Fifteen Paces

Natalie Hale spent five years loving a man who never learned to look at her. When Ethan Cole's first love returns and he asks for a divorce, Natalie doesn't beg. She doesn't break. She asks for one month, thirty days for him to fulfill every promise he made and never kept. A candlelit dinner, a drive-in movie, an amusement park in autumn, Small things. The things that were supposed to mean us. He agrees, then he cancels and then he lies. Then she waits alone, again and again, learning in real time what she already knew in her bones, she was never his priority. But something shifts during that month. He begins to see her: her beauty, her grace, the way a room moves when she enters it. Too late, too slow, and far too little. On the thirtieth day, Natalie signs the papers, leaves a cup of coffee on the counter made exactly to his taste, and walks out the door. Three years later, she walks back in not to him, but into the same room. Radiant, accomplished and accompanied by a man who has never once made her wait. And Ethan Cole finally understands the difference between losing someone and letting them go. He let her go. She lost nothing.

Once upon a time, Leonard truly loved me. In order to establish a Mate Bond with me, he confessed 99 times. On the 99th time, I was finally moved. On the day of our Marking Ceremony, I gave him 99 forgiveness coupons. I promised him that I would forgive him 99 times. As long as he still had coupons left over, I would forgive him and stay with him no matter what he did. We were bonded for six years. In the first five years of our Mate Bond, I rarely ever used the forgiveness coupons. Since his childhood friend Judy returned, however, I started burning through the coupons. When I tore up the 98th coupon, Leonard noticed that I had changed. I no longer made a fuss or fought him over Judy. I simply asked him calmly, “If you go to Judy, can I use up one forgiveness coupon?” Leonard paused and then recovered his cool. “Sure. I only used up slightly over half, so use another if you want.” I stayed silent as he left the house. As it turned out, he had no idea he had just lost his 98th coupon. He only had one chance left. After that, I would leave him forever.

Millan was kicked out of his pack. Now living as a rogue, all he had ever known is rejection and cruelty. One day, he stumbles upon the Blayne Pack, which is quite possibly the kindest he has ever encountered. He starts to desire staying in one place and building a home- things that he can't and shouldn't have because he is a defective omega, much more a rogue one. With only fourteen days allowed for him to stay, will he be able to pick himself up and leave? Or will he give in and give up the life that he was used to have? ***** Weston became the Head Alpha at an early age. One day, a wounded rogue is brought to his pack. He is furious and skeptical. Nonetheless, he still allowed the rogue to rest in his territory for two weeks before making him leave. But upon knowing Millan, he starts to feel things that he shouldn't feel, not towards a rogue anyway. With only fourteen days, will he be able to get past his hatred towards rogues and change his mind? Or will he chase him away? ***** Two people. One grew up being loved. One grew up being abused. Is fourteen days enough to change their lives forever?

Nubia has her life planned out. She is working on her master's degree in post colonial studies. She has a quiet apartment and a schedule she sticks to. Every Wednesday night she finishes class at nine thirty, walks to the bus stop, and waits. The bus is always late. There is always a stranger sitting on the bench. He wears headphones and draws in a sketchbook. He never speaks. She calls him Pencil Boy in her phone and does not think much about it. Then one October night the bus is delayed by forty three minutes. Eli studies architecture but he draws people instead of buildings. He has been sketching Nubia for six weeks without ever saying a word. He is quiet and pays close attention to things. He has learned to keep people at a distance because it feels safer that way. But when the cold night gets to Nubia and he gives her his hoodie, the silence between them finally breaks. What begins as pie at a late night diner turns into a Wednesday night tradition. Then a friendship. Then something much deeper. As Nubia and Eli grow closer, they must face the things that make them different. Race. Class. The dreams they are chasing. The families they come from. And the strong pull of a connection neither of them can ignore. Set over one school year, 43 Minutes is a warm and sensual love story about two people learning to truly see each other. It is about letting yourself be seen. And it is about the moments that change your life in less than an hour but stay with you forever.

"I don't think I need to say it out loud, but I'll indulge you." His icy gaze met hers through the floor-to-ceiling mirror. "You can clearly see you don't belong here." A pause. "Beside me. And certainly not as my mate." Ella's eyes drifted to their reflections. He was breathtaking. Broad shoulders. A body sculpted by years of war. Every muscle carved beneath the black ceremonial uniform. Then there was her. Round. Plump. Chubby cheeks. Thick thighs. Standing beside him... She looked laughable. The Moon Goddess had to be playing a cruel joke. "Answer me." Ella lowered her head immediately. "Y-Yes... Alpha King." Another stretch of silence. "What can you possibly do... to deserve me?" Her head lifted instantly. Hope bloomed before she could stop it. "A-Anything. I'll do anything, Your Majesty. I'll honour our bond. I'll learn whatever you want me to learn. Just... just tell me what—" A rough hand slammed against the mirror beside her head. She flinched. He leaned down until his lips were beside her ear. His voice dropped to a deadly whisper. "Look at yourself. So fucking pathetic." She stopped breathing. "And here I was thinking..." he scoffed, "...perhaps you had character, if not beauty." His laugh held no amusement. "Turns out you're just like every other woman." Her throat tightened. She didn't understand. What had she said wrong? She had only wanted to be a good mate. Only wanted him to tell her how. Her vision blurred. "Seven heats." She blinked. "...What?" "You'll report to my office every night for the next seven heats. If I'm satisfied... "...you stay." Those silver eyes lifted to hers. Cold. "If not..." She gulped. "I know several service camps. They're always looking for extra hands." A beat. "They don't complain about rejected females."

There's a rule in Pine Ridge—women are only allowed to leave the mountain seven times in their lives. If they aren't able to marry a foreigner who's not from Pine Ridge, they can only marry a local mountaineer and become a guardian of the mountain. Because of that, I've borrowed some cosmetics from my grandma seven times in a row. Every time, I'm often wearing my prettiest dress and waiting for the man, who has promised to whisk me away from Pine Ridge, to marry me. But despite having crossed the mountain and reached the same town seven times in a row, Joseph Kingsley is never there. In the village, the village chief, Arthur Langley, has a smoke pipe dangling from his lips. "This is your seventh time leaving Pine Ridge just to get your marriage registered. That director boyfriend of yours has gone over to the next village just to shoot more footage of the lass who has a really pretty smile. "Caroline, your boyfriend is already behaving like this. Why are you still waiting for him?" I clumsily pull out the phone Joseph has given me before keying in his number. The dial tone goes off three times before the call goes through. Only then does Joseph explain the truth to me. "When Gemma took us on a foraging trip, she got trapped by one of the bear traps in the mountain! You do realize that if a woman from Pine Ridge were to get crippled, no villager would want to marry her at all because she'd be a burden to them! "If I were to leave Gemma alone, her life would be ruined! This is the last time, Caroline! Once I ensure that Gemma's leg gets healed, I'll come marry you right away!" Joseph has been in Pine Ridge for four years so far. Throughout these years, I've hiked the mountain and braved the elements for him seven times in a row. But Gemma Watson keeps getting into trouble. Whenever that happens, Joseph will abandon me without hesitation. As I gaze at the phone, which shows that the call has gotten disconnected, I wipe away my tears quietly. There won't be a last time anymore. In three days, I will be marrying someone else.