Novels by Josemaria

AVAI couldn’t stop thinking about the kiss. It wasn’t part of the plan and neither was his client there with us to keep up the performance. But it happened.And it felt real. So real.The way Ryan touched me, the way his lips moved with mine; that wasn’t fake, not even a little. My heart still raced every time I thought of it. It kept replaying constantly in my head and I honestly wished the kiss had lasted a bit longer. Maybe I was overthinking it. It probably didn't mean anything to him. I wasn’t supposed to feel this way. Ryan was a mere business deal, a distraction, a mere favor.The next day, there were no meetings to attend so I stayed in my cabin. I didn’t want to see him or anyone else.Thankfully, his client had canceled the fancy dinners I was supposed to attend with Ryan and had met with him alone to discuss business. I stayed behind with my camera, taking pictures. It helped clear my head most of the time. I wandered around the yacht, capturing beautiful moments like su

RYANWhen we arrived at the ship’s dining hall, it was bustling with several activities. Couples sat together, giggling over cups of coffee and plates of pastries, while waiters weaved through the tables with practised ease.Mr. Langston and Margaret were already seated at a table by the window. They smiled warmly immediately when they spotted us.“Ava, Ryan,” Langston called, waving at us to come over. “Good morning.”“Good morning,” we replied, forcing a smile as I guided her to sit beside me.Margaret gestured to the spread in front of us. “Gregory and I took the liberty of ordering a little bit of everything. Please, help yourselves.”Ava thanked her and reached for a croissant, trying to stay focused.“So,” Langston began, his eyes flickering with curiosity, “what are your plans for the rest of the cruise?”I glanced at her, silently urging her to play along. “We’re keeping it casual,” I said finally, forcing the words out. “Maybe exploring the ship, enjoying each moment that pas

AVAI didn't know how it happened. One moment, I saw Ryan's client, the next, I was pulling Ryan towards the wall and kissing him like I had been waiting for the moment for weeks.My heart raced as I tried to process the situation I had caused. But as soon as Mr. Langston smiled at us in approval, I plastered a confident expression on my face and acted as though everything was alright. I could feel Ryan's curious gaze burning into me, but gladly, he didn't mention it in front of his client.“Ryan Carter,” Mr Langston said, shaking his hand firmly before turning to me. “You must be Ryan's girlfriend he has always talked about. I can see why Ryan speaks so highly of you.”“It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Langston,c I said smoothly, a small smile tugging at my lips. “Ryan talks about you all the time.”“Gregory, please,” he corrected, his warm demeanour making it easier for me to play my role well and relax. A moment after, an elegant woman joined us, her smile as radiant as her diamon

RYAN I adjusted the cufflinks on my tailored blazers as I strode down the lavish hallway leading to the ship's grand ballroom. I barely looked at the elaborate decorations lining the ship's corridor or the ocean view spilling through the floor-to-ceiling windows. For others, the Celestial Harmony represented luxury, romance and the perfect escape for the New Year. For me, it was a glorified office.The holiday season held no special value for me. Christmas? New Year? They were just dates on the calendar, interrupting my tightly controlled schedule. Normally, I would have been buried in my work, finalising deals from the comfort of my office. But this time, my biggest client, Mr. Gregory Langston, had thrown a wrench into my plans.“It’s a perfect opportunity to celebrate our partnership, Mr. Ryan,” Langston had said over the phone, his voice warm but firm. “My beautiful wife and I will be there, and I expect you to bring your girlfriend, the one you’ve talked so much about over the y

AVA SINCLAIRThe golden ticket lay on my lap, its glossy sheen catching the sunlight streaming through the car's windshield. I couldn't stop smiling as I turned to my boyfriend, Ethan, who sat in the driver's seat."A New Year's cruise," I said, my eyes beaming with excitement. "I still can't believe you got these. This is going to be perfect."Spending Yuletide on a cruise had always been on my wishlist, and for years, it had been almost impossible for me to achieve this due to so many reasons. But alas, here I was, planning the vacation I had always wished for with the love of my life.Ethan grinned, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Anything for you babe. I figured you deserve to start the new year with a little adventure; besides, this has always been your dream."I tried to ignore the slight unease that tugged at the back of my mind. I told myself I was overthinking as usual. This trip was supposed to be a celebration of our two-year relationship, a chance to leave behind

LUCYFew days had passed since Lothar was killed. Normalcy returned in the pack and everything seemed to be going peacefully. With Lothar's tyranny finally vanquished, the pack could begin to heal from the wounds of betrayal and deceit. My mother had returned to the pack after much persuasion from I and Chris. Though she preferred to be away from the pack considering how they had treated her and my father in the past. Her eyes filled up with tears as she recalled the past events. "You did it, Lucy. You brought us back home," my mother said, her tears flowing freely down her cheek."No, mother. We did. Without you, I wouldn't have had the courage to fight back," I said, my voice shaky as I fought the tears. Chris' mother approached us, her expression pained as she apologised for the sins of her family. "I'm greatly sorry, Lucy, for all that my family put you through. We should have done better in finding the truth.""None of this is your fault, anyone would do the same if they wer

CHRISI, Chris Parker, the vibrant leader and alpha of the hallowed manes pack was now subjected to a life of misery. My guards who were once my loyal subordinates were now against me, torturing the hell out of me.I endured the torment of the dungeon with only one motive in mind, vengeance. The pain of the wolfsbane coursing my veins only served as fuel to my determination. I gritted my teeth in agony as the wolfsbane began to take its toll on me. But I refused to give my captors the satisfaction of seeing my falter.After much torture, Lothar decided to pay me a visit. The scorn on his face infuriated me, causing me to curse under my breath. "You look a mess, Chris. I didn't reckon that my boys would be this harsh to their Alpha," he mocked."You bloody traitor. I should give it to you. You played your game so well, betraying both father and son," I said."Oh please don't flatter me. I was just one step ahead of you folks in everything. You know, I wasn't originally from here. Yo

CHRISAs I got close to Lothar's quarters, I had my doubts about telling him what Cade had told me. It was top secret and should remain the same until I was sure of who to trust. Not that I didn't trust Lothar in any way, as a matter of fact, I did. I trusted Lothar not because he had stood by me but because he was my father's beta and best friend. But things at the pack were getting overboard and I didn't know what to do.Since Lucy had suggested that I told him, why shouldn't I? I arrived at his door and found it unusually open. So unlike Lothar, I must say, he kept to himself most times and kept his door shut at all times. I peeped into the dark room and found a shirtless figure standing in the room, his chest was bare and his muscles were taut in tension. At first, I couldn't tell if it was Lothar or someone else."Lothar," I said, my voice filled with uncertainty.The shirtless man turned and it turned out to be Lothar as I expected. "You're finally here," he said. I didn't u

LUCY"Cade," I muttered. My body was covered in his blood as I tried to stop the bleeding. Cade whimpered and pleaded for forgiveness, but it was too late for that. All I needed was the name of whoever did this. Cade tried to speak but I couldn't figure out what he was saying. "He's here," that was all I heard. His bloodied hand pointed to something ahead of us. I raised my head to see who it was but his face wasn't clear enough. "Looking for me?" the man sneered. Before I could say anything or do anything, he struck me with his sword.My eyes fluttered open, the remnant of the nightmare still clinging in my head like a cobweb. I glanced around the dimly lit chamber, my heart pounding heavily against my ribs as I tried to shake off the fear. "Chris," I called out after I realized that he wasn't beside me. There was no answer and my unease deepened. Where could he be? I recalled that he had gone to see Lothar to further discuss ways of catching the murderer, but I didn't realize

CHRISFrom the moment Cade's lifeless body was found in the dungeon, I had a deep suspicion that one of the elders was involved in this mischief. "Get me Orvyn," I demanded.I sat in the courtroom, grappling with the weight of the recent events, my mind churned with suspicion and great uncertainty. "Are you sure of what you're doing?" Lucy asked. "Are you sure Orvyn is the killer?""I'm certain he's responsible for all that has happened so far," I said.I recalled the night, the pack had been attacked under Cade's lead, how the guards at the gate had been rendered unconscious. One of the guards had informed me that Orvyn had offered them drinks before they had succumbed to unconsciousness. It was a revelation that had fueled my suspicions.The guards securing the dungeon had also been poisoned which made me believe that he had a hand in Cade's death. He probably was hiding something and feared that Cade would reveal the truth.Orvyn was led to the courtroom, bound with hands and fee

CADEMy stay in the dungeon had taught me a lot of lessons I wished I had known long ago. My envy and greed had made me lose the people I valued most, friends and family. "I know you hate me because of the throne, but I need you to know that I wouldn't be taking your place if it hadn't been assigned to me to do so," my younger brother said.I scoffed. "Save me the details, I know you are more than glad to be stealing my position as alpha of this pack. I knew Father had always chosen you over me but that will never happen. The throne is mine and there's nothing you or anyone else can do about it."On the day of his coronation, I watched in envy as my brother took my place as alpha. I wished I could strangle him where he stood with the rest of the elders. I hated my father and brother so much that I rarely spent time in the palace. Rather, I built another pack of my own far from the pack, a rogue pack in my name where I could be alpha. I recruited many rogues and formed an army of my