Toxic Temptations First Fracture

Some traps don't look like traps at all. They look like warmth. They sound like safety. They feel like the person who finally pays attention. Samantha Foster has always kept her world small. Quiet routines, one summer class, and the steady presence of her best friend are enough to keep the noise of life at arm's length. She isn't a risk-taker. She isn't bold. She just tries to survive college without burning out or being seen. But everything changes the day she walks into color guard tryouts—and catches the eye of Alyssa Wraith. Alyssa is the kind of girl people orbit: confident, magnetic, controlled. The kind of girl who reads a room the way other people read sheet music. The kind who notices weakness the way a wolf notices a tremor in the grass. She shouldn't notice someone like Samantha. She shouldn't care. But she does. From the moment their eyes meet, Samantha feels the shift—subtle, invisible, undeniable. Alyssa's gaze lingers too long. Her voice lowers when she speaks Samantha's name. Her presence closes the distance that shouldn't be closed. And every interaction feels like a test she didn't know she was taking. Samantha tells herself she's overthinking. She always overthinks. But nothing about Alyssa's attention feels accidental. And the closer Samantha gets to the team, the more the ground begins to tilt. Friendships fracture. Boundaries bend. And the quiet life Samantha relied on starts slipping through her fingers, one uncomfortable moment at a time. Because Alyssa doesn't just want to mentor her. She wants to shape her. Study her. Claim her. Toxic Temptations is not a romance. It is the first fracture in a story about power, control, obsession, and the subtle violence that hides behind a charming smile. For readers drawn to psychological manipulation, slow-burn dread, and the intimate mechanics of coercion, this novel pulls you into the quiet moments where the danger begins—long before anyone realizes they're trapped. Some predators don't need claws. They just need your attention. And once they have it… they never let go.