Rise X Naoto

My name is Christian Thompson, and once upon a time, I was the best striker in European football. That was until he came along—Ashford Ryder, young and carefree, 10 years my junior and the new shining star. I hate him. At least that's what I tell myself. Not just because he's taken my spot, but because he's everything I've struggled all my life to be, and not to be. He's vibrant, he's happy, and the worst of all, he's openly gay. I'm not homophobic, quite the opposite—I've lived in the closet all my life. All my life, I've had to hide who I am to please the people around me. European football hasn't always been this accepting of gay men, and I'd squeezed myself into a box to fit in with what they wanted of me. It isn’t that hard when you think about my family who'd rather disown me than have an openly gay son. So imagine how I feel when the world decides to be more accommodating to people like Ashford Ryder when they shoved me in a box. It's not so easy to hate the happy-go-lucky striker, when he does everything to get close to me, despite my insistent hatred for him. He's like a thorn in my side—a hot, sexy, blonde, 5ft9 thorn I can't stop thinking about. But when one day I lose my cool around the popular striker and land myself in bad press, I end up needing his help. It's supposed to be easy. Spend some time with Ashford Ryder, and show our fans that we can work together—it's what I need to do to save my career. But no one tells you how hard it is to hate someone you spend every waking hour dreaming about.

In my third month of employment, I realized that my colleagues were calling me an old geezer behind my back. This nickname came from Wanda Stewart’s arrogant and ambitious assistant. I had hit the age of 32, but was still clinging onto the last vestiges of hope of marriage after eight long years of our relationship. I asked Wanda, “Do you know that your subordinates call me an old geezer?” She said without batting an eyelid, “That’s just the way Samuel is. He’s just a straight-talker and he’s just kidding. You’re already 32, are you seriously fussing about this?” She then chuckled, “You two are really alike.” My heart turned cold. Turns out that eight years of my youth were nothing but a joke to her. I turned to leave, resigning from my post and blocking her. Yet, the woman who was always so calm and cool started panicking. “Jansen Graham, please come back to me.”

Werewolves do not exist in Africa. * * Why? * * The witches led by the council of thirteen who holds supreme power in the land hunts and kill any and all werewolves that enter into the borders of Africa. * * * Eighteen years old Tara who is set to become the Matron and leader of the witch's council has her whole life upended with the death of her Grandmother, the former Matron. An accident occurs while she was hunting a werewolf who sneaked into the country, turning her into one of the most powerful werewolf in existence; an ORIGINAL. Friend turns to foe for Tara as everyone now aims to see her dead starting from the Adonis shaped lady-killer Boma who was her former intended, the witches, Chosens, battlemages, and werewolves from outside the shores. * * * Pain has been Scar's companion as far back as he could remember. His whole family was dead and betrayed by the ones they trusted the most, His Wolf has been shackled with strange magic and unable to manifest, and he was no more than a punching bag and slave in Alpha Toni's pack, making him live every single moment of his life in intense agony. But one way or the other, Scar was going to have his revenge on all those who brought him pain, even if it meant getting lost to the dark side and selling his soul to the devil!

Betrayed by the man she loved and sacrificed everything for, Isabella Laurent is left shattered when her long-time boyfriend, Ryan, tosses her aside for a wealthier, more connected fiancée. Once the devoted partner who tries to help him build his empire, Isabella is now branded a gold digger and humiliated in front of everyone she once trusted. But Isabella is not a victim. Returning to the Laurent estate, Isabella embraces the powerful heiress she was meant to be. With her sharp mind, unparalleled ambition, and unyielding determination, she vows to reclaim everything Ryan stole from her and make him regret ever crossing her. When a mysterious letter from Alexander Blackwood, her estranged fiance, and a ruthless billionaire, lands in her hands, Isabella finds her hands, and Isabella finds herself at the crossroads of revenge and redemption. Alexander, with his icy demeanor and untouchable empire, offers her a partnership that could change the game. Together, they form an alliance to take down their enemies, but their simmering chemistry threatens to ignite a fire that neither can control. As Isabella rises from the ashes of betrayal, she discovers that revenge is more than a dish best served cold; it's an art. And she intends to be its master. But in the game of power, betrayal, and love, who will emerge victorious? But in the game of power, betrayal, and love, who will emerge victorious?

Disclaimer: Rise of the Phoenix is the spin off/sequel of Dragon's mate. It can be read as a stand alone book Sarah Johnson is a girl whose life is anything but ordinary. At a young age she was adopted by an extraordinary couple of dragon shifters. Living with them and learning about the supernatural world gave her perfect insight into how a relationship between two people should look like, and she knew she won't ever be able to settle for anything less than true love. That's why she secretly dreamed of finding her own prince from a fairytale… the one that will love her just as much as she would love him. But what will happen when Sarah's sweet and bubbly nature clashes with always frowned and gloomy prince that was anything but what she had imagined? What will happen when the one that was meant for her refuses to accept her? With an unknown danger looming over Sarah's head, worries and troubles from the past, will they be able to set their differences aside and be what they are supposed to be… soulmates… or will they drift apart so that nothing can hold them together?

Seventeen-year-old Tallulah has spent her entire life as the outcast of the Lightmaw pack. As an unshifted omega, she is relentlessly bullied and treated as a second-class citizen by her peers. Her misery peaks on the night of the school prom, when a cruel, elaborate prank orchestrated by the popular crowd leaves her utterly humiliated. Devastated, Tallulah retreats to her roof, only to suffer a terrible fall that leaves her in a month-long coma. While unconscious, Tallulah's mind wanders to a mysterious, mist-filled forest. There, she finally connects with her inner wolf, Laurel – a majestic creature who promises Tallulah is destined for greatness. When Tallulah finally opens her eyes, she discovers she has undergone a radical physical and spiritual transformation. She is no longer the weak, timid girl the Lightmaw pack loved to torment. Her awakening coincides with a fateful encounter in the hospital with Taylon, a visiting Alpha heir who drops a massive bombshell: he is her twin brother. Tallulah learns she is not a lowly omega at all – she is the long-lost princess of the powerful Onyxclaw pack, hidden away as a baby during a deadly rogue attack. Leaving her abusers behind, Tallulah travels to her true home to claim her birthright. Under the gruff but protective guidance of Ronan, the pack's handsome lead Enforcer, she learns to fight and harness her new strength, sparking an undeniable romance between them. With her new family, a formidable wolf, and Ronan standing by her side, Tallulah prepares to embrace her royal destiny – and exact her revenge on those who wronged her.

Destined. This word haunted Vynetta from the day her powers surfaced as an infant. Destined to save. Destined to Rule. Destined to find her mate. She has always been hidden away while she was raised and trained. Her powers were limited until the day she found her mate, or the king found her, whichever happens first. She was the Earth Goddess reborn, this fact held little weight to her, but what happens when the secrets her family kept hidden are revealed? When she gains the first wolf of the moon Goddess? Vynetta leaves home with noone to trust, a king with endless resources searching for her, and a mate who is running from her. But what if the other lie she was told was that finding her mate was the end. What if its really only the beginning.

Emma Sterling believed she understood power. She lived beside it. Slept beside it. Loved it. As the wife of Dominic Sterling ,a ruthless billionaire CEO known for crushing enemies without hesitation ,she had learned to survive in a world ruled by control, loyalty, and silence. Until the night she walked into a hotel suite and found her husband in bed with her best friend, her childhood friend, friends since kindergarten. The betrayal destroys everything Emma thought was real. But Dominic does not beg forgiveness. He refuses to let her leave. She discovers she is pregnant with his child and she comes across the darker truths behind Dominic and his past …. The realization traps her deeper in a marriage that is no longer safe. Dominic’s obsession grows , Emma was pregnant with his heir. Possessive, controlling, and dangerously unwilling to lose what he considers his, he tightens his grip on every part of her life …emotionally, financially, and socially.

Gil a hybrid Vampire returns to the human world to seek revenge with the people who were responsible for his runaway 5 years ago. 5 years later, he gets the glimpse of an unexpected person, Eva, the true love of his life who once betrayed him and now is in search of her missing son. Gil tries every way possible to break Eva down while still trying to focus on the mission he had. Will Eva find her missing son, and Will Gil ever find out the truth about the things which was hidden from him?

Elsa, a she-wolf from the lower ranks of the Moonstone Pack, has spent two years living in the shadows loving Caleb, the future Alpha, in secret. Every stolen kiss and whispered promise has been a lifeline… and a heartbreak. But now Caleb has made a vow: after tomorrow’s championship game, he will claim her publicly defying his powerful family, the pack council, and the centuries old expectations that bind him to a noble mate like Crystal Owen. Elsa dares to dream of a future with Caleb. But when tragedy strikes, she learns the hardest truth of all some betrayals cut deeper than lies. In Moonstone, power comes with a price, and love can be the sharpest weapon of all.