Marie Esquivel

CAN A SPARK SURVIVE THE DEPTHS OF THE SEA, OR WILL THE DARKNESS FORCE OUT RUINOUS FORMS OF SECRECY? She dove headfirst into the depths; will the truth slip into or right out of her grasp? Princess Enora is a magnet for enviable blessings, one of which seems to come in the form of a merman—a commander of an underwater dominion in Oceanea. Their relationship is passionate and fiery, but something nudges at her, something he’s keeping under lock and key. And this has nothing to do with another merman finding ways to literally stand between them. When a song sets off a chain of events, will their spark burn brighter or extinguish into a cinder? He’s trained to command the sea, but now he’s commanded by a certain lycan royalty… As Mercommander, there is little he cannot sense. The day he sensed her, his breathing hitched, his heart pounded, and his eyes grew a new kind of sharpness, one that threatens to cut through that urchin who stands between them. The need to be close to her never goes away. But this esteemed soldier has secrets under his scales and exposing them is a matter of life and death. He must tread carefully, or risk putting everyone he cares about in danger.

I sat right next to him and stared at his sleeping face. "I'm sorry. I can't let you see me like this. You deserve someone strong and beautiful. I am nothing but a weak and useless she-wolf." I said out loud. I got up and went downstairs. I was going to go back to my apartment, but there was heavy rain outside. It would make it harder for me to get out of the no-man's-land safely. 'Is your decision already final?' Avi asked. 'Yes, Avi. I don't want to be around when he wakes up. I can't handle another breakup. Not from my mate. The less he knows, the better.' I replied. 'How are you so sure that he is going to reject us? We haven't even met him properly. What if he is not like Uriah?' She asked. 'I don't want to get my hopes high and then end up getting hurt. Yes, he may not be like Uriah. He can be the worst.' I replied. I stood by the door and watched as the rain fell and the thunder roared. They were like music to my troubled heart. At least, even for a little while, all the pain would go. If only the rain could wash all my pain away. Once the rain stopped, I would go back to my apartment and pack my bags. I would go as far away as possible from here. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. For now, I was going to let the rain numb my pain away. That was, until he engulfed me in a hug. "Mate." he groaned.

BOOK ONE of COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with? *** BOOK TWO: The Rogues Who Went Rogue

Trigger/Content Warning: This story contains mature themes and explicit content intended for adult audiences(18+). Reader discretion is advised. It includes elements such as BDSM dynamics, explicit sexual content, toxic family relationships, occasional violence and strong language. This is not a fluffy romance. It is intense, raw and messy, and explores the darker side of desire. ***** “Take off your dress, Meadow.” “Why?” “Because your ex is watching,” he said, leaning back into his seat. “And I want him to see what he lost.” ••••*••••*••••* Meadow Russell was supposed to get married to the love of her life in Vegas. Instead, she walked in on her twin sister riding her fiance. One drink at the bar turned to ten. One drunken mistake turned into reality. And one stranger’s offer turned into a contract that she signed with shaking hands and a diamond ring. Alaric Ashford is the devil in a tailored Tom Ford suit. Billionaire CEO, brutal, possessive. A man born into an empire of blood and steel. He also suffers from a neurological condition—he can’t feel. Not objects, not pain, not even human touch. Until Meadow touches him, and he feels everything. And now he owns her. On paper and in his bed. She wants him to ruin her. Take what no one else could have. He wants control, obedience… revenge. But what starts as a transaction slowly turns into something Meadow never saw coming. Obsession, secrets that were never meant to surface, and a pain from the past that threatens to break everything. Alaric doesn’t share what’s his. Not his company. Not his wife. And definitely not his vengeance.

"You belong to him tonight." My father says as he gestures to the man. My name is Emma, a pathetic she-wolf who is sold by my father after enduring years of abuse from him. That is until Alpha Ethan comes into my life and turns it upside down. He saves me from the hell and gives me a position in his Pack. But only under one condition, that I marry Ethan and become his chosen Luna for at least one year. I have no choice but to agree with the contract marriage if I want to survive. After that year is up I find myself pregnant, and what is waiting for me is the rejection ceremony. Pregnant and rejected with nowhere to go, will I fall into another hell? Should I tell Ethan the truth that I’m pregnant or should I stay hidden from him for the rest of my life?

Liesl McGrath is an up-and-coming artist but for eight years she focuses on her husband as a devoted partner, adjusting her life and her career around him achieving his goal of becoming CEO by the age of thirty. Her life is perfect until her glass castle crashes down. Her husband admits to infidelity with none other than her own sister and there is a child coming. Liesl decides the best way to mend her shattered heart is by destroying the one thing he holds more important than anything else: his career. Isaias Machado is a billionaire first generation American he knows the value of hard work and doing what it takes to survive. His entire life has been geared to the moment he can take the McGrath company away from the corrupted men who once left his family homeless. When Liesl McGrath approaches the billionaire to bribe him with information set to ruin her ex-husband, Isaias Machado is chomping at the bit to take everything the McGrath’s prize including Liesl. A story of love, revenge and healing needs to start somewhere and Liesl’s pain is the catalyst to the wildest rollercoaster ride of her life. Let the bribery begin.

She spent ten years chasing after the right brother, only to fall for the wrong one in one weekend. ~~~ Sloane Mercer has been hopelessly in love with her best friend, Finn Hartley, since college. For ten long years, she’s stood by him, stitching him back together every time Delilah Crestfield—his toxic on-and-off girlfriend—shattered his heart. But when Delilah gets engaged to another man, Sloane thinks this might finally be her chance to have Finn for herself. She couldn't be more wrong. Heartbroken and desperate, Finn decides to crash Delilah’s wedding and fight for her one last time. And he wants Sloane by his side. Reluctantly, Sloane follows him to Asheville, hoping that being close to Finn will somehow make him see her the way she’s always seen him. Everything changes when she meets Knox Hartley, Finn’s older brother—a man who couldn’t be more different from Finn. He's dangerously magnetic. Knox sees right through Sloane and makes it his mission to pull her into his world. What starts as a game—a twisted bet between them—soon turns into something deeper. Sloane is trapped between two brothers: one who’s always broken her heart and another who seems hell-bent on claiming it... no matter the cost. CONTENT WARNING: This story is strongly 18+. It delves into dark romance themes such as obsession and lust with morally complex characters. While this is a love story, reader discretion is advised.

Ember has grown up believing she had no wolf, magic or dragon. Her twin, Ash, on the other hand has had it all. Deciding it best to transfer to a human high school, she ends up meeting her mate, a hybrid just like her. Her mate brings out her dormant wolf and Ember's life starts to unravel. She thought she would be happier once she got her wolf, instead her life has only gotten more complicated. Having been deceived before, Ember has a hard time accepting the mate bond. Can she overcome her past to find happiness with her mate? Can he overcome his darkness and help bring Ember out of hers? [Multiple mates story, lots of steamy scenes.] *** I went to grab the microscope from the center of the table at the same time Toni did. Our hands touched and my head started to ring loudly... a terrible headache brewing. Where his hand touched mine felt like fireworks were going off. My hairs stood on my arms, goosebumps running through me. I grabbed my head from all the ringing. It was so loud and strong. I squeezed at my temples, wincing. "Mate!" Toni's wolf said so silently I almost didn't hear it. I started getting dizzy, my head was spinning and my vision was tunneling. Can I have a mate? I don't even have a wolf. Shouldn't he be with someone with a wolf? "Ember?" His voice rang in my ear, but it was too late. I was falling out of my chair, passing out. I felt him catch me before I hit the floor, his touch sent fireworks through me, before the darkness took me.

“What did you say, little wolf?” he asked. “Repeat.” I swallowed saliva down my dry throat. “I don’t belong to you,” I repeated, staring into his amber eyes. The next moment he pounced on me with predator's intensity. He pinned my wrists in one hand and forced them above my head. Pressing my body with his heavy one, he growled, “You belong to me, little wolf. Remember that. I am going to hunt you from the depths of hell if you try to run or hide.” He captured my lips in a sizzling kiss as he grounded his rock-hard erection on me. ---- After a perfect night with Violet, Dane rejects her, to marry Emily who is known to him from childhood and is the perfect choice. Feeling insulted and dejected, Violet runs away. However, Dane can't stop thinking about Violet and crazily hunts for her. At his pre-wedding party, he sees Violet with someone else. Jealousy rips his heart and this time he won't let her go, even if that means he has to break the rules. Violet resists him, because she has something precious to hide. What happens when Dane sees a pup who is his carbon copy? And he calls Violet, ‘Mom’. Will Violet accept his rejection finally? Or will she come back to him? Will Dane be able to seduce her back in his own, dark and twisted way? Or will he be forced to go back to Emily? Let the chase begin!

Talon the Black is as his name suggests. Dominant. Heartless. Ruthless. King of the Lycans, Talon is madly in love with his mate, Willow, but things start to fall apart when she cannot bear him a child. Driven to desperation, Willow begs him to breed a filthy human and while Talon is reluctant to, he does as his beloved wants. Abused and maltreated by her parents, Avalyn has been sold by her father to the Lycans. Her life is even made worse when she realizes that she is to be the Lycan King’s breeder. She is to sleep with him and carry his child even though he is already married. It is a cold business exchange, her curvy body in exchange for an heir, nothing more. But what happens once this ruthless King starts to fall in love with her? Can they hide their forbidden love from Willow or would there be hell to pay once she finds out?

Sophie became limp after an accident while saving an old grandma. Her parents, who resented her, laughed and said, "No one will marry a limping girl. Marry an old man and bring us the dowry money!" She thought her life was useless now. Until, the grandma's handsome grandson appeared with a shocking marriage proposal: "Marry me and I'll help you with your leg surgery!" She was stunned. "But I'm just a poor girl with a limp leg…why would you marry me?” His lips curled up into a smirk. "At least, I'll have a silly girl as my wife." Blinded by desperation and hope, Sophie agreed. Only later did she discover her new husband's true identity. Dominic William, London's most elusive billionaire, notorious for his icy heart and disdain for women. As Sophie navigates Dominic's world, she uncovers the secrets behind his frozen facade. But will their unconventional love overcome the darkness of his past and her own insecurities? Or will his secrets tear them apart?

A conspiracy by her best friend led to Shirley losing her first time to a strange man. The once-sweet relationship was ruthlessly destroyed by her boyfriend. "Since you are carrying my child, let's get married. It just happens that I don't love you, and you don't love me either," Mr. Billionaire said heartlessly. He threw a contract on the table, saying, "We are just contract spouses." They got secretly married. None of their colleagues knew that Shirley was the wife of their CEO, and they envied why Mr. Billionaire treated this little assistant so specially. Just as Shirley was about to relax, she unexpectedly found out that the man who signed the contract completely ignored her resistance and declared to the whole world that she belonged to him. "What are you trying to do?" "My dear wife, I love you! Let's have another child."