A Gentle Reminder

After confirming I was pregnant, I suddenly heard my husband’s inner voice. “This idiot is still gloating over her pregnancy. She doesn’t even know we switched out her IVF embryo. She’s nothing more than a surrogate for Elle. If Elle weren’t worried about how childbirth might endanger her life, I would’ve kicked this worthless woman out already. Just looking at her makes me sick. “Once she delivers the baby, I’ll make sure she never gets up from the operating table. Then I’ll finally marry Elle, my one true love.” My entire body went rigid. I clenched the IVF test report in my hands and looked straight at my husband. He gazed back at me with gentle eyes. “I’ll take care of you and the baby for the next few months, honey.” However, right then, his inner voice struck again. “I’ll lock that woman in a cage like a dog. I’d like to see her escape!” Shock and heartbreak crashed over me all at once because the Elle he spoke of was none other than my sister.

On my twentieth birthday, my father asked me to draw from a box of straws. It was to pick a husband between William Smith and Austin Smith to inherit North Town. The short straw represented Austin, while the long straw represented William. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the long straw. However, I was certain that I did not want to marry Austin. I drew straws for three years, but it was to no avail. I had no choice but to tamper with the straws to marry William as I wished. However, ten years into our marriage, he was no longer gentle and kind. He had turned into a really cold person. He neither returned home nor touched me. Even when I threatened him with a knife, he refused to talk to me. Despite feeling hurt, I was unwilling to let him go. That was until I watched him kick away the only medicine I had for my asthma while I was writhing on the floor. “I was the one who switched out the straws. There was no long straw, yet you forced me to marry you. Mandy died from a broken heart, so you should pay with your life.” When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a short straw. I calmly said, “Since it’s the short one, I choose Austin.”

Mikel Rysdale needed an escape after a devastating blow to her heart and lifestyle. The number of people she can trust can be counted on one hand. Escaping to the one place she was free, she finds the most unlikely person to lean on. In his eyes, he was a broken man incapable of rejoining society. Army Veteran Killian returns home to live on his family's land in peace. Happy to see his sister again, he wasn't prepared to welcome a guest. What started as a tolerable relationship, the two found the need to be there for each other. Old wounds are hard to heal especially the ones in your heart. “Who are you?” His question was meant to be gentle but they came out as an angry ogre. She laughed at his question. The first chord of that sweet laugh was now trapped in Killian's mind and heart. Slowly she stood up and walked towards him. She was within four steps of him and her scent was intoxicating. Vanilla and the scent of fruit he had to know of. Up close she was perfection in his eyes. Unconsciously he stepped forward wanting to be close to her for some reason. The pain, the memories none of it was on his mind. His sole focus was on her. “Name's Mikel Rysdale. You can call me Mik for short.”

I spent five years pursuing Jaden Montgomery with every ounce of my strength. After my 100th confession, he finally went from being my best friend's brother to my fiancé. On a night with a full moon, as I stood there in my dress, ready for our mating ceremony, I overheard his conversation with a friend. "Jaden, are you really going to hold a mating ceremony with Arabella?" "Of course. Lillian's a fragile Omega carrying my pup, and my Alpha father is quite displeased about this situation. Holding the ceremony with Arabella will put his mind at ease." Jaden laughed carelessly. "Aren't you worried that Arabella will find out and go after your precious Omega? She's the princess of the Northern Silver Wolf Pack, after all." "She won't. She loves me to death and would never harm my pup. Besides, she's gentle and obedient. Making her my future Luna will ensure my precious Omega stays safe." My mind went blank. In my desperate flight from the scene, I accidentally wandered into a patch of wolfsbane. When I woke up, I remembered every wolf except Jaden. So, when my parents called to tell me to return for the arranged mating, I immediately arranged to leave in five days.

After being married for three years, I was very satisfied with my life. My husband was handsome, caring, gentle, emotionally stable, and never lost his temper with me. That was until the day when I saw my kind husband cornering his true love. He asked angrily, "You were the one who decided to marry someone else, what right have you got to ask me to do anything?" Only then did I realize that he could be emotionally unstable when he was truly in love with someone. I knew my place, so I decided to divorce my husband and disappear from his life. A lot of people said that Ryan had gone mad and that he was turning the whole Jelaston upside down just to find me. I felt that it was impossible for someone so emotionally stable as Ryan to go crazy. Not to mention the fact that I was just an ex-wife that he didn't really care about. Sometime later, he saw me standing next to another man. He grabbed my wrists and pleaded with red eyes, "I'm sorry, Charlotte. Please come back to me." Only then did I realize that what I heard other people talking about wasn't just a rumor. Ryan really had gone mad.

Arelia Nightwyn knows pain better than love. Chained in silver by her "perfect" father, scarred and silent, she’s traded like property into an arranged marriage with Kaden Raventhorn—the caring beta of the fierce Raventhorn Pack. At twenty-one, Kaden offers safety, patience, a gentle touch that should feel like rescue, and a quiet strength he keeps carefully hidden. But safety doesn’t make her heart race. His brother does. Darius Raventhorn, the twenty-three-year-old alpha heir—scarred and merciless—rules with lethal precision. Untouched, waiting only for his true mate, he despises spoiled she-wolves who chase power. To him, Arelia is weak, pampered, unworthy… until her sweet cherry-sunshine scent crashes into him and awakens something dangerous he can’t deny. The pull between them grows sharper with every shared glance, every accidental brush of skin under the same roof, while Kaden's steady, protective arms remain the only place where nightmares dare not follow her night after night. Can she stay loyal to the brother who truly saved her, the one who offers peace without demand… or yet surrender to the alpha who breaks her heart with every cold glance?

"Before we go in," he said, cupping my cheek with one hand, his touch surprisingly gentle, "I'm going to fuck you. Are you okay with that?"  Luca Rossi, a ruthless Italian billionaire and Mafia leader, is grappling with the devastating loss of his mother, the only person who saw beyond his carefully constructed facade. Seeking solace in his exclusive Los Angeles nightclub, he encounters Lena, an independent and ambitious woman who's struggling to make ends meet. Their passionate one-night stand leaves both of them reeling, but it's only the beginning of a complicated and forbidden romance. When Lena unexpectedly lands a job as Luca's personal assistant, their paths collide again. Their undeniable attraction burns hotter than ever, but their vastly different worlds and Luca's deep-seated emotional scars make their connection dangerous. As their secret encounters become more frequent, Lena finds herself falling deeper for the enigmatic billionaire, unaware of the dark secrets he's hiding. When a shocking revelation about Luca's mother's death resurfaces, his world crumbles, and he's consumed by a thirst for revenge. As Luca spirals towards a dangerous path, Lena confronts him, demanding he face his grief and seek healing. Will she be able to help Luca find redemption or will their love be consumed by the shadows of his past?

I am Evelyn Scott, a replacement for my sister’s wedding after they found out about Sterling’s wealth. Evelyn’s family especially her stepmother, Jane wanted to get rid of her from the house and decided to send her off to get married to Adrian, an ordinary man who always brought troubles to the Sterling family. Little did they know, Adrian conceals a hidden identity that could change everything if revealed. “I’m sorry, I’m late,” Adrian uttered as he arrived late at the wedding. Evelyn smiled at him, “It’s okay, what’s important is that you’re here.” As they spend their time together, Evelyn finds herself drawn by how gentle Adrian is. He was always attentive to her, and it seemed like he was washing her problems and worries away. It was the very first time that Evelyn felt something like this to someone. “I… like you,” she confessed. Adrian smiled, cupping his hands onto her face. He gently kissed her forehead. “Me too. I like you so much.” Can this kind of love would have a happy ending after? Will they be strong and stay together until the end? Would Evelyn stay if she found out the truth about her husband?

Don’t you dare take off the mask,” my stepmother warned. I won’t. Not when the man I’ve always loved believes I’m someone else. And I’m carrying his child. Elena Downs, the illegitimate Omega daughter of the Beta, has always been branded a bad omen. She was never meant to step foot in the Alpha’s mansion, let alone marry him. But when her stepsister—Alpha Xavier’s betrothe, vanishes on their wedding night, Elena is forced to take her place... behind a mask. Xavier loves Elena. He just doesn’t know it’s her. Her scent, masked by her sister’s, pushes him away even as their bond pulls him closer. With every lie, every forbidden touch, and every heartbeat, Elena’s secret grows, along with the life inside her. But when betrayal explodes into heartbreak and rejection, Elena disappears... Only to wake up in the arms of Alpha Logan, a rival leader with soft eyes, gentle hands, and no questions. But her past isn't done with her yet. Torn between two Alphas, hunted by secrets, and a love she never stopped feeling… Elena must decide: Will she return to the one that shattered her heart ?. Or choose the one who helped her heal?.

A wolf howls. The forest stills… for a moment. Then, all wildlife burst into motion. Every living thing, from the smallest lizards and toads to the great brown bears and powerful mountain lions, flee. Spiders scurry to the top of their webs. Birds take flight. Squirrels leap from branch to branch. Wide-eyed deer and elk jump over brush and fallen logs. A lone wolf pauses, but tucks his tail and turns to join the escape. The wind whips through the forest, causing leaves to fall and tall pines to groan. Thundering hooves and paws make the forest floor shake. Finally, the forest stills. The wind gusts slow to a gentle and warm breeze. The wildlife seem calm once more and return to their foraging, napping, or grazing. The wolf howls again. ++++++++++++++++++++++++ Amerie moved to a small town in Montana for a fresh start and to follow her dreams. Things are starting to look up and feel right again. Then, the town seems to turn upside down when someone goes missing in the forest. Some locals fear the legend of the Wolf Man may be real and claim the beast is to blame, claiming it wants revenge for mistreatment of the forest. Amerie rolls her eyes and joins the search parties, but an unfortunate fall leads her to discover more than she signed up for as she comes face to face with a large, white wolf. The secrets of the forest have been waiting to reveal themselves to her.