Novels by Lino

Nina’s POVI stir awake to the warm press of Jaxon’s body behind me, his arm draped over my waist. His breaths are slow and steady, his chest rising and falling against my back. For a moment, I let myself linger in the stillness, the kind that’s familiar these days.The room smells faintly of cedar and lavender—Jaxon’s scent mingling with mine, comforting in a way I didn’t expect after everything we’ve been through. I glance at the window; the pale hint of morning sunlight filters in through the curtains, softening the sharp edges of the world outside.“Are you awake?” Jaxon’s voice is husky, laced with sleep.“Barely,” I murmur, tilting my head back to catch his gaze.His lips curve into a lazy smile, and before I can say anything else, he rolls me onto my back, his body pressing over mine. “Good,” he mutters. “Because I’m not done with you yet.”I laugh, the sound muffled as his mouth captures mine. It’s soft at first, a whisper of a kiss, but it quickly deepens, his hand tangling i

NinaThe house is quieter than I expected for a morning like this. The kind of quiet that wraps around you, soothing and heavy at the same time. I lean against the kitchen counter, watching the sun spill through the windows, painting the room in gold.Jaxon’s voice filters in from the living room, a low hum of conversation with Dominic. They’ve been working on some kind of strategy for the pack, a way to integrate the remaining members of the Silver Crescent seamlessly. Hearing him talk like that, so sure and steady, sends a warmth through me I didn’t think I’d ever get back.“Morning,” Callie says, slipping into the kitchen with a grin, her hair still damp from a shower.“Morning,” I reply, pouring her a cup of coffee. “You’re up early.”She shrugs, taking the mug with a small smile. “Couldn’t sleep. Thought I’d check on Griffin before breakfast.”“How is he?” I ask, even though I already know the answer. I saw him last night, and he was fine—better than fine, really, but I still nee

JaxonThe air is thick with tension, every breath I take tasting like the promise of blood and chaos. I stand at the edge of the tree line, staring at Elijah’s stronghold. It’s a fortress, tall and imposing, and every instinct I have tells me we’re walking into a trap. Doesn’t matter. We don’t have another choice.It is only three days since he last gave us the slip, but Nina and I agreed that the longer we wait, the more he reinforces. This is the right time to hit again.I glance at Nina beside me. She’s all sharp lines and cold determination, her jaw set, her hand gripping the syringe so tightly I’m worried it might snap.“Ready?” I ask, my voice rough.Her eyes flick to me, and for a second, the mask slips. I see the fear there, the weight of everything riding on this moment. “Ready,” she says, her voice steady despite it all.Rylan steps forward, his usual cocky grin replaced with something grim. “We’ve got this,” he says, his eyes scanning the treeline behind us. “They don’t sta

NinaJaxon moves to my side, his hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure this out,” he says, his voice steady.I nod, but inside, I’m falling apart. Elijah’s right about one thing: time is running out.The smug bastard had slipped through our fingers like smoke, leaving behind nothing but chaos and a threat that sticks in my mind like a thorn.Jaxon sits across from me, his shirt ripped and bloodied. His knuckles are bruised, and there’s a cut across his jaw that’s still bleeding. He leans back in his chair, eyes shut, breathing heavily. For a moment, he looks like he might pass out.“Let me see that,” I mutter, grabbing the first aid kit from the table.He opens one eye, his lips quirking into something that might have been a smirk if he weren’t so exhausted. “You’re bossier than usual.”“Shut up and sit still.”I dab at the cut, my movements harsher than they need to be. He hisses but doesn’t pull away. “You don’t have to take it out on me.”“I’m not.” My voice shakes. Damn it. “I’m just

NinaThe tension in the air is so thick, it feels like we’re moving through molasses. The SUV stops just short of the perimeter of Elijah’s territory, and everyone’s quiet. Dominic’s hands grip the wheel tightly, his jaw clenched. Lucas is in the backseat, checking the weapons one more time, his movements too sharp. Rylan is silent, his gaze fixed out the window, as if willing himself into a different headspace.Jaxon’s beside me, close enough that I can feel his warmth. He leans in slightly, his voice low. “You good?”I nod, my throat dry. “Yeah.”He doesn’t look convinced, but he doesn’t push. “Stick close to me,” he murmurs. “If something goes south—”“It won’t.” I cut him off, sharper than I mean to. “We’ve got a plan.”He stares at me for a second before nodding. “Alright. Let’s stick to it, then.”Dominic kills the engine, and the darkness around us feels alive. It’s like the trees themselves are holding their breath, waiting. We step out, weapons in hand, moving silently. Elija

JaxonI’m not sure what I expected when we came together tonight. Maybe a few more words, more arguing about how stupid this whole thing is. But it’s just the two of us, sitting in the quiet of Nina’s room, and I can feel the tension hanging between us. She’s not ready to forgive me. I know that. But right now, I don’t care. We’ve got bigger shit to deal with.“Jaxon.” Her voice is quiet, like she’s trying to keep everything in. I can tell she’s thinking a million things, but she won’t say any of it. She never does when she’s worried.I turn to face her, shifting on the bed to face her fully. “What’s going on in that head of yours?”She hesitates for a moment before looking me in the eye. “I’m scared. You know that, right?”I nod slowly. “Yeah. I can tell. Hell, I’m scared too.”She rubs her eyes, looking worn. I wish I could take all the weight off her shoulders, but I know I can’t. Not now. Not with Elijah breathing down our necks. “I’m not afraid of the fight,” she says, her voice

LiaAfter that startling revelation, I decided I needed to spend some quality time with my mates.It was a lot to take in when you realize that your ancestors double-crossed a bunch of dragon shifters to save the world. Then you go ahead and screw it up. The you is me.I was the one who messed it up but if they had just told me the truth then everything would’ve been fine. Maybe we could’ve come with some way to keep the dragons at bay.Right now, I didn’t want to think about it. We were still at the hotel, trying to figure out what the hell we were doing. Simone was with me in her room with her mates out getting something to eat. It was giving us a chance to talk.I flopped onto the hotel bed with a sigh, staring up at the ceiling. “I need to figure out how to spend some quality time with them.”This was what I wanted to focus on right now. I spent some quality time with my mates and tried to distract myself from everything that was going on.She glanced at me, smiling.I stared back

LiaThe dragon shifter showed up, climbing into the back of the truck. I was sitting there with him, wishing he would stop staring at me so strangely. He was looking at me as if he knew me but the two of us didn’t know each other!“You seem familiar,” the dragon shifter said, his golden eyes studying me with unnerving intensity.I stiffened. “We’ve never met.”A small, almost amused smirk played on his lips. “Of course. And yet…” He tilted his head slightly, his gaze sweeping over me like he was searching for something. “There’s something about you. Almost as if we have met before. In another life, maybe.”I swallowed, my heart pounding against my ribs. “That’s not possible.”“Isn’t it?” His voice was smooth, but there was something else beneath it—something ancient, knowing. “I’ve lived long enough to believe in more than just what’s in front of me.”I held my ground, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Then maybe it’s just a trick of the mind.”He studied me for a long moment before h

ColbyFor the next two nights, I stayed outside and hoped that I would meet that dragon shifter again. His name didn’t exactly roll off the tongue, so I just kept calling him Dragon Shifter in my head.Their names were so hard and difficult to pronounce. Made sense, given how old they were. Ancient.On the third night, I was starting to wonder if he was ever going to show up again. He had to hurry up because with every day that passed, the worse this crisis became. It was terrible to think more dragons were waking up.If we didn’t talk to the Rosewater Coven soon we were going to be fucked.I leaned against the car, arms crossed, watching as the dragon shifter approached. He didn’t look like much—a tall, lean figure in the shadow of the streetlight. But there was something about him. Something that screamed danger. I wasn’t sure if that was the dragon in him or the fact that I still didn’t trust him.“Colby,” he said, his voice low but steady. “We need to talk.”I pushed off the car,

LiaI exhaled slowly, stretching out my fingers as the energy built inside me. A spark of light flickered between my palms, growing brighter as I focused. The magic thrummed through my veins, warm and alive, bending to my will.I flicked my wrist, sending a controlled pulse of energy toward the target. It hit dead center, leaving a faint scorch mark.Behind me, Simone let out a low whistle. “Damn, Lia. You’re getting pretty good at this.”I grinned, wiping the sweat from my brow. “I have to be.”Simone crossed her arms, watching me closely. “You mean you want to be.”I shrugged, rolling my shoulders. “Both. I need to be strong enough to protect everyone.”She tilted her head. “You know you don’t have to do everything alone, right?”I sighed, flexing my fingers as another surge of power built beneath my skin. “I know.”Simone didn’t look convinced. “Do you, though? Because it kind of seems like you’re trying to carry the whole damn world on your shoulders.”I glanced at her. “I’m not—”

ColbyTalking with Michael did help. It made me even more determined to protect Lia with every bone in my body.When it was later that night, I decided to head outside. I needed some air and was sick of being in the stuffy hotel room.The cool air felt good. I walked over to one of our cars, taking in the night sky and the sound of the crickets.There was one good thing about traveling away from the city; we were getting to see some beautiful sites. I loved it.It was a shame that the pack decided to do this because we were trying to prevent a bunch of ancient, sleeping dragons from waking up.The previous attack was still being talked about. Some of the dragons had been killed while others were apprehended by the various supernatural creature associations.Frankly, I was just grateful there weren’t a lot of casualties from the attack.I leaned against the hood of the car, inhaling the cool night air. My ribs ached, my knuckles were raw, and frustration still simmered under my skin. W

LiaI was so scared when I saw Matt fall down.Then I saw the blood. Anger and worry flooded through me followed by fear.I was so scared for him. He was bleeding and might die from his injuries.It was why I had learned a healing spell during my latest batch of studies.The pack was going to be heading into an unknown situation. I needed to make sure I could at least heal them to an extent.But the healing school came with a downside—it exhausted me.Rain came up beside me, wrapping an arm around me while Jesse and Colby helped Matt.The five of us hobbled out of the town. We weren’t followed by the coven; they wanted to be left alone so they were going to stay as far away from us as possible.After hopping in our car, we met with Simone. All of us regrouped. I stood there with Simone patted my shoulder.Growling in frustration, I started to walk ahead. My body was aching but I didn’t care. I needed to clear my mind.We left with nothing. No answers, no leads—just bruises, torn cloth

ALLISON.“Yes,” I answered breathily.Wesley didn’t waste any more time and pushed his cock inside my mouth. I whimpered around his girth as Daniel’s pace grew faster. The bed shook as he pounded on pussy. He pulled his member out until only the tip remained before plunging it back inside, balls deep.“Uhhmm!” I moaned deliriously as Wesley did the same with my mouth. He grabbed my hair while slid his cock in and out of my lips, using my mouth as his own pleasure toy. I loved it so much, how they used my body to feel good and at the same time, making sure that I would get the best pleasure of my life.Daniel growled as his tempo grew faster, his thumb rubbing on my clit while pistoning his member into my folds in frantic thrusts. On my side, River was still using my hand to jack himself off, making me lose my mind.My body tingled with unbearable pleasure. I screamed around Wesley’s cock as I felt another mind-blowing orgasm ripping all over my body. I tensed, my toes curling as I cam

ALLISON.By the time we returned home, I was tired. I barely had time to process everything before Emily greeted us at the door.“Amaris is already asleep. She spent the entire evening doing a SpongeBob marathon,” she informed me with a small smile.Wesley clapped his hand.“I knew she’d grow up loving cartoons. I should’ve bought her that SpongeBob onesie when I had the chance,” he said.“You still haven’t let that go?” River shook his head.I smiled at their banter before turning to Emily. “Thanks for watching her. I owe you one.”She waved a hand.“Nah, just make sure to invite me over for dinner next time.” She winked and made her way out, leaving me alone with my five men.Moments later, I found myself submerged in warm, soapy water. Daniel worked shampoo into my hair, his fingers massaging my scalp, while Wesley soaped my right leg gently.“You did great today,” Wesley said.I smiled, leaning into the sensation of River gently scrubbing my back.“I didn’t do much. I just accepte

ALLISON.Later, we went back to our old house to eat some lunch. Liam stood by the stove, his sleeves rolled up while he was cooking. Meanwhile, Amaris was sitting on the kitchen stool while playing with her doll. She swung her legs while watching Liam stir some vegetables.“Daddy Li, I want waffles!” she announced.Liam paused, his green eyes widening slightly as he turned to face her.“You want waffles for lunch?” He glanced at me, silently asking if this was okay.I leaned down and kissed Amaris on the cheek before ruffling her soft curls.“Why don’t you try eating some veggies for a change, Ami?” I asked.She scrunched up her nose and stuck her tongue out. “Yuck!”Liam snickered, clearly amused. “Alright, alright. I’ll make you some waffles.” Then, he turned to me with a smirk and winked. “I’ll just add some fruits to make it… uh, healthy?”I sighed, pressing a hand to my face.“She totally takes after me,” I sighed.Daniel chuckled from across the kitchen, nodding as he looked at

ALLISON.Somehow, I was reminded again of the question our father asked us in that fateful day at the river…“What are you willing to do for the person you love?”As I stared at the stones and wooden cross that marked his grave, I found myself smiling because after everything, after the battles, the sacrifices, the loss, and the victories… I knew my answer had remained the same.“I did everything I could for love, Dad,” I whispered, gently laying down a bouquet of yellow tulips, his favorite.Beside me, Sullivan knelt and did the same, only his bouquet was of amaryllis flowers which was our mom’s favorite. He stayed silent for a moment, his fingers brushing against the wood of the cross, before he exhaled deeply.It has been two years since the war ended. The bloody battle that tore through the Outworld, leaving scars on both the land and the people. It took time, so much time to rebuild everything that has been broken. Many people died, but a lot of them survived. Still, it didn’t me

ALLISON.“Allison, stop!”Somewhere, I could hear distant voices, calling me. But the rage I was feeling inside was louder than anything I have ever heard before. So, I didn’t stop. My flames grew hotter as my anger.“Allison!”Then, suddenly, I felt an arm around me, wrapping me, pulling me. At first, it wasn’t enough to stop me. But another pair of arms latched around me, forcing to stop. There were too many of them, strong big arms that wrapped in a tight embrace. I shrieked. I struggled, clawed, lashed out. But they didn’t let go. They held on, even as my fire burned them.Then I heard their voices growing louder and louder…“It’s okay, Allison. We’re here.” Daniel.“Come back to us.” Liam.“You did it, baby. It’s over.” River.“You’re safe now.” Mason.“We love you, Allison. Please.” Wesley.Their names rang in my mind as they continued to whisper soft words in my ear.“Allison…”The word sliced through my rage like a silver bullet. I gasped as reality crashed back into me. The f

ALLISON.Quinn was already there, clutching Sullivan’s twitching form, tears streaming down her face. Celestine ignored me. She took a slow step forward, tilting her head as if considering something.“He is at my mercy now. And I can make this agony last for as long as I want.” Her lips curled into a ruthless grin.She lifted her hand and curled her fingers into a fist, tugging to some invisible strings in the air. Sullivan screamed. His body arched, his hands clutching at his chest as if something were ripping him apart from the inside. It broke me to see him like this.Quinn sobbed, tightening her hold on him. “Stop it! Please, stop!”But Celestine wasn’t done. She turned her piercing gaze to me.“Come with me, Allison. Do that, and I will end his suffering.” Her voice was almost gentle now, coaxing.I shook my head, my entire body trembling. I wanted to believe her. I wanted to believe that I could save him. For the past few days, that was what I have been clinging to. I thought I

ElizabethI didn’t understand why the hell Adrian wasn’t interested in me. I was the perfect woman to be the Queen Luna when he ascended to the throne. I was well-connected, well-educated, and well-liked. There was no reason for him to continue to reject me.At first, I’d thought he was simply playing hard to get, but over the years, it’d come to my attention that he fully intended to reject me. Me! I had men falling over themselves to try and be with me, and Prince Adrian continued to be a trial. Men.I hadn’t seen Adrian since we’d run into each other at the hospital, but I couldn’t stop thinking over our meeting. He’d been on edge – anyone with eyes could see that. But more importantly, he’d been there to see his Uncle.Byles was close to the family, but they saw each other all the time for dinners at the palace. There wou

ChloeAdrian was making me nervous. He’d joined me on my walk in the gardens, but he’d been twitchy the entire time and unable to hold a conversation. Finally, I set us down on a bench away from the palace and cleared my throat. “Adrian.”He glanced up with a frown. We were sitting side by side, but there was a noticeable gap between us. While I would have preferred to be pressed up against his side, I knew we needed to keep the distance in case anyone happened upon us. We were still keeping up the ruse that we weren’t mates, which meant I couldn’t act in the way I desired. Or he desired, but I knew he wanted to hold me as much as I wanted to be held. “Yes?”I raised an eyebrow at him. “Do you want to tell me what’s on your mind, or am I supposed to just guess?”He instantly deflated in front of my eyes, his shoulders s

AdrianI left the hospital, unease still rolling beneath my skin. I knew I was doing the right thing, but it still felt like no matter the outcome, I couldn't win. I just prayed that Chloe would forgive me when it came time to tell her the truth.I was still distracted the next day when Chloe snuck into my rooms around midnight. She crawled into bed with me and snuggled up against my side. I wrapped a protective arm around her and growled in satisfaction when she pressed even closer. I wished we could spend the rest of our lives like this. Now that I’d found my mate, I couldn’t imagine a world in which we weren’t together."You're stressed," she said, an observation, not a question."There's a lot going on," I said, careful not to utter any lie to my mate. Despite the bond, trust was earned, and I wasn't about to destroy the relationship we were creating.&nbs

AdrianArmed with both DNA samples, I called up Uncle Byles the next day. I’d spent a sleepless night tossing and turning, trying to convince myself I was doing the right thing and by first light, I’d concluded that there was no other option. A DNA test had to be done, and it made sense to run it without worrying either party. At least, that’s what I told myself.“What’s up, Adrian?” he answered on the second ring. “I just saw you at dinner. Did something happen?”Uncle Byles was Father’s younger brother. In fact, Father had been almost 20 when Uncle Byles was born. He was only a couple of years older than me, and we’d always been relatively close. Our relationship was more that of friends than uncle and nephew. As such, Uncle Byles was always invited to our family dinners on Sundays.While I was getting ready to take o

AdrianI didn't know I had the capacity to love another being the way I loved Chloe. I hadn't said the words out loud yet. For some reason, I felt like if I said them, the spell would be broken, and she wouldn't be mine anymore. It was a silly fear but one that persisted, nonetheless."We've got to stop meeting this way," Chloe said, closing my bedroom door behind her and locking it.I raised an eyebrow at this. "You're the one that just barged into my rooms.""Would you like me to leave?" she asked, all innocent.She already knew my answer. "Absolutely not. Come here."She beamed and hurried out, all acts put aside. Carefully, Chloe climbed onto my lap, her legs wrapping around the sides of the chair. I could feel her heat on my already hard cock. It seemed to be my constant state of being whenever she was around."You kn

Chloe“So, tell me, sweet Chloe, what was it like growing up? It must have been different than my stuffy upbringing.”“I remember moving around a lot,” I said, pulling a t-shirt over my head. I’d been relieved to find out that the royal family tended to dress casually day to day. While it was fun to play dress up for special occasions, dressing up every day seemed like a chore.I turned around and found Adrian completely dressed already. I frowned at him. “Where did you get clean clothes?” As far as I knew, I didn’t have any men’s clothing in my room. Had he had someone bring them to him? I hoped not; I didn’t really want to advertise that he’d spent the night here. Not yet, at least.He had the decency to look slightly embarrassed. “I might have brought them last night in the hopes that I’d need them. I was