Introduction
“Enough,” A deep human voice sounded.
The two smaller wolves stopped circling at once, their ears curling back and their bodies crouching low in submission.
Mila hissed a warning between her fangs.
“I said, enough.” The voice spoke again in a deep tenor of an alpha.
While the voice was mostly meant to be used on other wolves, it could affect other species to an extent. Mila felt some of the power go from her limbs and the unicorn bowed under it.
No, she was stronger than a command from an animal. She was a mermaid that had lived for thousands of years, and seen the rise and fall of continents. The only orders she’d ever had to obey were those of her god who had abandoned her.
She turned on the spot, her sword readied to slice the throat of the one that dared to command her now.
Mila the mermaid is alone after the apocalypse destroyed the human world. After losing her entire purpose in life, she wanders aimlessly through the wilderness. The world is changing in the aftermath of the humans' passing. New species are taking control of the surface world. Where will she go? Will she be able to belong?
Chapter 1
The blade made a disgusting “shick”ing noise as it slid through the decaying flesh. It came away with a thin layer of grey sludge that was covered in sandy particulates.
Before the owner of the sword could wipe down the blade, however, she spun on her heel and shoved it up through the soft flesh just below the chin of the next attacker. It slid easily through the thin muscle and continued up through the skull before stopping midway through the brain.
Mila removed the blade before she struck the top of the cranium. She’d sharpened the blade only the previous evening, it would irk her if she dulled it on bone too quickly. She used her attacker’s own clothing to wipe down the blade, wanting as little of the offender’s stick on her as possible.
Mila carefully pulled together the carcasses into a pile and gave a whistle. She hardly had to wait a minute before the carrion birds descended. The cawed at her, possibly in a ‘thank you’. She wasn’t entirely sure.
Though they were feeding on desiccated, greying flesh, the birds were flourishing. Ever since the apocalypse, the various buzzards and corvids were at record numbers, their bodies plump from unending feasting.
Flocks of them had been following her slow trek north, eagerly cleaning up after her. They were a peaceful sort of company, giving her a wide birth until she called and even assisted in her scavenging. They could even be relied upon to scout ahead.
Mila left them to their meal now, moving upwind from them to find a quiet place to set up camp for the night. Her camp was entirely minimal, using a single tarp to craft a lean-to under which she placed her sleeping bag. Her meal consisted of a can of creamed corn and jerky and she used the fading light of the setting sun to read a little more of the one book she carried. She was nearly done with it, she would need to enter a house or town to find a new book soon.
It hardly felt like she’d closed her eyes when the birds alerted her that it was dawn and therefore time to rise. Her breakfast was a crumbly protein bar and a rock-hard green apple that was sour enough to pucker her lips. She drank her water sparingly, putting away her camping material and heading out again.
She wasn’t going anywhere in particular, but she felt no need to stay longer as there wasn’t an obvious water source. She would need a place soon to bathe. Her hair was beginning to develop matts and her own body odor was quickly becoming pungent in the protective leather.
She moved at a leisurely pace, admiring the forest and its beauty. She had no destination and no purpose for the first time in her life. She wasn’t sure what to make of it. It had been nearly seventeen months since the end of the world. Thirteen since she and her people had wandered apart.
It was still a novel thing to live in seclusion. Never once in her existence had she ever experienced it. It didn’t frighten her. Few things did. She’d simply never been alone in her own headspace for any real length of time. Now, she potentially had forever.
The world had ended in relatively little time. It had started first in the cities, the heavily populated areas. From there, it had branched out toward the smaller towns. Expanding further and further out to the lesser populated areas until the most abundant species on the planet was destroyed.
All that was left of the human race these days were the disgusting husks that mindlessly kept moving about until either too rotted to be able to continue, or were cut down by others like Mila.
Mila wasn’t concerned about the disease or curse that had afflicted the humans. She was not human and had never been affected by the diseases that ran rampant through humanity and she was part of a minority that had no reason to be targeted.
Mila was a mermaid. A slave race that until a little more than a year ago, had worked as a hive mind. Unlike most, she’d known her god and had followed her god for her entire life. Until the apocalypse.
When her god had seen it best to abandon the human world, most of the loyal followers, Mila included, had been left behind. Shortly after, the connection of minds was severed and they all began going their separate ways. They had lost their purpose.
Mila had never been the type to wallow in self-pity. She didn’t know what this meant for her exactly. Perhaps she would now be alone forever. But she’d been alive for centuries under her god’s will. If it was the will of her god to be separate for the next few centuries, so be it.
That was how she came to find herself in the Canadian wilderness with all that she had was tokens of the past and a small army of birds waiting for her to score their next meal.
On her wrist was a gauntlet with a small, but powerful crossbow. At her waist was a sword and scabbard. It was a strong sword she had once crafted herself many years past. She wore a chainmail tunic that hung low on her slender frame, having had it fitted back when she wore a different face. Her leather boots were tough and thigh-high, providing her legs with firm protection and on her head was a helmet.
The only other weight she carried was a small backpack and quiver. The quiver held bolt for her crossbow while the backpack held basic survival items.
While it would be natural for a human of this era to look awkward in the get-up she wore, she continued through the trees with a graceful ease. She’d long ago learned how to remain light and go unnoticed. Now the ones able to track her progress were the birds who flew high above.
They alerted her that she was nearing a former human residence. Cautiously, she unsheathed her sword, her senses on alert. She breathed carefully, tasting the air. There was no foul scent of the zombies or ghouls, but that didn’t mean she could relax yet.
She approached the lonely house that may have been a hunting cabin once. There was no hum of electricity, nor any sign of light. The birds quieted so as to allow her to listen closely for movement.
She opened the door, annoyed by the creaking sound it made. Checking every corner that might house something nasty, she peered through her second lids, checking for heat signatures. Once she was satisfied that there was nothing stirring within the cabin, she sought out supplies.
She was just putting the last of the canned sausages into her bag when she felt a chill run up her spine.
She spun on her heels, sword ready, her second teeth unsheathing themselves in preparation. Her lips curled back from the sharpened, shark-like teeth and a snarl rose up from her chest.
“Now now,” said the man in a thick accent. “I ain’t gonna bite, darlin.”
Last Chapters
#45 Chapter 45 [End]
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#44 Chapter 44
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#43 Chapter 43
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#42 Chapter 42
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#41 Chapter 41
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#40 Chapter 40
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#39 Chapter 39
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#38 Chapter 38
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#37 Chapter 37
Last Updated: 1/10/2026#36 Chapter 36
Last Updated: 1/10/2026
You Might Like 😍
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother
"What is wrong with me?
Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?
It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.
He’s my boyfirend’s brother.
This is Tyler’s family.
I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.
**
As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.
Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.
When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.
I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.
**
I hate girls like her.
Entitled.
Delicate.
And still—
Still.
The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.
Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.
I shouldn’t care.
I don’t care.
It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.
It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.
I’m not here to rescue anyone.
Especially not her.
Especially not someone like her.
She’s not my problem.
And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.
But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
The Game of Claiming
A drunken bet becomes their private game: win the maid.
The rules?
Don’t let the others know you’re falling for her.
And never, ever let her leave.
But each brother plays differently—
The eldest buys her obedience.
The second steals her breath.
The third corners her in the dark.
The youngest ruins anyone who touches her.
Lila isn’t sure if she’s a player in their game… or the prize they’ll destroy each other to claim
Alpha Of Glass And Gold
Four years later, Levi Kingston, the ruthless Alpha who traded his pack for power and built an empire in glass and gold, returns with a proposition that reopens every wound she buried.
A ninety-day marriage contract.
His terms: protect her twins from the enemies his rise created.
Her condition: never fall for him again.
She’s human, or at least that’s what she tells the world. He’s the heir to the city’s hidden packs, a man forged in dominance and secrets. Between them lies a history of rejection, desire, and a bond that refused to die even when they did.
In a world where loyalty is currency and love is leverage, Aurora must decide whether to guard her heart or the truth that could bring Levi Kingston’s entire empire to its knees. proposition that reopens every wound she buried.
Alpha, Billionaire, Strong FL, Fated Mates, Rejected Mates, Secret babies, Twins, A Marriage of Convenience,
The Spy Who Left
"I still can't believe she actually did it. Aria Hart, filing for divorce. Who saw that coming?"
"How long do we think it'll take before she comes crawling back?" Another voice joins the conversation.
"Three days," Victoria declares. "Five at most. She has no money, no skills, no family. Where's she going to go?"
When Aria Chen divorced billionaire Leon Hart, New York's elite sneered, betting she'd crawl back within days. She never did.
Three years later, the world is rocked when Dr. Aria Vale, CEO of a revolutionary cybersecurity empire, steps into the spotlight. The mysterious genius who built a billion-dollar company from nothing is none other than Leon's discarded wife, the woman everyone thought was just a pretty ornament.
Now, every powerful man wants the queen Leon threw away a renowned scientist seeking partnership, a financial titan proposing an empire, and an actor offering devotion. Each sees the brilliance Leon ignored.
Then Leon discovers the truth: Aria's sacrifices, her secret double life, and the daughter she's been raising without him. For the first time, the man who once took her for granted must fight for her love. But can he compete with men who valued her from the beginning?
A story of love, betrayal, and power where the king must kneel before the queen who never needed saving.
Soulbound Mark
Elena is a witch who adores flowers and plants, possessing a gentle kind of magic that is tied to nature. She leads a quiet life with her family—until one day, the peace is shattered. After a ruthless vampire kills her parents to obtain their magic, she barely escapes and is forced to go into hiding.
From that moment on, she lives in constant fear and does all she can to avoid vampires, afraid that her past may catch up with her one day.
However, Elena can’t escape her fate, and it leads her straight into the arms of yet another vampire. Their encounter throws her life into disarray—not only is Ryder her enemy, but he is also her destined soulmate.
Timeless Us
The world she knew is gone.
Her husband, Nathan, is no longer the young man she left behind—he’s successful, respected, and living with a new family.
But when the woman who disappeared twenty-three years ago suddenly returns…
can love survive the years that were lost?
Bound by the Dragon Mafia
The head chef looked like he was silently praying for death.
I rushed forward. “Amara. Stop traumatizing these poor people.”
She spun around, delighted. “Sera! Good, you’re here. Taste this. It’s missing despair.”
The chef’s face morphed into existential crisis.
I grabbed her arm. “Put the spatula down.”
“But—”
“Down.”
With exaggerated offense, she dropped the spatula and muttered, “Fine. But if no one here has artistic vision, that’s not my fault.”
She went undercover to expose a mafia empire.
He offered her thirty nights to save her life.
When investigative journalist Seraphine Vale steps into the glittering underworld ruled by billionaire crime lord Dante Vescari, she thinks she’s chasing a story about missing women and corruption.
Instead, she uncovers a secret older than blood—an empire built on fire, sin, and dragons.
Bound to Dante by a forbidden pact, Seraphine finds herself caught between fear and desire, truth and temptation.
Each night pulls her deeper into his world of power, passion, and danger…
and closer to the monster hiding beneath his perfect skin.
Thirty nights. One bond.
And a love that might just burn the world to ash.
Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond
A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)
Shocked to find he's been bound in more ways than one to Sebastian, the future King to the Kingdom of Atlesper, Lemuel resists Sebastian's advances at every turn, believing this may be one pairing Goddess Zarseti got wrong.
Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate.
A Queen Among Tides is the 5th book in the Queen Among Series/The Gods' Saga. This is an interconnected series. To see how it ends, I recommend reading the full series.
Books in the series order:
A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1
Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2
A Queen Among Blood - Book 3
A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4
Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Tides - Book 5
Valor, Virtue, and Verve - Tides Prequel Spin-off (will be available under book 5)
A Queen Among Gods - Book 6
Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel (will be available under book 2)
A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7
Dark Vocation - Darkness spin-off (will be available under book 4)
A Court of Arcane Souls Anthology (side character short stories exclusive to Ream)
Royal Shadow Series (Next Gen Coming Soon)
The CEO's Unspoken Love
Before I could answer, he moved closer, suddenly looming over me, his face inches from mine. I felt my breath caught, my lips parting in surprise.
"Then this is the price for speaking ill of me to others," he murmured, nipping my lower lip before claiming my mouth in a real kiss. It began as punishment but quickly transformed into something else entirely as I responded, my initial rigidity melting into compliance, then active participation.
My breathing accelerated, small sounds escaping my throat as he explored my body. His touches were both punishment and pleasure, drawing shudders from me that I thought he felt reverberating through his own body.
My nightgown had ridden up, his hands discovering more of mine with each caress. We were both lost in sensation, rational thought receding with each passing second...
Three years ago, to fulfill the wish of his grandmother, I was forced to marry Derek Wells, the second son of the family that had adopted me for ten years. He didn't love me, but I had secretly loved him all along.
Now, the three-year contractual marriage is about to end, but I feel that some kind of sentiment has developed between Derek and me that neither of us is willing to admit. I'm not sure if my feelings are right, but I know that we can't resist each other physically...
The Contract Wife: Marriage Of Malice
He didn't finish. He didn't need to.
I didn't tell him to stop.
Instead, my fingers curled into his shirt, clutching the fabric as though it was my only anchor. Something in him snapped—something he had been holding back for too long. His mouth found mine in a kiss that wasn't tender, but hungry, desperate.
I gasped into him, his hand sliding up to cup my jaw, holding me as if afraid I might vanish.
"You drive me insane," he breathed against my mouth, his lips trailing to my throat. "I can't lose you, Ella. Not you."
My head fell back, a soft sound escaping me as his fingers memorized my waist. My anger melted beneath his desperation.
"James..." I whispered, more plea than protest.
His hand caught mine, fingers threading together tightly. "I'll bring him back. I swear it. Just... don't turn away from me. Please."
The word please—low, ragged, almost broken—undid me more than anything else could have.
Ella never imagined she would marry the man she had secretly loved for years in such a way.
When her brother Theo faced twenty-five years in prison for massive embezzlement, the ruthless business tycoon James Lancaster offered her a deal: marry him in exchange for her brother's freedom.
This wasn't a fairy tale proposal, but a carefully orchestrated revenge. Because in James's heart, Ella was the culprit who had killed his sister Cecilia. He wanted her to pay the price—to atone with a lifetime of suffering.
Ruined : You will always be mine.
“Fuckkk”, I couldn’t help but scream.
“You need to learn to be obedient” he said as he kept thrusting into me. When I felt his hands on my clit my body shook.
“Asher please, it’s too much”.
“No. if I really wanted to punish you, I would give you all of me”, he said against my ears and my entire body froze. Suddenly he moved and I was standing again. This man was insane.
I felt him behind me. “Ten Lashes for your disobedience”, he said
“Asher please”,
“No”. His voice was cold and void of any emotion.
Asher was what I wanted , what I truly craved until it was too late. An orphan should never fall in love with someone out of their reach. I thought loving him was the right thing to do until he revealed his true identity and Ruined me. I was ruined for everyone one else . I could still feel his touch, it was as if it was etched into my skin. I tired to avoid him but fate wouldn't let it happen.
The Sterling's were the most powerful in Havenwood and Dorian Sterling was off limits.
As an orphan finding out you still have people looking for you is hard to take but when it turns out to be people of wealth and standing I took the other road and ran, but running led me right back to the place I was avoiding and the person I was avoiding.
Asher and Dorling Sterling one and the same. When his first love shows up and along with everyone that has set out to ruin me, I prayed that he could protect me.













