Obsidian

Obsidian

Mbali Xabela

200.7k Words / Completed
404
Hot
4k
Views

Introduction

“Yes, sir,” he prompts.

His hand snakes down to my neck, holding it gingerly but warningly.

“Say it,” he booms. “Or I will fuck it out of you.”

I drag the words out. “Yes… sir.”

*****

Hadassah Moor is a young investigator, dedicated to taking down corrupt businessmen and exposing nefarious enterprises. But the star aims too high when she goes after Orian Moon, the CEO of Zenith, a multi-billion megacorporation.

When Hadassah robs Gaza, a powerful drug lord, seeking evidence that ties him to Orian. She ends up stealing a ledger with a treasure trove of deadly secrets that thrusts her into a world of peril. Hadassah becomes the target of the Blood and Bone cartel because of the fathomless truths she's unknowingly in the possession of. And the only thing that stands between her and an army of ruthless thugs is the same man she sought to destroy.
Read More

Share the book to

facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

About Author

Mbali Xabela

Chapter 1

The CEO of Zenith incorporated, Orian Moon, saw his wealth grow by about 77% over the same March-to-December quarter. Which he gave more than $900 million to the Zenith Foundation and $300 million to a gentrification project in South Africa.

The pace and scope of his charitable giving is staggering. As a publicly active philanthropist, he has given away more than what five of the country’s biggest givers have in their entire lifetimes, Forbes calculates.

The TV screen goes black.

I whip around. My mom stands in the archway with her arm outstretched and the remote in her hand. She lowers it to her side with a pointed look on her face.

“Hadie, baby.” She folds her arms and levels me with a reproving glare. “What are you doing?”

“Well, I was watching that program,” I say flatly.

“No, what you need to be doing is celebrating.” Her hands move to her waist, fixing themselves on her hips. Her reproachful stance. “You just cracked that big case, writing that piece on those money-stuffing scoundrels. The feds couldn’t even solve it, but my baby did. And now here you are.” She jabs a quick finger at the TV. “Out hunting on the next big thing. Just take the time to celebrate this win.”

Her eyes are like deep pools of melted hazel, swirling with unabating concern. She moves to place the remote on the acacia wooden case. The head is lined with stands of laminated articles that I have written. And the shelves hold an accolade of awards I have won over the years. Not there by my choice.

My mouth opens to retort. But then I seal my lips back close, silenced by a fragrance wafting into the living room.

“Is that? That smell... is that what I think I’m smelling?”

I inhale a deep breath, drawing in the cheesy, mouth-watering aroma of mama’s lasagne.

“If you’re smelling the world’s best homemade lasagne...” Calum strolls into view, leaning his shoulder against the frame of the archway. “You’re correct, princess.”

My mom lets out a rolling, high-pitched giggle, slapping the air. “Oh stop playing, boy.”

“I’m serious.” He moves to her, wrapping her in a one-sided hug. “What we should be doing is celebrating how delicious that dish is. I even stopped taking my antidepressants, cause now I just eat your lasagne.”

She laughs again, her autumn brown skin aglow. Not a single wrinkle to expose her true age.

I roll my eyes at Calum. “Whilst you flirt with my mama.” I walk over to them, heels thudding on the vinyl flooring. “I’m going to change.”

Her laugh dies in her mouth. “You better, looking ridiculous in that damn pants suit.” Her hand flicks Calum’s arm. “You know she just barged back in here, no hello—nothing, just straight to the TV, watching the latest news on her next target.”

Calum throws his head back with a laugh, flaunting a dazzling smile. Two rows of brilliant white. “Let me guess... something about Zenith?”

My shoulder knocks into his as I pass him. “Whatever.” I turn to look back at ma. “And by the way this—” I gesture to my all-black, form-fitting, full suit with a belted blazer and a lapel collar, “—is fashion.”

“So is a dress,” she says to my back.

My inner feminism shrieks inside. I spin around, tearing my lips apart.

Calum cuts me off with an exaggerated hand gesture. “You know better than to talk back to your mama.” He shoos me away. “Keep on stepping.”

“That’s right.”

The two of them high five each other.

I shake my head at them both. “Ganging up on me on my big day, that’s just low,” I mutter, marching upstairs.

I drift into my bedroom, the second one on the left, yanking out my hairband—an explosion of shoulder-length curls. I take off my heels, holding them by the tip of my fingers as I saunter to the dressing table. I drop the heels. My eyes are fixated on the framed picture of me and my dad when I was still a kid. When he was still alive, and not just existing. But alive. The years were hard on him, sapping the life from his skin and the fight from his bones. He put himself in the grave trying to provide for a family when he couldn’t even do it for himself. He drowned just to keep us afloat.

Thoughtlessly clutching onto the crucifix hanging from my neck. I let it go.

“Got another one, pops.” I can barely hear myself say it. “I think... I think you would’ve been proud.”


My mom, Calum, and I are seated around the dinner table set with a breadbasket, a side of veggies and the guest of honor. The lasagne. The dish is placed in the center, covered with a thick coat of bubbling gouda cheese, garnished with fresh green herbs. After ma serves us generous, very generous portions—the kind that will make sure that I work out tomorrow. She extends her hands out to the both of us. We all hold hands. Calum entwines our fingers together. And ma prays.

Calum sneaks a look at me, mouthing, *close your eyes. *

I narrow my eyes at him. Why are yours open?

“And father God!” ma exclaims, her voice bursting to its maximum volume. “Though we come to the Lord’s table to feast in peace. Others choose violence. I have to repent, Father God! Forgive me because I’mma bout to beat the black off my daughter. And whoop the white boy so hard, he’ll be speaking in tongues if they keep fooling around like damn kids.”

Calum snorts a laugh, smothering the others that try to break free. I gawk at my mother, both of her eyes are shut, and yet the woman still sees everything. Witchcraft.

“Amen,” she says. She drops our hands, opening her eyes to glare at me. “You lucky, it’s your day.” She tosses a glance at Calum. “And that we have company.”

A wry snort escapes me. “Like that’s ever stopped in you the past,” I mutter.

“Girl, I swear—”

“Lasagne is getting cold,” Calum says, playing peacemaker. ”Niente litigi a tavola. Let’s eat.”

We all jump right in. I fit in a mouthful, moaning with each bite. Italian-style lasagne. The balance between layers of cheese and homemade Bolognese sauce is perfection. My taste buds frolicking with the sliced sausage and ground beef, creating a rich, layered flavor with the creamy sauce spilling over my tongue.

Calum wipes a fake tear from his eye. “I should write this recipe in the history books, so generations after us will know of its legend.”

I grin at him. The lights above brightening his Nordic-gold hair, styled with a middle parting. Very much like a young Leonardo DiCaprio. He looks back at me, mesmerized by that empyrean blue. I gaze into them, enraptured by the vast vessel of happy memories encapsulated in the ocean’s gemstones. A living remnant of my childhood, our history preserved in those eyes.

“So, are you going to tell me about the thugs you nailed?”

“Not me—we,” I correct. “I wouldn’t be able to do what I do without Cal, here.” I scrunch my nose at him. “Isn’t that right, nerd?”

“True.” His voice curated in confidence. “I am her eyes and ears, her Gandalf, that gets her in places where most people can’t. I help. But her drive, her achievements.” He offers me a long, wholesome look. “That’s all you, princess.”

I smile at my plate. Diverting the attention, I say, “The bust we made was a massive international weapons trafficking operation. Resulting in the seizure of nearly a hundred thousand firearms and one-hundred and sixty-seven explosives.”

Calum swallows, nodding. “Operation pale shadow. Traffickers getting millions on the black market, supplied by criminal gangs.”

“They had AR-fifteen rifles, grenades and military-grade weaponry,” I add. “Enough to start a war.”

Ma’s expression fades from fascination, concern creeping back. A worry line etched on her forehead. “With your condition, I really hate you knowing that kind of stuff.”

“Condition?” Calum snorts. “It’s more like a superpower. It’s why she’s good at what she does.”

She waves a dismissive hand. “You know what I mean. Cause after she can never unsee those things. But enough of that.” She aims her fork at me, then at Calum. “When are you two giving me some gorgeous, mixed, grandbabies?”

I choke—Calum hacks into his fist, beating his chest.

After dinner, Calum helps me with the dishes. And after I walk him out as usual, strolling into the travertine-tiled front entrance of my townhouse which is anchored by bespoke horizontal boards that amplify the room’s length. The peaked ceiling lends height and drama, and a series of square shapes—the windows, the front door’s panes of glass, and the paneled interior door provide a stately rhythm. Calum pauses in the middle of the door, and slants to the side to rest his shoulder against the frame. His eyes boring into mine like I’m a book that only he can understand.

“Don’t do it.”

I shrug innocently. “I don’t know what you’re talking about it.”

“You’re going after Zenith,” he says exasperatedly, “Which is stupid because nothing traces back to them, nothing that can be proved. We’ve tried and failed. Multiple times.”

I reach for him, pulling him into a hug, “Night, nerd.” Arms wrapped around his neck.

His one arm coils around my waist. “Your mom is right about this one. Let it go.”

I draw away, smiling back at him. “It’s not about if I get Zenith. It’s when. And if at first you don’t succeed...”

Comments

  • Visitor

    🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶🫶

    07/21/2025 20:26
  • Visitor

    what

    09/05/2024 10:27
  • Reader-998117

    WowWow!! I might have to read this next, after I finish this other exciting one I’m reading!!

    07/08/2024 17:08

You Might Like 😍

The Shadow Of A Luna

The Shadow Of A Luna

Completed · The Moon Goddess
All of a sudden there was a growl that ripped through the room and the band stopped playing and I heard something smash. Like it was a wooden chair or something.
Everyone looked in that direction and there was a man standing there that I had never noticed before. He would have been in his early 20's, brown hair to his shoulders, a brown goatee, 6-foot 6 at least and very defined muscles that were now tense as his intense gaze was staring directly at me and Mason.
But I didn't know who he was. I was frozen in the spot and this man was just staring at us with pure hatred in his eyes. But then I realized that the hatred was for Mason. Not me.
"Mine." He demanded.
939.2k Views
Fake Dating My Ex's Favourite Hockey Player

Fake Dating My Ex's Favourite Hockey Player

Ongoing · Miss Anonymous
"Just imagine it, Em. His ex-fiancée... dating his favourite hockey player."


Zane and I were together for ten years. When he had no one, I stayed by his side, supporting his hockey career while believing at the end of all our struggles, I'll be his wife and the only one at his side.But after six years of dating, and four years of being his fiancée, not only did he leave me, but seven months later I receive an invitation... to his wedding!If that isn't bad enough, the month long wedding cruise is for couples only and requires a plus one. If Zane thinks breaking my heart left me too miserable to move on, he thought wrong!Not only did it make me stronger.. it made me strong enough to move on with his favourite bad boy hockey player, Liam Calloway.
672.3k Views
Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend

Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend

Ongoing · Oguike Queeneth
“You are so fucking wet.” He nipped my skin and pulled me up to sink me down his length.

“You are going to take every inch of me.” He whispered as he thrusted up.

“Fuck, you feel so fucking good. Is this what you wanted, my dick inside you?” He asked, knowing I have benticing him since the beginning.

“Y..yes,” I breathed.


Brianna Fletcher had been running from dangerous men all her life but when she got an opportunity to stay with his elder brother after graduation, there she met the most dangerous of them all. Her brother's best friend, a mafia Don. He radiated danger but she couldn't stay away.

He knows his best friend's little sister is off limits and yet, he couldn't stop thinking of her.

Will they be able to break all rules and find closure in each other's arms?
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

Completed · Allison Franklin
Catherine is not only a rogue half-breed, she is also the result of mate-bond infidelity, was abandoned as a baby and, to top it off, she can only shift during the full moon. When Catherine left the only pack she'd ever known in order to escape the new alpha, the last thing she expected was to find her mate... let alone for him to be the mouth-watering, heavily tattooed, lead warrior of the most feared lycan pack on the continent.

Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.

From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.

Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
457.1k Views
Game of Destiny

Game of Destiny

Completed · Dripping Creativity
Amie's wolf hasn't shown herself. But who cares? She has a good pack, best friends and a family who loves her. Everyone, including the Alpha, is telling her she is perfect just the way she is. That is until she finds her mate and he rejects her. Heartbroken Amie flees from everything and start over. No more werewolves, no more packs.

When Finlay finds her, she is living among humans. He is smitten by the stubborn wolf that refuse to acknowledge his existence. She may not be his mate, but he wants her to be a part of his pack, latent wolf or not.

Amie cant resist the Alpha that comes into her life and drags her back into pack life. Not only does she find herself happier than she has been in a long time, her wolf finally comes to her. Finlay isn't her mate, but he becomes her best friend. Together with the other top wolves in the pack, they work to create the best and strongest pack.

When it's time for the pack games, the event that decides the packs rank for the coming ten year, Amie needs to face her old pack. When she sees the man that rejected her for the first time in ten years, everything she thought she knew is turned around. Amie and Finlay need to adapt to the new reality and find a way forward for their pack. But will the curve ball split them apart?
My Marked Luna

My Marked Luna

Ongoing · Sunshine Princess
"Will you continue to disobey me?" he asks, his gaze cool and hard.
"Yes,"
He exhales, raises his hand, and brings it down to slap my naked as again... harder than before. I gasp at the impact. It hurts, but it is so hot, and sexy.
"Will you do it again?"
"No,"
"No, what?"
"No, Sir,"
"Best girl," he brings his lips to kiss my behind while he caresses it softly.
"Now, I'm going to fck you," He sits me on his lap in a straddling position. We lock gazes. His long fingers find their way to my entrance and insert them.
"You're soaking for me, baby," he is pleased. He moves his fingers in and out, making me moan in pleasure.
"Hmm," But suddenly, they are gone. I cry as he leaves my body aching for him. He switches our position within a second, so I'm under him. My breath is shallow, and my senses are incoherent as I anticipate his hardness in me. The feeling is fantastic.
"Please," I beg. I want him. I need it so badly.
"So, how would you like to come, baby?" he whispers.
Oh, goddess!


Apphia's life is harsh, from being mistreated by her pack members to her mate rejecting her brutally. She is on her own. Battered on a harsh night, she meets her second chance mate, the powerful, dangerous Lycan Alpha, and boy, is she in for the ride of her life. However, everything gets complicated as she discovers she is no ordinary wolf. Tormented by the threat to her life, Apphia has no choice but to face her fears. Will Apphia be able to defeat the iniquity after her life and finally be happy with her mate? Follow for more.
Warning: Mature Content
505.7k Views
The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker

Ongoing · Sophie Smith
Saphira White has spent her life as an outcast—unloved, ignored, and falsely accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Abandoned by her mother and raised in the ruthless Silvermoon Pack, she’s treated as nothing more than a shadow. When her step-sister Ruby brands her a murderer, the pack delivers the cruellest punishment of all: exile to the Matchmaker, the most feared institution in supernatural history.

No one escapes the Matchmaker unscathed. The process is simple—each participant is paired with a supernatural being, often sealing their fate with blood. Death is the most common outcome, and Saphira expects nothing less. But when the impossible happens, she is matched with a creature so legendary, so powerful, that even the bravest tremble at its name—a royal dragon.

Now bound to an ancient force of destruction, Saphira finds herself among the royal pack. With them, she navigates a world of power, deception, and destiny. As she walks this new path, familiar faces resurface, bringing long-buried secrets to light. Her heritage—once a mystery—begins to unravel, revealing a truth that may change everything.
Crowned by Fate

Crowned by Fate

Completed · Tina Savage
“You think I’d share my mate? Just stand by and watch while you fuck another woman and have her kids?”
“She’d just be a Breeder, you would be the Luna. Once she’s pregnant, I wouldn’t touch her again.” my mate Leon’s jaw tightened.
I laughed, a bitter, broken sound.
“You’re unbelievable. I’d rather accept your rejection than live like that.”


As a girl without a wolf, I left my mate and my pack behind.
Among humans, I survived by becoming a master of the temporary: drifting job to job… until I became the best bartender in a dusty Texas town.
That’s where Alpha Adrian found me.
No one could resist the charming Adrian, and I joined his mysterious pack hidden deep in the desert.
The Alpha King Tournament, held once every four years, had begun. Over fifty packs from across North America were competing.
The werewolf world was on the verge of a revolution. That’s when I saw Leon again...
Torn between two Alphas, I had no idea that what awaited us wasn’t just a competition—but a series of brutal, unforgiving trials.
Author Note:New book out now! The River Knows Her Name
Mystery, secrets, suspense—your next page-turner is here.
Welcome to Hell

Welcome to Hell

Ongoing · Williane Kassia
He was engaged. Straight.
An ordinary man with a bright future ahead.
But a single betrayal was enough to shatter everything.

Framed by the woman he loved and his own brother, he was sentenced and thrown into the worst place imaginable: a prison where rules don’t exist—and danger has a name, a face… and hungry eyes.

Now, he shares a cell with the most feared man in the entire facility.

Dominant. Intense. Obsessive.

And he wants him.

Not out of love.
Not out of mercy.
But out of pure, ruthless desire.

In a world with no laws, no escape, and no one to save him, he becomes the wolf’s bunny—submissive to his touch, a prisoner of pleasure… and completely unable to resist.

Because sometimes, it’s the monster who knows exactly how to make you feel alive.
389.1k Views
Crossing the lines ( Sleeping with my Best friends)

Crossing the lines ( Sleeping with my Best friends)

Completed · Nia Kas
Layla's POV :Little did I think my world would be turned upside down. Dean and Aleck my best friends who who protected me ever since kindergarten and had always remained by my side, truly were nothing like I remembered. Ever since I was eighteen I knew and I kept it hidden, I hid it so well until it wasn't. Falling in love with your Best friends isn't something you should do especially when they're twin brothers. Our friendship was good until I ditched them for my Own sanity. Disappearing did the trick however a spur of the moment
get together with the rest of our college friends,led me to reveal some of my secrets. And some of theirs. From being accused by friends I gave up. Little did I know the get together was just a ruse for them to get back into my life and they were playing the long game, making sure I belonged to them and them only.
Dean's POV : The minute we I opened the door and saw her ,so beautiful, I knew it was either going to go our way or she ran. We fell in love with her at Eighteen,she was seventeen and off limits,she saw us as brother so we waited, when she disappeared we let her ,she thought we had no idea where she was ,she as absolutely fucking wrong. We watch her every move and knew how to make her cave to our wishes.
Aleck's POV : Little Layla had become so fucking beautiful, Dean and I decided she would be ours. She walked around the island unaware if what was coming her way.one way or the other Our best friend would end up under us in our bed and she would ask for it too.
468.7k Views
Letting Go

Letting Go

Completed · Becky j
Molly's life was perfect. She was married to her high school sweetheart, surrounded by her friends and family and she was looking forward to the future. But that all ends one tragic night when her whole world is turned upside down.
That fateful night leads to Molly and her best friend Tom holding a secret close to their hearts but keeping this secret could also mean destroying any chance of a new future for Molly.
When Tom's oldest brother Christian meets Molly his dislike for her is instant and he puts little effort into hiding it. The problem is he's attracted to her just as much as he dislikes her and staying away from her starts to become a battle, a battle that he's not sure he can win.
When Molly's secret is revealed and she’s forced to face the pain from her past can she find the strength to stay and work through the pain or will she run away from everything she knows including the one man who gives her hope for a happy future? Hope that she never thought she would feel again.
The Rejected Luna: From Outcast to Alpha Queen

The Rejected Luna: From Outcast to Alpha Queen

Completed · Daisy Swift
Five years. Five years I gave everything to Paxton Sterling—my heart, my body, my wolf's soul. I built his empire as Chief Strategy Officer while wearing his mark like a badge of honor.

Then she came back.

Layla—my pure-blooded half-sister with her perfect smile and poison tongue. Within days of her return from Europe, Paxton was ready to throw me away like yesterday's news.

"I want to sever our bond, Freya. Lyra is my true mate."

Wrong move, Alpha.

He thinks I'm just another submissive mate who'll quietly disappear. He's forgotten I'm a mixed-blood Alpha who's been playing nice for far too long. While he's busy playing house with my backstabbing sister, Lucas Morgan—the most dangerous Alpha in the territory—is making me an offer I can't refuse.

Paxton wants to discard me? Fine.

But he's about to learn that some women don't just walk away—they burn everything down on their way out.

I'm done being the good girl. Done being the perfect mate. Done hiding what I really am.
Take you Fall into Fantasy.

Download AnyStories App to discover more Fantasy Stories.