Introduction
That is where my family lives.
Every twenty years, we invite an "outsider"—a man not of our blood—to be our guest. They all share one thing in common: each is steeped in wickedness.
Ron was the eighteenth. And he was the key to whether I would successfully shed my skin.
He believed he had come only to inherit a fortune.
He did not know that the altar in the basement was already prepared.
And our family's tradition is to awaken the blood of Lamia within us—
using the heart of the wicked.
Chapter 1
I'm hungry again.
My family comes from ancient mountain range.
The blood of Lamia, the serpent woman, flows through every member of our clan.
Because of that, every twenty years, our family must undergo a shedding ritual.
And the ritual requires a human heart to complete.
Sitting in the Starbucks at downtown Philadelphia, I stared at the Tinder profile on my phone screen, my index finger mechanically swiping left.
Wall Street broker, suited up, "passionate about charity" - I could smell the rot emanating from him.
But it was just slightly nauseating. Many capitalists carry that scent.
My mother once told me that though the ritual needs human hearts, the Lamias only sacrifice the hearts of the wicked.
It's been nineteen years and eight months since my last molting.
I can feel the scales beneath my skin stirring restlessly, fine cracks beginning to appear at my fingertips.
In a while longer, if I still can't find a suitable "offering," I'll probably turn into a pile of dried bones some morning.
Just then...
A new profile popped up on screen.
Blond hair, blue eyes, radiant smile, wearing a college football team jersey.
Ron, 19, Penn State quarterback, enjoys working out and small animals.
I almost laughed out loud.
What evil could this puppy possibly harbor? Peeked at his roommate in the shower? Cheated on an exam?
But just as I was about to swipe left, a familiar stench drilled into my nostrils.
It was the smell of blood.
Fresh blood. Young girl's blood.
...
Ron asked me to meet at the movie theater downtown.
He was more handsome than his photos, wearing a clean white T-shirt and jeans, holding a bouquet of sunflowers.
The moment he saw me, his eyes lit up.
"Hey!" He walked over quickly, "I thought you might stand me up."
"Why would you think that?"
"Because you're too beautiful." He scratched his head, revealing a shy smile, "A woman like you probably wouldn't be interested in a poor student like me."
I took the flowers and smiled at him: "Let's go, the movie's about to start."
Throughout the entire film, he was well-behaved, didn't make any moves, even carefully passed the popcorn to my hand.
After the screening, he suggested going to a nearby motel to "chat."
I agreed.
The motel room was small, but he'd cleaned it well.
He poured me water, adjusted the air conditioning temperature, asked if I was cold. Then sat on the edge of the bed like a big dog waiting for praise.
"Hey," he suddenly said, "do you believe in love at first sight?"
"No."
"I do." He leaned closer, his eyes excessively sincere, "From the first moment I saw your photo, I knew you were the one I'd been waiting for."
I stared into his eyes.
In those azure eyes, my face was reflected.
...
Over the next week, Ron performed like a textbook-perfect boyfriend.
He sent good morning texts every day, good night texts every evening, with various expressions of care in between.
He opened car doors for me, pulled out chairs at restaurants, and even when he saw a stray cat on the street, he crouched down to feed it.
"Look how thin it is," he said softly, "must have been hungry for a long time."
I watched him gently stroke the kitten, beginning to doubt myself.
Had I really been wrong?
That night at home, I stared at myself in the mirror.
The cracks on my arms had deepened another degree.
On the seventh night, I decided to end it.
"Ron, I don't think we're right for each other."
In the motel room, I threw several thousand dollars in cash onto the bed: "This money is compensation for you."
Ron froze, his eyes instantly reddening: "Did I do something wrong?"
"You're too clingy. I need space."
"Please," Ron grabbed my hand, his voice choked, "just have one more drink with me, one last drink. I promise I won't bother you again."
He pulled out a bottle of bourbon whiskey from his backpack and poured two glasses.
I picked up the glass and drank it down.
Ron's expression changed, just for an instant.
"Hey, are you okay?"
My vision began to blur, my limbs went weak.
I watched the corners of his mouth gradually curl upward.
I knew I hadn't been wrong.
...
When I woke again, I was in the bed of a beat-up Ford pickup.
My hands and feet were tightly bound with nylon rope, tape over my mouth.
The truck bed reeked of motor oil and sweat.
I heard voices from the front seats.
"This chick's got a nice body, old Earl's gonna love her." A tattooed brute spat out smoke, laughing lecherously.
"No shit, I picked her out special."
Ron's voice had lost all tenderness, leaving only naked greed, "These stupid bitches are easiest to fool, shed a few tears and you've got them."
"I'll give you thirty percent?"
"Forty." Ron haggled, "I'm risking getting kicked off the football team for this job."
I lay in the cold truck bed, but my heart beat faster and faster.
Until the truck stopped.
Ron jumped down from the driver's seat and opened the tailgate.
Night wind rushed in, carrying the dampness of mountain forests.
He ripped the tape off my mouth in one motion, that sunny boy's face now full of savagery: "Awake now? Baby?"
"Ron, please let me go..." I squeezed out tears, my voice trembling.
"Let you go?"
Ron crouched down, scraping my face with his fingertips.
"Soon enough, I'll hand you over to the redneck old bachelors in the sticks as their toy, enjoy it, bitch. They'll take real good care of you."
Last Chapters
You Might Like 😍
The Hunter and The Hunted
Mihai’s hand slowly slides up my stomach, his fingers wrapping around my neck as he cuts of my ability to breathe, black spots clouding my vision, and yet, I am not afraid. I want more. I want everything that he can give to me.
He slowly inserts a third finger, the intense fullness that I feel teetering me over the edge of a cliff I cannot even see, and then he sucks and pulls at my clit. Sparks erupt throughout my body, the orgasm shaking my soul, and destroying what was left of my resistance.
She was the Daughter of a Hunter, he was one of the creatures that her family had sworn to destroy, what could possibly go wrong?
When their worlds collide, who will be left standing, will it be the hunter or the hunted, and which is which?
Game of Destiny
When Finlay finds her, she is living among humans. He is smitten by the stubborn wolf that refuse to acknowledge his existence. She may not be his mate, but he wants her to be a part of his pack, latent wolf or not.
Amie cant resist the Alpha that comes into her life and drags her back into pack life. Not only does she find herself happier than she has been in a long time, her wolf finally comes to her. Finlay isn't her mate, but he becomes her best friend. Together with the other top wolves in the pack, they work to create the best and strongest pack.
When it's time for the pack games, the event that decides the packs rank for the coming ten year, Amie needs to face her old pack. When she sees the man that rejected her for the first time in ten years, everything she thought she knew is turned around. Amie and Finlay need to adapt to the new reality and find a way forward for their pack. But will the curve ball split them apart?
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.
Let Them Kneel
Cast out by her pack. Forgotten by the Lycans.
She lived among humans—quiet, invisible, tucked away in a town no one looked at twice.
But when her first heat comes without warning, everything changes.
Her body ignites. Her instincts scream. And something primal stirs beneath her skin—
summoning a big, bad Alpha who knows exactly how to quench her fire.
When he claims her, it’s ecstasy and ruin.
For the first time, she believes she’s been accepted.
Seen.
Chosen.
Until he leaves her the next morning—
like a secret never to be spoken.
But Kaelani is not what they thought.
Not wolfless. Not weak.
There is something ancient inside her. Something powerful. And it’s waking.
And when it does—
they’ll all remember the girl they tried to erase.
Especially him.
She’ll be the dream he keeps chasing… the one thing that ever made him feel alive.
Because secrets never stay buried.
And neither do dreams.
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...
From Substitute To Queen
Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.
Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.
In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?
From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
From Sacrificed Slave to the Dragon King's Obsession
His fangs glinted as he gripped my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. Dragon scales shimmered along his neck, breath scorching my skin.
"Your Majesty... I beg—" He shoved me onto the bed. Silk tore with a sharp rip, cold air rushing over my exposed body.
"Scared?" He smirked, palm sliding down my waist, fingers tracing slow, burning circles. "Yet you shiver... not from cold."
I lunged for the candlestick, but he caught my wrist, pinning it overhead. His knee forced my legs apart.
"When your father gave you to me," his lips brushed my ear, voice a dark rumble, "you were already mine."
On the eve of freedom after ten years of servitude, Lina Valeria stood one night away from reuniting with her betrothed. But Dragon King Augustus condemned her to the Abyss Mines on false charges—a trap forged from obsessive desire.
Augustus Ashenwing, Supreme Sovereign of Skyhold Citadel, is ruthless and feared by all races. His obsession stems from ancient grudges and dragonkind's most dangerous instinct: possessive desire. He demands her submission, binding her to his throne as his consort.
From prisoner to queen, Lina battles him through court intrigue and twisted passion—fighting for her mother, her freedom, her dignity.
Yet this cold-blooded tyrant reserves all tenderness for her alone. He indulges her temper, bends his pride, compromises without limit—anything to see her smile. Gradually, her heart wavers. But loving him means betraying Kain, who waited eleven years. Torn between duty and desire, she drowns in agonizing guilt.
Love and hatred intertwined—a forbidden dragon romance in a realm of oppression.
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.
Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond
To protect what’s mine
Rise of the Banished She-Wolf
That roar stole my eighteenth birthday and shattered my world. My first shift should have been glory—blood turned blessing into shame. By dawn they'd branded me "cursed": cast out by my pack, abandoned by family, stripped of my nature. My father didn't defend me—he sent me to a forsaken island where wolfless outcasts were forged into weapons, forced to kill each other until only one could leave.
On that island I learned the darkest edges of humanity and how to bury terror in bone. Countless times I wanted to surrender—dive into the waves and never surface—but the accusing faces that haunted my dreams pushed me back toward something colder than survival: revenge. I escaped, and for three years I hid among humans, collecting secrets, learning to move like a shadow, sharpening patience into precision—becoming a blade.
Then, under a full moon, I touched a bleeding stranger—and my wolf returned with a violence that made me whole. Who was he? Why could he wake what I'd thought dead?
One thing I know: now is the time.
I have waited three years for this. I will make everyone who destroyed me pay—and take back everything that was stolen from me.
Bound by Fate, Freed by Choice
Her escape leads her to Alpha Rowan, the commanding leader of the Blackwood Pack, who offers shelter, protection, and an unexpected chance at a new life. But Rowan’s fierce and jealous fiancée sees Lyla as a threat, and the pack’s charming Beta is drawn to her quiet strength.
As a dangerous attraction simmers between Lyla and Rowan, they begin to unravel a dark web of secrets that implicates Kaiden and threatens both their worlds.
With her hidden power awakening, Lyla must navigate treacherous loyalties, face the alpha who shattered her, and decide: Will she follow the destiny fate forced upon her, or claim the love and strength she has chosen for herself?
