Unsettling Crossword Clue Novels & Stories

The woman standing there was nobody that Scars had ever laid eyes on before, but holy God, he knew her. He knew her on a cellular level. In his blood. In his bones. In his heart and in his cock. He’d dreamed about her and he’d waited for her. He’d been looking for her forever, and now here she was. ** Six years ago, Zoe Parish fled Denver after a brutal encounter with a motorcycle club man, swearing never to trust one again. Now a mother and desperate to help her oldest friend, she returns when Wolf Connor promises his club is out of the life and she’ll be safe. Back in Denver, Zoe keeps her guard up, especially around Scars, whose effect on her is far more unsettling than she wants to admit. Vic “Scars” Innis has spent twenty-two years loyal to the Road Devils, earning his place as Vice-President. He thought he was content, until he meets Zoe. From the first look, he knows she’s the missing piece, even if she despises everything he represents. As danger closes in and an enemy threatens to destroy their fragile peace – and take Zoe’s child – Scars and Zoe are forced to confront their pasts and each other. The question is whether their bond will make them stronger… or finally tear them apart for good.

She was a powerhouse—brilliant, driven, and unstoppable—until the day her world shattered in the delivery room. Told her baby had died at birth, she buried her grief beneath ambition and success, building an empire while silently mourning the child she never got to hold. What she never knew was the truth: her husband had betrayed her in the cruelest way imaginable, fleeing with his mistress and the newborn daughter he claimed was lost. Years later, a business expansion leads her to a quiet, close-knit town far from her high-rise life. There, among tree-lined streets and familiar faces, she meets a commanding, magnetic man whose strength matches her own—but whose integrity and warmth begin to crack the walls around her heart. As their connection deepens, unsettling coincidences surface, pulling her toward a past she was never meant to uncover. The revelation is devastating and undeniable: her daughter is alive, growing up in this very town, raised by the husband who abandoned her and the woman who stole her life. Forced to confront betrayal, buried grief, and a motherhood stolen from her, she must decide how far she’s willing to go for the truth—and for her child. In a town where secrets never stay hidden, she faces a choice between vengeance and forgiveness, between the life she built and the love she never knew she could still claim. This is a story of resilience, second chances, and discovering that sometimes, what was lost can still be found.

Mateo Morales has been missing for two months. He disappeared with no sign left behind; no hints, and no clue as to where he went and why he disappeared. Eva Morales has been searching religiously for her brother. Being a lone wolf, her family is all she has and she will do anything for her brother. When all her clues lead to Laurence Baxter, she can't help but follow the breadcrumbs, but what she discovers might be more than what she bargained for.Laurence Baxter is wild, untamed, and spontaneous. He lives the life he wants and does what he wants; it works for him. But when his PI disappears, he can't help but feel responsible and he jumps right into a long search. When Mateo's sister, Eva, shows up and Laurence discovers her as his mate, he is thrilled to be so lucky. However, this prickly woman wants nothing to do with mates, nevermind a playboy like himself.Searching for Mateo and unraveling the Morales family secrets soon turns out to be more than he bargained for and Laurence finds more answers than he was hoping to find. After his mate runs from him, he has to make a decision: chase after her and rush into danger or let her be alone like she wants.*This is the third book in the Baxter Brothers series, though it can be read as a standalone novel*

I slept with my boyfriend’s twin brother, a Mafia don. One wild, drunk night, I gave in to him at his family’s masquerade ball, only to discover too late that the man who held me was not Nikolai my loving boyfriend. It was his twin Kieran Petrov, the feared don of the NY Mafia. A cruel man with blood on his hands, now I hold a devastating secret. I’m pregnant and I have no clue which of the brothers is the father. So when I decide to come clean to Nikolai and get closure before I leave the city, I find out a grave secret. Nikolai had been cheating on me with my best friend for years. So I run away, leaving it all behind and going into hiding. However, the Petrov family has enemies, does that want the only heir of the family dead. But Kieran tracks me down, he brings me back and present me with a deal I can’t refuse. Marry him and receive protection or stay where I am and die. I should hate him, in fact I do, he had known I was his brother’s girlfriend and still went ahead to make love to me. But I have no choice, I signed the contract and become Kieran’s contract wife. It was just for protection, nothing else, at least that’s what I think

“I don’t want to hurt you, Aurora…” he said in a low whisper, his breaths hot on me. I replied softly, the tears in my eyes threatening to fall, “then don’t hurt me.” But I knew he couldn't do that. His demons wouldn't let him. ~~~ At fourteen, Aurora Turner, the first daughter of the Alpha of the Moonstone pack, shifted prematurely on a full moon. But what should’ve been a night of celebration initiated the beginning of a new nightmare when the Alpha and Luna discover who their daughter’s mate is… and what he is. Though it takes Aurora more than four years to meet her destined mate, she quickly realizes that he’s nothing she’s ever dreamed of. The Dark Alpha is a million miles away from sweet, lovable, and merciful. But when trial comes and a once defeated enemy rises again, Aurora and Adrian’s untidy love might be the only thing standing in the way of mass destruction. What unravels as the enemies join forces but the packs remain divided? Can Aurora free the Alpha from the chains of his demons and look past his unsettling history? What decision will Alpha Adrian make when he’ll have to choose between his most prized mate and his most treasured pack? ~~~ THE ALPHA TRIPLETS SERIES BOOK ONE: TRIPLETS FOR THE ALPHA TRIPLETS BOOK TWO: THE DARK ALPHA'S UNWANTED LUNA* ~ Can be read as a standalone ~

Warning!!! ⚠️🔞🔞 This book contains explicit sexual content and themes of violence that may be unsettling to some readers, proceed at your own risk!... Barbara Adams was supposed to become collateral... A broken girl traded to a Gangster in exchange for her stepfather’s gambling debts. But on the night before her wedding, Barbara sneaks out, desperate to lose her virginity on her own terms before being handed over to a stranger, she sneaks into the most dangerous nightclub in the city and finds herself inside the infamous 'Pleasure Den', where elite wealthy men buy fantasies and girls wear jeweled collars around their throats and there she meets him... Ronan Velasquez. A ruthless devil with cold eyes and blood on his hands, the most feared Mafia king in the city. Their encounter is explosive, reckless and unforgettable but when Ronan discovers Barbara is a virgin and the same girl haunting him from his past, he throws her out in horror... The next morning Barbara is dragged to the altar anyway until the church doors burst open. “I object!” Ronan claims her as payment for her fiancé's debts and drags her back into his world of violence, obsession, and bloodshed. He puts a collar on her neck and calls her His Little Barbie Doll. Now Barbara has been claimed by the Devil himself and is thrown directly into Ronan's chaotic war... The Vega cartel wants Barbara back... The Voss cartel wants Ronan dead. And Love may be the deadliest weakness of all...

At our daughter’s three-month milestone party, my husband Garrett’s so-called "best friend" publicly humiliated me. “Hey, Vivian. I heard you're a little loose down there after popping out the kid.” "If it's that bad, you better get some tightening surgery quick—don't wanna mess up your marriage vibes!" Garrett shot her a playful glare and snapped, "Knock it off, Scarlett! You can't just say whatever pops into your head." Then he turned to me with a breezy shrug. "She's just like that—total tomboy. We grew up together; she means no harm." Scarlett shook her half-exposed breast and pouted, "Oh, come on, don't take it personally, Vivian. Honestly, I'm kind of jealous of you." "See, my problem is the opposite. I'm way too tight—hurts like hell during my period. No clue who's gonna get lucky with this later." Then she cut her eyes toward Garrett with a playful wink. " Oh right, you've tried it before, haven't you?" The room went dead silent. Every pair of eyes drifted toward me, barely concealing their curiosity. I smiled, set down my wine glass, and looked at Scarlett with fake concern. "That's strange. I don't remember making it that tight when I did your surgery."

In a world where ancient treaties keep monsters in check, Lyra Hale has spent her life hiding what she is. A human witch born of a forbidden bloodline, Lyra’s magic first awakened in childhood, wild, powerful, and dangerous enough to draw the attention of forces her mother spent years running from. When her mother vanishes without a trace, Lyra follows the only clue left behind to Transylvania, a land ruled by vampires and werewolves haunted by the aftermath of forbidden magic. Her arrival does not go unnoticed. Once human, once powerless, Caspian has built his reign on control and fear of vulnerability. Lyra’s magic, ancient, untamed, and resistant to domination, becomes both his greatest threat and his darkest obsession. As witches, vampires, and werewolves close in, Lyra is pulled into a hidden war between covens, courts, and prophecies long buried. Ancient elders awaken, feral creatures stalk the shadows, and whispers of a forbidden creation resurface, proof of what happens when love and power cross sacred lines. Bound to Caspian by dangerous magic neither fully understands, Lyra must choose whether to submit to the laws that seek to control her… or defy them and risk destroying the fragile balance holding the supernatural world together. Because in a realm built on blood and fear, purity is a provocation, love is rebellion, and some bonds were never meant to exist, yet refuse to be broken.

My name is Eleanor Keating. In my past life, my older sister—Alice Keating—and I were entrusted to the McKellen family in Arborhill by our parents for arranged marriages. I married John McKellen, the eldest son. While he might not be conventionally handsome, his calm demeanor and unwavering reliability stood out. Alice married Xavier McKellen, the younger son. Handsome as he was, he was equally carefree and unpredictable in his actions. Eager for a grandchild, the family patriarch—Henry McKellen—made a promise. The first to bear a child would have their offspring named the next heir of the family. After our wedding, John and I conceived. Our child was naturally declared the next heir, and with that, John and I gained influence and power within the family. Tensions between Alice and Xavier escalated into frequent fights. Eventually, both had affairs, and their marriage ended in a bitter divorce. Believing they had dishonored the family, John banished them from the household. Blinded by jealousy, Alice poisoned me and my child, ending both our lives. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the first day I arrived at the McKellen residence. But this time, Alice makes the first move and sleeps with John. In that moment, I realize she, too, has been given a second chance at life. Unfortunately, she has no clue that John is a twisted man. Not only is he devoid of love, but he also sees women as mere stepping stones in his relentless pursuit of power.

On her wedding day, Isla faced a series of disasters no bride could ever imagine. Her fiancé, Jeremy, dropped a bombshell in front of the entire congregation, revealing an explicit video of her and another man—a video she had no knowledge of or clue how it came to be. To make matters worse, Jeremy took things further by proposing to her sister right then and there. Devastated beyond belief, Isla ran out of the chapel—and his life—without looking back. She swore never to let herself be humiliated like that again and decided that love was no longer worth the risk. With her heart in pieces, she headed to the nearest bar to drown her sorrows in alcohol, where, in a haze of pain and anger, she met a handsome stranger. What was meant to be a fleeting escape turned into a one-night stand. She disappeared without a trace, determined to sever all ties with Jeremy. That included quitting her job at his father’s company—she didn’t want anything to do with him or his family anymore. As she searched for a new beginning, fate led her into the path of Jaxon Waverly. Jaxon Waverly—a billionaire CEO by day and a fearless Mafia leader by night. Isla becomes his secretary, unknown to her and Jaxon himself that she is Jaxon’s long-lost love and unforgettable one-night-stand. Determined to win her over, Jaxon will stop at nothing to make her his wife.