Sixteen Candles

At twenty-one, I made the mistake of telling the truth. I accused a powerful Alpha of violating me. The Moon Tribunal called me a liar — and ripped out my tongue to make sure I could never say it again. Then they gave me to him. MATTHIAS VOLKOV. Cold. Ruthless. Sixteen years older than me and haunted by a grief that has made him into something the other Alphas fear. He didn't ask for me. I didn't ask for him. And the arrangement between us was never meant to be anything more than political convenience. But he carries me when I fall. He stands between me and the people who want me silent. And when he discovers what the Elders did — what they really did — the coldest Alpha in the territories becomes the most dangerous thing I have ever seen. They took my voice to stop me from speaking the truth. They should have taken more. I can't speak. He can't love. But together, we will burn the system that broke us both — and I will make sure they hear it.

After I turned sixteen, I inherited the huge fortune my parents had left behind. As soon as the money was in my account, I hired a fake family online. A dad, a mom, and an older brother. Then, I gave them their instructions. "My dad doesn't say much, but he always lets me have my way." "My mom is gentle and a wonderful cook, especially when she makes barbecue ribs." "My older brother has poor health, and he doesn't like me. Just act like I don't exist." The three of them froze, and their expressions darkened. A long time passed before the woman playing my mother took my hand and asked softly, "Why did you hire a family? Do you miss them that much?" I avoided the guilt in her eyes, buried my face in her arms, and smiled. "Being alone is too boring." They were obviously relieved, but when no one was looking, I quietly wiped away my tears. What I did not tell them was that… I was dying. So, please. Don't hypnotize me into forgetting your faces again this time.

was sixteen years old when he was first killed; when he stood on Matthew's chest, his best friend, blood spurted from all over their bodies so that it was an exhausting and even battle between them until Matthew at last gave way to victory. Jaden breathed out, feeling the fires of hell all around him. His palm shook over the sheath of his sword, recalling that nightmare that steals sleep from his eyes: the moment he was kneeling on Matthew's chest, raising his rusty dagger, reluctant to take his soul, his eyeballs shaking turbulently and his chest rising and falling at an exhausting pace, and Matthew grabbed his trembling palm and led him towards his chest containing the dagger. Empty not to retreat, not to coerce and relieve him from his hell, but to kill him and prove to everyone that he will no longer be the prey. On that day, everyone around him was waiting, waiting for him to retreat in order to pounce on them, the mighty king's monsters, who made a vow to himself to turn his life into hell from the moment he was born and did the most heinous things.

The women in Brianne Montgomery’s family have a curse that compels them to marry before the age of thirty-one, and she wasn't going to be the first one to break it. Her life seemed perfecThe only thing she hated about her life was Travis Cross—her brother’s annoying best friend. Travis made a lifetime promise to take care of Brianne for the rest of his life. He promised to be her safety guy to save her from the family curse. Soon, their once hateful relationship turned into an unbreakable bond of love and friendship. However, their dependent and comfortable relationship would always be complicated because of the yearning inside Travis that craved Brianne like a drug. And Brianne struggled to stay immune to his charms. She had already lost so much, and Travis had become the most important thing she couldn’t afford to gamble with. This romance follows Travis and Brianne's lives from the age of sixteen to adulthood and how they dealt with family, teen peer pressure, marriage and breakups… all of which make up their deep and unbreakable connection: A relationship so beautiful, they’re afraid to risk it for anything… not even for love itself.

Charlene, beautiful and elegant, suffered abuse in the hands of her foster family, her aunt and uncle after the death of her parents. Tired of the unending circle of torture, she packs up one day after she turned sixteen and ran off on her own. She had to do odd jobs, including regularly donating her blood to make some amount of money to take care of herself. On one of her regular trips to donate her blood, Charlene ends up in more trouble than she bargained for, getting herself entangled with the most ruthless billionaires in the country. Noah Cooper, the masked billionaire, is a name that many respect and fear. No one knows why he wears a mask, and those who dared to ask, ended up begging with their lives to be forgiven. He is ruthless, unforgiving and a silent poison, not one to be messed with. He hates women, and avoids them like a plague, but why? What happens when these two polar opposites meet? And what happens when they discover they're about to be parents in the most odd way possible?

"He's my stepfather. Technically. But we have history from high school. He was my first love. My first everything." I stare at my hands because I can't look at her face while I say this. "Now he's forcing me to pole dance for him while he watches." "Watches?" "Yes." The word sticks in my throat. "He watches, touches himself and then he... marks me. Without touching me anywhere else. Just watching and then claiming me like I'm his territory." Three weeks ago, I walked out on my husband. Eleven months of rejection, of wondering what was wrong with me, of lighting candles for a man who was saving himself for my best friend. When I finally heard the truth from his own mouth, I packed one bag and I left. I thought I was starting over. Instead, I drove straight into my mother's mess. Gloria, the woman who raised chaos and called it motherhood, married a billionaire, cleaned out forty-seven million dollars from his accounts and disappeared without a word to me. Now his lawyers are at my door and I am the only thing she left behind worth collecting. My new employer is Richard Moore. Billionaire. Tycoon. The most dangerous man I have ever met. He is also the boy who took my virginity at seventeen and broke my heart in the same breath. He wants a year of service. Pole dancing, forced proximity, and all the dark things written in fine print I didn't have a lawyer to read for me. He wants to punish my mother and I'm the only punishment available. I hate him. I want to survive him. I want to get through this year with my mind and my heart intact. But what happens when surviving starts to feel a lot like wanting?

Flavia— a lost and found baby raised as a vampire slave turns into a wolf on her sixteen birthday which seals her fate of abuse for years. There is nothing she hates more than vampires and it keeps her going until she breaks free yet luck has never been on her side. The young werewolf is caught by royal guards who take her to the Vampire king; the most vile and disgusting creature. She knows nothing but death awaits her there and she is ready to go down swinging. But, what happens when the scarred crown prince claims her as his soul mate. It disgusts her to no end but she will scoop that low. War breaks and they find themselves sitting on the throne of blood. An uncle wants their heads and crowns while dragons burn their city day and night. It’s hard holding onto life, a crown and love at the same time, especially when your so cold soul mate is not really your soul mate. PLEASE NOTE: This is book 2 of ‘The Royally Screwed’ series but can be read as a stand alone. The book contains sexual content, strong language and violence.

“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.

Ilaria, though an Alpha's daughter, endured years of abuse at the hands of her older sister Calista. Her father trafficked her mother, forced himself upon them, then abandoned them both. She was an Omega anyone could trample on. Reed's arrival changed everything. He sought to marry the Alpha's daughter to solidify his political path, but Calista drugged him. But, Ilaria unexpectedly slept with Reed. Enraged, Ilaria’s father expelled her from home and cut off her mother’s medical expenses. Swallowing her pride, she begged Alpha Reed, “Please lend me ten thousand dollars.” He touched her belly and told her she was carrying their puppy. Alpha Reed said, “Marry me, and I’ll give you a million.” She thought he was marrying her only for surrogacy, but instead, she became Alpha Reed’s Luna. The famously ruthless Reed family showered her with affection. Later, Ilaria learned that when he was sixteen, Reed had been searching for his fated mate—and that mate was her. (In time, Ilaria herself became a powerful wolf.)

After returning from a three-month business trip, I rushed to meet my fiancé and resolve our dispute over my best friend, Elena. Elena’s ex-husband left her penniless and broken. I offered her my apartment, helped her "find herself" and accompanied her through nights of tequila-soaked sobbing. My fiance, Julian, hated it. Or so he said. "She’s a leech, Clara," he’d snap, watching her try on my designer coats. "She doesn't even know how to make toast without calling for help. Are you her best friend or her maid? People like her don't want to heal; they just want a free ride." She's lost everything, Julian," I argued."Without her, I wouldn't have survived my mother’s death. Please, just be patient for me." I let myself in quietly. The house was still, the air smelling of expensive candles and something else—something sweet and floral that wasn't mine. I walked toward the master suite, expecting to find Julian asleep. Instead, the door was ajar. The wine bottle I had brought to surprise Julian slipped from my hand, leaving me paralyzed for a moment. Elena was draped across my silk sheets. Julian was hovering over her, expertly shucking oysters—my favorite—and feeding them to her with a look of doting, soft-eyed tenderness he hadn't shown me in months. "You're so much better at this than she is," Julian purred. "Because she’s cold, Julian," Elena whispered, brushing a stray hair from his forehead. "She’s all business. She doesn't know how to satisfy men in bed." I stood in the doorway, my whole self trembling, not in cold but in pure rage and disgust. "I hope the oysters are fresh," I said, my voice cutting through the room like a blade.