Surgery Godfather - Chapter 8 - 0007: The Life of a Serf

Three rejections. Three shattered dreams. That was Layla’s reality, all because she was different—a half-shifter in a world obsessed with purity. Ostracized, shunned, and finally sold off like a pawn to the most feared ruler alive—the Lycan King. He was ruthless, a king with a graveyard of brides, each one a ghostly reminder of a fate worse than death.Layla loathed him. Hated the way his gaze cold and fathomless, held no warmth for her. Hated how his touch, both thrilling and terrifying, sent an uninvited chill down her spine.---“I hate you!” I screamed, hands clenched so tight my knuckles ached.He sighed, a smirk curling at the edge of his lips, his tone mocking as he closed his book with a deliberate snap. “Stressed, are we?” he asked, strolling toward me, each step reminding me exactly who held the power here.“Lucky for you,” he drawled, rolling up his sleeves as he stopped just inches away, “I know exactly 70 ways to ease those nerves.” His fingers brushed my cheek, a touch that seemed to burn into my skin. “The first… a hug.” His voice dropped to a rough whisper as he leaned in, breath hot against my ear. “And the rest... well, that's 69? what do you say about that?”I swallowed hard, my heart thudding wildly as he tilted his head, waiting for me to react, that insufferable smirk still in place.“What’s the matter, darling?” he murmured, a taunt lingering in his gaze.---A Dangerous ObsessionCan she resist the pull, or will she dance into the flames of her own destruction?A dark dive into obsession, raw need, and the razor’s edge between desire and devastation.---LYCAN KING CASSIANI will tear her apart piece by piece, feeding the wildfire that grips her with each shuddered breath. Like air to flame, I’ll claim every inch, drawing heat from her skin until it sinks into her bones.Her pulse will race under my hands, her breaths shallow, pleading. Her eyes may scream, but her lips will still murmur my name. That first taste of fear will only feed something deeper—a need that burns through her veins, molten and fierce.And just when she’s too far gone to turn back, I’ll twist the knife, giving her the pain she’s learned to crave.She’ll be the moth to my flame, helpless against the very thing that will consume her.

[Mature Content: NO RAPE]Let’s make a deal!“Two months, if we can survive each other in the period of two months, I will marry you without objection!”…Twenty-two-year-old Evelyn Darkwood never imagined that going to her late father’s will-reading would have resulted in a rivalry between her and her siblings. That they would become a danger to her—one who sought after her life. She never thought that her life would take such a twisted turn so quickly. And what’s worse, she comes to find out that she’d been betrothed to a man she didn’t know and had never met. Zayne Mancini.The wealthiest man. A man whose power and fame were no joke. A man who possibly could be the only one capable of protecting her. Strong, cold, frightening, all this he was and despite the danger written all over him, Evelyn felt a strange connection, hot and burning. Zayne Mancini wanted her—his betrothed (a human who was his mate) and he was going to make her his, no matter how stubborn she wanted to be about it. Fascinating, thrilling, all this she was to him—like a spark to ignite his boring life. Evelyn Darkwood was a whole package that he was slowly going to bring undone. A woman he wouldn’t think twice of burning the world for. A woman he would give his whole being to. All she had to say was,“I do”

In her seven years of marriage, she and her husband click perfectly well, sharing a loving and sweet relationship.

Some exist with pride, others struggle with pride, some compete with pride, and there are those who fail with pride, but very few can walk away with pride.Congratulations, for as you read these lines, you have witnessed the whole lives of many great basketball players.This pronunciation was embodied when Stephen Curry, after facing defeat in 2021, claimed that no one would want to face them the following season; When Tim Duncan was convinced before the start of the 2014 Finals that they would not mess up; When Kobe Bryant promised at Old Buss's memorial to take the Lakers to the playoffs; When Nowitzki, shedding his label as a soft player, retreated to the locker room in tears at night; When Kevin Garnett let out a skyward howl after holding the championship trophy; When the 2004 Detroit Pistons won and the F4 Lakers lost…Our story begins in an era when pride still mattered.