Showing results by narrator "Daryl Mayfield" in All Categories

Growing up in trailer trash hell, the carnival was my only happy memory as a child. I held onto the magic of that memory until I could finally escape. And like Alice down the rabbit hole, I entered a world beyond my wildest dreams. A world with a shiny, colorful exterior, but filled with rot and corruption underneath. But no matter what these people put me through, I can’t go back to my life before. The man with the biggest secret is the only one I can trust. He’s dangerous, but he’s safety to me. He’s broken, but he put me back together.

ATF Special Agent Cooper “Coop” Bellamy's rigid adherence to rules has left his relationship with his 11-year-old daughter in ashes. When Charleston's fire chief calls him to investigate a series of mysterious nuisance fires ravaging the city, Coop sees a chance to redeem himself as a father and catch a dangerous arsonist. But as the fires turn deadly, he finds himself torn between family and duty.

High King Brucarius 'Goldblade' Blackthorn has arrived in Timbermere. While Valdis Wolfbane left his past behind him along with his sword and armor, the king asks a favor of the former warrior. What the king does not realize is that this warrior is now a farmer. His supernatural gifts are used to toil the land and harvest crops rather than split skulls and sever limbs. Where before he commanded a squad of battle-hardened men, he now finds himself leading... an ensemble of women who love the farm just as much as he does.

Homeless and nearly destitute, I find myself standing on stage in a brothel, where I'm sold to the highest bidder. The winner, a massive half-orc named Knot Thazurok, happens to be a former priest and a former love interest of mine, but I soon discover he expects to get his money's worth. After the male's dominant claiming leaves me breathless, he shocks me with a marriage proposal, which I promptly decline. A fallen maiden has no business becoming a priest's wife, and besides, I have plans to leave the island far behind one day.

It’s been one month since Locke was reborn on the world of Haven, and he’s still learning his way around. But his magic powers, giant mech, and brand-new buff body definitely help. Not to mention his three gorgeous crew mates—Captain Alyssa, fellow Titan Mage Ember, and Chief Engineer Bexley—are determined to...help him get used to it. He’ll have to get used to it all fast, though, because their next bounty is a tough and personal one. An entire expedition has vanished at the site of an ancient ruin.

For years, Zain has stalked Naima, until she slipped through his fingers. He longs for the delectable taste of her terror, and the divine sound of her screams. She occupies his every thought, and he aches for her. Eager to reclaim the only female that can ever complete him, Zain carefully plans his passage into the Mortal Plane. However, when next the Mist rises, instead of hiding from her Nightmare, Naima makes him the most improbable proposition. Is his woman truly surrendering herself to him, or is this a trap to eliminate him for good?

When Locke came to the world of Haven, he didn’t know he’d be called upon to save it one day—but with his god-tier magic, his giant mech called a Titan, and his crew of hot, capable women, he’s the best man for the job. Especially now that his crew includes the Precursor space witch Peth, whose memories of what destroyed her civilization a thousand years ago have come rushing back. Now that same destroyer is about to break free from its prison within the Crystal Moon. To defeat it, they’ll have to find and activate an ancient Precursor superweapon.

With the murder attempts behind us, I just want to focus on getting to know these bachelors. Fun not forever, lust not love. That’s my motto, and I plan on sticking to it. Until some of these males start sneaking their way into my heart. A tiger, a dragon, an angel—who can keep them all straight? Then there’s my ex’s twin. He has no right to be anywhere near my stupid, fragile heart that suddenly starts beating wildly whenever he’s around.

My entire life I was certain of one thing: Vampires were the enemy. Then I met him and let my guard down. That witty banter, those mischievous eyes, and that gorgeous smile lulled me into complacency. Now I was a prisoner, captured by the very vampire who was responsible for my parents’ death. The rebel king wants to use my wolf to take down the royal queen, but I refuse to become his assassin. With the help of an unlikely ally, I manage to break free. I’m going back to get my revenge even if that means partnering up with a stupidly attractive vampire.

With Ransom in Thanatos’s hands, the worst has happened. The god of death has everything he needs to break the shadow curse and loose the starving fangers on the innocents of Azar.

Valdis Wolfbane returns home to the farm, set on the new wares for his shop and the training of his creatures. His mind is never far from cure needed by his beautiful lover and former monster hunter, Calista Knight.

These stories and more are featured in the third short story anthology for the System Apocalypse, continuing the saga of survival in a world transformed by the arrival of the System. Humanity has adapted to a new reality filled with Classes, magic and monsters, but the struggle for life, love and purpose never ends. This anthology brings together gripping tales from returning authors and two new short stories by Tao Wong.

Janelle’s life is defined by a crumbling, underground research base. Imprisoned for 20 years after the base was bombed, she and the few Creckel survivors are running out of time as the last of their resources are depleted. With no hope for rescue, Janelle and her companions wait for the dreaded Reaper to finish what the bombs missed.

Adam Eberhardt has always felt different, but he never would’ve guessed he was a clone of Albert Einstein. Science geeks don't usually live inside the body of a hulk. A brain that never shuts off can be a blessing or a curse, but Adam hasn’t felt many blessings during his sleepless nights, regular victims of his severe anxiety disorder. Weaving through harrowing childhood memories, science research, and self-doubt, he most enjoys spending his mind power thinking about his wunderkind fellow student, Margot. . .who remains oblivious to his interest.

He's a walking nightmare, and our love is a twisted dream… She's been a plaything for the dark elves for far too long. I'll kill all of them to make her mine. Their screams of agony will be replaced… By our screams of pleasure. I know that once I have her in my claws, she'll never want to leave. Yes, I terrify her. But that just makes the pleasure so much stronger. I've been a monster for so long. Now, I've found the woman who will be my mate for the rest of her life. If she surrenders, we will reign forever—our lives lost in bliss. And if she runs, her death will be quick.

For years, Shuria was a monster, the ultimate assassin created as a result of countless painful experiments. At the end of the war, she finds refuge on the Kryptid homeworld as an advisor to the Queen. But even here, she doesn’t belong. When the Vanguard comes to warn them of an impending invasion by the Coalition rebels, Shuria’s life takes on an unexpected turn as she reconnects with Rogue. He is everything any female could dream of. But how can he truly want someone as broken as her, especially after all the terrible things she has done?

I don't mess with vanilla girls. Especially not ones as innocent as Talia. But when a snowstorm traps us at Club Protocol, I break my own rules. It's supposed to be simple revenge against my college rival. But her eager innocence stirs my dominant nature, and I can't resist inviting her into my world of kink and ecstasy. The way she blossoms under my command stirs up feelings I'm not used to, and revenge is a distant memory.

The curtain closed, yet they wanted more. So here, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, is your encore.

I have my men. I have my powers. But are they enough to stop an evil we can’t see? Arjun’s world has been turned upside down, but he’s shoved his pain away to train me for our biggest, most dangerous shifter rescue we’ve ever done. He says we’re doomed to fail, but I can’t turn my back on the helpless. And even while he’s pushing me away, I can’t give up on us. If that wasn’t enough, my siblings need help and there’s no time left. We’re hundreds of miles away from each other, but I can’t abandon the shifters. No matter what I decide, the odds are stacked against me.

Hunter thought he lost his pack for good, but his brothers have reappeared. The pups are overjoyed at seeing their uncles again, and we’re all relieved to know some of his pack members survived. The only problem? His brothers hate humans. Which only adds to my confusion when I hear they have a shaman like me.