Before she was the hunted, she was the heir. Aria was born with a crown on her head and a cage around her ribs. As the daughter of the Serpent House, her life was a blueprint of bloodlines and duty: Secure Nexus mates from within the House. Awaken the Gift buried in her bones. Preserve the legacy at any cost. But Aria was never made to follow. And fate doesn't care for tradition. Her heart already belonged to the one man she was forbidden to love - her brother's best friend. And when her Gift finally stirred, it wasn't the weapon her family had waited for. It was quiet. Unexpected. A power they barely acknowledged - and one she was never meant to wield. Torn between the life she was born into and the power awakening inside her, Aria makes a single, irreversible choice. One that fractures her family, shatters her destiny, and lights a fuse beneath everything she thought she understood. Rebellion is no longer a rumor. Enemies wear familiar faces. And the most dangerous secrets are the ones written in her own blood. This is not a love story. It's the story of what love ruins - and what rises from the wreckage. _______ What to Expect: Unbound - The Awakening is a why-choose prequel: Aria's heart won't be claimed by just one. 🔥 Smut? Yes - but not right away. This one burns slow and deep. 🖤 Expect tension, heartbreak, soft touches, sharp edges, and impossible choices. ⚠️ Not all of her Nexus mates appear in this book. But the storm begins here.

Born to be a legacy, I was meant to lead-until my powers never manifested. My parents called me a failure, a pawn to marry off for their schemes. So, I ran. I left behind everything: my fated mates, the academy where future leaders of Ostania are forged, and the destiny that demanded my obedience. For three years, I've lived in the shadows, trying to survive. But now, I got dragged back to the academy, my duties, and the dangerous games of power and survival. Life and death are daily lessons here. My fated mates despise me, my enemies want me dead, and everyone thinks I'm broken. A girl with no powers. But they can't know the truth. My powers are a secret I must protect at all costs. *this is a why choose/reverse harem book where the FMC ends up with more than one partner *this story is a work of fiction *this book will contain smut (later in the story)