Valkyrie's Shadow - Chapter 16Winter’s Crown: Act 1,

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

Romance Carnival 1st Prize. BEWARE THE FURY OF A PATIENT WOMAN. Rosalind Lux died after learning of her husband and sister’s betrayal. And just as she thought she finally found peace, she woke up forty years before her death. With memories from her past life intact, Rosalind vowed revenge. Her plans quickly brought her into the arms of a Duke whose enticing gaze contained mysteries that threatened not just her plans but her heart and body. …. BEWARE THE LOVE OF A CURSED MAN. Punished by the Goddess for his greed, Lucas Benjamen Rothley had been guarding the North for as long as he could remember. For hundreds of years, no woman has ever stirred his heart. That was until the fearsome Rosalind Lux stumbled into his life. Soon, he realized Rosalind wasn’t quite the damsel that she liked everyone to believe. She is hiding a secret so dark it could either end his curse or throw his life amiss.

By the time Li Qingran realized she had been transplanted into a book, she had already muddled through seventeen years.Growing up together as childhood sweethearts with the male protagonist Xie Ying’an, their relationship was rather passable.Endowed with the halo of the male lead, Xie Ying’an was like a hacked character from birth: good-looking, from a good family, with good academics...Li Qingran vaguely remembers that she was a female supporting character in the book, whose ending was not good due to constantly making trouble for the female protagonist.Li Qingran shuddered, feeling all too familiar with this plot; getting involved or not could both lead to trouble, so she needed to come up with some strategies to cope...PS: Unrequited love theme, male and female leads are high school students, and they do not engage in early romance.

Cheated on by her fiancé weeks before their wedding, Sara, vowed to never love again. Men could not be trusted, especially with a woman's heart. She had made the mistake once, and that was more than enough for her. Never again would she make the same mistake to give her heart to another.But her resolve began to waver when she came across her new boss, Alexander Legend, a man whose reputation in his expertise and ruthlessness in business preceded him. Respected and feared by many, but to Sara, he was an annoying pest she wished she never met. Too persisted for her liking yet, she finds herself falling, slowly melting in his presence. Getting used to his stolen kisses and hugs and sometimes anticipating them.°°°°°Excerpts“You will fall for me, Sara. One day, I'll have your heart too,” Alex drawled. His voice had a seductive allure that had her heart racing. The fact that his hand was leisurely resting around her waist didn't help her either.“Try as much as you want to,” despite her body begging for his touch, Sara was determined to reject him today and any other day. She couldn't make the same mistake again. “You won't succeed in your seduction. NOT NOW. NOT EVER.”Alex smirked, kissed behind her ear and her body trembled, much to his satisfaction. That was all he needed to keep purising the stubborn woman in his arms right now. “We shall see, Miss Ambrose,” he cooed and then released her. He returned to his seat and asked in a professional tone. “What is my schedule for today?”