Before We Drowned Novels & Stories

With the return of his memories, my husband, Trevor Beaumont, recalled that he was the Alpha of a wolf pack. He walked away, leaving me with a ruby necklace as compensation. The jewel shimmered amid my sleep, and a tall, burly man stood before me. The compensation came with a hidden bonus after all. Later, I sent a message to my ex. “Thank you for your necklace. The guy inside comes in handy. “We’re getting married, and since you brought us together, we’d hope you can be the best man.” Trevor drove through the night to our wedding venue, veins popping out of his face as despair swallowed him. “Who the hell put the man inside the ruby?”

My bones felt as if they were on fire, my body was burning, my throat hurts and my eyes felt as if it was about to be pulled out of my skull. I've never been this sick before in my life. Something was happening to me, I was sure of that. My teeth were clenched together and I was scared that I might not made it to the morning. *********************************************It all started in the year 1104, when Tiana Sargon betrayed our race. We were all cursed and we've been ruled by the wicked vampire king, Amara Conrad, who sees us as nothing but animals. Eight princesses had came and fought but they all losed to him. Now it's my turn, I am the last princess

One eventful night, Leila returned home from one of her jobs, only to discover the unthinkable—her father had sold her to the Alvaro family to pay off his debt and take on more loans. When Leila meets the infamous and cruel under boss of the Alvaro family, Leonardo Alvaro, A chilling realization struck her. She knew him. Leonardo wasn’t just the under boss of one of the deadliest families in Las Vegas, but her ex-stepbrother, whom she knew as Damien. Leila must face her complicated history with Damien and the emotions that linger between them. Will she survive his return, or will she get pulled and drowned in a world she can’t escape?

I'm afflicted with a severe phobia related to socializing. Christmas is the one holiday that I fear the most. In order to escape from my relatives' incessant questions, I've spent one year digging up dirty laundry related to every single person in my family. Before going home for the holidays, I've made a secret vow that as long as my relatives don't disturb me, I will definitely keep those skeletons of theirs sealed tightly in their closets. But at the Christmas Eve dinner, these relatives insist on making me their personal doormat. My oldest uncle, Adam Burton, is the first one to start a topic in a passive-aggressive manner. "Hannah, you're not getting any younger, you know. It's one thing to not be able to nail down a job, but what's with your inability to find yourself a boyfriend, hmm? "Look at Quinn. The moment she'd graduated from college, she'd already married a rich scion." I can only smile bashfully before I lower my head and start eating from my plate in an attempt to skip the topic. But my second aunt, Zoe Brown, refuses to let it slide. She begins putting on airs as a senior member of this family while lecturing me. "Stop being so stubborn, Hannah. Adam is doing this for your own good. We're a family at the end of the day; we will never hurt you. You have to listen to our advice. Otherwise, you'll become an old and lonely woman that no one wants as a partner when the time comes." Pfft! "We're a family", she says! I think these relatives of mine just don't want me to live a nice, comfortable life as a single woman! Unable to endure it anymore, I put down my fork and lift my head. Then, I flash everyone an awkward smile. "In that case, Aunt Zoe, why don't you tell me who's more impressive in bed? Was it Uncle Caleb… or Uncle Adam? "Since we're a family, we should be honest with each other, right?"

I went on holiday intending to forget everything about my failed college admission. Instead, the heat stripped me bare, stolen looks that turned into touches, touches that into desires .With him, every desire wasn’t rushed; it simmered, built in shared rooms until restraint felt like a lie we were both tired of telling. What we did there was indulgent and dangerous, a secret written on my body before I ever said his name out loud. I knew it couldn’t last. I knew what it cost. But in that borrowed place, I let myself want him fully and it became the best holiday of my life, because for once, I didn’t stop something that felt so good.

From New York Times bestselling author Krista Lakes comes a sexy standalone novel about a billionaire and the indecent proposal he gives the local barista. Billionaire CEO Jackson Weathers needs a family for a PR boost, and I've signed a contract agreeing to give him one. A doting girlfriend in public. A wedding ceremony to invite all the socialites to. And finally, a baby for him to parade around, to show he's really a wholesome, down-to-Earth man. I've tried to remain cynical about it. He's going to make all my dreams come true. So what if it's supposed to be a loveless marriage? Only, his tenderness in private has me hooked. The way he kisses me drives me wild. When we make love, I lose myself to him. His body feels like it was meant to be on top of mine, like we fit together like two puzzle pieces. I can't help but begin to fall for him. I can't tell him, or I risk losing everything. And nobody else can find out about our little "arrangement" or it will destroy his reputation. Still, I feel like I have to know how he feels, before the marriage, before the baby, before I give my entire life over to him. Is it still just pretend?

My mate, Andrew Claude, is the Alpha of the Celestial Pack, the sworn rival of my father’s Venus Pack. For three years, we have hidden our bond, knowing that our union could either bring peace between the packs or ignite war. On Lunar Year's Eve, beneath the full moon’s silver glow, we stand on the castle terrace, whispering promises of our future. Tonight, we finally agree to perform our bonding ritual, sealing our fates before revealing our love to our parents. My wolf stirs in anticipation, her instincts urging me toward him. But then, Andrew leaps down into the grand fire-dance festival, his powerful wolf form shifting mid-air before landing in a flourish. The scent of burning pine and roasted venison fills the air, warriors howling in celebration. The pack’s bonfire crackles with enchanted flames, casting shadows of prowling wolves against the towering stone walls. I watch from above, heart pounding with joy—until my smile fades. In the heart of the revelry, Carol Sinclair, an Omega maid, clutches a bundle of enchanted fireworks. Andrew strides to her, a warm, easy grin on his face. With a flick of his fingers, golden flames dance from his palms, sparking the firework in her hands. "A little fire magic to help you, Carol," he chuckles. She gasps in admiration, giggling as the firework ignites—only for it to spiral out of control. It veers wildly, the enchanted embers lashing through the air. Searing pain blooms across my arm. The stench of burning flesh fills my nose. I barely react before Carol bursts into tears and flees into the crowd. Before I can speak, Andrew turns on me, his golden eyes flashing with rage. The onlookers fall silent, ears twitching to catch their Alpha’s words. “Did you bully her, Bella?” His growl rumbles deep in his chest. “Just because you’re an Alpha’s heir doesn’t mean you can do whatever you want!” The warriors glance at each other, their tails stiff with tension. I stagger back, stunned. He doesn’t even ask if I’m hurt.

Once upon a time, I believed all Alphas were as sick and twisted as my adoptive father, but the Vincent triplets proved me wrong. Because of them, for a moment, I believed I had a chance at happiness, a real family, and a brighter future. However, while we excitedly expected our own child and reunited the packs, the forces of evil watched over each step we took. The greatest happiness turned into a nightmare. We're risking so much, putting so many lives at stake, and I fear our attempts might fade into nothingness. Perhaps I'm asking for too much. My utopian family never existed, and it never would. Everything will crumble and fall before my eyes, and there will be nothing I can do to stop the damnation- the same as I can't stop him from leaving me. BOOK TWO IN THE ALPHAS SERIES can be read as a stand-alone, but for a better understanding, I highly recommend you read book one first. The series: Caught by the Alphas Claimed by the Alphas

We all want something different in our lives. For Psyche, she just want some peace and quiet so she can focus more on her study and try to turn her life around after losing everything before she even turned twelve, but her housemate and landlord, Eros has something different in mind and he's about to turn her life upside down again.

I was thrown out someone else's door twice before I even turned thirty. The first time was during my marriage with Donald Stern, a businessman. When it was time for my pregnancy checkup, I found out he was making love to a college girl right in front of the 100th floor's window. He called me a childish woman and threw me out the door. My father told me that all wealthy men cheated sooner or later. To prove people wrong, I married my childhood friend of ten years, Shawn Foster. He was accepting and caring of me. He did not mind that my ex-husband still sent apology gifts every year. He did not even mind that we had no children after three years of marriage. Every time we were going at it and reaching the climax, he would nibble on my ear and whisper, "We don't need children. All I need is you." On our anniversary, he brought home a woman I had never seen before and ordered the butler to throw my luggage out of the main bedroom. I clenched the pregnancy test I had not yet shown him. With a trembling voice, I asked, "What's the meaning of this?" A cigarette sat between his fingers. He had a look on his face that said he had just heard the biggest joke getting cracked. "Drop the act already, Yvonne. Haven't you learned anything from Donald dumping you?"