When a high-profile influencer is found brutally murdered with a cryptic signature-a Jack of Spades and the word DARED written in blood-rookie officer Scarlett Dagon is thrust into the investigation alongside her guarded mentor, Detective Terence Ryley. Driven by her sharp psychological insights and aided by the precinct's brilliant, unsettling forensic psychiatrist, Dr. Elias Vermont, Scarlett uncovers a chilling connection to a three months ago "suicide" that the city's powerful tried desperately to bury. As the body count rises among Artshel's most elite circles, each scene staged with precision, the investigation fractures from within. Scarlett discovers a web of blackmail, a twisted high-society hazing ritual, and a devastating truth: Ryley himself was forced to compromise his integrity to keep the original tragedy hidden. With a phantom executioner playing a meticulous game of retribution and pulling the city's strings from the shadows, the lines between victim, perpetrator, and protector completely blur. With the final target in the killer's crosshairs, Scarlett faces a difficult choice: expose the corrupt foundation of the city and destroy the man she loves, or succumb to the dark silence that rules Artshel.

Centuries after the Fall, the United States has been wiped away. The crumbling remains of the great American empire are home now only to savage, lawless tribes and packs of ravening Damned-the twisted children of the apocalypse. Most of those few who survived humanity's destruction spend their short lives in a violent struggle for survival. But some light still flickers in the darkness: the Blessed of Bountiful live in seclusion, relying on walls both physical and spiritual to protect them from the Desolation that their world has become. Among them are the Saints, those few men and women born with superhuman abilities that the Blessed see as gifts from God. The violent apostate tribes of the Northeast Kingdom have always been a danger, but up until recently its small size and the vigilance of its people have made Bountiful an unappealing target. As attacks on the community grow harsher and more frequent, however, even the steadfast Blessed are forced to start preparing for the worst. With her home's very existence threatened, seventeen year old Ever Oaks, a Saint with the power to heal, is forced to make a difficult choice, one that may come to define her people's future... Exile was a semi-finalist in Mark Lawrence's Great Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (#SPFBO). Fantasy Faction said it was "extremely cool," and Bookish Lifestyle called it "more than just a story, a journey and an experience." When I'm asked about it, I often describe it as "X-Men meets The Walking Dead." In addition to reading it here for free, you can buy Exile in e-book or paperback on Amazon.com.

Clara leads one of the world's most advanced neurological research laboratories. She's spent her entire life studying the human mind... but nothing prepared her for this. Her son has fallen into an unexplained state somewhere between sleep and coma. As his condition worsens and her husband spirals into depression, Clara becomes desperate enough to cross a line no scientist ever should. Inside the ONS facility, a classified sleep experiment may hold the answer. What begins as a search for a cure quickly turns into something far more disturbing. Because sleep isn't just a biological function... it's a doorway. And someone... or something, has already crossed it before. As terrifying secrets emerge from within the ONS organization, Clara uncovers evidence that the experiments were never designed to heal patients. They were designed to reach the other side. A gripping psychological sci-fi thriller filled with mystery, conspiracy, and mind-bending twists. Perfect for fans of Black Mirror, Inception, Severance, and dark neuroscience thrillers.

Our very own contest, the Pride Awards, is here! All writers and readers in the LGBTQIAP+ Family are officially invited to join us on a month-long adventure to create completely new stories in the best of company!

#ONC2026 ROUND 2 AMBASSADOR PICKS PROMPT 120. You survive a werewolf bite because your blood carries a rare, deadly condition that poisons them, and now you hunt werewolves by letting them bite you. Edwina Dawley, a rational wildlife biologist, enters the forest to study wolves and emerges with her reality shattered after surviving an attack by a massive wolf that transforms into a man. This encounter fractures her belief in the ordinary world, leading her to the ancient Order Sapientae Antiquae, which tracks her blood anomaly-an obscure condition lethal to werewolves. She becomes a hunter, using her body as a weapon, but as her reputation grows, so does her isolation. Her closest friend, Graham, begins to see the Order's hidden violence, while Darnell Key, the Order's mentor, recognizes Edwina's potential as a stabilizing force. Everything changes when Randolf, an ancient werewolf, chooses her and bites her, binding their fates together. Their intense connection ignites a love that challenges everything Edwina thought she understood. Caught between the safety of her old life, the allure of order, and a forbidden love, Edwina must choose her identity: scientist or myth, weapon or woman. As the Order tightens its grip and the world approaches exposure, she navigates a new role-neither prey nor predator-rewriting the rules with blood, choice, and consequence.

Short Preview: Her breath hitched as she looked up, her gaze finding Remi's face in the candlelight. The soft glow brushed against her cheekbones and lines of her scars. Nova's heart clenched, her throat tight as realization washed over her. Nova didn't see Remi as something small or distant. No, Remi felt infinite. Endless. She wasn't the moon in the sky. Or the stars. Remi was the whole damn galaxy. . . . In 2074, a catastrophic A.I. failure shattered the world. Cities crumbled, nations vanished, and what remained of the United States retreated beneath a single fortified Dome-humanity's last sanctuary. By 2242, life inside the Dome is rigid, monitored, and suffocating. Beyond its walls lies a mutated wasteland where nothing survives for long. Each year, twenty-five citizens are chosen and sent outside. None have ever returned. But this year, the Dome's perfect lies begin to crack. The Chosen are about to uncover a world far more dangerous-and far more alive-than they were ever allowed to believe. Out there, truth is poison, loyalty breaks easily, and love can become the most lethal weapon of all. Because once you step beyond the Dome, survival isn't guaranteed. And neither is who you become. . . . (This story contains a wlw/gxg/lesbian love story. It is a slow burn, but I promise that it's epic!) #1 under #wasteland 10/17/25

From Wattpad to WEBTOON! Experience BITE ME like never before-now live on WEBTOON as Love Bites! Dive into unexpected twists and thrilling romance in any format you like. Werewolves and vampires don't mix, or that's what Kieran Callisto, a seventeen-year-old vampire, has believed all his life - until he falls for the Alpha's son. ***** When Kieran meets his new classmate, Mason Kane, he bristles with an unexplainable disdain. Soon it becomes apparent why: Mason is a werewolf. But when a fight turns into a sudden kiss that neither expects, Kieran's feelings for Mason turn to attraction in an instant. None of it makes sense - vampires and werewolves are supposed to be mortal enemies, so why does Kieran find Mason so irresistible? He knows that each kiss is dangerous, each bite is unpredictable...

Spaceship captain Matthews has kept his sexuality a secret. What happens when the crew finds out? is Lieutenant Kent as straight as he always believed? Will he hit him or kiss him, or both? My first book in the Aurigan Space Saga. LGBT / Romantic Sci-Fi

(Complete) After Seren is assaulted by someone in her friend group, she begins to fall deeper into the depths of her depression. No one seems to notice, except for the former bad boy and his friends. "Seriously, this is probably the best book I've read on Wattpad." -@dowries "I thought you were bluffing in the description but dang, you got me. Ima say- this truly is one of the best books on Wattpad." -@jamzeverywhere "Easily the best book I have ever read and I'm not exaggerating." - @purelyaureila "Simultaneously shattered me and put me back together, one of the best things I've ever read. Didn't think I could love two characters so deeply." -@imswriting "If I was ever to reread a book- it would be this one." -@thethotpocket "This is my favourite book! I would pay literal money just to continue to experience these characters!" - @sapphhhireee Spin Offs: Notice Me, and Trust Me *****

Welcome to the Annual Short Story & Poetry Writing Contest, where words ignite imagination and creativity takes center stage. Whether you're a storyteller or a poet, this is your chance to captivate, inspire, and share your voice with the world. All genres, all styles-one platform to shine. Let your stories speak. Let your verses rise.