Before We Drowned

What does being a powerful woman mean? This question is at the core of this book where we see every female protagonist from different circumstances go through various challenges and do their best to navigate them. Our adventure starts with Patina Garcia, an artist who falls into poverty after her grandparents pass away but encounters a surprising new destiny when she discovers a Bothy in Scotland for sale. Then we meet Rose Marley, an elderly widow whose life takes an unexpected yet drastic turn after buying a Bothy. Then there is Clarissa Gould, a woman escaping domestic abuse after a fist fight with her narcissistic ex-boyfriend that leads her to a new home in the mountains. Further on, we meet Kendrick Samuel's, a happily married expectant mother whose life is turned upside down when she finds out that her husband is a hybrid on the run. Next, we have Maria Morgan, a woman on the run after being broken out of a sanitorium that she's spent the last year in after being accused of murder. Finally, we meet Audrey Willow, an unsatisfied housewife who battles a drug, and alcohol addiction before meeting a politician who changes her life forever.

My four-year-old son dies after someone crashes into him with a motorcycle. The culprit is a college freshman who's just been admitted. I'm devastated, but my husband generously forgives her. "We have to give her a chance since she's such an outstanding student. She's still young—we can't ruin her future." Ha. She has plenty of opportunities and a bright future ahead of her. What about my son? He was only four. Later, I rip his letter of forgiveness to pieces before his face. He wants me to forgive the young lady? No way in hell!

Everyone in the Rossi family knows that their Don, Giovanni Rossi, loves me, Rebecca Costa, more than anyone else. Ever since we got together, he has stopped attending any social events that involve other women. We promised to marry once he returns from negotiating a dangerous arms deal in Aelfana. He was supposed to come back a week before the wedding, but instead, he returned on the eve of the wedding with Rosa Bianchi, his stepsister, in his arms. Rosa was unconscious, and traces of intimacy were visible on her skin. Giovanni kneeled before me, his expression remorseful. "Rebecca… I was drugged. I never meant to betray you. When Rosa threw herself at me, I thought she was you." And I believed him. At least, I did until I overheard a conversation in the changing room backstage at our wedding. One of his men asks, in disbelief, "Did you really mistake her for Rebecca?" "I did for the first night. But for the rest of the week… well, a man ought to have his bit of freedom before getting married." My fingers clench around my phone. In my inbox sits an unopened message—a marriage invitation from Angelo Calavaro, the most enigmatic Don in southern Ilya's underworld. I know what I have to do.

I went through 100 hormone shots for him—just to finally get pregnant. Five years begging those shots to work—all for Rafe Morello. The Don with ice in his veins... but also the guy who used to wipe sweat off my forehead in the middle of the night. Everyone thought we were goals. Then I handed over my lab results, and the nurse paused, blinking up at me. "Sorry, what's your relationship to Rafe Morello? There's already a pregnancy under his wife's name." I froze. Carmela Vitale. His dead brother's wife. Spouse listed: Rafe Morello. Breathing? Suddenly optional. No tears. No drama. I just slid off my ring and tucked it into my bag. Then I called the number buried at the bottom of my drawer. My voice? Freakishly calm. "Yeah. Three days. Pick me up." It wasn't about revenge. I left because I finally got it—some people, you gotta cut loose if you ever wanna stop bleeding. Three days later, he walked into a silent bedroom. On the nightstand: my wedding ring, the signed divorce papers, and a copy of the ultrasound. He sat on the floor and just... kept rubbing that ring. Regret doesn't knock. It floods. And that night, it drowned every lie he thought he could get away with. That was when he finally figured it out—love could wreck a person worse than hate ever could.

On my 20th birthday, my father hosts a dinner for our allied families. He lifts his glass with a smile and turns to his old friend, saying, "It's time my principessa chooses a husband from your sons." Without hesitation, I choose the youngest—Salvatore Carlo. Everyone is stunned. After all, I'm Estella Vinci, the eldest daughter of the Vinci family. I was born into wealth and power, with a father from a long-established Virellian mafia family and a mother from Montavira's ruthless DeNucci bloodline. And yet, I was hopelessly in love with Giovanni Carlo, third son of the Carlo family. In my past life, I got exactly what I wished for. I became his wife. He got what he wanted too. With my father's power, he became the heir of the Carlo family. But after we got married, my adopted sister Eleanor Vinci became his mistress. When my father found out, he was furious. He sent her far away in marriage to Norland. From that day on, Giovanni hated me with everything he had. He drowned himself in nightclubs, night after night, always bringing home women who looked just like Eleanor. He let them mock me and humiliate me. On my birthday, one of them poisoned my cake. I died with hatred in my heart at eight months pregnant. Now that I am reborn, I decide to let them have each other. But the moment I choose Salvatore, Giovanni loses his mind.

WARNING !!: This collection is not for the faint of heart. These stories involve choking, spanking and raw sinful desires. Enter only if you’re ready to be tied by the chains of ecstasy. This compilation brings you a variety of spicy short stories, each having a different journey into the raw, intoxicating world of BDSM. Whether it’s a professor making his student kneel, an alpha punishing his maid, or a best friend daring you to give in, these stories will keep your pulse racing and your imagination tied down to the very last page. In this collection, submission isn’t weakness, it’s the ultimate temptation. Once you step in, you’ll be drowned in a pool of desires.

"The end of your life has come, Amifaye. I never thought I will see you this close, shouting for help. Isn't it amazing? I got to suffer the most powerful assassin in the world. " Growing up, Samantha had it all. She grew up in a wealthy environment and living her life to the fullest. Not until she was beaten to death by their opponent assassin clan. She promised to be back and take revenge but how will she fight if she falls in love with the man she should kill and should take revenge with? Would she choose her original plan and fight for their clan or will she be drowned by her untimely feelings and be a demise assassin?

The entire pack knows that my Alpha mate, Cassian Blackhowl, treasures me more than his own life. Against everyone's objections, he chooses me, an Omega, to be his mate. Before we form a mate bond, I suffer from a blood disease and hover at death's door. Cassian searches the world, draining his fortune, just to find someone with a blood type that matches mine so that I can have a transfusion to save my life. He stays by my bedside for months, never leaving, until I finally recover. But after we form a mate bond, I'm unable to conceive a pup. Cassian simply smiles and says, "Then I'll just have to try harder until you get pregnant." We get lost in our acts of passion more frequently until I finally carry a pup. However, I lose the pup, and the cycle repeats. Each time, the agony tears through me like my body is being ripped apart, leaving me weaker and weaker. Seeing me in such torment, Cassian gathers me into his arms. "Let's not try for a pup anymore. We can always adopt one." … Five years pass, and just as he once promised, he makes me the most envied she-wolf in the pack. But on the very day of our five-year bond anniversary, I receive a message. It's an invitation to a pup's birthday party. The message is withdrawn almost instantly, but not before I see the names of the parents—Cassian Blackhowl and Elara Wolfhart. I stand there, frozen stiff. Cassian is my mate. My Alpha. My life. And Elara is the she-wolf who once saved me with her blood.

“Why do I feel like we've met before?” I stared at the young man standing before me, his eyes locked on mine. He tucked some loose strands of my hair behind my ears, his lips stretching into a cocky smirk, “where? In your wet dreams?” ~~~~ Selena has had the same dreams for a very long time—a young man thrusting a silver sword into her chest in a moment of weakness. She'd called it a dream, but after meeting this strange man in her college on an unfaithful day, her whole life takes the other direction. Dominic Lakes, a hot transfer student who's extremely good at playing hockey. He fights to suppress his Alpha aura with the humans around him, but with a particular girl—Selena—it felt like she could see through him with a single glance. What if they'd really met before? Not just in this lifetime but the one before? Would they uncover the truth before it's too late?

My name is Ada. I never expected that saving an injured stranger would thrust me into a world of danger, heartache, and the discovery of my fated mate. When I stumble upon a wounded man in my family's herb garden and bring him home to heal, I have no idea he is on a quest to uncover the truth behind his mother's murder, which he believes is tied to secrets harbored by my pack. Despite my parents' warnings against getting involved with the mysterious stranger, I find myself inexplicably drawn to him, even as our bond is tested by pack politics, jealous rivals, and his initial rejection of our fated connection. Plagued by vivid dreams that seem to foreshadow an ominous fate, I am compelled to follow my mate and aid his investigation, praying to the moon goddess that the truth can be uncovered before it's too late. As we delve deeper into the shadows of the past, my mate and I must confront dark secrets, untangle a web of lies, and fight for our love against those who would seek to keep the truth buried. With danger lurking at every turn, we find ourselves in a race against time to expose the shocking truth behind his mother's demise before we too fall victim to the sinister forces at play. Whisper of the Alpha is created by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.