In the shadows of the modern world, a dangerous game of betrayal, revenge, and secrets unfolds. Darian Blackwood, a billionaire with multiple identities, harbors a dark secret: he is a vampire, cursed to live in the shadows for centuries. Haunted by past sins and driven by a need for vengeance, Darian will stop at nothing to reclaim what was stolen from him. When he crosses paths with Serah, a woman unknowingly tied to his past, their worlds collide in a whirlwind of danger, passion, and discovery. As the echoes of betrayal reverberate through their lives, both must navigate the thin line between redemption and damnation. In a world where the past never truly dies and darkness lurks at every corner, will Darian's thirst for revenge consume him, or will love be his salvation? Crimson Echoes is a tale of power, passion, and the shadows that linger long after the storm has passed.
Rain spilled from the sky like it was trying to wash away the sins of the city. Flashing red and blue lights bathed the pavement in an ominous glow as Detective Serah Blake stepped beneath the yellow tape and stared up at the towering penthouse before her.
"Third floor. Corner suite," Officer Langford said, meeting her at the entrance. His voice was low, steady - but his eyes betrayed something deeper. "You're going to want to see this one yourself."
Serah didn't respond. She adjusted her coat, her fingers brushing against the cold metal of her badge before stepping into the elevator. The place reeked of wealth - glass floors, golden elevators, and a scent too pristine to be anything natural.
When the doors opened, the air changed. Thick. Still. Like a cathedral before a storm.
She entered the suite.
The body lay on pristine marble. Pale. Cold. Lifeless. But it wasn't the dead man that made her stomach turn. It was the look of ecstasy frozen on his face - like death had been a lover who kissed too hard.
And then there were the bite marks.
Not jagged like a dog. Clean. Precise. Two puncture wounds, right on the carotid.
"No blood," Serah muttered, crouching beside the corpse.
"Not a drop anywhere," Langford confirmed. "EMTs say he was drained."
Serah stood, her eyes scanning the penthouse. Sleek furniture. A sculpture of a phoenix in mid-rise. And by the floor-to-ceiling window stood a man.
Tall. Impeccably dressed. Hands clasped behind his back like he owned the skyline.
"Detective Blake," he said without turning. "I was wondering when you'd arrive."
She approached cautiously. "You the one who called it in?"
He turned.
Darian Cross.
The billionaire.
The face from a hundred magazine covers. The name attached to skyscrapers and tech empires. But in person, he was... something else. Eyes too sharp. Presence too loud, even in silence.
"It's my building. My responsibility," he said. "I found him like this. Called it in immediately."
Serah narrowed her eyes. "You recognize him?"
A pause. "He was a guest at my private auction last night. I don't recall inviting him."
"And yet he was here."
Another pause. Then a smirk that didn't reach his eyes. "Isn't that the nature of mystery?"
She hated riddles. And men who talked like riddles.
"We'll need access to your guest list. Security footage."
"Already sent to your department," he replied smoothly. "I'm fully cooperative, Detective."
She didn't believe him. And yet, something about him was... familiar. Like a song she'd heard in a dream.
As she left the penthouse, rain tapping against the windows like fingers on glass, she couldn't shake the feeling that this case had just opened a door.
And behind it, something was waiting. Watching.
Smiling.
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
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.
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?