"You should have learnt not disobey me by now," he snarled. "And you should have learnt I don't do what people say, especially if they don't ask nicely." He brought his lips to my ear "Oh sweetheart, don't forget who you are talking to. I am in control here. You will do what I say. Understand?" "I thought mates were supposed to be equals." Running a thumb along my cheek, he stared deep into my eyes. "Not when your mate is the most powerful Alpha in the world." Leonardo Loren - a notorious womanizer and feared Alpha. He could have anything and anyone he liked. Until he met Ella. Fiercely independent, strong-willed and hugely unafraid, she was was unique. And she was everything he hated. With a kind heart and an abundance of empathy, Ella is in dismay at the murder and destruction he remorselessly commits. So when she learns she is the mate of such a cruel man, she sets about changing him. Determined not to give him what he craves until he is a better man, she stays true to her fierce nature and resists his attempts to domineer her. But as an Alpha, he is stubborn to change and unwilling to listen to a mere girl, furious that she even dares to question him. So he forces her into his pack and tries to crush her spirit. Twisted games, manipulation, dangerous seduction. No tactic is off the table for Leonardo. But will Ella persevere and thaw his cold heart? Or will she crumble under those dark, handsome eyes like every woman before her? This book is intended for 15+ audiences. This is a sample of the full version found on Smashwords :)

When Everly Reed collides with the cynical and devilishly handsome Mason Valdez, she knows trouble is ahead, but she never could have guessed how much she would be drawn to the storm. ***** Nineteen-year-old Ever Reed likes when things make sense. Which is probably why she excels at math, enough to secure her a spot at an Ivy League school out of state. Sheltered by her mother and older brother Asher for most of her life, Ever hasn't experienced much of the world, but she knows New York will be an adventure. Enter Mason Valdez: cynical, arrogant, and undeniably attractive-exactly what Ever doesn't need. But as their paths keep crossing, Ever finds herself intrigued by Mason, and eager to know the boy behind the bitter mask. As secrets, scars, and painful pasts rise to the surface, Ever knows one thing for sure: they can only make it through if they face their storms together. [[word count: 150,000 - 200,000]] Cover designed by Frances Louise De Ramos Spinoff to The Hoodie Girl Book One of the A Thousand Storms series [[The Fiction Awards 2018 Best Overall Story and Best Romance Winner]] Content/trigger warning: This story mentions sexual assault and childhood abuse