Painted Devils

Caius Vannister, despite his reputation as one of the most eligible bachelors of the country, was a one-woman-man kind of guy. He had imposed strict rules upon himself, and that is to be loyal to just one woman. He laid no woman in his bed for years, which is why he knew he was in trouble when he felt the heat and the beast awakened at the sight of the drunk Murphy who one night, accidentally barged on his VIP room. Having tasted the sweet scent and pleasure he didn't know existed, he desperately searched for the lady, who fortunately left her business card, the morning he woke up alone. Realizing that the lady was closely acquainted with his cousin, Casper and his wife, a playful smirk was painted on his lips. "Architect Murphy Jayden…you're mine…” As Murphy tried to shoo him away, he was adamant to claim the lips, the body, and the heart of the lady who, from the start, stole his. Caius vowed to know everything about her to plan his next steps, that his vast connection was put to the test when he found no single information about her, apart from what he knew from Casper. Pondering about it for far too long, he could only utter one thing... "Who are you truly, milady?”

In a world where power is currency and women are pawns, Ava Campelli has just been sold to the highest bidder through a wedding veil. Born into a legacy of blood and quiet obedience, Ava knew her fate was sealed long before she could dream of escape. When she’s forced to marry Nico Moretti, the cold, ruthless heir to a criminal empire, her life becomes a performance of silence and survival. From the outside, she’s a vision in white. On the inside, she’s breaking. Nico is everything she feared: calculated, controlling, and obsessed with ownership. What begins with a diamond ring and a kiss in front of hundreds quickly descends into possession, manipulation, and brutal expectations behind closed doors. His touch is demanding, his love conditional, and Ava is expected to be the perfect wife—seen, not heard. But behind the carefully painted smile and submissive posture, something dangerous is beginning to stir in Ava. Each cruel word, every forced touch, is a spark. And one day soon, she may burn the whole kingdom down. A story of power, pain, and the quiet beginnings of rebellion—Bound By Blood and Vows is a haunting tale of a girl who learns that surviving is only the beginning and if she can't win his heart, then she will steal it when she leaves.

⚠️ Reader Advisory: This story contains steamy scenes, mature language, and forbidden romance. Recommended for readers 18+ who enjoy emotionally intense and sexually charged love stories with depth. ~ “I’m going to turn every dirty page you’ve ever read into your reality, Teyana.” And Jeremy Carter did. ~ It started with a simple party dare and ended with my legs wrapped around the ever-addictive Jeremy Carter’s waist. I never thought the boy who never noticed the nerdy me in high school, the emotionally unavailable biker god I’d secretly fantasized about, would become my stepbrother. Or that I would find a naked painting of myself hidden in his closet — painted by his own twisted hands. Jeremy is inked sin, raw dominance, and a filthy mouth. I was just the quiet, virgin bookworm, that took solace in dark romance novels… until he dragged me into his dangerous world of racing, rage, and ruin. I should run. I should regret it. But when a man like Jeremy Carter kisses you, there’s no coming back. But what happened when family, friends, and even the campus tried to pull us apart? This is the story of how I got ruined by the one man I might never have… and how I let him.

“Three powerful Alphas, one fated she-wolf, and a bond that defies all rules—when darkness threatens to destroy them, only true love can save the day.” On the night of the full moon celebration, Valeria Blackthorn returns to her wolf pack after years of being banished by the Alpha King. However, nothing prepared her for what she stumbles upon— Valeria finds herself irresistibly drawn to three powerful Alphas— each drawn to her, not just by fate but by an undeniable desire too. Unfortunately, Valeria’s return and her newfound controversial mates bring more misfortune than imagined. With the sudden death of the Alpha king and his family, Valeria is painted as a traitor and is forced into hiding, trying to be protected by her mates. As Valeria  battles with her rising emotions, the packs face a looming threat— an exiled Alpha has returned with a deadly ambition to reclaim power, and has his eyes set on Valeria . Caught in a web of passion, rivalry, and betrayal, Valeria  must decide whether to embrace her destiny or risk losing everything she loves. The balance of power—and the survival of the packs—rests in her hands, but with the full moon’s power looming, so does her heart. Will Valeria unlock the power within her to unite the packs and stop the looming danger ahead, or will darkness consume them all as enemies close in from all sides?

Miyal Rhax, the warrior king and Alpha of the Crescent Silver Moon pack, once ruled with unwavering strength. But when a killing plague ravaged, turning the dead into hunger monsters, he was overcome by sorrow and corrupted by lies, resulting in a terrible decision. His Luna, Krishna Aswald,one of three legendary witches and descendant of lost Emerald Atlantia, was used as a scapegoat for the pack's pain. The pack, fueled by an ancient fear of magic, turned against her, while Perfera, the cunning daughter of a betrayed servant, seized the opportunity. Disguising her malice as loyalty, she fed Miyal lies that painted Krishna as the source of their doom. Blinded by desperation, Miyal sentenced Krishna to death by fire, shattering both their hearts in the process. As flames engulfed her, Krishna unleashed a power greater than death, vanishing in a blaze of emerald light. Her death brought no salvation—only increased suffering. Miyal realized too late that the true savior had been condemned, while Krishna found refuge with Ignatious West, her former lover and a powerful wizard, in the mystical land of Brunschiere. As the curse deepened, Miyal uncovered Perfera's darker scheme, revealing her as the culprit of the pack's doom. Determined to find Krishna, wanting her back and to seek forgiveness, he faced the daunting truth: could he heal the wounds he had inflicted, and would she trust him again as they confronted an even greater darkness? Or would she choose to live with her first love, Ignatious, and forget Miyal?

This story contains mature themes, explicit romantic content, power imbalance, and emotionally intense situations. It is intended for readers 18+ ⚠️ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "What do you do when the man who ruined your life becomes the only thing you can't stop thinking about?" It started with a slap and ended with my life in shambles. The media painted me as the villain. My scholarship? Gone. My future? Shattered. Now Thomas Knights—billionaire, music god—is a walking red flag, and the reason my life fell apart. But his father? He is more brutal and has me backed into a corner. He offered me a deal: become Thomas's personal assistant, and all my problems would disappear. But there's a catch; I need to spy on his son and report back to him. Yet, their world is ruthless, glamorous, and full of secrets. And Thomas is a destructive taboo, a controlling menace, and completely untouchable. Worse, he sees straight through me. And every day I'm with him, the line between duty and desire blurs. Every secret I learn pulls me deeper into his orbit. The real question isn't whether I'll take the deal. It's whether I'll survive what it demands of me. This isn't a love story. It's a game of survival, obsession, and ruin. And I don't know who will go down first—him or me?

Arielle Santos 24 years old never imagined that her life would be written for her — even her love story. She was raised in a modest family, a dreamer who painted her hopes in colors only she could see. But one evening, her world collapsed when her parents revealed the truth: to save their family from bankruptcy, she had to marry the son of their business partner — Evan Monteverde, the 28 years old, cold and distant heir of one of the country’s most powerful companies. Evan didn’t believe in love. To him, emotions were distractions — weaknesses that could ruin a man. He had long promised himself never to trust feelings again after being betrayed by someone he once loved. So when his father announced his arranged marriage with a woman he barely knew, he didn’t protest for love’s sake — only to end the endless lectures about “duty” and “family legacy.” Their wedding day was perfect — at least in the eyes of the guests. But behind the veil and the smiles, two strangers stood at the altar, reciting vows they didn’t mean. The words “I do”echoed in the church, but neither of them truly did. After the ceremony, they made a deal — they would live together for one year, play their roles for the sake of appearances, and then quietly separate. No love. No expectations. Just peace. But peace was harder to keep than they thought.

For ten years, Isaac was my fated mate. My Alpha. My future. Then, on the eve of his Alpha Ceremony, he chose another she-wolf to be his Luna, Chloe. His reason? She was wild and free...everything I used to be. "We are FATED MATES!" I screamed, my hand flying to the mark on my neck. "How can you defy the Moon Goddess? How can you just throw me away?" My wolf howled through our bond, trying to make him feel my pain. The backlash should have crippled him. But he didn't even flinch. It wasn't a real mark. Just a lie, painted on with magic. A trick to chain me to his side. My legs gave out. I hit the floor, a raw sob tearing from my throat. When the tears dried, the grief turned to ice. I stormed the Elders' Council and demanded they sever the bond. Then, I did the unthinkable. I chose his cursed uncle, Vincent. Isaac laughed. He thought it was a pathetic game to make him jealous. He had no idea. The Elders had already named his uncle the new Alpha. He didn't understand his mistake until he saw me crowned Luna on Vincent's arm. Only then did he come crawling back, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.

Sarita has always been a good daughter. The straight A's student and quite possibly going to be the class valedictorian on her graduation day. Like every other girl, she began to notice boys when she was fifteen and one boy in particular caught her fancy; Rajveer Chaturvedi. He is the co-captain of the school's basketball team The Panthers but he has never noticed her because he has his eyes on Divya Malhotra, head cheerleader who also happens to be his girlfriend. But Divya has her eyes on Vikrant Suryavanshi, the captain of the basketball team and Raj's best friend. Sarita loses all hope of ever getting Raj's attention but by a twist of fate, she becomes friends with Vikrant whom she'd heard of and seen a couple of times in school but had never spoken to due to the animosity between him and her best friend Kalyani who happens to be his cousin. Feelings grow between the unlikely pair and a long term friendship is broken when Divya's lies are revealed to Raj and Vikrant is painted the bad guy by his friend who swore to get his revenge. Vikrant's and Sarita's relationship is put to the test when she becomes pregnant due to a situation that was beyond their control and she is forced to choose between her family and the father of her baby when a young man shows up, claiming to be her betrothed.

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*