The Darkest Minds Alexandra Bracken

She escaped hell. He built an empire in darkness. Elara Hayes was once shattered by the people who claimed to love her. Now she lives quietly, hiding behind survival and silence, believing she is too broken for desire, too damaged for love. Lucien Blackwood is a billionaire who fears nothing except weakness. Power, control, and desire define his world. He does not save women. He does not fall in love. Until her. Elara’s quiet strength awakens something dangerous inside him. He wants to protect her. He wants to possess her. And he wants her in ways that terrify them both. As secrets unravel and the past comes hunting, Elara must choose whether to trust the man who sees her scars and still wants her. And Lucien must face his darkest truth. Sometimes, the most dangerous desire is not possession. It is love.

‘It’s a fucking diamond ring! Why is it on your finger?’ I roared she looked up at me, strands of her hair framing her face her tear-soaked face making her skin look blotchy. She whimpered as more tears rolled down her face. ‘Weak and pathetic! How is it that he wants you over me!’ I glared at her, lowing my head so that we were eye to eye. Fear filled her face tenfold when I showed her my fangs. She gulped. ‘I don’t know Zac gave it to me, please,’ I slapped her again, I didn’t want to hear this. I heard her cry out again. ‘What do you want’ she begged. ‘I want you gone,’ I raised back up, so I was standing over her, she cowered back into the chair. ‘I can’t leave,’ she whispered helplessly. Zelda is a Siren captured from the depths of the sea at a young age to be sold as a sex slave to the Vampire Prince. Zaikai is an arrogant entitled Vampire who needs an heir in order to become King of the realm. After the two meet they find themselves drawn together with an intense chemistry. Both uncertain as to what the future will hold, trouble is always around the corner and before they are able to change the dynamics of their relationship disaster strikes causing everything they had hoped to unravel. Will Zaikai's past cost him his future? Can Zelda claim her freedom? Will the two get past the hurt and betrayal and find love?

It's been ten years now and I've programmed my brain to forget her little did I know that I was deceiving myself. Things changed when I saw her. She looked different. She wasn't the same little girl I had fallen in love with. She was now a grown woman. She was gorgeous. I needed her beneath me just for one night. I'd get her out of my system and move on. That was probably a lie. Months later. Here I am drowning my sorrow in alcohol on my last night as a single man. I was getting married to a woman I never truly loved. Tara gave me a shy smile as she approached the aisle with her father. Kelsey looked away and ignored me. I was about to slide the ring on Tara's finger and her father's voice stopped me. "Stop." I turned around and faced him. Tara grabbed his hand angrily. "Dad what are you doing?!" Tara yelled furiously.

What is one to do when they catch the attention of dark beings? Should they run away from the sweet promise of unending pleasure, or do they give in? Tabitha Sullivan has to make that very choice when she catches the attention of two dark brothers with a need for blood and sweet torture. Not only them, but also an icy man with a vendetta against her kind. However, he is willing to go against his very nature to claim her for himself. What will Tabitha do? Will she fight the draw she feels toward these men, or will she give in? Read A Taste Of Sin to find out!

Elijah Dawson had everything—a billion-dollar empire, a name that commanded respect, and the kind of life others could only dream of. By 20, he’d conquered the business world, turning his love for cars into an empire. But there’s one thing he can’t own: Eloise Hart, his late brother’s wife, and the woman who’s haunted him for years. Eloise is chaos in human form. Tattooed, reckless, and unapologetic, she lives her life with zero regrets. The world sees her as a disaster waiting to happen, a woman who drags Elijah’s name into scandal every chance she gets. But what they don’t know is that she’s the one woman he’s never been able to let go. Elijah knows he should stay away, that every time he’s near her, he risks losing everything—his reputation, his empire, and the respect he has to his late brother. He swore he’d never cross that line, but how long can he resist when Eloise is the one thing he’s always wanted but could never have? Because for Eloise, she could fuck every man on the planet, but not him. Not her brother-in-law.

I, Alpha Lake Rush of the Rush Pack, hereby reject you, JoJo Wyatt, as my mate. However, you will need to keep working to pay off your debt." "Wait, what?" At the tender age of eleven, JoJo Wyatt had been forced to grow up faster than most. Coming from a challenging family background with a distant father and a fragile mother, JoJo realized early on that she had to take responsibility for herself and her younger sister. Her focus was solely on survival—love and romance held no appeal for her, especially after a devastating experience. She swore off relationships with men, but that changed when she began working for him in an unconventional role, trying to pay off roughly 7.8 million dollars for her mother’s hospital treatments. Alpha Lake Rush, 30, was known as the most formidable Alpha in the country. Though burdened by his own struggles, he had learned to be strong and decisive. His past experiences had led him to reject two of his mates. But when fate brings him JoJo, who is working to pay off her debt, everything changes. What happens when his destined mate turns out to be the one person he never expected—his third chance mate?

After three years of marriage, William Harris’s first love, the woman he broke up with six years ago, returned from abroad. And she brought back a five-year-old son with her. Charlotte handed him the divorce papers with both hands. “Let’s end this. It’s better for you, for me, and for her.” William glanced at her and said dismissively, “Divorce? Can you afford to leave me?” Charlotte threw down the divorce papers and cut him out of her life for good. She severed every tie to the past and poured all her energy into her career, quickly rising to become an internationally renowned sleep disorder specialist. Powerful figures across the globe owed her favors and respected her work. The youngest heir of a foreign financial empire said, “Charlotte, just divorce him already. I can’t wait any longer.” The CEO of a multinational corporation said, “Charlotte, I’ll go with you when you file for divorce.” A world-famous attorney told her, “Charlotte, I’ll handle your divorce case myself.” Charlotte rubbed her temples. It wasn’t that she didn’t want the divorce. He was the one who refused to divorce her no matter what. Left with no other option, she made a public announcement. “Whoever can actually get this divorce finalized gets VIP seating at my divorce party.” Not long after, William received a divorce notice from her lawyer right in the middle of a shareholders meeting. Soon after that, a multi-billion-dollar project of his fell through. That same afternoon, he was nearly hit by a car right outside his own company. Later, Charlotte arrived at the hospital carrying a bouquet of flowers. “Let’s end this,” she said softly. “It’s better for everyone.” The cold and dignified William pulled her tightly into his arms, his eyes reddening. “You want a divorce? That’ll happen over my dead body.”

Angela Bailey spent six years believing her marriage was built on love, only to discover her devoted husband was nothing more than a polished illusion. When she filed for divorce and asked her daughter to leave with her, the little girl clung to another woman’s hand and called her “Mom.” Donald Turner, cold and entitled, told her, “As long as you apologize to Nina, you can still live your high-society life.” Angela scoffed. “You might not even stay in high society yourself.” She walked out of the Turner household with nothing, determined to rebuild her life from the ground up. With her own talent and grit, she joined a new company and went head-to-head with her ex. Just when Donald realized his mistake and wanted her back, another man stepped into Angela’s life—someone who protected her openly, supported her quietly, and cherished her without hesitation. Donald regretted everything and wanted her back. He appeared with their daughter, eyes red as he pleaded, “I’ll give you the entire Turner family. Please love me and our daughter again.” The man beside Angela laughed. “The Turner family? That means nothing. Angela doesn’t need it. And as for a daughter…” He looked at Angela, and together they said, “We already have one.”

Samantha Granger's daughter, Celine Hamley, was critically ill and urgently needed a bone marrow transplant from her biological father, Calvin Hamley. But the man Celine called Dad was busy building a castle for his first love's daughter and lighting up the entire city with fireworks for her birthday. Samantha made call after call, but when Calvin finally picked up, he said, "I'm busy." Then the phone went dead. In the end, Celine's hand went cold, and she died. Calvin didn't even see her one last time. Samantha walked out of the funeral home with an urn. Every LED screen downtown was playing a birthday celebration video. The three people who had trampled over Celine's life were smiling, singing the birthday song, and dreaming aloud of a beautiful future. Samantha had once loved Calvin with everything she had. Now, she hated him just as much.

From a campus romance to marriage, Dominic Fleming had always believed he led a perfect life. His wife, Isabella Sinclair, was dazzlingly beautiful. Their daughter, Lilith, was sweet and obedient. Dominic sometimes told himself he must have been a saint in a past life to deserve such happiness. Everything began to change the moment Isabella's so-called "sworn brother," Alexander Grant, entered their lives. Alex's name appeared more and more often, and it crept into every corner of their marriage. For Lilith's sake, Dominic endured the strain again and again until the day of the accident. As he lay on the operating table with his life hanging by a thread, Isabella was not at his side—she was with Alexander instead. That was the moment Dominic's heart finally turned cold. So why did Isabella regret it? She knelt with Alexander, who likewise barely clung to life, and wept as she begged Dominic for forgiveness. "Dom, I know I was wrong. Let's get married again. I will make him kneel and beg you for forgiveness," Isabella said. "Scram," Dominic replied. Isabella nodded eagerly. "Fine. I will throw him out right now!" "Get the fuck out too!" Dominic barked.