Hope Wallace was just a normal high school girl-until the Hawthorne brothers arrived. Desmond, the erratic and dangerous vampire, is as captivating as he is lethal, and Solomon, his calm, enigmatic twin, harbors secrets of his own. Drawn to Desmond, Hope soon finds herself entangled in a world of supernatural chaos: werewolves, witches, ancient family vendettas, and a love that transcends lifetimes. As forbidden passions ignite and enemies close in, Hope learns shocking truths about her lineage and the child she carries-a being with the power to reshape their world. With war looming and sacrifices mounting, the Hawthorne family and their allies must fight to protect the future, but salvation comes at a devastating cost. Love, blood, and destiny collide in this dark tale of immortality, sacrifice, and the kind of love that refuses to die.
WINEKOVE, 1020 AD.
Desmond
I could hear the sounds of my breath bounce off the walls of the cold and quiet cave. Mother had given me instructions not to leave until she had returned. She was gone for a long while, and all I could do to kill time was to listen to the sound of my breath on my knees.
I looked around the cave to gather knowledge from my surroundings. It was so dark, and all I could see was a tree at the far end on my left and a large puddle of water a few feet before me; it looked more like an oasis.
After what seemed like forever, I heard footsteps coming through the entrance. It was my mother with my twin brother, Solomon. She let him kneel beside me, and he gave a smug look. Only the spirits knew how I would love to slap that smile out of his face.
"Susana! I have brought them", I heard Mother shout. "Let us keep the end of our bargain."
Susana was the chief priestess of our village and also a very powerful witch; I did not know why Mother would strike a bargain with her.
Suddenly, everywhere became bright through the fire that caught the torches on the stands on the cave walls. Susana appeared in front of us in her usual attire; a red robe with a long stick on her right hand decorated with pomegranates and white beads.
"We shall, Philomena," she said calmly.
She looked down at me and then at my brother, smiling. She dropped her stick on a rock as she walked past us and returned to where she came from. After a few moments, she returned with a wooden bowl and a dagger. The dagger was somewhat covered with blood already.
She walked over to us, chanting some words. I still could not understand what was going on. The torches flickered, and a great wind blew into the cave. Fear gripped me, and I trembled while my brother laughed at me.
Susana stopped chanting, and the wind and the torches stopped dancing. She spread her hands, which held the bowl towards me. I collected it with trembling hands and looked into it.
It was blood!
I was terrified.
"Behold," I heard her say," The blood of the Quetet."
I looked at her, confused.
"Drink, boy, and be filled with the power of the impossible; speed, agility, strength, immortality, and hunger," she said.
"Drink it, Desmond," Mother, who knelt beside Solomon, ordered.
I grimaced and gulped the blood down my throat. I gave the bowl to Solomon, and he drank it too, same as Mother.
Susana picked up the dagger and raised it in the air, chanting once more. The wind returned, and torches began dancing again.
When she was done, she approached me and slammed the dagger into my chest. I felt the cold metal of the dagger pierce through my heart, and then she dragged the dagger out forcefully. I fell to the cold, stony floor, and everything went dark.
Kaiden Toliver's life is shattered when he is accused of involving the company in fraudulent activities. Vowing revenge, Kaiden returns five years later, wealthy and determined to destroy those who wronged him. He takes over Macaulay Industries, but his rise to power sparks the wrath of Caleb Montenegro, who seeks to reclaim the fortune Kaiden inherited. As alliances form and enemies close in, Kaiden must outmaneuver them all to stay on top. Will he emerge victorious, or will his quest for revenge consume him?
Annika Pleton moved to San Diego for a fresh start, but her new beginning takes a chaotic turn when she becomes the personal secretary to Ashton Maverick-a billionaire CEO with a reputation for charm, scandal, and getting what he wants. Ashton's relentless pursuit of her sparks a fiery battle of wits and wills, but Annika has no time for games. Especially not with her abusive ex-boyfriend back in town, determined to drag her into the nightmare she left behind. Caught between the seductive pull of her new boss, Ashton and the haunting shadows of her past, Annika must decide if she has the strength to fight for the life she's always dreamed of-or if the chaos surrounding her will tear it all apart. In a world of passion, danger, and high-stakes emotions, can Annika rise above it all, or will the weight of her secrets crush her?
Meghan Marcher escapes her stifling life when she discovers her father has orchestrated a wedding she can't bear. A one-night stand in Japan with the enigmatic Aaron Wilburn offers her a taste of freedom-but returning home brings a shocking twist: her younger sister Chloe is now engaged to the very man Meghan had just shared a passionate night with. With a secret baby on the line and emotions running wild, Meghan must navigate a tangled web of love and betrayal. Can she keep her past from crashing into her sister's future, or will the truth destroy everything she holds dear?
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.