she’s no stranger to the occult and accpets him in both human and werewolf form. It’s a bonus that she’s able to commincate telepathically! Even though she vows to stay with him no matter what form he’s in, she’s in agreement with everyone that a cure would be the best for all. Would they get it into him in time?

In a world where Werewolves, Vampires and other mythological creatures have evolved to not only fit in with the human world, but to run it, a young witch, raised by an erratic coven of witches finds herself an important pawn in a war that began centuries before her birth. Prudence Skov, Rue to her friends, Styria to her enemies, is charged with a mission that will most likely end in her death, but it would be the steppingstone her coven needs to turn the tide of this war in their favor, getting them one step closer to righting all that is wrong with this new world of drug dealing werewolves, business mogul vampires and the disgusting practice of human trafficking. Humans, who once fought each other to end slavery, ended back up on the bottom of the food chain when their predators, though outnumbered had learned how to blend in. Rue, ready to do whatever it takes to keep herself and her brother safe, knows that being sold into the employ of Phoenix Arizona's most eligible werewolf bachelor is necessary in accomplishing that. But when a wedge is thrown in her plans, her world balances on a precarious edge that naivety had once shielded her from. Will she take the beating of these men who think they own everything and accept her role as a pawn? Or does she have it in her to take control of her destiny, to rise from the ashes of her past and come back stronger than ever? Chaos, love, pain, loss, spicy secrets and more await you in this thrilling story of myths and dangers.

When my parents got old, they needed someone to take care of them. Katerina—my younger sister—was off to Amiraka with her smug husband Chris. Meanwhile, I was crammed into a two-bedroom in Bellavaro with my husband Pavel, who drove a taxi. Mom had no retirement savings, so guess who she dumped herself on? Yep—me. Dad took the cash and ran straight to Katerina. Our place was tiny, but we still gave Mom the master bedroom. She hated it. Constant complaints, constant drama. According to her, life with me was pure misery. Every night, she'd hop on video call with Katerina, gushing about Amiraka like it was heaven, while throwing shade at me for not "taking care of her properly." Meanwhile, I was drowning—trying to hold it together for Mom, help my daughter prep for exams, support a husband with spine problems, and check in on aging in-laws. Mom didn't care. She wanted a plane ticket to Amiraka to party for Katerina's birthday. I snapped. We had a blowout fight, and she collapsed—brain hemorrhage. Even in her hospital bed, she stared me down, whining Katerina's name like a broken record. Then she spat out, "I should've never picked a useless daughter like you!" My chest cracked in half. I blacked out. When I woke up—I was ten years younger. Back to the day they decided who'd get stuck taking care of them. This time, Mom didn't wait. "I want Katerina to take care of me. It's my turn to enjoy life!"

At the New Year’s team-building event, the intern, Lilith Woods, did not obtain my approval and changed our suburban trip to a seven-day tour of Baline. “Mr. Lucian Stone, I hear a change of scenery can really spice things up. Don’t lock up tonight. I’ll come by for a deep dive into our collaboration.” She pretended to be drunk and fell into my arms while slipping the room key into my pocket in the process. To avoid suspicion, I did not return to the hotel. However, in the middle of the night, the police called me in for questioning—someone had reported a dine-and-dash. Only then did I realize that the reserved budget of $100,000 for the accommodation had long since been exceeded. Lilith had upgraded their room to a presidential suite, feasted on high-end seafood buffets, and even used company funds to buy luxury handbags! When I showed up at their private room, the interns were still casually taking king crabs and several unopened bottles of the Macallan Whisky with them. “Mr. Stone, you’re just in time. Could you please settle the bill?” Lilith looked utterly righteous as she said this with a grin. “Young people like us make mistakes, while adults help to pay the price. You’re not exactly short on cash, anyway. Just think of it as buying my happiness.” I stared at the $700,000 bill and paid it in silence. The next day, the payment invoices made their grand entrance in the group chat, accompanied by my pinned message. [Upon financial review, this team-building event does not meet reimbursement criteria. All expenses will be shared equally among the seven participants.] [Each person will need to pay $100,000, payable immediately. If payment needs to be deferred, please print the proof and submit it to the President’s Office.]