Scorched Earth

**Evelyn Karamazov** I’ve spent all twenty-three years of my life immersed in the world of the mafia, groomed to rule with an iron fist. But power in our world doesn’t come without a price, and that price is marriage—a union built on strategy rather than so-called love. It’s the last thing I want, but in this life, sacrifices are the currency we trade in. And if I have to choose, I’ll sacrifice to the devil I know rather than the angel I don’t. But make no mistake, a sacrifice is still a sacrifice, and it demands its due. **Killian Bandini** Sixteen years—that’s how long I’ve waited to exact my revenge. Sixteen years to drown in nightmares, consumed by guilt and the unyielding desire to set things right. My father is dead, and now the Bandini empire is mine. The time has come to collect what is owed, and God help those who wronged me, because they will pay with blood. ★ What happens when the most lethal, most infuriating man to ever walk the earth crashes your wedding, puts a bullet in your would-be husband’s head, and holds everyone at gunpoint just to ensure you marry him instead? Killian Bandini doesn’t ask; he takes. But if he thinks I’m some meek bride to be bartered and controlled, he’s dead wrong. I may have to marry him, but I sure as hell won’t make it easy. He’s come for blood and power, but he doesn’t know that I’m not just a pawn—I’m a queen, and this game has only just begun.

The next day I woke up, I am now the fiance of the Duke of Dubois Castle, or known as Lemon. “I am a demon who lives by desire and greed, you have yielded with the contract that you have exchanged with your life?” “Then what do you want?” “I want the whole of you Veta Le Blanchet, not just your blood, heart and soul, it is the whole of you.” Theroux Claude, the third prince of the kingdom. “Lady Le Blanchet, just how can you stand still this demon duke? If you ever get tired of him, you are always welcome to my palace.” Another troublesome man, my childhood friend when I was at the academy, Durand Gagnon. “I have attained this nickname not just because I follow all his Majesty’s order, but because I want to have a stronghold in the knight position so that I can support you my Lady, remember that my oath is only for you.” Then, what is my cousin thinking that he would say such things? “Sister, I have finally inherited the title of the Baron, please come back to our fief, and I will make sure to bring back the glory of our family!” As I try to relinquish the past, the more troublesome it becomes. Is clinging to the tiny bit of my life a wrong choice? And why is the temple spying on me? “Lady Le Blanchet is the only descendant of the family, you shouldn’t involve yourself farther with the Demon Duke.” “It’s done my Lady, as long as it is you, I can give everything, even if I destroy this Kingdom.” Hold on, just what on earth this demon wants from me?

“Nova please, I beg of you. I will do anything to gain your forgiveness”. Zephyr begged as he used his hands to brush his hair desperately. “Forgiveness?” Nova asked with widened eyes and a surprised smirk. You said you didn't want anything to do with me. “I.. I didn't know what I was saying, baby. I need you in my life”. He replied. “No.. Nova interrupted before he could even speak further. You have no fucking right to come back into my life”. Her voice raised and her face turned red as she gritted her teeth. “Go back to your mistress”. She directed angrily, and just so you know, I am with eryx now. She said with a satisfied tone. “WHAT!!” zephyr exclaimed. “You belong to me Nova and I will chase you to the end of the earth till you are mine again”. Zephyr’s voice cracked, his eyes glistening with something that wasn't just anger. On the day she divorced her husband due to his drastic change and betrayal. She found out she was pregnant but she couldn't tell her husband about it because he had moved on with someone else who he got pregnant. She moved to another city with the help of her husband's brother Eryx, who also helped her raise her son. Years later everything was going well as she was now a famous actress, until her little son brought his father home.

The scent of pine and damp earth clung to the air as the full moon created long shadows across the Ancient Clearing. Tonight, was supposed to be our marking ceremony, a sacred ritual binding Alpha Anderson and his chosen Luna before the eyes of the Frostmoon Pack. “My heart,” his gaze locked on Leah, who stood under the moonlight “has always belonged to another. My first love, the one whose spirit has been weakened by the venom of wolfsbane, is my Luna.” He drew Leah closer, his hand possessively circling her waist. Under the watchful gaze of the moon, he smiled. “Our traditions are clear,” he continued, “Only the woman who stands with me at this altar, witnessed by all, shall be my Luna. Though I had always thought that Irene was my mate which I mistakenly marked a time ago. But thanks to the goddess for making me see clearly before it was too late.” They exchanged vows beneath the trees, witnessed by the werewolves and the Moon Goddess. The silver crowns were placed, the ceremonial kiss sealed their bond. I stood hidden in the shadows of the surrounding forest. For twelve years, from the moment my wolf recognized his at eighteen until my thirtieth moon cycle, my love for Anderson had never changed. But his heart, it was clear, belonged to Leah. If that was the truth, then I would release him. He had never truly seen me, never truly cared. Yet, the act of my departure seemed to unravel him in ways I couldn’t understand.

Recently orphaned Meara discovers an entirely different world beyond the human realm she grew up in. Following the death of her foster mother, Meara is guided by her spirit animal, Merilla, through a magical portal hidden in the forest. On the other side lies the enchanted kingdom of Valtor, where inhabitants wield the elemental powers of water, fire, earth, and air. Upon entering Valtor, Meara learns a shocking truth: she is the fated mate of the powerful Elemental King, Kaden. Tasked with accepting a mating a mating bond she initially resists, Meara must tame Kaden’s dragon form, which threatens to consume him with darkness. Her mission is to dent and unlock his humanity once more and prevent him from becoming an eternal dragon that could destroy their kingdom. To do so, she must tame Kaden and bond with him or risks being lost to his dragon form forever. Their journey is fraught with challenges, as Meara struggles with the overwhelming responsibility for her newfound role. She learns to harness her own extraordinary powers, including the rare magic FrostFire, which holds the key to breaking the curse. The bond between Meara and Kaden grows stronger as they face danger together, from internal struggles with their own fears and doubts to external threats from those who wish to see Kaden and Meara fall. With their bond now unbreakable, Meara and Kaden prepare to wield her Magic, FrostFire, to shatter the ancient curse placed by her ancestor on the dragon-slaying king of Dravonia. Together, they strive to bring salvation to the innocent lives trapped in the kingdom’s grasp and restore peace to their world.

*Book 5* One mistake centuries ago left Lemuel cursed by the Goddess Merlos and forced to wander the earth granting the wishes of those who touch him. Lemuel was looking at an eternity of loneliness until his unexpected soulmate plucked him right out of the sea. Shocked to find he's been bound in more ways than one to Sebastian, the future King to the Kingdom of Atlesper, Lemuel resists Sebastian's advances at every turn, believing this may be one pairing Goddess Zarseti got wrong. Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate. A Queen Among Tides is the fifth book in the Queen Among series. Each story is set up in the previous book, so reading the books in order is recommended. Here are the books in the series: A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1 Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2 Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel A Queen Among Blood - Book 3 Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4 Dark Invocation - A Queen Among Darkness spin-off A Queen Among Tides - Book 5 Valor, Virtue, and Verve - A Queen Among Tides Prequel Spin-off A Queen Among Gods - Book 6 A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7

The universe is no longer what it used to be and the world has become a total mess. The death of Gadelia, the ancestral wolfwitch assigned by the Heavenly Principalities to maintain the balance between the witches and wolfs has wrecked upon the two supernatural world, choas and war. The soul of Gadelia was prevented from passing through the third gate of Heaven by the Second Triad after she was murdered out of greed and jealousy by Madera, her blood sister. Sometimes the ones we least expect something from are the ones that does the most shocking things. For millenniums, the soul of Gadelia wondered the surface of earth, in search of a perfect and pure body to inhabit and all but one was found after decades of searching. Young and naive, Amaris Croston discovered a world that was believed to exist only in fairytales when she bumped into Lucian Moon, King Mozerus only son and also the heir to the wolf throne who turned out to be her 'mate', a word she didn't understand until she dived into the world of the supernaturals. A world so beautiful and enchanting yet full of mysteries and sometime, chaos and wars. She houses a soul as old as time itself and is been subjected to mental tortures by an invisible force. Fate is tricky but the moon goddess and other triads of heaven had it all planned out. Their meeting was a collision, a fuel and spark of combustion. The angels worked overtime to diffuse this bomb whilst two powerful mind found even ground, opening their mind to a destiny, only imagined in dreams long ago. Follow Amaris and Lucian on their daring journey of self-discovery, Love, Betrayal, War and Maintaining Stability.

Hey!, you there, Can I get some moment of your time, I have got a story to tell. Do you mind listening, it may sound like a folktale you know, but trust me, you might get a favorable snippet to use. Master once said during his lifetime: “Everyone is born with a special power that makes them looks unique and strong among others”, But how is that possible? That was the question I asked, and he explained further. “The movement of the Lord of Solar through the stars, gives every child a sign, depending on the moment they were born, which affect everyone's personality, this birth sign is called Zodiac sign”. My Orientation changed since then, that I am not a calamity to my parents, but mine is just dangerous to handle. I was born in the full moon light of Taurus, Every full moon light, I possessed, Darn it!, No one can handle this me in disguise, Just someone whom I was told is my mate, Alpha of Legion, But where on Earth he is?, I just have to move on with life and fate rotating it. Mom, Dad and friends are afraid of me hurting them So I spent my whole life living alone in my room. Not until I came across Master Frank in my dark shadow hunting, That take me to my new home, Magellan college, You might be wondering what I am capable of, I am a werewolf more powerful than others, because I am Princess of Taurus. I should have introduced myself early, my bad. I am Ella Martinez.

Death was smiling in my face while I sank deeper into the darkness that surrounded me. The face that stared back at me was definitely not FAMILIAR. He had promised me heaven and earth with the promise of the position as his LUNA. I could almost feel my baby fighting for it's life too. I shut my eyes tightly with a heart full of regret and vengeance before uttering my last prayer to the moon goddess, "a chance to strike back". ******** Aria Jonas spends the best nights of her life, all full of pleasure and promises under the arms of the future Alpha of Blue Moon pack. He promises her the world as he claims her as his Luna in secret. Upon his inauguration as Alpha, Scott threw her away like trash as he picks his Luna. Pregnant and betrayed, she promises to reveal their affair only to pay the price with her life. Aria wakes up with a child in her arms ten years later and full of vengeance. She dicovers that she was saved by the Alpha of the most ruthless pack in the north, the Mysterious Alpha of Mystic Shadow pack. He trains and mold her into a perfect definition of herself and makes a comeback but in exchange for a contracted marriage and Scott's pack. Aria isn't the only one filled with hate for Blue moon pack as Alpha Tristan also shares a similar hatred. Aria gets locked in between her plan for vengeance and what her heart longed for. Would she continue in her quest for revenge or would she give love a chance again?

Ciril has always been a nobody. Found in the woods as a Cub by the most cruel Alpha and Luna, she was always treated like filth and she grew to encounter even worse. She was rejected by her first mate. And then by her second chance mate who happened to be the Prince of the Werewolf Reigns, Prince Landon. It was clear that nobody wanted to be with this weak orphaned girl who couldn’t even control her wolf. But then something happened… ** Once every thousand years, one the night of the Night of the Guirgon Full moon— the night where the moon shines brightest and is closest to the earth, the moon goddess descends and gives a part of her soul to a chosen Werewolf— one who is the bravest, strongest and purest of heart. They would serve as the Protector of the Werewolf race since the strength and spirit of a god would be in them. So Prince Landon, having been prophesied to be the chosen one since he checks out as the strongest and the bravest, begins to make preparations. After he rejects Ciril who he considers weak and useless, he goes on to mark a strong mate so that he could be stronger and ready to take the Moon goddess's soulful blessing. But then, on the day of the Transmigration Ceremony, the moon goddess's spirit descends but it doesn’t possess anybody in the room— including the Prince. The spirit leaves the Hall and travels through the Palace to a quiet and dark room where it blends into the body of someone nobody would have expected… ** Enemies will rise… Blood will be shed… Lessons will be learned… And in the end, battles will be won… but will it be enough for love to prevail? Find out…