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Marked In Shadow: Dark Romance, Power & Possession
He bought her to break her. He trained her to be his weapon. But some things, once marked, can never be set free.
Mara Reynolds is a survivor. In the merciless Maze of Shadow London, she exists on scraps, her rare and dangerous power a secret she fights to protect. Her ability to cloud minds is a whisper, a ghost in the alleyways—just enough to keep her alive, but using it risks a chilling death. She is prey, and in the eternal twilight of the underworld, the predators are circling.One of them has found her.
Niko Gregoras is a hunter, an enforcer for one of the Five Families that rule the city’s dark heart. He moves through the shadows with a purpose and a power Mara can only dream of. He is everything she privileged, ruthless, and untouchable. When the senate needs a unique weapon for a silent war, his hunt leads him straight to her.
She isn't asked. She isn't negotiated with. She is taken.
Dragged from the gritty familiarity of the slums, Mara is thrown into a gilded cage of luxury and suffocating control. She is no longer a person; she is an asset. A tool to be honed. Niko is her keeper, her trainer, her master. He is tasked with breaking her resistance and sharpening her power into a blade he can wield.
But Niko’s obsession with his new prize deepens beyond simple strategy. He tests her limits, not just with her power, but with her body and mind. He sees the fire in her, the defiant spark that refuses to be extinguished, and he wants to own that too. He unravels her with calculated cruelty and intoxicating attention, demanding a surrender she has sworn never to give.
Trapped and bound to the man who stole her freedom, Mara must learn to play a new, deadlier game. Every act of defiance is met with possessive punishment, and every moment of vulnerability is exploited. She searches for a weakness in her captor, a crack in his cold façade, even as his touch awakens a treacherous desire she can't comprehend.
As rival families close in and the shadows bleed with conspiracy, Mara finds herself in an impossible position. The man who holds her captive may be the only one who can keep her alive. His protection is a chain, his touch a brand, and his intentions are a labyrinth of secrets.
Is this brutal possession just another form of control, or has she become the one thing the ruthless hunter cannot afford to lose? The line between captive and obsession blurs in this dark, gritty, and intensely passionate tale of power, survival, and the fight for a soul already claimed.
Book 2 in the Shadow London series.Please Be This is a dark romance novel intended for mature audiences (18+). The story is set in a grim, often brutal fantasy world and contains themes and content that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
This book
Graphic violence, gore, and on-page murder
Themes of dubious and non-consensual sexual content
Captivity, kidnapping, and forced proximity
Psychological manipulation and emotional abuse
Explicit language and some intense sexual scenes
Power exchange dynamics and BDSM elements
Depictions of past trauma and PTSD
Mara Reynolds is a survivor. In the merciless Maze of Shadow London, she exists on scraps, her rare and dangerous power a secret she fights to protect. Her ability to cloud minds is a whisper, a ghost in the alleyways—just enough to keep her alive, but using it risks a chilling death. She is prey, and in the eternal twilight of the underworld, the predators are circling.One of them has found her.
Niko Gregoras is a hunter, an enforcer for one of the Five Families that rule the city’s dark heart. He moves through the shadows with a purpose and a power Mara can only dream of. He is everything she privileged, ruthless, and untouchable. When the senate needs a unique weapon for a silent war, his hunt leads him straight to her.
She isn't asked. She isn't negotiated with. She is taken.
Dragged from the gritty familiarity of the slums, Mara is thrown into a gilded cage of luxury and suffocating control. She is no longer a person; she is an asset. A tool to be honed. Niko is her keeper, her trainer, her master. He is tasked with breaking her resistance and sharpening her power into a blade he can wield.
But Niko’s obsession with his new prize deepens beyond simple strategy. He tests her limits, not just with her power, but with her body and mind. He sees the fire in her, the defiant spark that refuses to be extinguished, and he wants to own that too. He unravels her with calculated cruelty and intoxicating attention, demanding a surrender she has sworn never to give.
Trapped and bound to the man who stole her freedom, Mara must learn to play a new, deadlier game. Every act of defiance is met with possessive punishment, and every moment of vulnerability is exploited. She searches for a weakness in her captor, a crack in his cold façade, even as his touch awakens a treacherous desire she can't comprehend.
As rival families close in and the shadows bleed with conspiracy, Mara finds herself in an impossible position. The man who holds her captive may be the only one who can keep her alive. His protection is a chain, his touch a brand, and his intentions are a labyrinth of secrets.
Is this brutal possession just another form of control, or has she become the one thing the ruthless hunter cannot afford to lose? The line between captive and obsession blurs in this dark, gritty, and intensely passionate tale of power, survival, and the fight for a soul already claimed.
Book 2 in the Shadow London series.Please Be This is a dark romance novel intended for mature audiences (18+). The story is set in a grim, often brutal fantasy world and contains themes and content that some readers may find distressing. Reader discretion is strongly advised.
This book
Graphic violence, gore, and on-page murder
Themes of dubious and non-consensual sexual content
Captivity, kidnapping, and forced proximity
Psychological manipulation and emotional abuse
Explicit language and some intense sexual scenes
Power exchange dynamics and BDSM elements
Depictions of past trauma and PTSD
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 19, 2025
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