Background Kuning Merah

Aku menatap kontrak pernikahan Keluarga Varsali yang didorong ayahku ke seberang meja. Tanpa ragu, kutulis nama saudari tiriku, Dina, lalu kusodorkan kembali. Ayahku terdiam membeku. Kemudian, matanya menyala dengan antusiasme konyol, seolah-olah baru saja memenangkan lotre. "Kenapa kamu kamu mau memberikan kesempatan sesempurna ini pada adikmu?" Di kehidupan sebelumnya, pernikahanku adalah bahan tertawaan semua orang di sekitarku. Aku si penyihir kecil liar berambut merah yang berani masuk ke dunia Cassius Varsali, pewaris sekaligus pemimpin Keluarga Kriminal Varsali. Aku tak pernah sempurna, apalagi patuh. Dia menyukai gaun bak dewi, aku memakai rok mini dan menari di atas meja. Dia menuntut keintiman yang misionaris, tradisional, dan patuh, aku ingin berada di atas, menungganginya, tenggelam sepenuhnya. Di sebuah gala, para istri kalangan atas mentertawakan rambutku, gaunku, dan keliaranku. Kupikir setidaknya dia akan berpura-pura membelaku, tetapi dia tidak melakukannya. "Maafkan dia. Dia belum ... terlatih dengan baik." Terlatih. Seperti anjing. Sepanjang kehidupan terakhirku, aku tercekik di bawah aturannya, membengkokkan diriku hingga berdarah agar pas dengan bentuk yang dia inginkan, sampai malam rumah kami terbakar. Saat aku membuka mata lagi, aku kembali ke momen ketika pertama kali mengetahui perjodohan itu. Aku menatap kontrak di hadapanku. Kali ini? Kurasa para pria klub malam lebih cocok untukku. Namun, saat Cassius menyadari pengantinnya bukan aku, dia menghancurkan setiap aturan yang selama ini dia pegang teguh.

Binar bersimpuh dengan kesepuluh jarinya yang saling bertaut di depan dada. "Bunuh aku," lirihnya bersama bulir-bulir kepahitan yang membasahi wajahnya."Tidak sekarang, aku masih ingin bermain-main denganmu," bisik Rigel di telinga Binar dengan posisi menunduk. Pria itu menegakkan tubuhnya kembali, menarik gesper yang melingkar di pinggangnya hingga terlepas. Dengan seringai liciknya, ia layangkan gesper itu pada tubuh Binar yang semakin lemah."Berhenti!" pekik Binar memohon ampun. Namun, bukannya berhenti, Rigel semakin bersemangat mengukir bercak merah di tubuh wanita itu.***"Argh! Ayah ... tolong aku! Sakit!" Pekikan memilukan itu terdengar seiring tetes darah yang mengucur deras dari jemari mungil Leya."Berhenti memanggilku ayah! Kau harus tahu, aku tidak peduli akan kematianmu!"***Tak ada yang lebih menyakitkan bagi Binar saat ini, selain harus kehilangan sang buah hati, apalagi penyebab dari kematian buah hatinya adalah Rigel, pria yang teramat ia cintai. Di matanya kini, Rigel adalah jelmaan iblis yang telah membuatnya hanyut dalam tangis yang kian melimpah ruah, tertatih di atas bara api yang tak berujung, dan menghujamnya dengan ribuan anak panah beracun, serta tak pernah puas mengukir maha karya bertinta darah di tubuhnya. Rasanya, sakit sekali!Haruskah Binar bertahan dan memaafkan Rigel di saat terlampau banyak luka yang menganga di hati dan tubuhnya? Ataukah sebaiknya ia pergi, membuka lembaran baru, dan membuka hati untuk pria lain yang diharapkan bisa menjadi penyembuh lukanya?

Landry Green's biggest regret is the night he rejected his soulmate at the Vernal Ball - a yearly gathering that sees packs around the world come together in hopes of its members finding their soulmates. Instantly left broken and ashamed for his rash decision, he worked to earn his way into Jennifer's heart with the help of his new Alpha. Every day he wakes up stunned that this sweet, loving woman gave him a second chance, and so he has vowed to never let her down again but their families couldn't be less pleased, though for entirely different reasons. Landry will prove to himself and everyone else that he can be the man Jennifer deserves and a man strong enough to stand up for those he loves and what he believes in. Whole Again is a spin-off in the Queen Among series (specifically A Queen Among Alphas). It takes place during the events of A Queen Among Blood. The setup to this story and background events will make more sense if you have read the main series. Here is the list of books in the series: A Queen Among Alphas - Book 1 Bite-Size Luna - A Queen Among Alphas Prequel A Queen Among Snakes - Book 2 Runaway Empress - A Queen Among Snakes Prequel A Queen Among Blood - Book 3 Whole Again - A Queen Among Alpha's spin-off A Queen Among Darkness - Book 4 Dark Invocation - A Queen Among Darkness spin-off A Queen Among Tides - Book 5 Valor, Virtue, and Verve - A Queen Among Tides Prequel Spin-off A Queen Among Gods - Book 6 A Queen Among Tempests - Book 7

At the farewell banquet hosted for my wife, Lorraine Ford, who will be getting assigned into a military unit soon, Lieutenant Chester Johnson speaks up in a sarcastic manner. "You really are generous, Hunter. Commander Ford has already given away your transfer slot in the military to her stepbrother, and yet you're still throwing this banquet for her." I find his words ridiculous, to say the least. "That's impossible! My wife hates pulling strings to make things easier! In the past, she didn't even give me the youth transfer slot even though she had one!" Chester sounds more enthusiastic now. "I've personally read the approval report. Commander Ford has already listed Rowan Langley under the family column! Don't you know that she has already taken him in as her younger stepbrother?" I feel as though lightning has struck me on the spot. Then, I turn to look at my parents and Lorraine, who look quite guilty. My parents quickly grab me by the hand. "Rowan comes from a poor background, not to mention he's a widower, too. If he continues staying in this village, he'll be the subject of everyone's gossip for the rest of his life. "Hunter, you're Lorraine's actual husband, so you must be more gracious toward him." At that moment, I feel sharp pain coming from my heart. Fine. I'll be gracious, as per their request. This time, I'll personally give Lorraine away to her beloved Rowan.

I had just returned from the world's largest tech summit when my mentor called. She has always been like a mother to me. She told me she had arranged a marriage for me, with the daughter of a close friend of hers, Tania Jones. She was a rising talent in the capital's business scene, and a number of my patents were licensed to her company, forming the core technology behind their latest products. After working late in the lab, I changed into a carefully chosen suit and went to the engagement ceremony. However, I was stopped at the entrance by Elias Yates, Tania's personal assistant. He was wearing a perfectly tailored designer suit, every detail immaculate. He looked more like the groom than I did. "If you know what's good for you, walk away," he said with an icy smirk. "An orphan with no background should know his place. You are not worthy of Ms. Jones." I frowned and replied, "Does Tania know you are speaking on her behalf like this?" Elias let out a mocking laugh. "A kept man living off his mentor's reputation could never understand how important I am to Ms. Jones." There was obsession and pride shining in his eyes. I looked at him for a moment, then dialed Tania. "If this is your idea of welcoming your fiancé," I said evenly, "then perhaps my patents should only be shown to you on paper, right before I sell them to your rival instead."

Kaiya is an orphan found on the doorstep of the packhouse of The Red Shadow Pack, she was brought in as an Omega and made to clean up after the often cold and almost always arrogant Twin Alpha Heirs, Ace and Dylan. I have decided to break this story into parts…there are four connecting stories with an overarching story that threads them together.  We start with Chasing Their Unloved Luna Part 1: Finding The True Alpha Next is Chasing Their Unloved Luna Part 2: Guarding The Faithful Beta. After that will be Chasing Their Unloved Luna Part 3: Seducing The Noble Priestess This book will conclude with Chasing Their Unloved Luna Part 4: Hunting The Storm Bringer We have seen lots of twists and turns and tons of unexpected happenings, and there are lots of loose ends at the close of Part One so please stick with us as we continue our Journey. In Part 2, the focus shifts. We will see Kaiya and the boys in the background and may even get a surprise POV when something big happens involving them, but  now we will see Amina’s and her sisters stories and how they meet their mates. Not all chapters I post have a trigger warning, but many contain violence, sexual violence and other devious acts. If it is particularly triggering I try to include a warning. Your mental health is important, so if you read the warning and can't handle what happens, skip to the following chapter, or only read the start of the next chapter then skip to the next Thank you and please comment and reach out if you have comments/questions.

In New York’s Upper East Side, there were two heirs. One was a speed-obsessed daredevil dominating the racetracks, the other was a brilliant actuary who controlled the flow of capital. Born into powerful families and polar opposites in temperament, yet they grew up side by side as each other’s only best friend. They had fought over girls and bickered endlessly over racing bets. However, at fifteen, there was one thing they did in perfect unison. They each put on the same roughly carved bronze badge. They were trinkets Mia had idly made during a craft class, marked only by a faint “M” scratched on the back. Back then, Mia was seated in the last row of the classroom. Her background was a complete mystery to everyone. Yet they wore that badge for ten whole years. Whether standing on the F1 podium or locking in billion-dollar trades at the exchange, the cheap little badge on their chests never changed. Until Ella showed up. She was the cherished daughter of a rising conglomerate family. She hand-stitched two gold-thread fabric patches and gifted them to them. The patches looked so ordinary they looked like the kind of trinket you would find three for a dollar at a flea market. And yet, they both replaced their bronze badges with her plain patches. Mia did not say anything. She simply folded away an old newspaper clipping with a photo of the three of them smiling together. That night, she called her father in Sicily. Her voice was emotionless. “Papa, I accept the marriage arrangement.”

She has never spoken a word. Not because she chose silence— But because life chose it for her. Aradhya Mishra, mute since childhood and walking with a painful limp in one leg, has lived in the background of the world. Quiet, observant, and emotionally scarred, she’s learned to express her thoughts through gestures, eyes that speak volumes, and a heart that still dares to dream. She's fragile on the outside—but only fools mistake her silence for weakness. He was born to dominate. Avyaan Singh Rathore—aka MADVIPER—is the brutal, cold-blooded mafia king. Ruthless, feared, and untouchable, he rules the underworld as the head of the secretive gang THE VEYRIX. His name alone silences rooms. He doesn't believe in love. Doesn't care for innocence. Until he's forced to marry her. A girl who cannot speak. A man who doesn't listen. Tied in a bond neither wanted— And for a reason neither knows. What begins as a mistake turns into something much more twisted. A war of silent stares, guarded hearts, and slow-burning emotions. She's the calm to his storm. The quiet to his rage. And perhaps—the only voice his soul can still hear. But love doesn’t bloom easily in a world soaked with blood and secrets. When two broken souls collide under a lie, Can truth set them free— Or will it destroy them both?

Ophelia Lane, an emerging singer/songwriter who recently relocated to Nashville to pursue her dreams, found herself ghost-singing for Camila to afford her mother's medical treatment. She endured bullying from Camila and others for her mother and willingly hid her own talent until she met Asher, the Ozarks quarterback. Asher encouraged her singing and Ophelia wondered if she’d found true support in the athlete everyone called playboy. At their next concert, Camila humiliated Ophelia once more in front of everyone, and even prompting extreme fans to publicly assault her. "Loser?" Ophelia wondered, who was the real loser here? "I hope you regret messing with me." Soon, she found herself on stage, exposing the falsehood of Camila, being signed by an agent, receiving flowers, applause, and fortune, and trampling on those who once bullied her. On top of all this, Asher wants to take her on a date! But will Ophelia be able to juggle handling her newfound success alongside trusting him? "I like you," Asher said. Ophelia begins to question if their worlds are too vastly different. Asher comes from a completely different background than her own and while their passion is exciting, is it enough? Can they make it through the pressures of fame, career, and jealous ex-girlfriends? The Pop Star and the Playboy Quarterback is created by Cate Mattison, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Selama dua tahun menjadi seorang sekretaris pribadi seorang Atlas, CEO di perusahaan di mana Anya bekerja, Anya merasa kalau tak ada hal positif dari lelaki itu selain wajah tampannya. Kepribadiannya buruk, sifat dan sikapnya kasar dan sangat tidak manusiawi. Bahkan, Julia harus bekerja di hari libur. Padahal, hampir setiap hari dia harus bekerja lembur. Hal itu karena Atlas selalu saja membuat masalah dan sebagai sekretaris pribadi, Anya harus membereskan semua masalah yang ditimbulkan agar tak berdampak pada saham dan nama baik perusahaan, termasuk rumor kalau atasannya itu adalah seorang penyuka sesama jenis. Suatu hari, Atlas mabuk berat dan Anya terpaksa membawanya ke rumahnya karena rumah Atlas dipenuhi reporter terkait rumor sesama jenisnya. Saat dalam perjalanan, mereka mengalami kecelakaan kecil yang membuat kaki Anya berdarah. Namun wanita itu berusaha menggotong Atlas ke tempat tidur meski kakinya terluka. Setelah membiarkan Atlas tertidur, Anya pergi tidur di sofa. Keesokan harinya saat dia baru selesai mandi dan hendak membelikan sarapan, Atlas telah menghilang dari rumahnya. Sejak saat itu pula Atlas tak pernah mengganggunya dan selalu bersemu merah saat melihatnya. Setelah seminggu menghindar, Atlas menyinggung soal one stand night dengannya dan berkata akan bertanggungjawab. Apa maksudnya? Anya kebingungan, tapi karena beberapa alasan, dia kemudian memanfaatkan situasi dengan menjadikan kesalahpahaman Atlas untuk kepentingannya sendiri. Meskipun itu berarti dia harus menjadi perfect liar.