Oranges By Gary Soto

In a kingdom ruled by a brutal king, Thalia Blackwood, an infamous assassin, is given a choice: fight for her freedom or remain a prisoner in the deadly salt mines of Karnak. Selected to compete against ruthless criminals in a contest to become the King’s Champion, Thalia soon finds herself entangled in dark court politics, where enemies lurk in the shadows, and nothing is as it seems. But as she navigates this treacherous competition, sinister forces far beyond the throne emerge, and Thalia must confront a hidden magic, long thought lost, that could destroy everything. With her deadly skills and a mysterious past that threatens to surface, she must outwit her rivals and face dangers both human and magical. Freedom comes at a price—and Thalia will pay it in blood if she has to. Will she win her freedom, or will the darkness of her past consume her first?

The handsome and compassionate Baron Fabian Deschamps took pity on a bride callously treated by her old and ugly groom on the day of their wedding, so he invoked his right to her first night. He wanted to give the arrogant husband a lesson and his virgin wife a pleasurable seduction she hopefully will never forget. But as soon as her lips touched his, he realizes he also has a lesson to learn. Not all virgins are innocent. Adalene Duvre is a smart, curious, beautiful young woman. And there is the danger he’s the one who might never forget her… if he could still let her go. As soon as Adalene gets the chance to fulfill her curiosity about the matrimonial bed and the anatomy of a man, she wanted to know more. Fabian is finding it hard to think about the day he is bound to give her back to her real husband...

Leading a double life, multimillionaire CEO Mark Molt has to choose wisely! Having an affair with his secretary turns into in to a trap that he can’t get out off. Things take a turn when both worlds collide. Will he make the right choice or will he live in regret? Is there a right choice? When there are 2 woman both bearing his children!!!! His wife and his mistress!

Hez, the rude and spoiled brat. She would never lose if she knew she was right. All she wanted was to captivate her very handsome neighbor with her beauty but she couldn't get the man because it was so rude to her. Until one day... as time went on, she just found herself captivated by his warmth.

“Cassie.” Everything around me froze. I stared at him without blinking for a second. “Cassie?” I repeated back to him. “The woman you brought into our house and claimed she was a distant cousin?” That was the moment I knew my marriage was over. Chloe Stone thought she had a perfect life, with a husband she loved and a future she had dreamed of since she was a child. But on the night of their fifth wedding anniversary, one text changed her life. Her husband was having an affair with another woman. Devastated, she walks away from her marriage with nothing but a suitcase and her pride. She leaves and tries to heal but it is difficult under the roof of a bitter father. Chloe lands a job in a powerful firm and comes face to face with Alex Blackwood, her ex-husband’s college rival, a powerful billionaire CEO with a guarded heart, raising a child on his own. Can two hearts shattered by their pasts, find love in the most unexpected second chance?

Javier Mendez is not the one to fancy human being, he hates it better if they don't exist. What happened when the arrogant human hater was mated to no one but a nerdy human who buries her head under her bang, and hides her eyes under a round rimmed spectacles. Javier made a vow. He's never going to reject her, nor is he going to claim her. He's going to bully her, break her, destroy her, and let her pay for being his mate! *** "What do you think about being my new prey?" I smirk, my nail digging deep into her waist, earning a sharp moan of pain from her. "You have no choice anyway, new prey"

"Tell me," I stutteringly said, my voice breaking like glass. "Do you only want to have sex with me?" With a furrowed brow and a tone that suggested frustration. He began, "Mabel, I... I don't-” "Steve, I can't handle inconsistency now! I simply cannot. I cut him off, yelling as I shook my head angrily. "What is going on between us?" My gaze pierced his, requesting an open response and a clear route through the emotional ruins. His jaw tensed as he averted his gaze, then returned to me with a look of deep confusion on his face. He said, "I don't know either, Mabel," in a voice that was hardly more than a whisper and was filled with a sense of helplessness that was similar to mine. "Everything is moving so quickly.” I averted my eyes and frantically wiped at the unrelenting stream of tears that were tracing icy paths down my hot cheeks. "I think you need to leave," I whispered, barely able to breathe. I felt like my voice was about to break. ****** Mabel Jordan, scarred by past betrayal, seeks solace in the bustling city of Dax city. Sharing an apartment with the vibrant Hazel Harrison, she's thrust into a world of wealth and secrets. When she encounters Hazel's cousin, Steve Harrison, passion flares between them. Drawn to his dark allure, Mabel agrees to his terms: a no-strings-attached affair. But as their connection deepens, she battles with her own desires and fears and questions the limits of their arrangement. Can she tame the wild heart of a man who has sworn off love? Or will she cling to the safety of a loveless arrangement?

When Wakely transfers to a new university, she has one goal: keep her head down, finish her final credits, and get out. The plan is simple: stay invisible, avoid drama, and leave behind her abusive past. But the moment she steps onto campus, she has no idea what is about to happen to her. She quickly crosses paths with Cora, a bold, orange-haired wild card who takes Wakely under her wing. Cora introduces her to the unspoken hierarchy that rules the school, warning her about the campus “gods”: the Walker brothers. Sinfully attractive, effortlessly powerful, and notoriously cruel, the Walkers are known as much for their charm as for their dangerous pranks. Students either worship them or fear them. Wakely? She wants nothing to do with them. But Waylon Walker, the darkest of the three, has other plans. Unlike the others, Wakely doesn’t care about his reputation. She doesn’t flirt. She doesn’t chase. And she certainly doesn’t fall for arrogant boys with too much control. That only makes her more fascinating to him. What begins as curiosity spirals into obsession. Waylon watches her, follows her, learns everything he can—and slowly starts crossing lines no one’s ever dared to before. As their worlds collide, Wakely finds herself drawn into a twisted game of desire, secrets, and violence. Her carefully buried past begins to unravel when she discovers that her abusive father holds a far darker secret. A secret that she was unaware of, that could change her life forever. Now, with the weight of betrayal, obsession, and legacy pressing down on them, Wakely must decide whether to run from the danger or face it head-on, with Waylon at her side. And some secrets are never meant to be uncovered.

“Sir, the new student got into trouble in class ! They asked you to come !” I pulled a long face while my Lycan gritted out in my mind. “That’s our mate, punk !” Ever had the shock of your life that the man you hate the most on the first day of college is your foxy hot, male professor and surprise, surprise, surprise- your roommate too ?! Add to it that he does NOT belong to the human world ! Amidst bitter pasts and complicated relationships is the added fear of the Dark Overlord, who is hell-bent on destroying the entire supernatural world as well as the human world. Will the roommates get their act together and finally be one with one another ? Will human laws allow the student-teacher relationship to bloom into a satisfying romance ? Will the last surviving Lycan in the human world be able to avenge the death of its pure blood Lycan pack ? And finally, will the Lycan race survive at all?

Lanaya lost her parents in a horrific car accident when she was a baby, tennis stars sent her to live with them as a kind of repayment. It took fifteen years of cruelty and neglect before she was ultimately saved by a guy more dangerous than her foster parents on the night of her 18th birthday. His place in the Marchetti line of succession means he has little time for women, let alone women who faint when they see trouble. When he wants something, he does whatever it takes to get it, and if people have to die in the process, what? Why is his touch so kind when he's with a certain abused princess, a buddy of violence and death? In the wake of her rescue, Lanaya is eager to begin a new life, but owing to the Mafia is a significant undertaking. The Underboss seemed to be interested in her as well. Secrets, deception, and death taint their relationship. She may not be able to tolerate finding out the truth about her parents' accident or lack soon. Despite this, Salvetti and Lanaya's unusual sentiments blossom, and she's determined to battle for happiness by letting them grow. A difficult one, including a great deal of suffering, healing, and even some violence.