Kratos Without Ashes

During my wedding reception, I make a toast to my wife's true love. He smashes his wine glass in retaliation and snaps, "I lost to you and allowed you to marry Isabel, but you shouldn't have humiliated me in public!" My wife, Isabel Eaton, is furious. She calls me petty and says she's disgusted by men like me, who get jealous over the smallest things. She rips her veil off and runs after her true love. I chase her, wanting to explain myself. However, a car rams into me. Isabel turns to glance at me but doesn't stop as she goes after her true love. I'm taken to the hospital to be rescued. However, my heart dies despite my body recovering. Upon regaining consciousness, I call my father. I've cut off contact with him for the past three years, but it's time to cave. "I'll go ahead with the marriage alliance, Dad."

Hidden from human eyes, Obscura Arcanum University has existed for centuries—where wolves, witches, and vampires sharpen their magic behind walls of secrecy. But when Nora—a runaway with nothing but scars and survival instincts—accidentally stumbles through the veil, everything changes. She isn’t human. She isn’t supposed to exist. The last ember of a bloodline buried in ash, Nora’s presence reignites an ancient prophecy whispered in fear and forgotten by time. Now, the heirs of the old Houses—the Fang, the Rose, and the Star—are watching her. Some want her gone. Others want her controlled. And the three most dangerous men on campus? They’re tied to her fate in ways no one expected. The world was never meant to let the bloodlines unite. But the world doesn’t get a choice anymore.

When 19-year-old leukemia patient Rose discovers an urn in her father's basement, she's flipped out from believing the ordinary. Her life would have been perfect if she had left in ignorance of the unknown. Out of her curiosity, she had woken him. Emmett, of history, an ancient werewolf who was said to be the last of the three originals. He possessed a strong black magic that threatened the existence of the werewolves, was drugged by his lover, and was burnt alive by the Alpha of their time. His remains were stored in an urn Civilization had come. The history of Emmett had faded. No one believed in werewolves anymore. But Emmett’s ashes remained locked up in an urn. His urn is passed on from the hands of his lover to her last generation as a special art piece. Rose has six months to live, but she's a fighter; she learns more about Emmett while fighting for her life. She felt like she had a purpose she could fulfill in a short-term life. They both set out on a mission that will reveal the hidden things Rose didn't know of. What could be Rose's fate to live past her limited lifetime? What would happen when Emmett finds out who Kayla, his former lover's last blood is?

When profiler Ava Cross returns to her father’s secluded hometown after his sudden death, she expects grief and old ghosts — not a series of brutal killings and a predator with glowing gold eyes watching her window. Drawn into the secrets of Silverpine, Ava discovers a hidden world of shapeshifters bound by a centuries-old pact now crumbling under a blood-moon prophecy. Everyone wants something from her: Rowan, the deputy who swore to protect her; Elias, the alpha who claims she belongs to the pack; and Silas, the rogue who warns she’s in danger from them all. Torn between loyalty and survival, Ava must uncover the truth about her heritage and make an impossible choice—before the next full moon rises and the hunt begins.

Luna Baxter and Simon Fulmer have been married for five years. One day, she receives a provocative voice message and intimate photos from Simon's first love. They're sent from his phone, too. "I've only been back in the country for half a year, but he took the bait as soon as I laid it. He's prepared blue fireworks for me tonight, but I don't like the color blue. To avoid wastage, you can have them on your wedding anniversary." Luna and Simon's fifth wedding anniversary comes a month later. She looks out the window at the blue fireworks lighting up the sky. Then, her gaze lands on the empty seat across from her. Simon's first love challenges her again. She sends her a photo of them having a candlelight dinner. Luna doesn't cry or kick up a fuss. She silently signs a divorce agreement and asks Simon's secretary to prepare for a wedding. "What are the bride's and groom's names, Mrs. Fulmer?" "Simon Fulmer and Sophie Sutherland." Seven days later, she flies to Naavi to give them her blessings. She throws them a wedding.

Everyone in Sparrowville said that Margaret Chapman was the happiest woman in town. Gavin Hartley showered her with gifts—a sapphire ring, an asteroid after her name—treating her like she was the center of his universe. Margaret had always believed it, too. Until the day she accidentally discovered the woman he had been hiding in his villa. For ten years, he had kept her there—his childhood sweetheart. After she lost herself to schizophrenia, she had said, "Margaret is me." And so, for nearly seven years, Gavin had courted Margaret and cherished her, playing out a love story that had never truly been hers. Margaret's heart crumbled to ash after she found out the truth. She left without looking back, moving to a country thousands of miles away. But she never imagined that Gavin would lose himself to rage, his eyes burning red as he nearly tore Sparrowville apart. "Where the hell is Margaret?!"

On Mia Larson’s birthday, her mother, who had been her anchor, passed away. Her husband, Nick Ford, did not celebrate her birthday, nor did he attend her mother’s funeral. Instead, he was at the airport, picking up his one true love.

Lucas Ashton and I have secretly dated for five years. We're preparing to announce our relationship during a business dinner. However, he doesn't mention a word of it during the dinner. Instead, he leans close to me and whispers half-jokingly, "I'm sick of sleeping with you and want to call it quits. Shall we not disclose our relationship?" I smile and nod. Then, I point at Emily Lane, his first love. "This is Lucas' girlfriend." In my past life, I pleaded with him not to leave me. All that got me was torment and death.

After betrayal shatters her world, 17-year-old Julianne Ashwynd wants nothing more than to disappear. But when a glowing mark appears on her skin and powers she can’t control begin to stir, disappearing is no longer an option. Drawn to Blackthorn Academy—a school that shouldn’t exist—Julianne finds herself surrounded by Vampires, Werewolves, Incubi, Dragon-born… and somehow, Julianne fits right in. With her past cloaked in mystery and her magic dangerously unstable, Julianne must unravel the truth of who, and what, she is. But the four supernatural boys who orbit her each carry secrets of their own. One will betray her. One will protect her. One will awaken her magic. And one may claim her heart. But trusting the wrong monster boy could mean the end of everything.

Hailey, in love, dove into her marriage full of heart and hope. When this kindergarten teacher said yes to marrying Rome, it was like venturing into uncharted waters. For Hailley, marrying a fun-loving, mysterious man, like Rome, was exciting! It was like being on a road without a map. What made it so exciting was that she never knew what direction her husband, Rome Martinez, might go. Hailey finds herself a bit lost as she discovers she does need a little normalcy. But Rome didn't want boundaries. Without rules to guide them, would their marriage survive or crash on the rocks of misunderstanding or jealousy? What would their marriage look like without boundaries? As individuals, will both parties' needs be met? Or will this marriage be tailored to meet one partner's needs, physical intimacy, and emotional comfort level? Can Haiely and Rome maintain a healthy, happy marriage without boundaries? To have the answer to these heartthrobing questions, this is one married story you will want to read!