Showing results by narrator "Nikko Austen Smith" in All Categories

When most people hear the word "witch," they immediately think of crones conspiring over a cauldron, a force of dark and vindictive power. But to hundreds of thousands across the world, being a witch is a living, everyday reality, much more varied than the fairytale image. Witch Power follows Emma Quilty—herself a witch and an anthropologist—on an immersive journey into contemporary witchcraft, from Witchcamp retreats to "red tent" menstrual events, Voodoo priestesses running ghost tours from their vans to TikTokers casting hexes on a viral scale.

My corporate kingdom is vulnerable right now. This is the perfect time for the enemy to strike. My gunshot wound doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is my wife. I'm haunted by the knowledge that she could be next. Gwen might have come to me through a twisted game of corporate revenge. It might have started as an arranged marriage, but it's become real. The only thing I can do to protect her is keep her near me. Except the danger lurks closer than I ever imagined.

It was supposed to be cold-blooded corporate warfare, but somehow my heart got involved. My wife penetrated my shields until I could see nothing but her... and her safety. The game has only just begun. I'm going to claim her... along with my birthright. The stakes have never been higher. Manhattan is going to be mine.

In a world where darkness and light collided, a beast and a beauty found themselves entwined in a forbidden love. Together, they form a bond that transcends the boundaries of light and darkness, a love that proves even the most unlikely of souls could become one. Not everyone was genuinely happy about their connection, but with every moment time stood still.

Azra A.Z. Matthews is a business major at Blake University and part of Phi Rho fraternity. A.Z. was raised in the suburbs by a successful father and doting mother. His sister also attends Blake University and is premed. Once A.Z. ventures off to college, he discovers a world vastly different from the one he was raised in. A.Z. discovers a sense of freedom and the ability to do him without being under the scrutinizing eye of his parents. Even though he enjoys his freedom, A.Z. doesn't do too much with the partying and living his best life because he still has his eyes on the prize.

Serenity Rose Johnson has only one hope, and that's to find a pack that will treat her kindly and maybe allow her to follow her dreams of being a fashion designer. She hasn't had it easy, but somehow, she's never given up that hope, not even after her dads sold her to omega traffickers to settle their debts. Her foolish hope helps her to escape her abusers, but she finds herself alone on the side of a deserted road in the middle of winter, in the dead of night. Headlights are the last thing she sees before unconsciousness and certain death.

With the Cuppacio family now settled into Jagoda Bay, the past of Chicago can no longer haunt them from the graves holding the men who made their childhoods hell. Now, it's all about moving forward, elevating, and marriage. Choosing to unite with the Rinaldi Mafia brought fortune and requirements. In order for the men to have permanent seats at the Rinaldi table, they must marry, and their future brides must meet the standards set by the Rinaldi family. Unfortunately, marriage is not an objective as much as it is an obligation to some of the Cuppacio men.

Genesis Valentine knows exactly what she wants out of life. As a decorated journalist, she is determined to tell stories that matter and to make a difference in the world. Unfortunately, as an unbonded omega, she's considered a liability in the field. If she wants to take her career to the next level, she has to show her editor that she can get her scent under control. And that means taking on a pack, at least temporarily.

Destiny Duvalle has it all: money, fame, millions of adoring fans, and loving parents who have managed her music career since she broke into the business at age sixteen. But at twenty-four, Destiny is tired of the hustle and bustle of celebrity life, of constantly being "on", of being international popstar Destiny Duvalle. It's why she's turned down proposals from so many packs—that and her sneaking suspicion that her omega instincts are broken. If she's being honest, Destiny is afraid that without her fame and fortune, her parents will see the real her and find her woefully inadequate.

When Audie wakes up after a devastating accident, her mind is a blank slate. The people around her—her devoted partner, her closest friends, even her own family—all claim to know who she is. But every version of her past is different. Contradictory. Suspicious. As Audie struggles to piece together the fragments of her life, a chilling realization sets in: the memory she lost may not be the worst part of her past. The real danger lies in what she is about to uncover.

Regardless of learning about Kenzie's hectic life, Malakai refuses to give up. He sees something in Kenzie that he loves and refuses to take no for an answer, no matter how long it takes. When any other man would have run for the hills, Malakai buckles up to take the ride with Kenzie as she figures out where to turn. Whether in Miami or Chicago, Malakai is willing to wait for Kenzie. However, will unforeseen circumstances send Kenzie back into Chase's arms? Find out in the first installment of Movin' Different where the lies, betrayal, and deceit are ahead.

Aphrodite Greer is finally starting to see better days. She's slowly accepting that she can have a beautiful life despite her daughter being dead without feeling guilty. That beautiful life has a name and it's Goal Navarro—the persistent head of the Navarro Cartel. Goal Navarro sees what he wants and goes after it. Being a man who's always on the move, he's finally found the lady that keeps him grounded. Running the Cartel that was snatched from his father and handed to him by his Abuelo, nothing can stop the sexy Colombian.

They are in the midst of wedding planning when a blast from the past returns, threatening to tear down everything they've worked so hard to build. They pray their relationship is strong enough to withhold the troubles, but are the actions too heartbreaking for them to bounce back one last time?

Aphrodite Greer was born and raised in the bricks—projects in Jagoda Bay. She met the love of her life, Baguette, on that very soil. The ghetto goddess had her entire life mapped out for her, and just like most life plans, things took a turn for the worse. Infidelity, losing her baby girl Athena, and constant fights with her lover's mistress turned her from a rigid, dope boy's queen to a soft, put-up businesswoman. With five years between their failed relationship, Baguette and Aphrodite remain best friends, and since Baguette has moved on, his current girlfriend has also joined their circle.

McKenzie is doing all she can to move on from Malakai and what they shared. She is focusing on motherhood and enjoying the fruits of her labor while trying to make her family work with Chase. Although skeptical at first, McKenzie decides to officially give Chase a chance to prove he can be a faithful family man. With McKenzie giving him another chance, Chase finally lets Diane go and dedicates himself to being the man he knows Kenzie wants.

We've all witnessed what Rudy's storm consisted of. Childhood trauma, verbal and physical abuse from her husband, along with family secrets that just emerged from the dark after years of her life being one complete lie. Rudy has been in the eye of the storm from the moment she was brought into this world. She deserves to have her rainbow in the end. With five children and a marriage that she's been in for the past fourteen years of her life, can Rudy even survive without Zacardi?

McKenzie is enjoying her pregnancy and working on getting her life back together in Chicago before her babies are born. A near-tragic car accident quickly makes McKenzie realize that life is too short, and she doesn't want to waste another moment not being with the man she truly loves. Giving birth to two healthy babies and beginning her relationship with Malakai, McKenzie feels better than she has in a long time. However, it's short-lived when Malakai is notified that his life and the operations he has left behind are in jeopardy, and he must tend to them immediately.

Rudy Rae is her name. She also goes by Minnie. She's a Southern girl, born and raised in Albany, Georgia. Strong women raised her, although some might challenge that statement and view the women who raised her as weak because of how they allowed their husbands to treat them. At the tender age of thirteen years old, she was taught how to sit up straight, fix a man's plate, and be the submissive wife that she needed to be. In her teenage years, Rudy wasn't interested in these teachings.

As Valentino pursues Sade, his lethal instincts war with something far more dangerous—his growing obsession. She is not just a target; she is a force of nature, an intoxicating enigma that refuses to be controlled. Every encounter between them is a deadly waltz.

Billionaire Atticus Price wants my father's struggling empire. Even worse, he wants me. Immediately. Irrevocably. He isn't a man who accepts no for an answer. This is a hostile takeover, and somehow I've become the price. I'll protect the people in my father's company, even as my father sells it to the highest bidder—along with me. That doesn't mean I'll be the meek bride he expects.