He is my predator, and I am his prey. Tonight, he is starving for a taste of what's his.

It was Halloween, my favorite time of the year. I had my dream job as a tattoo artist, a loyal best friend, and an ex who happily tended to my needs without complicating our arrangement with feelings.

Everything was going great until Devil's Night when the masked man watched me from the shadows like a predator stalking his next meal, and that's what I was: his prey.

Like any natural-born predator, he was bloodthirsty, staking his claim to me before I could see the face behind his mask. He wasn't afraid to kill for a bite of what he craved, even if it meant shedding the blood of those closest to me. Once he had a taste, he hungered for more, and the more he needed it, the more I wanted to give it to him.

Tropes Include:

Touch her and die, knife play, stalking, possessive MMC, Halloween, small town, CNC, masked MMC, praise, she's mine

Trigger Warning Include:

YOUR MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS. READ THIS SECTION IN ITS ENTIRETY.

This book contains(but not limited to) content depicting violence, gore, explicit language, knife play, dubious consent, sexual assault, restriction, stalking, mutilation and death of a side character, praise, gagging, excessive force, choking, and explicit sex scenes.

This book is not intended for readers under the age of 18. Read with caution. Your mental health matters.

The book you are about to read is DARK and not recommended for all readers. Read through the trigger warnings once more, then decide if you should continue on with this book. The content within this book is heavy. You've been warned.

Twelve holiday-themed short stories filled with spice and everything nice. Each story is unique, containing their own variety of characters and plots.

Read one short story a day for twelve days to complete the 12 Days of Smutmas.

Day One: Santa's Helper

Day Two: Big Red Bow

Day Three: Candy Cane Core

Day Four: Working the North Pole

Day Five: Sugarplum Party

Day Six: Gingerbread Daddy

Day Seven: Mistletoe Manor

Day Eight: Snow Play

Day Nine: Whipped by Winters

Day Ten: The Naughty Elf

Day Eleven: Garland Gag

Day Twelve: On Donner, On Vixen

The trigger warning within this collection are extensive, and not to be taken lightly. While some of the stories are shorter and more sweet, some of them are downright dark and dirty. A fill list of triggers can be found on my wesbsite: thedarkestromance.com

She's the only girl who's ever been off-limits, and he's the only hockey player she's ever wanted.

Captain to the NYU Makos, Duke Lexington has a never-ending trust fund, NHL teams at each other's throats to sign him, and a sizzling socialite girlfriend. Betrayal leaves him in an unexpected situation: fake dating his coach's daughter, Olivia, to keep his captain patch.

A wrench is thrown into their secret arrangement when Duke crosses paths with Aspen, his rival's little sister. She's witty, sweet, and a tad precarious, especially in the riskiest moments, but she's also the only girl who's ever been off-limits.

Aspen's overly protective brother detests the idea of Aspen dating hockey players, knowing firsthand how they treat women. Duke's coach already has doubts about him, and losing Olivia could put an abrupt end to his hockey career.

Sneaking around with Aspen works for a while, but what happens when they're caught by one of Duke's teammates in the locker room? Will his scandalous choices catch up with him before the season ends, or will he slide under the radar long enough to win the championship game and save his career?