Dredging Lights Novels & Stories

Los Angeles was supposed to be my home. Instead, it had always felt like a golden cage. The Smith mansion stood tall behind iron gates, glittering with wealth and silence. Servants bowed. Cameras watched every corner. And the man who called himself my uncle smiled sweetly for the world while hiding knives behind his back. I was seventeen when I heard the truth. “He will take care of the girl tonight,” my uncle said over the phone, his voice calm. “Make it look like an accident.” The girl. He meant me. Fear became the only thing that kept my legs moving. I ran from the driver who was meant to take me home, sprinting through unfamiliar streets until the bright city lights disappeared and the world turned darker. Detroit. Wrong place. Wrong time. Engines roared in the distance when I saw him. A man sitting on a black motorcycle like a shadow carved from danger. Tattoos curled up his neck. His eyes were cold enough to freeze the night. Everyone knew men like him were monsters. But monsters were sometimes the only ones who could save you. I jumped onto the back of his motorcycle and wrapped my arms around his waist. “Please,” I whispered. “Help me.” That single moment would destroy his life. And change mine forever. *******

On the day of my third wedding anniversary, I wait for my husband, Jonathan Myers, in the heavy downpour for four hours even though I'm already nine months pregnant. I can feel the rain drenching me from head to toe. At the same time, I keep suffering from the irregular contractions. Jonathan sends me a voice message. I can hear a bell tolling and a woman's laughter in the background. "Honey, I'll be home late. Quinn told me that she's never admired the cityscape at night before." The moment I'm hoisted onto a stretcher, I glance at my phone. Coincidentally, Jonathan's social media feed has just refreshed, showing a grid of nine photos. Quinn Farris can be seen standing in front of a floor-to-ceiling window, where an array of the city lights stretch out behind her. The caption reads, "I'm admiring the world with my baby girl." Meanwhile, I've lost a lot of blood in the delivery room. On the surgical forms, the spot that's supposed to bear my husband's signature is left empty. At 3:00 am, Jonathan wakes up in Quinn's bed. He then transfers me 5000 dollars and leaves a note on the transaction history. "Thanks for your hard work." I reject the transaction before dialing a number. "Dad, I've thought things through. I want to leave the country."

“What?!” I finally manage to croak out. “Let me fuck you”he repeats Okay so I heard him correctly. I turn to leave but then remember that Clare is probably riding Shane’s dick right now so I stop.I think about it for a second then I decide that I’m going to do it. My core clenches at the thought of having sex for the first time and I become more aware that I want to do this. “Okay”I tell him I walk back to the room locking the door.I take off my dress and then walk towards the random stranger who is beckoning me with his finger. This is so fucked up but I’m determined to enjoy this so I don’t pay too much attention to the details because that’ll only make me overthink this. Besides all I ever wanted was to lose my virginity to Shane Ryder but now that he is balls deep inside Clare Haistings I don’t think that matters anymore. He takes his shirt off, his torso and chest rippling. I almost let out a moan. The dim lights are making him look like a sex God and its honestly the alcohol but I suddenly can’t wait to have him inside me. I run my hands down his tight torso.

As Gamma of the Creed Pack, I'd held the Northern Border alone for three full years. Every time I called in to ask when I could come home, my mate — the Alpha of Creed — picked up the phone himself. He told me the rogues weren't cleared. He told me the rival packs were still circling. He said, "Nora. One more year. Once we have completely eliminated all our enemies, I will hold the grandest mating ceremony for you. I swear it on the Moon." I believed him. When I dragged myself out of a pile of dead rogues with a silver arrowhead still lodged an inch from my heart, bleeding too fast for a medevac, my warriors had to shift and run me back in wolf form all the way to Creed territory. The moment we crossed the border, I saw fairy lights strung from every streetlamp along the road to the pack house. Pack wolves on the sidewalks were talking loud, smiling at each other. "The Alpha's Mating Ceremony is tonight. He's taking the Elder's daughter as Luna. Three years of peace on the border. It's a good time to be Creed." I coughed dark blood into the fur on the back of my warrior's neck and laughed, short and bitter. He hadn't needed me holding the border. He just hadn't wanted me home.

MATURED CONTENT: RATED SPG! (MM ROMANCE) R18+ No freedom? Yes, I feel trapped, like just another pawn on a chessboard, limited in my movements. As a child of a wealthy family, I'm bound to follow their rules, one of which is to expand our wealth. To achieve this, I am expected to marry the child of another affluent family that partners with ours in business. Our marriage has already been arranged—not because of love, but because we must adhere to the dictates of our families. The night before the ceremony, a rebellion sparked within me. I decided to defy my parents' rules, if only for a single night. I found myself at a club owned by a friend, where I submerged myself in alcohol, seeking an escape. As I reveled in the music and the dim lights, I spotted a handsome man who had been watching me since my arrival. Fueled by liquid courage, I approached him without a second thought, ignoring the consequences of my recklessness. In a bold move, I kissed him directly on the lips. To my surprise, he kissed me back, and thus began a long, passionate night together. When morning came, I assumed I would never see him again, completely shocked when I realized that he was the uncle of my fiancé. As I stared at him in disbelief, he flashed a charming smile and said, "Nice to meet you, my nephew-in-law."

Cassandra “Cassie” was the brightest movie star, adored by millions—yet behind the dazzling lights of fame, she was nothing more than the secret lover of Julian, the cold billionaire who had helped her become the most famous actress in the industry. Behind the scenes, she was merely Julian’s slave of desire. When a scandal ruined her career, Julian—the man she loved—betrayed her without mercy. Julian chose to return to his first love and married the woman. Heartbroken, Cassie decided to leave with what little pride she had left. But just as she was about to go, Julian kidnapped her, turning her into his pleasure doll. One night, Cassie finally managed to escape. But fate was cruel—her car brakes failed, and a terrible accident followed. The vehicle exploded into flames, and the world soon declared the beloved actress dead. Seven years later, the world still believed Cassie was gone. But she returned—with a new face and a little daughter by her side. She came back with one purpose: revenge. Would she succeed in making Julian feel the same pain he once caused her?Or would fate play its twisted game and make her fall for him once again?And how would Julian react when he discovered that Cassie was still alive—and that she had a little girl, his own flesh and blood?

"Look at me," Draven commands, his hand coming up to grip my chin. His leather glove is cold against my skin, forcing me to look up into the shadow of his hood. "I don't lie to you. He wraps his traps in silk and silver, but it’s still a trap." "Then show me," I challenge, tears of frustration pricking my eyes. I reach up, my fingers gripping the edge of his hood. "If you want me to believe you over a man who has given me everything, show me your face, Draven. No more masks. No more shadows. Let me see who is talking to me." He goes completely still. For a long, agonizing beat, the only sound is the distant chime of the Cathedral clock striking one. Slowly, his hand comes up over mine. He doesn't push me away. Instead, his fingers wrap around mine, and with a slow, deliberate motion, he pulls the hood back. The breath catches in my throat. ………..Damian claims he’s here to salvage her from a billionaire's trap of illicit blood diamonds. Lisa’s mind tells her he's a dangerous kidnapper who just destroyed her future. But the moment he drags her away from the high-society lights of Antwerp and into his luxurious mountain,everything gets messy.

Seven years ago, I broke his heart to save his life. I just didn't realize he’d grow up to be the man who owns mine. Ethan Hawke wasn't always the "Ice King of Manhattan." Once, he was just the boy from the wrong side of the tracks who promised me the world. But I left him in the middle of a winter storm, taking a secret with me that changed everything. Now, he’s back. He’s no longer that boy. He’s a billionaire predator with a memory like a steel trap and a heart made of frost. When my father’s debts come due, Ethan is the one holding the check. But the price isn't money. It’s me. The Deal: Move into his penthouse. Wear his ring. Play the happy fiancée until Valentine’s Day. The Catch: He hasn't just been waiting for me. He’s been watching me. As the line between his revenge and his obsession blurs, I realize the "Dirty Secret" isn't the fake engagement. It’s that even after all the pain, his touch is the only thing that makes me feel alive. But when the gala lights go down, I have to decide: Can I love the man who is determined to ruin me? And more importantly... what will he do when he finds out the secret I’ve been keeping for seven years?

On the night of her eighteenth birthday, Nyx’s world shattered. Her parents celebrated her twin sister and ignored her entirely, a final insult after years of coldness and favoritism. Humiliated and aching to escape, she walked straight into Basque—the city’s most dangerous club. There, under flashing lights and the pull of reckless music, she caught the eye of a man everyone feared—the ruthless mafia boss who owned the night. One drink, one touch, one reckless decision… and by morning, he was gone. A month later, Nyx learned that she was pregnant. Her family’s rejection turned vicious, and she was cast out with nothing but her shame and the child growing inside her. Six years of struggle followed—cheap apartments, dead-end jobs, and a daughter who became her only reason to fight. Then fate threw him back into her life. A chance encounter. A cold stare. A card pressed into her hand. Days later, tragedy struck—her little girl was left clinging to life after a hit-and-run. Desperate and out of options, Nyx went to the only man who could save her… unaware he was the father. His price? "Give me your body,and I'll give you money" Now, Nyx must decide to sell her body to the devil who destroyed her, or watch the only person she loves slip away. But in the shadows of power and lust, nothing is as simple as a deal. And the devil always collects more than you owe.

Inés never wanted to be saved. When her mother married a dying billionaire, it came with a price: living under the same roof as Miguel Alvarez, the cold, arrogant heir who treats her like she's dirt on his expensive shoes. But her mother's new marriage isn't about love. It's about survival. Because back in their old life, they owe dangerous people dangerous money. And those people don't forget. So every night while everyone thinks she's at the library, Inés dances under red lights at P-Valley, the city's most exclusive strip club. Behind a mask and a wig, she's not the boring stepsister. She's Red, untouchable, mysterious and free. Until the night Miguel walks in. He doesn't recognize her. But he can't stop watching and wanting her. At home, he ignores her. At the club, he's obsessed with her. Inés knows she should run before he discovers the truth. But she doesn't because as much as she hates him, her body betrays her every time he's near. But secrets buried in the dark always come to light. And when Miguel discovers that the girl he craves and the stepsister he despises are the same person, it won't just shatter them, it'll burn down everything they thought they knew.