Long Shadows David Baldacci

To the world, he's the enigmatic Capo of the Chicago Outfit, a man of power, control, and unwavering resolve. He's sculpted his life meticulously, sticking to a code that demands order. Yet, sometimes, even the most disciplined minds can be led astray. Claire “Cindy” Parker is the life of every party, a vivacious burst of sunshine that lights up any room. She's the dance-off initiator, karaoke microphone grabber, and the queen of themed costume parties. But beneath her party-loving spirit, Cindy hides a well of pain and dark memories, mastering the art of masking her inner pain with humor and charm. When these two collide, sparks don't fly; instead, it's like a showdown from an old Western, and shots are fired, both literally and metaphorically. Their personalities are oil and water, refusing to mix, igniting heated arguments that often lead to explosive situations. Yet, beneath the surface tension, an undeniable attraction simmers, their paths destined to intertwine. Slowly but surely, they begin to unravel each other's layers, exposing vulnerabilities they've long kept hidden.

Ariel Walker marries Jayson Larkin to save her adoptive brother. For three years, their marriage is kept a loveless, passionless secret. On the day she's diagnosed with a terminal illness, her husband sets off fireworks with his mistress to celebrate. When her adoptive brother is released from prison, he announces that the woman in his arms is the love of his life! Ariel decides to stop waiting when she sees the usually cold, stoic men boldly declare their love for other women. She gets a divorce, quits her job, and severs ties with her family… She picks up the pieces of her dream and goes from being a scorned housewife to a technological expert! One day, her secret identity and terminal illness are exposed. Her unruly adoptive brother comes to her with red-rimmed eyes. "Ari, can you call me your brother again?" The usually cold, ruthless Jasyon goes insane. "I'll give you my life to make up for what I've done, honey! Don't leave me…" Their love is too little, too late. Ariel has long since stopped caring…

** Book Two of The Havemouth Pack Series - Book One, The Pack's Secret Keeper, Book Two, The Pack's Triquetra, Book Three, The Pack's Vampire, and Book Four, The Pack's Hybrids ** The storm will pass... but what the flood waters bring with them, is hungry... Triquetras form when there are times of peril, and more than one alpha might be needed to protect the female and young. The Havermouth Triquetra therefore is both a blessing to the pack and their families, and a harbinger of troubled times to come. Alpha werewolves born to the pack’s elite families, privileged, handsome, and wealthy, Heath Gale, Cameron Edison, and Rhett Salem seem to have it all. However, behind the shine, there are shadows, and in the pack misogyny and intolerance run as deep as the river through Havermouth, influencing every decision that the three make. Hiding that their Triquetra is bi-sexual, and that they are each other’s mates is a necessity, not an option, and they eagerly await the day when their female mate is revealed, and they can openly claim their love for one another. When that mate appears however, she is not what they expected. She is human, intractable, and rebellious – and she does not like them. Or, at least, she does not like all of them. Will the female mate that they’d hoped would save them, tear them apart? Trigger warnings for this book: this is a dark romance werewolf story containing dubious consent, violence, and assault.

*Book 1* Amelia Dolivo has known her whole life that she would one day be the Alpha of her pack; thus making her the first female Alpha in history. The journey to get there has been long and full of hardships, but a true Alpha never backs down from a fight; a true Alpha never accepts defeat. Whether it be enemies plotting in the shadows to bring her down, or her own soulmate who questions her very capabilities as a woman; Amelia will take them all head-on. She will show them all why you should never underestimate a woman. Excerpt: “How are you an Alpha? You're a woman," I say and for a second anger flashes in her eyes. “Stop upsetting our animai, you jackass!" hisses Ace. “Nothing gets by you, does it? I'm the Alpha the same way your Alpha became one. I was born one," she says matter-of-factly. A Queen Among Alphas is the first book in the Queen Among series, this is an interconnected series, and to see how the overall story ends, I recommend reading the full series. Here are the books in the series: A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1 Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2 Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel A Queen Among Blood - Book 3 Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4 Dark Invocation - A Queen Among Darkness spin-off A Queen Among Tides - Book 5 Valor, Virtue, and Verve - A Queen Among Tides Prequel Spin-off A Queen Among Gods - Book 6 A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7

Everyone knew how much I was in love with Alex Carter. I was willing to do anything for Alex just to see him happy and never bothered if they ruined my dignity or worth. But to Alex, I was seen as a desperate shameless lady who wanted him by all means even though I knew he always had a lover. After we got married, he treated me like dirt and threw me in prison, accusing me of financial crimes. Killed by a jailer sent by him, I died with regret of loving him. When I woke up again, I found myself back on my wedding day with Alex in my previous life and realised it was an afterlife, a second chance at life. This time, I wouldn't let him ruin me twice.

She was rescued by our pack, the Asara. We knew nothing about who she was before that. But with her delicious female scent, my brothers and I soon caught a whiff of her. We were quick to investigate. It didn't take us long to figure out what she was hiding under that oversized cloak. And we each wanted a part of it. She thought she could run from us? The best in enemy combat, the tracker and best sniffer in the pack, and the fastest one of us. Second only to our Alpha. The Mating Moon is on the rise and my brothers and I don't mind sharing. As long as we each get a taste of that sweet scent. And to partake of that delicious body. She might resist but we're strong, and she is one of only seven breedable females...she won't be going anywhere until we've had our fill of her. And under a Mating Moon, us males get insatiable. Go ahead. Run little Vanna Rae, it's more fun that way...

"You are doing good for me babygirl, spread those legs wider." he licks his lips while his eyes scan my body. I moan as my heavy eyes open, my body shaking with need, I hate the way my body reacts to him, he knows how weak I am when it comes to him, so he takes advantage of it. "That's it." he says and shoves his tongue down my throat. He was never one to shy away from a show, especially when my mate is kneeling by the door, bound in chains, and held down by two guards. "Hold him still, I want him to watch as I fuck his mate." He growled. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Bloodmoon pack was cursed by the moon goddess for 600 years. Having fated mates was no longer allowed and to enjoy the feelings of a sacred bond was forbidden. Lylah Summer, deeply in love with Thane Anthra, was hoping to celebrate their eternal bond on her eighteenth birthday. However, after the Alpha's death, Thane was chosen as the new Alpha and publicly humiliates Lylah with a brutal rejection. Devastated and determined to seek revenge, Lylah swore to take revenge. But everything changed when she met the Alpha of the Silverlake Pack, who was destined to be the mate of Darla, the Luna Heir of the dead Alpha. Will Lylah succeed in winning the heart of a man that the moon goddess has bound to another? Or will she face the bitter taste of rejection? This book is strictly 18+ Readers discretion is advised.

I got raped by the most powerful vampire in our coven but I can't tell anyone about it. They will only think that I'm a day-dreaming half-ling! Ever since they discovered that I had no powers a normal vampire should possess I've been outcast for all my life. After that horrible incident I started to feel weird things happening in my body. Could it be... It can't be!

“I’m going to make her mine,” Xander declared. “You are going to marry my wife, father?” “Your ex-wife,” Xander corrected. “She’s no longer your wife, Thayer. You just divorced her, remember?” he added, stepping closer to me on the bed. Thayer cheated on me the same day I found out I was pregnant for him. He divorced me cruelly and called me a mistake, fat, and dirty. However, in reaction to the betrayal, I found myself falling deeply in love with my father in-law and he in return fell for me too. His love ignited a forbidden passion in me and I was ready to sin with him. But my ex-husband suddenly realized what he had lost and wants me back. He is willing to go any lengths, even to kill to kill his own father just to win my heart again. But my heart now belongs to another-his father. My father in-law belongs to me, not to his ex-wife either!

BOOK 1 AND BOOK 2 (SURVIVING THE DARK) She was a slave, and love bought her freedom. Ellis Ross is a beautiful young woman sold to a werewolf pack by her father to settle his debt. Although she was to work as a servant, Alpha William was captivated by her beauty that he included her in his harem of lovers. It was not long the young, innocent Ellis stole the heart of the Alpha, and they both fell madly in love. William broke a lot of pack rules to keep her by his side. Unknowing to William, Ellis is more than what he bargained for, and though he knew she had a target on her back, he did not know how big that target was until he was in too deep and could not get out. Together they battle the odds and fight their enemies for a wave of lasting peace. Their busy schedule does not stop them from spicing things up in and out of their bedroom. These two pleasure-driven love birds show their world the strength of true love. *Warning* This book contains a lot of sensual scenes and violence. If you can survive it, then you are good to go. *LoL* A story situated in the same world as the characters in Spirit Wolf".