The Players Plate

*Spoiler Alert* "This is insane. You've lost your mind, Lucas. Werewolves... they don't exist." "Yes, they do. Allie... look at me. What do you remember about that night?" I flinched as Lucas cupped my sweaty face, gazing tenderly into my eyes. "We had sex, and... you bit me," I replied, my eyes wide with shock. The memories remained fragmented, and my head throbbed as I tried to recall what happened. "That's it, Allie. It explains everything. I'm sorry for biting you and putting you through this." Lucas pulled me into his embrace, and I began to sob. "What's happening to me...?" "You are in transition. You are going to become a werewolf." It all started with one drunken hookup—one accidental bite. I just wanted to celebrate my 18th birthday. I never expected to wake up feeling sore, marked, and already starting to feel strange. That guy turned out to be Lucas Kane—star forward, campus heartthrob, and secretly a werewolf alpha-in-training. He broke every pack law by biting a human. Now I'm transforming quickly, and he's the only one who can keep me alive during this transition. But I'm not just changing. I'm pregnant—with a wolf shifter's child. I want none of this. I have enough on my plate: college, anxiety, and trying to pretend I'm not falling for the brooding jerk who ruined my normal . Lucas is doing his best to stay away, but our bond is growing stronger, and the full moon is approaching. Worst of all? The pack doesn’t want a human mate, and they definitely don’t want me.

On Christmas Eve, my uncle, Adam Stewart, took a sip of the expensive wine I bought and pointed at me, laughing. "A child’s nature really shows early. When she was little, she wet the bed. Now that she's all grown up, she's working as a content creator in her parents' store. "She can't compare to my daughter, Erin Stewart, who has a secure job with guaranteed income. Because you're running a small business, your family will starve if you were to come across the smallest hurdle!" All the relatives at the dining table laughed. Erin pretended to play with her phone, but she was grinning. My parents just smiled politely, at a loss for what to do. I looked icily at Uncle Adam. There were still six hours before the ice apocalypse arrived and the global zombie crisis broke out. In my previous life, Uncle Adam, who always looked down on us, pushed my entire family into the zombie horde to seize my parents' supermarket. This time, I would not let him get away with it. I had just grabbed the plate, ready to smash it over Uncle Adam's head, when a crisp notification rang in my mind. "Ding! Rage Points System has been bound. The host can obtain resources by retaliating. The more shameless you are, the stronger you become!" Looking at Uncle Adam's smug face, I laughed. "Yeah, I don't know anything, but I just recalled something. Uncle Adam, you were arrested by the anti-prostitution squad when you went to Los Anglos on a business trip eight years ago, weren't you? Does Aunt Leanne know about this?"

My father is the First Warrior of the Moonflash pack. He often takes me to all kinds of banquets, and I always look forward to them. Today, he brings me to a banquet hosted by Judy. I take a bite of raw meat on my plate and immediately spit it out. I once ate raw meat when I was younger, and my stomach hurt for several days. I nearly died. The healer later told me that I'm allergic to the protein in raw meat, and that experience left a lasting impression on me. Judy looks hurt when she sees my reaction. "I went to the forest myself to catch that reindeer," she says. "I killed it just this morning. I didn't cook it so that I wouldn't ruin its freshness. I didn't expect Ray would turn her nose up at it." Dad is angry about how rude I am, so he chases me out of the banquet and locks me up in a cramped lounge. The lounge is hot and stuffy, and I soon start finding it hard to breathe. A sharp pain twists in my stomach like a knife. I want to find Dad, but no matter how much I bang on the door, he refuses to open it. Through the window, I can see Dad and Judy standing in the center of the hall. They're conversing happily, but no one even looks in my direction. I'm suffocating, so I lie on the floor. I want to shout for Dad, but I can't make a sound no matter how hard I try. Then, I realize that I'm standing up and can walk through the door. But why is my body still lying on the floor? That's when it hits me. I'm dead.

Ava Sinclair has one rule—stay away from jocks. They’re arrogant, they’re reckless, and they’re nothing but distractions. As Westbridge University’s top student, she has a strict schedule of study sessions, internships, and zero tolerance for football players, especially Logan Carter. Logan, on the other hand, thrives on breaking rules. When his teammates make a bet date the nerdy girl who’s never fallen for a jock he takes it as a challenge. After all, no one resists Logan Carter. The only problem? Ava is practically allergic to him. Every time he flirts, she shuts him down. Every time he “accidentally” shows up where she’s studying, she finds another spot. But Logan isn’t one to back down, so he ups his game: ✔ Surprise coffee deliveries? Check. ✔ Crashing her study group with ridiculous questions? Absolutely. ✔ Secretly stealing her notes to force her into tutoring him? Maybe not his best idea... But somewhere between the chaos, the teasing, and the forced proximity (thanks to Ava's dorm mix-up that makes them neighbors), Logan starts falling for the very girl he was supposed to play. When Ava discovers the bet, will Logan be able to prove that this game stopped being a game a long time ago? Or will she show him that, for the first time, Logan Carter has met his match? stay tuned 😉

Everyone has gathered around to play games together. The current game requires all players to transfer red wine to each other via our mouths. Before my fiance, Teodoro Lamperti, is able to transfer the wine to me, his female best friend, Cristina Ghedini, shoves me away before kissing him on the mouth right away. "What are you doing? Today is Serafina's big day, you know!" Teodoro might be complaining on the outside, yet he's patting Cristina gently on the back. The atmosphere in the villa becomes eerily silent. Everyone stares at me as I sit on the floor in a wretched manner. Cristina merely smiles nonchalantly. Then, she leans against Teodoro's shoulder. "Don't be so petty, Serafina. Teodor and I are as thick as thieves since we were kids. We're used to sharing everything together." Teodoro begins advising me as well. "It's just a game, Serafina. You've always been gracious, haven't you? Don't act like a sore loser." Everyone thinks that I'll explode into rage and flip the table of food over, like I had done in the past. But this time, I just draw to my feet and take off the engagement ring. Then, I slide it onto Cristina's finger. "This ring is yours now. Congratulations on your marriage. Remember to invite me to your wedding."

The organization that once ruled the inner workings of the mafia is slowly regaining its strength. They are growing more formidable by the day, determined to reclaim what they believe is rightfully theirs. To dismantle the SKULL's Organization, Avryrylle, Nykesha, Sofia, and Daphnie Keith must delve into the enigmatic world surrounding SKULL. The quest involves unraveling the clandestine secrets that bind the organization and its members. It's a high-stakes clash between leaders, where Avryrylle's diamond mafia group confronts SKULL in a battle of Leader vs. Leader, Organization vs. Organization. Can Avyrylle and her diamond mafia group withstand the risks? Will they successfully unveil the mysteries shrouding the SKULL's Organization? Who are the adversaries, and who are the allies in this intricate web of power and deceit? One thing is certain: trust no one, for everyone harbors a secret they cannot reveal. In this perilous journey, alliances may shift, and loyalties may be tested. The key to success lies in navigating the treacherous path of deception, where unveiling the truth may come at a price. As the confrontation between the diamond mafia group and SKULL intensifies, the shadows conceal more than just secrets—they hide the true nature of the players involved. The battle for supremacy becomes a dance of intrigue, with each move carefully calculated to outwit the other. In a world where trust is a rare commodity, Avryrylle and her allies must tread cautiously, for the line between friend and foe is blurred. Only by exposing the hidden truths can they hope to emerge victorious in this high-stakes game of power, betrayal, and survival

My sister, Gabriella Rutherfurd, is the richest female CEO in Brightshire. Her male secretary, Freddie Morgan, mentions that he wants to see a real-life version of the Squid Game, so she builds the venue and spends 100 million dollars to make it happen. The lure of a gigantic cash prize draws in countless desperate souls. Even the bodyguards responsible for protecting my brother-in-law, Cyril Harding, abandon their posts to participate. Cyril has no choice but to go to the hospital without the bodyguards for his medical appointment, but he is abducted halfway there. In my previous life, I found Gabriella and asked her to stop the game and send people to rescue Cyril. After hesitating, Gabriella agreed. She stopped the game and managed to save Cyril just in time. But the few players who had made it to the final round were furious that the game was canceled. To vent their rage, they took Freddie and beat him to death. Gabriella acted like it had nothing to do with me. Yet, on the day Freddie was buried, she ordered her men to beat me up. When I open my eyes again, I am back to the day that Cyril was abducted. This time, Gabriella gets what she wants, and the Squid Game is held as planned. By the final round, a masked man is dragged onto the high platform. Freddie announces that whoever slices the man's head off will win the 100-million-dollar prize. When Cyril's head rolls to Gabriella's feet, she finally snaps.

Freddie Ashford is a famous New York hockey player living the dream. He has money, fame and a serious long-term relationship until someone decided his life was too good. One night out with his teammates changed his life, turning it upside down. Freddie has been accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he lost his friends, his girlfriend, sponsor deals, and he is on the verge of losing his career. Tatum Reid escaped from a controlling and abusive relationship with a hockey player. The only good thing she got from that relationship was her eight-year-old daughter. She promised herself never get involved with a hockey player again, but she finds a new in New York as a PR for a very famous Hockey Team. Her is to make sure the players behave on social media, and she is making her number one priority clearing Freddie’s name. What happens when Tatum’s past comes knocking on her door? Her ex comes to play against the team she works for, and Freddie Ashford tries saving her the same way she is trying to save him. Will Tatum keep her feelings to herself, or will she allow Freddie to penetrate her icy heart and make her happy once more? This is the fourth and final book of The Ashford Brothers Series. This book can be read as a stand-alone, but for better comprehension, it is better to read the other three. The Big Shot, The Joker, The Strong and finally The Jock.

Xavier Bishops and Rain Simmons are an odd pair. Xavier is the quiet rich guy who instigates her bullies and Rain is the girl who finds him hot despite knowing this. They find themselves in a supply closet together on school prank night and they share their first kiss. Xavier's obsession with her increases after this but he still doesn't know how to act towards Rain. They soon enter a secret relationship but Xavier's attitude towards Rain in public doesn't change. He no longer eggs his friends on but he doesn't address her in public either. Rain convinces herself that she's okay with this but her patience continues to wear thin as Xavier's friends keep treating her worse. It all ends when they trash a car her father gave her for her birthday and she exposes her secret relationship with Xavier to everyone. Xavier denies it and laughs at her. Humiliated beyond belief, Rain leaves town for winter break but she doesn't come back and no one knew why. Rain is in a new town, pregnant and alone with grandparents who think she's worthless. They insist she has an abortion and when Rain refuses, they agree to give the baby up for adoption. When Rain changes her mind, they throw her out. She can't go back to her sick father with a baby she can't take care of so she drops the baby with Xavier, promising to come back soon. Twelve years later, Rain is back. She is a military investigator and is investigating a leak in Xavier's company. Her son hates her and his father still wants her. She has a lot on her plate, make her son forgive her, get Xavier to leave her alone and find the person selling government secrets in Xavier's company.

BLURB Aurelia was weak. Despite being born with a beta bloodline, she didn't manage to awaken her wolf. Living with her stepsister and stepmother was hell especially whenever her dad travelled. One day her sister offered to make dinner, she had been grateful to be helped with the chores for once. Soon her sister brought in her dinner and Aurelia happily took the plate of pasta. But by the third swallow she quickly discovered something was wrong. "Do you feel uncomfortable? I guess the poison has set in. That's what you get for trying to steal my man" her sister Scarlett said smirking. Aurelia's eyes widened in disbelief "I didn't, he was mated to me, besides he already rejected me" Aurelia said gasping for breath with tears in her eyes. "How could..." she tried to say looking at her sister in disbelief. "Shut up!" Scarlett roared and slapped her. "You useless thing that can't even awaken your wolf. Slutty brat, you are a disgrace to this family. You are better off dead" Scarlett said as Aurelia coughed up blood. Scarlett quickly dragged her unconscious body to a river and dumped her in the deep end that flows into the sea. Aurelia opened her eyes weakly and stared as her sister as she was pushed in, her eyes pleading for mercy. She can't swim and she's poisoned too. Her sister has sentenced her to death. The water soon covered her head, and she was carried by the currents toward the sea. She closed her eyes as tears streamed down her face waiting for the inevitable. She was already at the seabed, however just as she was slipping into endless darkness, she felt a strong pair of hands around her. It was the Lycan king!