Lurking

"Melina, my dear," The alpha king declared as he entered the chamber, his voice rich with authority. "The time has come for our union. I would like you to disrobe." In the face of such a demand, Melina stood her ground, her voice unwavering. "I, Melina Haephastus, refuse Your Majesty," she stated firmly as she walked gently backwards. A palpable tension hung heavy in the air, as the king's countenance contorted, a display of surprise mingled with frustration. He strode purposefully towards her, his narrowed eyes fixed upon her. A derisive chuckle escaped his lips as he advanced. "Refuse? You dare to reject the authority of his highness, Melina?" Drawing upon an inner strength, Melina met his gaze, unyielding. "I am more than a mere vessel for an heir, Your Majesty," she asserted, her voice ringing with determination. "I am an individual with my own hopes and aspirations. I will not allow myself to be reduced to a mere breeder." *** Melina, once the niece of a rebel leader who had dared to conspire against the Alpha King in league with outsiders, now found herself a captive within the opulent walls of his palace. The King deemed her the perfect candidate to bear his heir, a role that sought to firmly ensnare her in the machinations of his reign. Against the backdrop of political intrigue and deceptions lurking within the shadows, Melina was faced with a formidable choice. Would she succumb to the shackles of her predetermined destiny? Or would she rise above, unraveling the truths concealed by the threads of conspiracy, and forging her own path? Follow Melina's journey as her determination pushes against the constraints of societal expectations and unveils a web of hidden truths.

After being humiliated by her boyfriend at homecoming, Jenna Phillips wanders into the nearby park. To her astonishment, an old manor stands among the trees. Curious, she enters to find a ballroom filled with dancing couples decked out in gorgeous masquerade masks. Injured by the press of the throng, Jenna finds herself tended by the mysterious host, a handsome young man known only as "Lord Masquerade." Invited to stay, Jenna remains, little knowing the hidden secret lurking behind those seductive eyes - or the dangerous beckoning of her heart as she begins to fall for Lord Masquerade.

Falling in love with the wrong man was her worst mistake… but escaping him could cost her life. When Isabela met Alejandro Moretti on a trip to Greece, she never imagined the man who offered her a fairy-tale romance was hiding an empire built on blood, betrayal, and dark secrets. With his intense gaze and commanding presence, Alejandro won her over effortlessly, becoming her refuge, her devoted husband, and the perfect father to their children… but also her greatest deception. His love wrapped around her like a silk trap—beautiful and lethal. For years, Isabela lived in a bubble of happiness, unaware of the darkness lurking behind closed doors. Until the fire of violence reached her home, and she learned the truth: Alejandro wasn’t just the man she loved—he was the ruthless boss of one of the world’s most powerful and feared mafias. Now, caught in a war she never asked for, with enemies lurking in every shadow, Isabela must make the hardest decision of her life: continue loving the man who condemned her to this hell… or run from him—knowing Moretti never lets go of what belongs to him.

BOOK 1 THE VAMPIRE KING'S MATE King Leroy has been living above the earth for centuries. Many envy him,  and more want him dead. Many have tried to snatch the throne from him, but everyone failed.  He has many supporters and enemies lurking around, looking for his weakness to bring him down, but he's powerful, and with his loyal and skillful guards, no one can bring him down on his knees.   But as time passed, he slowly turned into a deadly devil that no one could stop, and they feared that he would destroy their race and the whole world when darkness consumed him. Only one person could stop him: his mate. He's another half and also his only weakness, but they're starting to lose hope. They've been searching for her for centuries, but until now, they haven't found her.   Time was running out, and the King was slowly consumed by darkness. How can they stop it from happening when the only person, his mate, hasn't appeared yet? *** BOOK 2, THE LAST LYCAN FEMALE "PAIN" That's all I felt. I don't know how long I was here. I couldn't remember anymore. "But I promise once I get out in this hell hole, I will kill them all. I'll avenge my parents' death. "They will regret not killing me because I'll make sure to kill them all once I'm out of here *** Calla, the last Lycan female. Werewolves wanted her to be this mate. They captured her, killed her parents in front of her, imprisoned her, and waited until she was at the right age to feel her mate, Hoping one of them was her mate. Werewolves don't want to follow the lead of King Leroy and plan to create their royalties using Calla.

Aurora Marco has been engaged from birth to the Rocco family after her family’s Mafia empire experienced a fatal fall from glory. Only a merger with a strong Mafia family could help restore their fallen empire and the only family who was strong enough and willing was the Rocco’s.In exchange, their first daughter and the first son of the Rocco’s had to be married to each other and PRODUCE AN HEIR. Aurora marries him but tries to turn a contract marriage into a love marriage. Will their marriage turn out as terrible or will the lurking disaster from Matteo’s past haunt Aurora’s future as the Mafia bride. Read more to find out!

Max has never admitted to anyone that he dreams about his past, snippets of information about people he’s sure are his parents… reading him a book, raising him up in the air, calling him another name he can’t remember… They seemed happy. So why did he find himself growing up at an orphanage?Celine is always haunted by the event that changed her life forever, her sister getting taken. When her sister disappeared, she wished it had been her instead. They said she was dead, but she knew deep in her heart that her sister was still alive. Haunted by her past, she navigates her day-to-day tasks like a sleeping robot, waiting to be awakened by the right operator.Two individuals, thrown together by fate whose secrets might destroy the fabric of their existence. Will they find the love lurking in the shadows or will it remain elusive?--=--This is the second book in the Orphan Trilogy, and because Celine and Clara's stories are intertwined there may be parts that you are familiar with if you read the first book. But don't worry these are all from Max's and Celine's perspectives so you will definitely see new material.

Eidolon Avenue: Where the secretly guilty go to die. One building. Five floors. Five doors per floor. Twenty-five nightmares feeding the hunger lurking between the bricks and waiting beneath the boards. The sequel to Eidolon Avenue: The First Feast (“a great read...powerful and jarring” - Cemetery Dance) returns to the voracious Eidolon as it savors The Second Feast. A narcoleptic man in apartment 2A battles a vengeful past determined to rob him of everything as he runs from the barbaric disaster of a delusional love. A woman in 2B, reinventing herself to please a callous boyfriend, discovers the horrors that wait in the shadows of her self-renovation. The man in 2C, a teacher at the nearby Catholic girl’s school, collapses beneath the brutal consequences of his lecherous desires. An older woman in 2D, after decades dedicated to the church, is cornered at last by the grisly carnage beating at the hollow center of her faith. And a college student in 2E, hungry to escape an ignored life of invisible anonymity, finds herself captured between the pages of a ravenous book. All thrown into their own private hell as every cruel choice, every drop of spilled blood, every silent, complicit moment of cowardice is remembered, resurrected and relived to feed the ancient evil that lives on Eidolon Avenue. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Samantha, a young maid working for the billionaire, Mr. Alexander, finds herself pregnant after a steamy one-night stand with her wealthy employer. Terrified of the consequences, Samantha decides to run away and start a new life with her baby. With a small bag of clothes and limited resources, Samantha embarks on a journey of uncertainty, constantly looking over her shoulder to avoid being caught by Mr. Alexander's powerful and wealthy family. She seeks refuge in a small town, where she meets a kind and compassionate man named Jack who offers her a place to stay. But Samantha soon realizes that Mr. Alexander and his family are relentless in their pursuit of her and their unborn child. They hire private investigators, track her movements, and threaten her loved ones to try and force her to come back. As Samantha struggles to build a new life and protect her baby, she discovers a dark secret about Mr. Alexander's family and their ruthless tactics. With danger lurking at every turn, Samantha must decide whether to fight back or to continue running, risking everything she holds dear. Will Samantha be able to escape the clutches of the powerful Alexander family and start a new life with her baby? Or will she be forced to face the consequences of her actions and confront her past?

SPG ALERT ❗ WARNING: Viewer discretion is advised. Contains graphic sex scenes, mature contents, adult language and situation intended for mature readers only. Scarlet was an office assistant in a big corporation; however, she was constantly bullied by her co-workers. She's the one bringing coffee, photocopying documents, and doing all the chores in her department. When Scarlet's best friend invited her and decided to celebrate her birthday in a highly reputable and exclusive male strip club, she had no choice but to agree. There she met a masked male stripper. He danced her seductively and sweaty. As if possessed, she found herself lurking backstage and secretly observing the man behind the mask. The man was bizarre and ambiguous, but in the end, she managed to see his face. Shocked was evidence in her face. She could not believe what she saw— "It's her boss, the CEO of the corporation."

Sequel to 'Moon's Betrayal' set a month shy of the twin's eighteenth birthday. References to book one. Can be read as standalone. Follows Bellamy Carter, the Siphon who helped the Venscothi family time and again in the first book, and Kenzie Venscothi, the female twin of our favorite Krosthani trio. Kenzie has been raised believing that she has no magic or wolf which was supposedly the result of inheriting the Nokaura poison that once ravaged her mother's body. What she does not know is that this is a lie that they concocted after she was born to try and protect her from a prophecy that pits her against Asry the Nokaura King. Bellamy comes back just in time to save her before her parents do something that will unknowingly kill her. He helps her get away from the lies she has been told all these years. The truth is remarkable. She has the most powerful magic he has ever encountered. It is one reason his magic always manifested strongly around her growing up because hers was being suppressed. Their destiny brings them together in the most intimate way possible. It will irrevocably change the world of witches, a people that they belong to more than the shifter side of their hybrid DNA. Everything has a balance in their world. Strong magic comes with a weakened wolf. They are more witch than shifter. They not only have to face Asry but also have to deal with other powerful witches who want to either enslave them or destroy them. There are even more enemies lurking in the shadows just biding their time to strike. Can they protect each other while protecting everyone else as well? Can they figure out who their enemies are and stop them before it is too late?