Who Is The Antagonist In 'Artifact' And Their Motives?

Leana Holstin, daughter of Liam and Angel Holstin, the first-born daughter and Guardian of her parents, has been waiting to find her mate since she turned 18. Unlike most wolves, she didn't find her mate right away, so when her best friend and Guardian sister asks her to take a trip to Araphyra, she jumps at the chance. What she never expected was that her mate would be a vampire. Prince Drake Cazien is the son of Lance Cazien and the grandson of King Urien Cazien. His grandfather had intended to pass the rule of the vampire clan to Drake, skipping Lance because he subscribed to the old ways, the ones that nearly made them extinct. However, after returning from a mission that his grandfather sent him on, Drake finds that his father has killed his grandfather and taken over as King. Drake is furious at his father and hates the way he is falling back into the old ways where they use humans as blood bags. Image his surprise when he finds his mate inside his father's castle and not only is she his father's guest, but she's also the Custos Regni, or Guardian of the Realm, the werewolves that have the most delicious taste to vampires, a taste they all crave. What will Leana do when she realizes that her mate is one of her mother's mortal enemies, the ones that imprisoned her for seven years, keeping her as a blood bag? How will Drake overcome his insatiable desire to feed off of Leana's blood and show her that he wants her as a mate, not a blood bag? Will the two be able to find a way to come together, or will Leana reject Drake, causing another rift between the supernatural factions?

“Jim,” she moaned. “Please don’t go…” “No way, baby.” He held her face in both of his hands, his thumbs tracing the curve of her perfect lips. “I’m not going anywhere.” He spun her now, pushed her up against the wall next to the door. His arms were raised above her, his hands flat on the wall, and he lowered his head to kiss her, slow and hot. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he almost groaned to feel those hands on him. “Kat,” he said against her mouth, his voice hoarse with want. “I need you.” **** Katherine Lawrence has built her life around disappearing. No records. No roots. A packed suitcase by the door. New hair every two weeks. No past, no attachments, and no reason to stay. When she’s finally forced to spill her secrets to a group of ex–Rangers and an ex-sniper, Jim Alden is assigned one job: keep Kat alive… and keep her from running. Jim is as guarded and dangerous as she is infuriating. He wants to shake her for her distrust – and kiss her until she forgets how to flee. When Kat’s past finally claws into the light, Jim makes her a promise she doesn’t believe anyone can keep: safety, honesty, and a place to stand still. But the past never stops hunting. As old enemies close in and lives hang in the balance, Kat is ready to vanish again, alone, afraid, and free. Unless Jim can convince her that staying is worth the risk… and that this time, she won’t have to run.

I was the girl no one noticed. Until I opened File Case No. 0001. Azrael Atlas St. Claire. They call him “The Architect.” A ghost. A cold-blooded killer. A man so dangerous the FBI can’t touch. His death would shatter the economy. Rival syndicates would burn the city to kill him. He has no weakness. Then he found me. He appeared in my archive and vanished without a trace. The next morning, gifts started appearing on my nightstand. First, a bullet coated in dried blood. Second, ten fingers belonging to the man who touched me. He watched. Followed. Stalked my every move. Then one night, he came through my window. He took what he wanted while I floated in haze. I woke up sore, terrified…and craving for more—needing for more. The FBI saw a fracture in me, and decided to weaponize it. They wired me. Made me their spy with a promised I’d be safe if I helped them cage the monster. Yet, at the first sign of blood, they ran. Leaved me in chaos. He stayed. Now, I lived in his world. My mother thinks the lawyer at her table is a kind stranger. She didn’t feel his hand between my thighs underneath. She doesn’t know he’s been sculpting my life for years, long before we ever met. The FBI wants me to betray him. His enemies want me dead for revenge. But the monster who stole my life? He’s the only one who ever truly saw me. And I’m starting to wonder if that makes me just as dangerous as him. They say there’s a line between the victim and the villain. I don’t think I’m on the right side anymore.

Family is everything. Blood is everything. You only live, die and kill for your family." Born and raised in secret, like a ghost who never existed, Lilliana Moretti was brought up to be used as a secret weapon against one of the most ruthless crime families-the Romanos. And when she walked into the devil's lair willingly-pretending to be in love with the second-in-command of the Romano Empire, Dominic Romano-too many buried secrets were unearthed, leaving her shattered. An uphill battle between two crime families unleashed chaos like never before. While two people were out for each other's blood with bleeding hearts, little did they realize their love was more lethal than their hatred for each other. ************************* E X C E R P T - My fingers tangled in her hair as I forced her downward. “I’m not going to kneel before you like you’re some kind of god,” she snarled. The corner of my mouth curved into a slow, dark smile. “No,” I agreed, voice low and steady. “You’re not going to kneel for me.” I leaned in closer, eyes locked on hers. “You’re going to spread your legs for me, Lilliana—because I’m the monster, baby. The real one.”

Mature Content Warning: This story is intended for readers 18+ and contains explicit sexual content, dark themes, intense power dynamics, and psychological obsession. ​ I was never supposed to belong in their world. One night changed everything. He was dangerous. Addictive. Unforgettable. And he walked away… not knowing his name or the war he belonged to. Then came Blake Grayson. Cold. Untouchable. The future Alpha heir. He offered me a contract, his fake partner in a world I barely understood. It was supposed to be simple. It wasn’t. Because the man I couldn’t forget? He’s Blake’s greatest rival. And neither of them are surprised to see me. Now I’m trapped between power, obsession, and secrets I was never meant to uncover. Blake watches me like he already owns me. Parker tempts me like he wants to ruin me. And Nathan… he sees through me in ways I can’t escape. But the truth? I was never chosen by accident. I’m the missing piece in a game they’ve been playing long before I existed. And when the truth comes out… I won’t be the one who breaks. I’ll be the one who ruins them all.

Ten years ago, Rayden’s family was mercilessly slaughtered. He was left for dead, a mere shadow of a once-respected clan. In the eyes of the world, Rayden was gone. But in the darkness, he grew. Honing forbidden arts. Nurturing an unquenchable rage. Now, Rayden returns. Not as an heir, not as a hero. But as a sinner. A cultivator who has chosen a forbidden path for one reason—revenge. Beneath the veil of the modern world, cultivator clans hide their secrets, their artifacts, and their power. The Bramasta family, seemingly clean on the surface, is his first target. But the deeper Rayden infiltrates, the larger the web he uncovers, including a name that has haunted his every waking moment—Lucien Dorne. Every step Rayden takes will challenge the laws of cultivation, uncover old betrayals, and test his own moral limits. Because to destroy a monster, sometimes, you have to become a greater one.