MTL - Strong Offense and Defense - Chapter 18 .Frosted glass door

In a world where magic is forbidden and witches are hunted, Ashlynn Blackwell has hidden her mark of the witch since birth. The night of her wedding she's betrayed and her secret is exposed. Attacked by her husband and his knights, Ashlynn was abandoned and left for dead in the wilderness.Rescued by the vampire lady Nyrielle, Ashlynn is offered a choice: die as a human or embrace her power as a witch. Bound by a mystical blood pact, Ashlynn is plunged into a world of ancient magic, immortal vampires, and deadly political intrigue for the chance to find eternal love.

I woke up in this world with a System and a sword. Without hesitation, I chose to complete the princess’ quest with my weapons: Arrogance. Cunning. Pride. I will lead guild Sol Invictus. Denizens of the 7 hells, respect me. Servants of the 11 heavens, know fear. Guild Invictus, know the suffering of training so you can wrest victory from the jaws of those who dare doubt you.

This is a story about a snake named Tycondrius waking up in a fantasy world of swords and sorcery. There is action, violence, unapologetic murder, and arrogant displays of power. There is an emphasis on combat growth as well as psychological growth on more than a few members of Guild Invictus. There is camaraderie and also the inevitable comedic dialogue amongst manly men. There are even elements of romance and Tycon running away from terrifying, powerful women. (Did you know most female snakes eat their partners after mating?)

When proposing, Gu Ningxi praised Tao Xinhe for her “perserverence and responsibility”, and on his wedding day, he vowed in public to “be one and only pair for life”.

Tao Xinhe believed it, believed it deeply, and devoted herself to being a good, virtuous wife for her faced blind husband.

Knowing that Gu Ningxi sees everyone as a tile face, she does not change her clothes or incense, and finally let him rest assured to embrace her;

She accompanies Gu Ningxi to the banquet and party, and mentions the names and origins of the guests, so that he can get rid of his arrogant name;

She accompanied Gu Ningxi while he misses his mother, endured the cold face of her grandmother, and dealt with the entanglement of her uncle and aunt, so that he would have no worries.

Yet nothing compared to that— Gu Ningxi could see Mo Qiqi’s face. In his eyes, only Mo Qiqi was vivid and pleasant, and the faces of the others were blurred.
He focused his eyes on Mo Qiqi, coaxed her softly, and allowed her to touch him. For this reason, he deceived and neglected his wife, and he couldn’t recognize Tao Xinhe who had changed her clothes.

Tao Xinhe’s heart died, determined to go, she left a letter of divorce. Her father and younger brother treated her like a jewel, she regained her spirits, and when she heard the news of her ex-husband taking Mo Qiqi into the mansion, she only smiled.

- Description from Novelupdates

Zev prowled towards her, all shining, brutal beauty, his chin low and those incredible, piercing eyes fixed on her. He didn’t stop until they were toe-to-toe and he blocked her view of every other male in the circle.

His eyes dipped to her mouth as he leaned in, his whisper playing on her skin.

“You. Are. Mine.”

His deep voice twanged in her belly as the howls of the wolf pack rose from behind him to echo across the mountains of Thana, while the other Chimera protested his claim.

Fighting the urge to stroke his broad, bare chest with her shaking hands, Sasha forced herself to tilt her head and raise an eyebrow. “So bold for a pup who just found his fangs.”

The other males roared with laughter.

Ignoring their taunts, Zev’s eyes sparked and he leaned even closer, the scruff on his jaw tickling her cheek as he smiled. “So bold for a human who already knows the pleasure of gasping my name.”

She shivered when his teeth grazed her ear.

*****

Just days after Sasha gave herself to her childhood love, he disappeared. Five years later, on a dark city street, Zev came back—with danger on his tail.

Zev is Chimera: Half-human, half-wolf. Made in a secure research lab, his existence is a secret. But when the powerful men who created him try to kill the only woman who ever made his heart sing, Zev snaps their leash and steals her away to the brutal, hidden world of the Chimera clans.

Torn between the magnetic draw of her first love and the painful betrayal of his disappearance, Sasha tries to keep Zev at arms-length. But when they reach this mysterious world, Zev discovers that in his absence the humans took control and stole almost all the females. The Chimera are dying—and Zev isn’t Alpha anymore.

Now, Zev must fight his own people to win the right to mate his only love. Can he prove to her that his long-ago promise to protect her heart, as well as her body, was true? Or will the humans cross worlds to hunt the wolf and tear the lovers apart forever?

[Mature content, no sexual assault]