Adrift

In our lakeside town, if a woman wanted to marry the love of her life, she must personally build a wooden rowboat to serve as her wedding vessel. On the exact day of our seventh anniversary, my girlfriend, Sarah Granger, held the launch ceremony for her newly finished boat. The crowd cheered as they witnessed the moment, and my heart pounded furiously against my ribs. However, just as I was about to board the boat, I caught the hushed whispers of her best friends. “Are you really giving this boat to Logan? Aren’t you afraid Austin will throw a fit?" “Yeah, Austin can be pretty sensitive. Be careful not to push him too far.” The next second, Sarah’s casual voice rang out, filled with absolute certainty. “He won’t. Austin is the easiest guy to appease. He’s completely head over heels for me. Besides, around these parts, if a guy isn’t married by twenty-eight, everyone starts looking at him like a pathetic bachelor. He wouldn’t dare make a scene. Think about it: the marriage certificate goes to Austin, and the wedding vessel goes to Logan. It’s totally fair. Plus, it… makes up for my regrets.” So, agreeing to get legally married to me was a regret for her? Easy to appease? Pathetic bachelor? Those words hurt my ears, and I started to choke up, but I didn’t cry. Instead, I pulled out my phone and sent a single text message. [Mom, I’m taking your advice. I’m twenty-eight now, and I’m not waiting around anymore.]

On our seventh wedding anniversary, Harrison Drummond arrives with the woman he's been seeing behind my back. Tears fill Kate McCauley's eyes. Before I even have a chance to speak, she drops to her knees in front of me. "Ms. Kershaw, love isn't about who came first or last. Harrison and I care for each other with all our hearts. Please, let us be together." I turn to look at Harrison. With a heavy heart, he lifts Kate into his arms. The man who's always obsessed with cleanliness now wipes her tears away, not caring about the mess she leaves behind. Without raising his gaze, he says, "Kate has been by my side without any official name or title. I owe her that much. Don't worry, she's not after anything else. Having her here is no more than adding an extra pair of cutlery at the table." With that, he carries Kate into the bedroom and closes the door behind them. He seems to have completely forgotten that today is our wedding anniversary. Does he even remember the other woman who followed him without status seven years ago? I stare at the glowing "Happy Anniversary" sign resting on the table. In that instant, I realize there is no future left for us.

Karina's world shattered when she discovered her husband's infidelity and his desire for a divorce, leaving her adrift and unsure of her next steps amidst the judgment of his family. Summoning her courage, she signed the papers and departed, her destination uncertain. Fortune intervened as Karina reunited with her long-lost family, inspiring her to embark on a journey abroad. Six years elapsed before she returned, transformed into a formidable woman unrecognizable from her former self. As Karina embraced her fresh start, fate intervened once more as she unexpectedly crossed paths with her ex-husband. Would this encounter stir up old emotions, or would it unveil an unforeseen twist in the tale, leaving her adversaries stunned?

Eveline is from a wealthy family and as been jet-setting as an ambassador for her older brother’s werewolf pack, and is learning of the responsibilities that comes with the name Devon and the reality of being the infamous Hellhound’s sister. Darren is the fourth son of an Alpha who has mor sons that he knows what to do with, and is a little adrift in life. None of them would have expected to find their mate at a political meetup of all the who’s who or werewolf society, and are forced to reconsider their future, the distance separating them, and their families, but those challenges are nothing compared to war and disaster coming their way.

Chalondra Chalya Ellordi, is an 18-years-old girl, trapped in forbidden love with an adult man that adrift twenty years old above her -Dominic. She called the man as her 'Sugar Daddy'. His father was furious not only because their age's gap, but also because Dominic is the son of their family's business rival. Chalondra just realized that love doesn't always belongs one each other.

In my previous life, my parents doted on my frail, sickly younger sister. For her sake, they chose a hawk beastman willing to settle in a human city as her husband. Me? They cast me into the deep sea, marrying me off to a giant shark beastman. When the apocalypse came and torrential rains drowned every human city, my parents and sister were left clinging to a rotting plank, adrift on the endless ocean. I couldn't bear to watch them die. With my giant shark husband, I dragged them down into the deep sea to safety. But resentment festered. Seeing me live comfortably while my shark beastman hunted day after day, my parents grew furious that my sister's life paled in comparison to mine. In their jealousy, they laced the fish we ate with poison and killed me. Now, given another chance at life, they've decided my sister should marry the giant shark beastman instead. My biased parents believe she will finally enjoy the blessings they once denied her. But what they don't know is this: after the cataclysm, fish become scarce. And a giant shark… does not survive on scraps. He needs flesh.