Keqing New Skin

She was born a storm, feared and powerful. She got betrayed by those she loved and trusted the most. Now, she wonders alone. A shadow of who she once was, with a silenced wolf inside of her that once howled so fiercely. When Selene stumbles into Blackridge territory, broken and near death, she's mistaken for an Omega. For her safety, she hides behind this identity, concealing the fire that once made her a legend. But the ruthless Alpha Caden of Blackridge can't be easily fooled. With eyes like steel and scent of bloodshed on his skin, he watches her like a predator does its prey. As tensions rise, secrets whisper through the trees and power begins to stir. Because some wolves are not meant to kneel and some bonds are forged in fire, not fate. Will she reclaim her wolf before they discover the truth? Or will Alpha Caden see her for what she is before she's ready to fight again?

A young, beautiful she-wolf moves into the house opposite mine. She always strikes up conversations with me, her tone filled with enthusiasm. "You and Mr. Howl have such a great relationship. Even after seven years of marriage, he still kisses you goodbye when he leaves. It’s so sweet." She blinks playfully before continuing, "I have a friend who constantly complains about his mate. He says every time he kisses her, it feels like he's kissing a fat pig. Her scent disgusts him, and he can't even get hard when she's around. "And at night… just the sight of her belly rolls and sagging skin makes him want to throw up." I don’t particularly like this she-wolf, but I still offer her a polite smile. That night, however, when my mate kisses me, he suddenly freezes—then pushes me away and runs to the bathroom to vomit.

Helaine Fairgrieve wasn't sure what to do when her rent was raised suddenly, until her long time acquaintance, Evan DuRosier, offered her a solution that would benefit the both of them. Helaine travels to his apartment in the less than reputable art district of the city to indulge his less than conventional desires, only to learn that he's keeping a dark secret. She's has never been in handcuffs before, much less bound and suspended from a man's ceiling while he pours hot wax on her sensitive skin. She isn't sure what's more frightening, the knife gliding across her skin, or the fact that she loves every pulse-pounding second of it. BDSM is normally based on a foundation of trust; lacking that, Evan and Helaine's relationship begins as something of a transactional nature, until she discovers that his lust for blood is more than just a fetish. What will she do when she discovers the truth about his Vampirism?

The year I loved Channing Waltz the most, he shattered my hopes. I remember, as I was hauled into the restroom, beaten mercilessly by strangers, there he stood, grinning like the sun itself. His face beamed with a brightness that made my heart sink. The burns from his childhood friend's curling iron marred my skin, leaving a trail of scars, and all the while, he took out his phone, snapping pictures of me in my undressed humiliation and posting them online for the world to mock. I cried, begged him to spare me, but he only laughed coldly, his voice as sharp as a blade. "You haven't even begun to suffer what my sister went through. What's the hurry?" That was when the truth hit me like a lightning strike. He had come to me, drawn me in with warmth, with affection, pretending to care—when all along, it was merely a means to an end. He had used me to set the stage to avenge his sister.

Ilia was never supposed to be chosen. As a half‑breed servant girl, she has no claim to status, no voice within the brutal werewolf packs that govern the wilderness. But when fate delivers a sacred mark meant for another, Ilia finds herself bound to an alpha who should have belonged to someone else. Caelan, the ruthless and commanding Alpha, is torn between honor and instinct. The mark that appeared on Ilia’s skin is a mistake—or so everyone says. Yet every time he looks at the shy, luminous beauty with the voice of a siren and the heart of a fighter, every growl deepens into a claim he can’t resist. With enemies plotting to tear them apart, secrets rising from the mist, and a bond that threatens to consume them both, Ilia and Caelan must choose between obedience and obsession, between the world they were born into and the one they could create together. In a realm where belonging can be stolen, and the heart can be conquered, only one thing is certain: the mark chose her for a reason—and it will burn until it is answered.

I'm undressed and bound to a testing table when my family comes to pick me up. A thick, sharp needle pierces into my neck. A drug is administered into my blood, and the pain almost makes me lose consciousness. Behind me, I can feel a man's cold hands stroking my skin amorously. Before me, several people are staring at me. They point at me and treat me like an educational instrument. I tremble in fear and curl up on the testing table in pain. Three years ago, my brother sent me to Mykorra's war zone to stand up for Yvette Sanders. Those were the three most insulting and torturous years of my life. They burned away my hope for kinship but not my desire for survival. As the hands roam lower on my body, I bite my lip so hard that I almost draw blood. As the hands start to go overboard, someone knocks on the door. "Wendy Sanders, your brother is here for you."

“Swear to obey me, Ivorie,” he commanded, his teeth lightly dragging across my skin, making me shudder. The soft, yet haughtily seductive whiff of his wolf flared my nostrils as I nodded. I stared back into the eyes of Alpha Regan— the stranger who was supposed to be my enemy. But instead, I found myself caught in a whirlwind of emotions and desires best left unleashed. "And I'll be sure to make the rejection less painful." He added, but the kiss that followed stopped my brain from registering his words.... Everything about this was wrong. I should have understood and ran far away from him, but how was I supposed to understand? I was desperate. A wolfless princess abandoned by her family, and given off to him who was the ruthless Alpha that struck fear in everyone. But... he suddenly became keen on helping me find my wolf, and I fell for the kind gestures.. Shit! I messed up!! Making me fall was all his plan!! Careful plans for rejection.....

“Is that how you thank me for saving your ass?” I could feel his warm breath against my skin, a mix of mint and alcohol. His face was clearer now as the moonlight spilled on us. * * * * * Betrayed, broke, betrothed. Savannah McGrathy lost it all after her father's death shattered her once perfect world. Her stepmother and stepsister changed from the loving family she once knew, stripping her of everything she had. Betrayed by her boyfriend and stepsister and now, betrothed to the ruthless billionaire Diego Montenegro, she is hopeless with no way out. But Diego has a secret from a masked party five years ago—the one night that changed everything. He is obsessed and hopelessly in love. He remembers her clearly but Savannah has no idea they've met before. Now, he will do whatever it takes to protect her, not just from her enemies but from the demons within himself.

When Alina strikes a desperate deal with her father, she enters the forbidden forest—only to be bitten by a venomous creature that should’ve killed her. Instead, she wakes up with fractured memories, a strange mark etched into her skin, and a bond she doesn’t understand… one that ties her to Valerian, the cold, commanding vampire who saved her life—or cursed it. As she recovers among his kind, Alina is forced to navigate the uneasy truce between Lycans and Vampires while uncovering the secrets buried by witches long ago. But the mate bond between her and Valerian grows stronger—and harder to deny. Ancient wars don’t stay buried, and neither do dangerous truths. Torn between loyalty to her pack and the dark pull of the vampire she never chose, Alina must decide what she’s willing to risk… before the blood that binds them becomes her ruin.

My younger brother told me he was overwhelmed by school stress and had developed depression. I tried to help by encouraging him to seek treatment, drawing from my own experience with the illness. However, my mother blamed me, accusing me of passing the depression onto him. She took me to a witch, who locked me in the house. Every day, the witch used willow branches to drive away evil spirits, beating me until my skin was raw, forcing me to drink filthy water, and making me bleed. "This is the only way to banish the evil and bless your little brother." After enduring days of torment, my depression worsened, and I chose to end my life. However, when I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my brother first confessed his depression. I looked at my body—whole and unharmed. This time, I will make them pay for everything I endured.