Seventeen Number

On the day of the mating ceremony, I'm supposed to be marked by William Ernst and become the Luna of the Shadow pack. However, Annie Denver, my younger twin sister, suddenly comes back from abroad. Dad, Mom, and William end up abandoning me, choosing to pick her up from the airport. While Annie posts a family photo on Facebook, flaunting how everyone in the family loves her, my family cuts me off whenever I try to contact them through mind-link. They end up closing the mind-link. After calling countless times, William finally accepts my call and asks me to stop rushing him. He tells me that today's mating ceremony is canceled and will be rescheduled on another date. My dearest parents, brother, and the man I love the most all turn me into the laughingstock of the entire pack—and the most ridiculous bride of all. Despite being laughed at, I didn't cry or make a scene. After taking care of everything, I write a number in my journal—the 99th time. This is the 99th time they have disappointed me. From this moment on, I won't beg for their love anymore. I fill out an application for Arcetic expedition, ready to leave them. They all think that my silence and constant compromises with Annie mean I've matured. They fail to realize that I'm disappointed to the core. I am leaving for good.

Freddie Ashford is a famous New York hockey player living the dream. He has money, fame and a serious long-term relationship until someone decided his life was too good. One night out with his teammates changed his life, turning it upside down. Freddie has been accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he lost his friends, his girlfriend, sponsor deals, and he is on the verge of losing his career. Tatum Reid escaped from a controlling and abusive relationship with a hockey player. The only good thing she got from that relationship was her eight-year-old daughter. She promised herself never get involved with a hockey player again, but she finds a new in New York as a PR for a very famous Hockey Team. Her is to make sure the players behave on social media, and she is making her number one priority clearing Freddie’s name. What happens when Tatum’s past comes knocking on her door? Her ex comes to play against the team she works for, and Freddie Ashford tries saving her the same way she is trying to save him. Will Tatum keep her feelings to herself, or will she allow Freddie to penetrate her icy heart and make her happy once more? This is the fourth and final book of The Ashford Brothers Series. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but for better comprehension, it is better to read the other three. The Big Shot, The Joker, The Strong and finally The Jock.

I've spent a huge sum of money on a custom-fitted gown just so I can go on a date with my fiance, Vincenzo Rossi, on New Year's Eve. He's also known as the rising star of the mafia underworld. But Vincenzo sounds very impatient on the other end of the line. "Can you stop being so clingy, Grazia? I have an important business gathering to get to on New Year's Eve!" His younger sister, Valentina Rossi, adds, "My brother's doing this for the sake of your shared future, Grazia. Stop causing trouble for him, okay?" I end the call, feeling disappointed. After that, I console myself, saying that Vincenzo is working very hard for the sake of our future. But that illusion only lasts till the moment my friend sends a video clip to me. Vincenzo can be seen hugging a gorgeous woman in the clubhouse. They are in the middle of making out with each other. Valentina, on the other hand, leads her friends on as they cheer for the couple. It turns out that Vincenzo's "important business" is to spend the night with another woman. I drain my glass of the strong alcohol. Scorching pain flares from my stomach immediately. Since Vincenzo can find himself a woman to toy with, then why can't I do the same? I swipe a finger across my phone and dial the number of the rival family's Don. "I want you to order the two most good-looking male escorts for me right now."

One day, my partner, Natalie Moore, cried and begged me to let her have the baby she had conceived with her childhood sweetheart, Yarden Holt. I agreed, but only on two conditions. Firstly, Yarden had to take the child abroad and never come back. Secondly, if Natalie ever broke the first condition and allowed them to come back, half of the Moore family’s estate had to be transferred to me. Everyone called me a gold-digging opportunist. They accused me of using a woman to climb the social ladder and coveting the Moore family fortune. Nevertheless, Natalie was willing to go against the entire Moore Corp board just to keep that child. Five years after that, I went to a neighboring city for a project and found a little boy. I took him to the police station so they could contact his family. The officer dialed the number the boy gave, and the voice that came through was one I knew all too well. “Baby, don’t worry. I’m coming to get you right now.” Less than half an hour later, Natalie, who was supposed to be hundreds of miles away at a meeting, stormed into the police station. I sat on a bench and watched her indifferently. She froze, and her face turned pale. I smiled and stood up to greet her. “Natalie, I had no idea that you had secretly brought this little boy back. Did you stop caring about your inheritance?”

THIS IS A DARK ROMANCE FEATURING DARK CONTENT AND MORALLY AMBIGUOUS CHARACTERS. Peyton has been in her marriage, enduring the pain of watching Odin, her husband, flirt and cheat in the guise of an open marriage—a decision he made without her agreement. She hit a dead end when Odin broke the number one rule: bringing one of his flings to their home, their bed. That's when she made an impulsive decision—cheat and not feel guilty. He wants her to get a boyfriend? No, she'd do him one better. One night, that's all it took, and the next day she finds herself tangled with her husband's brother. Axel—He's a live wire, pure mischief and untamed. He doesn't just give Peyton what she's been starved of; he ignites a fire she didn't know she had, making her crave the wild freedom only he offers. With Axel, it's not just a fling; it's an explosion of everything forbidden. Raphael—A little unhinged? More like a master of controlled chaos. He's the kind of man who sears himself into your soul, leaving an unforgettable mark deep in your memories. Raphael doesn't just flip a switch in your brain; he rewires it entirely, making you question every sane choice you've ever made. Ready to dive deeper into Peyton's dangerous game?

Aiden knight is 25 and is a businessman. He runs hotel chains in and around the country. He gets whatever he wants and whenever he wants it. Until Aria, his irresistible step sister. She is the forbidden fruit, he craves. Their one-night stand didn't help the situation either. His irresistible stepsister, who is naive and innocent, came into his life in her old pickup truck, with her cowboy boots and hat on, searching for her father, who is now his stepfather. His mother's husband number two. After a series of failed boyfriends and dates, his mother married Martin, her father. Aria knows he is bad news from the moment she saw him. That's why she ran away the morning after a crazy night together. He agrees with her. Her temptation is too much to handle and his hate for her father is a huge wall in between them. But the little fact they both can never forget is that she is his runner, who gifted him her innocence. Will he be able to resist his irresistible step-sister? Why does Aiden hate Martin so much? Do they have a history from where his hatred stems from? Where does that leave Aria and Aiden? He hates her at the same time, he craves her. What is the result of their crazy love-hate relationship? A happily ever after, maybe?

"This realm is your only chance of coming back to life in the mortal world, and if you attract those consequences, take note that you will die.” “Death?” I ask, mostly to myself. And to the voice, “What do you mean by 'I’m on my way to death'?” ~~~ Nova was having a bad day, and all she wanted was for the day to end already. But the universe seemed to have misunderstood her wish, because not only did her day not end, but she met with an accident that left her in a coma. As if that wasn't bad enough, she became trapped in a dimension between life and death, where she had to face a series of trials that would determine if she wakes... or fades from existence. Enter Zephyr, the spirit assigned to guide her to the light – her recovery. The spirit who never tried to disguise his want for her failure. The spirit she should've never fallen in love with. But in a world where survival is determined by the number of challenges a soul can conquer, the heart still found its way around love. With her complicated feelings in an already complicated world, Nova must decide what she's truly fighting for – her life, or the one being who's capable of ending it. *** In a short time, the remaining one hundred and twelve souls are pushed out. When we’re complete and standing, a voice – different from on the bus – greets us. “Welcome, Souls, to the survival games.”

Lena Hale promised herself she would never see Adrian Vale again—the boy she once loved, the man who ruined her life without ever knowing he did. But fate doesn’t care about promises. One night. One borrowed dress. One harmless dinner with an elderly millionaire to keep her bills from crushing her. That’s all it was supposed to be… until Adrian walks into the same hotel and looks at her with the cold, cutting eyes of a man who thinks he already knows the truth. He thinks she sold her heart for money. He thinks he finally caught her in the act. He thinks she has a price. And Adrian Vale is a billionaire who always pays what something is “worth.” A raised eyebrow. A silent gesture. An envelope she never asked for. A number she can’t ignore. Suddenly Lena is trapped in a slow-burn collision of power, obsession, old wounds, and the kind of chemistry that burns hotter after eight years apart. He wants answers. She wants freedom. But the past they share is a loaded gun—and Adrian is done pretending he doesn’t want to pull the trigger. He was the love she lost. Now he’s the danger she can’t escape. And the more she fights him, the more he decides she was always his. If Lena can’t match him move for move… she won’t survive him.

Shantali Jackson awakens from cryostasis to discover she's been asleep for over 600 years. A working-class woman from the pre-collapse era, she finds herself in a sterile medical facility, where staff address her as royalty and claim she's the beloved of Prince Costa—a man she barely remembers meeting at Le Glow Club one fateful night. As fragmented memories surface, Shantali learns the devastating truth: she and Costa were never willing participants in the preservation program. After publicly defying their arranged marriages to choose each other, they were declared enemies of the state and forcibly preserved by the Emergency Preservation Committee. They've been awakened seventeen times for six centuries, only to have their memories wiped when they refused to comply with the Council's genetic breeding program. This time is different—the memory suppression technology is failing, and ghostly echowisps (manifestations of psychic trauma) guide them through their escape. With the help of Marcus, a resistance member, they flee to the underground networks where Shantali discovers shocking truths: her half-brother Elliot became a resistance leader, Costa's parents have been working to undermine the Council for centuries, and the outside world has been habitable for generations. The couple escapes to Haven's Gate, one of seven thriving Eastern Sanctuaries where humanity has rebuilt naturally. But freedom is short-lived when they learn Dr. Thorne and other preservation specialists are using extracted consciousness data to create a new form of control—artificial minds programmed for obedience. Refusing to remain passive victims, Shantali and Costa make a bold choice: they'll pose as desperate refugees seeking re-preservation, walking willingly into Dr. Thorne's trap to stop his plans once and for all. Their love story becomes humanity's last hope against a system that would sacrifice free will for genetic perfection. A tale of choice, resistance, and the power of love.

“Who would have thought?” I scorned angering Carlos fast. “A mighty wolf like you getting a scum like me for a mate,” Carlos' eyes flashed gold. His Alpha wolf didn't like the challenge. “Is this the part where you reject me, or should I make things easier and do It instead?” I knew rejection was the only fate awaiting me, and I wasn't going to let him think that I am bothered by it. I should be used to the heartaches by now, I thought grimly. “Cam…” he groaned, pinching his nose. “And he knows my name.” I spat venomously. No one in the pack has ever accorded me or my sister the decency of referring to us with our names. We are either termed as half breeds, scums, slaves, or occasionally orphans. Carlos was tongue-tied for a second. He sighed a million times, looking at me helplessly. I didn't like the pity I saw in his eyes. “Go ahead, mighty Alpha, let's get it done with.” I provoked and apparently, it's all he needed. “I, Carlos Stanford, reject you, Cameron Walker, as my mate.” A softly spoken statement, which carried a lot of weight. Though I was only seventeen and couldn't feel the bond yet, I did feel my wolf retreating at the back of my head, howling in pain. Putting on a brave face, I muttered. “Good riddance!” I stepped past him to leave but stopped by the door when I realized I hadn't done what was expected of me. “I Cameron Walker, accept your rejection.” I smiled through the pain, giving a mock bow, and stormed out of the room like my ass was on fire.