Serpent Breathing

Mate. I froze mid-step, Venom has never said that word before. I've suddenly forgotten the Rogues I was chasing, my whole attention now on the emotions I was feeling. My vision sharpened, focusing on the faint sound of labored breathing just ahead. My heart hammered in my chest as I walked closer, the bond pulling me forward with an urgency I hadn’t felt in decades. The first thing I saw was her hair, a messy dark bun with strands of white, unusual yet unique. She sat curled up against the base of an old tree, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, shoulders trembling. Her thin, tattered sweater barely shielding her from the cold air. She looked... fragile, a word I never thought I’d associate with my mate. Ariel’s life has been anything but easy. Orphaned as a child and left in the care of a cruel stepfather and stepbrother, she’s endured years of emotional and physical abuse. Despite her circumstances, she’s always felt something stirring beneath the surface—an unexplained restlessness, vivid dreams of running under the moonlight, and a deep connection to the forest around her. Zayn, the alpha of the Shadowcrest pack, has spent years searching for his fated mate, the one who would complete him and stand by his side to no avail…he had finally given up on ever finding her. His pack thrives under his leadership, but his heart has grown weary, doubting the Moon Goddess’s promise of a mate. When a chance encounter leads him to Ariel, he’s stunned to discover that the fragile, broken girl is his destined partner—and more than that, she’s a wolf completely unaware of her true nature.

Shantali Mae Cross, a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Ancient Arts, encounters an impossible phenomenon during her night shift—smoke from the heating vents coalesces into the form of a cobra near ancient Egyptian canopic jars, showing her visions of possible futures. She sees herself accepting a promotion, arguing with a dark-haired man in a hospital, wearing a wedding dress, and standing at a graveside in autumn. Shaken by the experience, Shantali becomes obsessed with understanding what she witnessed, diving into research about serpent smoke divination practices. Her investigation reveals that others throughout history have experienced similar visions at crucial crossroads in their lives, but those who became consumed with interpreting and controlling their prophetic glimpses inevitably destroyed the very relationships and opportunities the visions had shown them. As Shantali spirals deeper into her research, she begins shutting out her boyfriend David, a fellow security guard who loves her deeply. When David witnesses the cobra phenomenon himself, he helps ground her in reality rather than obsession. Through her studies, particularly the warnings left by Dr. Amelia Thorne—a researcher who died alone after chasing similar mysteries—Shantali realizes the cobra's true message: choose love over fear, presence over obsession. The visions weren't warnings of tragedy but glimpses of a life fully lived with all its ordinary struggles and profound connections. When David proposes, Shantali chooses their real relationship over her pursuit of supernatural answers. She completes her research by writing a fictional novel about her experience, transforming obsession into art while helping future cobra witnesses understand that some mysteries are meant to guide rather than be solved. The story explores themes of choice versus destiny, the danger of sacrificing present love for future certainty, and the wisdom of embracing life's uncertainties alongside those who love us.

"So, what's it going to be, Professor Darwin?" he asked, breathing softly against my ears. "Are you going to punish me or what?" he teased me, his fingers stroking my folds gently. "Fuck you, Jeremy," the cuss word came out thick with moans. "Oh, in a minute," he smirked against my neck, slipping a finger into me and I tossed my head backwards, releasing a wanton sound. Stubborn bastard. •••• Lucia Darwin, in one word, would be a coward but she didn't care. When she saw the perfect opportunity to bolt from her demons and turn the lock on them, she didn't hesitate. Landing the perfect job at Crawford University as a professor and her best friend's wedding seemed like the perfect excuse to flee from Austria. Little did she know that she would have even bigger fish to fry in New York. She had always been a sucker for weddings, but there was an exception. The gorgeous singer who caught her fancy. Maybe the attraction wasn't one-sided because things grew heated after she engaged him in a conversation, and they found themselves buried in each other before the end of the night, sharing a passionate night. What happens at Bethany's wedding, stays at Bethany's wedding, but in Lucia's case, it clung to the hem of her dress like a stubborn seam when she made a shocking discovery that the guy she hooked up with that night happened to be one of her students, Jeremy Hale, Crawford's biggest snub and the hottest boy on campus. A school that frowned upon romantic relationships between teachers and students, a stubborn boy who would do anything to have what he wanted, and a cold-hearted professor whose niche is running away from her problems. The question is, how messy could this get?

My body hurt—badly. The bruises from Logan’s fists were fresh, my ankle throbbed from where he kicked me, and one of my eyes was nearly swollen shut. But I still limped down the hallway with a cold pack in hand, desperate for something… maybe comfort, maybe just his attention. I didn’t know. Then I heard it—low groans, heavy breathing, the unmistakable sound of skin against skin. Sweaty. Lustful. Raw. I opened the door and my heart shattered. There he was—Logan Hart. My husband. The man I loved more than myself. And with him? Tessa Black—his girlfriend, his mistress, the perfect model everyone adored. They were tangled in the sheets, bodies slick, eyes wild, too lost in each other to even care that I stood there. I couldn’t breathe. I screamed. And Logan… he didn’t even flinch. He didn’t apologize. Didn’t care. “Get out,” he said coldly. “I’m in the middle of something.” That was it. That was the moment I broke. I ran. Limping, shaking, crying—I ran and didn’t look back. What I didn’t know was… that heartbreak would be the beginning of everything.

“You want soft?” Marco’s voice whispered against my ears. I tried to keep my breathing steady, but the way he leaned over me…one hand braced on the wall, made it impossible. “I’m not soft, Cassandra. I’m not the kind of man who lights candles and whispers pretty lies in bed.” He leaned in, our lips inches apart “Listen to me, dolcezza, I fuck. I dominate. I tie your hands, your legs and make you forget your own name.” I pressed my lips tightly, refusing to give him the satisfaction that only his words was messing with my head, “You don’t scare me, Marco.” His hands wrapped around my throat..not to hurt. Just enough to remind me I was his to command. “No, but I do something worse.” His lips brushed my ear. “I make you beg.” I hated him. I hated the way my pussy ached for his touch. I hated my body for betraying me for wanting him. “Say it,” he whispered. “Tell me who you belong to.” “I don’t belong to anyone.” He shoved my legs apart roughly, plunging two mighty fingers inside me, “Then why is your pussy soaked, bella? Hmm? Tell me do you want my cock or my collar?” I swallowed hard, “Both.” Marco smiled. “Then be a good girl for daddy. Kneel!” **** SEQUEL TO FORCED TO BE THE BILLIONAIRE’S SURROGATE CASSANDRA’S STORY She was sold to the ruthless mafia don to bear an her for his cold, gay son. But she finds herself caught in a dangerous web of forbidden desire. But the real danger isn’t her supposed fiancee—it’s Don Marco, her ruthless father-in-law. It begins with whispered temptations and stolen glances, then escalates into late-night visits and nights of forbidden passion.

Di tengah gemerlap kota Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Jhon Pierre Mancini menjalani kehidupan ganda yang membentangkan sayapnya di kedua sisi hukum. Di siang hari, ia dikenal sebagai seorang pengusaha sukses yang terhormat, tetapi di malam hari, ia mengendalikan jaringan narkoba dan perdagangan senjata ilegal yang meluas di Kota Rio. Semuanya berubah saat Sora Sanders, seorang perawat muda dengan kehidupan yang sederhana, masuk ke dalam kehidupannya. Pertemuan tak terduga antara mereka berdua ini membuka pintu menuju hubungan yang rumit. Suatu ketika, seorang pria dari Spanyol meminta bantuan Jhon untuk mencari istri dan anaknya yang hilang selama 24 tahun. Awalnya, Jhon menolak, tapi akhirnya setuju setelah pria itu menawarkan 20% saham dari bisnis minuman kerasnya, dan yang paling mengejutkan adalah, Jhon menemukan kebenaran: Sora adalah anak yang dicari. Dalam upayanya mempertahankan cengkeramannya pada Sora, Jhon harus bersaing dengan musuhnya, yaitu Sergio Marrone, yang juga tertarik pada Sora. Pertarungan mereka membawa keduanya ke ujung keputusan hidup atau mati. Namun, dengan kekuatan tariknya yang tak terbantahkan, Jhon mampu memenangkan hati Sora, meskipun dengan risiko besar. Dalam kisah cinta gelap yang penuh intrik dan bahaya, Jhon Pierre Mancini dan Sora Sanders menemukan diri mereka terjebak dalam permainan kekuasaan, pengkhianatan, dan obsesi, di mana takdir mereka ditentukan oleh pilihan yang sulit dan pengorbanan yang mematikan.

"Ano? Sa tingin mo ba, I’d fall for you if you sweet-talked me?" Anya ni Claire na sinamahan niya pa ng nakakadismayang iling. "I waited for you for five long years, Luke. Five years and now that I am finally over you and dating your best friend," dagdag niyang pailing iling ulit habang unti unting umaatras si Luke sa pader, "—you dare do this to me, wreaking havoc on my emotions? Gago ka ba talaga ha?!" "I can't stop myself. I love you and I won't give you up that easily, Claire. I won't. I can't." "I want you." "You know you can't have me," she murmured and bit her lips, begging him to kiss her. Just kiss the hell out of her para matauhan siya sa kahibangang nararamdaman niya ngayong yakap yakap siya ni Luke. "It’ll be risky if you stay another minute, Claire. Get out now before I lose my mind completely," he murmured between heavy breathing and gazing at her lips. A muscle in his jaw twitched, knowing full well that their close proximity made his blood warm and tingly. God, he wanted this woman so bad. Yes, he wanted her so much that he risked his friendship with Owen. And yes, he was insane for doing so.

Alana and Alena are identical twins. One unfavorable night their father was attacked by the gang. He was almost killed. Luckily, he was still breathing, but he needed a lot of money for his operation. Alena offered herself as an exchange for her father's life. The only one who could save them from losing their father was the leader of the Blue Knuckles, Allessandro Castellucio. Alana drugged her twin sister on her wedding day and volunteered herself as a bride to the Mafia boss. Allessandro Castellucio was known for murdering, torturing, and making money. He was well defined as a heartless creature. A devil existed in a place called heaven because of his money and power. But what would happen if a metal was put in a foundry and burned with unstoppable fire?

"W-what the fudge am I gonna do?” Citrine found herself in a panic as she saw the blood flowing in Rivers"s stomach. “Don"t you dare die on me! I'm telling you River!"She hasted in a very panic tone because she can’t afford to see a person dying in front of her. P-pwede tumahimik k-ka?” Nahihirapang salita ni River sa kanya habang sapo-sapo nito ang kanyang tiyan na may tama ng bala. Kinuha nito ang kanyang kamay upang ipangtakip sa sugat nito na mas lalo niyang ikinataranta. “F-fuck! Come on, Ill take you to the hospital! "She shouted when she felt his body was hot. Sinapo pa niya ang noo nito but River refused to be touched. She was stunned to speak again when she noticed how River gave him a look while breathing heavily. “Kapag pumunta tayo ng hospital, Tatakasan mo ko, Hindi pwede. D-dito ka lang," Sagot nito habang tinitiis ang sakit. River was one of the members who tried to kidnapped him. In his state, she could easily leave him and escape but how could she leave the person who also tried to keep her safe? She was about to move her hands when she felt River had passed out. She slowly moved near to his heart to check if there is any heartbeat. Muli siyang nag-panic ng hindi niya maramdaman ang tibok ng puso nito kung kaya't napahawak siya sa magkabilang pisngi nito at tinignan ang nakapikit na binata. She automatically pressed her lips against him to give him a CPR but he wasn't moving! She was lost when she suddenly felt his lips was moving and there! She just kissed her hot kidnapper! How on earth and heaven that this gorgeous, fine young man, good-looking and stud-muffin guy became her kidnapper?