
Introduction
I'm Amara Blake. At home, I'm nothing. The unwanted daughter. The mistake living in my sister's shadow. A spare part for Nina. Scorned by my mother, unnoticed by my father, reminded every day that my only worth is keeping myself "pure" for Nina's sake.
But with him purity doesn't exist. Professor Black doesn't see me as a burden. He sees me as temptation. A secret waiting to be explored. Every time I walk into his office, I feel the weight of his gaze—hungry, dangerous, claiming.
I shouldn't want him. I shouldn't crave the way his voice curls against my skin like a promise of sin.
But I do. And when his hands finally touch me, I realize one truth: I'm no angel. I was made to burn.
Chapter 1
AMARA POV
His hand slid up my thigh, firm and unyielding, dragging heat along my skin.
I sucked in a shaky breath as his broad frame hovered over me, shadow swallowing me whole. Roman Black's mouth was at my ear, his voice low, sinful, the kind that made every nerve in my body bend to him.
"Do you know what you do to me, Amara?"
God, the way his hips pressed down against mine, the way his chest pinned me to the desk, claiming every inch of me like I already belonged to him. My fingers curled tight, desperate to hold on to something real. His scent was leather and mint, intoxicating, and I swore if he moved any closer, I'd dissolve under him.
His thumb stroked my waist, slow, deliberate, leaving fire burn through me. My body arched on instinct, craving more, begging for more. His lips dragged over my neck, rough stubble scraping against tender skin, and I couldn't stop the shiver that ripped through me.
I gasped when he pushed harder into me, that heavy weight grinding against me, my heart slamming against my ribs like it might tear out. My thighs trembled. My pulse stuttered.
The sound slipped out before I could swallow it back.
A moan. Soft. Barely there.
But it was enough.
I jolted back to myself at once. I pressed my legs tightly together.
The desk in front of me. My notebook open. My pen in my hand. The dull scratch of chalk against the board. My chest rose and fell too quickly as reality hit me like a bucket of ice water.
Beside me, the girl with curly hair nudged my elbow, biting back a smirk, her brows raised like she'd just caught me in something scandalous.
Heat rushed in my face. I dropped my gaze to the page, bowing my head as if the words there could open and swallow me whole.
When I dared to lift my eyes again, He was there.
Roman Black.
Standing at the front of the class, sleeves rolled up, voice like whiskey poured neat, smooth and dangerous. His gaze swept across the room like he a bear searching for his prey.
And then it found me.
Something twisted in my stomach. Not butterflies. Something I can't seem to place my hands on . Gosh I'm done for.
I tore my eyes away, pretending to study the syllabus, but my body betrayed me, every nerve locked onto the way his voice wrapped around certain words, low and heavy, like when he said intimacy.
He didn't flirt. He warned. With nothing more than his presence.
By the end of class, I was the last still lingering, shoving papers into my bag. I told myself it was an accident. It wasn't.
"Miss…"
His voice cut through the quiet, low and commanding.
"Blake," I offered, throat dry, pulse hammering.
"Stay a moment."
I did. Because maybe I was stupid. Or reckless. Or just lonely enough to want to hear what he'd say next.
He moved closer. Not touching. But close enough that I could breathe in the mint of his coat. Power radiated off him, slow, heavy, deliberate.
"You've read ahead," he said quietly. "Your eyes gave you away during the discussion. Tell me… did you agree with the ending?"
I swallowed hard. "No."
"Why not?"
My gaze lifted, caught by his. Storm-dark. Controlled. Dangerous.
"Because I don't believe people walk away when they're burning," I whispered.
His jaw flexed, something unspoken flashing through his expression, intrigue, surprise or something darker.
The silence stretched, dangerous, almost suffocating.
"You should go," he said finally, stepping back.
But as I turned, his voice followed, low and rough, not meant for me to hear:
"Curious little thing."
And God help me… I smiled.
I walked out into the fading light of late afternoon, heart pounding in my throat.
The campus buzzed with life, but I felt strangely apart from it. Like I was on a different planet, orbiting alone.
Then I heard it.
"Oh my God, is that your outfit, Amara?"
Laughter. High-pitched. Cruel.
I stiffened.
A group of girls stood by the fountain …hair glossy, lips painted, laughter sharp as razors. I knew them. Everyone did. They were the daughters of senators, CEOs, ministers. Girls who smiled sweetly in selfies and spat poison the second the camera clicked off. The elite. The untouchables.
They called themselves Sassy. God knows why.
And in the middle of them, like a rose among thorns, was my sister.
Nina.
Her arms were crossed, an awkward smile curling her lips. "Guys, stop. She's just…you know. Quiet."
One of them snorted. "Quiet? Or invisible?"
Another chimed in. "Or just poor."
The words sliced through me like cold glass.
Nina glanced over and caught my eye. Her smile faltered, not with guilt. With embarrassment.
She always hated being reminded we were sisters.
I shifted my gaze away, willing the sting in my eyes to fade. My fingers tightened on the strap of my bag.
"Are you walking home?" one of the girls called.
They already knew the answer.
Nina stepped forward suddenly, her voice too loud. "You want a ride, Amara?"
It was performative. A spotlight offer. One she knew I'd never take. Not in front of her friends. Not when they were already laughing.
I shook my head without looking back. "I'm fine."
"Suit yourself," someone muttered, smirking.
Behind me, I heard the purr of an engine, Nina's driver pulling up in her sleek, air-conditioned car. She always got picked up. I always walked.
Twins, some used to think.
But we were nothing alike.
She lived in the sun.
I crawled through her shadows.
The walk home was quiet. But inside me, it wasn't.
Every footstep echoed like a warning, every gust of wind curled around my bare neck like horror. My thoughts drifted back to Professor Black, the way his voice dropped when he spoke to me, like he didn't want anyone else to hear. The way he looked at me, not like a man looks at a girl.
Like a beast recognizing something it wants to devour.
You've read ahead… Your eyes gave you away…
My chest tightened. No one ever noticed that about me. Not even Nina.
But he did.
And that made him dangerous.
I adjusted my backpack, picking up my pace. My legs were starting to ache, and the neighborhood around me began to change, buildings cracked, air colder, windows darker. Home wasn't far now.
Unfortunately.
I crossed the street, hands trembling, my heartbeat rising with each step. My feet slowed, even though I tried to will them forward. The closer I got, the heavier everything became.
My breath sounded loud in my ears. My legs wobbled. My hands trembled against the strap of my bag. My mind screamed at me to turn back.
But I couldn't.
I never could.
Home wasn't a place.
It was a warning.
And tonight, like every other night, I'd have to face it.
The metal gate creaked open. I offered the gateman a small smile as I stepped through.
"Good evening, sir," I mumbled.
He nodded, gaze flicking toward the long driveway behind me.
Luxurious cars lined the front, imported, polished. Among them, Nina's black Benz gleamed under the porch light.
She was already home.
Of course she was.
Our parents were wealthy. Painfully so. But money doesn't buy warmth. Or answers. Or the smallest explanation for why I was treated like furniture in my own house.
I walked slowly toward the entrance, each step feeling like a countdown.
Ten steps.
Nine.
Eight
I gripped the edge of my shirt with one hand, chest tightening.
Six,
Five,
I closed my eyes at the doorstep. Just for a moment. To prepare.
Three.
Two.
I opened the door.
And stepped into hell.
The first words that hit me were sharp, careless, echoing from the hallway:
"The doctor said we have to get the surgery done soon. This can't wait."
Then came a voice even colder.
"And who's going to break the news to Her? Her?"
Her.
I didn't even need to ask who her was.
Last Chapters
#150 Chapter 150
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#149 Chapter 149
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#148 Chapter 148
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#147 Chapter 147
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#146 Chapter 146
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#145 Chapter 145
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#144 Chapter 144
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#143 Chapter 143
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#142 Chapter 142
Last Updated: 5/23/2026#141 Chapter 141
Last Updated: 5/23/2026
You Might Like 😍
A Queen Among Tides (Book 5 in the Gods' Saga)
Shocked to find he's been bound in more ways than one to Sebastian, the future King to the Kingdom of Atlesper, Lemuel resists Sebastian's advances at every turn, believing this may be one pairing Goddess Zarseti got wrong.
Lemuel will have to face his past in hopes of starting a new future, but an overly flirtatious King is the least of his worries when he learns Sebastian's parents are convinced that a conniving usurper disguised as a curvy blonde, is the future king's true soulmate.
A Queen Among Tides is the 5th book in the Queen Among Series/The Gods' Saga. This is an interconnected series. To see how it ends, I recommend reading the full series.
Books in the series order:
A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1
Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2
A Queen Among Blood - Book 3
A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4
Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off (available under book 1)
A Queen Among Tides - Book 5
Valor, Virtue, and Verve - Tides Prequel Spin-off (will be available under book 5)
A Queen Among Gods - Book 6
Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel (will be available under book 2)
A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7
Dark Vocation - Darkness spin-off (will be available under book 4)
A Court of Arcane Souls Anthology (side character short stories exclusive to Ream)
Royal Shadow Series (Next Gen Coming Soon)
The Unwritten Princess
My name is Mia, and everything I touch is dying.
The flowers beneath my mother's window turned black overnight. The herbs I gathered at dawn rotted in my hands. When the court wizard finally told me the truth—that someone cursed me, that my presence would kill everyone I love—I realized the prophecy everyone believed was never meant to save the kingdom. It was meant to destroy me.
So I ran. Not to fulfill some destiny, but to survive it.
Now I'm traveling with a hunter who lost his companions to the same curse I carry, chasing fragments of a prophecy the Fae sing differently. An elf took a baby from the palace the night I was born. And somewhere between the lies I've been told and the truth I'm hunting, I'm starting to suspect: What if I'm not the princess from the prophecy at all?
Aphrodite and the Cursed Mate Bond
She finds truth.
Aphrodite is not human at all. She is a rare white wolf, descended from an ancient Direwolf bloodline long believed extinct. The ritual meant to sever her ties awakens her wolf instead and with it comes the scent of five mates bound to her by fate.
The Alpha twins who once scorned her now cannot stay away. A human hunter walks beside her and proves that strength is not born of fangs or dominance. A cursed Wolf King holds the key to her past and her father’s imprisonment. And watching from the shadows is one who was never meant to interfere at all.
As gods fall, packs fracture, and war reshapes the world, Aphrodite must decide what destiny truly means. Is it submission to fate or the courage to choose her own path.
Love does not come in one form. Neither does power.
In a world ruled by gods and wolves, Aphrodite will become something neither ever expected.
Not a queen.
But the axis upon which the world turns.
Accardi
“I thought you said you were done chasing me?” Gen mocked.
“I am done chasing you.”
Before she could formulate a witty remark, Matteo threw her down. She landed hard on her back atop his dining room table. She tried to sit up when she noticed what he was doing. His hands were working on his belt. It came free of his pants with a violent yank. She collapsed back on her elbows, her mouth gaping open at the display. His face was a mask of sheer determination, his eyes were a dark gold swimming with heat and desire. His hands wrapped around her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the table. He glided his fingers up her thighs and hooked several around the inside of her panties. His knuckles brushed her dripping sex.
“You’re soaking wet, Genevieve. Tell me, was it me that made you this way or him?” his voice told her to be careful with her answer. His knuckles slid down through her folds and she threw her head back as she moaned. “Weakness?”
“You…” she breathed.
Genevieve loses a bet she can’t afford to pay. In a compromise, she agrees to convince any man her opponent chooses to go home with her that night. What she doesn’t realize when her sister’s friend points out the brooding man sitting alone at the bar, is that man won’t be okay with just one night with her. No, Matteo Accardi, Don of one of the largest gangs in New York City doesn’t do one night stands. Not with her anyway.
The Hockey Alpha's Fake Girlfriend
Then there’s Rafael. Dark. Untouchable. The boy everyone talks about but no one really knows. He should be the last person Vivienne gets close to, yet she can’t look away. He pulls her in with a kind of danger that feels both terrifying and safe, like he sees the parts of her no one else can.
But Rafael carries secrets—secrets that could destroy them both. And the closer Vivienne gets, the harder it is to tell if he’s her way out… or the reason she never escapes.
The Vampire Prince's Hybrid Bride
Vengeance of the Forsaken Luna
"Bella." Ethan's tone shifted, taking on that warning edge I knew too well. "Faye is vulnerable right now. She's terrified you'll resent her, that this will divide the pack. The last thing she wants is for this baby to come between us."
"Then you shouldn't have done it." I met his eyes squarely, letting him see the ice in mine. "Go back to your son."
"For fuck's sake." He dragged a hand through his hair. "How many times—it was artificial insemination. They used my sperm, yes, but Faye and I never—"
Bella let out a cold snort. Such brazen lies. Her mate had an affair with his brother's partner, and his entire family helped force her out with nothing, all to make way for the mistress to take her rightful position. Poor fool—he thought she was just an unwanted adopted daughter, easy to dismiss and control. He never knew the computer genius he'd been searching for was his own Luna.
Since he'd tainted himself, Bella was done. She rejected him and reclaimed what was hers, rising to the top with help from Victor, who'd been secretly in love with her for years.
When Ethan tried winning her back: "You don't want our child growing up fatherless."
Bella smiled mockingly. "The child's father isn't you."
Lightborn: The Demon’s Bond
Bound by the Dragon Mafia
The head chef looked like he was silently praying for death.
I rushed forward. “Amara. Stop traumatizing these poor people.”
She spun around, delighted. “Sera! Good, you’re here. Taste this. It’s missing despair.”
The chef’s face morphed into existential crisis.
I grabbed her arm. “Put the spatula down.”
“But—”
“Down.”
With exaggerated offense, she dropped the spatula and muttered, “Fine. But if no one here has artistic vision, that’s not my fault.”
She went undercover to expose a mafia empire.
He offered her thirty nights to save her life.
When investigative journalist Seraphine Vale steps into the glittering underworld ruled by billionaire crime lord Dante Vescari, she thinks she’s chasing a story about missing women and corruption.
Instead, she uncovers a secret older than blood—an empire built on fire, sin, and dragons.
Bound to Dante by a forbidden pact, Seraphine finds herself caught between fear and desire, truth and temptation.
Each night pulls her deeper into his world of power, passion, and danger…
and closer to the monster hiding beneath his perfect skin.
Thirty nights. One bond.
And a love that might just burn the world to ash.
Bound by Fate, Freed by Choice
Her escape leads her to Alpha Rowan, the commanding leader of the Blackwood Pack, who offers shelter, protection, and an unexpected chance at a new life. But Rowan’s fierce and jealous fiancée sees Lyla as a threat, and the pack’s charming Beta is drawn to her quiet strength.
As a dangerous attraction simmers between Lyla and Rowan, they begin to unravel a dark web of secrets that implicates Kaiden and threatens both their worlds.
With her hidden power awakening, Lyla must navigate treacherous loyalties, face the alpha who shattered her, and decide: Will she follow the destiny fate forced upon her, or claim the love and strength she has chosen for herself?
Bound By Power, Torn By Love
She regards him as her only salvation, but he regards her as a pawn for revenge. When two enemies dance on the sharp knife, what will be the final outcome?
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother
"What is wrong with me?
Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?
It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.
He’s my boyfirend’s brother.
This is Tyler’s family.
I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.
**
As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.
Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.
When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.
I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.
**
I hate girls like her.
Entitled.
Delicate.
And still—
Still.
The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.
Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.
I shouldn’t care.
I don’t care.
It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.
It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.
I’m not here to rescue anyone.
Especially not her.
Especially not someone like her.
She’s not my problem.
And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.
But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.












