Longevity Martial Arts: Grinding Experience in the Chaotic World - Chapter 3: State Solidification

I watch him, his green eyes brimming with concern as he gently massages my scarred leg. The sensation is both soothing and a stark reminder of my own inadequacy. The once-feared Crimson General, a symbol of power and invincibility, is now nothing but a frail shadow of his former self. I’ve been abandoned, left to decay in this forsaken place, my family and comrades long forgotten. Darkness had become my only solace, and I had resigned myself to it.Then he arrived, a beacon of light in my endless night. His presence, his care—it’s more than I ever deserved. Yet, I find myself clinging to him with an intensity that borders on madness. I hate that I need him so desperately, that his every action and word have become my lifeline. It consumes me, a torment I can't escape.“You don't have to do this. Please, don’t do this. I’m nothing. You deserve better. Leave. Please,” I beg, my voice trembling with raw anguish, the very words tearing me apart.He continues his work, seemingly unaffected by my pleas.“Why are you here? Look at me! I’m nothing.”Desperation and anger swell within me, mixing into a maelstrom of anxiety. I can’t comprehend the emotions coursing through me.“You're my alpha, where else would I be?” he responds softly, his gaze unwavering, as if my pleas were mere background noise.My heart races, torn between overwhelming relief and paralyzing dread. In that moment, I realize the truth: you would have to tear him from my cold, lifeless arms. I’m never letting go.General Thorne, betrayed and broken, finds new life and love with Omega Noelle, who nurses him back to health. Their deepening bond reveals Thorne’s softer side, offering a chance at happiness. Unfortunately, Thorne’s past soon catches up with them, threatening their newfound peace.

What did death feel like?Ezekiel didn't want to remember. He wished to never experience that void expanse of nothingness ever again.Luckily he had been reincarnated into a world with magic and the sorts. But as a Mechanic!Watch as Ezekiel defies his manaless destiny by walking the path given to him by that Being as a Mechanic born to rule over all.He had been an ordinary person in his last life but he refused to allow that term follow him into the next.“I can still become someone important. Not as an Awakened from Taia, but as a Battle Mechanic from Earth!”

A conversation with a handsome stranger leaves Ariane chained in a cellar with a strange affliction. She soon discovers that the darkness of the nineteenth century’s Deep South hides many dangers. Mages, wolf shifters and the humans who hunt them play a risky game where to stumble is to die, all under the amused gaze of the apex predators of the supernatural world: vampires.

It is never healthy to attract the gaze of the aristocracy of the night. It takes much to survive in this merciless world, but Ariane will not let that deter her. The southern belle has a bite, and she is willing to learn and to grow in this hostile new world. She will use whatever means necessary to reclaim her freedom, be it guile, charm, or those intriguing new instincts that make blood so delectable.

This is a story of vampires as I believe they should be, with their strengths and weaknesses, with their remnants of humanity and the beast inside. Updates every Friday. Mind the tags.

Cover by Antti Hakosaari: https://www.artstation.com/haco

Special thanks to Svensonsen for getting me started, as well as Omi Nya, Hesketh, Rhaegar, Yaksher, Selkie and Raven for proofreading my stuff. Thanks to my patrons and you dear readers, for the support. I could not do it without you.

Journey is on Amazon, both in ebooks and audio. here is a link to the first one:

https://www.royalroad.com/amazon/B08DK6G8Y8

The story probably exists in your local marketplace as well of I can tempt you.

[MATURE CONTENT]“Are you mating with someone?”Stunned, she took a step back, widening the space between them. “ Excuse me?”“Ah…” A sigh left his lips. “ Perhaps, I need to rephrase my question. Are you f*cking someone?”She sucked in a quick breath, not knowing what to say. Anger reared itself in her head, mixing with unexpected desire. Sadly, desire was winning.He lifted an eyebrow, and in the next instant, he was already standing in front of her body. Her instincts kicked in. She took a couple steps back until her back hit the wall.The smell of chocolates and almonds rolled between them. Entranced, she thought she smelled the sweetness of the wine but it disappeared as quickly as it came.“I don’t think that is any of your business, Mr. Graydon.” she made a sound of annoyance.“Is it not?” His breath fractured, his eyes darkened with desire.“No.” Her lips quivered at her obvious denial. She mustered all the courage she could, hoping he wouldn’t smell her arousal. She knew it was for naught.His fingers lightly brushed her cheeks, then they trailed down her neck, lingering on her collarbone, the contact sent shivers down her spine. It awakened the primal need she had been wanting to hide since they met.She wanted him.No.She needed him, inside her.Her face flushed at the thought of him taking her, preferably right against these walls.“You want me,” he stated. ““As much as I want you.”Shocked by her own raw and potent yearning, she turned her head away.“I don’t…”“Shhh…” he silenced her with a finger. Then he inched closer, so close his long lashes brushed against her cheek. Her heart pounded like a drum against her chest, fast and hot in anticipation.“Now tell me little one… do I need to get rid of someone before I make you beg me to let you come?”......Is love worth the chaos it brings?.....Tags: #lycans #witch #strongfemalelead #strongmalelead #norape #smut #mates #slowburn