Mastering Skills

Zeeland stared at me with pure untainted disgust, and my heart picked up speed. “Zee?” What's wrong?” “You’re a Vampire?” He asked in a strangled voice. I was suddenly aware of my fangs which had sprouted while I'd lost control. “It’s not what you think, Zee.” I said, reaching out for him. He backed away. “You’re a hybrid. An abomination.” He sneered. I swallowed hard. “I’m your mate, Zee.” I said, digging my nails into the sheets, as I retracted my fangs slowly. “Mate?” His emotionless chuckle stabbed straight into my heart. “Not only are you a hybrid, an abomination, but you're also an Omega. What makes you think you'll ever be my mate?” I stilled. “Zee-” “I, Zeeland Bastien, reject you, Jaslyn Laural as my mate.” ★★ Born into a race where being a hybrid was an abomination, Jaslyn Laural struggles to keep her secret for years. Until her father sells her out to notorious slave traders, where she's bought by the cripple Alpha; Alpha Zeeland, the soon-to-be Alpha of the revered Zen pack. When he discovers her identity as a hybrid, he rejects her as his mate and sends her out of his pack. Vowing to take revenge on those who wronged her, Jaslyn leaves and ends up in Vampire territory where she gains fighting skills she'd never imagined. Soon, werewolves and vampires have to join hands to defeat a mutual enemy. Jaslyn however is unwilling to forgive the man who hurt her. She is torn between choosing her real mate, and abandoning him to his fate. This is the first book out of the VAMPIRES CUPID series.

I’d just set sail to escort the cargo to the border when a Category 8 typhoon warning suddenly blared. I steer the ship back in the direction of the harbor, only to realize that the ship has run out of fuel. The distress beacon has been dismantled, too. Immediately, I pick up the radio and call the maritime rescuers for help. As soon as the call gets connected, I hear my wife, Melanie Watkins' mocking laughter instead. "I've already rewired the emergency number so that you can never reach the rescuers. Have fun surviving in the ocean!" Her student, Darell Parker, is with her as well. "Remember when you made fun of me for not knowing how to swim, Clifton? Well, now you're given the chance to show off your swimming skills! You can swim all the way back to the shore on your own! You'd better not be as slow as the sea turtles!" The waves have almost capsized the cargo ship. If I can't get rescued anytime soon, I'll end up dying in the sea. I can only grit my teeth before pleading to Melanie, "No one can possibly swim back to shore! Help me call the maritime rescuers—" But she laughs coldly in return. "Why do you need the rescuers' help? Didn't you say one must learn how to protect themselves? Now swim! "If you think the waters are too cold, then swim faster! Maybe you'll feel warmer the faster you swim!" I give up on arguing with Melanie. After that, I head toward the cargo area with a blade in hand and get ready to sever the ropes tying the cargo down. Said cargo contains the ransom money that's capable of saving Ella Zimmerman, the daughter of Hugh Zimmerman, the wealthiest man in Starbury.

Scarlett Voss has one rule: get in, get paid, get out. No attachments. No exceptions. No mercy. When a mysterious client offers her the biggest payday of her life to seduce billionaire Xavier Blackwell and steal a file from his private server, she doesn’t hesitate. Men like Xavier are easy targets — too powerful to expect betrayal, too arrogant to see it coming. Except Xavier Blackwell isn’t either of those things. He knew about Scarlett before she walked through his door. He knew her name, her game, and exactly who sent her. What he didn’t know — what no amount of preparation could have warned him about — was how completely she would dismantle every wall he’d spent years building. What neither of them knew was how deep the danger truly ran. Because the man who hired Scarlett isn’t just a client with a secret. He’s a senator with blood on his hands, a confirmation hearing in twenty-seven days, and a willingness to destroy anyone who stands between him and untouchability. He’s already killed once to protect himself. He’ll do it again without hesitation. He’s also Xavier’s uncle. And he chose Scarlett specifically — not just for her skills, but because he saw what would happen between them before either of them did. Now Scarlett and Xavier are running out of time, running out of trust, and running toward each other in a situation designed to make both impossible. The con was supposed to be simple. The truth is anything but. Some lies protect you. Some truths destroy you. And some people are worth burning everything down for.

Clara Davis is a trained seductress and elite nightclub performer, sent on a dangerous mission to infiltrate the life of billionaire Jeffery Rothwell and seize control of his empire. Outwardly charming, innocent, and irresistible, she hides a ruthless mind and deadly skills, willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish her goal because her freedom to live a normal life depends on that mission. Every interaction, every seduction, and every performance brings her closer to her objective, but also risks exposing her in ways she cannot predict. As Clara embeds herself deeper into Jeffery’s world, she unexpectedly falls in love with him, violating her organization’s rules and putting herself at risk. Jeffery, observant and dominant, soon uncovers her true motives. His response is brutal. He assaults her, removes her inner organs, and forces facial and body reconstruction, declaring her dead. Reborn under a new identity, Clara must adjust to a reality dominated by fear, power, and obsession, walking beside a man whose control is absolute. As psychological games of dominance, desire, and manipulation intensify, Clara uncovers fragments of the Rothwell family’s past, including the shocking truth that the real Jeffery died years ago and the man she serves is a master assassin secretly controlling the empire. Every choice she makes carries risk, and every step is fraught with danger. Forbidden love turns to searing hatred as Clara confronts the assassin Jeffery and the resurfacing real Rothwell, forcing her to reconcile her past, her reborn identity, and the deadly truths surrounding her. Clara must embrace her new self, wield her intelligence and strength, and survive in a world where power is absolute, desire is weaponized, and love is no longer a refuge. Nothing is as it seems, and every choice comes at a dangerous cost.

Ever since my mom gave birth to her second child, everything in the household is tied to drawing lots. Everyone has to draw lots in order to decide whose favorite food will be served for each meal. We have to draw lots to see who among us gets a hug from our parents. Every time, I end up drawing the short end of the stick, so everyone automatically assumes that my younger sister, Anabelle Madden, gets the better lot. She easily reaps my parents' love without having to do anything at all. Whenever I feel like crying because of the injustice, Mom will scold me instantly. "I bought the lottery box because I was worried that you might feel upset about this. I'm doing this just to be fair to both of you. "If you want something, you have to be the one deciding who gets what. Your father and I won't interfere with your decision at all. Since you can't draw the better lot, that just means you have bad luck." Hence, I keep practicing my lot-drawing skills every day, hoping that I can eventually draw the better lot in order to obtain my parents' love. But for ten years, I never get to draw the better lot. Not even once. On my birthday, Anabelle wants to go to the amusement park, so Mom tells us to draw lots once again. I secretly glue two short lots together before giving it to Mom in an attempt to get her to stay with me. Instead, she slaps me and berates me for being a disobedient child who cheats in lot-drawing. Then, she leaves the house with Anabelle. When I fall to the floor, I feel the short sticks piercing through my neck.

Caitlin Paine wakes to discover that she has once again traveled back in time. This time, she has landed in eighteenth century Paris, an age of great opulence, of kings and queens—but also of revolution.

Reunited with her true love, Caleb, the two of them finally have the quiet, romantic time together that they never had. Caitlin decides to give up the search for her father, so that she can savor this time and place, and spend her life with Caleb. Caleb takes her to his medieval castle, near the ocean, and Caitlin is happier than she ever dreamed.

But their idyllic time together is not destined to last forever, and events intercede that force the two of them apart. Caitlin once again finds herself united with Aiden and his coven, with Polly and with new friends, as she focuses again on her training, and on her mission. She is introduced to the lavish world of Versailles, and encounters outfits and opulence beyond what she ever dreamed. With never ending feasts and parties and concerts, Versailles is a world of its own. She is happily reunited with her bother Sam, who is also back in time, and having dreams of their father, too.

But all is not as well as it seems. Kyle has traveled back in time, too—this time, with his evil sidekick, Sergei—and he is more determined than ever to kill Caitlin. And Sam and Polly each fall ever deeper into toxic relationships, which just might threaten to destroy everything around them.

As Caitlin becomes a true and hardened warrior, she comes closer than ever to finding her father, and the mythical Shield. The climactic, action-packed ending, takes Caitlin through a whirlwind of Paris’ most important medieval locations, on a hunt for clues. But surviving this time will demand skills she never dreamed she had. And reuniting with Caleb will require her to make the hardest choices—and sacrifices—of her life.

For ten long years, Gloria put up with Victor' Anderson's cold heart, his cheating, and the shame of being a wife he didn't want anymore all to protect their daughter, Annabel. Then one day, she snapped. “I want a divorce,” she said. Victor laughed at her, like a cruel joke. To him, Gloria was nothing without his name, his money, his control. Her family depended on him for survival. She came from poor roots and would go back to nothing. “You'll come crawling back,” he said with a mean smile. “You always do.” But this time, she didn't. With no money, no job skills, and a child to care for, Gloria left her fancy life for a hard, unknown world. She promised to start over, no matter how tough it got. The real world was dark and cruel. Jobs turned her away. Money ran out. Bills piled up. Fear for Annabel's future choked her like a tight grip. In her desperation, she went to the one man she knew was dangerous Lukas Anderson. Victor's younger stepbrother. He was a rich boss, a famous womanizer, a man who broke hearts as easy as he signed deals. For years, he had wanted Gloria, staring at her body, dreaming of her in secret ways. Helping her was simple. Owning her? Even better. “You need money. I need you,” he whispered, his voice low and tempting, his hands brushing her skin. “Work for me… and I'll give you what your husband never did. Safety. Power. And pleasure you can't imagine.” Now Gloria is stuck between two bad men: the husband who broke her… and the stepbrother who wants to take her body and soul in a storm of dark, hungry sex.

"You are trembling," Dante whispered, his hand sliding up my thigh, hidden beneath the white tablecloth of the crowded gala. "Please," I begged, the word tasting like ash in my mouth. "Please what?" He leaned in, his teeth grazing my ear, his grip on my leg tightening to a bruise. "Please stop? Or please... take me?" He dragged his thumb over my skin, ruining me in front of everyone, his eyes dark with a terrifying promise. "You belong to me, Evelina. And tonight... I’m going to make sure you scream it. *** Three million dollars. That was the price of my sister’s life. To save her, I sold myself to Dante Valenti. He is the king of Wall Street, a monster in a tailored suit who deals in acquisitions and ruin. He didn't just want my skills as a curator; he wanted me. My time, my freedom, and my absolute submission for five years. I thought I could withstand him. I thought I could keep my heart safe behind walls of hatred. But Dante doesn't just break walls; he burns them down. He strips away my defenses layer by layer, forcing me to play his dark, twisted games. He isolates me, controls me, and manipulates my reality until I don't know where the cage ends and I begin. He treats me like a prized artifact—something to be displayed, guarded, and owned. But as the lines between hatred and desire blur, I realize the terrifying truth: He doesn't just want to own my body. He wants to break my soul until I thank him for the chains.

Young, wild, and alluring, that's how everyone viewed Scarlett Morris. Most women hated her appearance because she possessed those qualities that drew men's attention towards her. Social media posts often defame and humiliate her personality, but she only shrugged her shoulders on it. Her main focus was to earn more money to support her needs and her twin brother's education. No matter how hard life threw at her, she rose above it, she ignored gossip and humiliation, but people around her were vicious as their jealousy consumed their minds. She often ran into trouble, and someone who is out of her league become her savior. It was none other than the business mogul - Francis Sandler. Francis Sandler built a legendary empire with his talent in the business and his extraordinary networking skills– he handled with absolute perfection both gangs and the government. He came from the wealthiest Sandler family of Irving City- and he's the CEO of T.B.S Empire. His deep secret was buried as danger evolved around it. He was accustomed that most women crawl into his bed to warm his night. From his perspective, Scarlett was another young and wild woman who aimed his fortune. Their destiny collided when several times Francis became Scarlett's savior. That moment Scarlett's enchanting beauty caught his attention, yet his painful and failed marriage reminded him that a beautiful woman is only a trophy to display. He offered her a tempting business transaction giving everything life has to offer in exchange for becoming his hidden woman. Their journey to a rollercoaster relationship started when Francis showed his real intention. The danger is about to unfold when Scarlett's main reason for accepting his offer was a pure secret task that will be bound to destroy them.

On the day we were supposed to get engaged, my fiance, Christopher Vittorino, slid the ring—that was supposed to be mine—onto Lina Sorenzo, my stepsister's finger, right in front of the entire family. Christopher's uncle, Don Mark Vittorino, was the one who had specifically ordered his subordinates to deliver the ring that symbolizes the wearer's status as the future Donna of the Vittorino family to Christopher himself. I could only stare at Christopher's deep blue eyes in disbelief. Just as I was about to question him, he just gazed at me with a stony expression. Even his tone was cold and rigid. "The Don intends to send me to Maravena for the next five years to develop my own business there. Once I return, I'll take over the family business. "You don't have any skills at all, Isla. If you stay with me, you'll just be a hindrance to me and cause me unwanted trouble. "Lina, on the other hand, is fluent in Maravenese. Not to mention, she knows how to expand the family business overseas. She will serve as a brilliant assistant for me." After that, Christopher took Lina's hand and left the venue with her, not caring about the fact that the leaders of the other branch families as well as the elders kept murmuring among themselves. Because of that, I ended up becoming the laughingstock of the entire family. Five years later, Christopher and Lina return to the country. When he spots me showing up at a family gathering held by Mark with a ruby ring that signifies my status as the Donna on my finger, his expression changes instantly. "I can't believe you learned to steal, Isla!" I just ignore Christopher's accusations in favor of looking for the Black Rose Medal that my son, Toby Vittorino, has lost. That medal is a gift he received on his fourth birthday from Mark. Poor Toby has been sobbing for a long time because of its disappearance. I need to hurry up and find it as soon as possible.