Red Rising Read-a-long 18

I find out I'm about two months pregnant before my wedding. Luke Logan drunkenly caresses my belly and half-jokes, "I'm not ready to be a father, Summer. Can we not keep the baby?" My heart is calm. I say softly, "Sure." In my past life, I insisted on keeping the child. Meanwhile, Riley Richards had an accidental miscarriage, making it difficult for her to conceive again. Luke held a grudge against me for that and treated me coldly after we married. As for the son that I put one foot in the coffin to bring into this world, he, too, cried and fussed. He wanted Riley to be his mother. Later, I got into an accident and suffered from significant blood loss. However, Luke and our son merely hurried past me to be with Riley as she went into labor. I slowly bled to death on the floor above, while Luke and our son celebrated the birth of Riley's child on the floor below. Now that I've been reborn, I won't lose sight of myself and take the wrong path again. I call Eric Nottingham. "I'll join the expedition team to Glacia."

Nicole’s life changed drastically when she was reunited with the Riddle family. “Nothing is more important than my sister,” said her eldest brother, the domineering CEO.“You are still a student with no income. Take my credit card and spend however you like,” said her second brother, the financial expert.“I will allow no one to bully you at school,” her third brother, a top student, said.“Why did I compose this song? Because it would put a sweet smile on your face when you hear it,” her fourth brother, a talented musician, said.“You're so delicate. Let me do the dirty work for you if you want to beat someone up,” said her athletic fifth brother.Just when Nicole was barely accustomed to the pampering of her five brothers, she found herself having a fiancé, a nemesis from whom she had hacked a hundred million dollars.She needed to cancel the engagement, no matter what. But he pressed her against the door and said, “How can you run away just like that after stealing my money, you brat?”“Even if I don’t run, I don’t have the money to pay you back,” Nicole acted tough.“Oh, yeah? Then I will take you instead of money.” He then carried her on his back and took her away.

When we get too much involved in the act of pretending, we lose the idea of knowing the pretense of others. Isn't that how it works? We don't know the acts we do thinking good for the others even to the extent of hurting them to save them from major hurt will cause them to go through much more than we can think of. Sometimes it is not too late to correct the pretenses but sometimes it is late to amend them. Let's see whether it is too late or just in time.

Katherine thought no one could love her higher than the king of witches, Acan. The man she had been married to for ten years, and who she thought loved her despite being unable to perform any sort of spells. She rose up to the responsibility of being queen, and showed everyone why she deserved the crown, but one night at the festival of elements a horrible accident occurs, flames catching on, and trapping Katherine. Trapped and all alone, her husband appears, thinking she is saved, but who is a better fire witch than her husband? He leaves her again, making her feel utterly betrayed, but from the shadows, her hero appears. Darius is the half brother of the king, born with dark powers that he has done everything he could to control. Only Katherine can touch him without feeling sick, and her smile makes his day brighter than ever. But she has never looked at him with desire in her eyes. That is until he turns back time in order to save his queen, this time changing a small thing in her past: getting her to marry him. Will Darius ever make Katherine fall for him truly? Or will her thirst for revenge consume her being?

"Please, don't do this, I have a husband... I am married" Ash begged with her joined hands while walking backward. Tears streamed down her cheeks, blurring her vision. In a snap, his handsome face contorted in distaste and his eyes lost all their warmth. "Not tonight! Tonight you are mine. And ONLY MINE," he paced towards her like a predator. "Michael...Michael..." Ash shouted her husband's name as her back hit the cold wall. He started caressing her cheek with his knuckles. He leaned forward and whispered in her ears "he has sold you to me, for tonight. So, tonight the only name you are allowed to take is mine. And believe me, angel, I'll make sure you scream my name while I'll do things to you that I have been wanting to do with you since the moment I saw you" He said in his raspy voice. He had been imagining this moment since the day he had laid his eyes on her. And finally, he got her. Daniel slammed his bow-shaped hungry lips on her soft plumpy ones just after finishing his sentence. She squeezed her eyes shut letting tears tumble out.

When Helena is removed from her adoptive pack and sent back to the feared White Forest, an intimidating, cloaked stranger saves her life. As her intended role for White Forest Pack is revealed so is murder, lust and longing. An aging Alpha with two sons, one banished and one savage are interested in her future. Helena is falling for the one the pack wants dead, has he been banished for the right reason? She needs to make the right decisions because in the pack she leaves behind, two men are determined to seek revenge on her.White Forest Pack Series (Can all be read standalone)*Book 1 - A Banished Alpha*Book 2 - The Luna's Rejected Assassin*Book 3 - The Beta's PrizeShadowlands Series (Can all be read standalone)*Book 1 - A Damaged Alpha*Book 2 - The Luna Who Wants Everything (2023)

Jackson and Daphne met at Ana's introduction party when she was being presented as Roman's new queen. The moment they laid eyes on each other, they knew they were mates. But after Daphne broke things off with Roman, her reputation took a hit, and a powerful lycan as Daphne cannot allow her reputation to fall to ruin, yet her heart can't seem to stop wanting Jackson. Jackson doesn't think Daphne wants him, but he cannot sit idly by as he hears about Daphne getting mated to someone else. He chooses to go after her, hoping he can change her mind. He makes the decision to kidnap his own mate! But will the two of them figure out a way to be together or will tradition win? *Book 2* Recommended to first read The Lycan King's Scarred Mate

Willow Crest, an 18 year old Senior in High School was born with the gift of Premonitions that came in her dreams. As a Light Witch and a black sheep within her own town, Willow is constantly bullied by her peers, both Witches and regular students at her school. Even with her special skills, she is looked down on as the weakest in her Coven, some seeing her as an outcast as her mother was a Light Witch before her, but her father was a normal human being. Plagued with Depression and Anxiety, Willow was ready to end her torment until a fateful encounter with a tall, mysterious man with smoldering gold and red eyes convinces her that life was worth living. Dante Iscariot, a man that walked in the time of Christ. A participant in many wars. An observer to empires both rising and falling. Though civilizations aged, Dante didn't. No matter how many followers pledged their allegiance to him, no matter how many people he turned with his blood, none of them could fill the emptiness that was left inside of himself. Then one day, he met a young woman with short black hair and violet eyes when visiting a small town in Montana. He planned to turn her until he realized that they had a connection far stronger than he ever imagined. Book 1: Fated to the Werewolf King

Aria was the Luna of the Winter Mist pack, renowned for her achievements in war strategy. Her contribution was crucial in her pack becoming the most powerful in the entire country. Everything in her life should be perfect. ...Except it wasn't. In actuality, Aria's life was anything but successful. She was helpless to the whims of her abusive Alpha mate and his mistress. A mate who never loved her. As she watches their relationship grow, her options are to run away or die trying to keep her Luna position. But this is not the story of how Aria sways his closed-off heart until he finally loves her. No, this is the story of how Aria died. So when she is faced with the opportunity to go back in time and try again... will she take it? ...Or is she fated to relive her mistakes all over again? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "...And if I refuse?" I asked hesitantly. "Then you will remain in the Abyss, forever reliving your earthly memories." My mind recalled the images that had just tormented me, showing me my death over and over again. I knew now she must have shown me that strategically so I had a taste of what my refusal would look like. "Then I don't want to be Luna again... and I don't want to be Aleric's mate," I said, surprising even myself that I was bargaining with a Goddess. But I couldn't shake the feeling something seemed off. "That is the fate I have chosen for you." "Then I don't accept," I argued. "I think there is something you're not telling me. A reason why you need me to go back so badly." She was silent, her silver eyes regarding me warily. "...So I am correct," I said, taking her silence as confirmation.

Just Right - It’s my birthright to go to Beta Academy. No matter what my stepmother thinks. According to her, I’m not worthy, as I am not the child of a fated union. But as the daughter of the Beta. I am guaranteed a place. Days before, my 18th birthday. I meet an Alpha Wolf who makes my life a little less boring. One day, he’s hot-headed and harsh. The next, he’s gentle and sweet. Is he the man for me? Who knows? Who cares? I just want a little fun before I leave. Because that is when my life will truly begin. Beauty Sleep - To keep her safe from Millicent. Ora’s parents trust three guardians to care for their daughter until her 18th birthday. Taken to an undisclosed location, Ora grows up under the careful supervision of her guardians in the human world. Following a fatal attack on their home. Ora and her last remaining guardian find themselves at Beta Academy. This is when Ora finally finds out the truth about herself and why she has lived a sheltered life. Can her guardian fulfill her oath and keep Ora safe, or will Millicent find her? Cold as Ice - As if being responsible for my parent’s death wasn’t traumatic enough. Millicent the witch that murdered them wants me for my powers. My only hope is for me to kill Millicent before she kills me. Leaving my sister and my home behind, I embarked on a quest for revenge. Now I’m older, wiser, stronger. But I’m still not strong enough. I need allies. To rid the world of the most wicked witch the world has ever known. If we fail. It’s not just my loved ones who will suffer. Everyone will.