Mark Twain Library Long Beach

“Come at me, fight me. We have to pretend we don't know each other for me to save your ass from here”, His husky voice that I haven't remembered in years sent shivers down my spine. “You want me to pretend?” I growled, stepping into the pit. Damon’s eyes burned under the mask. “Rae… if you want to survive this, you’ll fight me—and you’ll make it look real.” “No, Alpha. I’ll fight you. But I won’t pretend a damn thing and I will send you to the pit of hell.”

Dr. Alessia Russo's life is spiraling out of control. Drowning in debt and desperate to help her imprisoned brother, the brilliant ER physician makes a decision that will change her life forever. One moonlit rendezvous in a shadowy alley catapults her into the dangerous world of the Bratva, where loyalty is everything and one wrong move could be her last. Enter Nikolai Zhukov, the enigmatic and ruthless boss of the Russian mafia. With eyes that pierce her soul and a touch that sets her skin ablaze, Nikolai offers Alessia an irresistible proposition: become his personal doctor, no questions asked, in exchange for more money than she ever dreamed possible. As Alessia navigates the treacherous waters of the criminal underworld, she finds herself drawn deeper into Nikolai's web. By day, she saves lives in the ER. By night, she tends to bullet wounds and knife fights, all while trying to keep her moral compass intact. But Nikolai is no ordinary crime lord. Behind his cold exterior and calculated moves lies a man with hidden depths and unexpected vulnerabilities. As the heat between them intensifies, Alessia realizes she's not just risking her career and freedom – she's in danger of losing her heart to the very man she should fear most. With enemies closing in and loyalties tested, Alessia must choose between the safe life she's always known and the exhilarating, perilous future Nikolai offers. In a world where passion and danger collide, can their forbidden love survive? Or will the price of entering Nikolai's world prove too high for the good doctor to pay? "Code Black: A Bratva Billionaire Romance" – a heart-pounding tale of love, loyalty, and the thin line between right and wrong.

My mate Mason not only inherited the Alpha position of the tribe, but also his stepmother Olivia. Mason always explained to me after being intimate with her: “Evelyn, don’t mind it. I had no choice.” “You’re the only one I truly love. Once Olivia gets pregnant and gives birth, I’ll hold the marking ceremony with you.” He said it was the condition set by the Alpha King for him to inherit the Phantom Pack Alpha title. In one year, Mason spent at least three hundred days with Olivia. When Olivia finally got pregnant, I thought I could finally stand by his side as his mate. That’s when I realized—Mason had given both his love and his body to Olivia. I completely gave up and turned to my seven-year-old daughter: “Baby, do you want to leave with Mommy?” “Yes, I want to stay with Mommy,” she said. Mason didn’t know, what I wanted was never the Luna title. All I wanted was wholehearted love. If you can’t give it to me, then I’ll leave.

Ainsley, the almost-eighteen year old daughter of her pack’s Alpha and Luna, has always been different. Born Moon-Marked all she wants is to protect her pack, support her parents, and remain free to choose her own future. Across the border, Raithe— Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack—walks a razor’s edge. At twenty-three, he still hasn’t found his mate, and the longer the bond remains unfound, the more unstable he becomes. Rumors whisper that the famed Blood Moon ruthlessness is growing wild in him, threatening to tip him into madness. When Ainsley and Raithe cross paths, the world stills. The bond snaps into place—violent, undeniable, and terrifying. But neither is ready for what it demands. Ainsley fears losing her future to a mate she barely knows. Raithe fears losing himself before he earns her trust. And looming behind them are enemies who see Ainsley’s power as a weapon, Raithe’s instability as an opportunity, and their mating bond as a threat to the balance of every northern pack. With politics tightening, dangers rising, and their wolves pushing them closer, Ainsley and Raithe must decide whether their bond is a salvation… …or the spark that will ignite a war.

Her father promised me life on the legal side if I saved his only daughter. I was her last hope. Something about this rich, spoiled princess captured me from the moment I laid my eyes on her. This green-eyed beauty made me want things I never had. She was untouchable. If I were decent, I’d keep my distance. But God knew I was the worst kind of sinner. She shouldn’t have wanted my touch. Now she was mine. When a Russian rival mafia came for her seeking revenge and old, forgotten secrets are revealed, her life became marked. Would she stay in my world or go back to her carefree, privileged life?

Warning sewarning-warningnya! Khusus 21+ "Saya... butuh lebih dari sekadar teori.” Ariella Anata, seorang penulis cerita dewasa yang berkali-kali gagal menerbitkan karyanya, kembali ditolak mentah-mentah oleh editornya, karena tulisannya dianggap hambar dan tidak menggugah. Putus asa dan kehilangan arah, ia disarankan sahabatnya, Silvi, untuk belajar dari seorang pakar seksologi terkenal—dr. Nathan Xander—yang sering menjadi narasumber di majalah dewasa. Meskipun seminar dr. Nathan hanya diperuntukkan bagi pasangan suami istri, Ariel nekat menyelinap masuk demi “riset langsung” untuk tulisannya. Namun, keberaniannya justru berujung pada pertemuan yang memalukan. Setelah ditolak mentah-mentah oleh Nathan karena dianggap belum pantas, Ariel nekat mencium sang dokter demi membuktikan tekad dan keberaniannya sebagai penulis. Ciuman itu mengubah segalanya. Bagi Ariel, itu adalah langkah pertama menuju keberanian dan obsesi barunya terhadap sosok dingin dan berwibawa itu. Bagi Nathan, ciuman itu menjadi gangguan yang tak seharusnya ada—namun sulit ia lupakan. Pertemuan nekat itu menandai awal dari kisah penuh ketegangan, rasa ingin tahu, dan godaan antara dua dunia yang bertolak belakang: sang dokter rasional yang berpegang pada etika, dan sang penulis muda yang rela melanggar batas demi menemukan “rasa” dalam tulisannya. "Ugh.. jangan terlalu keras! Kalau kau memegangnya seperti itu, pria manapun tak akan bisa menikmatinya." "Ma‐maaf, Dok..."

"You didn't ask for the bite but you got it anyways, now you are one of us" A female voice entered Alexander's ears. After so many years of being hidden the supernatural world slowly emerges to the real world. All due to the hunt for power, the hunt for the Wolf's Legacy. During this hunt some teenagers are caught in the cross fire and drawn to the battle. One of them his Alexander Marshall a teenager beaten by the Primordial Alpha who possesses the Wolf's Legacy. Alexander is gifted with the Wolf's Legacy via the bite now danger lurks around him while he struggles for his survival, trying to protect his loved ones same time trying to live a normal life. And well his love life, let's see...Dating a werewolf hunter's daughter who wants to kill him because he is a werewolf? How bad can it be?

"Who are you to her?" "I'm her boyfriend and if you don't get out of here, I'll be the man who will be responsible for putting you six-feet underground," Zendaya heard Jayden say, shocking her. Zendaya's life unravels when she discovers her fiancé's infidelity two days prior to the wedding. Devastated and desperate to escape reality, she gets drunk and decides to have a one-night stand. But fate has a twist in store as her one-night-stand turns out to be Jayden Gerano, the man who hated her since their childhood, the one who made her life a living hell, yet the man she couldn't hate no matter how hard she tried. She decides to forget about her impulsive decision, but Jayden has other plans. With a charming grin and a determination that surprises them both, he refuses to let her slip away. He wants her back in his life—and this time, as his woman. He had let her go once, and he’d be damned if he made the same mistake. Will Zendaya embrace a future with the man she never expected to want, and let go of the past, or will her hatred for Jayden win? Find out in Entangled with my Childhood Enemy.

I am a human, but my boyfriend is a werewolf. During a date, I discovered that he cheated on me. Disillusioned, I rushed to the bar to drown my sorrows in alcohol but accidentally ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger and was marked by him. I thought my life was going to be completely dark from that point on, but I never expected that the man would turn out to be a powerful alpha. It was like a wide net slowly closing in on us in the darkness. Ever since I found out that I was pregnant, the fate of us was deeply entangled individuals...

He’s broken, brutal, and untouchable—until I touch him. Everyone at Willow Crest High fears Jake Blaze. He fights like he’s got nothing to lose—because he doesn’t. Except maybe me. I was the quiet girl with too many secrets, fresh out of a custody battle between parents, and desperate for peace. He was the school’s tattooed nightmare, bleeding rage and violence. We were never meant to cross paths. But one cruel bet. One twisted kiss. One accidental confession— And now I’m the only one who sees the boy beneath the monster. He’s dangerous. I know that. He hurts people. I’ve seen it. But when he looks at me like I’m his last chance at salvation… I forget that I’m supposed to be afraid. He wants to protect me. But what if I’m the one who ends up saving him? Did I mention he’s my best friend's brother.