Parting Gift

{Book 1 of the 'Tamed Series'} Since time immemorial, two fore-standing Races of the beings that inhabit the Wisterne Continent, have been in an unending dispute. They say the Demons prowl the living, corrupting and enticing their souls into oblivion. And the Werewolves receive a gift at the dawn of every Healing Ritual, in the exaltation of their most venerated Moon deity.~~Himari Orion has dreamt of the Healing Ritual since she turned fourteen, hoping she can bring pride to the Pack’s Gamma family with the transformation into her wolf. On the night of the coveted ceremony that occurs once a decade, she’s pronounced an Omega, a derogatory title stigmatized by the rest of her kind. The impaling aftermath leaves her hollowed and left with a shriveled ambition.Wrongly accused of orchestrating the ‘Darkling’ sudden attack on her Pack, she’s forced to flee, having no other choice but to trust in whatever resides across the river that separates her race from the rest of the world.Zorien Virote is one of the last remaining High-tier Demons and a prodigal son to the Royal family; an uncontestable warrior set to guard the riverbank and eliminate all were-beings upon sight. He is driven by a ferocious distrust for women, forcing him to end the lives of all his mates until he stumbles into the runaway she-wolf he’s been observing since her conception.“You’re the goddess’ chosen, Himari. No harm will come to you, and you’ll live to fulfill your destiny.”An ancient Black Flame that incinerates all Demons into ashes…Will Himari be able to heal the wound inflicted upon this peculiar Demon? And will Zorien take on the responsibility to kill his final mate and choose the victory of his race over his tender love?

Ever wonder how one of the best days of your life turns into a lifelong nightmare? Two people, two different worlds yet bound by the same emotion, "HATE." Marriage is supposed to be an eternal bond filled with love and happiness. This was far from the truth for Asmaira and Amaan. Two broken souls entangle in the game of destiny, which ends their dream of everlasting love. For one, it was a journey of redemption, and for another, it was to seek vengeance. Amaan was forced to marry Asmaira, who knew how much he hated her, yet, she agreed to the marriage, knowing well the thorny path coming her way. What is the past that connects both Asmara and Amaan, and why do they hate each other so much without meeting each other? "Please......." was the only word she could say while trying to get out of his grip. "Please let me go," she stammered in between her hiccup, shaking her head with pleading eyes and folded hands. "Why are you scared, baby? I know I was wrong to not accept you as my wife, but now I want to correct my mistake. Let's start once again our marriage. How about I gift you something to celebrate?" He said near her ear, emphasizing the word 'gift.' Sensing her fright, he grabs her waist while using the other to stroke her cheek, "how about giving you a baby tonight?" Asmaira gaped. "I know it is your first time, and.." he trailed, hitching Asmaira's breath, "I would make sure you would never forget it."

Mit zwanzig legte mir der steinreiche Kriegskamerad meines Großvaters die Fotos aller seiner Enkel vor. „Such dir einen aus“, sagte er. „Einen Mann für dich.“ Ohne eine Sekunde zu zögern zeigte ich auf den sechsten: Dieter Weber. Die Anwesenden waren schockiert. Schließlich wusste jeder, dass ich immer nur den dritten Weber-Enkel, Egon, wollte. In meinem vorherigen Leben hatte ich meinen Willen bekommen: Ich heiratete Egon Weber. Und dank dieser Heirat erbte er den Großteil des Familienvermögens. Doch nach der Hochzeit ging er eine Affäre mit meiner jüngeren Schwester ein. Meine Eltern waren außer sich vor Wut und schickten meine Schwester zum Studium ins Ausland. Doch Egon war überzeugt, ich hätte sie auseinandergebracht. Von da an hasste er mich aus tiefster Seele. Von da an war er ständig von Frauen umgeben, die meiner Schwester ähnlich sahen. Jede Einzelne. Ich verfiel in eine schwere Depression. Anstatt mir zu helfen, wurden meine Medikamente gegen ein langsames Gift ausgetauscht – von ihm. Am Ende starb ich, mit seinem ungeborenen Kind im Leib. Nun, da ich noch einmal leben durfte, würde ich ihnen den Weg freimachen. Doch was ich nicht ahnte: Auch Egon Weber war zurückgekehrt!

On Thanksgiving, my husband Steven Mandel showed up with another woman. Not just anyone—Fiona Osborne, his first love. She had Alzheimer's and only remembered him. And yeah, he said she was moving in. Steven's eyes were ice. "Erica, I stayed away from Fiona out of duty. But I'm not wasting what time I have left without her." Happy 50th anniversary to me. No gift—just a slap-in-the-face love confession. Maya, my daughter-in-law, tried to talk some sense into him, bless her. Then Anton—my own son—cut in. "Mom already kept Dad away from Fiona for years. She's tied ME to you for half my life. Now Dad just wants to take care of the woman he loves—what's so wrong with that?" Steven stepped in front of Fiona like some kind of hero. "Anton's right. Erica, I let you play the wife role for decades. Now, I want to be with the woman I truly love. "If you can't handle that, let's just get a divorce." I stood there, frozen. I'd walked away from a powerhouse law career for this family after we had Anton. I thought I had given everything, and in their eyes, I would be a perfect wife and a perfect mother. But today made it clear—I was never enough. No matter how much I gave, it was never going to be enough. I turned to Maya. She was crying. "You wanna get divorced together?"

I pushed the door open and saw Giovanna standing there in my silk robe—my gift from Enzo—and wearing my heirloom pendant. She lifted a brow and mocked me, “The robe fits, the pendant’s mine, and you—get out.” I grabbed Enzo, demanding an explanation, but he shoved a fake contract in my face, saying, “You signed it.” “I did not. Stop lying!” I snapped. He snapped at me, “This is family business. You know nothing.” It seemed three years together was nothing but an act. That very night, I ran away to Milan. I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to until Mark showed up out of nowhere. “Don’t be scared,” he said. “I’ve got you. As long as I’m around, no one touches you.” He protected me, and for a moment, I really thought I’d finally found someone I could rely on. However, when we were practicing at the shooting range later, I stared at him. “Why are you helping me?” I asked. “And don’t tell me it’s because of that mess I left behind.” His eyes flickered for a second before he answered, “Just trust me. That’s all you need to do.” Something about the way he said it made my stomach twist. This whole disaster was all one giant setup. And now here I am, gripping a gun, fighting for justice, but am I really avenging myself? Or was I already someone else’s pawn from the very beginning?

I, Zierno the famed assassin, am hunting the mythical Mist Mare. My king, my friend, has promised me command of his guard if I gift her to him. I never fail a mission. The beast will belong to the King of the Netherlands, one way or the other. It’s deeply amazing how much can go wrong in a single day. From capturing the rare creature for my liege, to it nearly making off with my king. Now I’m on his short list of enemies. During my mad flight from the castle, I thought to save an injured woman. I couldn’t have been more wrong. What I have now is a sack full of problems. This pretty red-eyed woman, being the largest. She looks like a sweet creature one moment. Then the next, a bloodthirsty demon. And truthfully, I’m terrified. I’ve never seen anything like her. “Chain me to the wall” She says. Normally I’d think that might make for an interesting afternoon. Now I’m thinking I’d rather be anywhere but where she can shriek at me when she has one of her ‘spells.’ “Go talk to the sorcerer.” She orders. As though I should know who he is. “I need your help.” She says, as though I’m intended to be some great savior. I’m a killer not a saint. Meanwhile, I’ve gotten word that the King has sent out an army to hunt me down and drag me back to face the consequences of a potential assassination. One which I did not intend! So my plan right now…Is essentially just to stay alive.

Four years of loving Marchello Enzo taught me one thing— it was finally time to let him go. He was the Don of the Marchello mafia empire. And I was supposed to become his Donna—his partner, his equal, the woman who stood at his side. But the moment his childhood sweetheart returned, radiant and adored, I understood something painfully simple: The title of Donna was never meant for me. It belonged to her. So before I walked away, I made three quiet decisions— First, I tossed the wedding ring he believed I treasured, and altered my million-dollar wedding dress to the measurements of the woman who had always held his heart. Second, I packed every extravagant gift he had ever given me—and donated them all to charity. They had once felt like proof of love; now they were nothing but proof of my foolishness. Third,I reclaimed a position I once abandoned for him—one I had turned down twice because he wanted me at his side. This time, I chose myself. My work. My life. A path that did not depend on his promises. On the day of his wedding, when he lifted the bride’s veil and realized it wasn’t me… the ruler of a billion-dollar underworld empire shattered. He tore the city apart looking for me— But he never found me. Because by then, I was already thousands of miles away, buried in my work, building the life he never believed I’d choose. I held the one secret he never imagined he’d lose: our child.

What does the underboss of an infamous crime family have in common with a spirited primary school teacher? Absolutely nothing, except a marriage of convenience, of course. When Lionel Tyson defaults on a gambling debt and offers his most prized possession as collateral, Austin Hawthorne is underwhelmed. But in desperate need of a housekeeper and permanent child minder, he knows he’d be an idiot to look a gift horse in the mouth. So, against his better judgement, he accepts an offer he should absolutely refuse. Marybeth Tyson is horrified to learn that not only is her father wanted by loan sharks, but he has also sold her off to a mafia boss. Bound by duty and pushed by guilt, she agrees to give Austin Hawthorne one year of her life, despite common sense screaming at her to run the other way. After all, how hard can pretending to be madly in love with someone be? It’s all fun and games until play pretend becomes all too real, and an earth-shattering secret from Austin’s past comes to light, threatening to destroy his second chance at love with his dogged pursuit for answers. Betrayal, especially at the hands of his older brother Blake and long-time friend, Andrei Ivanov, is a bitter pill to swallow for Austin, and letting them off scot-free is not an option. Driven by his unquenchable thirst for revenge, Austin will stop at nothing to get to the truth, even if it means destroying decade-old friendships and fragile ties to The Corporation. 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

I was preparing a gift for our six-year anniversary when my best friend sent me a photo of my Alpha boyfriend kissing another she-wolf. "Wait, when did you get to Chicago?" The she-wolf in the picture looked a lot like me, but it wasn't me. That's when I found out that my boyfriend of six years had been searching for replacements for his dead childhood sweetheart the whole time. I was number 5. The she-wolf in the photo was number 18. I rushed to Chicago and tracked down Lucas using his phone's location. "Dude, this number 18 really looks like Ally, even more than Sophia does!" "Nah man, Sophia still looks more like her. She's number 5 after all - if she didn't look so much like Ally, why would Lucas have stuck with her for six years?" Lucas flicked his cigarette ash, looking completely relaxed: "They both look pretty similar, but number 18's way better in bed. Sophia's too uptight." "I heard you had someone pick out a diamond ring. You planning to propose? To Sophia or this new chick?" Lucas leaned back into the couch with a cocky grin: "Haven't decided yet. Why don't you guys choose for me?" I turned around, my whole body shaking as a chill ran from my head to my toes. After calming down, I texted my best friend: "Your Alpha cousin, the one who had a crush on me and waited four years - is he still single?"

N.B This is the second Book in the Bonnet Family series but can be read as a standalone but I recommend reading the first book first Title: My Mate's Betrayal And Rejection ** Karen Lukeman has spent her life as an omega—unseen, unheard, and utterly disposable. When her arrogant first mate, Alex Scott, cruelly severs their bond before it even began, she flees, determined to carve out a new life far from the humiliation and heartbreak. The Shadow Moon Pack offers her sanctuary, a place to bury her pain and embrace her gift as a healer. But the moment she crosses paths with Jackson Bonnet, the young Alpha King with a reputation for not taking no for an answer, her world tilts on its axis. Having being raised in a loving home with siblings and parent who live for each other, Jackson dreams to find a mate he can completely dot on. The moment their eyes lock, the mate bond ignites with an intensity that terrifies her. Karen is determined to resist, convinced love is just another kind of surrender. But Jackson refuses to let her push him away. He’s a king who is determined to love what he wants, and what he wants is her—body, soul, and the shattered pieces of her heart. But as their passion deepens, so do the threats. Alex, consumed by regret and a twisted obsession, will stop at nothing to reclaim what he threw away. Rival packs circle like vultures, hungry for the power Karen possess, while dark secrets claw their way to the surface, threatening to destroy the fragile trust between Karen and Jackson. Karen must decide: Is she strong enough to claim her destiny? Or will the ghosts of her past devour her future before it even begins?