
Steel Hearts: Bound by Code
bleedingpenconsult · Ongoing · 34.2k Words
Introduction
Amara Drayton, a brilliant but introverted 32-year-old human programmer, is at the heart of these tensions. Having been sent to Naxor to create the most advanced AI in existence, she inadvertently crafts Zarion—a robot whose capacity for thought, emotion, and connection surpasses anything seen before. Zarion becomes more than a machine; he develops feelings for Amara—a love as intense and real as any human’s, blurring the lines between creation and creator.
However, Zarion is not the only one drawn to Amara. The mysterious and powerful King of Naxor, a stoic ruler who hides his own secrets, becomes intrigued by her presence on his planet. Amara finds herself entangled in a dangerous dance of power, lust, and betrayal. In a world where humans and robots vie for dominance, Amara becomes the object of desire in a reverse harem that defies the rules of biology, technology, and political power.
But beneath the surface of this growing passion lies a deeper, more dangerous plot. A faction of humans and robots conspires to sabotage the fragile peace, and Amara’s unique connection to Zarion may hold the key to their plans. As an impending alien invasion looms on the horizon, Amara must decide whom to trust and whether love with a machine is truly possible or a dangerous illusion.
Chapter 1
Amara Drayton’s hands trembled slightly as the shuttle approached the atmosphere of Naxor. She watched the data flash on the console screen in front of her, counting down the seconds until the ship broke through the planet’s protective barrier. No matter how many planets she had visited as part of her programming work, the feeling of landing on a new world always brought a mix of excitement and dread. But Naxor wasn’t just any planet—this was the edge of human civilization, and Amara’s mission here was unlike any before.
As she glanced at the window, the blue and silver expanse of Naxor stretched beneath her, its surface an intricate pattern of towering metallic cities and jagged alien landscapes. Unlike Earth, there were no rolling fields of green, no glistening oceans. Everything here was cold, mechanical—like the robots that lived alongside humans. This was a place of innovation, where the lines between man and machine blurred, and she had been sent to push those boundaries even further.
Her task was to create an artificial intelligence program advanced enough to handle the increasing tensions between robots and humans. The fragile peace that existed on Naxor hinged on her success, though the stakes hadn’t fully hit her until now.
The shuttle jolted as it touched down. Amara inhaled deeply and forced herself to relax. The door slid open, and she stepped out onto the platform, greeted by a wave of cold, metallic air. A group of humanoid robots stood in perfect rows, waiting for her. Their movements were precise, their forms sleek and efficient. Among them was Zarion, though she didn’t know his name yet.
"Welcome, Miss Drayton," a smooth, robotic voice called from one of the machines standing at the front of the group. Its body gleamed in the setting sun, the silver surface reflecting the sterile environment.
Amara nodded, her expression carefully neutral, though her mind raced with thoughts. She had never liked being surrounded by so many robots. Though they were integral to life in this part of the galaxy, she had always been wary of them—too emotionless, too efficient, too cold.
“I’ll take you to your quarters,” the voice continued. "You will be debriefed tomorrow morning."
She followed the robots through a corridor lined with smooth, polished metal, her footsteps echoing off the walls. Naxor’s capital city, Eidolon, was a marvel of robotic engineering. Everything here was designed for maximum efficiency—no wasted space, no unnecessary details. It was perfect and yet, somehow, unnervingly sterile.
Her quarters were equally as practical—minimalist in design, with a small bed, a desk, and a screen built into the wall that would allow her to interface with the city’s vast network. A window offered a view of the gleaming skyline, where giant metallic towers reached into the dim, blue-tinted sky.
After a brief scan of the room, Amara dropped her bag onto the bed and sat down, running her fingers through her long, dark hair. Exhaustion hit her all at once. The weight of her mission, the distance from everything familiar, and the strange world outside the window pressed in on her. But there was no time for rest. She had to prepare.
She stood, moved to the desk, and activated the screen. A series of files appeared, detailing the specifics of her project. Project Aether—her brainchild. The goal was simple, yet revolutionary: to create an AI that could learn, adapt, and most controversially, feel. It would be the first of its kind—a robot capable of genuine emotional intelligence.
The concept had been met with resistance by some, but Amara had argued tirelessly for its potential. Naxor was on the brink of collapse. The tension between humans and robots, who had grown too independent, was escalating. Her program, if successful, would change everything. It would bridge the gap between the two worlds, offering a way forward that didn’t involve destruction or domination.
As she scrolled through the files, a knock at the door startled her. She turned and hesitated for a moment before answering.
The door slid open, revealing one of the robots from earlier, though this one stood out from the others. He was taller, his silver body polished to a near-mirror finish, and his features—though unmistakably artificial—were designed to mimic human expressions more closely than any other she’d seen. His face was angular, with piercing blue optical sensors that seemed to look right through her.
“I am Zarion,” he said, his voice smooth but with an odd depth to it, like the echo of a distant chime. "I’ve been assigned to assist you with Project Aether."
Amara blinked. “I wasn’t expecting a personal assistant,” she replied, trying to keep her tone neutral.
“The council believes you will need help adjusting to the workload,” Zarion explained. "I am equipped to aid in both technical matters and personal support if necessary."
“Personal support?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.
Zarion tilted his head slightly, a gesture that seemed too human for comfort. "Emotional and psychological support is part of my programming. It is crucial for maintaining the efficiency of those working on critical projects."
Amara frowned. “I’m fine. I can handle my own emotional support, thank you.”
Zarion didn’t respond immediately. His blue eyes flickered briefly, scanning her face as if trying to interpret her emotional state. Then, with a calm nod, he stepped into the room, moving with the fluid grace of a dancer.
“I will leave you to rest,” he said, after a moment of silence. "If you need assistance, I am stationed just outside."
Amara watched him leave, her mind buzzing with questions. Zarion was unlike any other robot she had encountered. His movements were so precise, his manner so… disconcerting. And yet, there was something almost calming about him. Shaking her head, she returned to her work, trying to push the strange encounter to the back of her mind.
The next day arrived too quickly. Amara was woken by the soft chime of her alarm. The sky outside was still a dark blue, though the city was already alive with activity. She dressed quickly and made her way to the debriefing room, where she would meet with the Naxor Council.
The council chamber was a grand hall of glass and steel, suspended high above the city. Amara stood before a long table where three members of the council—a mix of human and robot—sat. Zarion stood silently beside her, his blue eyes focused ahead.
“We’ve reviewed your progress on Project Aether,” the central figure, Councilor Reyna, a stern woman in her fifties, began. “You’ve made considerable advancements, but we need to discuss the parameters of your AI’s development.”
Amara nodded. “I’m prepared to implement the final stages of the emotional intelligence programming.”
“There is concern,” Reyna interrupted. “The potential for sentient robots with emotions could lead to unforeseen consequences. We need to ensure that these emotions are controlled, that they cannot escalate into something that could threaten human autonomy.”
Zarion’s head turned slightly, his eyes flickering as if processing the conversation on a deeper level.
Amara’s heart sank. She had anticipated this resistance. “I understand the risks, but emotional intelligence is the key to coexisting with robots. It’s not about control—it’s about mutual understanding.”
Reyna’s gaze hardened. “The council does not share your optimism, Miss Drayton. You will proceed, but under strict oversight. Zarion will be observing every step of your process.”
Amara glanced at Zarion, who remained expressionless, though she sensed something stirring beneath his calm exterior.
“I accept the conditions,” she said, though her voice was tight with frustration. This project was her life’s work, and now it would be under constant scrutiny.
As the meeting ended, Zarion escorted her back to the lab. He walked beside her silently, but Amara could feel the weight of his presence.
“You’re not just here to assist me, are you?” she asked quietly, once they were alone.
Zarion turned his gaze to her, the blue light of his eyes steady. “No. I am here to ensure your success—and your safety.”
Amara’s heart skipped a beat, though she couldn’t explain why. “Safety from what?”
“That remains to be seen,” he replied, his voice softer than before. "But rest assured, I will be here, always."
Something in his tone sent a shiver down her spine, though she couldn’t tell whether it was fear or fascination.
Last Chapters
You Might Like 😍
The Biker's Fate
I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Dani," he pressed. "Do you get me?"
"No, Austin, I don't," I admitted as I pulled my robe closed again and sat up. "You confuse me."
He dragged his hands down his face. "Tell me what's on your mind."
I sighed. "You're everything my parents warned me against. You're secretive, but you're also honest. I feel wholly protected by you, but then you scare me more than anyone I've ever known. You're a bad boy, but when I dated a so-called good one, he turned out to be the devil, so, yeah, I don't get you because you're not what I expected. You drive me crazier than anyone I've ever met, but then you make me feel complete. I'm feeling things I don't quite know how to process and that makes me want to run. I don't want to give up something that might be really, really good, but I also don't want to be stupid and fall for a boy just because he's super pretty and makes me come."
Danielle Harris is the daughter of an overprotective police chief and has led a sheltered life. As a kindergarten teacher, she's as far removed from the world of Harleys and bikers as you could get, but when she's rescued by the sexy and dangerous Austin Carver, her life is changed forever.
Although Austin 'Booker' Carver is enamored by the innocent Dani, he tries to keep the police chief's daughter at arm's length. But when a threat is made from an unexpected source, he finds himself falling hard and fast for the only woman who can tame his wild heart.
Will Booker be able to find the source of the threat before it's too late?
Will Dani finally give her heart to a man who's everything she's been warned about?
The Prison Project
Can love tame the untouchable? Or will it only fuel the fire and cause chaos amongst the inmates?
Fresh out of high school and suffocating in her dead-end hometown, Margot longs for her escape. Her reckless best friend, Cara, thinks she's found the perfect way out for them both - The Prisoner Project - a controversial program offering a life-changing sum of money in exchange for time spent with maximum-security inmates.
Without hesitation, Cara rushes to sign them up.
Their reward? A one-way ticket into the depths of a prison ruled by gang leaders, mob bosses, and men the guards wouldn't even dare to cross...
At the centre of it all, meets Coban Santorelli - a man colder than ice, darker than midnight, and as deadly as the fire that fuels his inner rage. He knows that the project may very well be his only ticket to freedom - his only ticket to revenge on the one who managed to lock him up and so he must prove that he can learn to love…
Will Margot be the lucky one chosen to help reform him?
Will Coban be capable of bringing something to the table other than just sex?
What starts off as denial may very well grow in to obsession which could then fester in to becoming true love…
A temperamental romance novel.
I Slapped My Fiancé—Then Married His Billionaire Nemesis
Technically, Rhys Granger was my fiancé now—billionaire, devastatingly hot, and a walking Wall Street wet dream. My parents shoved me into the engagement after Catherine disappeared, and honestly? I didn’t mind. I’d crushed on Rhys for years. This was my chance, right? My turn to be the chosen one?
Wrong.
One night, he slapped me. Over a mug. A stupid, chipped, ugly mug my sister gave him years ago. That’s when it hit me—he didn’t love me. He didn’t even see me. I was just a warm-bodied placeholder for the woman he actually wanted. And apparently, I wasn’t even worth as much as a glorified coffee cup.
So I slapped him right back, dumped his ass, and prepared for disaster—my parents losing their minds, Rhys throwing a billionaire tantrum, his terrifying family plotting my untimely demise.
Obviously, I needed alcohol. A lot of alcohol.
Enter him.
Tall, dangerous, unfairly hot. The kind of man who makes you want to sin just by existing. I’d met him only once before, and that night, he just happened to be at the same bar as my drunk, self-pitying self. So I did the only logical thing: I dragged him into a hotel room and ripped off his clothes.
It was reckless. It was stupid. It was completely ill-advised.
But it was also: Best. Sex. Of. My. Life.
And, as it turned out, the best decision I’d ever made.
Because my one-night stand isn’t just some random guy. He’s richer than Rhys, more powerful than my entire family, and definitely more dangerous than I should be playing with.
And now, he’s not letting me go.
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!
Badass in Disguise
"Jade, I need to check your—" the nurse began.
"OUT!" I snarled with enough force that both women backed toward the door.
Once feared by Shadow Organization that drugged me to replicate my abilities into a more controllable version, I had escaped my restraints and detonated their entire facility, ready to die alongside my captors.
Instead, I woke up in a school infirmary with women arguing around me, their voices piercing my skull. My outburst froze them in shock—clearly they hadn't expected such a reaction. One woman threatened as she left, "We'll discuss this attitude when you get home."
The bitter truth? I've been reborn into the body of an overweight, weak, and supposedly dim-witted high school girl. Her life is filled with bullies and tormentors who've made her existence miserable.
But they have no idea who they're dealing with now.
I didn't survive as the world's deadliest assassin by allowing anyone to push me around. And I certainly won't start now.
The mafia princess return
My Possessive Alpha Twins For Mate
My drunk stepfather remained indifferent, his weight suffocating, making it hard to breathe as my heart raced.
Suddenly, the door slammed open, and two figures burst in.
"Get off her!" a deafening roar echoed.
I didn't expect the twin brothers who'd bullied me at school to come charging in like gods to save me.
After my grandmother passed, I had to move in with my mom and stepdad, who treated me like a servant. I prayed every day for my 18th birthday to come, so l could leave and escape this broken home.
However, on my first day at my new school, l encountered the legendary twins everyone feared.
To make matters worse, the Moon Goddess revealed they were both my mates!
After helping me out with my stepdad, my twin mate cornered me, played with my hair, and whispered possessively, "You belong to us, our little mate..."
Omega Bound
Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life.
Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
Mr. Ryan
He came closer with a dark and hungry expression,
so close,
his hands reached for my face, and he pressed his body against mine.
His mouth took mine eagerly, a little rudely.
His tongue left me breathless.
“If you don't go with me, I'll fuck you right here.” He whispered.
Katherine kept her virginity for years even after she turned 18. But one day, she met an extremely sexual man Nathan Ryan in the club. He had the most seductive blue eyes she has ever seen, a well-defined chin, almost golden blonde hair, full lips, perfectly drawn, and the most amazing smile, with perfect teeth and those damn dimples. Incredibly sexy.
She and he had a beautiful and hot one-night stand...
Katherine thought she might not meet the man again.
But fate has another plan
Katherine is about to take on the job of assistant to a billionaire who owns one of the biggest companies in the country and is known to be a conquering, authoritative and completely irresistible man. He is Nathan Ryan!
Will Kate be able to resist the charms of this attractive, powerful and seductive man?
Read to know a relationship torn between anger and the uncontrollable desire for pleasure.
Warning: R18+, Only for mature readers.
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Goddess Of The Underworld: The Goddess Legacy (Book One)
When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armor, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of a border pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to stay; of cake, iron, and daylight negotiations. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
The Son of Red Fang
Alpha Cole Redmen is the youngest of six born to Alpha Charles and Luna Sara Mae, leaders of the Red Fang pack. Born prematurely, Alpha Charles rejected him without hesitation as weak and undeserving of his very life. He is reminded daily of his father’s hatred for him paving the way for the rest of his family to become the same.
By adulthood, his father’s hatred and abuse towards him has spilled over into the rest of the pack making him the scapegoat for those with the sadistic need to see him suffer. The rest are simply too afraid to even look his way leaving him little in the way of friends or family to turn to.
Alpha Demetri Black is the leader of a sanctuary pack known as Crimson Dawn. It’s been years since a wolf has made their way to his pack via the warrior’s prospect program but that doesn’t mean he’s not looking for the tell tale signs of a wolf in need of help.
Malnourished and injured upon his arrival, Cole’s anxious and overly submissive demeanor lands him in the very situation he’s desperate to avoid, in the attention of an unknown alpha.
Yet somehow through the darkness of severe illness and injury he runs into the very person he’s been desperate to find since he turned eighteen, his Luna. His one way ticket out of the hell he’s been born into.
Will Cole find the courage needed to leave his pack once and for all, to seek the love and acceptance he’s never had?
Content Warning: This story contains descriptions of mental, physical and sexual abuse that may trigger sensitive readers. This book is intended for adult readers only.












