betrayal

IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be known that this book wouldn't have made it this far without the support my dear writing buddy Rachel E. Canton who is a great writer of SINS OF THE SERAPHIM - https://www.webnovel.com/book/sins-of-the-seraphim_26438336605116805 and Derek J. Perna To Rachel & Derek, Thank you for everything! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When the last heir of Ardel lost everything, fate would bring her to her rightful protector. Anna Adhemar, the forgotten princess, found herself betrayed by the Regent. Hunted by the Bargesians and the ruthless slave traders, she desperately fled for her life. Rescued by a mysterious man, her newfound safety was short-lived as she succumbed to a potent aphrodisiac. Then, she awoke in the arms of the fearsome Knight Commander of Gerhard, stripped bare, in a foreign kingdom. Fear, confusion, and a sense of profound devastation enveloped her. But the man before her declared, "I am your husband. I married you last night." Then, with unwavering determination, he vowed, " You're my woman now. No one can hurt my woman." --- Kyren Raychard, the Crown Prince who had chosen to forsake the throne and become celibate, led the Knights of Gerhard to safeguard his kingdom’s border from slave trading activities. Outside his camp, he found Anna poisoned and delirious. The healer informed him of the only cure, of which he must race against time to give and honour her. For the first time, he felt an overwhelming instinct to protect and claim her as his own. Unaware of his deepening affection, he belatedly realised his feelings as he stood on the brink of losing her. Bound by a soul-binding spell, their fates intertwined…

In a huge, black mansion lived a mysterious yet dangerous man—Lucca Knight. No one dared to get close to him, for his power had overthrown many enemies. But one day, his master told him that his life would only last for a year. If he wished to live for eternity, he had to find the ring—a ring that held the power of everlasting life. Finding it, however, would not be easy. He first had to locate its keeper. On the other hand, Seraphina Blake— a hopeless and depressive woman whose life was in chaos struggled to get by. Love was the last thing she believed in until her path collided with Lucca's in the deadly hunt for the ring. One sought eternity. The other just wanted to live. But the ring may demanded more than either was willing to give.

“Honestly, I don’t even care anymore…” Returning to China after years abroad, Yunhua wants nothing more than to fade quietly into the background. But her ex-girlfriend walks hand-in-hand with someone else. Her classmates won’t stop staring. And her new perfect class president hides nine tails beneath her skirt. She wanted to disappear—instead, something inhumane notices her. “Jiejie, what’s worrying you?” Yue hugged Yunhua’s shoulder, gently licking her ear as the tails as white as snow wrapped around them. - - - Trigger warning: depictions of depression, self-deprecation, homophobia, bullying, and toxic / abusive relationships. Viewer discretion is advised.

Julian sees a opening on the side of a mountain. When he investigates it he uncovers the secrets of the world and gets involved in magical activities. And through a turn of twisted events he turns into something far greater than he could even imagine.

What happens when a Raid Boss suddenly becomes an adventurer to learn about her place in the world of Unfallen King, and the massive players that shape their world?

When William dies, he is resurrected in another world called Perion's world, and the story begins.

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT +18 Sonia Sawyers, a thrice-divorced woman, marries Liam Sinclair in a flash marriage, believing he is the reincarnation of a past love she owes and wronged. Cursed to never find true romantic bliss unless she makes amends to the past love, Sonia plans to spoil Liam and give him the best life that he deserves, especially when riddled with a strange terminal illness that doesn’t give him much time to live. As they navigate their relationship, a new love interest pushed by his mother complicates matters and threaten their bond. Despite the curse’s power, which makes all the men she gets involved in be drawn to their soulmates when with her, she finds herself falling for Liam with each passing day. But then, amidst such matters, a man who resembles her past love’s reincarnation completely appears, complicating matters to the extreme. Sonia become torn between the two. Should she follow her heart and risk everything for Liam, or make amends with her past and potentially lose her only chance at happiness? As Liam’s mother pushes him towards another woman, Sonia faces an impossible choice. Will she follow her heart or fate? Can she break the curse and find true love with Liam, or will he leave her for his soulmate?

(A High School DxD Fanfiction) [Author's Note / Warning] {This story takes place in the High School DxD universe, but it forges its own road. Expect: - Significant deviations from canon events and timeline. - Original characters taking major roles and driving the plot. - A heavier focus on worldbuilding and lore over fanservice and ecchi. If you dislike Issei Hyoudou, fair warning, he's still here, alive and kicking. He won't be erased, rewritten into oblivion, or reduced to a cameo.} Kenji Tanaka is not cold. He is trapped. Inside, he holds the warmth of sunlit baseball fields and easy camaraderie. Outside, his voice locks down: sentences fracture into shards, gestures freeze mid-reach. He cares fiercely: for his family, for connections, for the clean geometry of a well-thrown fastball. But the world sees only ice. Calculation. A face that whispers danger. Kuoh Academy was meant to be his fresh start. His sisters promised friends, normalcy. They lied. Oh, and the supernatural exists too.

Quick heads-up: I post new chapters twice a week. Sorry for the quiet — the break-up really knocked me harder than I thought. (〃^ー^〃)" [Trigger Warning: This semi dark fantasy romance contains few mature themes.] --- SYNOPSIS: •A WORLD BUILT ON LIES• Long ago, humans lived unaware of the supernatural beings hidden among them—werewolves with their primal instincts, witches whispering spells in the dark, and elves with their ancient, watchful eyes. For centuries, they coexisted in fragile silence. Then, everything shattered. Near the shadow-drenced woods of the Shadow pack kingdom, human traveler stumbled upon a gruesome scene: an old woman’s lifeless body, her skin ashen, her wounds gaping like accusations. A few paces away lay a dead werewolf, its throat ripped open, its muzzle still flecked with blood. The truth was undeniable—monsters walked among them. Fear ignited war. Humans, armed with fire and steel, hunted the supernatural races. Witches and elves were dragged into the slaughter, their homes burned, their people butchered. The bloodshed raged until King Alfred V of the Amethyst Kingdom stood before the four Werewolf Kings—Silverhowl, Crimsonheart, Shadow, and Atlassian —and offered a deal drenched in poison. A sacrifice for peace. Every twenty years, each human family would surrender a daughter to the werewolves. And in return, the future Alpha Kings must wed a human—or the war would reignite. The werewolves agreed. The witches and elves retreated, their hatred festering like an open wound. The world remained fractured, its peace a fragile lie. --- •THE PROPHECY OF FIRE• In the hidden Blaze Tribe, where crimson eyes burned like embers, the seer Prophetia foresaw annihilation. "Our people will fall," she rasped, her voice trembling. "But from the ashes, a girl will rise—the one who will bring true peace… and the one they will slaughter for it." The tribe made a desperate pact. They would cast a spell—a curse of forgotten memory—erasing their existence from the world’s mind. Their souls would be the price, but their legacy would live on in Ovelia, the child of prophecy. The night the Blaze Tribe fell, Ovelia’s parents hid her in the whispering forest, their hands shaking as they sealed a goddess—Firera—inside her infant body. Then, they turned to face their doom. --- •FATE’S CRUEL WHISPER• Ace Draven—half-werewolf, half-witch prince of Silverhowl—had never believed in destiny. Until he found a crying infant in the forest. His wolf, Fenrir, howled in recognition. A crimson thread shimmered between them—mates. But Firera, watching from within Ovelia’s soul, snarled. "She’s a child. This is too soon." With a flick of her wrist and spell, she tore the memory from Ace’s mind, leaving only an empty ache in his chest. --- •TWENTY YEARS LATER: A SACRIFICE IGNITES• Ovelia has spent her life as a slave, raised by the cruel mayor of Timberline Village—a man who would gladly sacrifice her to spare his own daughter. The night of the sacrifice, the air reeks of damp earth and iron. Torches flicker as the werewolves emerge from the shadows. And then—Ace Draven steps forward. Their eyes meet. Fenrir *howls*. Ace’s claws unsheathe, his breath ragged. He doesn’t understand why his wolf is clawing at his ribs, why his pulse hammers at the sight of this stranger. But the bond between them burns hotter than vengeance. Ovelia doesn’t know him. He doesn’t recognize her. And yet, their souls scream in unison.

Find a mate. Bear a cub. Save the world. Left stranded on an empty road with nothing but her purse and a broken heart, Lin Wan follows the only direction available to her and walks straight into a world that was never meant for her. The Beast Continent is vast and wild and runs on rules she does not understand, and apparently her body has exactly three hours before it starts shutting down. The solution, according to the cheerful system that just moved into her head, is simple. Find a mate. Bear a cub. Save the world. Problem solved The cold, stripe marked leopard warrior who pulled himself out of a wild pool and looked at her like she was his before she even knew his name was not exactly what she had in mind. But he is what she has. And somehow, in this strange world under a stranger sky, that might be enough.

When Mulenga moves his family to a remote farm offered by his wife’s cousin, Mr. Banda, it feels like the miracle he has been praying for. After years of poverty and wandering between temporary jobs, the 11 hectares of fertile land promise stability, dignity, and a future for his growing family. Together with his wife, Thandiwe, Mulenga works tirelessly, transforming the farm into a thriving home filled with cattle, crops, and the laughter of children. For years, life seems blessed. But beneath the surface, a quiet storm is forming. As Mulenga watches others build wealth and ownership, a painful realization begins to grow inside him: the land he has poured his life into will never truly belong to him. Encouraged by whispers from friends and haunted by his own pride, Mulenga begins to resent the very opportunity that once saved his family. Driven by ambition and wounded pride, he makes a decision that will change everything. Without warning, he abandons the life he built and leaves the farm with his family, chasing the dream of owning land of his own. But the future he hoped for quickly turns into hardship. His eldest daughter’s life is derailed by an early pregnancy, his son Kebwe is sent away to be raised by the Bandas in hopes of securing a better future, and the family slowly begins to fracture under the weight of regret and lost opportunities. Years pass, and the consequences of that single decision echo across generations. Dreams fade, relationships break, and the land they left behind becomes a symbol of everything that was lost—love, stability, and the chance for a different life. Spanning four decades, The Land We Left Behind is a powerful and emotional story about pride, forgiveness, family, and the quiet ways our choices shape the lives of those who come after us. In the end, Mulenga must face the truth that the greatest loss was never the land he left behind—but the love he failed to protect. A deeply human story of regret, redemption, and the enduring memory of home.

Three rejections. Three shattered dreams. That was Layla’s reality, all because she was different—a half-shifter in a world obsessed with purity. Ostracized, shunned, and finally sold off like a pawn to the most feared ruler alive—the Lycan King. He was ruthless, a king with a graveyard of brides, each one a ghostly reminder of a fate worse than death. Layla loathed him. Hated the way his gaze cold and fathomless, held no warmth for her. Hated how his touch, both thrilling and terrifying, sent an uninvited chill down her spine. --- “I hate you!” I screamed, hands clenched so tight my knuckles ached. He sighed, a smirk curling at the edge of his lips, his tone mocking as he closed his book with a deliberate snap. “Stressed, are we?” he asked, strolling toward me, each step reminding me exactly who held the power here. “Lucky for you,” he drawled, rolling up his sleeves as he stopped just inches away, “I know exactly 70 ways to ease those nerves.” His fingers brushed my cheek, a touch that seemed to burn into my skin. “The first… a hug.” His voice dropped to a rough whisper as he leaned in, breath hot against my ear. “And the rest... well, that's 69? what do you say about that?" I swallowed hard, my heart thudding wildly as he tilted his head, waiting for me to react, that insufferable smirk still in place. “What’s the matter, darling?” he murmured, a taunt lingering in his gaze. --- A Dangerous Obsession Can she resist the pull, or will she dance into the flames of her own destruction? A dark dive into obsession, raw need, and the razor’s edge between desire and devastation. --- LYCAN KING CASSIAN I will tear her apart piece by piece, feeding the wildfire that grips her with each shuddered breath. Like air to flame, I’ll claim every inch, drawing heat from her skin until it sinks into her bones. Her pulse will race under my hands, her breaths shallow, pleading. Her eyes may scream, but her lips will still murmur my name. That first taste of fear will only feed something deeper—a need that burns through her veins, molten and fierce. And just when she’s too far gone to turn back, I’ll twist the knife, giving her the pain she’s learned to crave. She’ll be the moth to my flame, helpless against the very thing that will consume her.

To many, the eternal bond appears to be a dream. For Renesmee Elizabeth, a pure-blood lycan, it is something as delicate as fragile crystal. Especially when her Alpha loves a false flower instead of the Daughter of the Moon, in the most unforeseen way. In a pack ruled by the light of the Sun, Elizabeth, lunar heir and the central piece of a political pact between rival territories, walks toward a coronation meant to seal peace. But before she can officially assume the mantle of Luna, she is publicly challenged by a calculated affront: another she-wolf occupies the space of affection and favor that should have belonged to her alone. The Alpha who should have been wise becomes a fool in the face of manipulation, betraying his Luna for the sake of convenience, leaving her abandoned like something fragile, made of glass. Amid silences mistaken for submission, an Alpha who chooses not to see, and a Council more afraid of scandal than of truth, Elizabeth comes to understand that the light governing that pack also knows how to burn. And the wolf who rules the night, patient and implacable, does not forget insults. Even if alliances are shattered and new ones are forged, she will not bow to any wolf she is fully capable of breaking.

In a world where magic is forbidden and witches are hunted, Ashlynn Blackwell has hidden her mark of the witch since birth. The night of her wedding she's betrayed and her secret is exposed. Attacked by her husband and his knights, Ashlynn was abandoned and left for dead in the wilderness. Rescued by the vampire lady Nyrielle, Ashlynn is offered a choice: die as a human or embrace her power as a witch. Bound by a mystical blood pact, Ashlynn is plunged into a world of ancient magic, immortal vampires, and deadly political intrigue for the chance to find eternal love. [Bronze Winner: Weekly Love Tales - Vampire] [Book of the Month: September/October 2024]

"Is one soul enough to recognise other in a different form?" "Hurt souls cannot be healed." Alex, a cyber-fairy from the far future is a rendezvous agent at an organisation called Re-Connect, who is responsible for bringing people connected by fate to meet each other again. He is tasked with getting 5 pairs to meet again, by writing plays that suit the scenario to create an environment for them to discover each other. He meets Ben by chance, a side character in the troop he's working for, who's a little too pompous for his liking, and is someone Alex dreads. Will Ben allow Alex to complete his mission? Is the mission the end of it? Or is a dark labyrinth awaits them both?

"Luca, please…" she cried. "You need to see who the devil really is. And decide if you want me that way," he said. "Because this is who I am. You either accept it or reject it." Luca's hand reached for a knife from the array of tools spread meticulously on the desk. "I wanted to prolong his suffering…" he murmured. "Luca…" she whispered. "But since this is a show and tell…" Without a pause, he cut the rope holding Inferi's wrists, letting the man drop heavily to the floor with a thud that made the room shudder. Inferi's eyes, wide with terror, flicked to Vee as his body twisted weakly under the weight of his injuries. "This isn't one of those times when you ask me to let someone go, I am going to kill him right here." "You have two choices," he continued. "Walk away right now, and I will accept that you will never accept who I am. Or stay and watch me kill him, to prove to me that you accept all of me, that you want all of me." "God, please, Luca, don't do this." Behind Luca, Inferi struggled weakly on the floor. Luca looked only at her. "It's simple, Vee. I am giving you a choice. I don't have a gun to your head, now, do I? Are you ashamed of who I am, or do you accept who I am?" "It's not so simple!" Vee yelled. "You're asking me to stand here while you take a life." "I will count to ten." He gestured with the knife toward the steel door behind her. "There is the door. Here is me." "Jesus!" Vee bit down on her lower lip. She squeezed her eyes shut. "Jesus Christ!" "One…" "Two…" She stepped toward him. "Three…" "I'm not running." She moved closer. "I will not run. I will stay." "Four…" Vee drew in a shaky breath, steadying herself against the tidal wave inside her. "I meant what I said last night. I said I love you. I meant it. But don't subject me to this. It will not change how I feel about you. It won't." She stepped even closer, until the knife hovered inches from her hip. "But it will most definitely change me." She swallowed hard. "If you make me stand here and watch this, you are not testing my love. You are reshaping me into something I may never recognize again." Her hands came up slowly and pressed against his chest. "I love the man who protects. The man who terrifies everyone else but holds me like I matter." Her eyes glistened, but she did not look away. "I know what you are. I accept what you are. But do not ask me to become it." "Five…" Luca moved behind Inferi now, the knife hovering at his throat. Vee's feet rooted to the floor, the edge of Luca's jacket gripped tightly in her fists. Her eyes, brimming with tears locked onto his, daring him to see, really see, what she was becoming in his presence. "Six…" he continued. He held the knife steady against Inferi's skin, a cold, absolute line of judgment, waiting. And in that pause, Luca realized a part of him wanted her to run, desperately. He wanted her to bolt, to retreat from this room of blood and fear, because maybe, just maybe, if she ran, he would see the futility of the obsession clawing at him from the inside. "Seven…" he murmured. "Eight…" "Nine…" Synopsis: She insulted the devil. He decided to own her. Veronica Scalese walks into New York’s elite club, ‘Commissioned’ by accident—and mouths off to the wrong man; Luciano Genovese popularly known as ‘The Devil’. He grants favours but gets your soul in return. When Luca comes to collect a debt from her father, the payment demanded is flesh. Veronica becomes both Luca’s weakness and his obsession. He burns his empire to the ground to keep her. Undressed by the Mafia God is a mafia romance story where power is foreplay, love is a liability, and the most terrifying thing a god can do… is fall.

I was sold to a monster, but I became a widow before the wedding night even began. Don Gio died in our bridal suite, leaving me untouched and terrified. I thought I was free... until the door burst open. Enter Nico Ferrante, the exiled heir and ruthlessly handsome devil who hated his father... and was now, my stepson. With a gun pointed at my head, I told the only lie that could save me from being executed as a gold-digger: "Don't shoot! I’m pregnant with the heir!" Nico didn't pull the trigger. Instead, he cornered me, stripping my soul bare with his dark eyes. He leaned in, his hot breath ghosting over my neck, and whispered the secret that should have killed me: "My father was impotent, little liar... Or should I say... step-mother?" But he didn't expose me. Instead, he offered a wicked arrangement. The Mafia Council demands an heir to prevent a war? Fine. He will give me one. Now, I am trapped in a golden cage, playing the grieving widow by day and submitting to my stepson’s dark demands by night. It’s a business transaction... But why does his touch set my body on fire? We are committing the ultimate sin for a crown of blood. But what happens when the lie becomes real?

She died three times—and every time, because the war broke out. And then she's reborn on the most humiliating and painful day of her life: the day she's rejected by the love of her life. So on her fourth life, Seraphina does the unthinkable and heads straight to the source of the war: She marches into the Demon Lord’s castle… And proposes marriage! Now bound to the most dangerous man alive, she must stop a war that always happens— Before it kills her again.