Heather

He’s waited a long time for me, but I’ve waited longer for the truth. Not even the king himself could keep me from the only ties left to my identity. Then I meet him, and I’m stuck between uncovering who I am and discovering who I’m meant to be.

A Lord takes what he wants. But like anything else, even he can get greedy and betray his oath. That’s where Carnage comes in. A Spade brother runs their prison for those who have wronged their society. It just so happens to be where the Lords have sent me.

But there is one who can save the fates of all. For the child borne of fire and blood, Shall be our ruin or our redemption. An ancient prophecy. A betrayal so deep it will echo through eternity. Ophelia Hart is no ordinary elementai. In fact, she is extraordinary in every single way there is. And now that she knows her true heritage and has bonded to the most powerful vampire who ever lived, and the three ruthless vampires he sired, she wonders if she might finally know some true happiness. It seems at last within her reach—so long as the truth of her identity remains a closely guarded secret.

Meet Ophelia Hart. Lover of classic literature and unicorns. An orphan with nobody in her corner—no family, no friends. But it’s her loneliness that fuels her life’s ambition to become a social worker and help the forgotten children just like her. For a foster kid with only slightly above-average grades, it feels like a pipe dream. Except it seems that someone is looking out for Ophelia after all. When an unexpected opportunity to attend Montridge University arises, she thinks her life is finally taking a turn for the better.

The men in the secret society known as the Lords think they rule the world. And in a way, they do. Each has sold their soul to the devil at a young age in exchange for power and wealth. Like anything else, they have different levels of success. The more they’re willing to serve, the more power they have. Among them are the Spade brothers, who run Carnage. It’s where the Lords who have not held up their oath go to live out the rest of their lives in shackles. Tucked away from the world as if they never existed.

Barrington University is home of the Lords, a secret society that requires their blood in payment. They are above all—the most powerful men in the world. They devote their lives to violence in exchange for power. And during their senior year, they are offered a chosen one.

November 12, 1944. This house holds on to souls for a lifetime. I thought I had given it to my husband when I vowed to love him until the end of time. I lied. Nothing could have prepared me for the day my phantom appeared outside my window. He was terrifying, yet hypnotizing, and I couldn’t deny my intrigue. I never intended to fall into a whirlwind romance with my stalker. Especially because he’s so much more than that. A criminal. A mobster. The man who offers me solace from the monster in Parsons Manor. There are many that haunt these halls, yet it’s only my husband I fear.

When I was born, my life was set on a path of destruction, greed, enemies, and certain death. None of that mattered until them: Ryder, Gage, Dex, Holden, and Leo. They are my life, my loves, and in the blink of an eye, they were ripped away from me. At twenty-two, I rose to power as the first female Boss of the Italian Mafia, and at twenty-five, I almost died because of it. I didn't take the threat of a deranged stalker seriously, and it could cost me and Zane, a former love, our lives and sanity.

When Dad died, he made me the leader of the Italian Mafia. That position was unheard of for a woman—until me. Ryder, Dex, Gage, and Holden are my team, my closest friends. Then Leo waltzes into my life, turning it upside down, along with everyone in it. One lie. One secret. That's all it took to bring it all burning down around me. Jealousy and hidden desires from the four guys I thought only saw me as their friend and boss stoke the flames even higher.

For weeks, I've been watching her. Stalking her. Now, it's time to start playing with my beautiful little pawn. From the moment I first saw her from afar, I knew she would become my prized possession. I will gaslight her into thinking she is my obedient ward, trapped in the Victorian era. She is my unwilling captive, forced to play my sadistic game for her own survival. She will have no choice but to bow to my rules and discipline. In time, her memories of a modern life will fade. If not, she will pay a painful price.