| 18+ | • • • In Ream Johnson's life, work was first on her priority list. Having the title of being Nicole Wells' personal assistant, it came with a lot of responsibilities. She had to have tough skin, be able to think on her feet, and what else was required again? Oh right, be around Ms. Wells' bodyguard twenty-four-seven. This wouldn't be a problem if her boss' bodyguard was. . .unattractive. But he wasn't. Lamont Dobson was very, very-there's too many verys to count-attractive. And it didn't matter that he barely said a word or that he wasn't the friendliest person. She didn't mind it at all. Over time, she even found herself circling his name in red ink and placing him right at the top of her imaginary list.

On Christmas Eve, around 1812, Pip, an orphan who is about six years old, encounters an escaped convict in the village churchyard while visiting the graves of his mother, father, and siblings. The convict scares Pip into stealing food and a file to grind away his shackles, from the home he shares with his abusive older sister and her kind, passive husband Joe Gargery, a blacksmith. The next day, soldiers recapture the convict while he is engaged in a fight with another convict; the two are returned to the prison ships from which they escaped...

[A/N] This is a werecat story. Bxb. Gabriel is probably not the sharpest knife in the kitchen but he knows how to make some money in a tough situation. Crime. It's not really a career so much as a lifestyle, his. It had been a long time since he'd seen anyone in any other way then how much money they carried with them or what sort of lash-backs there might be if he robbed them. One night upon walking home from his brothers flat in Halbern he saw a dark figure wander into the alleyway that happened to be a short cut to his place. The only thing he saw was the glint in the dark. He knew he was tall. He knew even looking from afar the man seemed scary, but he still went for it. Why? Because either way, every man had a neck. Oh no, Gabriel, look what you've done. You've awoken the demon of the underworld, Kerberos. Boy you messed with the wrong man.

"Light up my darkness," he murmured against her bare flesh. His fingers trailed up her arm, leaving a blazing fire beneath them. His lips pressed softly against her shoulder and her eyes fluttered closed, accepting his touch. "Let go and I'll take away all of the pain." She desperately wanted to free herself from the torture of the heat, of the shift, of the sadness, but she pushed his firm chest away from her. She yearned to finally fulfill her place among the divine. She desired to guide and protect the species. She wished to eliminate the Challengers. The longer she endured the pain, the more power she would attain to help her fulfill her responsibilities. To the men who watched her ascend, it looked as if she was interacting with thin air, but she knew he was there with her. She smiled softly at him, caressing his cheek. "My Darkness, let the pain fester within me. I crave it." * The Betrayal is a part of The Marking Trilogy and cannot be read as a stand-alone book. The Marking must be read first.* Cover by @Finding_Bria