enemiestolovers

For nine hundred years, Blue believed there was one thing vampires could never have. A mate. He had watched werewolves find theirs. He had watched people fall in love, build families, and grow old together. He had everything a vampire could want—power, immortality, immunity to the sun, wealth, a family that would kill for him. Everything except the one person who was supposed to be his. Then he found Mason Carter. A quiet boy who had spent years believing he was unwanted, unlovable, and somehow wrong for simply being himself. Blue should have stayed away. Instead, he watched from the shadows. He protected Mason when no one else did. He waited when every instinct told him to step forward. And when Mason finally reached eighteen, Blue could no longer pretend that the bond between them was something he could ignore. But Mason isn't simply the impossible mate Blue spent nine centuries searching for. There is something inside him. Something ancient. Something powerful. And once the supernatural world discovers what Mason truly is, vampires, werewolves, elves, demons—and beings far older than any of them—will have their eyes on him. Blue has spent nine hundred years searching for his mate. Now that he's finally found him… He'll have to decide how far he's willing to go to keep him. Because loving Mason may be dangerous. But losing him? That's not an option.

SOLD TO THE DEMON PRINCE My mother has sold three of my sisters to the flesh markets. I am next. I am Aurelia. My only worth is written in my face: my eyes—purple so rare that men kill for less. Let the auctioneer come. Let some lord or monster think he owns me. The moment his hands touch my skin, I will slice his throat and make a pudding of his blood. But I cannot run. Not yet. My youngest sister, Flavia, remains—an eleven-year-old genius trapped in this brothel my mother calls a home. My rage must be a shield, not just a sword. Five years ago, the dark creatures came. They poured from the northern wastes like a plague given form. They slaughtered my father. They burned our villa to ash. They took everything. Now I live in the Lupanar, Rome's most infamous brothel. My mother rules it with gold and cruelty. My sisters were sold one by one. And at dawn, the slaver comes for me. I have one chance. Flavia has been planning our escape for three months. She knows which guards sleep at which hour. She knows where Mother hides her coin. And she has found a man who owes me a debt—a soldier named Titus, who waits for us at the Porta Capena with horses and a promise. But Titus is not what he seems. My mother does not lose what she owns. And the dark creatures who killed my father are not the only monsters in this world. There is a prince. They say his gaze turns flesh to stone. They say he collects purple-eyed girls like coins. They say he has never looked upon a woman who did not die or turn to art. He has been searching for fifteen years. He has found two who survived. I will be the third. And I will ruin him...

"Block him." "He's technically still my boss." "Then block him with dignity." The call ended again. And then started again. I let out a sound somewhere between a growl and a sob, then finally answered with the enthusiasm of a snail crawling through salt. "Yes, Mr. Walton?" "Have you changed your mind yet?" I collapsed onto the towel and gazed at the sky as though it might consume me entirely if I pleaded sweetly enough. "Do you ever take a break?" I asked, shielding my eyes with one hand. "You're avoiding the question." "Because it's a dumb question." He exhaled, the sound sharp and irritated even over phone. "It's not a dumb question. It's a business offer." "It's a weird offer-one that I already said no to." There was a brief pause, and I could practically hear him clenching his jaw through the speaker. "You are acting unreasonably." " Unreasonable?" I sat up. "I'm not the one drafting fake girlfriend contracts like it's a normal Tuesday." "Isabella-" "Certainly not, Mr. Walton." I mimicked his tone perfectly. "I told you I'm not doing it. You need to find someone else to play pretend with." SYNOPSIS Isabella Miller thought saying no to her boss’s fake dating offer was the end of the story. But Adrien Walton doesn’t take no—especially not when he’s convinced she’s a gold digger. Suddenly, her student loans are piling up, her father’s vet clinic is on the brink of eviction and her brother is about to be kicked out of college. Coincidence? She thinks not. Adrien Walton is calm, calculating—and he's just pulled every string to corner Isabella into the perfect position. Now she’s stuck choosing between pride and survival. So she agrees to his offer: be his fake girlfriend. No feelings attached. No drama. Just business. Or so she thought. "Conference Room B. Fifteen minutes," he said, passing by without a glance. The folder he pushed across the table landed with a thud. I opened it. The contract. All of it. --- Enemies to lovers? Check. Slow burn? Hmmnyea. Banter so sharp it might file your nails? Yes. Delicious workplace tension? Of course. Tension that could melt steel?Absolutely. Smut?? Wanna find out? Welcome to corporate romance warfare. There’s no escaping this contract.

"Oh... Daddy..." I moaned in loss, while he monitored my body's reaction with terrifying focus. He leaned his head toward my ear and whispered with a voice full of promise: "Do you think you're finished, Julie? Tonight, I'm going to make you scream my name until your voice loses the ability to come out... I'm going to teach you what it means to belong to me." His fingers moved inside me with devilish skill; he inserted two fingers together deep into my pussy, opening them and moving them with a delicious cruelty, while his thumb ground my clit in fast, frantic circular motions. "Daddy... I'm going to squirt again... please!" I screamed in a daze, feeling the fourth ecstasy exploding from the depths of my womb and crawling toward my limbs like a wildfire. Robert didn't ease the pressure; instead, he increased the speed of his fingers inside me until the fourth shudder hit me like a hurricane. My body stiffened completely, my back arching until I almost broke, and I let out a long, resounding scream as I began to squirt my fluids profusely like never before. My fluids were gushing out, drenching his hand and the marble of the vanity, while his fingers were still inside me, increasing the violence of the ecstasy and making it last even longer. I was panting like a madwoman, my eyes clouded and seeing nothing, while Robert watched my collapse with a cold, triumphant smile. He didn't withdraw his fingers immediately; instead, he let me shudder as I reached my peak. Then, he leaned toward me and whispered in my ear in a husky voice: "Four times, Julie... and your body is still begging for more from Daddy, isn't it?" ___________________ I'm Julie Michael I went with my father to a luxurious restaurant in New York, but I never left with him.My father sold me to a mafia king who owns a VIP club that rents out girls only to politicians and celebrities. On a lower floor of a world that doesn’t exist on any map, The girls are imprisoned in royal suites, prepared solely to please the clients, with no hope of escape. I was sold to Robert Cross, a billionaire who buys people for the joy of breaking them.But I refuse to break under his hands. In Robert Cross’s world, everything has a price tag. I was his most expensive purchase, and I intend to be his most dangerous mistake. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ - "You bought my body, but you will not buy my submission," Julie spat. Robert leaned in, his voice a dark hiss: "Commodities don't need to like their masters, Julie... It’s enough that I took a liking to you and bought you, sweetheart." ______________ Adult content only Dark Romance Twisted

Viola was once the pride of her pack, destined to rise above everyone on the day she received her wolf. Instead, that day marked her fall. She had been the villain in countless stories, untouchable and adored by the Alpha heir, until the night her wolf was supposed to awaken, and fate played its cruelest joke. She fell to the lowest rank in her pack, rejected by her sworn mate. Stripped of status, strength, and even her wolf, she was forced to live a life worse than that of an omega. Imprisoned and alone, Viola’s only hope of escape lay in finding her wolf, or her fated mate. Only, a dark past kept her powers dormant… and her fated mate didn’t want her. Sebastian Kade is powerful, ruthless, and chained to a past he refuses to release. Viola Linden does not belong in his world, and he wants her gone. Fate, however, disagrees. This fragile, stubborn girl refuses to leave his orbit. He does not believe in love. He does not want her. He has already lost too much. An Alpha who swore off weakness, hardened by loss and haunted by a prophecy that feels more like a curse, Sebastian is certain he will never allow another woman into his life. But the Moon Goddess is rarely kind. Viola carries something ancient within her, something dangerous, something powerful enough to defy him. Hate twists into desire. Desire ignites into fierce passion. And passion threatens to become love. But when Sebastian discovers what Viola truly carries within her, will it save him… or destroy everything he’s built? ~~~ WARNING: MATURE CONTENT! #Slow burn #Spicy #Morally Gray ML #Adventure #Angst Discord server: https://discord.gg/VMM9DXw3yP

18+ READERS ONLY: This story contains explicit sexual content, dark romance, force proximity, Morally grey hero, strong languages, crime investigation, action, forbidden love and enemies-to-lovers power imbalance. READERS DISCRETION IS ADVISED SYNOPSIS They say the enemy of my enemy is my friend but what happens when that friend becomes an enemy you cannot escape? Fiona Brett's rise as a promising actress is abruptly derailed when her parents, desperate to save the family from financial ruin, accept a marriage proposal on her behalf from a man she barely knows. Forced to shoulder the burden of her family’s survival, Fiona is compelled to sacrifice her own dreams. Seeking solace, she turns to the love of her life, Alexander only to discover him entangled with her own sister. Betrayed and heartbroken, Fiona meets a tragic end at the hands of those she trusted most. But fate gives her a second chance. Reborn on the very day everything fell apart, Fiona awakens with a burning resolve: revenge. Determined to reclaim her life, she strikes a dangerous deal with her fiancé, a pact laced with thorns and unforeseen consequences. As her past wounds begin to heal, Fiona finds her heart ensnared deeper than ever by Manson’s dangerous game yet even he is unaware that he, too, has been caught in its snare. Together, they step into a world far darker than Fiona could have imagined: a world of deception, hidden truths, ruthless manipulators, and long-burried sins. She soon realizes that the game she thought was hers alone is far larger than any personal vengeance, orchestrated by forces far beyond Manson, herself, or any other player. In a tangled web of greed, betrayal, and power, one question remains: who will emerge victorious?

They say seven is the number of perfection. For Luna Seraphine, it was the number that ended her silence. Six times, she tore the divorce papers apart, choosing love over pride, endurance over dignity, surrendering to the cruel demands of the mate who never cherished her. The seventh time, she signed her name without trembling. Alpha Ravyn panicked. His mistress, Daisy, the daughter of Seraphine’s former nanny, laughed it off. She’s only throwing a tantrum, they said. She’ll crawl back. They were wrong. The truth shattered what little remained of her heart: the child she had loved and raised for six years was never hers. That revelation became her breaking point. This time, Luna Seraphine walked away without looking back. As her power rose, so did Ravyn’s regret. The Alpha who once discarded her now slept outside her door, desperate for a single glance. But the woman who opened that door was no longer the Luna he broke. Cold, untouchable, unforgiving. Ravyn fell to his knees, begging for her hand, only to realize he was no longer the only one. Men of influence and power now competed for her attention because Luna Seraphine was no longer just a Luna. She was a world-renowned business mogul, a shadowed philanthropist. The most sought-after surgeon of her time, and a cyber genius. Then, a powerful, cold Alpha, one infamous for hating women, just shook the entire werewolf world and the North American billionaire elite, the Sovereign Circle, with a single tweet. “Sera is mine. I’ll pluck out the eyes of anyone who dares to look at her.” The internet exploded. The pack world went silent, and Ravyn… lost his mind. But the real question is this, will he dare challenge the richest, most powerful Alpha in the world… for the ex-wife he let go?

The universe did not give me a second chance. It gave me a trade. I was bred to be a sacrifice. I was burned alive by the people I loved most. I came back from the ash to reclaim my life, my title, and a power that should have stayed buried. The betrayal is finished. The divorce is final . I am no longer the girl they can cage. But the cost of my freedom was higher than I imagined. The one ally I trusted has vanished. He left a crumbling empire and a hole in my world I cannot fill. The wards protecting my kingdom are failing. I have eight months to reach the final trial or watch everything I fought for collapse. I have to do it under the shadow of the Crown Prince. Thalion thinks I am a monster. He does not trust my blood, my smiles, or my intentions. He is my mandatory escort because he does not trust anyone else to watch me. He is there to document every slip. He is there to decipher the dangerous secret I am hiding. Eight months with a man who watches me with cold, calculated suspicion. The way he looks at me when the shadows grow long is not just wariness. It is a hunger that threatens to burn us both down. I am playing a new game now. This time, I am the one holding the torch. Regression | Enemies-to-Lovers | Forced Proximity | Slow Burn | Political Intrigue | R18 ________________________________________ Note to Readers: This is the second book of Crown of Ash and Bonds and an entry in The Soulfire Chronicles. This volume is currently ongoing. Because it follows the direct consequences of the first book, you must start the journey with Book 1: The Rise of the Flamebearer. For the full history of the pyre and the betrayal that started it all, the beginning of Seraphina's journey is available now .

Faye and her elder brother return to town after years away. Adjusting isn’t easy, not with his personal troubles and not in a place that no longer feels like home. Everything feels strange. Different. Like she doesn’t belong. On her first day back, she clashes with a girl they meet by accident, and the encounter ends badly. The next morning, Faye walks into her new school only to discover that the same girl is not just anyone… she’s the Alpha of the pack and the school’s princess. Now they’re forced into the same space every day. They become enemies instantly, constantly getting on each other’s nerves. Pride clashes. Neither of them is willing to back down. Until one reckless night changes everything. They wake up in each other’s arms. Both agree it was a mistake. It never happened. It will never happen again. But what happens when proof is left behind? Faye discovers she’s carrying the Alpha Princess’s baby. Now two people who can’t stand each other must decide, will they keep fighting, or will they learn to stand together for the child that binds them? [Content Warning This story may contain explicit adult content, including violence, killing, bloodshed, and other mature themes. Some chapters may not include specific warnings.] Thank you for reading my book.

What would you do if you suddenly woke up in a world where there were no women, every man was ridiculously handsome, and even the most powerful rulers looked like they had stepped straight out of a fantasy novel? For Aira, the answer is simple. Panic. Question everything. And try not to die. After being mysteriously transported into another world, Aira discovers that she has become the Woman of the Prophecy, a legendary existence destined to change the fate of an entire world ruled by powerful men. From a cold and intimidating emperor to a dangerous vampire king, a fierce wolf alpha, and a ridiculously handsome elf prince, every kingdom holds secrets, and every powerful man seems to be hiding something. But Aira has no interest in becoming a legendary heroine. She just wants to survive, enjoy the strange new world, and figure out how to return home. Unfortunately, fate has other plans.

[WARNING: MATURED CONTENT (R18)] Penelope Anderson, long past the age society deems “marriageable” and burdened by rumor, devotes herself to securing a perfect match for her younger sister after experiencing an unsuccessful courtship. Everything proceeds as planned until Lord Anthony Ravenport, a notorious rake she once met under scandalous circumstances, becomes her sister’s most promising suitor. Though Penelope knows he is dangerously unsuitable, his status makes him impossible to refuse. As tensions rise, so does an undeniable attraction between Penelope and Anthony, one that threatens to ruin not only her sister’s future, but the fragile reputation of their entire family. *** “Why do you despise me so much that you consider everything I do unworthy of your blessings!” he demanded, eyes bright with frustration and restrained fury. “Because you are unworthy of one!” she yelled back, her gaze holding the same frustration as his. “You’re unworthy to be a husband, unworthy of my sister, unworthy of love, unworthy of everything! Your presence is only making things worse for Franseca,” “And your presence isn’t?!” he spat back, his composure gradually dwindling as seconds passed. “Just because you think you’re better off unmarried doesn’t make her one. She shows interest in me as much as I do her!” “Oh, is that so?” She countered, mockery and disbelief laced in her tone. “I know men like you. And men like you thrive on pity and selfishness, believing women to be nothing else but breeders and assets! How dare you speak of interest when all you think of is what benefit my sister possesses!” “I know women like you,” he retorted, keeping his voice likewise. “Women whose conclusions are based on personal grudges. Women who are blinded by rage, envy, and jealousy, disguised under safety. Women whose hearts are hardened by grief and sorrow, and all they can think of is affecting other people’s lives!” “How dare you,” Penelope seethed, expression cold in fury and her gaze heated in cold rage. No one has ever talked to her the way he did, and it annoyed her to such an extent that she could barely recognize herself anymore. “Oh, are you pained?” he snorted, mockery plastered in his expression. They were so close, so improperly close that their breath fanned against each other, eyes brightened in rage, chest rising and falling from such pressure. But neither of them seemed to realize. “You are… insufferable!” She spat. “And you’re… aggravating!” he returned, hot breath matching hers, as their chest rose and fell in exasperation. For a moment, the world revolved around heated glares and venomous expressions. Finally, those pair of grey eyes left the storm of dark-brown ones, descending on her lips that were only an inch away. Sensing his diverted attention, her breath stuttered in response, eyes descending against those inviting lips in return. Penelope’s heart raced wildly, breath puffing furiously as she swallowed the lump down her throat, unconsciously wetting her lips. “S-Stay away… from my sister,” She said, words barely above a whisper. Her heart raced, echoing in her ears, causing her to feel dizzy. His eyes darkened as they remained on those inviting lips. “You’ll be the end of me,” he whispered back. And in the blink of an eye, his lips crashed against hers. *** PS: BASED ON HISTORICAL SETTINGS AND TIMELINE. #Slowburnromance #enemiestolovers A/N: There will be slow updates for now, until I conclude “Surrendered To The Lord Of Sin”. Although this is my entry for WSA 2026. Thank you for trying this out!

Jasmine is the first daughter of the great Alpha Bale. Because of her status as a bastard child, she lives a life maltreated scrubbing floors and attending to the needs of her father, step mother, step siblings and the entire pack. But her life makes a drastic turn when she is switched in place for her father’s legitimate daughter to be married off to the Handsome and Cold hearted Alpha Xaden. Xaden is determined to punish Jasmine for the sins of her father who had massacred his entire family, even though she is nothing like her father. Hate slowly turns to desire, fierce passion and finally love. But what happens when Xaden discovers that Jasmine, was planted as a spy to bring his downfall and was not in fact the original princess he was promised to? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Let this be a lesson to everyone. Royal or not, Alpha or Omega," He declares. "You will steer clear of what is mine. In my own territory. In my pack." With that, he tosses the bloodied arm aside and takes Jasmine away from their shocked gaze.

Tags: #Romance, #R18, #Revenge, #weaktostrong, #Fast-paced, #Royal #family #Betrayal. #Breeder, Touch her and die , #Lycan, #Ruthless, #Dominant, #Witches, #Gore. On the night before her wedding, Arabella Montclair believed she was the luckiest wolf alive. Mated to the powerful Alpha Victor Ashford. Chosen by the Moon Goddess. Finally free from a lifetime of living in her stepmother’s shadow. She poured her heart into planning the perfect ceremony, convinced that tomorrow would mark the beginning of her happily ever after. Instead, it became the day her world shattered. Before the entire Silver Moon Pack, Arabella walks into her own wedding hall, only to find her mate standing at the altar with another bride. Her stepsister. Humiliated and exposed, her most guarded secret is revealed: she carries an F-class fertility rating, deemed cursed, unworthy of bearing an heir. In a world where fertility defines a wolf’s value, she is rejected, discarded, and publicly stripped of her title as mate. “I reject you.” With those words, her bond is severed. Her wolf falls silent. And Arabella is condemned to the lowest fate imaginable, declared a breeder, a life worse than slavery. Beaten. Broken. Forgotten. But fate is far from finished with her. On the very day she is cast aside, the immortal Lycan King, Enzo Obsidian, arrives unannounced at Silver Moon Pack. A ruthless ruler with violet eyes and centuries of power behind him, Enzo has come to investigate corruption festering within the pack. He expected deceit. He expected betrayal. He expected blood. He did not expect her. Among the women paraded before him as entertainment, one figure stands out, a girl in torn white lace, head bowed, silent yet defiant. She smells of pain… and something far rarer. She does not belong there. As secrets unravel and hidden truths surface, the rejected breeder may be more than what anyone believes. And the king who fears nothing may soon find himself entangled in a fate neither of them saw coming. Because sometimes, the one deemed unworthy by a pack… is the one destined to stand beside a king.

[The End of the Main Body] She's a distressed heiress with nowhere to go; he's a high-up business tycoon. In the dark, he coldly says, "You're nothing but a tool to me." Yet, her figure haunts his dreams night after night. Five years later, a cute child falls from heaven. Abducted by a mischievous child, she wakes up to find her small bun turned into an enlarged version of the domineering CEO. A certain man shamelessly says, "An Ziqi, you must take responsibility for me." A certain woman calmly replies, "Sorry, but your warranty has expired. I bear no responsibility." Small bun says, "Dad, I've successfully captured mom. Free shipping!" No abuse in this doting story, the male and female leads are pure in mind and body!

He was a man of immense power and striking beauty, nobly aloof and coldly proud. One day, a bodyguard reported, "Young Master, the Young Mistress has been falsely accused of meddling in someone else's relationship!" "Expose the video of the other party breaking the hidden rules." "Young Master, the Young Mistress has run away from home!" "Pack up immediately, I'm going with her." "Young Master, the Young Mistress has gone to a matchmaking event!" The man was furious, seizing her cheeks in his hand, "Still daring to go on blind dates?" 【After Marriage】Qiao An propped her chin with her hand, gazing at the handsome man in the apron, her voice languid, "Husband~ Is there anything you can't do?" The man's slender fingers fed her the peeled shrimp, "Yes, I can't leave you." 【Little Bun】 After being disciplined by dad's family law, little Bun's eyes brimmed with tears, "Mommy, am I still your Baobei? The kind that you can't bear to scold when I make a mistake, the kind you soften and hug me?" (Heartwarming Petting)

Ms. Scott used to have a terrible reputation, and nobody wanted to marry her. She had no choice but to find herself a temporary husband. They agreed this was only an act, but why did this man follow her around all day long? "Honey, it's too cold tonight. I want to hold you while we sleep..." After getting married, Ms. Scott was no longer bullied. In fact, the tables had turned. Those who bullied her had no choice but to apologize to her for what they did in the past. Just as she sighed in relief and was prepared to get a divorce, he pulled her into his arms. "Honey, who else bullied you in the past? I'll deal with them. You can do whatever you want. I'll always support you. Don't worry. "Hmm. I guess the divorce isn't going to work out. There was also a child who wrapped his arms around her legs and called her Mommy. Could anybody tell her when she gave birth to a child?

WARNING: MATURE CONTENT!! Bullied, unwanted and neglected all her life, Theodora thought only one thing could make her regain her honour - Win the blood Tournament and Gain her father's favour as his heir. But things don't go as planned. Instead, her father rewards her victory with a sentence far worse than death: Betrothal to Cain Pendragon, the ruthless Dark Alpha King whose names alone makes the whole realm tremble. Refusing to become a pawn in a monster's game, Theo disappears. Her refuge is Gravemont Academy - an elite all- male training academy where the weak is trampled upon, and heirs are forged into Kings. With the help of her best friend, Eric, whom she is hopelessly in love with, she disguises herself as her cousin and Joins the Academy. The intention was to lay low, but not when she was paired with a Dark-eyed roommate, Hezekiah Pendragon, the son of Cain and Eric's big brother. He reeks of sin and violence, with a lethal promise in his gaze. And of course, Sylas Veylor - her Homeroom professor with piercing blue eyes, with a deadly calm and shadows darker than anyone could decipher. Now, she's stuck between the both of them, trying to hide not just her secret identity but an even darker secret of hers that could shatter bloodlines, ignite war, and without a doubt, change the fate of the werewolf realm! And the Dark Alpha is closer than she thinks. Much closer. Excerpt from the book: Zeke's voice dropped to barely a whisper. "You think your heart belongs to Eric…" His thumb brushed the edge of her pillow, so close to her cheek his knuckles grazed her breath, "…but your heart hasn't met me properly yet," Theo's throat bobbed. "I'm not giving you up, Hellcat. Not tonight. Not tomorrow. Not until you look at me, really look at me, and your heart says my name," Her lips parted, and a shaky breath escaped. Zeke straightened slightly but he didn't step back, "I won't touch you without permission anymore, and I won't force anything," He swallowed hard, his eyes burning with a lethal promise, "But mark my words Hellcat, the day I catch you staring at me the same way you look at Eric, or i sniff a whisper of my name in your mind, I will let loose and god helps anyone who gets in my way," He exhaled softly. "And trust me, Hellcat…" His orange eyes glowed faintly, his wolf shimmering beneath the surface, "…you will," Another Excerpt from the book: Something fluttered in her chest and she slowly looked up at him with trembling eyes. Sylas looked back at her, "I've never wanted anything more. I know I'm older—far older," he said, his voice low and steady, like he was confessing a sin he had no intention of repenting for, "but that changes nothing for me." Theo's heartbeat stuttered again. Sylas took one step and faced her properly, "When I'm with you," he continued, "The chaos stops. The noise stops and the world stops trying to tear itself apart," His eyes stared into hers, open and unflinchingly honest, "You are the first thing in a very long time that doesn't feel like a war," Theo's breath hitched, and his voice deepened with a quiet tremor beneath the calm, "Do you know what that means for a man like me?" Her throat tightened and she shook her head. "It means I'm already ruined," You can also read my Other books... His Majesty's Bride ( Highly Recommended) Moonfire Bride ( Revenge/ Weak and deeply mistreated to Absolute badass, cold and Vengeful female lead. Also highly recommended)