Almost But Not Quite

Rima: Jacob Snow is a puzzle. I had initially mistaken him for a cold, uncaring, and arrogant CEO, but as we work together, I realize he's the exact opposite. He's warm, considerate, and humble, a far cry from the man I had painted in my mind. But acknowledging this doesn't mean I'm ready to let my guard down. My past is a dark, haunting shadow, and I refuse to let anyone get too close, afraid of the potential pain that could follow. It's been a while since I've felt this way about someone, and the familiarity of these feelings scares me. The last time it ended being the worst mistake of my life. I don't want to give in to these feelings, but I can't deny that Jacob is becoming more than just a boss to me. Jacob: Rima is enigmatic. She’s resilient, determined, and initially, she appears distant. But as we collaborate, I find myself drawn to her strength and determination. She’s unlike anyone I’ve ever met, and the spark between us is undeniable. She’s built a fortress around herself, a wall that's impossible to penetrate, but I’m determined to break it down. I sense she’s hiding something, and I can’t shake off the protective instinct that emerges whenever I see her. As we confront the danger together, I find myself struggling to resist the growing feelings I have for her. As danger looms, Rima and Jacob find themselves struggling to resist the growing attraction between them. Their pasts threaten to tear them apart, but they can’t deny the feelings that are blossoming between them. Will they be able to overcome their fears and trust each other? Or will their pasts continue to haunt them and prevent them from finding love?

I came back to life the day Cedric Gramont got drugged. This time? I didn't offer my body to him. I called his so-called soulmate instead. In my last life, I stupidly fell for the uncle who wasn't blood-related. When I found out he'd been hit with something strong, I ignored his plea to call Elyna Humbert—and "helped" him myself. A month later, I was pregnant. He had to marry me. On our wedding day, Elyna, who'd gone abroad to "clear her head," got kidnapped and killed. Before she died, she called Cedric 199 times, begging for help. He didn't pick up once. Too busy sealing the deal with me. Later, he just stared at those missed calls, not saying a word. Then the day I went into labor, he locked me in the basement. I begged him to take me to the hospital. He just smiled, cold and empty, and watched me die screaming, the baby still inside me. Last thing I heard? "If you hadn't gotten pregnant, I wouldn't have married you. I wouldn't have missed Elyna's calls. You deserved to die." When I opened my eyes again, it was that same day—Cedric was drugged, but this time, I knew better.

Kali was never meant to bow. Branded an outsider and raised to obey, she’s spent her life defying the pack that expected her submission. When she rejects her first-chance mate, the future Alpha, she’s banished—expected to crawl back. But she unintentionally runs straight into the territory of Alpha Jack: ruthless, dominant, and her second-chance mate. He wants obedience. She gives him war. But when his touch unlocks memories of a forgotten past—and the truth of who she really is—Kali must choose: surrender to the bond and reclaim her power, or walk away forever. Jack may believe he can tame her. But he has no idea that the woman he seeks to break is the one he was always meant to kneel before.

Warning: Matured 18+ contents! HAVING a prosperous rich lifelike Celestine Rain Alcazar is like living in a lie. When she's living in a cage—no freedom of things she wanted. She has the money, luxury, beauty, and brain that men are drooling over her. But there is still something missing in her perfect life. Closing into edge is her feeling when her mom introduced her to Ezekiel Bellevera for an arranged marriage. Her mom doesn't know her secrets between her sheets. Immersed in a fantasy life, Celestine will unravel her identity proving that Ezekiel wasn't the guy for her. And showing that most of the people are Not A Saint, the same as her. The freedom of being true to yourself is her weapon. And she will prove them wrong. But what if the person she loves been cheating on her with her fiancé, Ezekiel, and caught it red-handed? Would she forgive and forget or this is her start of vengeance towards men?

On the day we were supposed to get our marriage license, Michael Robertson ghosted. I sat outside the County Clerk's Office for hours. Instead of him, I got a pic from his secretary, Kallie Clunt. She was in his lap, arms wrapped around him, making out like it was the hottest scene in a drama. [Sorry, Elsa. Michael said he had to comfort my broken heart. You don't mind, do you?] When I asked him about it, he just looked annoyed. "She gave me blood once. What's the big deal if I hang out with her? Can't you be a little more understanding?" My stomach dropped. I turned away and called his older brother. "Leon, do you still want to marry me?"

When 20 years old Ella Hart loses her father in a mysterious plane crash, she’s placed under the guardianship of James Callahan, her father’s best friend, a powerful man with dark eyes and even darker secrets. Who had been there for her for eleven years she lost her dad. At first, James is everything she needs: stable, protective, and oddly comforting. But as weeks turn into years under his roof, Ella begins to feel a pull she can’t explain. The air thickens between them glances turn into touches, and innocence burns into obsession. What starts as forbidden passion quickly spirals into something deeper and more dangerous. Ella finds herself caught in a web of emotional addiction, surrounded by luxury, lies, and a man who will do anything to keep her even if it means rewriting her past. But just when she thinks she knows the truth, a single discovery changes everything. Her father's death? Not an accident. And the child she’s carrying? Might not be James’s after all… One house. One secret. One man who swore to protect her but may have destroyed everything she ever loved.

Part 1 - Fated Mistake: Kira and Arkyn As the daughter of Alpha Kai, Kira knew not to doubt what the Goddess had already carved in stone. A Fated mafia marriage of alliance in play to strengthen the packs. It should have been easy, right? Then why was it so damn hard? Alpha Fenriz's son, Arkyn Vega, made her question everything she thought she knew... Everything that should have never been doubtful in the first place. The Goddess chose her mate, so why does she still feel this way about Arkyn? Why does she still crave the touch of a man who is supposed to be her best friend? When her mate takes the Volkov pack hostage, it forces Kira to pick sides. Does she follow fate and remain at her mate's side, or trust the one she has an unbreakable bond with? Did the Goddess make a fatal mistake? ---------- Part 2 - Fated Desire: Kaia and Elijah Elijah Priest and Kaia Volkova thought their lust-filled tryst was a one-time thing, especially after they found out that Kaia was to marry Arkyn Vega. It didn't matter that they were attracted to one another; it didn't matter that it turned out Kaia was actually Arkyn's family.  It also didn't matter that their one-time thing turned into a continuous thing. It was just sex, right? Or so Elijah thought. Seeing Kaia meet her mate at the Convergence Ball leads him to realize that he's actually in love with the woman who lit a fire in his soul. What happens when he finds out Kaia cannot bond with her mate because of a mistaken bite he left in the middle of a sex-filled haze? Even more so, her bite didn't kill him and his blood didn't kill her... Can a vampire and a werewolf truly be mates?

On the day my mate's dying first love went into labor, his parents posted ten warriors at my door. They did it only to stop me from storming the delivery room and ruining the birth of Alpha Kaelen's heir. However, I never showed up, not even after the cries of a newborn filled the air. His mother, the former Luna, held the other she-wolf's hand with a sigh of relief. "Liana, with us here, that barren Elara will never harm you or the pup!" Kaelen dabbed the sweat from Liana's brow, his eyes filled with adoration. "Don't worry, my father has men guarding the pack borders. If Elara dares to cause trouble, we will exile her forever!" He finally relaxed when he was sure I wasn't coming. He couldn't understand. All he wanted was to give his dying first love a child, a legacy. Why couldn't I be more understanding? Looking at the sleeping pup, a satisfied smile crossed his face. He thought that if I would just show up and apologize to Liana, he would forgive all our previous fights. He'd even be willing to comfort me after the birth, maybe even let me be the pup's mother in name, so I could keep my title as Luna. But he didn't know. I had just submitted my application to the High Council. In one week, I would relinquish my pack status, leave with the babies in my belly, and never see him again.

Camila was born a slave, and for that, she wasn't entitled to a last name. She and her mother, a prisoner of war, served diligently in the house of a Jorvikian General, who took pity on them and gave them a home. Life was relatively smooth until Camila became an unwitting pawn in a plot to ruin the life of Ronan, the first son of the Morosov household. On the morning of Ronan's wedding day, Camila woke up in his bed, clueless about what had transpired. This incident sent their lives spiralling into sorrow and pain. Ronan lost the woman he loved and wanted to marry, while Camila and her mother were branded as enemies and social climbers. Life became unbearable for the young slave, and things worsened when she discovered that the incident had resulted in a pregnancy. Fearing for her child's and her mother's safety in a harsh world, Camila was surprised when the Morosovs showed some humanity. They allowed her to keep the baby on the condition that she would raise the child as a nanny. This option was better than being thrown out on the streets to fend for herself and her baby. Nearly two years later, Ronan returned, having stayed away. When he realised what had happened, he decided to take Camila and his daughter to live with him. Although Camila was to live as his maid and their daughter's nanny, the question remained: would the bond they shared ignite an unknown spark between them? Would Ronan forsake his ambitions and allow himself to fall for a woman he was trained not to love?

Albert Roosevelt was the crush I was never meant to have. Like an idiot, I believed loving someone meant giving them everything, even if they didn't care about you. So, I trailed after him like a desperate puppy, bending over backward to meet his every whim. When he couldn't afford tuition, I begged Dad to fund him, sending him to the best schools. When his worn-out clothes made him a laughingstock, I pitied him and showered him with designer labels. And what did he do? He used what I gave him to chase after a gold-digging campus belle. To keep up appearances, he blew through money like it grew on trees. He even spread rumors that he was the real heir to the Roosevelts. To him, I was just an ATM. "Your family's loaded. It's not like you'll miss a few hundred grand. If you're gonna be stingy, maybe you should stop following me around," he said when his wallet ran dry. And like a fool, I believed that if I kept paying, someday, he'd love me back. After graduation, I funded his startup. The second it took off, he married the campus belle. He had the nerve to claim he earned everything through nothing but hard work. So, I crashed his wedding, and he buried a knife in my chest. "Only when you're dead, Eve Roosevelt. Only then will my pathetic past stay buried." When I opened my eyes again, I was face-to-face with a scowling Albert. "You can't scrape together a few hundred thousand dollars? It's Bianca's birthday. Are you trying to humiliate me?" I looked around the room and rolled my eyes. "Sure, I'll pay. But first? Kneel. You look pretty enough. Consider it charity, peasant."