Valiant Gargoyle Weakness

Isabella Russo thought her life was already a cage until her father sold her in an arranged marriage to Damian Moretti, the most feared mafia king in New York. On their wedding night, she overhears the crushing truth - she's nothing but a pawn in his game to control her father's territory. Trapped in a world of blood and bullets, Isabella must learn to survive among killers and liars. But when she saves Damian from an assassination attempt, something shifts between them. The cold monster who bought her starts showing cracks in his armor, and Isabella discovers the betrayal that made him incapable of trust. Just as their fake marriage begins to feel real, Isabella uncovers a devastating secret - her father didn't arrange this union to protect her. He's been feeding information to Damian's enemies, planning to destroy them both once he gets what he wants. Now Isabella faces an impossible choice: stay loyal to the family that raised her, or protect the man who owns her heart. When the final war erupts and bullets fly, Isabella must decide who she really is. Will she remain the sheltered daughter who obeys without question, or will she become the mafia queen who rules beside her king? In a world where love is weakness and trust means death, sometimes the greatest betrayal leads to the truest love.

He wants revenge, but he found a reason to protect. She was supposed to be his pawn… but she became his weakness, his obsession, his everything. Akiko Eloise has known nothing but pain. Abandoned by her parents, scarred by violence, and secretly battling leukemia, she has long accepted that her life is a slow countdown with no happy ending. But when she’s taken prisoner by Glen Xander McKenzie—a ruthless Mafia boss out for revenge on her family—her fate takes a sharp, terrifying turn. Glen is cold, calculated, and dangerous… but something about that girl began to stir something in him. Something dangerously close to feeling. And the more he learns about Akiko—her strength, her scars, her fading time—the harder it becomes to let her go. Will it change him—or destroy them both?

---WARNING: Dark Romance. Mature Audience Only. Contains Sexual Content, Dubious Consent, and Intense Situations.--- He watched her from the shadows, a hidden obsession. She fainted at the slightest fear. He was just a boy then, powerless against the campus kingpin who tormented her, a rival heir to a brutal empire. But empires fall. And obsessions, once set, never die. Years later, on a moonlit beach, Seraphina's world shatters. Her boyfriend, a cruel cheat, humiliates her for a bet and leaves her for dead. She awakens to a familiar face—Alessandro Torricelli, now a ruthless Mexican mafia boss who takes what he wants. He’s back to claim what he believes is his: her. He promises freedom in 365 days if she doesn't fall in love. But Alessandro's world is a gilded cage of raw power, inescapable desire, and dangerous games. As Seraphina navigates his opulent fortress, fighting his possessive touch and the unwanted hunger he ignites, their volatile dynamic sparks a dangerous game of seduction. They keep score, each erotic encounter a win or loss, unknowingly binding them closer with every calculated move. Yet, beyond their sensual battle, a chilling reality looms: her old tormentor, Dino Moretti, still stalks the shadows, and this time, he's coming for them both. With a brewing war threatening to consume his empire, Alessandro vows to protect her, even from herself. But can Seraphina survive his love, escape his enemies, and resist the magnetic pull of the man who sees her fragility as a weakness to conquer, and her defiance as a challenge to possess? In this city of shadows, hearts are collateral, and their game of love is the most dangerous score of all.

“You must be fooling yourself if you think I would accept being mated to a filthy, wolfless omega like you. Let’s cut to the chase and get to it. I, Xavier, future Alpha of Crystal Pack, reject you as my mate.” Xavier said and threw me to the ground. “Pathetic!” With one last disgusted glance, he left the room. *********** Abused and disregarded by the entire pack members, her adoptive parents, and her twin sister, who loathes her. Ariana endured all of this, hoping for a better life when she finally meets her mate. But when she is rejected by the one person she has waited for all her life, Ariana is heartbroken and plots to escape and start a new life of freedom, but fate has other plans for her. When Alpha Arthur comes to trade for omegas, and Ariana is brought forward as the last omega, she discovers she has been given a second chance mate. Arthur, the ruthless Alpha King who doesn’t believe in love but sees it as a weakness to his legacy, and a fragile, wolfless omega who happens to be his mate and maid. Can these two ignore the pull that keeps drawing them closer? Can Ariana break through the cold-iced heart of Arthur and bring warmth into it? Arthur is related to Ariana’s painful past. Will she claim her rightful place as his Luna at Shadow Howl Pack or let the consequences of their past destroy her forever?

She's an FBI agent, and he's the son of one of the most feared mafia families. Sent undercover to infiltrate his gang, Lexi Thompson never expected to be caught. What happens when the ruthless Alex Esposito holds her fate in his hands? Will their worlds collide, or will the truth tear them apart? — LEXI Every choice I’ve made has led me to this moment. Years of training, late nights pouring over files, and risking everything to bring men like Alex Esposito to justice. Caught in the dangerous world of the Esposito mafia, I’m determined to take them down but now I find myself tangled in a web of lies. I have a mission to complete, but as the days tick by, I’m losing sight of where my loyalty truly lies. As I face Alex Esposito, the ruthless heir, I can’t help but feel drawn to him. He’s everything I despise, yet something about him makes my heart race. Can I bring him down when every stolen glance feels like a betrayal of my heart? ALEX In my world, weakness gets you killed, and trust is a luxury we can’t afford. But then she came crashing into my life, a woman as dangerous as she is intoxicating. I’ve always been told to trust no one, especially not a woman like her. Lexi Thompson is a threat, an infiltrator sent to destroy my family. But the moment I laid eyes on her, everything changed. I’m torn between my duty to my family and the growing connection I feel for her.

Being unmated for a long time, Alpha Ryan, whose life is one of duty and control, locked his heart away from the world to achieve that. For years, he's avoided the mate bond, dismissing the idea of love as a weakness and an obstacle to achieving everything he had dreamt of. But during one of the routine peace ceremonies, everything changes. He felt a mate bond, one he was so desperately ready to reject despite the strong pull he felt. But the very moment he's faced with his mate, a lowly male servant, an omega who looked lost and vulnerable, it triggered something within him. Something he thought he wasn't able to feel and that gave birth to a hidden affair, one he was willing to even risk everything, including his life for. Yes their bond was forbidden and cursed centuries ago, but he was willing to bear the consequences.

"I am your Alpha," Liard growled, his body pressing dangerously close to hers. "You will not run from me." Helena’s breath hitched, her fingers trembling as they gripped the edge of the infirmary table. "You made a vow," she whispered, voice laced with fury and longing. "No mates. No love. Or have you already forgotten?" His jaw clenched, but his hands found her waist, heat radiating between them. "I tried to forget. I tried to fight it. But every time I close my eyes, I see you. I feel you." His voice dropped lower, a rough, desperate plea. "Damn it, Helena. You were never supposed to be mine." Helena shoved against his chest, her own emotions warring within her. "And I was never supposed to love you, Liard. But fate is cruel." She turned away, biting down the pain in her voice. "Do you know what they’ll do to me if they find out? Do you know what Rhider will do?" Liard’s grip on her tightened. "I don’t care." His breath ghosted against her ear, sending a shiver down her spine. "Let them try to take you from me. I will burn this world before I ever let you go." ********* For years, Alpha Liard Stormbane has ruled with a heart of ice, swearing never to take a mate, never to fall into the same weakness that destroyed his father. But when he is gravely injured and taken to the pack infirmary, fate shatters his control—his mate is none other than Helena, the pack’s healer…and his Beta’s mother.

Under the blood moon, the Crescent Hollow Pack gathers for their annual Moonbinding Ceremony, a sacred ritual where chosen wolves pledge their lives to one another to strengthen the pack. Lyra is a spirited healer’s daughter who has always dreamed of finding her true mate, not being bound by pack politics. Kael, the fierce, cold Alpha heir, bound by duty and promised to Lyra since birth. A lone wolf from an enemy pack, mysterious and untamed, who crosses paths with Lyra on the night of the Blood Moon. Lyra never believed in love at first sight until she met Rowan. One glance beneath the crimson sky, and her wolf stirred like never before. Her soul whispered, Mate. But that same night, the Alpha announced her forced betrothal to Kael, the very man who would become her pack’s leader and her husband whether she wanted it or not. Lyra and Rowan’s eyes meet during a tense encounter at the forest’s edge; they feel the mate bond instantly, their innate wolves howling for one another. Lyra is duty-bound to marry Kael to seal an alliance between families. Kael doesn’t believe in the mate bond; he sees love as weakness but is drawn to Lyra’s defiance. The mate bond with Rowan burns like fire, but the forced promise to Kael locks her to her pack’s future. When tensions between the packs rise, Lyra is obligated to follow her heart to Rowan and risk war or remain by Kael’s side and surrender to duty.

He came to destroy her. She planned to crush him. Neither expected to fall. Mona is the queen of the business world; ruthless, feared, and untouchable. She doesn’t do love, friendship, or second chances. In her world, weakness is fatal, and survival means staying one step ahead no matter the cost. Her golden rule? Never get distracted. But then Kade walks in...sharp, relentless, and dangerously charming. He wants answers about a secret from her past. He wants justice. What he doesn’t expect... is her. Mona’s used to eliminating problems. And Kade? He should’ve been just another one. But every move she makes to push him away only pulls them deeper into a tangled game of power, desire, and control. He’s falling for the villain. She’s terrified she might actually feel something. And when hearts get involved, someone always bleeds.

She needed one night. He needed one woman. Drowning in debts and desperate to survive, Ana Thompson agrees to a one-time job as a stripper. It’s supposed to be just one night, a quick way to pay off her stepmother’s endless demands. But that night, she collides with Fred Nork, the cold-hearted billionaire CEO of Majesties, a luxury women’s brand that thrives on elegance. Haunted by her past and overwhelmed by shame, Ana disappears before morning, leaving behind only a bloodstained sheet and the memory of her first time. Fred wakes up alone, confused, and with an unfamiliar ache in his chest. He doesn’t know her name. Weeks later, Ana’s world spirals further out of control. Homeless, pregnant, and rejected, she clutches the only lifeline she has, Fred’s business card, slipped into her bag the night they met. But when she walks into Majesties, hoping for help, she finds him… announcing his engagement to Tiana Monroe, a viciously poised heiress with a heart of ice. Shattered but not broken, Ana does the unthinkable. She applies for a cleaning job at Majesties. She begins working at the bottom rung of Fred’s empire. But Fred notices her. He doesn’t recognize the woman who once lit his world on fire, but something about Ana pulls him in again. Now, with the world watching, Fred must make an impossible choice: cling to the legacy he’s built with Tiana by his side, or risk it all for the mysterious woman who slipped away. Ana has a choice too: can she trust the man who once seemed so cold with her heart… and her child’s life? In a world where love is a weakness and power means everything, can a single night rewrite destiny?