Zhan Long - Chapter 1360: Real stand

[COMPLETE] Can a royal Romeo and Juliet find their happy ending?

Ayleth, Princess of Zenithra, is secretly trained in hand-to-hand combat, and collects swear words she doesn't know how to use. During the Festival of Peace, in which every royal son on the continent will be at the castle for a month, she is instructed by her parents to find a husband. Yet, Ayleth has never even been kissed—until the very first ball, when she meets the man in the Lion mask.

Etan is a seasoned warrior, and the Prince of Summitras. He attends the Festival hoping to find a powerful wife who will help him conquer the dark sorcery of their bloodsworn enemies, the Kingdom of Zenithra. But at the very first ball, he discovers the masked woman who captures his heart is the Heir to the evil empire.

Ayleth and Etan face an impossible battle. Will their love survive? Or will their parents' dark dealings keep them apart forever?

[Mature content. No sexual violence.]

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“You…” She stepped back. Then back again, her mouth dropped open. “You… You cannot be…”

“I am,” Etan said, and his hair raked back as he pushed his mask off his handsome face. So handsome her heart raced.

His hair was ebony black, his skin a warm brown that threatened to fade in in the winter months. He stared at her with glittering green eyes, over high cheekbones and a noble nose, his jaw tight and shadowed this late in the day. His chin was high over the pillar of his neck that she’d just touched with its hard lines and steel strength, so different to her own. And his chest... She gasped and covered her eyes. She’d humiliated herself revealing her stupid, childish curiosity.

“No, Ayleth. This changes nothing.”

“How can you say that? It changes everything!” She was horrified to realize she was crying.

“Ayleth, please.” His voice cracked on the plea and she stared at him, shoving her mask up and off, despite how it would pull her hair out of the beautiful twist the maid had managed for her.

His eyes locked on hers and she couldn’t think. She couldn’t breathe.

She had met her One. And he was the son of her bloodsworn enemy.

She stared at him as he stepped forward again, offering both hands, palm up. “Touch me,” he whispered. “Hold my hands. This is real, Ayleth. I don’t know how it happened, but this is real. Please don’t deny it.”

She couldn’t resist. She raised a trembling hand to his cheek, letting her palm catch on the scruff of his jaw. He blew out a breath and put his hand over hers, and that jolt that happened whenever they touched shivered through her again.

“Please, Ayleth.”

“I cannot deny it,” she whispered.

“I want to see my money's worth. You belong to me now. So, strip!” he ordered coldly, taking a sip from his cognac.I fought back my tears, my trembling hands fiddling with the zipper of my shorts. His icy green eyes were latched onto my body the whole time, surveying the littlest movements I made like a predator. I was bare in front of him in no time, almost tempted to shield my body away from him with my hands.But I couldn't. Not when he had absolute control over me now.“Get on your knees and crawl to me.”••••Nylah Frost has been stuck in the underworld as a stripper long enough to have made a name for herself, but when push came to shove and her best friend's life was on the line, she broke the rules that guarded the club she worked at, sleeping with and stealing from the devil, Alpha Xavier Wilde, the most feared and ruthless Alpha, who is renowned for crushing his enemies effortlessly.When the little stripper stole from him, Xavier Wilde was extremely intrigued by her boldness, and it triggered his dark, predatory side that sought to chase after her and possess her.A sense of ownership that was supposed to be a game of endless pleasure to him soon became his undoing. How does heartless Alpha see her more than his property and an object of pleasure?Will Nylah allow herself to see past the hatred she has for him?

She shouldn’t have got drunk, so she wouldn’t have court the troubles.
She slept with a handsome man and would be sent to the police?
Oh, my sweet Jesus…
“So you just ran away like nothing happened after you slept with me?”
“Old jerk! Even if I had the initiative, it was you who took advantage of me!”
As a saying goes, the more spoiled a president gets, the more likely he becomes a scumbag.
An adorable ‘wildcat’ vs. a scheming frenemy.
This was a love rivalry between a modern Cinderella and a Big Boss.
As time flew, the world was like a fleeting show.
When they met again after several years of separation, he held her hand tightly and swore that he would never give her any chance to leave him again!
Finally, he asked her to marry him and pampered his cute wifey with his endless love.

- Description from Novelupdates

Lucas Carter, a stressed-out office worker, never expected to die, let alone be reincarnated into a brutal world where beasts are the key to power. Born as the heir to a lowly barony, surrounded by elves, beastkin, dragons, and demonic clans, he was supposed to be a mere pawn, nothing more than a stepping stone for the true power players.But fate had other plans. Armed with a modern strategist’s mind and a mysterious system that grants him the ability to tame legendary beasts, Lucas quickly rises above the limitations of his birth. With the power to summon beasts, fuse them into deadly weapons, and unlock hidden skills, Lucas is no longer just surviving—he’s thriving.By his side are his loyal companions:Umbra, a Black Nemean Lion with indestructible fur and devastating roars that disrupt magic.Zephyra, a playful yet fierce Baby Wind Dragon who wields the power of wind itself.With his growing army of legendary beasts and his tactical genius, Lucas begins to build an empire. Along the way, he forms bonds with powerful women from every race, all while navigating the dangers of political intrigue, betrayal, and the constant threat of rivals who want to take everything he’s earned.One beast at a time, Lucas will carve his name into history. But in a world where strength is everything, can his cunning and loyalty to his beasts truly make him the ultimate ruler?