The last Havenwood was never meant to survive. Briar Havenwood lives under the Capital's control, watched by General Axton, moulded to follow in her parents' political footsteps, and burdened by a legacy soaked in secrets. But Briar isn't her parents. And she wants more than a life lived behind lies. When a hidden message from her dead brother shatters everything she thought she knew, Briar is thrust into the brutal world of the Emberwings-an elite force bound to dragons and war. There, she meets Lieutenant Elikai Varkos: sharp-tongued, infuriating, and impossible to ignore. He awakens a fire in her that refuses to be extinguished. As the line between truth and illusion blurs, Briar uncovers a conspiracy that runs deeper than blood. The real threat isn't beyond the border-it's within the Capital itself. And falling for the wrong man might be the key to either her salvation... or her undoing. First Book in the Crown of Embers Series.

*Heir of the Highlands- Book 1* The MacLeod and the MacDonald's long history is written in blood. In a desperate attempt for peace between the rival clans, the only daughter of Fergus MacLeod- infamous and formidable Laird of the MacLeod clan, is forced into an arranged marriage with Alistaire MacDonald, future Laird of the MacDonald clan. Aili MacLeod and Alistaire Macdonald are both prepared to do their duty... Even though Alistaire's heart lies somewhere else, and Aili's past draws her to Alistaire's younger brother- Ewan. Peace between the clans hangs in the balance as the tentative alliance relies on their union.

Anthony Stratford, the Duke of York, is utterly exhausted by the relentless demands of the ton. As a powerful Phoenix shifter, he has lived through centuries of ash and rebirth, yet true peace and genuine connection continue to elude him. Forced into the glittering cages of the London marriage mart, he dreads the shallow machinations of high society. Anthony wants a companion who sees the man beneath the title-not just a powerful creature to be bartered for-and he is ready to scorch the earth to find her. Miss Cassandra Grafton has spent her entire life hidden away as a shameful family secret rather than celebrated as a rare Phoenix shifter. Bound by a severe astigmatism that blurs her world into a haze of shapes and shadows, she has endured years of cruel taunts from her wicked stepmother and stepsisters, who treat her failing vision as a tragic defect. Forced onto the social stage for her grand debut, Cassandra is terrified of the judgment awaiting her, yet she secretly longs for a love that will accept her imperfections and rescue her from her family's suffocating cruelty. When a chance encounter at a crowded ball brings them together, Anthony doesn't see a flawed debutante-he recognizes a brilliant, kindred fire, while Cassandra's heart perceives the Duke's noble soul clearer than her eyes ever could. But in a ruthless society governed by strict rules, and with a stepfamily determined to extinguish Cassandra's light, their bond will be tested to its limits. To claim the peace and acceptance they both crave, they must fight the shadows of envy together, proving that a love born of true vision can always rise from the ashes.

Forever changed by his capture at the hands of the French, Viscount Carlisle is no longer the naive, carefree idiot who left the shores of England. He has spent eight years trying to find the man who betrayed him, but his plans are thwarted by the tragic death of his partner, leaving Rafe with the custody of his partner's eight-year-old daughter. A child who may hold the key to unraveling the entire mystery that has haunted him for so long. Worse still, this brings him face to face with his ward's aunt- an old friend who makes Raphael's blood run hot. She knows him better than anyone else, she accepts every dark crevice of his soul without a single thought. She absolves him and tempts him into wickedness. He knows well that he cannot afford to let her in. Weaknesses got you killed in his business. The sooner she's out of his hair, the better. However, every day in her company has him softening until he cannot bear the idea of letting her or his ward go. Still reeling from her brother's death, Sylvia Heartwood finds out that the custody of her niece has been awarded to the most notorious reprobate in London and she will not stand for it. She forces herself into his household hellbent on proving that she is the better custodian for her niece. Only she is not so sure she can remain immune to the charm of this feckless libertine and his smoldering kisses and fiery embraces. Suave, carefree, and incredibly insufferable, Sylvie is resolute to never fall in love with him, but somewhere under the bluster she begins to catch glimpses of the boy who picked seashells for her and held her hand during thunderstorms, and all of a sudden, Sylvie's heart is in danger of being lost once again. With a villain lurking in the shadows, can Carlisle keep his newfound family safe? Cover by Muni Williams

Before he was the Brenin Lwyd, the monstrous King of Selanthia, he was a prince who loved a maid. When he loses her, he loses himself, too. And he will take the rest of the world down with him. *** The prequel short story that explains the painful origins and the ultimate fate of the Grey King of Selanthia. It doesn't contain any spoilers for the other books.

"Are you sure you're one of the girls? You seem like a spy to me. Are you spy, Arabella?" My name rolled of his tongue perfectly and I stood completely still as he took another step closer to me. "You know, it's my job to eliminate spies." "Eliminate me huh? I'd like to see you try." I was surprised by my response, just as much as he was, and he raised one of his perfectly shaped eyebrows at me. "Is that a challenge? I like a challenge." *** I never wanted any of the lives set out for me. Unfortunately in the new world where the monarchy has taken over, there was never a choice for a girl like me. At 18, I'm forced to leave the academy. It's a horrible place where young girls are groomed to become the perfect wives, and yet it's the only home I've ever know . Now I'll either become a human incubator, breeding children for the kingdom, or sold at auction to a man who would make me his wife and slave. Little did I know I would become a chosen one. Forced to compete in the coming-of-age competition to win the heart of the Prince and the crown. All were terrible fates, but only one included him. ___________________________________________ - completed - Mature sexual content Cover credits go to Devilishwritings

What happens when you put two people who don't want to be together in a week-long country house party? Adelaide Kendall has hated Philip Wyndham far longer than she had been in love with him (which was all of five days). Philip Wyndham has lusted after his good friend's sister far longer than he wants to (and she needs to keep away from him). So when they're forced to inhabit the same space for one week, what else could possibly happen except for...loving the enemy?

Vivienne Alcott The princess. The second in line of the Alcott children and one of the most stubborn. She had avoided marriage up until now, but she cannot outrun her fate forever And her father arranges her marriage to a prince far away. But it is closer to home where her heart lies. With a knight long gone but not forgotten. The boy she found in every crowd and the one who left, taking her heart with him Aldric Hallow The knight. Her brother's former friend and the man who serves her kingdom, serves her father. Silently, obediently... loyally. Whilst trying to forget her, her eyes, her smile and the... kiss. He was sent away but left his heart behind. So when he returns to escort her to her future husband, neither of them know what to do. What to say. How to act around the other when their hearts tangle once more in a forbidden connection. They cannot stay away from one another. But as she is to be married in two weeks... what can he do? Save her? Admit his feelings? Or let her go again? 18+

| 𝟳𝘅 𝗙𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗘𝗗 ·|| HUNGER GAMES x CINDER || ONC 2023 Honorable Mention Amidst the escalating unrest between the windborne utopian city of Lighthaven and its seedy, oppressed underbelly Fumedge, the Grand Duke of Lighthaven, Lucius Sextus, comes up with an ingenious solution. To provide much-wanted respite from the brewing conflict, and achieve the apparent-if-temporary unity, he organizes Gaslight Trials - a highly entertaining panem-et-circenses combat event in the Pits. The combatants may use all steam and thaumaturgy powered augmentations at their disposal, and there is only one rule: defeat, or be defeated. The reward for the last one standing? A chance to start their life anew. A brass key to the city of Lighthaven with a luxurious mansion to call their own within, as well as an aeroship to command. When eighteen-year-old Veda Igglesden steps forward to take her timeworn adoptive father's place in the fight, she might as well be signing her death-sentence. With her eyes fully set on the prize, act-first-think-later Veda must harness the power of technology to try and win for her Papa Otto. Decades of breathing in the toxic air of Fumedge did a number on the old inventor's lungs, and being able to live in the air-filtered Lighthaven would sure come in handy right about now. A high-flying adventure full of gadgetry and intrigue; a pleasing blend of steampunk and postapocalyptic. See Veda unravel the mysterious ploy behind the game's organization, and uncover the truth about her secret origins. Can she cope both with the trials of physical and intellectual prowess, as well as with the trials of life itself: those of love, loss and regret? © 2023 EvelynHail Exclusively on Wattpad Based on prompt 49! Which is (I shan't leave ye hanging :P): "Master the rules of the game until you can play it better than they can." Michael Scott, "The Sorceress" Get ready for steampunkish tinkering,

"If they dare take you from me, I will burn every crown, every kingdom, until nothing remains but what is mine." . . . . . . Seraphine Valemont has lived her life in gilded cages - trained to obey, to marry, to be the perfect heir. Her destiny is a royal marriage to Prince Alaric of Aerden, a union meant to secure peace, not love. Every choice is made for her, every word measured, every desire forbidden. Then comes Sir Cassian Dareth, her personal knight - a man of shadows and steel, whose loyalty is absolute, and whose presence awakens a dangerous fire within her. Forbidden, intoxicating, and relentless, their connection grows in stolen moments behind palace walls, where a single glance could spell ruin. The prince is polished, commanding, and ready to claim what he believes is rightfully his. But no crown, no command, no army can stand against the storm Cassian has vowed to unleash for her. Bound by duty, torn by desire, and facing a world that will never forgive them, Seraphine must decide whether to follow the path laid out for her... or risk everything for a love that could destroy them both.