Cassia has survived by keeping her emotions locked away, a small, silent human in a world ruled by predators. Sold to The Warspire as a prize for a vampire gladiator, she learns quickly that fear is survival and that desire can be just as dangerous. In the blood-soaked arena, she meets him: Tenebris. Old, scarred, and enormous, he is both terrifying and magnetic, his red eyes searing into her, reading the emotions she refuses to show. Bound by chains and collars, surrounded by death and hunger, Cassia must navigate a world where the strong feed on the weak, and pleasure and pain are indistinguishable. But soon she finds that Tenebris is no ordinary gladiator and when The Warspire falls behind them, the true danger begins. In a world of shadows, iron, and velvet, survival may not be enough, sometimes, surrendering to desire is the deadliest gamble of all.

𝐖𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐢𝐚 𝐚𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐛𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐝. A harmless Ouija board game turns deadly when they awaken something ancient-something that chooses her. Zane isn't a ghost. He's something older. Darker. Possessive. Twisted. After centuries in the underworld, it's his turn to claim a soul. But he doesn't just want Aria's body-he wants everything. Her friends begin disappearing one by one, and she starts to feel him not only watching... but living inside her. He's obsessive. She's his tether. And he'll kill anyone who touches what's his. But the scariest part? Aria doesn't want to let him go. 𝐀 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐥 𝐝𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬.

She nodded solemnly. "With my girl charm and my pretty dress. But now I just feel like a hot pile of creamed corn." I dragged a hand over my face. "You need water. And sleep." "I need closure." "Sunshine..." "No," she said, standing straighter and stabbing a finger into my chest. "You don't get to look like that and make me feel feelings and then just go all mysterious and noble and disappear like a sexy hitman Batman." "Sexy hitman Batman?" "I had a lot of wine." "I noticed." ●・○・●・○・● She bakes cookies. He breaks bones. Everyone in the city fears mafia boss Dominic Moretti-everyone except Tessa Bloom, the relentlessly cheerful café owner next door to his front business. She calls him "Mr. Broody," brings him muffins he never asks for, and walks into his office like it's not occupied by a man who could have someone disappeared with a phone call. Dominic doesn't have time for distractions-especially not sweet, sunshine-eyed distractions with flour on their noses. But when Tessa finds herself tangled in the underworld he's spent a lifetime controlling, protecting her becomes more than a duty. It becomes personal. And suddenly, the most dangerous man in the city starts falling for the only woman who isn't afraid of him. ●・○・●・○・● Word count: 23,178 Top Rankings: 10.14.25 - #6 in Mafia

A guarded college quarterback's dark past resurfaces when classmate Elena Madison pierces his cold exterior, sparking a dangerous connection that could either redeem or destroy them both. *** Everyone at Ohio State University knows about Blake Andrews, the infamous all-star quarterback of the football team and rumored insomniac. Most refer to him as crude, egotistical, and cold. It isn't until he meets Elena Madison that his world is suddenly flipped upside down. She brings the dark past he has tried to keep hidden for years up to the surface, risking pulling them both under for good. Undeniable attraction radiates between the two clashing souls and he begins to wonder if she can save him from the darkness within him. He's never met someone with such an irritating personality; with her persistent desire to know more about him despite his exhausted efforts to push her away. She is about to uncover what's hidden under his rough and cold exterior-whether she's ready for it or not. After all, eyes are the window to the soul. *** "Thank you," he murmurs sleepily, raising his hand to bring it to my cheek. His thumb slides against my soft skin slowly, it burns hot at his touch. "For what?" I question, my eyes feeling very swollen and heavy now. He takes a deep breath and swallows. "For being my light." *** *MATURE* HIGHEST RANKINGS #1 in enemiestolovers #1 in collegeromance #1 in panicattacks #1 in badboy #1 in brooding #1 in enemiestofriends #1 in trauma #1 in grumpyxsunshine