The Game Of Pleasure

She walked away from her cold, loveless marriage... only to discover she carried the one thing they would stop at nothing to claim. Alina Hart never imagined her life would become bound to the Vaughn dynasty, Atheria’s most powerful family, where legacy mattered more than love. To the Vaughn's, she was simply the bride chosen for Sebastian, a match arranged for convenience. And to Sebastian Vaughn himself, she was a responsibility he accepted out of duty, not desire. Until one night changed everything. The only night he ever dropped his guard, and the only night she believed they had a future. By morning, he called it a mistake. By evening, a betrayal had a name: Natasha Fairfax, the socialite his mother loved, ready to take the place Alina never really had. Alina left, vanishing into the town of Marlowe. She soon learned she hadn't just left a husband; she was pregnant with the heir the Vaughn's would one day come for. Six years later, she returns. She is no longer the discarded wife, but a strong woman with her own power, her own name... and a secret that could destroy their empire. The Vaughn's want their legacy. Sebastian wants the truth. Natasha still wants her place. Alina wants only one thing: to protect what is hers. Their dynasty demanded an heir... she became their reckoning.

In the dangerous world of organized crime, love is a luxury few can afford. But for Andrea Lopez, the daughter of a powerful mafia family, it's the one thing she craves most. Despite her kindness and resilience, past traumas have left her wary of opening her heart. When fate brings her face-to-face with Stefano Costanzo once again—her best friend's brother and the ruthless don she's always longed for—sparks fly, and old wounds reopen. Stefano, a cold and ruthless mafia don, lives a life devoid of emotional attachments, harboring a secret pain known to few. Yet, seeing Andrea again after so many years reignites emotions he thought long buried. As they navigate the treacherous waters of their shared past and uncertain future, they're drawn inexorably together despite their best efforts to resist. But their reunion is not without peril. Stefano's dangerous world threatens to consume them both, and Andrea must confront not only her own demons but also the demons of the man she loves. Can they find redemption in each other's arms, or will their love be their undoing?   *** “Why the hell did you just do that?” I demand, my anger rising. “I’m trying to protect you,” he says, his eyes blazing. “Protect me from what? A good friend?” “He’s not who you think he is. I don’t trust him.” “You don’t trust him, or you’re worried he’ll take me away from you?” I challenge. Stefano’s eyebrow arches. “You think I’m worried he’ll take you away from me?” He leans in close, his lips brushing my ear. “Oh, luce del sole, no one can take you from me. You’re mine.”

Shantali Mae Cross, a security guard at the Metropolitan Museum of Ancient Arts, encounters an impossible phenomenon during her night shift—smoke from the heating vents coalesces into the form of a cobra near ancient Egyptian canopic jars, showing her visions of possible futures. She sees herself accepting a promotion, arguing with a dark-haired man in a hospital, wearing a wedding dress, and standing at a graveside in autumn. Shaken by the experience, Shantali becomes obsessed with understanding what she witnessed, diving into research about serpent smoke divination practices. Her investigation reveals that others throughout history have experienced similar visions at crucial crossroads in their lives, but those who became consumed with interpreting and controlling their prophetic glimpses inevitably destroyed the very relationships and opportunities the visions had shown them. As Shantali spirals deeper into her research, she begins shutting out her boyfriend David, a fellow security guard who loves her deeply. When David witnesses the cobra phenomenon himself, he helps ground her in reality rather than obsession. Through her studies, particularly the warnings left by Dr. Amelia Thorne—a researcher who died alone after chasing similar mysteries—Shantali realizes the cobra's true message: choose love over fear, presence over obsession. The visions weren't warnings of tragedy but glimpses of a life fully lived with all its ordinary struggles and profound connections. When David proposes, Shantali chooses their real relationship over her pursuit of supernatural answers. She completes her research by writing a fictional novel about her experience, transforming obsession into art while helping future cobra witnesses understand that some mysteries are meant to guide rather than be solved. The story explores themes of choice versus destiny, the danger of sacrificing present love for future certainty, and the wisdom of embracing life's uncertainties alongside those who love us.

ACADEMY OF THE DAMNED: BRIDE TO THE ABYSS. When I died, I did not expect to be haunted and chased by a group of people that called themselves the school for the dead. Wait? I died??? I do not think I am dead, but I had a NDE. Unfortunately, that means I belonged to the school of the damned now, a school where supernatural beings like fae, demons and witches attended and guess where it was located. In hell. So when I, Alexandria Nicole Thompson wound up in this school, I was an anomaly. Human. A human never became part of the damned, and the demons made it clear to me that I wasn't welcomed. I had to fight for my life every minute, from being spell bound, to being bitten by a raging vampire with a hard-on for me, and the fallen angel, cold and bitter, angry at everything in the world, yet I was drawn to him, and finally, there was Cassiel, next in line to be herald of a plane, a ruler of demons who hated me with every breath and declared me unwanted from the school. I had to grow a tough hide....or skin

“You shouldn’t be here,” Lucien growled as he pinned my wrist against the stone pillar. His breath was hot, and I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. °•○♡♡~♡♡○•° A Queen betrayed A warrior sworn to protect her A mate obsessed with getting her back A kingdom on the edge of war Framed for a crime I didn’t commit, I was dragged in chains, tortured, and left to die by the very man who once held me like I was his only reason to live. Rescued by a mysterious warrior with ties to the old gods, I return, four years later, as the Moon Goddess’ heir and his worst nightmare. Holding a secret that could change everything, his twins. As war brews, the Moon Goddess herself watches from above and I must make a choice. The mate who broke me… Or the warrior who built me back up? One will fight for me. One will destroy everything to possess me. As rival lovers clash, ancient secrets unravel. The world must bow, because a Queen never forgets.

In a world where different creatures mingled with humans, despite struggling with the world's hardships, fighting for survival, and attempting to escape the clutches of the night creatures, humans, no matter what they did, always ended up as a tool for survival. On their quest to acquire power, freedom, and wealth, this dark power's only source of survival was through one soul; the soul of a freeborn. This soul, being an embodiment of power, could change anything and everything. Kate Warren was this soul. She was a young, spirited woman whose soul was purer than a dove and was sought by different creatures who would do anything to take everything from her. Her soul was a power treasure for the demons and a great source of energy for the witches, while her blood was the life-sustaining elixir for the night creatures. All these things they sought were the keys to unlocking power. Kate was the only survivor in her town when a massacre took place that caused the deaths of her family. Unknown to her, she was the motive behind the massacre. Her bad days changed for the worst when she got abducted by a demon. Facing the chaos surrounding her and building a strong shield around herself Kate found solace in the arms of the night whisper. The whispers of the night had a certain attraction for her. It always drew her to Clarence Roosevelt, whose name shook her very soul and core, and was also death and life to her. Having discovered that the only person who can lead her into and also away from destruction is herself, will she save herself and others from destruction, or will she be the destruction itself? “All she needed to do was listen to the Night Whispers”.

Stolen hours after birth, a baby meant to die survives the impossible. Raised on lies and vengeance, Scar Icegard grows into a lethal hybrid. A vampire and werewolf, trained to hunt the very pack he was born into. The very pack he was born to lead as Alpha. His mission is simple: destroy Silvaton Ridge from within. But fate intervenes. When Emerald Ford, a resident doctor/ healer forced to lead after her Alpha father’s death, saved a stranger who should not have been alive, her usually chaotic world becomes more chaotic. Literally. Unknown to her that the stranger was her enemy. Unknown to her that he was her fated mate, the stolen Alpha from years ago. And unknown to her that the stranger carried her father’s blood on his hands. As the outcasts plan rebellion against the packs, war looms, love collides with betrayal, truth shatters loyalty. And the stolen Alpha must choose between the lie that raised him and the destiny that calls him home. And Emerald, Emerald must choose if she must continue to lead as Alpha or if she must forgive this Alpha that lost his way, even before he learned to speak his first words.

Vampires, werewolves, wicthes and humans are all beings that have been fighting and engaging in a batle for dominace, the war between them has been raging on for centuries as Alliances break and new bonds are forged anew. Atarah, who was raised by the Alpha on an island dominated by werewolves. As the only different breed on the island she can't compete with the other werewolves but her unique features set her completely different from ordinary humans. Mysteries surround her birth and her origins, she feels compelled to explore the human world and live her life as a human but the story behind her origins emerges and she sets out to the outside world to discover herself.

Libby is in hiding. Keen to put as much distance between those that have lied to her, she has made a new life for herself tucked away on a working farm. Ashamed by how she ran out on her family in their moment of need, Libby has managed a new start and made friends that also have their own reasons for being in a remote location. Libby finally feels safe but a friend isn’t as they seem, and was sent by her own brother, the Alpha King, to track her down. One thing that Libby refuses to accept is that she is a human-werewolf hybrid and already has a mate. A mate she struggles to recognise due to her own personal struggles with accepting her true identity. Unaware of the death of her own father, her family aren’t the only ones now looking for her and it is now a race against time to find her first. She may be living life as a rogue in a remote farm, but one thing she also keeps secret is she is an heiress to a multimillion human empire..all she needs to do is find the inner strength to claim it back.

From dodging airborne slot machines to an unplanned swim in the fountain of a luxury hotel, it's safe to say that a trip to Las Vegas doesn't go as Carrie Blair had planned it to. A part-time teacher by day and an artist by night, Carrie thought that a fun, relaxing weekend in Vegas with her best friend was exactly what the two of them needed to unwind. Instead, her presence in the city of lights attracts the attention of a rival Alpha. Luca Ronan thunders into Carrie's life with plenty of demands and expectations of his new mate. Unfortunately for him, Carrie isn't one to fold under pressure-even when it's applied by the most intimidating Alpha in the country. Stubborn and determined, Carrie puts as much space between her and Luca as she can. But how long can she remain ill-willed against the charm and passion that comes with the formidable Alpha she has been destined to love?