Ruby Vincent – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read

Ruby Vincent – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:15:03 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 http://www.books2020.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/favicon.png Ruby Vincent – Read Books Online Free Ebooks good best novels to read http://www.books2020.com 32 32 Double Bluff – Why Choose Romantic Mystery Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/double-bluff-why-choose-romantic-mystery-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Fri, 03 Apr 2026 23:15:03 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/double-bluff-why-choose-romantic-mystery-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Suspense Authors: Ruby Vincent Advertisement

Total pages in book: 173
Estimated words: 163802 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 819(@200wpm)___ 655(@250wpm)___ 546(@300wpm)

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Evil twins are supposed to be something out of a bad fantasy novel, but not for me.My mirror is a monster. A gaslighting narcissist who framed me for an act of bullying so vicious, our mother threw me out of the house and snatched my inheritance from me on the way out the door.
Ten years later, Mother is dying, and my life is a disaster. My apartment is a shithole. I'm thousands of dollars in debt, and my boss says if I quit, or dump him, he'll show the world the "videos" we made when I thought I was in love with the bastard.
One day, my sister shows up at my crappy apartment, begging me to come back and fulfill Mother's wish of seeing me one final time. I gave in. I got in her car.

That was my first mistake.

The deer came out of nowhere. There wasn't even time to brake.
I woke up hours later bleeding, broken, and sitting next to a dead body.
I panicked... then I had an idea.
When the cops arrived, I was alone. They looked through the purse in the back. They read the registration. They asked me if I was my sister, and I said yes.

That was my second mistake.

That night, the police drove me to the mansion on the hill. Inside, my sister's husbands, each more gorgeous and heart-breakingly charming than the last, welcomed me as their wife. My sister's daughter hugged and called me Mommy. My mother smiled at me, looking at me as her perfect child, and not the one she threw away.
And just like that, I took her life like my sister took mine. I stepped into the role of perfect wife, mother, and daughter, and that...
...that was the mistake that killed us all.

Double Bluff is a dark romance with mystery, heavy themes, and no choosing required

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

Chapter One

“The trapdoor was sabotaged. When Colin stood on it, it gave way and he fell eight feet... onto the small steel pipe sticking out of the floor—”

“Ms. Kim—”

“It impaled him through the throat,” I cried. “He’s been paralyzed from the neck down ever since, changing the course of his life forever. And mine.”

“Ms. Kim, I—”

“But it turned out students had been sneaking under the stage to smoke, drink, and hook up for years, so a couple months before it happened, the headmaster had the whole place rigged with cameras. And when they checked those cameras, who did they see sneaking around under the stage, messing with the trapdoor?

“Me!” I burst out, making him jump. “He saw me, except it wasn’t me! It was Sue. She sabotaged the stage. She nearly killed Colin. And she set me up to fall for it, knowing that no one was going to believe it was the fault of my evil fucking twin.”

He sighed, rubbing the bridge of his nose. “I understand that—”

“Do you?” I sliced in. “Do you understand that the headmaster grilled me for hours? Demanding to know what possible reason my sister would have for entering the grounds of a school she didn’t even go to, just to play a vicious prank on a guy she didn’t even know? A guy who just happened to be beating me out for valedictorian?

“He didn’t believe a word out of my mouth,” I scoffed. “And it didn’t help that my own mother sat in his office and said my accusations were ridiculous. Sue was across town working on her lessons with her math tutor. She was never anywhere near Titan Prep.

“I tried to tell them that she absolutely could and would do those horrible things. That any alibi she gave was false and coerced, and that Soo Min Kim is the most evil, manipulative, cold-hearted bitch that ever walked the face of the earth. I told them,” I cried, speaking over another attempt to interrupt me, “that only a few days before Colin’s accident, Sue cornered me coming out of my room.

“She hissed at me that I didn’t deserve my acceptance to Yale. That I only got in because I forced Omma to send me to a different, and better, high school. I got to ‘cheat’ my way to the top without her there to outshine me, and if it wasn’t for that, she’d be going to Yale and not me.

“I dismissed her as the jealous bitch she was, but—but I should’ve known,” I rasped, voice cracking, “that Sue always gets the last word.”

“Ms. Kim, please—”

“The headmaster expelled me,” I whispered, eyes stinging, “Yale rescinded my acceptance. No other college would take me, and then Colin’s family sued ours.

“Omma paid them everything they asked out of my trust and college funds. Then, she threw me out.” My voice was dead. “The shame was too much for her. She wanted nothing to do with me. And just like that... my life was over.”

“Ms. Kim,” he said gently. “I truly am very sorry for what happened to you, but, I confess, I don’t understand why you’re telling me this.”

I looked around the small, but cheerful office. Bright, blue walls enveloped us instead of clinical white. Everywhere I looked, there were adorable child-made drawings, and pictures of the babies who grew up to draw them.

“I’m telling you this, Dr. Cormac, because every dream I’ve ever had has been stolen from me. Every single one, except this one. I’ve wanted kids since I was a kid, and I’m tired of waiting. Tired of waiting for my life to start. Tired of waiting for permission to be happy. I want to do this,” I pressed, “but I can’t for thirty thousand dollars.”

I waved the price sheet he handed me in the air. “IVF cannot possibly cost this much.”

“I’m afraid it does.”

“But—but there must be payment plans,” I cried.

“There are—”

“Great,” I pounced. “I’ll do that—”

“—for those with a credit score of seven hundred or higher. Your score is four hundred and two.”

I bit my lip hard, refusing to deflate like the hopes he just popped a hole in. “Please,” I said when I trusted myself. “There has to be something you can do.”

“Well, we haven’t discussed IUI.” Dr. Cormac was as kind as his gentle green eyes, and the smile that was never far from his lips. That’s why I chose him as my doctor. I could hear in his voice that he wanted to help me. “The costs for IUI are greatly reduced. We charge only one thousand two hundred per cycle.”

I was shaking my head before he finished. “I can’t do IUI. One of my tubes is blocked, and the other is badly scarred from the endometriosis. IVF is my only real option.”

“I’m so sorry, forgive me.” He flipped quickly through my file. “I didn’t see that in your file.”

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Advertisement Kingdom of Tricksters and Fools (Kissed by Thorns #1) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/kingdom-of-tricksters-and-fools-kissed-read-online-thorns-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Thu, 26 Feb 2026 08:21:22 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/kingdom-of-tricksters-and-fools-kissed-read-online-thorns-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Alpha Male Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: Kissed by Thorns Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 197
Estimated words: 186911 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 935(@200wpm)___ 748(@250wpm)___ 623(@300wpm)

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Princess Emiana is beauty and grace itself.

Raised in refinement, nursed in tradition, and fashioned into the perfect bride for the shadowed fae King of Wind and Wild.

Too bad that b*tch ain't me.

I’m the poor, lowly, magicless wretch whose desperate sacrifice to save my sister's life resulted in me being captured, cursed, and forced to marry in the princess's place.

Now the king has me in his hold.

There's only one way to break the curse, and return to the siblings and dying mother who need me. Make the cruel, heartless, devastatingly handsome king truly give his love and heart to me.

Impossible is not a word that holds power over me anymore.

Impossible, but I tamed the beast.
Impossible, but I ignited a fierce and fiery passion between us that turned our marriage bed to cinders and set the kingdoms on fire.

Impossible, but I made the biggest mistake of my life.

As war looms on the horizon and everyone I know and love is dragged into destruction, I'll discover the true evil lurking in the kingdom of Wind and Wild, and that she doesn't like to share.

Kingdom of Tricksters and Fools is a Beauty and the Beast retelling and a MF fantasy romance with fae, magic, and curses. This book features dark themes, language, and spicy spice. It is standalone.

Author's This book is a re-release of the same book, Kingdom of Tricksters and Fools, written with a new ending. The book is now standalone, but the story is the same. Only the ending and epilogue is new

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

Chapter One

“Jaclan? Jaclan!”

The eight-year-old stopped spinning wildly on the browning grass and frowned at me. Seemed I interrupted vital business.

“What?”

“The clouds grow heavy. Bring in the sheets, please. Get Gisela to help you.”

“I don’t need help. I can do it myself.” Jaclan ran headfirst through the quilt, swinging and swiping his arms at the fabric, and ended up blinking and confused on the other side.

I hid a smile as I bounced the baby. Jac had been on this independent streak since he started school. No doubt his instructors were filling his head with stern words of how he would soon be the man of the household—tasked with using his magic to protect his mother and sisters, then one day his wife and daughters.

Jac tried again to tackle the quilt and ended up flat on the grass.

His instructors clearly hadn’t known him long enough. It’d be a while yet before this dreamy, clumsy boy untied from the apron strings, and what was wrong with that? A child should be a child. Not a protector. Not a provider.

My eyes drifted over his head to the sign once again plastered on our door. They narrowed.

And not a pawn.

“Ahh,” Savia cooed.

Shaking myself, I settled my squirmy sister in the sling and knelt down in the vegetable patch. It was doing well despite the sorry state of the rest of our small scratch of land. Meliora and I had been forced to ration our water through the dry season, sharing it with the patch. It paid off in enough green beans, radishes, carrots, and squash to make a vegetable soup that would actually fill our bellies that night.

I worked in a steady rhythm of weeding, digging, cleaning, and singing to the baby. My croons carried on the wind, covering the sounds coming through the window overhead.

Fat, stinging pellets of rain struck my back, signaling its final warning to go inside. I rose on aching knees with my basket of goods. Turning around, I found the sheets exactly where I put them and no Jac in sight.

Sighing, I dropped the basket and quickly took them down myself—running inside as the heavens opened. I paused only to rip that cursed sign from my front door. It’d be back again in a few days’ time, then that parchment would meet the same fate.

Jaclan sat at the table with my second-youngest sister and his twin, Gisela.

“—is the rune for water.” He stuck his tongue out, concentrating hard as he drew directly on our worn, splintered table. “See?”

Nodding, Gisela scrunched up her sweet, cherubic face, swiping her unruly golden curls out of the way as she copied him. A wave of such sadness hit me, I would’ve sworn it summoned the crack of thunder that struck that moment.

“Haeowen, look!” Gisela waved at me, bouncing in her seat. Haeowen as in honored sister. The young weren’t allowed to address those older than them by their given names. Not even within families. I didn’t care in the slightest and told her so, but even as a babe there was a seriousness about Gisela—the perfect balance to her wild twin.

She followed the rules. Did things in the right order. Asked permission before taking a step. She sought law, order, and structure in our world of chaos, as if following the rules would one day bring rewards.

Eight years old was too young to shatter her dreams.

“Did I do it right? Is it good?”

A smile tugged on my lips. “That is the best water rune I’ve ever seen. You’re a natural, Gisela.”

My sweet sister beamed so wide, I saw all of her missing teeth. The smile was a dagger through my heart.

“I can’t wait until I go to school with Jac. He says they’re learning mind riding next week. I’ve gotten better. Look!” Gisela spun around, hand up and face scrunched. Not a second passed before a lump of fur and whiskers crawled out from under our threadbare couch.

I laughed as it bounded up to me. “So that was the mewling noise I heard last night. You and Jac said it was Savia.”

The kitten looked at me through too-intelligent eyes. Behind them, was Gisela. Or at least her mind and thoughts pushed into a smaller, weaker being. It was said her namesake, Gisela Raekin of legend, could meld her mind with her familiar and companion, a dragon.

I suspected that was why our Gisela was so taken with mind riding magic. She’d been practicing with the mice and other critters that have long shared our home, since she was practically in swaddling. Successfully melding her mind with an animal the size of a kitten was a grand accomplishment for a child her age. An accomplishment that would name her a prodigy to be praised in the same name as Gisela Raekin.

But the legend she admired was from a time when dragons still existed.

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Advertisement King of Cruelty – A Dark Reverse Harem Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/king-of-cruelty-a-dark-reverse-harem-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Tue, 05 Aug 2025 19:54:47 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/king-of-cruelty-a-dark-reverse-harem-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Alpha Male, Dark Authors: Ruby Vincent Advertisement

Total pages in book: 106
Estimated words: 100791 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 504(@200wpm)___ 403(@250wpm)___ 336(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >106

Just when we thought we won... ...it all went wrong.

Our enemy is stronger, smarter, and more ruthless than we ever gave them credit for.
It's a fight for our lives and our city, and they've made it clear that it doesn't end until only one of us is left standing.

I was born in Cinco City. I suffered in Cinco City. I fought, scraped, cried, and bled in Cinco City, and all the time, I did it alone.
Not this time.

With Sunny, Liam, River, and Bane on my side, it's the Brotherhood who'll know what it is to have everything they wanted in the palm of their hands until it's all ripped away.

Stand aside, Cinco. There's a new queen ruling this city, and with my Savage Princes by my side, I'm unstoppable.

King of Cruelty is the final book in the Saint and Sinners saga

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

Prologue

Genny and I sat in the stolen cab, watching her apartment building. I was surprised, angry, and disgusted when I saw her in that picture. As we sat in that car, I felt none of those emotions. Honestly, I felt nothing at all. My feelings were wrung out and splattered along the road from the Fairfield to her building. I just wanted this done with.

“We need to get inside,” Genny announced for the fourth time. “Waiting around hoping she comes out is idiotic.”

“Sunny once told me that you don’t follow an assassin to their house. They’re the only one in the room who knows where all the weapons are hidden. What we know about this woman right now is that we don’t know a damn thing about her. She got in bed with a rapist, sex trafficker, and child abductor. Underestimating her is a mistake,” I said, also for the fourth time. “Let her come to us.”

“She’s got five minutes.”

Genny was in her war gear. I was calling it that because ripped jeans, fishnet stockings, fishnet top, and a red bra were what she changed into after peeling herself off the couch.

“Gen, you bribed the doorman to tell you she comes out every morning to walk her dog in the park. Dogs have to do their business every day—rain or shine. She’s coming.”

“Four minutes.”

I sat up straight. “Don’t need four minutes. There she is now.”

Genny was out the door before I finished.

Wild Springs Apartments was in one of the swankier parts of Leighbridge. The building stretched to the sky, carrying luxury apartments and penthouses to the top floor. Beside it was Wild Springs Park—a patch of green nestled among a concrete paradise. Walking trails, biking trails, a water fountain, a playground overrun with laughing kids—it had everything. We trailed her into the perfect spot with so many people going about their fun, they wouldn’t notice one random woman disappear off the trail.

She rounded a hedge, setting down one of the walking trails. A little toy fox terrier trotted beside her.

“Not too close,” Genny said. “You need to be close enough to see them, but not so close that they can turn around and clock your face.”

“Thanks for the tip. Now here’s yours: don’t shove your gun down her throat. Just knock her unconscious and we’ll take her to Astoria. Afterward, we’ll tell the guys the truth.”

“Surprised you agreed to keep this from them in the first place.”

My voice hardened. “This is between me and the bitch that would’ve sold my baby. The more I think about this, the scarily clearer my past becomes. I don’t need anyone trying to protect me from this. And for better or worse, Genny, you’d never stand between a woman and her target.”

“I like you more and more every day, Blaine. Please, feel free to kick the bitch’s teeth in. I’ll hold her hair.”

The path lined with hedges and trees—gifting the parkgoers with a green and flowered maze. She and the dog disappeared around a hedge and we let her, keeping well back as she headed for a small tunnel bridge.

“As soon as she steps inside the bridge, we run,” Genny ordered. “I’ll go around and catch her in the front. You come in from the back. No one will see us take her.”

I glanced down at my hands. Perfectly still.

“Got it.”

She got closer... closer... closer. We sprang into action the moment she stepped into the tunnel.

Genny sprinted across the lawn and up the hill, disappearing around the other side of the bridge. I left my usual boots, skirts, and handmade labels at home, opting instead for jeans, a simple shirt that concealed the zip ties, and rubber soles absorbing the strikes carrying me down the path into the tunnel.

Genny and I burst inside at nearly the same time and came face-to-face—

—with each other.

The tunnel was empty.

“What the fuck!” Genny bellowed. “What the hell happened?”

“That’s my question.”

I whirled around, shock snapping a band around my throat as Madison James appeared behind me, her yappy little puppy tucked under her arm.

“Why are you following me, Mackenzie?” She flicked over her shoulder at Genny. “And you. Shouldn’t you be in the back of a prison van?”

“That’s my question,” Genevieve mocked.

“Excuse me?”

I slid back a few steps, putting some distance between us. I was standing in front of one of the most devious, sociopathic monsters ever spat out of a womb. I didn’t know what she would do, but I wouldn’t be in striking distance when she did it.

“We know, Madison,” I said. “We know everything.”

She cocked a brow. “Everything about what exactly?”

“Don’t you fucking stand there acting innocent!” Rapid footsteps echoed in the tunnel. “When I’m done with you—”

I shot in front of Genny, glaring into her eyes. “Don’t stand in the way,” I said simply.

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Advertisement Moon Cursed (Corvin Academy #2) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/moon-cursed-corvin-academy-2-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Thu, 01 May 2025 18:18:55 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/moon-cursed-corvin-academy-2-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Alpha Male, Dark, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal, Suspense Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: Corvin Academy Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 109
Estimated words: 103548 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 518(@200wpm)___ 414(@250wpm)___ 345(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >109

I put my treacherous fated mates in their My bed
A jail cell
Their grave

That should have been the end of it, but of course, Luame never would’ve given me soulmates who took it lying down.
I have a war to fight on all fronts, but it’s the war for my heart that I’m losing—badly.

Life has never been more dangerous. The fate of Wolf Nation and millions of lives rests on my shoulders. I don’t have time for love!

Do you believe me?
No?

Yeah, those hot alpha bastards don’t either.

Moon Cursed is the second book in the Corvin Academy trilogy. This book features spicy spice, language, and fierce wolves who never surrender

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

Prologue

Something struck my face, fluttering my eyes open.

Squinting, my watery eyes landed on something pink and wiggling. It came closer to me, as if sensing the blinding pain behind my eyes and wanting to comfort me.

My vision cleared and I came face to face with the writhing pile of worms.

“Ahh!” Shooting up, I flew back and screamed—clutching my aching head.

I felt awful. Between blowing up the bond and taking another blow to the head, everything from my chin up was soaked in agony. Dizziness made my world spin. The pounding in my skull echoed in my ears. Pitching forward, I vomited.

“Wha... What’s going on?”

“—had no choice.” A voice reached my sensitive ears. “Everyone’s gone mad. They’re under her spell. I had to stop her. I had to save Wolf Nation. This is the only way. The only way.”

Something struck me again. Blinking, I saw it was dirt.

Everything dirt. Everywhere dirt! Tipping my head back, back, back, I swept up the hard, earthen walls and locked eyes with Badr... and his shovel.

“My gods, Badr,” I breathed, horror leadening my voice. “What are you doing?”

“I’m stopping you!” His eyes were crazy. “You gave me no choice.”

“No choice?” I whipped around, taking in the eight-foot hole I was dropped in. High above me and Badr was nothing but a roof of trees and sky, and I meant nothing. I couldn’t hear the academy anymore. I couldn’t hear the bustle, whisper, and romp of hundreds of students partying in a ballroom.

Which meant they’d never hear me.

“Of course you have a choice! You can choose not to bury me alive!”

“I have to stop you,” he hissed, mostly to himself. “For Castor, for Wolf Nation, for everyone. You’re too dangerous. You won’t stop until you’ve taken us all down.”

There was no talking to him. Rising to my feet, I tried to shift and a sharp spike went through my brain, dropping me screaming on my ass.

“What’s going on? Why can’t... I shift?”

“Don’t you fucking dare!” Badr shouted at me, but I was barely listening.

I probed my wolf, begging her to come out. But nothing. There were consequences for making promises in Luame’s name. There were even more for denying the fated mate she chose for you.

And now I knew what they were.

Blowing up the bond had done something horrible to me and my wolf. She was weak, broken... dying.

I needed to get us both help. I needed to get out of this hole!

“B-Badr,” I moaned, clutching my head. “You have to stop. You’re not thinking clearly. If you kill me, the shifter race—”

“—will be just fucking fine! You mated with Edric. That’s more than enough to ensure the shifter race doesn’t die.”

“No, this isn’t about that!” My voice rose as he dumped another shovelful of dirt on me. “This is bigger than that. It’s more important than you can possibly understand. Please, you have to stop, get me out of here, and get me some help.”

“Get you help?” Badr threw his head back laughing. I can honestly say I didn’t know what a maniacal laugh was before that frightening, unhinged sound ripped from his throat. “You must be joking! You’re done, Volana.” He tossed dirt at my feet. “You’re dead.”

Real and pure panic burst in my chest. There was a reason that everyone kept threatening me by saying they’d put me in a hole. There was nothing more dangerous to a moon wolf than a hole. Why?

For the same damn reason a big, deep hole was dangerous for a mundane. We couldn’t get out. I couldn’t use my phasing power because I’d end up lost in the cold and dark for a millennium, or until I died of thirst and starvation. I couldn’t shift unless I had room to shift, and Badr hadn’t done me the favor of giving me room. If he covered me and walked away, I was exactly what he said—dead.

“Okay, listen,” I rasped, desperation bleeding into my voice. “I know you’re scared and feeling trapped, but this isn’t the way. You don’t want to do this. I know you don’t, or you wouldn’t be trying so hard to justify yourself to your wolf right now.”

His brow twitched, hand tightening on the shovel. I struck dead-on. “My wolf will get over it,” he gritted. “You have to be stopped.”

“Badr, please, Castor wouldn’t want this—”

“Don’t you dare!” He swung the shovel at me, making me hit the ground screaming. The shovel caught on my dress and ripped it. “Don’t speak his name! You have no idea what my brother would want. You didn’t know him—”

“No one knew Castor better than me!”

Badr scoffed. “You never quit, do you? Even now you’re trying to spin more of your fairy tales about how my brother beat you and controlled you—”

“I never said that.”

“—and he made your life a living hell, but I knew him,” he roared, pounding his chest. “My father cheated on his mother with the cook and had me. That fucking hypocrite bastard hated me from the moment I was born. I was the constant proof of what a lying, honorless shit Cygnus Tahan is, and he couldn’t stand it.

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Advertisement Moon Kissed (Corvin Academy #1) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/moon-kissed-corvin-academy-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Sun, 02 Feb 2025 19:15:44 +0000 http://www.books2020.com/moon-kissed-corvin-academy-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Alpha Male, Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: Corvin Academy Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >121

I was the chosen one.

Born with the rarest power. The fated mate of the most powerful, strongest, and handsome men in our pack.

I was going to change the world, and bring the Wolf Nation to great heights.

Until I murdered my mate during the bonding ceremony and took off.

I know what you’re thinking.

He must have treated me terribly.

Nope. You couldn’t have met a sweeter guy.

He was a hundred years old with three rotting teeth, body odor, and aggressive toe fungus.

Again, nope. He was six feet of young, dark, sexy, and handsome with abs that made you weep.

But then why, why, blah, blah, blah.

You want answers. Everyone does.

I blew into Corvin Academy with a bounty on my head and blackmail that makes me untouchable. But everyone from the alpha council to the five blisteringly hot and angry mates I rejected are determined to find out why I killed our future alpha, and what I’m going to do next. They’re even more determined to put me on a leash.

Yes, yes. Everyone wants a reason for the terrible, awful thing that I did and the betrayal of everything I once held dear, but I’m going to save you some time and boil it down to

The villain in this story … It’s me.

Moon Kissed is a paranormal bully romance that features dark themes, spice, language, and wickedly hot shifter love interests. This is book one of a trilogy. Not standalone.

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

Prologue

“Luame, our moon goddess, blesses you.”

I knelt exposed on the rock, clad in nothing but a sheer robe that provided neither cover nor warmth.

The whole of Wolf Nation spread before me, claiming every square inch and trampling every grass blade in the miles-wide field. This was a momentous occasion. One waited for and held in anticipation for a hundred years, and the weight of that hope fell on my shoulders.

“Daciana, high priestess of the Volana Clan.” The officiant, Boanna, marked my forehead with blessed oil. “Rise, hope of our nation, and find your mate.”

Rising to my feet, I stood tall on the natural, rocky platform that was my throne, my stage, my chopping block.

This was it. The moment every wolf in every clan in every country had been waiting for from the day I was born with the moon goddess’s mark on my stomach where a belly button was supposed to be. I wasn’t born of man and wolf, I was born of Luame, and as her chosen, I became the mother wolf.

Within me was the power of a new generation. On this night, my fated mate would reveal himself to me, the clans, and the world. If my mate was strong, the next generation of werewolves would be strong. If they were weak, the next generation would be weak. And if I died before I found my mate and consummated our bond, then the next generation would be nothing at all. Not wolves, not shifters, not powerful. They’d be mundane, and Wolf Nation would die out. Forever.

Slowly, I turned on the spot—scanning the hundreds upon thousands of faces staring back at me. I tensed to see nothing. No glow. Not even the glow of the moon with it hidden behind passing clouds.

What’s going on? What does this mean? Do I not have— There!

There it was. Shining so brightly it blinded, a heavy, ethereal blueish-white glow surrounded a figure in the distance.

The applause was deafening. The wolves hooted, jumped, and roared as that glow parted the crowd, coming for me.

“Wait— Another,” someone shouted. “Another mate has been chosen!”

I spun around, searching for the voice, but finding Luame’s glow instead. It was true. Another mate had been chosen for me.

“Two fated mates? This hasn’t happened for a century,” Boanna cried. “Not since Thema and her fates brought about the golden age of wolves. This is wonderful. This is—” She choked out a strangled cry that cut off the rest of her sentence.

I didn’t know why until I saw the third glow... and the fourth... and the fifth... and the sixth.

Thud.

The officiant hit the rock hard, passing out so I didn’t have to. The elation going through the crowd was contagious. Overwhelming.

I didn’t know what to do other than stand there naked and eyes blown as my fates came for me, and so did my need for them.

“W-who?” the officiant croaked, kicking free of her tangled robes to shove back onto her feet. “Who are our champions? Our hopes for the future. Name yourself, blessed fates!”

A deep, sonorous voice cast across the divide. “Edric of the Wind Wolves.”

The officiant gasped, clapping her hand over her mouth. The older, red-haired, red-faced woman was taking all the good reactions for herself, but her reaction was warranted. A wind wolf had never mated with a mother moon wolf like myself before. Together we would create something... new.

“Orion of the Fire Wolves,” called another voice, panging my heart painfully in my chest.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >121

Advertisement Reign by Wrath (The Rogues #3) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/reign-read-online-wrath-the-rogues-3-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Sun, 09 Jul 2023 00:33:24 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/reign-read-online-wrath-the-rogues-3-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Mafia, Suspense Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: The Rogues Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 91809 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 459(@200wpm)___ 367(@250wpm)___ 306(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >96

To prevent spoilers, this is Trade In Vengeance's blurb. I thought I knew everything. It only took waking up with a murder weapon in my hand to prove me wrong. There’s more behind my sister’s death than I knew. Secrets she was determined I never learn, and she’s not the only one. Someone is watching. They’re waiting for me to make my move, and bring me down for good. But how is a girl supposed to find one bad Royal in a group of spoiled, twisted rich brats that spread bad on their strawberry crepes every morning for breakfast? I don’t know, but I definitely don’t do it by getting distracted by my hot professor who can’t stay away. Or the infuriating fiance who keeps making me smile in between pissing me off. Or the wild, crazy Rogues who make no secret of who I belong to. They’re never letting me go. Who knows? I just might let them have me… …if I survive this semester.

This is the final book in The Rogues series.

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

Prologue

Bitterness seeped through my lips, leaving an acrid kiss on my tongue.

I coughed—rough and hacking and dragging my senses back to the surface. Blinking, I came to, straining as my vision cleared.

What happened? Where am I?

I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing tears to fall. My eyes were watering, it was so blurry. And what was that noise?

I opened my eyes again, fighting to adjust in the dim. Why can’t I see? What’s wrong with...?

Twisting my neck, I saw past the couch to the staircase—where the smoke freely billowed down. Smoke?

“It’s about time you woke up. You’re the one who wanted this little chat. You’re wasting your own time.”

I turned with difficulty, achy bones creaking. It was hard. Tight pressure around my wrists and ankles proved I was bound.

A vision in white stood on the very spot Wesley spat out his bloody tooth. She lowered her face mask and smiled at me. “Hello, Luna.”

“Everleigh?” I croaked, then immediately started hacking. My lungs shredded trying to force out smoke that kept flooding in. “W-what’s... going on? Where are the guys?”

“Your boyfriends are safe. I sent them away so we could have some privacy. You wanted to meet me. Here I am. What do you think?” Everleigh twirled, spinning the lace edges of her ivory summer dress. “Am I what you expected of the Phantom?”

The words barely penetrated. My head hurt so much, the idea of putting two thoughts together drove a spike through it. Smoke was filling the room, making it even more impossible for my blurry eyes to focus, or my tortured lungs to breathe.

“Hello.” Everleigh snapped her fingers in my face. “Focus, Sinclair. We don’t have much time. This place is about to burn down with you in it.”

The fog blew out of my mind. Sense came back to me, latching on to that statement as the ladder to bring me back. “What did you just say?”

“You going to make me waste time repeating myself, or are you going to ask me what you really want to ask me?” She flicked my nose. “Quickly, bitch. It’s getting a little too smoky in here for my taste.”

I gaped at her. Everleigh Starling? Saylor’s best friend with the model looks, and the dreamy eyes that spent too much time looking at my fiancé—

“You’re the Phantom?”

She winked. “That’s right. Love the nickname, by the way. Much better than the Book Lady. Now that we’re here, did you enjoy my performance?” She laughed. “All that weeping and wailing on the café floor. I keep telling Maman I was meant to be an actress.”

She frowned into my wide eyes. “What? You don’t get it? Damn, you’re stupid,” Everleigh muttered. “I’m Jezebel12. I gave you the link to my site for your boring little revenge against me, Saylor, and the others. You weren’t going to dig dirt up on me on your own, and I couldn’t have you sending the T.O.D.ers after me. I don’t need stalkers.”

Everleigh shrugged. “I also don’t particularly care if people know about the Book Lady. I started doing it to get information from stupid, horny idiots that you can’t get when those horny idiots are dressed. That information led to your mother, which led to your sister, which led to you. So yeah, I’m glad everyone knows. The Book Lady is my greatest accomplishment.”

“But...” I searched for the words and found only one. “Why?”

“Why did I send those guys after your sister?” She pushed out her lips in mocked sadness. “Ah yes, poor little Winter.”

“No,” I said. “Why... are you a psychotic bitch?”

Everleigh laughed out loud. “For the same reason you are. Revenge. There’s something I needed and your sister got in the way. Thankfully— Well, thankfully for me, you were much more obedient and did what you were told. You hung the flag.”

“A flag? That’s why you did all this? You had Winter tortured all for a fucking flag!” I tried to shout but wheezed it instead. I went into another coughing fit, jerking and banging my back against the coffee table legs. “Why d-didn’t you just hang it yourself!”

“It had to be a Sinclair. When your sister died, I gave up. Those bastards were supposed to drive her to follow my orders, not kill herself. I almost killed them myself... then you showed up.” Everleigh looked around. “Time to go. See you in hell, Sinclair.”

Everleigh turned and walked off.

“Wait! That’s it? You destroyed my family for a flag and that’s all you have to say? Why?” I screamed. “Tell me why!”

“I’m actually not into the evil-villain-monologuing. Especially in a burning building.” Everleigh snapped her fingers. “Come.”

“I can’t come.” I thrashed against the table legs. “You tied me up.”

“Not you.”

A tall, silent figure dipped in black stepped out of the hallway. His face so like Rafael’s beheld me coldly.

“Shoot her.”

Ice dumped down my spine.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >96

Advertisement Trade In Vengeance (The Rogues #2) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/trade-in-vengeance-the-rogues-2-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Thu, 30 Mar 2023 14:03:32 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/trade-in-vengeance-the-rogues-2-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Contemporary Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: The Rogues Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 131
Estimated words: 125121 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 626(@200wpm)___ 500(@250wpm)___ 417(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >131

I thought I knew everything.
It only took waking up with a murder weapon in my hand to prove me wrong.
There’s more behind my sister’s death than I knew. Secrets she was determined I never learn, and she’s not the only one.
Someone is watching. They’re waiting for me to make my move, and bring me down for good.
But how is a girl supposed to find one bad Royal in a group of spoiled, twisted rich brats that spread bad on their strawberry crepes every morning for breakfast?
I don’t know, but I definitely don’t do it by getting distracted by my hot professor who can’t stay away. Or the infuriating fiance who keeps making me smile in between pissing me off. Or the wild, crazy Rogues who make no secret of who I belong to. They’re never letting me go.
Who knows? I just might let them have me…
…if I survive this semester.

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

Prologue

Saylor slowed down, fixing on Rafael. The man was standing there like a tall hot cocoa cooled with mocha sex ice cubes. She was looking where everyone else was, but Rafael was looking at her.

Crooking a finger, he tossed her a smirk that melted every panty in a ten-mile radius. Saylor promptly ditched her friends and slinked up to him.

I turned away, leaving them behind. That was my cue.

Outside, the pillow fights were in full swing, and I was surrounded by enough naked people to prove it.

Katie’s backyard was a sprawling aquatic paradise. Between the Olympic-sized pool fed by six fountains, the water slide, two hot tubs, the pool house, cabanas, and the separate indoor pool, this was all the water park you needed.

Pillows claimed the lounger and partiers claimed everything else. They whooped, roared, and catcalled as two topless Royal girls battled it out for the victory of keeping their bottoms. The best thing about my ideas for the party: everyone was too distracted by boobs, wangs, and sex to give a crap about me.

No one glanced in my direction as I weaved through the crowd, coming out where concrete gave way to lawn, and clambered down the small dip to the path. My feet were soundless on the tickling grass. My breaths hot pants drying my lips. Anticipation swelled as I ducked into the indoor pool.

The space was as spectacular as the rest of the mansion. Molded after a Roman bathhouse, columns held up the second floor, and the pool’s fountains were topped with resting lions. I scurried past the fellas to the back door. Cracking it open, I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

Goodness. How long does it take to—?

Giggles interrupted my train of thought.

“Shh. Over here.” Rafael and Saylor stumbled into my line of sight—her hands all over him like she grew two other pairs. He stopped her within feet of the entrance, turning her back to me.

I slipped my phone out of my pocket. At least, it looked like a phone. The stun gun fit so easily in the palm of my hand. Why didn’t everyone have one of these?

“Finally.” Saylor draped her arms around my boyfriend’s shoulders. “You played hard to get too long, Dumont. You almost missed your chance.”

“I was waiting for the right time, darling. It’s all about”—he flicked over her shoulder—“timing.”

Straightening, my finger poised over the button. You’re about to wake up in your worst nightmare, Burkhardt.

A hand clapped over my mouth.

Yanked back, the stun phone clattered on the welcome mat—replacing my shoes as they slid across the tile.

“Shh. Don’t scream. I need to—”

I jabbed my elbow into hard flesh, ripping a grunt into my ear. His hold loosened and I broke free, racing for the stun gun.

“Sinclair, wait! You have to listen to me.”

That voice stopped me dead in my tracks. Spinning around, I faced Giovanni Natale.

He hunched over clutching his stomach. Glassy eyes peered at me through wincing lids.

“What are you doing here? You weren’t invited.” Even as the words left my mouth, one look at him said he wasn’t here for a party.

His pajamas were a ratty, oversized, paint-splattered t-shirt and pair of sweatpants. His hair, his most proud feature, pulled back in a greasy, haphazard ponytail. A shadow’s dusting covered his normally clean-shaven jaw. The guy was a mess.

“Why did you grab me like that?” I snapped, widening the distance. “If you followed me in here for a fight, I promise you, Natale, you won’t win this one.”

“I’m not here to fight you. Will you just listen!” he burst out. “There are things you need to know.”

I stopped backing toward the stun gun. “What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t sign up for this.” Giovanni clutched his head, pacing back and forth. “It was an easy dare. A simple one. Date some girl and dump her.”

I froze. Winter.

“But I didn’t sign up for this,” he cried, thumping his chest. “No, not bombs. Not murder! Ashton fucking died for this shit and I will not be next. All I did was dump her. I didn’t do any of the shit the others did.”

I frowned following his rushed, agitated speech. “Giovanni... are you high?”

He laughed out loud, reeling me back. “Of course I’m high. My lawyers called this afternoon. I’m on tape starting the fight with Ashton, days after leaving my girlfriend at the bottom of the Bluffs and walking away from an explosion. The police want to talk to me first thing in the morning,” he said, laughing louder. “I’m their number one suspect. Can you believe that? Me.”

“Yes.” I plumbed those glassy, darting depths. “I can believe it.”

His smile wiped away. “That’s because you don’t know the truth. But I do now. Ashton’s death?” Giovanni shook his head roughly. “That was what they wanted.

“All because of T.O.D. Club.”

“T.O.D.?” I repeated. “What is that?”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >131

Advertisement Chaos Crown (The Bedlam Boys #3) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/chaos-crown-the-bedlam-boys-3-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Fri, 25 Nov 2022 12:33:32 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/chaos-crown-the-bedlam-boys-3-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Alpha Male, Contemporary, Crime, Romance Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: The Bedlam Boys Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78598 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 393(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 262(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >82

The town of Bedlam was born of rioters, revolt, pain, and murder.
Over a hundred years later, nothing has changed.
A shadow clings to our lives. Stalking, watching, waiting, taunting, and killing. And when it struck, I wasn’t ready.
I have to play their game now. Catch them, kill them, before Ruckus Royale or they’ll claim another sacrifice.
The trouble is a new band of outlaws are in charge, and Arsenio, Cairo, Jacques, Legend, and Roan don’t take well to people ruining their fun.
On the one night a year where anything goes, mayhem will sweep through the streets and the Kings of Ruckus will rule.
I have my orders. A life to save and a life to take.
And when my punishment comes for framing the Bedlam Boys, I’ll welcome it. I’ll let them bind me, chain me, and strip me of the sweet, innocent girl I never got to be.
Under their twisted, scorching love I will atone for the crimes paid and the ones still to come.
In the end, Bedlam will be brought to its knees to bow before its first queen.

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

Prologue

“Wake up. Hellloooo.”

Pain lit my cheek.

“I said, get up.”

I slowly came to, descending into agony.

My head ached. Temples throbbed. Cheek stung. Wrists burned.

The final realization pushed back on the grogginess. Why did my wrists burn?

Blinking, my vision blurred on a face.

“Finally,” a voice said. “I was a minute away from starting the party without you.”

Blonde hair came into focus, and little by little, the brown eyes became clear. A round nose. Thin lips.

And a name.

“Zoey?”

My former orientation tour guide beamed. “Look at that. There is intelligent life on this planet. I was worried those knocks to the head rang your bell for the final time, you crazy bitch.”

I bristled. Why the hell was this woman talking to me like that? And where was I?

Drifting up, I peered through crisscrossing metal to the clear night sky.

We were outside and on Chaney Bridge by the looks of it.

“Hmm.”

What am I doing here? What was I doing before?

“Hmm! Hmm!”

What’s that—?

Zoey stepped out of the way, and I fell on Arsenio, Cairo, Jacques, and Legend—wrists bound and suspended from ropes tied overhead. They balanced on a ledge on the balls of their feet. Gags stretched their mouths open.

“Guys!” I raced to them and made it three steps.

My bound hands yanked me off my feet and smashed me against the rail.

Zoey laughed herself sick.

She was dressed in a bright yellow sundress with a matching bow keeping her bangs out of her face. You’d have thought she was going out to a picnic, if not for the crossbow held in her gloved hands.

I squinted. My crossbow.

“Where are you running off to? The fun just started.”

“What the fuck are you doing?!” I screamed. “Let us go.”

“Now why would I do that... Angel?”

Cold dread climbed my spine. “What did you say?”

“Need me to spell it out,” she sang. “I promised I was arranging a meeting for us and here we are. I’d have thought you’d be happy, seeing as you put so much effort into finding me.”

“You?” I scurried back as she closed the distance. “But— But how? Why?”

“How and why you already know. But you forgot.” Zoey rolled her eyes. “How convenient.”

“You’re the Letter Man,” I sliced in.

“Woman. Thank you very much.”

“But you... Blake Jensen...”

My conversation with Craig came roaring back.

“Blake. Is he in this photo? Point him out.”

“Blake’s not—”

“A guy,” I whispered. “He was going to say that Blake isn’t a guy. The face he pointed out!”

I snapped up to her. In my mind, I moved past the person I thought Craig pointed at, to the girl I dismissed outright.

Her hair was brunette. The round nose was pointed, but the resemblance couldn’t be denied.

“You’re Blake Jensen.”

“Correction: I was Blake Jensen.”

“And Dante? How did you...?” I trailed off, my mind struggling under the new information.

“Oh, I’m not Dante. But the new guy is a friend,” she said. “He kindly made a few changes to the show, and added lines to his script when I asked. I have friends, Angel. Everywhere.”

“You’re not Dante, but you are Blake.”

She gestured with my crossbow. “I changed my name to Zoey Mariner the second I hit eighteen. Ugh. You don’t know the hell I went through. My parents thought it’d be cool and revolutionary to give me a guy’s name. Instead, I was bullied relentlessly. They called me a man. Stole my tampons, saying that guys didn’t need them. It was awful.”

“Boo-hoo. I don’t give a fuck about your sob story.” I strained in my binds. “You shot Colton. You killed Bella! And the guys. Get them down from there right now.”

Zoey aimed the bow at Legend and fired.

“No!”

He jerked out of the way and the arrow sailed past, missing him so narrowly I heard his jacket tear.

“You’re not in a position to make demands, so don’t do it again. You are, however, lucky that I’m in a sharing mood. Go on,” she sang. “Ask me all about my dastardly plan. Why did you do it? How did you get away with it? I love this part.”

I spat at her feet.

She heaved a sigh. “You always were stubborn.”

“You don’t know me.”

“Au contraire. If you want to get technical, I’d say I’m the only one who knows the real you. Come on. Haven’t you put it together yet?”

“We met during that blurred-out year of my life while I was on the meds. I get it,” I mocked. “But if you think that drugged-up robot is the real me, you don’t understand how blackouts work. Anything I did”—I thought of the body at Black Widow Hill—“or didn’t do. It wasn’t a choice.”

Giving me her back, Zoey shot at the ropes keeping Arsenio out of the water below.

“Hmm!”

“Stop!”

“Here’s how this goes,” she said. “I couldn’t have you driving the Crows out of town too early, because they hadn’t accepted my price yet. You see, you’re not the only one I’ve sent letters to. But I bet you thought you were special. Aww.”

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >82

Advertisement Rogues of Regalia (The Rogues #1) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/rogues-of-regalia-the-rogues-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Mon, 03 Oct 2022 08:16:29 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/rogues-of-regalia-the-rogues-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Contemporary, Crime, Dark, Fantasy/Sci-fi, New Adult, Paranormal, Romance Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: The Rogues Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 164
Estimated words: 157308 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 787(@200wpm)___ 629(@250wpm)___ 524(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >164

It’s a new semester at Regalia University, and by the end of it, five men will die.

My sister was good, kind, loving, and the Royals of Regalia bullied her till she killed herself.

I set foot on campus ready to right some wrongs when the most handsome bunch of stone-cold weirdos asked if I needed a little help…

Don’t get me started on Lucien. He fancies himself a vampire—complete with sharpened canines, cape, and a coffin, but if anyone knows how to make a man bleed, it’s him.

Wilder’s on another level, and you’re not allowed. He’s out to expose every conspiracy from Area 51’s alien relocation program to the trackers implanted in our brains. The man doesn’t kiss a woman without patting her down twice, but if you need to get your hands on an arsenal, his is unmatched.

My growling, snapping Cato escaped his last mental institution. Now he has a new obsession: ripping out the throat of anyone who looks at me sideways. Don’t worry, he can’t bite you through the muzzle.

Then, of course, there’s their leader, Rafael. The son of a hitman dances his way around campus, and only takes his headphones off to hear the obscene amount you’ll pay him to take care of your problems. Otherwise, stay out of his blissful world, or he’ll blow it up with you inside.

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

Prologue

I’m sorry. I wish I had the words to express how sorry I am.

You always told me I needed to toughen up. You’d say in a world of wolves, you can either be a rabbit or a bear.

I wanted to be a bear. There were even days I thought I could be. That I was strong enough to see this through and reach the great new life that everyone said was waiting for me. Now I know that new life isn’t possible, because it’s for the wolves, and I was always a rabbit.

I’m rambling now. This letter is about one thing: saying goodbye.

I love you, Luna.

The stronger, prettier, braver sister. You are a bear, tiger, shark, and anything you want to be. You’re fearless and you can’t stand to see things done wrong when you can put it right.

That’s the best thing about you, but not this time.

I’m telling you the truth of what happened so you and Mom won’t spend a lifetime wondering if there was something you could’ve done. Know that you couldn’t have stopped this, and you can’t put it right.

Do not go to Regalia University, Luna.

Beneath the pretty facade is a hideous nest of lies, secrets, and betrayal, and there are people here who’ll do anything to prevent the truth coming out.

Do not share this letter with anyone, do not confront the men named, and do not mess with the Royals.

Any law thrown at them will fall short. Any fight will end with you losing everything, and them walking away without a scratch. They’re untouchable, and more dangerous than you can believe.

This letter is both a confession and a promise. I want you to know the truth as long as you swear to do nothing about it.

Swear on a million jelly beans.

Alright, it all started the first day of school when I ran into Owen Thasher...

I stopped there—folding the note and tucking it safely in my inside pocket. I didn’t need to read the rest. I didn’t need to read the letter at all. I had it memorized. Even so, I had to hold it in my hands, imagine my sister penning the words—drown in her pain with each teardrop that warped the ink... that way the hatred burned hotter.

“Morning, young lady.”

Raising my head, I plastered on a smile. A middle-aged woman with striking streaks of gray in her brown hair smiled back at me. “Are you looking for your dorm?”

“Yes, I am. Abbott Hall?”

She pointed over my shoulder. “It’s back that way, around the corner, and on the left. You can’t miss it.”

“Thank you so much.”

“No problem at all,” she said as I hitched my bags up my shoulders.

I moved back a couple of steps, making like I was heading for the dorm, when I stepped around to see over her shoulder to the face she blocked.

He laughed at something his friend said, tossing his golden mane from his eyes. The guys slapped backs and went opposite ways, him heading in my direction.

I placed my hand over my heart, hearing paper crinkle. Passing by me, Owen Thasher winked—seeing an attractive new coed and nothing more.

“Welcome to Regalia University,” said the woman, reaching down to help with my bags.

I fixed on Owen, following a short distance behind him into Abbott Hall. Crinkle, crinkle went her letter.

“Sorry, sis,” I said under my breath. “This is one promise I won’t keep.”

Chapter One

Mrs. Bryon helped me carry my things to the second-floor dorm at the end of the hall.

“Good luck. If you need anything else, your student guide should be along shortly.”

I thanked her again, sending her off.

Fuck the student guide. I was going to my room and taking the longest, hottest shower. Whatever it took to kill the maggots under my skin. That’s what it felt like. A million, billion creatures crawling under my flesh since I set foot on this campus.

Remember why you’re here, Luna. This is for Winter. Just go inside and—

I swung open the door, blinking at the sight. A raven-haired vision in gold stretched out on the bed, her glittering pumps resting on the pillow. Her fingers were a blur typing on the phone, while the other hand twisted her locks.

“Oh, sorry. I thought this was my room.” I backed out.

“Luna Sinclair,” she said, stopping me in my tracks. “Nah, you’re in the right room. I’ve been waiting for you.”

I came in, taking in the space and the stranger who made herself comfortable in it. From the website and my sister’s old photos, I knew I was walking into a dorm unlike the bunk-bed prison cells other freshmen suffered through. Still, I wasn’t prepared for this.

Forget the cinder block, my walls were plaster painted a soft cream. Empty picture frames hung all over the room, waiting for me to give them their purpose. Heavy gray blackout curtains covered the windows and served another function of matching the gray-and-white fluffy rug under my full-size bed.

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >164

Advertisement Deucalion Academy – Pawn Of The Gods (The Dominions #1) Read Online Ruby Vincent http://www.books2020.com/deucalion-academy-pawn-of-the-gods-the-dominions-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Mon, 03 Oct 2022 08:16:29 +0000 http://www.booksnovels.com/deucalion-academy-pawn-of-the-gods-the-dominions-1-read-online-ruread-online-vincent Genre: Fantasy/Sci-fi, Paranormal, Romance, Suspense Authors: Ruby Vincent Series: The Dominions Series by Ruby Vincent
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Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 69923 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 350(@200wpm)___ 280(@250wpm)___ 233(@300wpm)

<<<<1 2 3 11 21 >74

We’re at war from the day we’re born, and every demigod must fight.

When the border watchers catch me trying to flee Olympia, they give me two choices: I can either report for training at Deucalion Academy, or swing from the coward’s noose.

I chose the noose. My captors chose the most brutal institution in all five dominions.

In the academy, power and ferocity are held above all. So you can imagine how popular it made me when, on my first day, I got our strongest demigod warrior killed.

The entire school, from the students to the headmaster, hates me. It’s nothing but their pleasure to destroy the stupid fool who lost our only advantage in a war we’re not winning.

Good.

They should destroy me for their own sake and mine.

Something was done to me. A god’s curse is warping my powers and turning me into a creature deadlier than we’ve ever faced. Unless the divine betrayer holding my chains is stopped, all the monsters of Olympia mean nothing.

The one who’ll lay waste to our land and wipe the demigods from existence… is me.

Pawn Of The Gods is the first in a paranormal M/F romance series. Buckle up for wickedly handsome demigods, ancient plots, the worst monsters of legend, and the one girl in the middle of it all.

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

Prologue

Shouts invaded the small space, ripping through the log walls. Our home was so tiny, whispers traveled from end to end without trouble—the reason my dolls and I had to stop sharing secrets.

A thud sounded from outside, rattling the cabin. Mama tucked the blankets tighter around me. I reached for Daria, but Mother was already there—picking her off the rickety bedside table and tucking my doll under my arm.

“Do you remember the story of Olympia, my darling?” Mama perched on the end of my bed, smiling softly. No matter how much gray snuck in her golden-brown curls or how much bigger the dark circles under her eyes grew, she would always be the prettiest, most beautiful mommy in all five dominions. She would smile when I told her that too.

“No,” I replied, though I did.

Mom tsked under her breath. “Well, we can’t have that. Should I tell you the story?”

I nodded, relaxing onto my pillow as swords clanged beyond my window.

Mother waved her hand and swirling light painted my ceiling—spinning, moving, darkening, brightening, and coming together. I gasped at the starry, celestial sky.

Mama said her power was useless. It provided us with neither food, medicine, shelter, nor income. But I loved it. In a world full of ugly, scary things, my mother made it pretty with just a wave of her hand.

“Long ago,” she began, “the gods of Olympia ruled the heavens, Hades, and everything above, below, and in between. But they were not like other gods, and do you know why?”

My answer spilled off the tip of my lips. “They liked humans.”

“They were fascinated by humans,” Mom whispered. She tickled my nose with hers until I giggled. “The way they lived, worked, and died. How they loved, toiled, and strove for more. Instead of staying high above them on Mount Olympus, the gods couldn’t resist interacting with the mortals who shared their shape, but not their power.”

My eyes widened at the changing figures. Glowing, beautiful beings threw lightning, raced chariots across the heavens, and rose from sea foam.

“The gods bestowed great gifts on the mortals they favored—from wealth and riches to children born of god and man. Entire cities flourished under their patron god’s indulgence, while the enemies of those people suffered under their god’s wrath.

“The Grecian people believed in the Olympians so fiercely and with such devotion, their faith became an unstoppable force that fed the gods and made them unstoppable in turn. With the gods on their side, the Greek empire stretched wide—conquering many civilizations. Then—”

“—away! Lead it away!” a voice shouted, tightening Mama’s brow. “Back toward the fields!”

“Then the Roman empire claimed Greece and all in its path,” Mama said, a touch louder. “But the Romans were wise, my love. They may have changed their names, but still, they too worshiped the gods of Olympus. They hoped the gods would favor them too, and grant them a vast kingdom and the power to defend it. Everything was perfect until... it wasn’t.”

I clutched Daria tighter. This was the best part of the story. “What happened, Mama?”

“Oh, my dear. Zeus, Hera, Athena, and the gods granted the mortals much, but they asked for much more in return. Women bore Zeus’s children only to suffer terrible curses and messy ends at Hera’s hands. The townspeople gave poor offerings in Poseidon’s temple one day, and the next, their home was washed off the map. Maybe all of that could’ve been endured if not for—”

“—the monsters,” I whispered.

Lips pursed, she nodded. “With the gods’ great capacity for blessings, came their great capacity for evil. They birthed humans, fire, the seasons, and drove the sun across the sky. They also birthed sirens, cerberi, harpies, and hydras,” she said. “Monsters hated the gods. Some used to be mortals. Some were gods or the children of gods that were banished from Mount Olympus. They weren’t worthy enough to sit on a throne beside Zeus and Hera.”

“That made them angry.”

“Very angry,” Mama agreed. “But, of course, they couldn’t take their anger out on the mighty, immortal gods of Olympus, so instead, they went after the next best thing—their favorite pets: the humans.

“Endless attacks. Constant battles. Legions lost. Families wiped out. Villages burned down. The people were fighting a war from within and without. They were at the end of their rope when whispers spread of the Christian god.” Mama gestured again and my small room filled with huddled people in sandals and tunics—whispering and sharing texts. “At first, those in power did their duty to drive out this new god and all talk of him, but it was all too late.

“Here was a god that asked nothing of them but their faith. He wouldn’t strike them down for having no temple offerings. He wouldn’t seduce and then abandon them to the punishment of his jealous wife. He wouldn’t turn a blind eye while monsters of his own creation destroyed everything they built.

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