Magic – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Magic – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:09:29 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.ilovenovels.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Magic – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.ilovenovels.com 32 32 The Fire Bride (Kings of Fury #3) Read Online Gena Showalter http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-fire-bride-kings-of-fury-3-read-online-gena-showalter Thu, 23 Apr 2026 23:09:29 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/the-fire-bride-kings-of-fury-3-read-online-gena-showalter Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal, Suspense Authors: Gena Showalter Series: Kings of Fury Series by Gena Showalter
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Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69119 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 276(@250wpm)___ 230(@300wpm)

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She has burned through lifetimes alone.
In the hidden realm of Ashmorra, immortal berserkatrix Olyssa Drachenveil, Queen of Dragons, has spent centuries bound to a cruel grant eternal life to a mortal firebrand in the heat of her flames or watch him perish. But any man she’s ignited has died screaming. She’s vowed never to test another.

He must survive her fire.
Taron Locke, brilliant historian and secret dragon slayer, has spent his life preparing to end the creature who murdered his father. A legend cloaked in beauty and ruin. When he summons her with ancient chains, he intends to end her reign, not fall under her spell. But the moment they meet, everything combusts. A battle. A bond. A kiss that could burn an empire to ash.

In war, desire is the most dangerous blaze.
As ancient enemies rise and Olyssa’s crown—and heart—hang in the balance, she must decide whether to defy destiny or surrender to it. And Taron must destroy the queen he was born to hate… or become the firebrand destined to love her for eternity

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

Hear now the tragedy of the Dragon Queen.

Once upon a time, in the age when dragon-berserkers carved kingdoms from flame, Olyssa Drachenveil was born in fire and fury, her heart sealed in ice, her destiny already written.

Her fated firebrand she must burn: immortality in her flames, or ash with no return.

For Olyssa, love equaled loss. She’d buried friends and family alike and feared losing another. So she did what dragons do best: she hardened. Leading raids beside her father, the Dragon King of Ashmorra, she helped steal treasure and thrones with abandon but no remorse.

Until she came upon Leopold Locke, a mortal man with iron chains and endless courage. The only villager to stand his ground when dragon armies darkened his skies.

With cunning traps and surprising strength, he did the impossible. He imprisoned the storm-eyed princess.

Somewhere between their battles and bargains, the line between captor and captive blurred. Hatred turned to heat, heat to hunger and hunger to love. He taught Olyssa to build rather than destroy. She showed him the joy of life beyond survival.

But as soon as her father’s war ended, Olyssa and Leopold’s newfound love faced an unbearable choice. Let him remain mortal and lose each other to time. Or forge him immortal in her flames, risking everything to spend eternity together.

He chose the fire. Love.

Olyssa agreed to test him, even as doubt flickered. But hope quickly smothered doubt, for an ancient myth foretold of a great phoenix warrior, pure of heart, rising among the dragons. A tale, she was sure, that spoke of Leopold.

She unleashed. He burned.

But he did not rise again.

His ashes scattered in the wind, and Olyssa’s scream split the heavens. Fueled by rage and blame, Leopold’s brothers struck, binding her in the very chains her sweet Leo had once freed her from. In her grief, she let them do it.

Weeks passed, her constant flow of tears seeping into the metal, igniting a second curse. From that day forth, the Chains of Olyssa would call to her whenever worn, forcing her to test the wearer in her fire. Immortality or ashes.

Ignorant of this, she left the shackles behind when at last she escaped. The Lockes, however, kept them, plotting, waiting, vowing that a son of their line would one day be her undoing. But as she rose in rank, becoming leader of the dragons, generations of Lockes withered while others bloomed, their hatred slowly curdling into something worse. A hunger for the very immortality Leopold had not gained.

Each time a Locke chained himself in the mystical bonds, he summoned the Queen of Dragons. Each time she came. And each time, she burned him to ash in her flame.

Centuries ticked on. The world changed. Olyssa endured, her heart hollowed by regret and sorrow.

Today, only one Locke remains. And unlike those before him, he doesn’t seek immortality.

He seeks her end.

When the Chains call once again, will the Dragon Queen’s heart be mended at last… or broken beyond even her fire?

Chapter

One

A well-trained human smells slightly singed. In other words: Perfect.

-Humaning for Beginners: A Dragon’s Tale of Human Management

Disaster had a flair for theatrics, and I was currently its reluctant star.

First, my father had clawed back from the death I’d dealt him centuries ago. Then, three of my best warriors vanished without a trace. Most recently? Someone spotted a human creeping around my realm. Not once, not twice, but thrice. He’d picked fights with my dragons—and won. He’d also pocketed things that didn’t belong to him, successfully avoiding traps I’d set.

I glanced at a shelf on my wall, where my favorite teacup used to rest. My hands balled.

How was he doing this? It should be impossible.

Although there were legends of rare tools able to safely whisk humans between worlds. What if he’d found one?

At least I didn’t have to wonder about his identity. “Professor Taron Locke,” I muttered into the wind, as if speaking his name might summon him, allowing me to deal with the problem at last.

Nope. He didn’t appear.

I stood on the edge of my personal balcony, the highest point of Castle Ashmorra. No rail separated the ledge from the ether; when you could fly, you didn’t need one. A light breeze perfumed with linden blossoms and wild chamomile tugged strands of hair free from a myriad of pins. The crimson hue blended with the sunrise until it looked as if my entire body might ignite in soft fire. The illusion strengthened as the hem of my scarlet gown danced at my ankles.

I scanned my queendom, a dimension stitched like the finest silk to the human world. Below me, molten spires and ancient ruins coiled together in a symphony of gold. Crystalline rivers wound through obsidian meadows that bloomed year-round with violet emberlilies and white ashorchids. Berserkers trained on a soot-streaked field dotted with mist-veiled ghost trees. Mothers and children swam in a lake the same color as skyglass, while twin suns rose in a slow, simmering dawn, casting streaks of lavender across an expanse of dark blue.

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Magical Midlife Rogue – Leveling Up Read Online K.F. Breene http://www.ilovenovels.com/magical-midlife-rogue-leveling-up-read-online-k-f-breene Thu, 23 Apr 2026 22:53:31 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/magical-midlife-rogue-leveling-up-read-online-k-f-breene Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal, Vampires Authors: K.F. Breene Advertisement

Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 126030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 630(@200wpm)___ 504(@250wpm)___ 420(@300wpm)

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As Austin continues his tour to bring shifters into the convocation, he hears whispers about a powerful rogue no one dares bring into their territory—a shifter who strikes first and asks questions later.

Jessie and Austin, however, never walk away from someone in need. Unfortunately, they’re racing against the clock.

Evan, the new gargoyle cairn leader, has asked to meet the Mistress of Ivy House.

What should be straightforward quickly spirals out of control…because nothing is ever simple when Niamh is behind the wheel.

Soon, Jessie’s crew is juggling a volatile rogue and a growing mob of furious gargoyles who don’t appreciate being taunted on their home turf.

As always with this crew, chaos isn’t just possible…it’s inevitable

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

Jessie

“Are you sure this is wise?” Kingsley asked over the cell phone loudspeaker. The phone was sitting on a particle board coffee table in front of a faded green couch with suspicious brown stains.

Austin slouched in a faux leather chair with glued-on patches. He rubbed the stubble on his face and hunched over, his eyes losing focus as he considered the implications.

“Sure, what choice do we have?” Niamh asked. She leaned against a tobacco yellow wall that had probably started out white a few decades ago. This was the best room available in this ramshackle motel on the outskirts of nowhere. Only a few wayward truckers stopped along this route, servicing a collection of towns that people were born in and then moved away from. At least, that’s what the thriving shifter population would have Dicks and Janes think.

This tiny town was the last stop before the paved country road turned into a gravel lane that led into the deep woods. Haunted woods, if the urban legends could be believed. And of course, they couldn’t.

In actuality, the woods were a buffer between the Dick world and a shifter territory run by one of the most ruthless original alphas anyone had heard of, an alpha so volatile he was said to kill visitors who looked at him crosswise. He cut down travelers that darkened his doorstep unannounced and populated the alpha rumor mill with threats about what would happen to anyone who even thought about coming for his territory, now nearly a decade old.

“He’s had positive fitness reports from anyone who has checked out his territory,” Austin said, dropping his arms to his knees and leaning over. “His people seem happy. The territory has grown and appears to be thriving.”

I stood by the window, looking out at the lush green foliage on the other side of the road. The dense canopy of trees shifted and swayed in the wind, charged with electric energy in dark gray skies. Despite the threatening late-April storm, the air hung hot and heavy in a way I wasn’t used to.

“This place doesn’t have tornados, right?” I murmured.

“Of course not, miss,” Mr. Tom told me, handing me a cup of what I could only assume was instant coffee. The town didn’t give us a lot of options. “Someone would’ve warned us if we were traveling into Doppler doom.”

“The people checking out the validity and safety of his pack have not been alphas nor necessarily powerful,” Kingsley said. “He is wary of other alphas.”

“He’s wary of other alphas that want to take over his pack and cash in on his hard work,” Niamh said. “Austin Steele does not.”

“What does that mean, about the fitness reports?” I asked, turning from the window and heading to the couch.

“Miss, no!” Mr. Tom hollered.

I started to sit down and froze. Austin’s head snapped up in alarm.

“What is it?” Kingsley asked through the phone, his voice louder now. He must’ve been leaning closer. “What happened?”

“Don’t you dare sit on that horror show of a couch without something under you!” Mr. Tom admonished, bringing me a blanket. “Have you no self-preservation? It looks like people have bled out on that fabric. You’d be lucky to only get a staph infection. People have likely gotten gangrene from less. With a couch like that, one open wound and you’re a goner.”

I rolled my eyes but waited for him to drape the blanket on the couch, then plopped down as he half-shoved me on top of it.

“Ye nearly made me spill me tea, ya donkey,” Niamh groused.

“Now you I wouldn’t mind sitting on that couch,” he countered. “I’ll even give you the wound to get you started.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Mr. Tom spun across the room to admit Tristan and Broken Sue.

“Tristan.” Mr. Tom brought himself up to his full height. “I regret to inform you that I do not have any decent coffee, only the instant dredge we were able to procure from the Quickie Mart at our last stop.”

“That’ll be fine, Mr. Tom, thanks,” Tristan replied.

“We’d need to be knocking down a wall to fit in all this muscle, like,” Niamh murmured. “Jaysus, mind yer elbows.”

Broken Sue glared at her as he passed by, taking my spot by the window.

Tristan looked down at the empty cushion next to me on the couch. “Got another blanket?”

“There. See?” Mr. Tom brought one over. “He has sense.”

“More than I can say for ye,” Niamh told Mr. Tom.

“Fitness reports are the shifter way of ensuring a pack is doing things properly,” Austin told me. “Pack standing in the shifter world is a little like the gargoyle world. Any alpha who wants a place with their peers will be concerned about the wellbeing of their people. A thriving pack should be a nice place to live, with prospering businesses, safety for children, education—everything a well-run town boasts. To prove their pack has these things, and that they are an upstanding alpha in the community, they will allow others in the shifter community to check in on them.”

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A Heart of Gold and Glass (Secret Fairy Tales #1) Read Online Jocelynn Drake http://www.ilovenovels.com/a-heart-of-gold-and-glass-secret-fairy-tales-1-read-online-jocelynn-drake Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:14:22 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/a-heart-of-gold-and-glass-secret-fairy-tales-1-read-online-jocelynn-drake Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi, M-M Romance, Magic, Paranormal Authors: Jocelynn Drake Series: Secret Fairy Tales Series by Jocelynn Drake
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Total pages in book: 104
Estimated words: 96695 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 483(@200wpm)___ 387(@250wpm)___ 322(@300wpm)

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It all started with a lie…
Hugo needs to get married.

His family’s prospects have been dwindling since the death of his father, and he has to make a good match to save his mother and two younger brothers.

He just doesn’t expect his mother to sink all his hopes with a single lie.

My son can spin straw into gold!

Now, the queen might execute him over such nonsense.

However, Prince Everand has better, sweeter plans for him.

Can Hugo really win the heart of a prince? Not to mention survive kidnappings, dungeons, wolves, and the plotting of a possibly mad king out for revenge?

Hugo will need more than magic to protect his prince and keep his head.

But nothing can make him give up his chance at happily ever after.

A Heart of Gold and Glass is a retelling of the Rumpelstiltskin fairy tale with a few magical twists and turns that will leave you swooning over Hugo and his precious prince Everand

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

One

After a week of dreary, endless rain, the clouds had moved on, and bright-blue skies stretched overhead. It was going to be a gorgeous spring day.

The break in the long rainy spell also meant that paper birds filled the skies. Invitations, letters, and even shop notices fluttered in the folded shapes of different birds, from delicate finches to fierce hawks. With just the touch of a crystal purchased at the postal shop for a couple of copper coins, each letter sprung to life.

There were rumors that rich aristocrats kept on staff a servant or two who possessed the magical gift of turning letters into birds. They never had to use store-bought magic for their letters.

The Baker household had received a dozen paper birds, which hopped about the mailbox, waiting to be picked up. As Hugo approached, the paper finches and starlings settled into the box, unfolding themselves into neat squares. He flipped through them as he strolled to the breakfast room. At least half were invitations, then there were a few personal letters, a few bills, and finally, best of all, a note stating that his new suit was ready to be picked up from the tailor’s shop.

Hugo ran through the house, tugging on his jacket and then checking his reflection one last time in the glass to make sure his appearance was proper. He passed a hand through his light-brown hair, smoothing the soft waves into place prior to putting his hat on his head. Then he was out the door, tossing over his shoulder to his mother and brothers that he was off to town to pick up his suit.

He didn’t care one fig about the suit. He needed to get out of the house and breathe the fresh air. To stretch his legs and hear something other than his brothers bickering with each other or with their mother.

The Season was about to begin, and tension was running high in the Baker household. Hugo had to find a husband, preferably a rich, titled one. Otherwise, they were going to be in a terrible financial position by winter.

But that wasn’t a problem for today.

Hugo was determined to enjoy this break—possibly one of his last—before all his attention turned to being the best-looking, most interesting, most talented person…to win the heart of a good man.

Hugo shoved that stomach-churning thought aside and gazed at the muddy road ahead of him. The Bakers lived in a house outside the town proper of Buckleford, which itself was a short carriage ride to the royal capital of Frostbourne. It was only a ten-minute walk through Shaggy Butternut Woods to Buckleford, and Hugo was more than happy to be out in nature. The actual birds were chirping and darting between the trees. Rabbits and squirrels were scurrying through the undergrowth, searching for a meal while trying to remain hidden from the larger predators lurking nearby.

He hummed to himself as a bend in the road revealed the first glimpse of Buckleford with its neat and tidy stone buildings. It was home to a few hundred people and the main stop for the local farmers. Everything would be sold to merchants here in Buckleford prior to moving on to Frostbourne and other cities throughout the kingdom. The town was quaint and busy as most of the locals stopped here rather than traveling on to the more expensive Frostbourne. There was little need to leave Buckleford. It had a wonderful open market and shops that provided everything a person could want.

A sigh of relief drifted from his parted lips as he left behind the muddy road for cobblestone and sidewalks. While ample puddles dotted the road, the shopkeepers had taken the time to sweep most of the sidewalks clean. There wasn’t much he could do about the mud on his boots, but the rest of him was at least clean and presentable.

It would take Hugo a couple of minutes to pop into the tailor’s to pick up his suit and then ten minutes to walk home. That wasn’t long enough of a break from his family.

However, after he grabbed his parcel, he could do a bit of window shopping. If he already had something in his hand, they would believe he had money in his pocket to spend and wouldn’t hassle him about browsing. He could kill at least an hour or two this way and be home in time for lunch. That sounded like a perfect day.

Hugo turned onto the main street with its plethora of shops. People buzzed about dressed in their finest for shopping and paying calls. It seemed as if the entire town had headed out to enjoy the spring day. The scent of freshly baked bread and roasted nuts danced in the air. Here and there he would hear the drifting notes of music being played.

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Beast Business – Hidden Legacy Read Online Ilona Andrews http://www.ilovenovels.com/beast-business-hidden-legacy-read-online-ilona-andrews Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:20:54 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/beast-business-hidden-legacy-read-online-ilona-andrews Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Novella, Paranormal Authors: Ilona Andrews Advertisement

Total pages in book: 60
Estimated words: 57143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 286(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 190(@300wpm)

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Augustine Montgomery is an Illusion Prime who owns a premier PI corporation and alters his appearance with magic. The people who have seen Augustine’s real face can be counted on the fingers of one hand. The people who witnessed the full extent of his power are dead. The illusion isn’t just the brand of his magic. It’s become his lifestyle.

Show as little as possible. Make them think that illusion is all you have. Your life depends on it.

Augustine lives by this creed. He’s cold, rational, and calculating. He doesn’t get emotionally involved. Then one day Diana Harrison walks into his office and asks for his help. Diana is a Prime, an animal mage who bonds with animals through her magic and prefers their company to humans. Something precious has been stolen from House Harrison. Something Diana must recover at all costs.

The two Houses are allied through a friendship pact. Assisting Diana is simply good business. And yet, there is something about her that disturbs the careful balance of Augustine’s inner world.

Neither of them is who they appear to be. Both would die to keep their secrets. But the enemy they face is more powerful than either had imagined, and saving the life that hangs in the balance will demand the ultimate price neither Augustine nor Diana ever anticipated to pay – complete honesty

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

The Lore

In 1863, in a world much like our own, European scientists tried to cure the flu and discovered the Osiris serum instead, a concoction which brought out one’s magic talents. These talents were many and varied. Some people gained the ability to command animals, some learned to sense water from miles away, and others suddenly realized they could kill their enemies by throwing lightning from their fingertips.

The serum spread through the planet. It was given to soldiers in hopes of making military forces more deadly. It was obtained by members of the fading aristocracy, desperate to hold on to power. It was bought by the rich, who desired to get richer. The magic users were evaluated and sorted into ranks starting with Minors, who had bare whispers of magic at their disposal, all the way to Primes, mages of incredible power.

Eventually the world realized the consequences of awakening godlike powers in ordinary people. The serum was locked away, but it was too late. The magic talents passed on from parents to their children had changed the course of human history forever. The future of entire nations shifted in the span of a few short decades. Those who previously married for status, money, and power now married for magic, because strong magic would give them everything.

Now, a century and a half later, families with strong hereditary magic have evolved into dynasties. These families—Houses, as they call themselves—own corporations, control their own territories within the cities, and influence politics. They employ private armies, they feud with each other, and their disputes are deadly. It is a world where the more magic you have, the more prominent and successful you are. Some magic talents are destructive. Some are subtle. Some Houses are powerful and wealthy. Others are much less so. But no magic user should be taken lightly.

Magic Ranks and Types

There are five magic ranks, from weakest to strongest: Minor – Average – Notable – Significant – Prime.

There are three main categories of magic: elemental, mental, and arcane.

Elemental mages control air, water, fire, and earth. They part seas, extract minerals, and alter the weather.

Mental mages possess the powers of the mind. They are deadly telekinetics, crafters of incredible weapons, and human lie detectors.

Arcane mages include those who do not fit into either of these categories. They are metamorphosis mages (shifters), summoners who pluck strange creatures from a magical dimension, and those who can enhance their bodies.

Houses

A House is a magic family that produces at least three Primes (highest rated magic users) in two generations. They are the elite of magical society.

This story is about three Houses bound together by a friendship pact:

House Montgomery, led by Augustine Montgomery, a Prime famous for his illusion magic, who controls Montgomery International Investigations (MII), the largest and most powerful PI firm in the Southwest;

House Baylor, a family whose talents are strange and varied and who runs Baylor Investigations, a much smaller and more boutique PI firm that specializes in complex cases requiring unusual care. One of their members is Arabella Baylor, the youngest of the Baylor siblings;

And House Harrison, led by Diana Harrison, a family whose power lies in bonding with animals, giving them unique perspectives and distancing them from other humans. Despite that distance, Diana Harrison views the Baylors as family and House Montgomery as steadfast allies.

Cast of Characters

People marked by * are mentioned but they do not appear in the story.

The Montgomerys:

Augustine Montgomery – Prime, head of House Montgomery and the CEO of Montgomery International Investigations (MII,) one of the larger PI firms in the country. Illusion mage.

*Verena Montgomery – Augustine’s younger sister, friends with Arabella Baylor. Illusion mage.

The Baylors:

Arabella Baylor – Prime, Magic sealed, the youngest member of House Baylor. Despite her age, Arabella has a lot of investigative experience, having worked for her family business since she was a teenager.

*Bern Baylor – Arabella’s older cousin, who was adopted into the family.

*Catalina Baylor – Arabella’s older sister and the Head of House Baylor

*Nevada Rogan (Baylor) – Arabella’s oldest sister who married Connor Rogan, Augustine’s best friend, and joined his House.

The Harrisons:

Diana Harrison – Prime, head of House Harrison. Animal mage.

*Cornelius Harrison – Diana’s youngest brother and a private investigator who works for Baylor Investigations. His wife, Nari, was murdered, and the Baylors helped him find the culprit and exact his revenge, after which he joined their firm.

Matilda Harrison – Cornelius’ nine-year-old daughter.

*Blake Harrison – Diana’s younger brother.

BEAST BUSINESS

[ 1 ]

“As you know, Maria, the current state of the economy requires our company to develop agility in an effort to meet the rapidly changing realities of the marketplace.”

The HR manager smiled, her hand resting on a black folder with FINERGY etched in gold on it. She was in her forties. Her makeup had been applied with technical precision. Her acrylic nails, translucent pink and of a professionally acceptable length, bore small white Easter eggs as a nod to the holiday season. A rose quartz necklace dripped from her neck, each bead polished, matching the nails and the nearly transparent pink frames of her eyeglasses.

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Diamond Dust (Shadowbound Fae #2) Read Online K.F. Breene http://www.ilovenovels.com/diamond-dust-shadowbound-fae-2-read-online-k-f-breene Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:41:25 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/diamond-dust-shadowbound-fae-2-read-online-k-f-breene Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal Authors: K.F. Breene Series: Shadowbound Fae Series by K.F. Breene
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Total pages in book: 129
Estimated words: 121339 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 607(@200wpm)___ 485(@250wpm)___ 404(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >129

Welcome to Double D Ranch, the adults-only ranch resort where your fantasies become reality. Unpack, unwind, and get uninhibited...

After a twenty-five-year career with the state police, Cameron Cook found the perfect “retirement” Head of Security at a sex-positive resort. A place that was judgement-free and where he could hopefully live his own truth. A truth he’d been hiding for decades.

Free-spirited yoga instructor Hope Reed suddenly found herself single after her boyfriend gave her an ultimatum. It was either him or the part-time position at the “immoral” Double D. The choice was easy. Now she’s happily helping the resort guests become more flexible and healthy, as well as taking advantage of everything the resort has to offer.

For the entirety of Nolan Young’s career as a state trooper, he hid the fact he was bisexual. Not only from his coworkers, but his closest friend. A man he lusted after since the day they met. Little does he know, his life’s about to change when Cam encourages Nolan to move up to the resort and take the Assistant Head of Security position. Because Cam also has a secret.

The two men not only discover each other’s secrets, but their similar interest in the sexy, confident yoga instructor. Even better, Hope’s open to anything. Including joining them both. After all, what better place to live out your desires than at the Double D Ranch?

Unrestrained is the third book in the Double D Ranch series. It’s intended for audiences over 18 years of age since it includes mature MMF interactions between all three characters. As always, the throuple has an HEA ending

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

1

Daisy

Tarian turned, Daisy’s hand still tucked into his. The animals waited within the barn-shanty, and Tarian’s Fallen were over picking through the wreckage from the darkrend. They’d had to stall while Daisy and Tarian hashed out their deal.

The creatures waited placidly, their great maws grinding dried grasses. Each stood about six feet high at the shoulder, with powerful legs ending in three hooked claws at the front and one toward the back. Thick horns ran along their heads and out to the sides, with big manes of coarse hair and something like a beard off their chins. Their wings were tucked into their sides, furry along the ridges but feathery on the actual wing part. Their tails were a combination of fur and feathers as well, most of them swishing periodically.

“What are they?” Daisy asked as Tarian gently tugged her around the first, giving it a wide berth.

“They are stormbacks. They inhabit the mountain regions and don’t have much time for my kind. They often find us too dimwitted.” He laughed. “At least, that’s what they’ll tell you.”

“That’s what…they’ll tell you?”

He pulled her to the largest of them at the back, its shaggy mane streaked with gray and black. The fur on its body was a fuzzy gray-white. The creature was as scary as it was beautiful. She wanted to pet it as much as she wanted to avoid it.

“Yes. They can communicate mentally. They don’t often use words. They are more inclined to use imagery and feelings. When they lower themselves to communicate with fae, that is. They can understand words just fine, though, so let’s keep the running dialogue to a minimum. What you’ve thought is great, but if you insult them, they won’t allow you to ride.”

The great beast let out a deep huff before stamping its foot. We are not so prickly as that, child.

“Beg to differ.” Tarian let go of her hand and put his arm in front of her. “Stratow, this is the human I spoke of. She’s a captive who doesn’t know how to shield her thoughts. She has a right to be surly and needs our forgiveness for her horrible bluntness.”

Daisy tried desperately to keep from saying a sarcastic remark. She was fine pissing off Tarian and his Fallen, but this was one beast she was inclined to mind her manners around.

The creature huffed again. She has more sense than you ever did.

Tarian grinned and winked at Daisy. “These creatures don’t enjoy fae, and enjoy giving rides like common mules even less. I was such a pest, though, that we ended up making a deal. After he tried to kill me, of course. I fulfilled my end of the deal, he did his, and then…well, what can I say? I’m likable.”

“About as likable as sand in your ass crack, yeah,” she grumbled. “A constant nuisance and really hard to get rid of.”

The creature made a sound like a low growl, and Daisy stepped back and threw up her hands.

“Hey, look, to each their own,” she said quickly. “I’m sure his personality…rubs off on you eventually. You know, in a non-abrasive sort of way.”

The beast’s growling continued, and Daisy started to sweat. She licked her lips and glanced back. The other beasts pushed in closer, blocking an easy exit. The claws on their feet glistened. Daisy felt her knife pulse within her shirt.

“That’s the sound of his amusement, not a growl,” Tarian said, grabbing her hand and tugging her around him. At the back of the shanty, there were two large doors. He dropped her hand to open them. “I figured I’d let you sweat because of those comments.” He gave her a smirk. “You like my personality just fine.”

He motioned her toward him as the Fallen came around the corner. Their appearances were uniform—the lower part of their heads were shaved with long hair on top, half done in a knot or bun. They all wore pocketed skirts, almost like kilts, outlined with fur. Leather bracers encircled their wrists, and the females wore tight, fur-lined tops in a strip across their breasts. The males only had various leather straps crossing their bare torsos, with a lot of ink on display. They all looked fierce, as well as sexy, male and female alike.

“Thank you!” Niall put up his fists in victory. “She called me sexy. Goodbye, ugliness, hello, sex god.”

“She thinks our outfits are sexy, dummy,” a female said. She had hard gray eyes and a button nose, with wheat-colored hair and knockout curves. The lady was a stunner.

“Let him have that one,” said Lennox, the one who looked like a Viking of old, with his flowing, wavy hair, reddish beard tied under his chin with leather and tassels, and his thick frame. “It’s about as good as she’s going to give him.”

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Her Cougar (Shifted Love #13) Read Online Fiona Davenport http://www.ilovenovels.com/her-cougar-shifted-love-13-read-online-fiona-davenport Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:41:14 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/her-cougar-shifted-love-13-read-online-fiona-davenport Genre: Alpha Male, Chick Lit, Dragons, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal, Virgin Authors: Fiona Davenport Series: Shifted Love Series by Fiona Davenport
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Total pages in book: 24
Estimated words: 22227 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 111(@200wpm)___ 89(@250wpm)___ 74(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >24

After aging out of foster care, Elodie Chase survived a year on her own. When a storm forced her to park near a remote construction site, she expected nothing more than another night of keeping her head down. Instead, she found Garner Wilder—a man who made her feel safe before she understood why.

Garner knew Elodie was his mate the moment he scented her. The human woman with tired eyes called to his cougar like nothing ever had. And when sabotage threatened his project—and her safety—he refused to let her out of his sight.

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

ELODIE

Icouldn’t remember a single birthday that had felt special, but this was the worst of the bunch.

Everything I owned was stuffed into the backpack I’d used throughout high school, a cheap duffel, and a black garbage bag. At eighteen years old, I officially aged out of the foster system. Which meant no more payments from the state to my foster parent. And since I graduated a semester early, she didn’t see any reason to let me stay.

The screen door creaked behind me before closing with a soft click. Mrs. Jarvis hovered just inside the frame. “You’ve got all your stuff?”

I hefted the duffel over my shoulder. “Yeah.”

“Okay then.” She gave a stiff nod. “Good luck out there.”

I didn’t know why I expected more from her. I wasn’t even sure what exactly. Maybe reassurance of some kind that I’d be okay…or even a hug. Which was silly since she’d always been more about checking boxes to make sure she got paid than showing actual concern for my well-being. Now there was no more money to be had from housing me, so even that minimal level of worry was apparently a thing of the past.

I stepped off the porch without bothering to reply, my boots crunching against the gravel. There wasn’t a single person waiting for me. No safety net. Just me.

My throat tightened, but I squared my shoulders and reminded myself that I’d gotten this far without the kind of support most teenagers took for granted. I just had to keep going. There wasn’t really any other choice.

I’d just reached the mailbox when a familiar thump sounded behind me. Squeezing my eyes shut, I took a deep breath. I’d almost escaped without crying, but here came the one creature capable of breaking me.

Knowing exactly what I’d find, I turned around. Mr. Pickles waddled toward me, his round belly swaying side to side. The cantankerous tabby head-butted my shin and let out a gravelly yowl that I assumed was a complaint about me leaving without saying goodbye.

I set my bags on the ground and crouched to stroke his back. “Hey, buddy.”

He pushed his face into my palm, purring so loudly it rattled his ribs.

“I know,” I whispered, scratching under his chin the way he liked. “I don’t want to go either.”

He meowed, then pawed at my bag as if he wanted to come with me.

A laugh bubbled up, thick with emotion. “Pretty pathetic that the only one I’ll miss is a cat named Mr. Pickles.”

It made sense, though. He was the only one in that house who ever sought me out on purpose. The closest thing I’d ever had to family was a fat, grumpy cat. And I had to walk away from him because I had no idea how I was going to take care of myself, let alone a pet.

“Thanks for making this place bearable.” I gave him one last scratch before picking up my bags and straightening. “Give the next foster kid she takes in a chance. They’re going to need all the help they can get.”

I would too, but there was nothing Mr. Pickles could do about that. So I forced myself to turn around. Then I adjusted the straps of my backpack and started walking. The bus station was a mile away, and I’d already mapped out the route in my head. From there, I’d go wherever the cheapest fare would take me. Somewhere that wasn’t quite as hot, just in case I couldn’t find an inexpensive hostel. I needed my money to stretch as far as it could.

I had two hundred and forty-three dollars tucked into my wallet. A backpack with a couple of changes of clothes, toiletries, a few books, and a folder with my important documents—birth certificate, social security card, diploma, and immunization records. The trash bag and duffel held the rest of my meager belongings.

That was it.

As soon as I arrived wherever I ended up, I needed to get a job. Any job. I couldn’t afford to be picky.

Maybe even two jobs since I was willing to work long hours.

I’d save every extra dollar until I could afford a car. Something that meant I had a place to crash if I outstayed my welcome anywhere—with the added bonus of being transportation too.

Needing help wasn’t an option because there was no one left to ask.

The plan was simple enough to be comforting.

It was also terrifying with how easily it could fall apart.

But it was all I had for now.

1

ELODIE

Over the past year, I’d gotten farther from my hometown than I ever expected. I had stayed in a couple of big cities, where I enjoyed the anonymity, but it hadn’t taken long for me to realize they weren’t what I wanted long term. I felt less lonely surrounded by people who liked to get into each other’s business, so I stuck with smaller towns as I made my way west.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >24

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Moby – A Whale Shifter Romance Read Online Jessa Kane http://www.ilovenovels.com/moread-online-a-whale-shifter-romance-read-online-jessa-kane Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:40:35 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/moread-online-a-whale-shifter-romance-read-online-jessa-kane Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Insta-Love, Magic, Novella, Paranormal, Virgin Authors: Jessa Kane Advertisement

Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 26013 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 130(@200wpm)___ 104(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >27

Darla is desperate to escape her overbearing parents on their Hawaiian vacation. Who could have expected a whale to swim up beside her on a boating excursion and become her closest confidant? There is something about the whale's soulful gray eyes and powerful demeanor that she finds intriguing, but alas, she must return to shore with the rest of the humans. Later that evening, however, when a seven-foot-tall man with an odd dialect approaches Darla on the beach, there is something strangely familiar about him...

Moby never intended to utilize his power to shift from a whale to a human. Until he met Darla, that is. The little human with the melodic voice and a body that grips him with sensual urges. Urges he has now come to land to fulfill—and fulfill them he will. But when Moby is harpooned by love, he must confess his true identity to Darla...and even worse, that his time on land is limited. Unless Moby and Darla can together break a decade-old curse...and keep him human forever

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

One

Darla

Islide down the side of the whale watching boat until my butt lands on the deck, gathering my bent knees to my chest. Ocean spray dampens my face as the vessel pitches sideways, dipping down low between two waves, then high again, like a diabolical seesaw. Thanking God I took two motion sickness pills before my parents dragged me on this horrific expedition, I close my eyes and imagine the dry, stable land.

I’ll never take it for granted again.

The only good thing I have going for me right now is that my travel companions are gathered on the other side of the ship, where I don’t have to listen to them. I’m on “vacation” with my wealthy parents, plus another, equally rich family, and their pissing contest about who has the more superior yacht docked in Monte Carlo has sent me as far away from them as possible, being that we’re confined to a small commercial boat.

In fact, whale watching is not my parents’ style at all. They’re more of a canapes on the sundeck type. But the other family, the one who accompanied us on our annual trip to Hawaii, have a son who wanted to see the whales.

He’s the main reason I’m hiding.

I tilt my head back and rest it on the hollow, white metal wall, breathing in deeply through my nose, trying to quell the helplessness of being in the middle of the ocean, miles from the sanctuary of my hotel room. The helplessness that comes with knowing my parents didn’t bring me on vacation to spend time with me.

They set me up.

My right knee begins to protest my position, and I straighten it out in front of me with a groan. A pitiful sound that not many eighteen-year-olds make. Not many eighteen-year-olds have survived a head-on collision with another jet ski, either. Yet another reason I’m not exactly thrilled to be pitching side to side on the surface of the ocean, but at least the odds of us crashing into anything in the middle of the sea are low.

Right?

There’s a collective exclamation on the opposite side of the boat, and I smile lightly, despite the loneliness weighing down my chest. They must have spotted a whale. I should probably head over there and share in their excitement.

I don’t move a muscle.

Gosh. I wish I had someone to talk to.

I was going to use this vacation as an opportunity to gather inspiration for Beautiful Scars, but when I arrived and realized my parents had a totally different goal in mind, all my motivation seeped straight out through my pores.

Closing my eyes, I wish for a speedy end to this whale watching trip.

When I open them again, I blink twice. Thrice. Five more times.

Surely, I’m seeing things.

That isn’t a whale head sticking up out of the water.

No, wait. It totally is. That’s an honest-to-goodness blue whale, if I’m not mistaken.

It’s gigantic—and I can only see the top of it! The giant creature’s mouth follows a natural curve that is reminiscent of a smirk, his single eye trained on me.

Rather impatiently.

“Uh. Whoa.” I sit up straighter, wondering if I should yell or sound some kind of alarm? I’ve never been whale watching before, but I’m pretty sure you’re only supposed to catch glimpses of the enormous mammals. This kind of prolonged contact can’t be typical. Whales don’t just pop out and stare at the boat passengers, like they’re trying to communicate something.

And if this one is trying to communicate something, it’s attitude.

“Um. Are you supposed to g-get this close?” I stutter, lamely, scooting my knees back tight to my chest, despite the spears of pain in my knee. “Should I…get someone who knows what they’re doing?”

Is it my imagination or does the whale roll his eye at me?

“Oh, you’re annoyed? My parents brought me on this vacation under false pretenses. We were going to take sunset hikes and make our own grass skirts, but what they really wanted was to set me up with Leonardo, the son of their rich friends.”

The mouth of the mighty creature stretches open and closed.

Was that a yawn?

I’ve just been yawned at by a blue whale.

“You know what? Just go away.”

Using my elbows, I push myself up the wall of the boat, attempting to stand, but my knee has been bent too long and doesn’t cooperate. I slip back down and land on my butt again with a thud. Great. I’ve embarrassed myself in front of this dickhead whale.

Don’t ask me how I know it’s a male. I just know. Oddly, though, he is now watching me now with a solemn air, rather than an impatient one.

“Don’t you dare feel bad for me,” I say, massaging my knee, which has long, curving puckered scars from multiple surgeries. They’ve been connected by a tattoo in the form of a star constellation. My very first project for Beautiful Scars was my own. “It’s just stiff,” I explain to the whale. “It’ll loosen up in a minute.”

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Raven in Midwinter – Raven of the Woods Read Online Mary Calmes http://www.ilovenovels.com/raven-in-midwinter-raven-of-the-woods-read-online-mary-calmes Wed, 07 Jan 2026 10:40:17 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/raven-in-midwinter-raven-of-the-woods-read-online-mary-calmes Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi, M-M Romance, Magic, Paranormal Authors: Mary Calmes Advertisement

Total pages in book: 50
Estimated words: 47894 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 239(@200wpm)___ 192(@250wpm)___ 160(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >50

Sometimes the most frightening thing is not the wind howling through the trees…but what’s lurking there.

Xander Corey is certain that what his husband, Lorne MacBain, the chief of police in their little town of Osprey, is seeing outside their kitchen window is nothing to worry about. It’s concerning that whenever Xander looks, there’s nothing there, but really, it could be anything. Why borrow trouble and assume the worst? Besides, it’s midwinter, after all, and everything is sleeping.

Or should be.

And while during the deep, dark days and even darker nights, things can get spooky, that’s not to say that logical minds won’t prevail, even when tested at the most vulnerable time. Remaining steadfast in the face of danger is what guardians do… and staying alive would certainly help as well

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

ONE

Every year, sometime in the weeks after the first of January, the snow that had been festive and evocative of joyous holidays becomes, all at once, almost spooky.

“Xander Corey,” my best friend Amanda would snap at me. “I hate it when you say things like that and make me scared to walk around outside at night.”

That was not my intention, but it was true nonetheless.

I suspected that if you lived in a city or even a suburb, accumulations of winter were more bothersome than anything else. It wasn’t scary, just a nuisance to walk in, shovel off sidewalks, or blow out of a driveway. But in small towns, on roads not maintained by the county, or if your land abutted a nature preserve, the blanket of white was so high that on certain days it was hard to see where the land ended and the sky began, making it effortless for people to let their imaginations run wild.

My grandfather surmised, when he used to stand in the sunroom with me, looking at the collected powder on the glass above us, that it was the way the snow insulated everything, smothering out sounds, twisting perception. When the expected silence was broken by a noise and you couldn’t immediately pinpoint the source, it created dread.

My grandmother believed that with the world being all one color, you noticed things easier, faster, and that put one on edge. Jumping at shadows, even during the day.

My beloved, my husband, Lorne MacBain, told me it was the incessant days of winter—everything the same, cold and wet with snow, wind, and sleet—and the drudgery of it all that played havoc on the mind. It was hard to get one’s bearings when it felt like you were in an endless loop. It muddled the brain, anything out of the ordinary becoming cause for alarm.

I wasn’t sure what I believed, but whereas lots of people I knew were tired and even a bit depressed in the frozen landscape under the blanched sky, the sameness never bothered me. Winter was for hibernation, simple as that. One was supposed to stay inside and rest. The animals had it right. It was madness to worry about what was going on outside. Only the den mattered. Unfortunately, most of us, myself included, couldn’t afford to stay inside. I was luckier than others as almost everything I needed could be found at home—Corvus was fairly self-sustaining—which was why I took care baskets to people in the winter, something that was always met with much happiness and thanks.

The thing that could be helped in the winter was their terrible mindset that came the second of January, it was time to kick the new year into gear and get on with putting all their resolutions into place. They felt that big plans were supposed to be acted on immediately, especially those that required cleaning, exercise, or some massive project. Really? In midwinter? So fighting every natural instinct to rest and conserve strength during the coldest, darkest part of the year was the right thing to do? I was horrified by the very idea that January was the time to start anything at all. Work yes, anything else…absolutely not.

“Everyone thinks so,” Lorne chimed in, yawning. “All I hear when I’m in town is that you must start the new year off right and strong and stick to your resolutions. I feel like the time for that is in March or something. Don’t you?”

“Of course. That’s what spring is for.” I stood next to him in the kitchen, him sipping tea, me rinsing the breakfast dishes, since he’d cooked.

“A lot of people have trouble in the winter, and that’s not even counting those who suffer from seasonal affective disorder. As a police officer, you deal with folks who are in pretty bad shape. It’s better here, where you can deliver most of them back home to people waiting for them. In Boston that wasn’t the case. It gets difficult this time of year.”

“I know.”

After a moment of silence, he said, “Is it me, or does January feel like it’s two months long?”

I chuckled because it did. He wasn’t wrong.

“What day is this?”

“It’s Friday morning, a bit after eleven. And while I’m thrilled to have you home, shouldn’t you be at work?”

“To do what?”

It had begun snowing last Saturday and continued throughout the week. At some point, the temperature dropped below zero and everything went from fluffy powder to heavy, hard ice. Due to that, the main roads had been cleared by snowplows but not much else. People could take the highway to the bigger cities around us where they worked, but here in Osprey, nothing was happening. School was canceled, and the one movie theater was closed, along with all the restaurants and even the pub. The library was shut down too, which was why I was home, and everyone was basically…hibernating.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >50

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Black Willow Witch Read Online Suzanne Wright http://www.ilovenovels.com/black-willow-witch-read-online-suzanne-wright Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:03:45 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/black-willow-witch-read-online-suzanne-wright Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal Authors: Suzanne Wright Series: Series by Suzanne Wright
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Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 134501 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 673(@200wpm)___ 538(@250wpm)___ 448(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >142

"Be the biggest, baddest witch in town so no one ever dares bully you again." That was her grandmother's advice and it's been Emberlyn's law since she was a child. It's kept the local coven at bay - until now...

They're furious she won't give up Black Willow Manor, her grandmother's prized home and worse - that the land beside it and Emberlyn herself has been left to Jax 'Ripper' Stone, a rugged, brooding Alpha werewolf.
The chemistry between them has always been white hot but Ripper knows to be careful with witches- especially one with her reputation. Now they are allies it becomes harder to ignore - Emberlyn calls to him. Drives him to claim her. But danger's closing in, threatening to take her from him.

Not that Emberlyn can't handle it. She's no damsel. Doesn't need a hero. Sometimes, it takes a wicked witch to get things done. And Emberlyn has ever excelled at being wicked.

Welcome to Chilgrave... HEA guaranteed!

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

PROLOGUE

Emberlyn, age seven

Her heart beating superfast, Emberlyn sprinted up the hill. Her leg muscles burned, but she didn’t stop.

So close. They were so close. Running. Panting. Laughing.

They were always laughing. Always whispering and pointing and saying mean stuff to her at school.

Every day they came at her. Shoulders shoved into hers. Feet tripped her up. Stuff got tossed at her head. Hands ‘accidentally’ knocked her pens off the table. And always, always, they’d laugh and call her ‘pathetic’.

Sometimes, other kids in her class laughed along. It made her feel small, embarrassed and alone.

Emberlyn had told her teacher about it. He’d promised to ‘have a word’ with Tyra and her four flying monkeys. But if he had talked to them – and maybe he hadn’t, since Tyra was the daughter of his High Priestess – it hadn’t made a difference.

Then, just yesterday during recess, Tyra had pushed her so hard that she’d fallen into a puddle that had left her with a cold, wet butt.

And again, they’d laughed.

‘You might as well stop, freak!’ yelled Sera, Tyra’s cousin. ‘There’s nowhere to go!’

Well there was somewhere, but Emberlyn wouldn’t be heading into Bloodhill Forest. Not many did – the bullies behind her had nothing on the creatures that roamed it. She just wanted to reach the top of the hill. So she ran and ran and ran, never looking back; worried she’d otherwise trip. But she sensed that they were gaining on her.

She’d known that they would track her down after school today – they’d been angry that she’d talked to the principal again. Not that it had helped. They’d denied everything, and it was her word against theirs. Emberlyn’s word meant nothing to the coven.

Why?

Because she wasn’t part of it, much like her grandmother – a woman they both feared and resented. Okay, so they were right in claiming Millicent was ‘into some pretty dark stuff’ and that she wasn’t the nicest person in the world. But that shouldn’t mean that the coven could be mean to Emberlyn because of it.

When she’d told her grandmother about yesterday’s puddle incident, Millicent’s advice had been simple: If someone pushes you, you push them back harder. A lot harder.

So that’s what Emberlyn would do.

Finally reaching the top of the hill, she came to a stop, raspy breaths bursting in and out of her. She turned on shaky legs, watching as the bullies skidded to a halt.

Tyra smirked, shoving her red braid over her shoulder. ‘Aw, did the little freak run out of steam? How sad.’ She paused, trying to catch her breath. ‘I’d dare you to go cry to your mommy and daddy . . . but you can’t, can you?’

A round of giggles went up, and Emberlyn felt her ears go red.

‘I heard my parents talking about yours,’ said Sera. ‘It isn’t true that your dad got asked to leave town, you know. He cheated on your mom and then left with his side piece.’

Emberlyn did know. Her grandmother had told her all about how she’d cursed that ‘lying, cheating, son of a bitch’.

‘Your mom just couldn’t hack it, could she?’ taunted Tyra. ‘She let herself fade away, not caring that the only person you’d then have would be that psycho you live with. No offense, Ames,’ she added, sliding her gaze to Emberlyn’s very own cousin.

He only grinned. ‘None taken. My Grams is a total psycho – everyone knows that.’

He may think that, but he was super nice to Millicent, the two-faced ass.

Tyra planted her hands on her hips. ‘You got nothing to say, orphan?’

‘Yes.’ Emberlyn smiled sweetly. ‘I just wanted to say “thank you”.’

Tyra’s brows snapped together. ‘For what?’

‘For letting me lure you out here, where no one’ll hear you scream.’ Emberlyn raised her hands and, calling on the lessons that Millicent had given her, sent out her magick in glittering, rippling streams that whirled around and settled on the grass.

Thorny vines sprouted out of the circle of magick . . . then snakes . . . spiders . . . cockroaches . . . toads.

The kids screamed and tried running away but hit an invisible barrier. Trapped, they called to their own magick, zapping the creatures, but it didn’t help. Vines, serpents, insects and toads climbed up their bodies – pricking, biting, stinging.

Two girls started to cry. Sera shrieked like a banshee. Ames fell to the ground, screaming, ‘Get off! Get off!’ at the creatures. As for Tyra . . . she begged Emberlyn to make it stop.

Emberlyn snapped her hands closed, balling them into fists. Like that, the magick settled and the creatures disappeared.

The bullies nervously peeked around, only going quiet when they saw that the hill was clear. Ames awkwardly stood, his knees buckling.

Glaring at them, Emberlyn warned, ‘If there has to be a next time, I won’t make them disappear so fast . . . if at all.’

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Kingdom of Today (Book of Arden #2) Read Online Gena Showalter http://www.ilovenovels.com/kingdom-of-today-book-of-arden-2-read-online-gena-showalter Thu, 25 Dec 2025 22:03:25 +0000 http://www.ilovenovels.com/kingdom-of-today-book-of-arden-2-read-online-gena-showalter Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Magic, Paranormal Authors: Gena Showalter Series: Book of Arden Series by Gena Showalter
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Total pages in book: 123
Estimated words: 114925 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 575(@200wpm)___ 460(@250wpm)___ 383(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >123

From New York Times bestselling author Gena Showalter comes a hauntingly beautiful dystopian fantasy, where ancient powers rise and a fearless young woman must choose between the ruthless prince who tempts her heart—and a destiny that could cost her soul.

When Arden Roosa returns to Fort Bala Royal Academy, nothing is as it was. No longer just a lady-in-training, she’s now the infamous girlfriend of High Prince Cyrus Dolion—and the woman who brought down a king. Her reward? Round-the-clock guards and the attention of a royal executioner with secrets. But Arden has secrets too. As a double agent slipping between worlds to decode forbidden prophecy, she knows what’s coming. Sleeping gods are stirring, and a war igniting. With only a spark, everyone will burn.

But nothing goes according to plan. Grueling trials consume her days, and dangerous questions stalk her nights. Worse, Cyrus—the fierce, unshakable warrior she might love—is unraveling, losing pieces of himself, becoming a stranger right before her eyes. Desperate to save him, Arden strikes a life-altering alliance…and everything spirals. Now the gods are no longer dreaming. They’re hunting. Time is running out, the end closer than anyone dares to admit. Unless Arden can stop what’s coming, Cyrus will open the door to true evil—and she’ll lose him forever

*************FULL BOOK START HERE*************

Prologue

A grinning Cyrus clutches two scarlet-stained daggers.

We stand in a stalemate, the battlefield between us a nightmare of lifeless bodies and scattered limbs bathed in the unflinching light of Theirland’s twin suns. Lavender and gold streak the sky, casting an eerie glow over the blood-soaked earth, where rivers of crimson carve fresh paths through the flatland. Overhead, a restless flock of scavenger birds circles, their shrill cries piercing the thick, heavy silence as they await their feast.

A fresh wave of CURED soldiers floods in, surging from behind the former high prince and hurrying to kill the array of glowers trapped around me. Men and women I admire. Many more will die today if I don’t stop Cyrus. But how do I strike down the man I love?

Is he still the man I love, though?

In the morning’s brightness, I notice his missing facial brand. No sign of it remains, and my guts twist. More evidence of the monster he’s becoming.

“It doesn’t have to end this way, Arden,” he calls.

“You’re right.” I huff and puff my breaths. “Walk away now, and I’ll spare you.”

His grin turns wry as he spreads his arms. Thin, snakelike shadows seep from his fingertips, coil up, and band around his neck. “I admit, your new confidence is adorable.”

“Isn’t it?” I rock on my heels and white-knuckle my sword hilt as I scrutinize my newest enemy. Cyrus is a god of a man in more ways than one. Beautiful, tall, and powerfully built, with features somehow both surprisingly soft and far too harsh. The contradiction fits. He’s always been a paradox. Demanding yet indulgent. Mysterious but open. Perfect in his imperfections. An opponent feared by the world and yet my greatest ally. From the first moment I laid eyes on him, he fascinated me. And now here we are, soldiers on opposite sides of a war I only just realized I’ve been fighting my entire life.

A chorus of grunts, groans, clinking metal, and gunfire rises as his army attacks my allies.

“You won’t kill me.” Urgency whips at my back. “But I will hurt you if you continue on this path.”

He tsks. “You give me too little credit and yourself too much. I will do whatever proves necessary to secure my rule.” A promise he made at the start of this journey. “Join my team. Merciful leader that I am, I’ll give you one more chance. Refuse, and my desire for you will no longer factor into my decisions.”

There is no need to ponder my response. I lift my sword. “I will never help you destroy Soal.”

Cyrus shrugs. “That’s disappointing but not shocking. Just know you chose this, sweetness.”

I jut my chin. “No, sweetie. You chose it.”

He draws in a deep breath, then releases a short, sharp exhalation. “Let’s get to it, then.”

“Yes. Let’s.” Heart a war drum, I run at him.

He runs at me.

We meet in the middle . . .

—The Book of Arden, volume 20, section 18, paragraph 3, verses 5–26

Chapter One

The past cannot be undone, but you can begin again right where you are.

—The Book of Soal 1.23.43.18

“I won’t do it.” The words echoed in the empty train cart as it rattled along a winding track. I stood with my back pressed against a cold metal pole, its unforgiving chill seeping through my shirt. High Prince Cyrus Dolion occupied the space just in front of me, his massive frame a tower of strength. He gripped the bar just above my head, his arms forming an unbreakable cage around me.

“Yes, kitten. You will.” Each gravelly syllable contained the full authority inherent in his title. He searched my eyes, intense to the max, before leaning closer to set his mouth near my ear. “We both know I didn’t issue a request, but a demand.”

My pulse jumped wildly until I felt a heartbeat in every part of my body. “You aren’t the boss of me?” A breathless question when it should have been a firm statement.

“I am indeed the boss of you.” He recaptured my gaze. “I outrank you by miles.”

An undeniable fact. “Fine.” I exaggerated a put-upon sigh. “You’ve convinced me. I’ll do it. I’ll obey the oh-so-important order of a superior officer.” Gliding my palms up his powerful torso to toy with the ends of his silken hair, I confessed, “I will miss you today.”

“You had better, because I’ll be missing you.” He brushed the tip of his nose against mine. “Thinking about you. Craving you.”

The air between us crackled, filling my nostrils with his intoxicating, ambrosial scent. There was no man more striking than Cyrus Dolion, especially when he cranked up his smolder like this. From the dark shadow dusting his firm jaw, to the large handprint branded on the side of his face, to his heavily lashed eyes, aquiline nose, and soft lips, he exuded pure confidence. But then, he was a warrior to his core. Absolute control radiated from every inch of his lean, muscular form, now decked out in fatigues.

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