Lock Up

While I was nine months pregnant, the apple of my husband’s eye moved into our house. Whenever she saw me, she would make a sad face. My husband was sure that I was flaunting my pregnancy to make her angry. “Rachel is frail, and she can’t get pregnant, yet you’re walking around making her upset?! Do I seriously have to teach you a lesson?!” He ordered the bodyguards to lock me in the attic that had not been in use for a long time and told them not to give me food. I pleaded for mercy and told him that the ultrasound scan showed that the twin babies were too big. I told him that the doctor had claimed that I had to be hospitalized while I waited for my delivery. But he laughed as if he had heard the world’s greatest joke. When he spoke, his voice was as cold as ice. “You’re still three days away from your delivery date! Enough with the pitiful act! Repent while you’re in the attic! This is what you get for making Rachel upset!” The contractions hurt so much that I clenched my fists to the point that my nails broke, but no one unlocked the door to the attic. My piercing screams echoed in the attic for a long time until my whole body was soaked in blood, and one of my babies was stuck between my bloody legs. Three days later, my husband ate his breakfast that was not up to his taste and said, “Have Jane make breakfast for me, then have her apologize to Rachel with a gift. If she’s sincere enough, I’ll send her to the hospital to deliver the babies.” But no one dared go up to the attic because the blood that flowed down from it had already reached the second step of the stairs.

“Don't tell me what to do.” I glared at him, my breath catching at the dark, hungry look in his eyes when he backed me up against the edge of the desk. “That's very ironic because I am the one who always gets to tell you when to come for me. So yeah, I'll tell you what to do and when I tell you to bend over the fucking desk, you fucking do it, Mrs. Sinclair.” He seethed huskily, spinning me around harshly so that my face got stuffed against the desk with his raging hard-on pressing into me. It fired up the dark thrill coursing through my veins and I did the one thing that betrayed the guard I was trying to put up. I fucking moaned. •••• After her ex-boyfriend ruined her life and crushed her heart into pieces by getting married to a renowned supermodel, Katherine Perez, the enigmatic artist decided to get her pound of flesh by orchestrating his kidnap on the morning of his wedding. Katherine was blinded but rage and wanted to stop the wedding by all means but things took a drastic turn when the team she hired accidentally kidnapped someone else. He wasn't just anyone. He was the head of the US Mafia. Christophe Sinclair. The devil in a suit. Katherine's defiance allowed her to believe that she could get away with the grave crime she committed but everything in her life took a turn for the worse when a Mafia Don who has never been fazed by any woman comes after her with everything he has. Caught in the web of a man who reminds her of every reason she chose to lock her heart away from the world, will Katherine allow herself to be vulnerable again after everything she lost?

Si Beatrice ay niloko at ipinahamak ni Minda, ang dapat ay kanyang magiging biyenan. Dinala sya nito sa kwarto ni Marcus, ang tiyuhin ng kanyang fiance na noon ay nakawheelchair dahil sa aksidenteng kinasangkutan nito. Napilitan syang pakasalan si Marcus upang mabawi ang dangal na nawala sa kanya. Ang inaasahan nyong miserableng mangyayari sa buhay nya mataposa maipakasal kay Marcus, ay kabaliktaran pala ng tunay na mangyayari. May tangi lamang syang problema sa kanilang pagsasama, si Marcus ay may sakit at mahina na. Ngunit isang araw matutuklasan nya ang isang sekreto ng kanyang asawa na ito pala ay palihim na nagpapagamot. Ito na kaya ang magiging umpisa ng kanilang perpektong pamilya o ito kaya ang magiging dahilan upang mas gumulo pa ang kanilang buhay.

Setelah mendengar kabar dari pasukan bahwa kakak kembar suamiku gugur dalam sebuah misi, kakak ipar yang baru ditinggal suaminya itu sangat terpukul hingga pingsan. Saat sadar kembali, dia kehilangan ingatannya. Tangannya menggenggam erat tangan suamiku dan tidak mau melepaskannya. Hanya karena dokter mengatakan, “Pasien tidak boleh menerima guncangan.” Suamiku dan ibu mertua pun membujukku agar ikut dia bersandiwara. Setiap kali aku menyinggung soal itu, mereka berdua selalu menjawab, “Tunggu aja sampai kakak iparmu pulih kembali ingatannya!” Maka dari itu, aku hanya bisa memandangi suamiku sendiri tinggal dan makan bersama kakak iparnya dengan mataku sendiri. Bahkan putri kami pun hanya bisa melihat anak kakak iparku memanggil suamiku sebagai papa di hadapannya. Sampai suatu ketika, putriku demam tinggi dan tak kunjung sadar. Aku memohon padanya untuk mengantarkan kami ke rumah sakit. Dan yang tidak kusangka, kakak ipar justru marah besar karena hal ini. Dia menangis sambil mengancam bunuh diri. Pada saat tarik menarik pertikaian mereka, sebilah gunting itu malah menancap ke jantungku. Saat kembali membuka mata, aku mendapati diriku telah kembali ke hari ketika suamiku memutuskan untuk menjadi suami pengganti bagi kakak iparnya.

MATED is book #2 in a new paranormal romance series by bestselling author Bella Lore, whose series MY TRUE MATE and THE ALPHA’S MATE have over 500 five-star reviews.

“I couldn’t stop reading.”

--Reader review (My True Mate)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

When her father suddenly dies, Winter Grace, 17, is forced to fly across the country and attend a mysterious prep school, an ancient castle in a fog-covered island on the coast of Maine. Nothing here is what it seems, and it isn’t long before Winter, feeling a surging power for the first time, realizes that she is not who—or what—she thinks she is.

But when Winter feels an inexplicable crush for an elusive and dangerous boy at the school, she realizes a greater destiny is at play. She knows the relationship might destroy them both—yet she also knows that they can never be apart.

In MATED, Winter and her crush embark on a dangerous quest to retrieve the magic relic and save their friends their school.

Yet they have no idea of the fate awaiting them—or what they will need to do for each other to survive.

Creating an unforgettable world of vampires, werewolves, shifters and magic of all sorts, a world of fantasy, love and sacrifice, MORTAL will take you to another place, rife with shocking twists and turns. Fans of books such as Vampire Academy and Twilight and Crush are sure to fall in love!

Future books in the series are also available.

"The story was very well written and was unique as compared to other shifter stories.”

--Reader review (The Alpha’s Mate)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Excellent from start to finish and leaves you wanting more.”

--Reader review (My True Mate)

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Setelah mendengar kabar Ricky Mandos mengalami kecelakaan parah saat balapan liar dan kehilangan banyak darah, Amanda Hilman segera bergegas ke rumah sakit dan mendonorkan darah sebanyak 1000 cc untuknya. Semua saudaranya menasihatinya pulang dan segera beristirahat, jadi Amanda terpaksa menyetujuinya. Tapi baru saja sampai di pintu, dia kembali lagi karena terlalu khawatir. Begitu berbalik, dia langsung melihat perawat menuangkan kelima kantong darah yang baru saja diambil darinya ke dalam tempat sampah! Tak lama kemudian, tiba-tiba terdengar suara tawa mengejek kencang dari salah satu kamar pasien di sebelah. "Haha, si bodoh Amanda tertipu lagi oleh kita!"

Born without her family's birthmark, Tessa is branded a bastard by the richest man in the pack, her father and forced into a life of servitude in the Alpha’s lodge.  Her only ally and friend was Jasmine, her stepsister; fated to marry George, the Alpha’s heir. But George isn’t just ruthless, he’s a beast who toys with women and hides his darkest hunger behind storm-grey eyes. When Tessa overhears George plotting to use and discard Jasmine, she vows to expose him, even if it means risking everything.  But the moment his eyes land on Tessa, she becomes trapped in his suffocating grip. Tessa, knowing her life will never be the same, must either protect her sister from the man who could destroy them both… or surrender to the dangerous allure that threatens to consume her.

Di pesta ulang tahunnya, Gilena sedang berharap dalam bahasa Jerman di depan kue ulang tahunnya. “Semoga tahun ini Tante Jolin bisa jadi ibuku.” Suami mengelus kepala Gilena sambil tersenyum, lalu berkata, “Keinginanmu akan segera terwujud.” Aku tercengang, kue di tanganku langsung jatuh ke lantai. Suami bertanya dengan penuh perhatian, “Kau kenapa?” Aku menggelengkan kepala dan jawab sambil tersenyum, “Tanganku licin.” Hanya aku sendiri yang tahu, aku panik karena mengerti bahasa Jerman, sampai-sampai kue pun terjatuh dari tanganku.

I shouldn't be doing this. But I can't help it, ever since that night I let him take control, I craved more. He grabbed my chin raising me from the position that had me on my fours. "You're being a very. Good girl."-- Dominic Castellano is a name that commands fear. Cold, ruthless, and untouchable, he has built an empire on blood and power, crushing anyone who dares to challenge him. He doesn’t tolerate mistakes. He doesn’t entertain weakness. And above all, he doesn’t trust anyone outside his tightly controlled circle. He has spent years expanding his reach, eliminating threats, and ensuring that no one—not the law, not his rivals—can touch him. But when he finally finds her—the woman he had a one night stand with but had disappeared by morning. She changes everything Elena Monroe—A captain. She obviously didn't’t belong in his world. Her constant actions to take him down kept reminding both of them of their growing connection. Elena believes if she can lock him up for good she'll be able to let go of her past and forget all about Domnic. She doesn't like the way he makes her feel completely helpless and submissive. Despite her attempts to hide it, he's everything she fantasizes. But with her father in the way and constant enemy attacks they are forced to make a tragic decision.

Jude Queens never believed in fairytales—until Malachi Flynn crashed into his world with a grin like summer and a spike that could stop time. Bound by their shared love for volleyball, their chemistry burned bright and fast, leaving everything else in the shadows. But just as Jude opened his heart, Malachi vanished without a word. Two years later, Malachi returns—older, familiar, and still devastatingly magnetic. The moment they lock eyes, the ache returns. So does the desire. But buried beneath Malachi’s smile are secrets that could shatter them both. Torn between anger and longing, Jude must decide: can he forgive the boy who left him in pieces, or is some pain too deep to heal? “Why Did You Leave Me When I Needed You Most?” is a sizzling, tender story of second chances, the scars we carry, and the hope that love—real, soul-deep love—can echo back stronger than before.