Nanami Burned

cold finger brushed my chin. It was barely there, but it sent a quick, immediate thrill through me, as though my body was unsure whether to retreat or lean in. He raised my head slowly and purposefully. At first I fought; my muscles clenched with terror, but his hold was unbelievably strong, and his touch was commanding but delicate. I had no choice but to follow. Then our eyes connected. My breath caught in the back of my throat. Elara’s lineage was cursed. A werewolf by blood, a witch by fate, and something far more dangerous by destiny. She had spent her life looking forward to the mate ceremony but she gets the shock of her life as he rejects her and she is attacked. Everything that she has ever know about herself is not what it seems. Rejected by her mate, she is hunted by the supernatural council. But the night has other plans. When she falls into the hands of Abbadon, the Vampire King, she expects death. Instead, he saves her, binding their fates in ways neither of them understand. With war looming and the council determined to erase her existence, Elara has no choice but to embrace the darkness within. The witches who should have stood by her have turned against her. The werewolves see her as an abomination. And the council’s most feared enforcers are closing in. When her home is burned to the ground and her family slaughtered, she swears vengeance. No longer just a fugitive, she becomes the storm that will bring the supernatural world to its knees. Will she survive or will she forever be an abomination to be hunted until her death?

[TRIGGER WARNING: Reader's Discretion Is Advised. This book contains mature themes, explicit sexual content, dark romantic elements, and strong language. It is intended for adult audiences(18+). Proceed with caution.] He placed a hand on my leg, and my breath caught. His hand slowly began stroking my thigh, sending a strange wave of sensation through my body. My fingers tightened against my dress as my pulse quickened. His hand moved slowly higher, sliding deeper into my thigh. My body stiffened as his fingers brushed against my panties. My heart pounded loudly in my chest. Is Master doing what I think he’s going to do? I thought, panic slowly rising inside me. He leaned slightly closer to me, his shoulder brushing mine. “Try not to moan,” he whispered, my breath hitched. I tried my best to stay still, forcing myself to keep my expression calm as the men around the table continued their conversation. But under the table, his fingers kept teasing the fabric of my panties. My breathing grew uneven, then his fingers suddenly slipped inside. A small cough escaped my lips as my body jerked slightly from the sudden sensation. Several heads turned toward me. “Are you okay, Mrs. Enzo?” one of them asked with concern. My face burned with embarrassment. “Is something wrong? Did you choke on the food?” another man asked. “I think she choked on the food,” Enzo said calmly as he looked at me, his eyes held a warning.

"Will you reject me?" I asked lowly, ignoring the huge lump that had formed in my throat. I could only fight back my tears as they burned my eyes. His green eyes were like orbs of ice, piercing into my soul. It was glazed and cold, yet seemed to have a lot of secrets hidden in it. "Reject you?...I am cursed. You won't survive being my mate. I advice you kill yourself before I do it myself." He muttered silently and walked away immediately. Ella was the alpha's daughter. She was the supposed heir and first female Alpha of the pack after her parents failed to bear another child, but her life went sour. She was abhorred, rejected, and termed a demon by her father and entire pack after she murdered her mother on the day of her supposed first shift. Her life became more hellish as her father got another woman as his second mate and also abducted the Beta's daughter. She believed her finding and meeting her mate would bring the end of her suffering, but when she was faced with her fated mate, the cursed Lycan prince who stared back at her with contempt, irritation and hatred, her last hope became bleak. Ella was thrown into his arms as another prey to be devoured and everyone believed it was a death sentence. She was his third mate and next to get killed by his beast just as his curse demands. But when no one expected it, the unimaginable happened.

"You shouldn’t be here." Lila’s voice trembled, betraying the iron resolve she clung to. Cassian smirked, his broad frame blocking the doorway. "And yet, here I am." His gaze lingered on her, dark and hungry. "You didn’t think I’d let you go so easily, did you?" Two years ago, he shattered her heart with a rejection that still stung like a fresh wound. Now, the powerful Alpha stood in her doorway, his scent wrapping around her like a forbidden promise. "You made your choice, Cassian," she said, stepping back, even as her pulse quickened. "I’ve moved on." "Have you?" His voice was low, dangerous, as he closed the distance between them. "Because I haven’t. Every moment without you has been hell." Lila’s breath hitched as his hand brushed her cheek, the touch sparking a fire she thought had long since burned out. "You don’t get to do this," she whispered, though her body betrayed her, leaning into him. "I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine again," he growled, his lips just a breath away from hers. "Even if I have to fight the entire world you to prove it." But Cassian isn’t the only one after her heart. And this time, Lila refuses to be anyone’s second choice.

For five years, Silver Winters endured everything. The mistresses. The humiliation. The cold indifference of a husband who saw her as nothing more than a convenient trophy. All because she had saved his life and hence requested for a marriage as payment and due to his parents being traditionalists, they accepted the deal. Then came the night of the accident—the night Seris chose to save his best friend, a petite sick patient instead of his wife. Silver died in that icy river. *But she woke up five years earlier, on the morning of her wedding day.* *This time, she's not walking down the aisle.* This time, she's rewriting every rule.She is no longer the dumb princess who thought true love was everything and she was going to live happily ever after with her prince charming. She wasn't going to cling onto someone who never wanted her in the first place. *With the knowledge of five years of betrayal burned into her memory, Silver sets out to reclaim everything she lost: her career, her confidence, and her chance at real love.* *But her cold CEO husband seems... different this time.* *"Why didn't you marry me? This has been your childhood dream" Seris demands, cornering her at a business gala.* Silver smiles, unbothered. "I decided I'm worth more than being someone's doormat." As she builds her empire and attracts the attention of powerful new allies, Seris realizes what he lost. But Silver is already three steps ahead. And this time, she's the one holding all the cards.

"You never had a choice, Cassia. But now, the choice is yours." Cassia’s life was never her own. The daughter of a powerless Omega, she was bound by a cruel fate—married off to Alpha Lucien, a man twice her age and cold with dominance. Her mother’s brutal murder at the hands of her stepmother only deepened her misery, leaving her with no protection in a world ruled by ruthless power. Lucien’s cruel indifference burned at her soul, yet there was something about him, something beneath his harsh exterior that seemed to pull at her. But Cassia would not break. Forced into submission, she found the strength to fight. A mysterious ally within the pack emerged, offering help when all hope seemed lost. Through pain and struggle, she began unlocking powers deep within her—powers that her stepmother’s curse had suppressed for years. Her journey to self-discovery and freedom was just beginning, but it came at a cost. Should she seek revenge on the man who tormented her, or embrace the freedom she so desperately craved? And what of Lucien—could the man who caused her so much pain truly change, or was he beyond redemption? As the stakes grew higher, so did the tension between them. With enemies closing in from all sides, Cassia’s decision could change everything. Her true power was awakening, and with it, a choice that would either break her or set her free. Will she escape the chains of her past? Read now to discover Cassia’s journey toward freedom, love, and a destiny that is hers to claim.

"You think you can just leave without a trace after what happened that night?" His hands pinned her arms above her head, his piercing blue eyes boring into hers. "W-what do you mean?" she stuttered, his scent reminding her of that night—the night that had changed her life completely. "What do I mean? Are you seriously asking me that, woman? If your brain can't recall how we burned together on that bed, how about I remind you right here?" His face was dangerously close as he growled into her ear. Her eyes widened. He meant it. Every single word. He was the king of the entertainment world, after all. "Let me go," she demanded stubbornly, her voice barely audible. He let out a low, dark chuckle that sent a chill down her spine. "Let you go? Oh, I'll let you go, Tatiana. But not until you understand the consequences of crossing paths with me." •••••••••• In the world of the entertainment industry, we see constant change and creativity. Trends come and go, as do collaborations between artists and producers. This world can make anyone wish to be a part of it—it is said to be inspiring and enjoyable... Meanwhile, that's only on the surface. The same world is filled with deceit, betrayal, fake love, ruthless competition, toxic fans who could ruin you, suicide, and dissatisfaction... This world is mostly dominated by men. How can a woman, hurt by this world, face it—especially when she had a night and her life tangled with the king of them all?

Three days before my blood oath ceremony, someone planted a silver crucifix in the bridal shop and set it ablaze while I was inside trying on my ceremonial gown. My fiancé — Vampire Lord Damien — had the arsonist thrown into the silver prison, sentencing them to the harshest punishment our laws allowed. I lay in the healing chamber, my body covered in severe burns, refusing to wake fully as the reality of my disfigurement sank in. In my semi-conscious state, I heard Damien speaking with the coven's apothecary. "My Lord, we can still heal her completely with the ancient blood rites. If we wait any longer, Serena will bear these scars for life! You just want Miss Vivienne to be your Consort at the blood oath ceremony. This is cruel beyond measure!" "Let her keep the scars. I'll provide for her for the rest of her life, but if she's healed, she'll definitely cause trouble at the ceremony." "I promised Vivienne that her child would be welcomed into the coven with full honors. Only when Serena is completely disfigured will she be grateful enough to raise Vivienne's child as her own. The scars are necessary - at least this way, she won't dare mistreat the boy." In the corner of the room, where no one was watching, a tear slid down my burned cheek. So this was the truth. The blood oath ceremony I'd dreamed of was nothing but a lie. The blood bond I longed for would be my death sentence. If that's how it had to be, I would give him what he wanted.

Two pink lines on a pregnancy test. I was going to surprise my husband, Vince, the Moretti family heir. Instead, the surprise was on me. A pair of black lace panties—not mine—left in his car. The air reeked of cheap perfume and betrayal. I stormed his casino, demanding answers. But I found her in his private suite. Sophia. She smirked, looking me up and down. “You must be the wife. I’ve seen your picture on the nightstand. Vince says you’re a boring little nun. Says he can’t even get hard looking at you.” I snapped. My hand shaking, I hurled a glass of red wine in her face. She shrieked, stumbled back, and crashed into a glass cabinet. Blood bloomed across the carpet. Vince burst in and slapped me so hard I hit the floor. "Are you insane?! She's carrying my heir!" My heart shattered. As I fell, a darker pool of blood spread beneath me. Our baby. I was miscarrying. And when forced to choose between his wife and his whore, Vince chose her. He forgot who put him on his throne. I’m not some trophy wife he can discard. I am a DeLuca. A princess of the underworld. So for revenge, I married his worst enemy, Dante Costello. And when we burned his empire to the ground, Vince finally broke. He got on his knees and begged me to come back.

Juliet Fredrick has spent her life staying unnoticed. Working the night shift at a fast-food chain, paying her mother’s hospital bills, keeping her younger sister safe. She knows how the world works: nobody saves you. You save yourself. But everything changes the night she crosses paths with Ejike Olatunji. He is more than the richest man in Africa. He is a man whispered about. Ruthless in business. Untouchable in power. Unbreakable in will. And he has just made Juliet an offer that sounds like salvation: Marry him. Play the loyal wife. Protect his public image. In exchange, he will save her family. Juliet steps into a life she has never imagined: penthouses, private jets, global boardrooms, and people who smile at her while planning her destruction. Because Ejike has enemies. And now, so does she. A jealous socialite who refuses to be replaced. A rival billionaire who plays mind games with a smile. A former partner who wants the empire burned to the ground. The closer Juliet gets to Ejike, the more she realizes something is wrong. He is not just closed off. He is watching. He is waiting. And he is hiding a secret dangerous enough to shatter them both. Someone is lying. Someone is hunting them. And the only person Juliet can trust is the man she was never supposed to love. A marriage built on survival is becoming something else. But love, here, is not tender. Love is a battlefield. And the first mistake could be fatal.