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.

“What do I want?” Simon repeated. “I want a competent Personal Assistant who will not mix work with personal feelings” Simon’s answer was straight, he stood from the chair and came closer to Gabriela, who stepped backward as he approached closer until she hit the wall. Simon kept coming closer and when he was just a few inches away from her, he lifted his hand slowly and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and he whispered. “Are you competent?” Gabriela didn't say a word, her heart raced fast and her breathing was heavy, she wanted so badly to punch his face. Her hands clenched into fists, she knew she had no choice, her brother’s life stood on a thread. Gabriela, a young lady w ho ishardworking and ready to do anything for her family, is forced to work for an arrogant CEO, Simon Ramsey, who is mean, and ready to humiliate her. As a result of the financially draining and terrifying sickness of her little brother, she has no choice but to bear her Boss's ruthlessness in order to pay the medical bills. As they both detest each other’s presence, one unplanned night of pleasure turns into an unimaginable scandal that has the potential to ruin everything Simon has worked for. To contain the scandal, they are forced to get married and act as if they love one another. Was the scandal just a coincidence? Or is someone out there to sabotage them? As the lines blur between duty and desire, theCEO finds himself falling for Gabriela in a way he never saw coming. Can Hatred turn into True Love? Get ready for a whirlwind of suspense and emotions in this cute Haters to Lovers story, Buckle up, you are up for a ride.

His cold hand gently brushed my cheek as he turned my head to expose my neck. I flinched when his lips met my skin. "Relax," he murmured. "It will only hurt more if you are tense." I tried to steady my breathing just as his fangs sank into my neck. I gasped. But the sharp pain quickly melted into that same strange pleasure from before. The heat that flooded my entire body pooled in my groin. My teeth clamped down on my lower lip to stop myself from making any embarrassing sounds. But a soft moan escaped anyway. Jude pulled back slightly with blood—my blood—on his lips. "You seem to be enjoying this," he smirked before glancing down at my bulge. My face burned with shame as I realized then that I was hard. "It's not... I don't..." "Your body can't lie, Raymond." He leaned back and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "And neither does mine." *** All Raymond White wanted was a dream job, and he got a once-in-a-lifetime offer from the biggest company in the city. But he didn’t expect that it would come at a costly price—His blood, his body, and his sanity. His boss, Jude Perez, was no ordinary man—he was a vampire, and now that he had set his fangs in Raymond, he didn’t want to let go. Bound by a contract and a mystical pact, Raymond becomes Jude’s latest obsession, and Raymond is left to battle with the wave of arousal that comes with each bite, one that could only be quelled by the man he who stripped him of his freedom? Will Raymond resist the forbidden bond? Or will he succumb to Jude’s temptation?

"Alpha Harrison wants you to be taken to the wolves of Castmere, so they'll use you for rituals." Zoe said, her breathing tensed. "He says you're too much bad luck." "And the Luna?" I asked, knowing that the Luna always had her way. "Luna Cara wants the hounds to have your meat." ***** Nyx Freeman, an omega in Starweaver pack had always face the worst treatment just because of a perceived claim of her mother being a traitor. Condemned and about to face the worst and most gruesome death, the moon goddess decides to shine her light on her. Caleb, a cold and powerful Alpha bids for her and saves her just in time. But then, Kieran, a dominant and well respected Alpha also comes by instantly claiming her as his mate. Will the new bond between Nyx and Kieran be able to withstand the test of time or the looming war seeking to tear the wolf realm apart?

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.

"This wasn't the deal," Reid whispered. His breathing was erratic as he pressed his back against the wall, clenching his fists. "We could make a new one," Killian smirked, trailing his thumb on Reid's lips... "Probably after this kiss." ~~ Bad boy Reid McKenzie will go to jail after being charged with murder. His mother wouldn't be willing to help him; he has ruined their reputation enough and is ready to let him rot behind bars; following the wishes of her second husband, she would wash her hands of Reid for good. But fate intervenes when a mysterious stranger, Killian appears. He offers Reid a deal; Freedom in exchange for a dangerous task. However, Killian's true intentions are far from benevolent. As a powerful demon, he sees Reid as a pawn in a sinister game. With each passing moment, Reid must decide whether to trust the enigmatic stranger or face the consequences of his actions.

"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?