Mark Twain Library Long Beach

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.

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.

“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.”

"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?

Preview:“Pin her to the ground. Dom, you keep those damn legs down.” Dante coughed as he stood up to regain himself. They wanted a weapon. They created a queen. Novalee Ashford had a simple life-a job she tolerated, a husband she adored, a future she believed in. Then Dante Santoro decided she was his. Ripped from everything she knew, Novalee is thrust into a world of violence, cruelty, and impossible choices. The Santoro family doesn't just want to own her body-they want to remake her soul. Under their brutal tutelage, she transforms from victim to weapon, from captive to bride. But Novalee has a secret: she remembers who she was. And she's planning something they never expected. Vengeance. With Atlas-the guard who was supposed to keep her caged-as her unlikely ally, Novalee plays the deadliest game of her life. Every smile hides a blade. Every submission masks rebellion. Every moment brings her closer to the reckoning they deserve. They wanted to create a monster. They succeeded. Marked, Broken and Carrying his Heir is a dark romance containing mature themes and graphic content. Reader discretion is strongly advised. ****WARNINGS**** Explicit sexual assault/rape Non-consensual sexual situations Explicit consensual sexual content Sexual degradation and humiliation Forced sexual performance Violence: Graphic murder Torture Domestic violence and abuse Blood and gore Beatings and physical assault Captivity & Control: Kidnapping and imprisonment Human trafficking elements Forced marriage Psychological manipulation and gaslighting Conditioning and breaking Loss of autonomy Trauma & Loss: Pregnancy loss Forced hysterectomy Suicide Grief and mourning PTSD symptoms Other: Forced drug administration Starvation/food control Sleep deprivation Isolation Death of spouse

Alexa sangat mencintai Kevin dan merasa bersyukur karena akhirnya dapat menikah dengan cinta pertamanya itu. Namun, sebaliknya Kevin justru membenci Alexa dan menganggapnya gadis licik karena telah menjebaknya dan membuatnya putus dari kekasihnya. Pernikahan Alexa terasa seperti berada di neraka. Sampai akhirnya ia memilih untuk menyerah dan meminta cerai setelah mengalami keguguran akibat Kevin yang lebih perduli pada Nora, mantan kekasihnya. Sayangnya, Kevin justru menolak untuk bercerai dari Alexa! Akankah Kevin mulai mencintai Alexa atau memang dia memiliki rencana tersembunyi!

Introduction: Modern + sadomasochism + love + domineering president In this modern city, two hearts begin to intertwine, but they are destined to experience joys and sorrows. Isabella loved him deeply, but was framed and imprisoned by him and her sister, and suffered all kinds of hardships. However, fate still took pity on Isabella after all. "Fortunately I no longer love you" is a sadomaso chistic novel that reveals the bitterness and warmth of modern love through Isabella's growth and experiences. In the bustling city, they traveled through dreamy time and faced the cruelty of parting, but they also discovered the sincere beauty in life. This is a melody of love and pain, leaving the afterglow of parting and blooming in the depths of the soul forever.

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.

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...

When Alina strikes a desperate deal with her father, she enters the forbidden forest—only to be bitten by a venomous creature that should’ve killed her. Instead, she wakes up with fractured memories, a strange mark etched into her skin, and a bond she doesn’t understand… one that ties her to Valerian, the cold, commanding vampire who saved her life—or cursed it. As she recovers among his kind, Alina is forced to navigate the uneasy truce between Lycans and Vampires while uncovering the secrets buried by witches long ago. But the mate bond between her and Valerian grows stronger—and harder to deny. Ancient wars don’t stay buried, and neither do dangerous truths. Torn between loyalty to her pack and the dark pull of the vampire she never chose, Alina must decide what she’s willing to risk… before the blood that binds them becomes her ruin.