437 Book(s) Related to bile duct cancer survival stories

“The perfect romance or beach read, with a difference: its enthusiasm and beautiful descriptions offer an unexpected attention to the complexity of not just evolving love, but evolving psyches. It's a delightful recommendation for romance readers looking for a touch more complexity from their romance reads.”--Midwest Book Review (For Now and Forever)THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS: VENGEANCE AND DINNER is Book #4 in a charming new cozy mystery series by bestselling author Sophie Love, author of The Inn at Sunset Harbor series, a #1 Bestseller with over 200 five-star reviews!Marie Fortune, 39, a successful dog groomer in Boston, leaves the stressful life behind and heads to a small town in coastal Maine to create a new life. She remains intent on renovating the old, historic house her great-aunt left her and giving it a new life as a B&B. Yet there was one thing she couldn’t plan for: the house is haunted. Two things, actually: her great-aunt also left her a dog—and he is far from a typical dog.When Marie is invited to exorcise a supposedly haunted house, she encounters a twist she never could have anticipated. But before she can wrap her mind around the situation, a man turns up dead—forcing her to solve the case and to clear her own name.A page-turning cozy, packed with mystery, love, hauntings, travel, pets and food—anchored around a small town and a B&B in need of renovation that will capture your heart—THE GHOSTLY GROUNDS is an un-putdownable cozy series that will keep you turning pages (and laughing out loud) late into the night.“The romance is there, but not overdosed. Kudos to the author for this amazing start of a series that promises to be very entertaining.”--Books and Movies Reviews (For Now and Forever)

Everyone thought the disfigured obsessive fan was stalking actress Sophia Brown.

No one believed I was the real Sophia.

My twin sister, Lily, slept beside my husband, Don Jason. She used my face to star in my movies. She even took over my social media accounts and posted under my name.

I wanted an explanation. But Jason only looked at my scarred face with cold disgust and said he had always thought Lily was me. He said he had fallen for her and couldn’t let her go.

Lily told me becoming an actress had been her dream since childhood. Now that my face was ruined and I could no longer act, why shouldn’t I let her have it?

The only person who stood by me was my agent, Nancy. And because of me, even she was dragged into hell.

This time, I stopped trying to prove who I was. I chose another way.

His wolf was already going wild in anticipation of getting laid.

"You called for me sir. Urgently."
She knew nothing about the rules of shape shifters or bossy CEOs.
She said quietly, watching the vein in his neck tick when she spoke.
Oh my God! Was he pissed? Was he supposed to wait for him to speak before she did?

"Where are we going?" she asked as they exited her office.
"My house," he replied simply, noting the impersonal way he had said the word.

He was not taking her to a fancy restaurant but home with him on their date.
Shana had an idea of what was going to happen.
In all her life, she had never imagined she would lose her virginity for the sake of her duty because that was what was going to happen tonight.

"I should warn you," he said stopping suddenly.


Shana Johnson had always lived a life away from prying eyes as a plain waitress but she was way more than that. She is a Crier, communicating with the Dead and fulfilling their last wishes, even when such wishes involve ruining and killing Alpha wolf, Asher Anderson, something his dead stepfather, Adam desperately wants.
But it turned out not to be as simple as it seem when her dormant heart started beating the moment she set her eyes on the powerful shifter and she was caught between duty and love.
Asher Anderson is ruthless but with a heart clamoring for love his Crier of a mother had denied him. He hates her kind and he would never even be caught talking to one let alone bonding with one. But what happens when he finds out the woman his wolf had claimed was no more than what he detested with his whole existence; a Crier?
*MATURED CONTENT #18+

Kaelani spent her life believing she was wolfless.
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.

Three years ago, Kieran Vale’s wife died in a yacht explosion. At least, that is what the world believes. The case was closed, DNA confirmed, and evidence sealed away.

But Kieran never accepted it.

Now, on the eve of a reluctant new engagement, a reporter walks into his life, and everything fractures.

Mira Sutton is fearless, sharp, and obsessed with a shipping company tied to that very explosion. She is digging into a truth someone is willing to kill to protect.

The strange part is that she has no memory of her life before three years ago. And she looks exactly like the woman Kieran buried.

Kieran should walk away. Instead, he is drawn to her, especially when she begins asking questions no one else dares to voice.

As they dig deeper, buried files resurface, witnesses vanish, and a powerful network begins to close in around them.

Someone is watching. Someone wants the past to stay dead. And someone knows exactly who Mira really is.

When fragments of Mira’s memory begin to return, Kieran is forced to confront the impossible.

His wife may not have died that night. Or worse, she may be standing right in front of him, without knowing it.

But if Mira is truly the woman he lost, then why was her identity erased? And who is trying to make sure she never remembers?

The truth is closer than either of them realize, and far more dangerous.

Because sometimes, the dead do not stay buried. And sometimes, the woman you are falling for might be the wife you already lost.

-WARNING-This story may contain content that some may find disturbing.

“If you can’t satisfy me with your mouth, then you’ll have to satisfy me some other way.”

He ripped off her flimsy clothing and tossed the shredded fabric aside. Visenya panicked as she realized exactly what he was implying.

“Let me try again…with my mouth. I think I c...”

“Quiet!” His voice echoed off the walls of his bedchamber, silencing her on the spot.

This wasn’t the way she had imagined her first time would be. She pictured passionate kisses and gentle caresses from a man who loved and cherished her. Lucian wouldn’t be loving, and he certainly didn’t cherish her either. She had been cursed with a mate who was bent on revenge, wanting nothing more than to watch her suffer.


Ten years had passed since Dragons ruled over the world…since Visenya took her place as Lycan Queen. Vampires were forced into the shadows now that hunting and enslaving humans was punishable by death. The world was finally at peace…until Dragon Lord, Lucian woke from his induced sleep to discover that his entire race had been massacred by Visenya’s father. Visenya is stripped of her kingdom and forced to live out the rest of her days as Lucian’s slave. The cruelest joke of all is, Visenya learns that the mate she has been so faithfully waiting for all these years, is none other than the vengeful Dragon Lord himself.

Consumed by their hatred for each other, is it enough to fight the intense mate bond between them? Will Lucian push Visenya to her absolute limit, just to regret it all in the end?

There has never been a female Alpha until Amani Constantine. She was once the future Alpha of the Bloodmoon pack—a pack that was completely annihilated under the order of the Alpha King. In one night, Amani lost her parents and entire pack, spared only for being the fated mate of Prince Malakai, the son of the Alpha King and heir to the throne. She despises the Alpha King and harbors equal animosity towards Malakai, who is determined to mold Amani into the most obedient mate. However, submission goes against Amani’s very nature; she is an Alpha through and through, but she is a wolf-less Alpha, unable to shift. Branded as a defect, a flaw, and an abomination to their kind, Amani struggles with her identity. When the wolf inside her finally awakens, will she stand by her mate’s side and ascend as the next Luna Queen? Or will Amani step into her role as the Alpha she was destined to be and seek her revenge for the slaughter of Bloodmoon?

Hills of black awaited, luring me to the distant battle ground, taking me back to that dreadful night that forever changed the history of Zaza. From afar, I could see their spears and swords. Ghost of the past fought on the grounds, digging their heel into sodden soil as metal clashed against metal.

The brave warriors of Zaza led by the Army General Cyril and the crown prince of Zaza fought valiantly at the hill of Omen to stop the forces of the enemies from gaining entry into the city. The king along with his family had fled the capital of Zaza and had taken refuge in the mountains. Brock had sent a handful of soldiers along with them to protect them while a lookalike soldier was made to sit on the throne in order to confuse the enemy.

“Brock, I’ve received a letter from your father that you should take the royal battalion and head west to fortify the city.” Cyril said as he mounted his horse, sword in his hands waiting to ride off with his men to continue the battle.

He was already in the city when he noticed that it was a trap, there was a mole in their midst. He had quickly turned back his horse and with a fast speed he and his men had ridden back towards the mountain where his family were taking refuge...

"Ten years of atonement, and you flee?"

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.

"Honey, it's time to make a baby~"

"You're crazy, Adira. Get lost!"


Two CEOs got into an arranged marriage for convenience. One is a strong-willed woman who doesn’t believe in love. The other is a cold-hearted man who was rejected by his unrequited love. Adira Hale and Chadwick McElroy appear to be perfect in front of many. They are rich, influential, leaders, and good-looking. People said that they are the best couple, a match made by heaven. But the truth is far from the imaginary perfect romance that one could think of.

Adira only married Chadwick in order to get pregnant. All she desires is his body and not his affection. Meanwhile, Chadwick despises the idea of sharing the bed with his wife just because he’s still in love with another woman.

Is there a chance for love to bloom between temptation and betrayal?

I was Louis’s girlfriend, the fragile burden he always left behind. For years, I waited in the shadows—my health neglected, my heart ignored—while he treated me like an accessory. But the night he abandoned me in a blizzard for someone else, I finally realized the truth: I wasn't his love; I was just his obligation.

Trapped in a freezing RV with a failing heart and no way out, I faced the end alone—until Graham Cox arrived. Louis’s cold, aloof older brother—a man who had always viewed me as an annoying pest—tore through the storm to save me. “If she dies,” he growled at Louis, “don’t bother coming home.”

He didn't just save my life; he pulled me from the wreckage of a toxic relationship. But now, the lines are blurring. Beneath his icy, disciplined military facade, a dangerous obsession has stirred. One night, he pinned me against a door, his eyes burning with a hunger he’d hidden for a decade. “Did you really think,” he rasped, “that I only ever wanted to be your brother?”

Now, Louis is begging for a second chance, but I’ve already moved on. I’ve walked into Graham’s cold, calculated trap, and there is no turning back. In a world of family secrets and forbidden desires, I have to choose: the boy who broke me, or the man who is quietly, obsessively claiming me.

After waking alone in a mysterious laboratory, with no memories and  with tubes, wires, and strange IVs connected to her, Mystery must escape before her captors find out she's on the loose. She's terrified, but refuses to be a prisoner or slave to anyone. She needs to find her way out and to safety. Then, she needs to survive.
Once free of the lab, yet still with no memories of who she is or where she came from, Mystery travels alone while hiding her existence from everyone. She knows if anyone sees her, she will be recaptured almost immediately.
After growing weary of being endlessly on the move, Mystery takes refuge in an empty vacation home in Lake Tahoe. A few days without constantly being on the move is just what she needs to recover some much-needed energy and strength, but just what does she find while she is there?
Nikolai is performing a routine inspection on a rental property when he comes across a strange young woman with an interesting scent. Aside from his wolf calling out to her, claiming the beauty as his mate, there is something different about her. She is not quite normal.
With Nikolai's help, Mystery tries to work through the confusion that is her past. She needs to know where she came from, what her real name is, and why these people are still chasing after her. What is so special about her? And what do they want from her? 
No matter what it is, Nikolai vows he will never abandon her. He will protect her, no matter who is after her. But will his convictions be broken when he discovers just who the enemy really is? And why someone so powerful might have been experimenting with the strings of fate? 
Find out what happens with Mystery and Nikolai, and all the answers to Mystery's past, in Mystery Rising.

“Marry me.”

I stared at Kieran Voss.

“You’re insane. I’m supposed to marry your brother.”

“Not anymore.”

Three days before my wedding, my fiancé disappeared from my life.

His older brother stepped into his place instead.

Kieran Voss was the illegitimate son everyone thought would never return. After ten years in exile, he came back as the most powerful Alpha in the North—and the last man I should ever have fallen for.

Then he told the entire Wolf Alliance that I was his fated mate.

The scandal destroyed my engagement overnight.

But I had another reason for needing that marriage.

My mother died under mysterious circumstances, and the Voss family had locked away the inheritance she left behind. Marrying into the family was supposed to be my only way to get it back.

Kieran knew exactly what I wanted.

So he made me an offer I couldn't refuse.

One year. One marriage. One contract.

I would become his Luna.

He would give me access to the Voss archives and help me uncover my mother’s secrets.

When the year ended, I would be free to leave.

There was only one rule neither of us was supposed to break:

We could never fall in love.

At first, living with the cold Alpha was unbearable.

Then I began noticing the little things.

The warm drink waiting for me when I came home.

The lights he always left on because he knew I hated the dark.

The way he looked at me whenever he thought I wasn't watching.

And the scar beneath his ribs.

A scar caused by silver.

My silver pendant.

The pendant I had given a wounded boy ten years ago.

Suddenly, the stranger I had been trying to understand became the boy I had once saved.

And the man I was forbidden to love became the man who had been waiting for me for ten years.

But when I finally choose him, someone from the past exposes the truth about our marriage—and puts Kieran’s claim to the Alpha King throne in danger.

I thought Jon was my salvation—until I saw him kissing another woman and discovered he had destroyed my training plan with his own hands.

With an injured knee, I fought my way back onto the ice, determined to win everything I’d lost. But every time I was about to break, it was always Leon who appeared.

He was cold, dangerous, and impossible to read.

He was also my ex’s older brother.

He saved me from an alley, carried me out of danger, and warned me in that low voice, “Not competing won’t kill you either.”

I asked, “Then why do you keep saving me?”

His gray-blue eyes locked onto mine. “Because I don’t want to see you break.”

I knew I should stay away.

But on the night of a thunderstorm, when the power went out and someone knocked on my door—

Was it really him?

“I don’t care if you don’t have money. Because I know a way how you can pay me back.”

After he dropped those words, his gray eyes scanned her from head to toe.

“Use your body.”


Agatha Simon signed a contract that will change her life forever. In order to pay off her father's debt, she agreed to become a slave. But there's a catch - the only way to break free is to seduce the one and only billionaire, Lanceil Grim. Can Agatha pull off this daring feat and escape the clutches of her contract if love and lust interfere?

"What's wrong?" I asked, pulling my silk robe tight.

Theron's voice remained controlled and cold. "You are not the biological daughter of the Reed family, and they've found their real daughter."

My face drained of color. I had planned to explain everything upon his return, but Victoria had beaten me to it.

"What do you intend to do about our marriage?" I forced myself to ask directly.

"Marriage for me is a procedure, regardless of who it's with." With that, he picked up his briefcase and left.

_

Six years ago, Leila's fake heiress identity was exposed. Theron ruthlessly divorced her, and she was framed for attempted murder. Only after the divorce did she discover she was carrying his child. Blacklisted and desperate, she survived in a basement until her real family found her—she was the lost princess of Chicago's powerful Randall Family.

She gave birth to precious twins, but was told her baby boy didn't survive, leaving only her beloved daughter. What she didn't know was that destiny had other plans.

Six years later, a business venture brought her back to San Francisco, where she faced her cold ex-husband—who had a five-year-old son. Even more twisted - he was now her patient, completely at her mercy. Gone was his former arrogance; now he pursued her with desperate intensity. Could she ever forgive the man who destroyed her, or would she make him pay for the hell he put her through?

The slap came without warning, Mom's palm cracking against my cheek. Blood filled my mouth.

"Eighteen years of wasting my time on worthless, un-awakened trash!" she screamed.

Dad's boot connected with my ribs before I could recover. I crumpled to the floor, gasping.

"Get out of Shadowveil Pack," he snarled. "Crawl back to whatever filthy omega family spawned you. We don't need garbage polluting our territory."

I looked desperately at my brother, hoping for mercy. He just stood there, arms crossed, disgust in his eyes. "Don't look at me like that. You're not my real sister. Just some charity case we took in for Vanessa."

Elara spent eighteen years as a living curse vessel for Vanessa, enduring pain and scorn as a wolfless outcast. Cast out and broken, she returns to her birth father's pack only to face new humiliation.

But when ancient Guardian magic awakens within her, Elara discovers a dark conspiracy threatening all werewolf society—a blood magic cult draining powerful bloodlines. As she investigates, she awakens as the legendary Silver Moon Imperial Wolf, a bloodline thought extinct.

In her fight against evil, fate brings her Kaine Thorne, the future Alpha King. Their unexpected bond ignites a love that defies all odds. Together, they must stop an enemy seeking to enslave their world, but victory demands the ultimate sacrifice—Elara's life force to save those who never showed her mercy.

A story of redemption, fated love, and finding the strength to protect a world that cast you aside.

“You can't fall in love with your boss.”

My best friend warned me before my first day at the firm.

I laughed.

“Don't worry. I'm already married.”

What I didn't tell her was that my husband was the man walking into the conference room that morning.

Elias Jefferson was the firm's newest partner—a brilliant, wealthy, intimidating attorney who could silence an entire room with a single glance.

And somehow, he was also the stranger I had married only days before.

Nobody at the firm knew.

Nobody could know.

I needed this job. I had spent years struggling to prove that I belonged in the legal world, and I refused to let anyone think I had gotten ahead because I was sleeping with the boss.

So at work, Elias and I became strangers.

He challenged my arguments in meetings. I fought back.

He praised my legal instincts in front of the entire team. I pretended his approval meant nothing.

And whenever our eyes met across the courtroom, I had to remind myself that he wasn't my husband here.

He was my boss.

But when the office lights went out and we went home together, keeping our distance became much harder.

Then one night, Elias told me, “Our marriage was supposed to be temporary. So why can't I imagine letting you go?”

Blake pinned me against the edge of the desk, his fingertips scorching, papers scattering across the floor. "Stop lying to yourself," he murmured coldly, "You need me."

I should have hated him—his father was the prime suspect in my parents' death, yet his touch made me tremble. "I hate you…" I gritted my teeth, but my voice was weak.

He smirked, his grip tightening, "Yet your body is responding to me." His fingers slid deeper, "So wet, and you still say you don’t want me?"

"Ah…Blake…" I arched my back, my sanity crumbling.

He chuckled softly, "Good girl."


After Emma's parents passed away, she was supported by the Reynolds family, particularly Gavin. She gradually fell in love with him. After knowing each other for ten years and being together for five, she accidentally discovered Gavin's ambiguous relationship with Sophia, his late brother's widow, just as she was about to marry him.

Then fate led her to an emotional entanglement with Blake from her partner company, but it also hinted that the car accident that caused her parents' deaths seemed to be related to Blake's father...

The man who healed her wounds might be the son of the man who destroyed her life. Thunder roared as Blake’s key turned: "Emma?" Standing before the evidence, her heart was torn. When love and vengeance collided, what would she choose?

"Looking for trouble?" His gaze locked onto me, lazy yet sharp.

"Take me home," I breathed, pulse racing.

"Know the risks?" His thumb traced my wrist, sending shivers.

"I want it."

His mouth claimed mine, biting. Fingers shoved under fabric, groping. Rip – fabric gave way.

"Dripping already?" He growled, fingers circling my core. "Eager little thing."

"...Stop—"

"Stop?" He thrust two fingers deep. "Or stop there?"

I cried out. He freed himself, hot steel grinding against bare skin.

_

After three years of cold neglect in her marriage to Idris—who still pined for his ex, Raven—Vera reached her limit. A call from Raven during their first intimate moment was the final straw. Divorce was her only escape.

Seeking solace with a friend, a reckless night led her to Atlas Blackwell, the powerful CEO now leading her company. To silence his family’s demands and forge a new path, they entered a one-year contract marriage.

Now, with the contract expiring, Vera stands at a crossroads. Idris begs for forgiveness, promising change. Yet Atlas, her husband in name only, has proven himself her true anchor.

Two men. One heart. Which future will she choose?

"Those need polishing. Kit's in the bottom drawer."

Heat flooded my face. "Julian, please—"

"That's ‘Alpha’ to you." His voice was cold. "I'm waiting."

I knelt, hands shaking. The office floor was cold through my suit.

"Started believing your own press? Those Forbes interviews made you feel important?" He sipped his drink, watching me work the cloth over his shoes.

I kept my head down.

"Look at me."

I met his eyes.

"This is what you are. Not a CEO. Just a plaything on her knees." He smiled coldly.


Briar Vance was a rising star in pharmaceutical botany—until her father's gambling debts sold her to Julian Sterling, the Alpha heir who collects people like trophies. For a year, she's endured his cruelty in silence.

But when Julian forces her to kneel at his engagement party, something inside her breaks.

She flees to a dive bar, where a silver-eyed stranger makes her an offer: "Let me be your fake boyfriend. I'll make him regret ever touching you."

Briar doesn't know Lucian Kincaid is Julian's half-brother—or that he's been watching her for months, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. Their fake relationship becomes dangerously real when Lucian discovers Julian is using Vance Botanicals as a front for illegal Moonborn blood trafficking.

To protect Briar and expose his father Dominic's empire, Lucian risks everything. But when an assassination attempt awakens Briar's dormant Moonborn bloodline, their fated mate bond ignites in a surge of primal instinct—and Julian realizes the woman he tried to break is destined for his greatest enemy.

Now Briar must choose: submit to the Alpha who owns her past, or fight alongside the one who offers her a future. Because in the world of wolf shifters, love isn't a weakness.

It's a declaration of war.

Ivy Hayes has one dream: escape to the Solaris Sanctuary where sunlight keeps vampires away forever. But when she encounters her dying high school classmate Lucien Sinclair at the blood lodge, everything shatters.

Lucien is now a vampire, poisoned by silver and descending into madness. His brother Valerius—the ruthless head of the Blackwood family—kidnaps Ivy and drags her into his estate. Her scent is the only thing keeping Lucien sane. She's not a nurse. She's a living sedative, monitored and controlled, her body no longer her own.

Valerius underwent an ancient ritual that severed his empathy. To him, Ivy is just another possession to manage. He controls her every movement, destroys her escape routes, and tightens his grip until she's utterly trapped. But his cold precision hides something far more dangerous—a dark obsession that hungers for more than obedience.

While caring for Lucien, Ivy finds unexpected tenderness with the gentle vampire who still remembers her. But when Valerius corners her in shadowed hallways, his touch blurs the line between punishment and twisted desire.

Then Seraphina arrives—Valerius's fiancée and the woman who once shattered Lucien's heart. Her return ignites a vicious war between brothers, with Ivy trapped at the center.

One vampire offers her broken tenderness. One demands absolute surrender. One wants her destroyed.

Can Ivy reclaim her freedom—or will she discover that some chains are forged with blood, desire, and darkness?

WARNING: Dark paranormal romance with explicit content, dubious consent, captivity, and morally complex relationships. 18+ only.

"I have nothing to offer you," I told him. "Only myself."

"Renard can at least give you a concubine's title." His eyes moved over me once. "Don't imagine you can negotiate for even a blood slave's position with me."

I did not flinch. "I know that."

The knife was still in his hand. His voice was flat. Final. "So why come to me at all?"

"Because my godmother was going to hand me to her husband. I needed another way out." I held his gaze. "You are the most useful person I can reach."


After her parents died, Evelyne Olara made her way to Chalk City, where her godmother had promised there would be a place for her.

There was. Just not the kind she had hoped for.

The Valerius ducal house took her in as a ward and immediately began calculating what she was worth. Her guardian wants her for his bed. Her godmother wants her as a bargaining piece for the winter marriage market.

And at the center of it all stands Cassius Valerius. Grand Inquisitor of the Heresy Tribunal. Cursed with a madness no physician in the empire has ever been able to touch. The man they call the Forsaken Dragon behind closed doors, because everyone who has ever tried to get close to him has eventually stopped trying.

What begins as a transaction, cold and precisely worded and signed in blood, becomes something neither of them has a name for.

He gave her protection. She gave him the only thing that could silence the darkness in his blood. But what happens when a contract signed in desperation becomes the one thing neither of them can afford to lose?

WARNING: Dark fantasy romance with morally complex characters, dubious consent, and mature themes. 18+ only.

I once believed that if I was obedient enough, my birth family would finally love me. Instead, they gave everything to Anna, the fake heiress—my competition spot, my reputation, even my kidney.
Then I opened my eyes and returned to the year it all began.
This time, I won’t beg. I won’t yield. My achievements, my dignity, and my life belong to me.
When everyone called me vicious, Damian Sterling draped his jacket over my shoulders and asked in a low voice, “Am I an outsider?”
I leaned into him and smiled. “Of course not.”
But soon I discovered he was being slowly poisoned—and the culprit might be someone closest to him. Worse, the truth behind my death in my previous life may be darker than I ever imagined…

“Don’t be afraid.”

The terrifying man everyone called a monster was standing in front of me.

Cole Caesar was the undefeated football star, the ruthless team captain, and the man no doctor dared to treat twice.

But when he looked at me, something changed.

His anger disappeared.

His voice softened.

And he whispered, “You smell different.”

I thought he was crazy.

I didn’t know I was standing in front of an Alpha.

Cole was the heir of the wolf kingdom, hiding among humans under a potion that suppressed his powers. He hated human scents, hated doctors, and hated being touched.

Until he met me.

My scent was the only thing that could calm his wolf.

Meanwhile, I was fighting my own battle.

My mother was dying of leukemia, and I was desperate to pay for her treatment. To survive, I secretly sold my medical inventions under the identity of “L,” becoming one of the most sought-after young geniuses in the underground medical world.

I thought my biggest problem was keeping my identity hidden.

I was wrong.

When Cole discovered that I created the revolutionary healing spray used by his team, he exposed my secret—and promised to protect me.

“My family will keep you safe.”

Then he touched my hand.

And for the first time, I felt something strange inside me.

A warmth.

A pull.

A connection I couldn’t explain.

Cole stared at me as if he had just discovered something terrifying.

His wolf had already recognized me.

But if I really was his mate…

Why was someone willing to kill me for the medicine I created?

And what would happen when Cole discovered that the mysterious woman he was protecting was not only his healer—

but his destined mate?

Two worlds. One empire. And a whole lot of family drama.
From the concrete grit of an American neighborhood to the sterile glass towers of a billion-dollar security empire, The House of Charuzu was built on discipline, hustle, and community. But somewhere along the way, that soul got lost in a maze of corporate policies, luxury branding, and family scandals.
Now led by image-obsessed heirs Aoki Aalam and Cadeyrn—who’ve mastered order but not empathy the empire is powerful but hollow. Meanwhile, Joy and Lotus, granddaughters of the OG streetwise landlord Charles, are back. Armed with tech smarts, emotional scars, and prophetic warnings from neighborhood elder Mr. Pat, these women are shaking the marble floors of prestige with community-rooted truth.
Boundaries vs. belonging. Control vs. compassion.
One side must learn the power of real human connection.
The other must learn structure—or risk repeating the cycle of chaos.
Expect boardroom blowups, back-alley wisdom, emotional gut punches, and slow-burn romance as two legacies collide in a story where security ain’t just a service—it’s a soul check.

Anya loves weddings. Everything about it is just so...magical. When her brother Ansel decided to get engaged to the love of his life, she knew his wedding day would be perfect. And when the day came, no one was more overjoyed than Anya.

There was only one obstacle that could ruin the seemingly perfect day.

Connor Williams, an arrogant nightmare who may be after the bride and Anya needs to stop him no matter what!

Ivy is wolfless, and she feels the weight of her pack's expectations on her shoulders. As a member of the Hidden Valley Pack, she's expected to find her fated mate and settle down. But even when Ivy approaches her twentieth birthday, she still hasn't found her mate, and her pack members are starting to question her, making her feel like a failure.
Desperate to save face, she comes up with a plan to ask the handsome and popular college baseball player and a pack Alpha, Ryder, to pretend to be her mate.
When Ivy approaches Ryder with her proposal, he initially scoffs at the idea. But Ivy knows that Ryder has a secret that could threaten his position as Alpha, and she uses this knowledge to her advantage. She makes a with Ryder: if he pretends to be her mate, she won't reveal his secret to the pack. Ryder is initially furious with Ivy's blackmail, but he eventually realizes that he has no other choice.
But what will happen when they find that it's more complicated than they thought to keep their feelings in check?

Jane is a teenager in high school who had always been insecure about her looks thanks to her older sister who was always deemed more beautiful. She thought living under her sister's shadow was the worst thing that could happen to her.

Until one day, her luck turned for the worst when the school's biggest jerk and the bad boy Jake decided to force her to become his wing-woman to win Liliana's heart! Not only that, she accidentally bumped into an even bigger jerk, Jake's older brother Aaron who couldn't seem to keep his hands off of her. How will she ever escape these ruthless bad boys?

To save her family from being homeless, Faith Williams decided to steal from her company. She thought she got away with it until one day, her cold, stoic, and unforgiving boss Anthony DeMarco caught up to her scheme and threatened to send her to prison.

In a desperate attempt to save herself, she offers her body to him, which angers him even more. How will she ever get out of this troublesome situation?

"I'm not your fucking mate," I hiss under my breath so other people can't hear me.

"Oh-kay, my fake mate then. We are supposed to make it look real, remember?" Ivy pouts.

"There is no 'we.' You are forcing me to play this game," I say grumpily.

"Heck, yes. And you need to be better at your acting job and pretend to be happy to see me," Ivy says, swinging her braid.

Ivy is wolfless, and she feels the weight of her pack's expectations on her shoulders. As a member of the Hidden Valley Pack, she's expected to find her fated mate and settle down. But even as Ivy approaches her twentieth birthday, she still hasn't found her mate, and her pack members are starting to question her, making her feel like a failure. Desperate to save face, she comes up with a plan to ask the handsome and popular college baseball player and pack Alpha, Ryder, to pretend to be her mate.

When Ivy approaches Ryder with her proposal, he initially scoffs at the idea. But Ivy knows that Ryder has a secret that could threaten his position as Alpha, and she uses this knowledge to her advantage. She makes a deal with Ryder: if he pretends to be her mate, she won't reveal his secret to the pack.

Annie Fisher is an awkward teenage girl who was bullied her whole life because of her nerdy looking glasses and awkward personality. She thought once she starts high school, people will finally leave her alone

But she was wrong as she caught the eye of none other than Evan Green who decided to bully her into making his errand girl. Will she ever escape him? Or is Evan going to ruin her entire high school experience?

Michael Morris has found the perfect girl in Allison Kennemore--she is sweet, funny, beautiful, and everyone thinks they're so cute together. But Michael is lying to himself. His problem is compounded when he meets Allison's charming, handsome, and openly gay sibling Jacob.

When Allison discovers that Michael is more interested in Jacob than he is in her, she is devastated. To get back at him, she pretends to be ignorant of his secret and ramps up her seduction to make him squirm. Michael spent most of his teens denying his true self and has learned to hide it well. When Jacob proves to be too much of a temptation, Allison tells him she wants to take their relationship to the next level.

Unfortunately, being Allison's perfect boyfriend is the only way Michael can get closer to the one he really wants. If he tells Alison the truth, he might lose his only link to Jacob. When Jacob starts to notice him as Allison pushes for more, Michael will have to decide if he is ready to embrace his true self or lose his opportunity to make a true connection with someone who wants him as himself.

Ethan Miller was the hottest guy in Greenville High School. Girls loved him, guys wanted to be him. He just had one problem, Corey Price.

Corey Price was the complete opposite of Ethan. Ethan did not like his lingering looks and admiring glances. It made him furious. Corey was the bane of his existence. Ethan's solution was to beat and torment Corey and make his school days unbearable.

Corey's wounds never healed. His fondness of Ethan turned into hatred and he vowed to never forgive him. But, he spent years working on himself and has emerged a stronger, better person, ready to take on new challenges. Finally confident, he's about to take on a new job.

Until he discovered who his new boss was. It was none other than the monster himself.

Ethan Miller

This story chronicles the life of Damien Sky and Adeline James from their teenage years to adulthood.
When Adeline James met Damien Sky in her new high school, she instantly hated him. He was arrogant, obnoxious, and a playboy. She wanted to avoid him at all costs.
But Damien felt different. He thought Adeline was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on, and he decided he had to have her no matter what. Much to his dismay, Adeline avoided him like the plague. She thought she could escape him forever, but fate had other plans for her. She realized that no matter what, she could never escape Damien, especially since he had been harboring a secret. A secret that will change her life forever and bind them together. Will she continue to hate him? Or will Damien finally win her heart?
This book is co-written by Eva Harlowe