Ray Bradbury Zero Hour Novels & Stories

Five years ago, Seraphina Blackwood ran from her marriage and destiny as Luna to the most powerful Lycan King alive, choosing to be free over an arranged marriage. But when she saves a wounded Alpha from a rogue attack, his gratitude came in the form of a prison. Marcus Sullivan marries her out of duty, believing she's nothing more than a poor orphan—never knowing she's the daughter of the most feared Yakuza-werewolf family in the supernatural underworld. For five years, Seraphina mistakes his cold obligation for love, playing the perfect wife while her true mate's bond is left unanswered. But when Marcus's first love returns, a rare Omega who promises him the strong heir he believes Seraphina, as a "human," cannot provide, his betrayal shatters every illusion that Seraphine has portrayed about their relationship. Abandoned, humiliated, and left to face dangerous enemies alone, Seraphina finally calls upon the man she left at the altar five years ago. Kieran Nightshade, the Lycan King whose heart she broke, answers without hesitation. But reclaiming her birthright means exposing secrets that could destroy the supernatural world's balance of power. As Marcus realizes too late what he's lost, and enemies comes from every angle seeking to use Seraphina's true identity against her family's empire, she must choose between remaining anonymous and the dangerous power that comes with being Luna Queen to the most feared Alpha alive. Some regrets can never be undone. And some women are too powerful to be cast aside twice.

Betrayed and cheated on by her omega mate, not only did Elodie find out she had conceived his child, but things spiraled further when her father learned about the baby inside her. Now, she stands at a crossroads where she cannot afford to be banished from the pack by her father and cannot reveal the true father of the child, since it’s her worthless mate. Elodie has only one option—her enemy. Maximus Blackwood, the cold, domineering Lycan king. A man she hated from their first encounter. But that suddenly didn’t matter anymore. Instead of allowing her life to hit rock bottom, she sought him out for help. She wanted a fake father figure for her unborn child. The Lycan King could have something he’d always desired. And for revenge… what better way to achieve it than by marrying her traitorous best friend’s ex-mate?

After a wild, drunken class reunion, I woke up next to a male model. I had no clue what I was doing since it was my first time in this kind of situation. I called my best friend for help on what to do, and while the male model was still out cold, I left my wallet and bolted. When I got home, my best friend dragged me over to show me a picture of her new boyfriend. My jaw dropped. The guy in the photo was the spitting image of the man I had just left.

My boyfriend, Allen, is a fitness coach who is cheerful, handsome, and has eight-pack abs. After getting together with me, he transferred all his female students to other colleagues and would send me daily check-in photos. In anticipation of becoming his fiancee, I happily prepared for our engagement ceremony. However, two weeks before the ceremony, I discovered a bright red lipstick mark on Allen’s workout pants. I quickly pulled up the check-in photo he had sent me that day. Through the reflection on a dumbbell, I saw a woman standing next to Allen—her lips painted in the exact same lipstick color. Most of the previous photos had flaws, but I had trusted Allen too much to notice them. Looking at his message under the photo, I let out a cold laugh. "Baby, I have to work overtime today to train a male student." He actually dared to deceive me. Just then, my phone rang. It was the wedding planning company confirming the engagement ceremony setup. I quickly responded with a confirmation. The ceremony would proceed as planned—except I had a special surprise prepared for Allen, one he would never forget.

Eleanor worked herself to the bone—three jobs a day, even selling her mother’s only heirloom—all to pay off her boyfriend Luca’s debts. Then, on their third anniversary, she caught him shopping for rings… with her best friend. Turns out, Luca isn’t the struggling artist he pretended to be. He’s the only heir to the city’s most elusive billionaire. Heartbroken and reckless, Eleanor ends up in the arms of an older, devastatingly attractive stranger—a man whose powerful presence and faint resemblance to Luca pull her in like a dangerous dream. Only after she says yes to Luca’s proposal does she discover the truth: The stranger from that night is his father.

Everyone has gathered around to play games together. The current game requires all players to transfer red wine to each other via our mouths. Before my fiance, Teodoro Lamperti, is able to transfer the wine to me, his female best friend, Cristina Ghedini, shoves me away before kissing him on the mouth right away. "What are you doing? Today is Serafina's big day, you know!" Teodoro might be complaining on the outside, yet he's patting Cristina gently on the back. The atmosphere in the villa becomes eerily silent. Everyone stares at me as I sit on the floor in a wretched manner. Cristina merely smiles nonchalantly. Then, she leans against Teodoro's shoulder. "Don't be so petty, Serafina. Teodor and I are as thick as thieves since we were kids. We're used to sharing everything together." Teodoro begins advising me as well. "It's just a game, Serafina. You've always been gracious, haven't you? Don't act like a sore loser." Everyone thinks that I'll explode into rage and flip the table of food over, like I had done in the past. But this time, I just draw to my feet and take off the engagement ring. Then, I slide it onto Cristina's finger. "This ring is yours now. Congratulations on your marriage. Remember to invite me to your wedding."

I’m suffering from postpartum depression, and my mate is cheating on me with my therapist. This is the most disgusting betrayal in the world! ... "You’re too anxious.” My therapist, Ivy, suggested. “You need to learn to let go of family responsibilities. Why don’t you take a weekend trip to relax.” "A weekend trip?! But my baby’s nanny is on leave this weekend.I need to take care of her. " "Uhmm...I can take care of your child," she said. “Are you sure?!” I asked in surprise. “Yeah, Yeah.” A year ago, I was diagnosed with postpartum depression. My mate, Blake, the Alpha of the Shadowbite pack, found me a kind and beautiful therapist, Ivy. Following Ivy’s advice, I took a solo two-day trip to clear my head. But when I returned, I was horrified to find a large bump on my baby’s forehead. I checked the security footage, and what I saw left me speechless: While my baby was left outside the room, playing alone, Ivy and Blake were inside for an hour. She looked satisfied, and two buttons on her shirt were also missing.

I had been married to Lucius Martin for three years, and in all that time, there was never a shortage of women around him. Each time he brought another woman home, he would give me a necklace worth a fortune. In just three short years, I had accumulated ninety-nine necklaces. When Lucius fastened the hundredth necklace around my neck, I no longer cried or made a scene. Because this time, the woman he cheated with was my own older sister, the one who had beaten and scolded me since we were children. The man I loved most joined hands with the person I hated most to torment me together. At that moment, my heart finally died. This time, I took the initiative and walked up to Lucius, placing a house purchase contract into his hands. "As long as you sign this," I said, "you can do whatever you want with her." A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes, but in the end, he signed without hesitation. For the first time ever, he even leaned down and gently kissed my cheek. "Good girl," he murmured. "You've finally learned to behave." I personally opened the car door for him and watched as he hurried off toward my sister. When the car disappeared completely from sight, I let out a long breath. Then I reached beneath the documents and pulled out the paper hidden there—a divorce agreement.

"Your mate bond is false, Elena. It broke a year ago when Sophia returned—Elias's real mate now," Selene said, her voice heavy with pity. I'd saved the Moon Goddess by accident. Her reward was the Lunar Heartstone—and the truth that shattered me. "The Lunar Heartstone is meant for true mates to share. Since you're mateless—it's yours alone," she added softly. Something inside me broke. Then hardened. Eight years I gave him as his Luna. I destroyed my body trying to give him an heir. Now I'm finally pregnant with twins—while Elias is out there building a family with her. I touch my belly. "My pups don't need a cheater as their father." Three days. Then we disappear. Turns out the Alpha who threw me away is now searching everywhere. Desperate. Broken. Begging. Sorry, Elias. You're too late.

On the night of her engagement, Gianna Moretti’s world shatters—her fiancé tangled in bed with her best friend, her family ready to cast her aside, her future ripped away. But when she crosses paths with Dante Russo—the ruthless heir to New York’s most powerful fashion empire—one impulsive choice changes everything. In twenty minutes, Gianna goes from betrayed bride to Mrs. Russo. Their marriage is a deal. No love. No betrayal. Just survival. But the deeper Gianna is pulled into Dante’s world of wealth, secrets, and ruthless ambition, the more blurred the lines between revenge and desire become. As her step-sister plots murder, her ex-fiancé claws his way back from ruin, and long-buried family secrets claw their way to the surface, Gianna must decide: will she be a pawn in their game—or the queen who burns their empire to the ground?