Stepped Unscramble

POWERS SERIES (BOOK TWO) ”I’m only here until my father’s debt is paid. I’m not your property,” I said, though my voice faltered under his piercing gaze. Owen smirked, stepping closer, his voice a low, dangerous growl. “Funny, because the moment you stepped into my territory, you became my property, mia cara, and I do not let go of what’s mine until I’ve taken everything I’m owed—and more.” Mae has spent her entire life trying to clean up her father’s messes. But when his largest debt lands her in the hands of Owen, the most feared Mafia Don in the country, her life takes a maddening turn. Owen built his empire on blood, power, and his unwavering belief that family is nothing but a weakness. Mae’s fierce loyalty and willingness to risk everything to protect her deadbeat father—and track down the mother who abandoned her—makes her more interesting than she already is. Trapped in a web of danger, desire, and impossible choices, Mae has to decide: How far will she go to save the people who’ve already let her down? And how long can she resist the pull of the man who claims to own her?

On the day of our engagement, as we were driving to the banquet hall, a man holding a few-month-old baby stepped in front of our car. My first thought was that it was some kind of scam. I was about to get out and deal with him when I saw the panic on his face. "Cassidy," he said desperately, "our baby won't stop crying. Do you think something's wrong?" The moment she heard that, my fiancée shoved me out of the car. She took off with them without a single glance back. I just stood there in shock. So this was the truth. She'd been hiding a child with her ex all along. Alone, I went to the banquet hall to handle what remained of our celebration. Later, she called. "I feel terrible about this," she said. "I thought if I gave him the baby and gave you the marriage, it would balance things out. But when Stanley showed up today, I realized—he's the only one I want." I was done with her games. If that's how she felt, I'd walk away. So I made a simple phone call. "Grandma, I'm coming home. I'm ready to run the family business now."

During a road trip with my girlfriend, we accidentally collided with a limousine. Just as we were joking about having to pay an outrageous sum in compensation, the owner stepped out of the car. He greeted us warmly, asked if we were hurt, and even insisted we didn't need to pay a dime. But that simple gesture sparked a huge misunderstanding in my girlfriend's mind. At the proposal ceremony, she flat-out rejected me, ran to the restroom, and called her best friend to vent. "They're both Vanders, but Josh is a penniless loser, and Alexander is the richest man in the city! "The fortune teller said my true love's surname is Vander. If that's the case, why can't it be the richest man instead of Josh? "I looked it up. That car owner is Alexander. And he didn't even want me to pay for rear-ending him. He must have fallen in love with me at first sight! "In love, there's no such thing as first come, first served. I won't accept Josh's proposal. I'm going to marry the richest man!" A shiver ran through me. My years of devotion to her had moved only me. What she didn't know was that the 'richest man' she was dreaming of marrying wasn't anyone else—he was my father.

CLAIMED BY THE FOUR ALPHAS WHO ONCE BROKE ME In the Silvercrest Pack, strength is everything—and Lena has none. Born an omega, she was the lowest of the low. When her parents died mysteriously, the whispers began. A cursed child. A burden. A nobody. No one stepped in when her uncle sold her to four powerful alphas to pay off his debts. Why would they? Omegas like her didn’t matter. She became their servant. Their shadow. Cleaning up after them, enduring punishments she didn’t deserve, and learning to disappear. Until everything changed. On her twentieth birthday, something impossible happened—she found her mate. Not one. Four. The same four alphas who once treated her like she was nothing are now bound to her by fate. And worse? She's the only one who can carry their heir. Suddenly, they want her. Crave her. Need her. But Lena is no longer the broken girl they once ignored. And if they think they can claim her now without consequences… They’re about to learn that the omega they shattered has teeth—and she’s not afraid to bite back. They all want her and didn’t want to share but why even chose one of them when she can chose all four?

Introduction A year ago, I had my eyes on the winning prize in the arena - a rare red gemstone, and wanted to win it back as the mating ring with my Alpha mate Damien. Just as I was about to claim victory and take the prize, Damien's secretary Celia stepped forward to challenge me. Damien laughed helplessly. "Young girls love these shiny things. As the Luna of our pack, you should be generous and let her have them, okay?" I refused outright and defeated her. That day, Celia ran off the platform crying. I proudly showed Damien my prize. He kissed my forehead helplessly. "My stubborn little wildcat." After our mating ceremony, he claimed me night after night for a whole year, in every way imaginable, never giving me a moment's rest. But one year later, I received an invitation to a private combat arena. Videos and photos of me beneath Damien, my eyes hazy with desire, were brazenly displayed as the victor's prize. Damien had his arm around Celia's waist. "Don't you love fighting? There are over a hundred people here. I'll have them challenge you one by one. Whoever wins gets a sex tape of you and me. A whole year's worth."

Jeffrey leaned against the door, his eyes locked on Ronald. “Why do you keep looking at me like that?” he asked, his voice low. “Like you’re holding something back.” Ronald’s stare didn’t waver, “Because I am.” Jeffrey stepped closer, heat building up between them. “Then stop.” Ronald’s fingers brushed his jaw, slow and intentional. “You have no idea what I’d do to you if I let go.” “I’m not afraid of you,” Jeffrey whispered. “I’m afraid you won’t.” The tension grew as Ronald’s lips were only a breath away from his. “Say it,” he said. Jeffrey didn’t blink. “I want you. I’ve always wanted you.” That was all it took. Ronald grabbed him by the waist and pulled him in with a wild kiss… ***** Ronald was to be engaged to seal a business alliance between both families, unknown to them that he was into men. The night before his engagement, he found a man that stole his heart. And this man happened to be his fiancée’s brother. Would Ronald overcome his desire, or would he choose love? Explore a tale of romance, suspense, treachery, and love. The fascinating novel ‘LOVE IS WAR’ will have you reading until the very last page.

I, Liya Anderson, was the pampered Alpha female heir before. But everything was shattered by an invasion! My mother turned out to be the second chance for the bastard who destroyed my pack, and we were captured. Since then, my mother changed, no longer caring for me, allowing me to be abused by the triplet stepbrothers. Soon, I thought I had lucked out by encountering a savior. Naively, I believed he would take me away from this hell. But it seems that three won't let me go... *** “You don't seem to understand it, do you?” The irritated edge to Hunter tone brought more tears to my eyes. Gunter stepped closer, leaving no distance between us as he gazed at me with darkened eyes glowing with undiluted fury, “haven't we told you before?” My heart stopped for a second when Ryder’s hand wrapped my neck, lifting me from the floor a little bit. “Let me clarify it again, Liya. You belong to no one else but us. You're ours to look at, ours to touch and most definitely ours to fuck! This is your FUCKING fate! Accept it!” His deadly tone had a hint of mischief. Yeah, I should have known earlier. This is my miserable fate...

“Teach me” I said drunkenly “Teach me how to be a bad girl” “Are you sure about Tiny, there’s a tiny addiction that comes with that” he said, looking at me through the hood of his eyes. “What am I getting addicted to?” I echoed back, trying to keep my focus on his face, and not down his chest and his muscular arms. “Me” *** Cheryl Taylor had just recently divorced her cheating husband and decided to move back to her childhood town. Desperate for a room, she finds one with some weird rules and a roommate who seemed to busy to meet with her – everything comes to a shocking pause when she finds out it’s Aiden Scott – the town’s bad boy, and in fact her high school bully. Aiden Scott is now a made man and a billionaire but he’s stepped on a few toes to get there and now they’re out for his blood and he has to lay low in the town he grew up – the town that only saw him as a good for nothing bastard. He decides to get a roommate to appear normal, he takes the first one he got and only because it’s Cheryl Taylor – the one girl he had harbored a secret crush for years.

“You love the way I touch you, don’t you, kitten? You can’t hide it. Tell me to stop, and I will do that immediately?” I couldn’t say anything; I was a complete wreck of nerves. He inched his face closer, and I arched my back so that it pushed my chest towards him.  I couldn’t control myself. I just wanted him to touch me. Needed him to touch me.   “Do you still think that this is a mistake?” He asked, his lips curved in a teasing smirk.  However, I was far too gone to argue.  “I’m not going to touch you until you beg me.” He stepped even closer. “Now, kitten, do you still think that this is a mistake?” *** *** *** **** In one single day, my entire life is turned upside down when Dad is brought back to the pack, lifeless and dead in every way. However, the last thing I would have expected was my mother to show up on our doorstep after thirteen years to take me in. Or maybe not, because nothing else can beat the insane attraction that I feel to this man. This man walking down the stairs and looking every bit like some Greek god of seduction. “Olivia, my husband, André.” Wait… He’s my stepfather?

"Tell me you don’t feel the same way," Xavier murmured, his dark eyes locked on mine. "Tell me you don’t feel your heart racing every time you see me. Tell me you don’t think about me for hours, imagining things… imagining me touching you. Tell me you don’t feel jealous when you see me with another girl who isn’t you." He stepped closer, his lips curling into that infuriating smirk. "Tell me, Princess," he whispered. My throat went dry. My words stuttered. "I… I don’t feel anything for you," I barely managed. "You're such a terrible liar," he said, his grin darkening. ••• Everything changed the night my father died. Six months later, my mother’s whirlwind engagement brought me here — to his mansion, to his world, to him. Xavier Knight: arrogant, reckless and rebellious. The one person I shouldn’t want. The one person I can’t stop noticing. He’s not supposed to be mine. I’m not supposed to want him. And yet… every glance, every word, every heartbeat pulls me closer to danger.