The Brief Bedford Reader 15th Edition Novels & Stories

Princess Thalia’s life ended in fire and betrayal. But for her, death was not the end—it was a second chance. Waking up one year in the past, she is the sole keeper of a horrifying secret: the king, her own father, is about to unleash an apocalypse. To stop him, she must transform herself from the forgotten, useless princess everyone despises into a master of magic and intrigue. Her only hope lies chained in the darkness beneath the palace—a legendary elven warrior, the last of his kind, broken by a centuries-old curse. He is a weapon she must wield, a secret she must protect, and a soul whose fate is inexplicably tied to her own. As they forge a desperate alliance, their combined power awakens ancient magic and a forbidden love that could unite their peoples. But in a world of whispering shadows and monstrous creatures, their bond may be the very thing that triggers the doom they are trying to prevent. For in a battle against fate itself, the price of saving the world may be everything they have come to love. Warning: This book contains scenes of graphic and descriptive violence. Reader discretion is advised.

I was pregnant. On my way to deliver documents to Tristan Goldberg, a flash flood struck. Desperate, I dialed his number, praying he’d answer. After a few rings, the call connected. But instead of Tristan, a woman’s voice answered. "Tristan, whose number is this? Do you want to answer it?" There was a brief pause, and then Tristan’s voice, cold and indifferent, cut through. "It’s just my maid. Ignore it. Hang up." And just like that, the call disconnected. Staring at the torrent rising around me, my pulse quickened. I texted him, begging for him to send a rescue team. Minutes passed as the waters climbed to my waist, churning and relentless. Then, a message from Tristan finally appeared. Tristan: [What kind of ridiculous story are you making up now?] Tristan: [Emily, do you think you're eighteen, playing these childish games? I want that document in my hands within thirty minutes, or we're getting divorced.] A surge of terror shot through me as I looked up, catching sight of a heavy branch snapping loose and crashing down. In an instant, everything went dark.

A NOVEL ON STOCKHOLM SYNDROME BOOK 3 OF A THREE BOOK SERIES *TRIGGER WARNING* This book contains scenes that some readers may find disturbing… and also slightly annoying. “Miss. Iris, do you believe she has a point?” she asked and returned to her seat once again. “I don’t think so, her father and uncle deserve to go to jail.” My answer extracted a smile from her like she was proud of my response. “My name is Christine; I am a renowned medico-legal psychotherapist. Been in the business for over twenty years and that is what a case of Stockholm syndrome looks like. In my years of experience, we see situations similar to this but its our job to help the victims realize” “Wow…” I started, really amazed at what she had said and what her work entails. I was only concerned why they locked me in a room with a psychotherapist “it must be difficult at times” I added. “yeah, its difficult every time” she laughed “but today isn’t about me, I have a question for you.” There was a brief pause in between before she carried on “Does Hunter deserve to go to jail?”

She was never meant to see him kill. Now, she’s his prisoner. When Claire stumbled into the wrong mansion on a stormy night, she thought she was running from danger—until she met Damien Voss, the man everyone calls the Alpha. Cold. Controlled. Lethal. He rules a world built on secrets, loyalty, and blood. And now, Claire is part of it. But Damien doesn’t just want obedience. He wants her—mind, body, and soul. What begins as captivity turns into something far more dangerous: desire. Because in his arms, pleasure and punishment blur, and every secret she uncovers drags her deeper into his darkness. Between betrayal, bloodlines, and forbidden heat, Claire must decide if the monster who took her captive is her enemy… or the only man who can set her free. A dark, addictive, and emotionally charged romance. Contains explicit sexual scenes, mature themes, and morally grey characters. Reader discretion is advised.

In the gritty heart of Duskville, where shadows hide the crimes no one wants to see, Detective Jackson Reyes works like a ghost—unflinching, relentless, and alone. Scarred by a childhood spent watching his mother suffer at the hands of a cruel man, Reyes learned early that justice doesn’t come easily. So he became it. When Lena, a young woman trapped in a world of coercion and violence, walks into his station and tells the truth no one else will hear, something shifts. As Reyes digs deeper into the criminal underworld controlled by Riko and his men, Lena becomes more than a witness—she becomes a reason. A reason to keep fighting. A reason to believe healing might be possible, even for someone like him. ______ Content Warning: This story contains themes and depictions of sxual assult, r*pe, non-consensual acts, gr*oming, sx traffcking, and dr*g use. Reader discretion is strongly advised. These topics are part of the narrative and may be distressing or triggering for some individuals. Please take care while reading.

The universe and the Gods themselves may be keeping us apart but I'll rewrite the universe, go against the gods just to be with you once more. Watch me set the earth and the heavens ablaze just so I can hold you. All that I am and all that I have are yours now and forever. With surging tide, the waves are thrown An Entity, of all its own But on it's surface you may see Reflected in the waters, be The Orchestrator, pale and still Pulling strings, enacting will V7 a perfect angel, that was created to become the leader of his kind, is suddenly replaced? In rage V7 sets off to take back his destiny, just to find out that, the demigod has taken his place. Little does he know, that demigod never wanted his place, rather he wanted all that was V7, his heart, his soul, his whole being. Will V7 escape his love trap? Or lose all that he was created for? ____________________________________________ It was at, that trigger moment I understood what I wanted. I cupped his face pulling him close and hungrily kissing him as I lay him down and got on top of him. " Mmmm! Hmmm." Kean moaned as I slipped my tongue into his mouth, exploring every inch of his mouth and sucking on his tongue. Wanting to taste him more as my body craved his every touch. I broke the kiss leaving him gasping for breath. " I love you, Jessica. " Kaen lovingly whispers to my lips. My brain went blank from shock as my heart was suddenly filled with rage and it didn't make it any better that I was still hot, excited, and semi-hard from earlier. ______________________________________________ Brought to you by V1 Productions YouTube The Night Known As You (Game Edition) Chapter 1, Part 1 ______________________________________________

Mila is a feisty young woman in her late twenties who is bored with her life. And bored with her Lycan boyfriend, Lowell who she was sold to at a young age. When strange murders start to occur, Lowell is tasked with finding the culprit, being one of the best detectives in town. Mila refuses to sit behind the lines and starts doing some investigations of her own, despite Lowell's insistence that she stay out of it. But she would never have guessed it would lead her to Lobo, Lowell's much older brother who is known as "The Lycan from Hell" due to his ruthless temper. To make things worse, she has been terrified of him since the two had a brief encounter years prior. Mila is thrown into a web of lies which she must start to untangle when she discovers that she is Lobo's, fated mate. The two decide to work together to uncover the identity of the killer plaguing the town, but things become hard when the humans chase the Lycans out of town and the killer sets his sites on Mila. Will she find safety in Lobo and his Pack, or will she find she has made a grave mistake by trusting them?

“You were only ever a replacement for her.” Those words destroyed Serena Cole’s marriage long before the divorce papers ever arrive. When Serena agrees to marry billionaire Damian Cole, she knows she can never compete with the memory of the woman he truly loved. Still, Serena accepted the cold marriage because her family needed saving, and because somewhere along the way, she began falling in love with her husband. Their unexpected pregnancy changes everything. For a brief moment, Serena believes they finally have a chance at becoming a real family. Until Damian’s first love returns. Old feelings rise and doubts grow. The man Serena trusted slowly becomes cruel enough to break her completely. Abandoned during the darkest moment of her life, Serena leaves the marriage believing she lost both her husband and her baby forever. But years later, Damian comes face to face with a little boy who looks exactly like him. Now the woman who once chased after his love has stopped looking back and Damian realizes too late that he destroyed the only family he truly wanted.

They called him the Mafia King, but I knew him as the devil who ripped my sister from this world. My mission was sacred; vengeance. My method; Seduce the beast, then plunge the knife deep when he least expects it. I stepped into his world and offered him my supposed innocence, and like all devils, he took the bait. ​Dominic Sokolov didn’t just want me; he claimed me. Every possessive stare, every burning touch, every depraved whisper chipped away at the vengeance that once fueled my soul. He was a poison I craved, a sin I embraced, and with every scorching kiss, the bullet meant for his heart began to feel like my own. But a devil always finds his due. And when he discovers the assassin hidden beneath the lover, I know what waits. ​A hell far worse than death itself. CONTENT WARNING: This book contains mature themes, including dark romance, morally complex characters and situations that might be intense for some readers. Reader discretion is advised.

NB: This book contains strong erotic, steamy and violence scenes. Reader's discretion is advised. ********** Lena an innocent chambermaid is taken by a wealthy billionaire lord. Lena began sobbing once more. She'd never felt more alone all in her entire life, and had never been betrayed by a person this way before. No one had prepared her. "Lena...I'm going to come inside of you," Renz ground out, looking down at her. Lena pounded her little fists against his chest, now desperate to get him off of her. "No, sir, not inside of me!" she screamed. Renz trapped her wrists in one hand and reached down to finger her still sensitive clit. Lena couldn't handle both sensations, and she fell back, surrendering entirely. She was coerced, seduced, romanced, ravished and dominated. Betrayed, Abused and taken, will there be any hope left for Lena? ******* THE TAKEN OF LENA is an 11 part steamy erotica series. ........... Also note that this book contains other steamy erotica stories/series for your reading pleasure. Enjoy the ride....