The Licked Hand

A small-time office worker—constantly being pushed around by others and abandoned by his wife—turned into the richest of the rich overnight.

In the Kingdom of Deovaria, the peaceful Faery have been killed and enslaved by their neighboring Kingdom of Humans. The remaining few forced to choose between life or death, agree to live under the humans rule. Freedom comes with a price though. Faeries are to immediately stop all use of magic, and all faerie women are to be taken into the castle walls to bear one child that will be half human, and half faery. Giving the King a glimpse into what he always wanted, and invincible army. To try and protect their kind, a curse is placed on the Kingdom to stop all faery from having female children. Eighteen years later, Aspen, is the last female to turn of age. When she is taken by force, she turns her magic onto the humans, killing a guard in the process and committing treason against her new King. Little does she know she will soon come face to face with a furious Prince, and a longer journey than she had ever imagined.

Ava-Rose Redclaw is excited when she meets Alastor Drexel on her 19th birthday. He's handsome, powerful, and the Alpha of The Drexel Forest pack. Proud of the mate the Moon Goddess gifted her with, she wants to jump into her role as Luna only days after meeting. As soon as Ava-Rose touches the Drexel Forest pack's soil, her mate's true nature surfaces. He's a cruel tyrant, with a thirst for blood. Ava realizes that her mate has no love in his heart for her. Saddened by this fact, she turns to his younger brother, Beta Trenton Drexel and they begin a 10-year affair. He loves her dearly, but he loves his brother more, so much so, that he turns a blind eye to the abuse Ava-Rose endures by his brother's hand. Tired of the abuse and humiliation, Ava teams up with a White Witch she befriended who lives alone in the swamps. Winifred invites Ava to run away with her to a land far, far away, out of the reach of her mate. Ava sees this as the perfect opportunity, as she's been planning her escape for a while, knowing that the day is near when her secret will come out. On the day of the voyage, scores of she-wolves from near and far show up to journey with the Luna. They are tired of their abusive relationships as well. Days later and they arrive at Mount Hecate, a sacred place for white witches. Ava is content with getting revenge on the pack that tried to break her. Love is the furthest thing from her mind until she meets Typhon, a mysterious shifter that lives on the top of the mountain.

My mother was the villainess of a story. When I was born, the story came to its end. In the past, she was a rich heiress who drowned herself in luxury and pleasure. At present, everyone condemned her and spat in her path. After my father, the male lead of the story, betrayed her, her family went bankrupt. She knew nothing and had no skills, but for me, she was willing to learn from scratch.

On the day that I returned to the country, Lola Lawson, the one who was once the love of my life for ten years, sent me a picture of a baby. She told me to think of a name and meet her at the city hall to register the baby, as she had prepared a welcome-home gift for me. So, I rushed over with bags full of baby supplies. But when I arrived, she and her girlfriends were bent over with ridicule and laughter. "I told you! Even though he was gone for a year, he's still a loyal lapdog! Just a wave of my hand and he'd even be willing to raise someone else's kid for me!" She sized me up with mocking amusement. "Kevin Sheraton. How could you still be this naive? Just one joke and you come running?" They laughed without any restraint, calling me names and hurling insults, saying I'd do anything for Lola. But when I walked past them and took a number to register my own child's birth, and later wrapped my arm around my wife as the three of us took a family portrait, Lola's eyes were completely reddened with tears.

"I'm coming for you. No matter how far you think you can run, I can assure you that you can't hide and I'm closer to you than you think." Cassandra receives this letter from her mailbox. It's the millionth time she's been receiving these threats on a regular basis and her entire life is at stake and the tragedy of her life puts not only her but her husband, Mustafa on the edge as well, as Sandra is curious as to who is planning to desperately to put her in bondage again. Who could want to put her in captivity? Could it be her ex boyfriend, Dan? No. He didn't love her. He only broke her heart and cheated on her severally so there was no way on earth that he would want her. Could it be the loan shark that enslaved her when she was nine? Or could it be her mother placing yet another risky gamble over her life?

Caroline Brooks has spent the last few years working from home. It was easier for her. Safer for her. But everything changes when her friend asks her for a favor. "Are you going to kill me now?" Caroline looks at the twin devils in front of her, half scared and half turned on. She could feel her throbbing with need. "And why would we do that to our wife?" Nicholas smirks at her as Antonio reaches for his belt.

When my son was born, I noticed a small, round birthmark on his arm. But the weird thing? By the time I opened my eyes again after giving birth, it was gone. I figured maybe I'd imagined it. That is, until the baby shower. My brother-in-law's son, born the same day as mine, had the exact same birthmark. Clear as day. That's when it hit me. I didn't say a word, though. Not then. I waited. Eighteen years later, at my son's college acceptance party, my brother-in-law stood up and dropped the truth bomb: the "amazing" kid I'd raised was theirs. I just smiled and invited him and his wife to take their "rightful" seats at the table.

I'm undressed and bound to a testing table when my family comes to pick me up. A thick, sharp needle pierces into my neck. A drug is administered into my blood, and the pain almost makes me lose consciousness. Behind me, I can feel a man's cold hands stroking my skin amorously. Before me, several people are staring at me. They point at me and treat me like an educational instrument. I tremble in fear and curl up on the testing table in pain. Three years ago, my brother sent me to Mykorra's war zone to stand up for Yvette Sanders. Those were the three most insulting and torturous years of my life. They burned away my hope for kinship but not my desire for survival. As the hands roam lower on my body, I bite my lip so hard that I almost draw blood. As the hands start to go overboard, someone knocks on the door. "Wendy Sanders, your brother is here for you."

For ten years, Isaac was my fated mate. My Alpha. My future. Then, on the eve of his Alpha Ceremony, he chose another she-wolf to be his Luna, Chloe. His reason? She was wild and free...everything I used to be. "We are FATED MATES!" I screamed, my hand flying to the mark on my neck. "How can you defy the Moon Goddess? How can you just throw me away?" My wolf howled through our bond, trying to make him feel my pain. The backlash should have crippled him. But he didn't even flinch. It wasn't a real mark. Just a lie, painted on with magic. A trick to chain me to his side. My legs gave out. I hit the floor, a raw sob tearing from my throat. When the tears dried, the grief turned to ice. I stormed the Elders' Council and demanded they sever the bond. Then, I did the unthinkable. I chose his cursed uncle, Vincent. Isaac laughed. He thought it was a pathetic game to make him jealous. He had no idea. The Elders had already named his uncle the new Alpha. He didn't understand his mistake until he saw me crowned Luna on Vincent's arm. Only then did he come crawling back, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.