Like I Never Said

Klaus Oakluster has nothing left to sell except the one thing his body was made to offer. At twenty-three, he is malnourished, hunted by loan sharks, and entirely out of options. Renting his womb was never the dream. It was the only door still open. Norman Cross has five companies, a mansion, and a life most people would envy. What he does not have is a family. When he walks into Hope Clinic and opens a folder of surrogacy applicants, he stops at the very first page and never turns it. Something about a pink-haired Omega with chubby cheeks and desperate eyes tells his wolf that the search is already over. The contract was supposed to be simple. Clinical. Temporary. But forced proximity, shared mornings, and a scent that feels like home have a way of rewriting agreements that were never built to hold real feelings. When a fabricated betrayal tears them apart and a dangerous enemy threatens everything Klaus has left, Norman must decide whether protecting his pride is worth losing the person who turned his empty house into something worth coming home to.

When Lily Rosenfelt is eight months pregnant, Zeke Connolly brings home the woman he truly loves—Sophie Cruz, who's also eight months along. To give Sophie and the baby the recognition they deserve, he goes public with a statement saying that he and Lily are already divorced and that he'll be marrying Sophie soon. Thinking Lily is still blind, Zeke tricks her into signing the divorce papers. He even sleeps with Sophie in his own villa. What he doesn't know is that Lily has long regained her sight. When she and Sophie fall down the stairs together and Zeke, without a moment's hesitation, chooses Sophie, something in Lily breaks. She buries her love for him along with their child. It's not until she's truly gone that Zeke starts to panic.

Jude Queens never believed in fairytales—until Malachi Flynn crashed into his world with a grin like summer and a spike that could stop time. Bound by their shared love for volleyball, their chemistry burned bright and fast, leaving everything else in the shadows. But just as Jude opened his heart, Malachi vanished without a word. Two years later, Malachi returns—older, familiar, and still devastatingly magnetic. The moment they lock eyes, the ache returns. So does the desire. But buried beneath Malachi’s smile are secrets that could shatter them both. Torn between anger and longing, Jude must decide: can he forgive the boy who left him in pieces, or is some pain too deep to heal? “Why Did You Leave Me When I Needed You Most?” is a sizzling, tender story of second chances, the scars we carry, and the hope that love—real, soul-deep love—can echo back stronger than before.

After five years of marriage, I received a wedding invitation from abroad. The groom is my husband, Arnold Willowstream. The bride is my younger sister, Yasmine Cooper. In disbelief, I decide to fly to Ainland and witness the wedding for myself. But the moment I see Arnold holding Yasmine and kissing her deeply, my heart shatters completely. Fireworks explode in the sky, and glowing words appear above—"Happy Marriage, Mr. Willowstream and Ms. Yasmine." In that instant, it feels like a blade piercing straight through my chest. Watching them look so happy together, I feel like I'm the one intruding on someone else's marriage. Love is a game for two—there's no room for a third. If he's already gotten married to someone else, what place do I have left in his life? Rather than waiting to be pushed out, I choose to walk away on my own and at least keep the last shred of dignity.

The women in these stories do not apologize for their desires. They are not timid, and they are never the underdog. Fearless, intoxicating, and fully in control, they know exactly what they want and are unafraid to take it. From the sex worker chasing freedom, to the betrayed housewife rediscovering herself, to the dominatrix who thrives on power, and the daughter drawn toward dangerous temptation, these stories explore obsession, taboo, betrayal, and seduction. These women are addictive. Alluring. Impossible to resist. But be careful. Once they’ve taken what they came for, they may leave nothing behind but the memory of them.

Seven days before our wedding, Danny Wagner—my childhood sweetheart—got down on one knee for Mia Kant, the broke girl he'd been sponsoring. Right in front of me and his buddies. I didn't cry. Didn't lose it. Just slapped a smile on my face and said, "Wishing you two a lifetime of happiness." His buddies? Oh, they had the nerve to tell me to be generous and let Danny help Mia finish her "wish list." Danny, unsatisfied and ticked off, said I was overreacting and demanded an apology. Dismissive, he sneered, "I said I'd marry you after Mia's wish list was done. Stop being so unreasonable." I knew this was the last item on her list. I opened my notes app, scrolled to my wish list, and deleted all thirty-three bullet points. Done. Then I made a call. "I'm willing to marry you."