MTL - The Job of an Imperial Concubine - ~ 9 soft knife

Lenora, an orphaned omega, has always known her place: at the bottom of the pack, toiling away in the kitchen while enduring constant insults. Headstrong and unyielding, she often speaks up for what is right—earning her the ire of her packmates, especially the ruthless Lycan King, Jax, and his confidante, Claire.On her twenty-first birthday, Lenora’s life takes an unexpected turn when she discovers that Jax is her fated mate. But instead of joy, the revelation brings humiliation. Jax, embarrassed by their bond, demands secrecy and rejects her outright. When a cruel setup orchestrated by Claire forces Jax to banish Lenora and her closest friend, Noah, tragedy strikes, leaving Lenora shattered and determined to abandon her werewolf roots.Haunted by his actions, Jax tries to bring Lenora back, but she is no longer the omega he once disregarded. Found and manipulated by Jax's estranged brother, Luke—a vengeful outcast—Lenora must navigate a web of lies, uncovering truths about her mate and the dark secrets that threaten to tear the pack apart.As power struggles ignite and betrayal cuts deep, Lenora must rise above the chaos to protect what remains of her heart and her pack. But when love and revenge collide, will Lenora and Jax find their way back to each other, or will their bond be forever broken?

The Heavenly Dao exists.

It decides what is right and what is wrong. To act against it is to sin, to act according to it is to be blessed by its graces.

The world of cultivation is difficult, an unchanging principle. Yet there are those who are cherished by the Heavens, cuddled into rising above all and everyone else. How can this be? Why must this be?

What is moral and just? What is evil and immoral?!

WHY DOES IT GET TO DECIDE?!

So we, the Sinners, we act against the Heavenly Daos, grasp our own fates in hopes of truly overturning them.

This is a Journey of a young boy born Blessed, but turned Sinner.

The greatest sinner of them all.

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.