When Elena Cross is snatched from her life and forced into the dark world of the Blackstone Pack, she learns the ruthless truth about Alpha Kael Thorn a man as dangerous as he is powerful, and as captivating as he is cruel. Bound to him by a primal mate bond she never asked for, Elena finds herself trapped in a twisted battle of wills, where her humanity is both her shield and her curse. Kael despises everything about her. To him, she's a weakness, a threat to his pack, and a constant reminder of a past betrayal. Yet no matter how he tries to deny it, the bond keeps pulling him back to her, fueling an obsession he cannot escape. She's his mate, his property yet she defies him at every turn. In a world where freedom seems impossible, Elena is determined to resist him and break free. But as the tension between them blurs the line between hate and desire, she realizes that Kael's hold on her is far more dangerous than she ever imagined. Can Elena find the strength to escape, or will she be bound forever to a man who might be her worst nightmare... and her only salvation?
Elena Cross was only halfway down the alleyway behind the bar when she heard footsteps. Heavy, deliberate, and just far enough behind that she couldn't dismiss it as coincidence.
She wrapped her fingers tighter around the small can of pepper spray she always carried and kept walking, keeping her pace steady. Faster would mean giving in to fear, letting whoever was behind her know she'd noticed. Instead, she took a calming breath, eyes fixed ahead on the glimmer of streetlight spilling from the main road.
But the steps quickened.
Elena's heart stuttered, then leapt into a frantic rhythm, thundering in her ears. Every self-defense class, every late-night warning her mom had ever given her came rushing back in flashes. Don't run. Stay calm. Don't show fear.
The footsteps gained on her, and as she tightened her grip on the spray, she finally broke her own rule. She ran.
The sudden burst of movement shattered the silence of the alley, her shoes pounding against the pavement, echoing off the narrow brick walls. She could hear him following her, relentless, gaining ground faster than should have been possible. The few late-night sounds of the city blurred in her mind; all she could hear was her own ragged breath, her heart drumming wildly, and the nightmare pounding of his boots.
She skidded out of the alley and onto the open street, her eyes frantically searching for anyone, anyone who could help. But this part of town had always been empty by midnight. Even the bars a few blocks away felt like an eternity to reach.
A hand gripped her shoulder, hard enough to yank her back, nearly off her feet.
Elena spun, swinging the pepper spray toward his face, her finger pressed down on the trigger before she'd even gotten a good look at him. But it didn't hit. He moved with inhuman speed, grabbing her wrist and twisting it just enough to make her fingers go numb. The canister fell to the ground, a tiny, useless sound that felt final.
She finally looked up at him-and that's when she noticed his eyes. Dark, like polished onyx, and cold, devoid of any trace of humanity.
"Well, that was cute," he said, voice low and mocking. His hand on her wrist was painfully strong, his fingers like iron around her skin.
"Let go of me." Her voice shook, and she hated herself for it, but she didn't dare look away. Fear clawed up her spine, paralyzing and absolute.
"Oh, I don't think so." He pulled her closer, his face inches from hers. "See, I've been looking for you, Elena."
Her breath caught. "How... How do you know my name?"
He tilted his head, and there was a strange intensity in his gaze, something dark and unyielding. "Oh, I know more than just your name. I know you've been working in that dingy bar for nearly a year now. I know you walk home alone most nights, cutting through that alley to save a few minutes. I know you think you're smarter than most of the people around here." He leaned even closer, his breath hot against her ear. "And I know you belong to me."
The words were a blow, as if he'd reached inside her chest and squeezed her heart until it was nothing more than a shuddering fragment. She tried to pull back, but his grip tightened, his nails biting into her skin. "Let me go, or I swear, I'll-"
"You'll what?" he interrupted, his voice laced with cold amusement. "Scream? Run? Fight?" He laughed softly, the sound dark and cutting. "I don't think you understand, Elena. There's nowhere you can go where I won't find you. Nowhere you can hide from me."
Her mind raced, grasping for anything, any way out, but his hold was unbreakable. His face was unreadable, a mask of cold control, but something dark lurked beneath, a hunger that terrified her.
"Why are you doing this?" Her voice was barely a whisper, thick with panic.
His gaze flicked over her face, lingering on her trembling lips, her wide eyes. "Because you're mine," he said simply, as though it were the most obvious thing in the world. And before she could react, he pulled her closer, pressing his mouth to hers in a bruising, possessive kiss.
The shock rooted her in place. His lips were hard, relentless, as if he were staking some dark claim on her very soul. She twisted in his grip, but it was like fighting against steel; his hold was immovable, unbreakable.
When he finally pulled back, his eyes were darker than before, an intense, almost feral gleam in their depths. "Consider that your warning, Elena. You're coming with me. And there's no escape."
Every part of her screamed to fight, to resist, but the look in his eyes, the brutal strength in his grip, told her one thing: he wouldn't hesitate to hurt her if she defied him.
Her heart thundered, but she lifted her chin, meeting his gaze with as much defiance as she could muster. "I don't know who you think you are, but I don't belong to you. I don't belong to anyone."
His lips curved into a chilling smile. "You're wrong. You belong to me, whether you like it or not."
She barely had time to draw breath before he hoisted her over his shoulder as if she weighed nothing at all, ignoring her fists as they beat against his back. She screamed, kicked, twisted, but his grip was relentless
When Sophia Reyes' younger brother crosses the most dangerous mafia family in Naples, she has no choice but to face Enzo Carbone, the ruthless heir to the Carbone empire. In exchange for her brother's life, Sophia strikes a dangerous deal: she'll pose as Enzo's fiancée to help him protect his family's fragile grip on power. Enzo is used to getting what he wants through charm or force but Sophia is unlike anyone he's ever met. Her fiery defiance and unshakable determination threaten to unravel his carefully constructed world. She's a pawn in his game, but the more he draws her into his darkness, the harder it becomes to let her go. As their arrangement spirals into something deeper, an old enemy resurfaces. Marcella Vargas, the cunning leader of a rival cartel, will stop at nothing to see Enzo and his empire burn and she knows exactly how to use Sophia to bring him to his knees. Caught between loyalty and love, deception and truth, Enzo and Sophia must decide how far they're willing to go to protect the people they care about. But in a world ruled by violence and betrayal, can love truly survive or will their bargain cost them everything? Some deals are made in blood. Others are sealed with a kiss.
Sienna Blake has built her career on exposing corruption, but when her latest investigation uncovers dark secrets about Viktor Ivanov, the ruthless Russian mafia kingpin, her life is irrevocably changed. Kidnapped and held captive, she finds herself in the heart of a dangerous world where trust is a luxury and betrayal is a guarantee. Viktor Ivanov didn't rise to power by letting his guard down. Yet, the fiery journalist tests his resolve at every turn, challenging his control and stirring feelings he buried long ago. Torn between protecting his empire and the unexpected pull of Sienna's defiance, Viktor faces a choice: silence her forever or risk everything to keep her alive. But as old enemies resurface and devastating truths come to light, Sienna and Viktor are thrust into a deadly game of power, revenge, and desire. In a world where loyalty can kill and love is a dangerous gamble, can they survive long enough to rewrite their own story?
Elena Carter has spent her life fighting to stay afloat. But when her late father's crushing debt threatens to ruin her completely, she faces an impossible choice accept help from the one man who could destroy her carefully built independence. Enter Damien Blackwood, a billionaire with a reputation as ruthless as it is dazzling. His solution? A marriage of convenience that will erase her debt and secure his business interests. Elena swears she'll never be just another possession in Damien's world, but resisting his charm proves more dangerous than she expected. Damien thought he could keep things strictly business, but the fierce, independent Elena stirs something he buried long ago. As their forced proximity ignites passion and unravels secrets, the walls he's built around his heart begin to crumble. But in the shadows, Veronica Steele Damien's scheming ex-fiancée has her own plans to ensure this union ends in disaster. When betrayal and deceit threaten to tear them apart, Damien and Elena must decide: can they trust each other enough to turn their fake marriage into something real?
Caroline Forbes never imagined her life would lead her here sold by her own father to a man the kingdom whispers about in fear. Damon Morningstar, the ruthless and enigmatic werewolf king, has buried three wives already, each one dying under mysterious circumstances. Now, Caroline is forced to become his fourth bride, trapped in a castle where secrets linger in every shadow. Rumors say he's cursed; that any woman he claims as his queen is doomed. Caroline knows that escape is her only chance at survival, yet she can't deny the magnetic pull she feels whenever Damon is near. To her horror, she discovers the truth Damon is her fated mate, her one bond that could either destroy her or break the curse haunting him. But Damon is possessive, and he's willing to risk everything to keep her in his grasp. As desire and danger intertwine, Caroline must decide whether to flee for her life or surrender to the call of a man who might just be her undoing. Will she escape his dark hold, or will she become the queen who saves him and herself?
Isabella Cruz never asked for a fairy tale romance especially not with Rafael DeLuca, Manila's most ruthless CEO and heir to a powerful mafia empire. Thrown into an engagement she didn't choose, Bella tries to keep her heart safe from the cold, arrogant man who believes she's nothing but a gold-digger. But when she finds herself falling for him, her world shatters as Rafael's true intentions are revealed: he never wanted her, and he certainly never loved her. After signing their divorce papers with a broken heart and a secret child on the way Bella disappears from Rafael's life, determined to start anew. But when she reappears months later as the dazzling heiress of a wealthy business tycoon, Rafael's world is turned upside down. She's no longer the timid woman he underestimated she's now the queen of the city's elite, and everyone wants her. As Rafael grapples with the loss of the only woman who truly saw him, he realizes he might have thrown away the only love that ever mattered. But will he be able to win her back in a world that won't easily forgive his mistakes, or has Bella finally slipped beyond his reach?
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”