Lovely Us

I've taken three knife blows and a bullet for Isabella Thornton. I'm one of the top bodyguards in the business. My younger brother always trails behind her, cracking jokes. He's nothing more than a tagalong. I've always believed my loyalty and scars are all she has to feel safe. Then, the unthinkable happens—the three of us are kidnapped, and the kidnappers say only two of us can walk free. Isabella doesn't hesitate. She looks me straight in the eye and says, "You stay. My dad will give your family double the compensation. But Jasper has to come with me." Jasper Meyer is my younger brother. That's when I realize that his daily little gestures and playful teasing have already won her heart. Now reborn, I find myself back on the day the Thornton family is selecting their bodyguards.

Family was meant to be sacred. Untouchable. Azriel was supposed to be my stepbrother. Instead, he became my ruin. I should have kept my distance. But whenever he’s near, my body recalls what he has done to it. His wolf lurks beneath the surface, and it’s drawing me in closer than I’ve ever dared to approach. He’s mine—not by name or claim, but in the way my blood ignites a fire within him. Each touch, every hushed growl leaves me trembling, yearning, and afraid. I know this isn’t safe. The heat between us could burn us both, yet I can’t stop leaning into it. Some rules were never meant to be broken. Some bonds were never meant to exist. And some desires… can’t be denied.

When my best friend, Tricia Tate, finds out I have secretly switched my husband's used rubber with her father-in-law's, she has a full-on meltdown right then and there. In my last life. Tricia had been abused by her husband and asked to stay at my place for a while. I felt sorry for her and agreed to let her stay temporarily. But just two weeks later, she unexpectedly found out she was pregnant. I was about to ask her what had happened when her husband suddenly showed up and broke my husband's leg before dragging my whole family into court. In court, Tricia sobbed uncontrollably, accusing my husband, Jayden Lowe, of being a predator and claiming he had assaulted her while she was living with us. She said I didn't just ignore it but helped him carry it out. Jayden and I denied everything in court, but she pulled out an amniocentesis report, proving that the baby was indeed Jayden's. The internet exploded with hate against us, and the court sentenced both of us to prison, ordering us to pay her ten million in emotional damages. In the end, Jayden and I went to jail, while Tricia took that ten million, aborted the baby, and lived happily ever after with her husband. When I open my eyes again, I am back to the very day Tricia came to stay at my house.

I was on the verge of unbuckling his belt when he pulled away so forcefully I stumbled forward, disoriented by the sudden loss of contact. My core throbbed, my nipples could cut diamonds, and my skin was so sensitive even the brush of air caused me to tremble. But when the fog of sensation dissipated, I realized Alex was glaring at me. “Fuck.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, his scowl fierce enough to make grown men quake. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” “Alex—” “No. What the hell were you thinking?” he bit out. “Did you think we would fuck in the kitchen while your friends are in the other room?” Heat scorched my cheeks. “If this is about Josh—” “It’s not about Josh.” Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled a slow, controlled breath. “Not entirely.” “Then what is it?” He wanted me. I knew he did; I felt it, and I’m not just talking about the massive bulge straining his pants. Yes, Josh would attempt to murder us both if he found out what happened, but he couldn’t stay mad at us forever. Besides, he didn’t return to D.C. until Christmas. We had time. “It’s me. And you. Together. It won’t work.” Alex’s glare intensified. “Whatever fantasies you have of us swirling in that pretty head of yours, kill them. That kiss was a one-time mistake. It’ll never happen again.”

Blurb Ever since the war, humans were no longer the world's dominator. Supernatural creatures broke the peace treaty and colluded together to overthrew humans’ rule. After we failed completely in the battlefield, they decided to ‘purge’ the world of evil humanity. I survived from death in that brutal slaughter but was captured and imprisoned in a dungeon where I had now lived for five years. Business was the only reason why they kept immatures and even spared us shelter and food. When we reached 18, we’d be sold as slaves. That night I was bought by a mysterious guest and taken to somewhere I had never been to or heard of. My work was to serve three noble masters residing there. They were all supernatural, but decent and reasonable. So it’s better for me to carry out the plan for escaping. It all went well until someone attacked me. And the secret behind us began to be revealed.

My husband’s the only son of the richest man in Ivoneu. As for me, I’m an orphan. His parents objected to us being together. When I got pregnant, they got on a plane and came to collect us in person. After that, I posted a picture I took with my husband, captioned, [I’m so thankful for you. Our life is going to be perfect from now on.] Little did I know that the rich girl my husband had been dating online would confront me.  She beat me until I had a miscarriage, then she stepped on my belly and declared viciously, “You are a nasty seductress! That makes the baby inside you a bad seed, too! Purging the baby is my contribution to society! “It’s just a fetus, anyway. I have more than enough money to get away with it!”

After Father's death, everything falls apart. My stepmother seizes the inheritance and leaves us with nothing. Just when I think we can finally breathe, fate hits us harder—Dongju's accident leaves him clinging to life. With hospital bills piling up, despair becomes my only currency. Then, the President Director makes an offer I can't refuse: money for Dongju's treatment, in exchange for marrying his son, Byun Baekhoon—a man whispered to be gay, and heir to one of the most powerful conglomerates in the country. I sign the contract with trembling hands, thinking it's just a business deal. But Baekhoon isn't who I expected. Behind his cold eyes and calculated words, he hides something darker—something dangerous. And the more I try to survive this marriage, the more it feels like I'm burying myself alive.

"You died four days ago. You were buried yesterday. That's fast healing, even for us," Clara explained. "Us?" Clara smiled. "You have risen from the dead and have healed all your wounds. You have no pulse. You do not breathe, and we've been giving you blood so that you can survive. And the last thing you can remember is a tingling in your neck before you died." She clasped her hands together. "I've read your personnel file, Shamira. I know you're not stupid, even if your former bosses thought you were. You can figure this --" "Vampire? You're kidding, right? You have to --" "Wanna go ahead and say 'But there's no such thing as vampires' so we can get that out of the way?" "There's no such thing as vampires!"

Desire can be a dangerous thing, leading us down paths we never imagined. But what happens when temptation becomes irresistible, when the allure of something is too powerful to resist? This is the story of one person's journey into temptation, and the consequences of giving in to the most powerful of desires.

As we kissed, it was like a rush of emotions. Relief, joy, and the happiness of being close again filled me up. Every kiss felt like a fresh start, wiping away the silence and bringing us back together. Then I realized that I was truly his desire. The world around us disappeared as if no one mattered. I could feel the heat of his hands through my shirt, his fingers caressing my skin and sending shivers down my spine. His lips moved down to my neck, leaving a trail of kisses. ************************** Harper was rudely bumped into by an arrogant jerk at the gym, not wanting to own up to his fault, he ordered her out of the gym. Imagine her shock when she finds out that he was no other but Joshua Stevenson, her new boss at the office and they had been arranged to marry. Will she bow to pressure or give Josh a run for his money?