Some secrets are best left in the dark, in a place where hearts exist bound by barbed wire.

Seth loudly resents the concept of biology choosing one's mate. Determined never to fall for the "fated Korrena" trap, he picks fights and carelessly sleeps around to hide from the truth: he's secretly in love with his best friend's little sister. But Riley believes so firmly in the poetic nonsense of Korrena pairs that she has "saved herself" for her future pair. When her prince shows up, it will break his heart to lose her—so he'll take her in whatever way he can have her.

Riley has always relied on Seth to keep her on task and look out for her. He makes her feel safe. But a shift in his attitude lately has her off-balance. There's that new scent he wears that no one notices but her, and the subtext in his teasing, especially when they're alone. What she wouldn't give for Seth to be her Korrena… but he doesn't believe in that, so she hides her feelings. She'll take him in whatever way she can have him.

She wishes he wouldn't see her as a child. He hasn't seen his "Firecracker" as a child in a long time.

The slow drag of Seth's tongue over the cut on her finger obliterated thought. Seth-freaking-Emerson, her childhood friend who had always been like a big brother to her, was tasting her blood…

Book four of the Blackthorn Saga featuring two side characters as the main characters. While it's best to listen to the previous books, there's enough information it can be enjoyed as a standalone for newcomers to the series.

Ruinous Secrets is a full-length new adult paranormal romance by author Stephanie Denne.

The dark and mysterious world of the Blackthorn Saga is a new take on vampire romance in an academy setting complete with a king and his court, fated mates, magic, and more! Blackthorn Saga takes a new approach to the fated mates trope and the toxicity around the jealousy and possessive behaviors that can come from it, allowing the characters to evolve and grow across multiple books to find themselves and find a true, organic love without just bending to "destiny."

Contains mature content. A complete list of content warnings can be found on the author's website.