The Man By The Sea

They say the happiest moment in a Lycan's life is meeting their fated mate. But what if you reject your fated mate to be with your chosen one, only to realize you made a mistake as your chosen mate betrays you? That's the dilemma Elara found herself in. After discovering she was pregnant with the child of her boyfriend and chosen mate, Elijah Reed, he rejected her and chose her step-sister, Fiona Arundel, instead. Little did Elara know, this was all a plot orchestrated by her step-sister and step-mother. They wanted to secure Elijah, the Alpha of their Forestheart pack. Since her mother's death and her father's absence, Elara had been slowly poisoned by her stepmother, leading to a miscarriage and her impending end. In her final breath, she uncovered the truth about her child's death and her stepmom's entire plan. "Even in your last breath, Elara, you remain naive. Too kind, just like your mother. That's why you'll die now without a fight." Fernanda smiled at her, covering Elara's face with a pillow. Helpless and unable to move her body, Elara had no chance. In her last breath, she vowed to seek revenge, to make those who tormented and belittled her pay. And as she opened her eyes, she found herself back in the past, a year before her death. There, she reencounters her rejected fated mate, Damian Raven Ashford, the man she would use to achieve her revenge. "Mark me and I will give you my body and my whole life. In exchange, help me seek revenge against those who have oppressed me." Elara saw the mischievous smile on Damian's lips. "If that's the case, start by making me happy using your body." They marked their alliance. a bond that would draw them closer to each other.

They say hatred is stronger than love. For Selena Cruz, that has always been true. Born into a cartel dynasty, she swore no man would ever own her—not her father, not her enemies, and certainly not Dante Moretti, the ruthless heir of the Italian Mafia. Their marriage isn’t a choice. It’s a weapon. A deal struck in blood to end a war neither of them wanted. Dante is everything she despises—cold, controlling, untouchable. But every time he looks at her, she feels her resolve crack. He wants her obedience. She wants his downfall. And yet, the fire between them burns hotter than either can control. When betrayal shatters the fragile truce between their families, Selena and Dante are forced to fight side by side. In a world of guns, lies, and vengeance, enemies can become lovers…and hatred may be the only thing keeping them alive. In the mafia, love is never pure. It’s a weapon. And sometimes, it’s deadly.

Three years into our marriage, Rylan Shaw brings another woman home. "Maeve, you should learn from the younger ladies. Stop acting like a block of wood all the time." With a calm resolve, I shatter our wedding photo and hand him the divorce papers I've long prepared. "Let's get divorced, Rylan. I'll step aside for her," I declare. His friends insist that without him, I'll starve on the streets. Rylan believes the same. "Once she's suffered enough out there, she'll realize how lucky she was to be Mrs. Shaw." But a week passes, then a month—and I never return. That's when Rylan begins to grow uneasy. Panic and restless nights consume him. One evening, drunk and desperate, he pounds on the door of my new apartment. "Maeve, if it's money you want, I'll give it all to you…" The door swings open to reveal an unfamiliar man—bare-chested, pajama pants hanging low, fresh scratches streaking his abdomen. Jonah Archer arches a brow, dissatisfaction flickering in his eyes as he asks, "Mr. Shaw, what madness brings you to my wife's door in the middle of the night?"

"Part One: TakenJessie Coford had a plan: work hard, save money, open her own restaurant. She sacrificed her relationship with the man of her dreams to get it. Then, in the blink of an eye, she lost her job and her apartment and her life crashed around her. Until a letter taking her to Fort Mavis, Texas, and an unexpected windfall.Part Two: TamedShea Prescott was astonished when million Cruz Castillo chose her to design his new home on his ranch. They hardly traveled in the same circles. But Cruz had been hot for Shea since he first saw her and at their first meeting the chemistry between them ignited. Cruz coaxed her deeper and deeper into a whirlpool of erotic sex, awakening latent sexual desires and bringing her orgasms beyond her wildest imaginings. Her body screamed yes at his every touch, but will she say yes to the most important question?USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic. and has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.Taken by Surprise is created by Desiree Holt, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author."

Isabel Mays has spent her whole life being the daughter nobody mentioned, the girl they hid behind closed doors while her sister wore the gold and her mother wore the smiles. She survived by being brilliant in silence, building a cure for epilepsy inside a hospital that felt more like home than anywhere her family ever lived. Then Aiden Black walked into her lab at two in the morning and changed everything. He his Cold, commanding, and dangerous in the way only a man with nothing left to lose can be. He didn't ask for her help, he told her she was going to give it. His brother was dying, and Isabel was the only person alive who could save him. She said yes for all the wrong reasons and climbed into his car before she could talk herself out of it. She had no idea she had just walked into the middle of a war, because Aiden Black didn't just want her cure. He wanted to destroy her biological father, the same man whose blood runs through her veins, the same man whose secrets buried her mother, silenced her past and put a target on her back long before she ever knew his name, and the worst part? Aiden knew exactly who she was before he ever set foot in that lab. Two people with one revenge, and a love neither of them planned for, built on top of the most beautiful lies either of them has ever told. The question is not whether they will fall. The question is what will be left standing when the truth finally hits the ground.

Kyra is a resilient, compassionate, yet quite naive nineteen-year-old girl who lived with her father and stepmother ever since she lost her mother. Her stepmother, driven by greed, was determined to sell her off to an old man for money. Due to this pressure, Kyra sold herself to a ruthless billionaire. Will Kyra's sacrifice lead to her freedom, or will it trap her in a cage she can never escape.

Aurora Steele is a young and vibrant heiress rooted in the Italian Mafia. After breaking up with the love of her life Ethan, she is faced with the imposing figure of Damien Dmitri, a ruthless Mafia Lord who steps in, shattering her dreams. He is the most powerful man in the city –and her family’s most hated enemy. Caught in the middle, Aurora must make the most difficult decision of her life; a choice between love and family. She is coerced by Damien into committing an unimaginable act. In a bid to save her family, she must marry Damien’s son and heir to the Russian Mafia, Ryan Dmitri, to pay off her father's crippling debts. Aurora finds herself helpless in the hands of Ryan Dmitri, a handsome, arrogant playboy who always has women throwing themselves at him. . What will she do when she discovers that she has developed an undeniable attraction for the man whom she is supposed to hate and is pregnant for him. Can a love sparked in the flash of a moment withstand the darkness of old debts and new enemies, or will their future be snuffed out before it can truly begin? Will Aurora be able to navigate her way in a world of shadows? Will she ever find her happily ever after? Read more to find out.

Daisy’s heart raced with excitement as she entered the elegant wedding venue, the sweet scent of flowers filling the air. She held onto her boyfriend Noah’s arm, feeling a mix of nerves and anticipation. But as she laid eyes on her best friend’s soon-to-be husband, her world shattered. The man standing before her was the one she had been searching for all these years. The room seemed to spin as she struggled to comprehend the cruel twist of fate. Her heart sank as she realised he didn’t remember her, treating her like a stranger. The disappointment was crushing, but she accepted the harsh truth with a heavy heart. She steeled herself, determined to witness her best friend Julian’s wedding with the man she had longed to meet. But she didn’t knew that fate had a unique plan in store for her. Unbeknownst to Daisy, she was about to find herself standing on that very aisle, adorned in a wedding dress, instead of her beloved Julian. However, the man she has married - Dylan Astor, despises her with an intensity that is palpable. He has transformed into a completely unrecognisable figure from the man Daisy had encountered years ago. His once radiant, charming smile has transformed into a dark, icy countenance, causing Daisy to hold her breath whenever she sees him. The tension in the air is suffocating, as if a storm is brewing. Dylan knows very well that Daisy doesn't have feelings for him, which only makes him even more angry at her.

Series One: On her wedding day, Isabella Hernando stared into the mirror and wondered— how could she possibly marry someone she barely remembered? Miguel Martez, the man she was arranged to wed, was only a childhood friend who had long since disappeared. But just before the ceremony was about to begin, Miguel vanished without a trace. To save the family’s reputation, Maximilian Martez, his elder brother, was forced to take his place at the altar— without anyone knowing, not even the bride herself. But when Isabella finally stood before the man, she was shocked. That face, those eyes… that voice… Series Two: Adeline Martez is a quiet, introverted girl who grew up cherished and spoiled by her parents. Marriage was never something she worried about—until the day her parents announced her arranged match. Her groom-to-be? Jason Castello—the man she despised most. Her senior. Her tormentor. The shameless bully who had made her school days miserable. Adeline fought with everything she had to escape the engagement. But the harder she pushed him away, the tighter Jason held on. One stubborn cat. One relentless dog. When hatred sparks, tempers clash, and neither is willing to surrender— how does a battlefield turn into a marriage?

Serena Hale thought she had it all: three years of love, trust, and memories with the man she believed was hers forever. That changed the night she walked into Damien’s apartment and found him with her step-sister, Lila. ​The betrayal cut deeper than she ever imagined. But the true heartbreak came when her parents told her the cruel truth. They had known all along, and they had chosen Lila over her. Their family was bankrupt, and the Crowe family offered a way out. But there was a catch: Serena had to marry their son. He was a man rumored to hate women and cursed with a mysterious illness that might take his life early. ​Forced into a marriage she never wanted, and shamed in front of her family and the world, Serena vows she will not beg for love. She will not crawl for respect, and she will not be a tool for others to use. ​But what happens when the man she is forced to marry is nothing like the monster the rumors promised? And what happens when the betrayal that broke her becomes the fire that makes her unstoppable? ​Betrayal. Power. Revenge. A love she never asked for.