The Cosmic Serpent

In the quiet of the forest, the darkest fears are born. The people of Dunballan, harbour a dark secret. A secret more terrible than the Beast that stalks the dense forests of Dunballan. A secret that holds David McCavendish, last in a long line of Lairds, in its unbreakable grip. It’s down to Sally, David’s lover, to free David from the sinister clutches of the Beast. But, with the whole town against her, she must ally herself with an ancient woodland force and trace Dunballan’s secret back to its bitter origins. Those origins lie within the McCavendish family history, and a blasphemous heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. Some truths are too terrible to face, and the darkest of these lie waiting for Sally, in the Quiet Places. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Adrian, seorang spy dari AEGIS, dipercaya untuk menumpas The Serpent's Coil, sindikat narkoba paling berbahaya di kota, yang dipimpin oleh Nikolai Petrov yang cerdik dan kejam. Dalam misi penyamarannya yang berisiko tinggi untuk menyusup ke organisasi tersebut, Adrian tak sengaja bertemu dengan Sienna, seorang gadis muda lugu yang terjebak dalam lingkaran pengedaran narkoba sebagai kurir. Tertarik oleh kepolosan Sienna di tengah dunia kegelapan, Adrian mengambil keputusan drastis: ia "membeli" Sienna dari The Serpent's Coil dengan harga yang fantastis, berpura-pura menjadikannya aset pribadi untuk mendapatkan kepercayaan Petrov. Namun, garis tipis antara misi dan emosi mulai kabur. "Kau taklukkan dunia dan aku menaklukkan dirimu." Kalimat itu berbisik dalam benaknya, memicu pertanyaan: akankah Adrian mampu menghancurkan The Serpent's Coil tanpa mengorbankan hati dan misinya, ataukah ia akan terjerat dalam pelukan mematikan sang ular, bersama dengan gadis yang ingin ia selamatkan?

Nero Vecchio was the enemy. That was what Dante had known from the moment he saw his father’s corpse in the gutter. Formerly the son of a powerful mafia Don, Dante Solace treads the edges of the life he once knew, becoming an assassin for hire. Only, a target brings him closer to the past he has nightmares about every night. And this time he cannot escape Nero. This time, Dante promises himself that he would kill the mafia Don who had taken over his mind. When secrets are revealed and the past events seem to repeat themselves, Dante is forced to work with the man he tries to hate to carve a path beyond death and dishonor. Their personalities clash against each other but the pull is magnetic. Dante is fascinated by the elusive Mafia Don but he shouldn’t be. Nero is the enemy. ...Or is he?

Nico Moretti is on a mission to destroy the DeLuca family for their betrayal, but his plans take an unexpected turn when he meets Sophia Ivanova. A powerful woman with her own vendetta, she believes the DeLucas killed her parents—until she learns the true mastermind was Damian Volkov’s father. As they uncover a hidden syndicate, The Revenant’s Hand, manipulating their families, trust and desire grow between them. When Nico is nearly killed, Sophia must choose between revenge or saving the man she loves. Together, they take down the DeLucas, but the war isn’t over. Nico’s sister, Caterina, reveals a deeper conspiracy, setting the stage for the next battle.

Di tengah gemerlap kota Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, Jhon Pierre Mancini menjalani kehidupan ganda yang membentangkan sayapnya di kedua sisi hukum. Di siang hari, ia dikenal sebagai seorang pengusaha sukses yang terhormat, tetapi di malam hari, ia mengendalikan jaringan narkoba dan perdagangan senjata ilegal yang meluas di Kota Rio. Semuanya berubah saat Sora Sanders, seorang perawat muda dengan kehidupan yang sederhana, masuk ke dalam kehidupannya. Pertemuan tak terduga antara mereka berdua ini membuka pintu menuju hubungan yang rumit. Suatu ketika, seorang pria dari Spanyol meminta bantuan Jhon untuk mencari istri dan anaknya yang hilang selama 24 tahun. Awalnya, Jhon menolak, tapi akhirnya setuju setelah pria itu menawarkan 20% saham dari bisnis minuman kerasnya, dan yang paling mengejutkan adalah, Jhon menemukan kebenaran: Sora adalah anak yang dicari. Dalam upayanya mempertahankan cengkeramannya pada Sora, Jhon harus bersaing dengan musuhnya, yaitu Sergio Marrone, yang juga tertarik pada Sora. Pertarungan mereka membawa keduanya ke ujung keputusan hidup atau mati. Namun, dengan kekuatan tariknya yang tak terbantahkan, Jhon mampu memenangkan hati Sora, meskipun dengan risiko besar. Dalam kisah cinta gelap yang penuh intrik dan bahaya, Jhon Pierre Mancini dan Sora Sanders menemukan diri mereka terjebak dalam permainan kekuasaan, pengkhianatan, dan obsesi, di mana takdir mereka ditentukan oleh pilihan yang sulit dan pengorbanan yang mematikan.

Judas Romanovski, the man people warned me about, the man people feared, the man who destroyed the only thing I thought I had control of- my morals, my patience, my heart. I was deceived first, and then entangled in lies he weaved with his sinful fingers, luring me, manipulating me, and then caging me. A moth drawn to the flame, like tides drawn to the moon, like Eve tempted to sin..... a bird caught serpent's clutches. My helplessness intrigued him, my cries amused him. ****** Seraphina, a determined and selfless young woman who moved to Russia to pursue her studies and escape her family's financial struggles. Focused on securing a decent job to pay off her family's debts, she found herself in a precarious situation when her roommate suggested a highly lucrative job as caretaker for the blind businessman. What could go wrong? Desperate for money, Seraphina accepted the opportunity without realizing the profound impact it would have on her life. Little did she know, her decision would thrust her into the world of Judas Romanovski, the blind Russian mobster known for his merciless tactics and captivating turquoise eyes. Judas Romanovski's initial attraction to Seraphina sparked a dangerous game of desire and power. Unused of being denied anything, he became obsessed with this young caretaker whose innocent eyes only fueled his desire. Willing to go to extreme lengths, Judas stopped at nothing to make Seraphina his, even if it was just for one night. But was one night enough for him to possess all that he desired from her?

Lors du Tournoi des Herboristes, ma sœur adoptive, Valérie Duval, a remporté la gloire en volant ma recette. Mais contre toute attente, ce tournoi n'était qu'un prétexte pour choisir une épouse au jeune héritier des Hommes-Serpents, une race réputée stérile, cruelle et difforme. Le soir même, une proposition de l'union est arrivée : ils exigeaient Valérie. À cette annonce, mon fiancé, Adrian Berger, pris de panique, s'est immédiatement uni à elle par le lien conjugal. Valérie s'est dandinée devant moi avec arrogance, exhibant le tatouage lupin au bas de son dos : « Adrian est à moi désormais. Que comptes-tu faire ? Il ne te reste que trois jours avant ton vingt-cinquième anniversaire. Si personne ne t'épouse d'ici là, tu seras assignée aléatoirement à un de ces barbares nomades. » Mais elle se trompait. J'avais un autre choix. Je suis allée droit au salon où mes parents tentaient de rattraper les dégâts causés par Valérie et j'ai déclaré : « Puisqu'elle refuse d'épouser l'héritier du Serpent, je le ferai ! »

I was a descendant of Echidna, while Jonathan was the Capital City's most faithful Crystal Emperor devotee. In my past life, I eloped for love. For love, I threw away my chance to awaken my bloodline, shed my scales, and ascend to godhood. But… On the day of our marriage, Jonathan cut out my heart. He said I was cursed, that I was in the way of his true love's salvation. He wanted to use my Blood of Essence to pave the way for his true love's return to life. In despair, I could only watch as he held the prayer beads in his hand. His words were calm and deadly cruel. "Sinead, you should feel blessed to become Anna's sacrifice." When I opened my eyes again, time had mysteriously wound back. I had returned to one week before my wedding. I prayed in the rundown temple, my hand over my aching heart. The booming voice of my deity suddenly filled my ears, answering my desperate plea. "Descendant of Echidna, will you shed your scales and return to an ordinary life? Or will you give up love and achieve apotheosis?"

Après la Grande Guerre entre les Humains et les Bêtes, un accord était conclu : le monde serait désormais gouverné par les Hommes-Bêtes. Tous les cent ans, une union sacrée était scellée entre les deux races, et celui ou celle qui donnerait naissance en premier à un enfant hybride deviendrait le dirigeant de la prochaine génération. Dans ma vie antérieure, j'avais choisi d'épouser Jordan Malet, le fils aîné du Clan des Loups, réputé pour sa passion fidèle. Je lui avais donné un Homme-Bête au sang sacré de loup blanc. Notre enfant était devenu le successeur désigné de l'Alliance Humano-Bestiale, et Jordan avait logiquement acquis un pouvoir absolu. Ma sœur Denise Vasseur, elle, séduite par la beauté des Renards, avait épousé l'aîné du Clan des Renards. Mais ce dernier, au cœur volage et à la vie dissolue, lui avait transmis une maladie et l'avait rendue stérile. Dévorée par la jalousie, Denise avait mis le feu à notre demeure et nous avait brûlés vifs, moi et mon jeune fils… Quand j'ai rouvert les yeux, je me suis retrouvée le jour même de l'union entre Humains et Bêtes. Denise, plus rapide cette fois, s'était déjà glissée dans le lit de Jordan. Oui, elle aussi s'était visiblement réincarnée. Mais ce qu'elle ignorait, c'était que Jordan, derrière son apparente noblesse, cachait une nature brutale et violente. Il n'avait jamais été, et ne serait jamais, un bon partenaire !

My fiance's childhood friend, Tori Kerr, calls him 999 times, begging him to cancel the wedding. "I see it in the tarot cards. You can't get married this year. Cancel the wedding right now." Mikael Jardine hesitates and says, "Tori's tarot readings are always accurate. Let's just listen to her." My temper flares up immediately. The invitations are already sent, and the venue is booked. How can we just cancel it? Seeing that I'm angry, Mikael ultimately decides not to listen to her. In a fit of rage, Tori blocks him. I thought that was the end of it. But on the wedding day, Tori suddenly storms onto the stage. The first thing she does is shout at my mom and ask her to leave in front of the guests. Tori says, "I read it in the tarot cards last night. Your mom's rising sign clashes with Mikael's. She can't attend the wedding. Besides, your mom's just a cleaning lady. She doesn't deserve to be here!"