The Brief Bedford Reader 15th Edition

"How could you conspire with them. I trusted you Layla!" He was really mad. "I didn't give them the code Damon, okay? I don't know how they got it?" She said. She strangely felt no nervousness or fear. Only the guilty felt fear. "Why didn't you tell me the truth about him? God! We've been dating for almost a year and you never told me he was a ex-convict", he said a shade quieter. He watched Layla look down for a minute and stare back up at him, tears gathering in her deep blue eyes. "If I did tell you, would you still have fallen for me...?" Working in a coffee shop wasn't Layla's dream. She has a degree in Business Administration but getting a got job in America was difficult for minority groups like her. But her boss, William Grey was wonderful, plus, she did get some pretty awesome customers like Damon Prince, the billionaire businessman and New York's most eligible bachelor and some pretty awful ones as well like Logan West, Damon's annoying and stuck-up assistant. After a brief argument with Logan, Damon comes to the coffee shop to make an apology to Layla on behalf of Logan and offers her a check. She turns both down and demands that Logan apologizes or they can forget about their coffee orders. She wasn't going to be pushed around by some rich folks. This intrigues Damon and he gradually falls in love with her. They begin a beautiful relationship but it's not all roses. They soon meet Damon's ex, Yasmin Kyle and Layla's criminal and terrible father, Dario Hernandez. Their trust and love for each other is tested as well as family ties but will they pull through or are something's just not meant to be?

Tyler never wanted an Alpha, especially not someone like Landon Hayes. At Ridgecrest Academy, Landon is at the top of the food chain—dominant, arrogant, and used to getting everything he wants. But Tyler isn’t like the other Omegas who fall at his feet. Defiant and independent, he’s determined to finish his year and leave without ever being claimed. Landon has other plans. The moment Tyler caught Landon’s eye, it was game over. Tyler’s quiet defiance and refusal to submit ignite something in Landon he can’t ignore. For the first time, Landon is chasing someone who doesn’t want to be caught. At Ridgecrest, the rules are simple: the strongest Alpha gets what he wants. And Landon Hayes wants Tyler. *** “You—” he starts to say, but his voice catches. I see his pupils dilate, his lips parting as he tries to push back against what’s happening. I let the red flash in my eyes, just for a second, enough to show him who’s in control here. It’s not about scaring him—it’s about reminding him of the natural order of things. The way this has always been meant to go. “Submit,” I growl. He whines. It’s quiet, barely audible, but I hear it. His body betrays him for just a second, his knees wobbling as his head lowers, shoulders hunching in instinctual submission. His eyes flick away, and I can see it—the brief moment where his will cracks. And god, it’s intoxicating. That split second of submission is all I need to know that he’s mine. He might fight it, but his body knows. His scent tells me everything I need to know. It’s only a matter of time before he breaks completely, before he’s begging for it.

Daisy Thompson works at Sneakz Burger Emporium under the protection of Uncle Mateo, living within a werewolf territory while hiding her true identity. When suspicious customers arrive asking about the restaurant's dangerous "Volcanic Sauce," Daisy's instincts are triggered. A male voice at the drive-through raises alarm bells, causing Daisy to retreat to a hidden safe room with a guard named Thomas. As Alpha Maison, son of Alpha Logan and heir to the local werewolf pack, enters the restaurant, tension mounts. Though Maison has always shown hostility toward Daisy, his wolf senses she's in danger. Meanwhile, in the safe room, Daisy realizes Thomas is not one of Uncle Mateo's loyal guards but an infiltrator sent to capture her. Thomas reveals a shocking truth: Daisy's wolf pendant marks her as "royal blood" and "the last surviving heir of the Northern Territories"—information completely unknown to her. When Thomas attacks, Daisy defends herself with hidden silver blades until Maison bursts in. After a brief confrontation, Maison kills Thomas, and Daisy leads them through a secret tunnel back to pack territory. As they emerge near Alpha Logan's pack house, questions loom large. Daisy must confront the possibility that everything she knew about her identity was a lie, while Maison must decide how much to tell his father about this mysterious young woman who has been living at the edge of their territory. Just as they begin to discuss their next steps, Luna Mara appears, expressing relief at finding Daisy safe. The story sets up a larger mystery about Daisy's true heritage and royal lineage and why she's been hidden within a witness protection program all these years.

️ DISCLAIMER — EROTICA CONTENT WARNING This novel contains 60%–70% explicit sexual content, dominant/submissive dynamics, supernatural intimacy, and mature themes. Reader discretion is strongly advised. ×××××××××× Edric Vale is broke, desperate, and out of options. With eviction days away and his sister dying, he takes a job at Luna Noir, a secret underground club that pays dancers a fortune. But the moment he steps on stage, Edric realizes Luna Noir is not human and neither are the hungry eyes watching him. His dance awakens something ancient, drawing predators to him… especially Alpha Leon Blackthorn, the cold, ruthless owner of the underground club and Alpha of the Blackthorn Wolves whose wolf reacts violently the instant he sees Edric. Leon sets the rules: Edric dances only for him. No touching. No flirting. No escape. Because Edric belongs to him, whether he understands it or not. But Edric refuses to be controlled. Until rival Alpha Luka Drazan discovers Edric’s dormant power and tries to claim him for a deadly ritual. Leon saves him brutally, then forces Edric into a contract marriage to protect him... and to keep him close. Soon Edric learns the truth: his bloodline carries magic that can break curses or crown kings, and every time Leon touches him, that magic awakens: hot, wild, and dangerously seductive. When Luka uses Edric's ex to kidnaps him to steal that power, Edric finally unleashes the force inside him. He is not prey. He is destiny. Now, with an ancient threat rising and a prophecy whispering his name, Edric must choose: Run from the supernatural world… or rule beside the Alpha willing to burn it down for him. But what he knows is that his power sings every time Leon touches him.

18+ Warning!!! Listen, this book does not play nice. Expect explicit sexual content, bursts of violence, and enough emotional chaos to make your head spin. The characters? Oh, they'll frustrate you, make reckless choices, and probably leave you yelling at the page. Reader discretion is advised… but let's be real, you're still going to read it just to see what these beautiful messes do next. ★★★ He left her in the flames… never knowing she carried his child. Elowen Thorne was once a forgotten maid in Morvain Pack, until Alpha Alaric Veylor of Dravenmere Pack made her his mate-- but love turned to ashes when betrayal struck. Accused of a crime she didn't commit and replaced by her envious stepsister, Tazira, Elowen vanished... burned, broken, and pregnant. Five years later, she returns as the long-lost daughter of the noble Velmira Pack Queen, known for their healing ability. Her power was feared, and her heart locked away. Her only focus is to retrieve the Drezova Moon Relic to stop the Vampires and Witches before war consumes them all. But fate is cruel! To find the relic, she must work with three powerful Alphas. One is her ex-husband, Alpha Alaric, who betrayed her… another is Sylion, the mysterious guardian of the relic who once saved her life and wants her now… And the last is Alpha Drazien Veythar, the calculating political leader whose alliance she must secure, even if it costs her freedom. Claimed by the three Alphas, bound by duty, and fated only to the Alpha King-- her greatest battle will be choosing which heart survives the war.

⚠️ Content Warning ⚠️ This book includes themes of homophobia, including discriminatory language and behavior. These elements are included to reflect certain real-world attitudes and experiences, but they do not reflect the views of the author. Reader discretion is advised. If you find such content distressing, please take care as you proceed. — Gunner took the job thinking it would be easy: keep an eye on the Floros’ only son while his parents were out of the country for a business trip. Follow and carry out the rules the Floros' had given him—watch the kid, keep him out of trouble, and collect a generous paycheck. But Layland Floros is anything but a kid. Beautiful, bold, and entirely too provocative for his own good, Layland isn’t interested in being watched. With a bratty attitude that dares Gunner to break every boundary he’s set for himself when he's on the job, Layland turns a simple assignment into something far more dangerous. Gunner's never been with a man. Never even thought about it—until Layland. Now, every moment in that house is thick with tension, with heat that hums just beneath the surface. The more Gunner tries to keep things professional, the harder it becomes to ignore what he was really feeling towards the young man. Soon, duty gives way to desire, and Gunner finds himself crossing lines he swore he wouldn’t. But when the chemistry between them explodes into something real and raw, he’ll have to face the truth: babysitting Layland and carrying out the young man's parents' rules was never the hard part. Staying away from him is. And if Layland's parents find out what really happened behind the closed doors of their home, Gunner could lose more than just the job.

Trigger Warning: This story explores difficult themes including emotional and physical abuse, coercion, non-consensual drugging, obsession, and trauma. Reader discretion is advised. Love. Lust. Obsession. Three very different men, but they all have one thing in common... Me. I was just a waitress. A woman with burned bridges and a dream of starting over. I thought I was finally free. A clean slate. I was so close... so close to gaining the independence I fought so hard for, until darkness came again, only this time… tenfold. One’s lust wants to own me. Another’s obsession seeks to break me. The third... I’m drawn to. He treated me like no one else did. I thought I could trust him. Then something shifted. Something terrifying. Hope fades when your body is not yours, your voice is silenced, and freedom is denied. --- As my fingertips brushed the smooth metal surface of the handle, claw-like fingers sank into my fleshy hips. I cried out in pure terror, the wind knocked out of me as my back slammed against his chest. “You’re really not leaving without saying goodbye to me, are you, sweetheart?” he growled. His eyes glowed an eerie garnet. “Remember, you belong to me now, Laura. If you ever dare run, I’ll lock you away where no one will find you,” he snarled, his coarse face scraping against mine. --- I’ve survived everything up to this point... Now, I’m not sure I can. They say I belong to them... Yet what if I was never meant to belong to anyone?

He has made it crystal clear that I’m not to call him ‘boss’ except on certain occasions, like right now, when his dominating gaze carries a hint of playfulness. I can’t help but smile every time he gets like this, all lovey-dovey, but when he whispers in my ears asking me to go on an adventure with him, it is like an invitation to a forbidden feast and the thought sends a shiver down my spine which unlike you would think, is almost painful. Maybe this is because I have been on an adventure with him for as far as I want to recollect. My memories, if you peeked inside, would be overflowing with every moment with him, each one a brushstroke painted with his boldness and my, well, let’s call it a touch of recklessness. I now wear a souvenir, a mark etched onto my soul. It’s like a silent agreement, a reminder that our fates are tangled, intertwined like climbing vines. He’s the puppet master, my very own Mr. Strings, and every twist and turn of his whims gets woven into the fabric of my being. Maybe you find that hard to believe, like something out of a fairytale. But trust me, my darling, as I unravel the threads of our adventure, one by one, you’ll understand. With each turn and twist, you’ll find yourself hooked, a willing captive in the captivating narrative of our lives, possibly harnessed in the labyrinth of our love, where danger dances with delight, and fate is etched in the footprints of a love like no other. So buckle up, dear reader, for this isn’t a mere tale, it’s a thrill ride, a love song made of equal parts fear and freedom.

[TRIGGER WARNING: Reader's Discretion Is Advised... This book contains mature themes, including explicit sexual content, violence, strong language, and dark romantic elements. It is intended for adult audiences (18+) only. Please proceed with caution if you are sensitive to any of these topics.] "You’re fucking dripping," he muttered, moving in and out of her. "All wet for me." He moved faster, rubbing her clit and she threw her head back. He took his fingers out and she groaned. He ripped her dress and took her already hard pink nipple in his mouth, sucking and nibbling on it. She moaned even more, pushing her chest to his mouth. His hand played with the other exposed nipple and he twisted it, earning another loud moan from her. She wanted to feel him. It's been too fucking long. "Fuck me..." she said, her voice almost inaudible. Rico chuckled, so sinister yet so hot. "Such a needy little whore for me, aren't you?" He inserted two fingers inside her again, deep inside her, curling just right. "Say it. Say you're my whore." Calla didn't care if that made her feel worthless. She was a whore. His whore. "I... I am your whore," she moaned out, trying to bite it back. Rico smirked darkly. He inserted another finger and she bit into his shoulder to muffle her moan. He gripped her throat with the other hand, just enough to remind her who held control. "You like being used like this, don't you?" He growled against her ear.

TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains dark themes, including emotional manipulation, psychological trauma, violence, sexual content, abuse, and mature language. it also revolves to mafia/underworld. Reader discretion is advised. This is a work of fiction intended for mature audiences (18+). Please read responsibly. “Choose wisely, baby, because if I'm the one who decides for you, you'll never walk out of my life. Never. Fucking. Again. ” Ako si Diamon. Akala ko nahanap ko na ang pag-ibig na inaasam ko dahil may asawa akong mapagmahal, maalaga at kapiling ko sa mapayapang tahanan. Akala ko lang pala. Dahil dumating ang araw na nagdilim ang tahanang puno ng kulay nang nalaman naming hindi kami magkakaanak dahil hindi ko kayang magdalang-tao. Ang isang payapang tahanan ay naging isang kulungan, saksi ng pang-aabuso at pagkontrol. Pero kahit ganon… Kumakapit pa rin ako sa alaala ng pagmamahalan namin ng aking asawa. Sa gitna ng sakit—dumating si Lazarro. Ang half-brother ng aking asawa. Misteryoso. Tahimik. At… May sariling dilim. Pero tila ba iba ang pakikitungo nito sa akin. At sa bawat titig at pananalita niya’y nakakaramdam ako ng… kapayapaan at kaligtasan. Pero bakit ganon? Tila ba kaya niyang baliktarin ang lahat ng paniniwala ko. Para bang… Kaya niya akong gawing kaniya. Handa ba akong sumugal sa nag-aalab na damdaming ito kung kapalit naman ay pangib, gulo o… buhay ko mismo?