The Ruins By Scott Smith

Her eyes widened in horror. The sound was unmistakable — the snap of a belt buckle, the hiss of it being undone. Then came the crash of fabric hitting stone. Terror exploded in her chest. She struggled violently, chains biting into her wrists until blood slicked her palms. Her chest heaved, heart pounding so hard it hurt. Ezra pressed harder, his knee locking her in place. One hand clenched her throat — not enough to choke, but enough to remind her she could not escape. His breath was ragged, wild, as if possessed. “You feel it too,” he growled against her skin. “Don’t lie to me, Nova. Your body wants this. You want me.” No. No, no, no. Her body burned, but it wasn’t for him. It was the cursed bond, the fire belonging to another. And that other… Her eyes filled with tears. Her lips shaped a silent prayer: Kilian. The bond within her surged like wildfire. Her chest arched, a gasp tearing from her throat. She felt it — claws raking down her soul, a storm breaking in her veins. He was here. He had come for her. *** Nova is a skilled hunter, fierce and independent, yet unaware of her true nature and the extraordinary destiny that awaits her. Humiliated by her fellow hunter colleagues for refusing to kill innocent wolves, she flees — only to be rescued by Kilian, the feared Lycan King. Thrust into his world, she must prove herself and earn her place within his pack, all while navigating the sharp wit, teasing sarcasm, and growing tension between them. Kilian is powerful, commanding, and fiercely protective, yet finds himself drawn to Nova in ways he cannot explain. Their connection develops slowly, charged with banter, challenges, and unacknowledged desire. But Nova is far more special and powerful than anyone could have predicted. Her choices, and the bond she shares with Kilian, will shape the fate of their world — deciding whether to destroy it, or to revolutionize and transform it for the better. As they uncover enemies deeply rooted in their lives, they must rely on their bond, courage, and love to face what comes next.

When Aria Collins’ father desperately needs an expensive experimental cancer treatment that she can’t afford, she becomes desperate and forms a contract with CEO Alexander Blackwood: She will be his wife for three years in exchange for him giving his medical care and his financial security. What it really is business -- separate bedrooms, public appearances and a marriage of convenience. As Aria moves from being a part of Alexander’s elite business venture to being part of him, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. When feelings neither of them bargained for to start to open up, they need to decide whether to live up to the contract’s terms or risk everything in search of something bigger than convenience. In this marriage of convenience, convenience was never meant to become love

Nora’s tarot readings were never meant to matter. They were simple moments. A card flip. A quiet truth. Nothing that could ever disturb fate itself. Until the night the cards tremble in her hands. Until the air in the café sharpens and chills. Until something impossible steps out of the shadows. He does not belong to the world around him. His presence presses against it, ancient and heavy, unseen by everyone else. People walk past him without noticing a thing. But Nora sees him. And he is not pleased. He came to investigate the force that dared to bend fate. He expected danger. He expected power. He did not expect the girl sitting at the table with trembling cards. Every instinct tells Nora she should fear him. He is not human. Not mortal. He was never created to feel. Yet something in her pulls at him with a gravity he cannot escape. The more he watches her, the more impossible she becomes. And the more he realizes that whatever awakens inside him will not fade quietly. She may have changed someone’s fate. Now she has his attention. A forbidden attraction. A girl with a gift she barely understands. An immortal who was never meant to want. Until her. Once their paths cross, fate doesn’t just unravel. It begins to fight back.

Love does not appear with any warning signs. You fall into it as if pushed from a high diving board. No time to think about what’s happening. It’s inevitable. An event you can’t control. A crazy, heart-stopping, roller-coaster ride that just has to take its course. Hazel was rejected by someone she loved and was told that he would be engaged to her deadly foe. In great despair, she went to a bar and met this handsome guy (Zac). They drank a lot and played games. Under the influence of alcohol, they got married. However when they came back to her senses, they decide to make things right, but it's hard to get a divorce now because she wants to use the dramatic yet genuine marriage to keep her proud in front of her deadly foe. Zac on the other hand was the future heir to one of the richest and prosperous families. Although he was endowed with an otherworldly handsomeness, he was known to be as cold as ice and had a natural dislike for women although they always craved after him like bees to a honey pot. But for some unknown reason, he finds something unique about Hazel which he can’t explain. Perhaps, it were her eyes which were limpid and pure like autumn water and sparkled like azure pools in the morning sunlight… Would it be possible that they fall in love with each other in the future? Take part in this amazing piece, and experience a story filled with various mysteries and incredible twists as she uncovers the mysteries surrounding Zac who decides to hide his identity and tremendous background in order to win her heart genuinely.

Shawn Monteal is everything the packs fear. A billionaire, Alpha, and a wolf who long ago abandoned mercy. He believes fate is a lie and love, a weakness. When a human woman witnesses his shift, he makes a ruthless choice, to turn her, control the damage, erase the mistake. Eva Roderigo survives the transformation when she shouldn’t. Worse of all, her wolf answers Shawn's. The bond between them is wrong. Dangerous. And when ancient laws demand Eva choose another mate for balance and peace, she does. Shawn honors her choice. The world does not. As rival Alphas close in and the Moon Goddess tightens her grip, Eva learns the truth. Shawn was never unstable, he was restrained. And loving him doesn’t make him better. It makes him unstoppable. When Eva breaks the Rite itself, defying gods, fate, and law, Shawn kneels once, and only once. Not to destiny. To her. A dark paranormal romance featuring a morally grey Alpha, a heroine who doesn’t tame the monster, and a bond chosen in blood and defiance.

Rosalie Murdoch was devasted when her mate and the Alpha of the pack, Chris Reynolds betrays her taking someone else for his mate. Heartbroken she has a one night stand with the visiting alpha, Alex Greyson. Horrified, by her action, she tries to run away, only to be claimed by Greyson as his mate. But now, Chris her former mate wants her back. Stuck between the two Alpha, and an impending pack war. What would be Rosalie's fate?

He has made it crystal clear that I’m not to call him ‘boss’ except on certain occasions, like right now, when his dominating gaze carries a hint of playfulness. I can’t help but smile every time he gets like this, all lovey-dovey, but when he whispers in my ears asking me to go on an adventure with him, it is like an invitation to a forbidden feast and the thought sends a shiver down my spine which unlike you would think, is almost painful. Maybe this is because I have been on an adventure with him for as far as I want to recollect. My memories, if you peeked inside, would be overflowing with every moment with him, each one a brushstroke painted with his boldness and my, well, let’s call it a touch of recklessness. I now wear a souvenir, a mark etched onto my soul. It’s like a silent agreement, a reminder that our fates are tangled, intertwined like climbing vines. He’s the puppet master, my very own Mr. Strings, and every twist and turn of his whims gets woven into the fabric of my being. Maybe you find that hard to believe, like something out of a fairytale. But trust me, my darling, as I unravel the threads of our adventure, one by one, you’ll understand. With each turn and twist, you’ll find yourself hooked, a willing captive in the captivating narrative of our lives, possibly harnessed in the labyrinth of our love, where danger dances with delight, and fate is etched in the footprints of a love like no other. So buckle up, dear reader, for this isn’t a mere tale, it’s a thrill ride, a love song made of equal parts fear and freedom.

Lena Steeleclaw, born of Alpha blood, is taken captive by the ruthless Alpha Darius Stormhold leader of the secretive Bloodfang Clan. Drugged, restrained, and stripped of freedom, she refuses to surrender. When her powerful silver wolf, Amethyst, finally surfaces, Lena’s rebellion nearly kills Darius… but the victory is short-lived. Bound by moonbane, both woman and wolf are left paralyzed, broken but not beaten. Across the realm, Emperor Bane Draegor uncovers a pattern of attacks, packs wiped out, females missing, and traces of moonbane left behind. His suspicions turn toward Stormhold, and despite council warnings, he prepares to confront the threat himself. As fate draws them closer, Lena’s captivity and Bane’s mission collide in a storm of vengeance, power, and forbidden fire.

“Run.” That’s the last thing Lena expects to hear from the man who’s been choking the life out of her. Commander Kai should hate her. Everyone in the clan does. But the moment the hidden mark on Lena’s wrist ignites, everything changes. The council calls her an Echo, a forbidden power that can feel other people’s emotions, steal memories, and uncover truths no one wants exposed. Before Lena can prove she’s innocent, someone frames her for murder. Now the clan wants her dead. Forced beyond the borders meant to kill her, Lena expects the wilds to finish the job. Instead, a dangerous exile named Vance saves her life and offers her a deal. Protection… in exchange for her power. But Lena isn’t the only predator drawn to the awakening Echo. Somewhere beyond the clan borders, Jax, the silver-haired predator has already begun watching her. But as Lena’s Echo awakens, something terrifying becomes clear. The clan didn’t ban Echo bearers because they were dangerous. They banned them because Echoes hear lies. Now three powerful men are drawn to the woman everyone else fears: The commander who should be hunting her. The exiled warrior who refuses to let her go. And the silver-haired predator who understands her power better than she does. But the real danger isn’t the men fighting over her. It’s the truth her power is about to reveal. Because once Lena starts hearing the secrets hidden in their hearts… no one will escape the echoes.

She never meant to become his wife. Aria Hale had only stepped into the marriage registry to deliver her sister’s documents. Yet somehow, she walked out as the legal wife of Leon Mercer—the city’s most ruthless billionaire. One signature. One mistake. One furious husband determined to make her regret it. “You trapped me,” he growls, ice lacing every word. “You’ll pay for this.” But Aria isn’t who he thinks she is. She carries secrets he could never imagine—an identity carefully hidden, a fortune he never suspected, and a strength that refuses to break under his cruelty. He assumes she’s a gold-digger. She lets him believe it. When he insists she stay until the divorce is finalized, she agrees—but only because she has her own plans. And then he notices. The way she never begs. The subtle power in her laughter. The way other men glance at her… and how his chest tightens in ways he can’t explain. By the time the truth comes crashing down—when he finally discovers who she really is—it’s too late. Aria is gone. Now the hunter becomes the hunted. The billionaire married the wrong woman by mistake. And losing her will be his greatest regret.