the birth of venus

"Lift your hand," I said looking at how he held onto his bicep with a tight grip. "Let me take a look at the bullet wound." "No tesoro. I can do this myself," Vittore grumbled and I gave him incredulous look. "Don't start that bullshit with me Vittore. Remove your arm and let me help you or..." I trailed off, not able to say more. I was still in shock but I could do this. "Just... just let me help." "No." I glared at Vittore. "Why are you being so damn egotistic?! Let me help you! Do you know what it was like to find you like... and to..." I couldn't even get all the words out. "Let me help you. Please." Begging wasn't something I'd ever do but I just needed him to let me help him. "No-" "Why?!" I suddenly exploded. "Why won't you just let me help you?!" "Because I don't know how to handle it ok?!" Vittore suddenly exploded, his dark eyes glaring at me. "I don't know how to handle these... feelings. Fuck tesoro you drive me crazy! Don't you see that? You make me question everything I've ever known and... I can't..." I watched Vittore as his expression turned determined. "Fuck it." He leaned forward and pressed his lips on mine.

Lucia had never believed in rebirth. She had read about it a few times in books tucked away on her shelf, but she never imagined it could be real. Yet, here she was—reborn. This time, she swore she wouldn’t let kindness be her downfall. She would make them pay. Her so-called best friend and husband had used her, drained her of everything, and left her with nothing. They manipulated her, deceived her, and when they had no more use for her, they poisoned her—leaving her to suffer in agony for over a year. What a vile couple. On the night of her death—her own birthday—they stood before her, laughing as they confessed their betrayal. They had taken everything from her, and now, they wanted her to know the full extent of their cruelty. Her husband and best friend, her supposed confidants, had been lovers all along. Worse, they had killed her true mate. Lucia had wept until there were no more tears left to shed. Too weak to fight, too broken to scream, she watched as they reveled in their wickedness, even making out right in front of her as she lay dying. That night, amidst a raging storm, Lucia took her last breath. But when she opened her eyes again, morning light streamed through the window. "Is this heaven?" she whispered, confused. A familiar voice answered. "Lucia, you’re awake! Let me get the doctor!" Brittany exclaimed before rushing out of the room. In that instant, Lucia knew the truth. She had been reborn. And this time, she would make them pay—for everything they did to her and her family.

Anerix's weekend holiday in the resort with his friends turned into the worst nightmare of his life. When he woke up from his hour-long nap in the pool, he eventually realized that his friends have left him alone. After hours of searching, his anxiety worsened after realizing that there were no humans in the entire resort but him. When he thought things couldn't get worse Anerix heard a bizarre noise enough to terrify him. He wanted to escape this ominous place. All he wishes is to escape this sinister place and reunite with his lost friends.

Mia broke up with Trace when she discovered that she is pregnant by her long-time boyfriend. Mia didn't hesitate to break up with him because of the pressure from Trace's family who didn't like her for Trace. Their break up happened most tragically, and after 5 years, Trace become a successful businessman, become a billionaire, and engaged with the highest-paid model. One day, Trace is knocking at the door of Mia's house, and says that Trace owned the apartment where Mia is living. How long Mia can take the wrath of the billionaire, and hide the son of the billionaire? "You broke up with me at an unexpected time, leaving me at the moment that I needed you the most, and you deserve my wrath for hurting me for 5 years, I owned you I brought your existence, now watch me become happy, while you stays the same, miserable and unhappy."

Aiden, a skilled sniper who initially served in the border areas of the world's most conflicted, but was suddenly drawn to become the leader of the elite presidential guard, as well as to carry out a suicide mission that he never imagined before. In this mission, he must take care of a beautiful girl who is innocent, but dangerous because she is the daughter of one of the most well-known mafia in the world. Aiden's task is not only to protect the girl from those who want her life, he also has to keep the girl away from those who want all of her father's possessions in Cuba. Aiden's task to protect Calistha is getting heavier when sparks of desire between them begin to ignite. Aiden had never been with a woman before. And Calistha would be the first woman to be his weakness.

Aria Anastasia was working under Zaiden Storm for two years. One day when she was given to work overtime, she got into the cabin of her boss only to find him sitting on a chair while two other men were taking a dead body. Zaiden had a gun in his hand and Aria learned that he was in the mafia. Zaiden threatened her to keep it a secret, which she found hard since she never hid anything from her mother or her best friend. She tried to keep the secret of her boss, and later starts to know Zaiden personally, learning more of his secrets, including his donation to the orphanage, old-aged homes, and hospitals built where free treatments were provided. He was a nice person under the facade of his cold, mysterious self. She started to fall in love with Zaiden while he also started liking her, realizing he was habituated with her presence. Soon, a villain entered, who would try to harm Zaiden in the office, but Aria would save him every time. Zaiden learned that the person he killed for the mafia purpose, Jack Levi, his father Luke Levi was trying to kill Zaiden and an office employee was helping him. Later Luke tried to harm Aria, but he felt a fatherly affection for her. When he implanted a bomb to kill Aria, Luke saw Amora, Aria’s mother, and realized that Aria was his daughter. He felt guilty and tried to stop the bomb along with Zaiden. Aria was rescued by Zaiden and they express their love for each other. Amongst the cute love scenes between Aria and Zaiden, one-day Zaiden proposed to Aria, and she accepted his proposal and they live happily ever after.

Sometimes there are times when your own salvation is not at all happy. For example, you managed to break away from assassins, but at the same time crossed the border of the cursed forest. Or killed the werewolf that bit you, and the first full moon, when you have to turn into a monster, is expected in only seven days. Or… when the one who agreed to help you seems more and more not a person. But maybe the latter is just not so bad after all?

Nikita's curse wasn't something that could simply be fixed, like a broken chair or a shattered vase. It was an immutable part of her, woven into the very fibres of her being. Accepting this truth had been a necessary act of survival, one she had embraced long ago, and she knew that the sooner others accepted it, the better. Cursed at a tender age due to her father's unkindness, Nikita was fated to bring death to anything she touched. This curse was a punishment meant to ensure that her father’s bloodline ended with her. The gravity of her curse revealed its brutality when, at just six years old, she accidentally killed her own mother with a simple touch. As years went by, her father's harsh reign eventually met its end, and Nikita inherited his throne, becoming the leader of her pack. However, at her father's funeral, destiny intervened in the form of Rykor, the son of a man who had so cruelly cursed her. Intrigued by the dark and cold Nikita, Rykor saw more than just the curse that shadowed her existence.

Maria Isabelle Allaris thought she was just an ordinary girl until Kash came into her life and she discovered that she was way beyond just a simple girl. In exchange of knowing who she really was, she'd face danger that she never imagined in her entire existence. The love of her life was Kash but before they could be happily together, they must face danger from the devil who cursed their never ending love, Lucifer.

Book Four of the Luminary Quartet Join Marigold as she ventures far outside of her comfort zone, accompanying her true mate Asher into unknown territory in a flight across both land and sea in order to seek aid from the enigmatic clan of shifters who call the Eastern Islands home. Imagine her shock when she learns that she has not one, but two mates. Asher has spent the last two years fighting off the invading bears, and the only thing that has kept him going was the thought of finding his soulmate. Mari was absolute perfection despite the barriers she’d erected around her heart, but he never dreamed he would have to share his other half. Zacharias has ruled over his clan alone ever since his second passed in a tragic accident over a year ago, but dragons always mate in triads and some believed his position was temporary, as a result. Furthermore, the arrival of his mate and Asher only increased the already mounting tension. What began as a journey to end one war somehow led to the precipice of another. Yet this time, Mari and the humans were the ones directly in the crosshairs, leaving Asher and Rias to scramble against the clock to break down their mate’s walls as long-held secrets emerge. Will Mari be able to let go of her fears before it’s too late, or will the last remaining elder standing win when everything is said and done? *Please Note: This is the fourth book in the Luminary Quartet, and it's recommended to read the previous books in the series first. This is a MFM romance, but there are no MM scenes.