One Piece: Dream of Immortality - Chapter 452: Hostage Situation

When Shen Xinghui, an ordinary young man, is suddenly transported to a fantastical world, he finds himself surrounded by incredible beings like Beast Man, Dragon Man, and even Demons.Struggling to adapt in a place where the rules of life, magic, and even biology are wildly different, Shen Xinghui must rely on the guidance of Ignatius, a noble Dragon Man.As Shen Xinghui learns about this world’s diverse cultures, powerful magic, and the ever-present mystery of how he arrived, he discovers that he’s not the first outsider to find himself here—and perhaps not the last.With no clear way back home, Shen Xinghui embarks on a journey to the capital of the Cindralith Kingdom, determined to carve out a place for himself in this strange yet wondrous land. Along the way, he uncovers secrets about the world—and himself—that will change his destiny forever.

“Duty before heart,” Ashleigh replied firmly.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“It means I will do my job. But Caleb is just my duty, you are my heart.”

***

Two men, two distinct feelings of attraction and trust.

Ashleigh struggles to understand the feelings in her heart. Torn between the man she has loved for the past two years and the cold Alpha of an enemy pack, can Ashleigh figure out which of these men she truly wants to be mated to?

Does she really have a choice?

She is the daughter of Alpha Wyatt of Winter, the largest of the four Werewolf Packs. For two years she has eagerly awaited her eighteenth birthday so she can finally be married and mated to her love, Granger. But just before that magical day she runs into a significant problem: she finds herself bonded to another wolf.

Her fated bond happens to be Alpha Caleb of Summer, the man whose father was supposedly murdered by one of her own.

As if that wasn’t enough, every pack is suddenly reporting attacks from rogue wolves. Now Ashleigh is faced not only with a war in her heart, but one in real life.

Will they be able to work together, putting aside all their heart ache and pain to keep their packs safe from the enemy that threatens them all? Or will this love eventually become their downfall?

Driven by his need for revenge, Lazarus, the Lore’s most ruthless vampire, plots to seize the throne of Wilyra and rule it along with his betrothed, the fae goddess Maeve who thrives in a borrowed body.

Lazarus has a perfect plan—until he finds Emmalyn, a young mortal who is the daughter of the rebel leader of blood vassals in his kingdom and an integral part of his plan. He captures the young girl to cast her soul out for Maeve.

Emmalyn yearns for a better life to escape from her stepmother and an indifferent father. She never imagined that they would sell her to the royals to save her brother’s life.

But there’s only one problem. Emmalyn tempts Lazarus beyond reason. As the time to cast her soul out draws closer, he must choose between his lust for the throne or his irresistible mortal.

Will Lazarus succumb to lust for power and crown? Or will he risk it all to have a future with her?

In a world where Lycans and werewolves are sworn enemies, Eve Valmont is a werewolf cursed by a prophecy and framed. Betrayed by her own pack and imprisoned for years, her fate takes a darker twist when she is offered to the Lycan King, Hades Stavros—a ruler feared for his ruthless conquests and deadly prowess. Bound by an ancient prophecy and haunted by the ghosts of her past, Eve is now at the mercy of the one being she should hate and fear the most—The Hand of Death himself.Hades, a king carved from blood and his own soul's decay, determined to avenge his family's slaughter and rid his people of the werewolves. He believes Eve is the key to his victory. To him, she is nothing but weapon foretold by prophecy, a tool he will wield to destroy the opposing forces threatening his pack. Yet, he finds himself craving this powerful yet broken woman. Leaving him questioning if she is truly his weapon or the one destined to unravel his carefully laid plans.***He stalked toward me, a predator closing in on its prey, his eyes dark and unreadable. “So, you laugh?” His voice was low, dangerously soft, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how difficult it had become to breathe. “Hades, I—”“But you only laugh at other men's jokes,” he interrupted, his gaze piercing, devoid of any humor. “Not your husband's.” The accusation in his tone was sharp, slicing through the air between us.A nervous chuckle escaped me. “You can't be serious... He’s your beta, for Goddess’ sake.”In an instant, he closed the distance between us, so fast it left me breathless. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me flush against his body, the heat of him making my skin tingle. I gasped, but before I could say a word, his lips crashed onto mine, claiming my mouth with a force that sent shockwaves through me. The kiss was punishing, hungry—I couldn't breathe, couldn't think.When he finally pulled back, I was trembling, my chest heaving as I struggled to regain my breath. His eyes, dark and stormy, searched mine with a possessive intensity. “You can’t laugh at my jokes...” he whispered, his voice a dangerous rasp as his fingers trailed lower, sending a shiver down my spine, “but you’ll come with my fingers.”I shivered, heat pooling low in my belly at his words, his touch. The world around us blurred, fading into nothing as his hand slipped lower, drawing a ragged gasp from my lips. The look in his eyes told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me, and there was no denying the primal connection between us in that moment.“I don’t need your laughter,” he murmured against my skin, his breath hot on my neck. “I’ll have every other part of you instead.”