Before We Drowned

Mate or be killed. Our world has become a dangerous place, ruled by the ruthless Soul Keepers—demon-like creatures that take pleasure in thrusting us into the mate hunt. Every five months, two shifters are selected, one male and one female, and they are cast into the treacherous Woods Of Abyss together. There, they must fend off beasts and scavenge for food, but there's one crucial rule: both shifters must mate before the five months expire or face elimination. My name is Hazel Bonfire and my life is turned upside down when I'm chosen for this brutal hunt. Unfortunately, the male selected to join me is none other than my step-brother, Ashton Rider. Thrown into a perilous forest, we must depend on one another for food, shelter, and warmth. Ashton is painfully aware that his mate can see everything unfolding between us, and each time he betrays her for the sake of the hunt, it destroys a piece of him. . .I hate what it's doing to us—all of us. I hate that we do not have a choice. But more than anything, I hate that I'm beginning to feel things for Ashton that I know will destroy the relationship we once had. . . forever.

By a twist of fate, my husband, Morgan Lancaster, and I perish together in a sea of flames. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the very day we received our marriage certificate. In my previous life, we appeared to be a loving couple in the eyes of others, yet Morgan refused to share a bedroom with me the entire time we were married. It was only moments before our deaths that I discovered I was merely a substitute for his first love and that he had chosen to remain chaste for her for life. After getting another chance at life, neither of us mentions the past. Instead, by mutual understanding, we file for divorce that same day. From that point on, we go our separate ways. Eight years later, Morgan shows up arm in arm with his childhood sweetheart, Freya Springer, at a business summit. He is now a prominent and celebrated rising star in the business world. Seeing me dressed in a plain outfit, he approaches with a glass of champagne. His tone drips with mockery as he asks, "Ms. Smith, even if you still have feelings for me, there's no need to dress like a waitress just to get close to me. You aren't hoping for a reconciliation, are you?" I say nothing and simply smile as I wave at someone in the distance. My son, Theo Coltrane, toddles over and tugs at the hem of my shirt. "Mommy, Daddy says that he's tired from waiting so long. When are you coming home with us?" The smile on Morgan's face freezes instantly, and he nearly loses his grip on the glass in his hand.

I was the rightful Luna of the Sky Pack. Simon, my mate, cast me aside for another woman, and his family did everything to drive me out. They succeeded. But when I left, they lost everything. Now they come groveling at my feet. "Suuna, please... we'll give you anything. Just come back." But I've found a true mate-powerful, loyal, and utterly devoted to me. And to the man who betrayed me, I don't offer mercy. "Bow before your Queen. But don't expect forgiveness."

On the night of her 18th birthday, under a blood moon, Aurora’s world is shattered. For centuries, a cruel tradition has ruled the land: when a girl turns eighteen, she is summoned to the palace for the Mating Ceremony—a night where bloodlines are bound, and the ruthless Alpha King hunts for his destined queen. None may refuse. None return the same. Behind the palace walls, whispers speak of broken hearts, shattered minds, and a throne soaked in centuries of suffering. Now, it’s her turn. Will she survive the claiming… or become just another name lost to the shadows of the crown, she comes face to face with the Lycan King—a beast of legend, forged in war and drowned in blood. Will she tame the darkness that rules him, or be consumed by the savage fate that awaits all who dare to defy his reign?

I spent years cleaning up a man. We were in love, or should I better say, I was in love, because in the end, that is what that shit felt. After all that I did for him, he heartlessly broke my heart. Found him in bed with our wedding planner two weeks to our wedding. And he had the balls to take pleasure in my pains. I almost became a murderer that night. Almost killed a man. I put the very first stain on my family's spotless name. My father could not take it. He distanced himself from me and stood a safe distance to watch the whole world rise against me. But in all these difficult and trying moments, one thing remained my solace and my beacon of all the good vibes that I yearned for-Joe Fredrick Montana. My stepbrother. And before we knew it, the connection bloomed into something we both never anticipated. It is wrong, yet so strong! It is forbidden, yet irresistible. For a while, none of us seemed to care about the consequences of our steamy undercover affairs, until something that threatens to tear everything between us and beyond happens. This, is our story!

This story was about my bitter and sweet love story. My bitter-sweet love story began when I was twelve years old. I had a huge crush on my neighbor, Dean Samaniego. He's tall, handsome, and smart but a little bit aloof, especially to me. He always ignored me though we were just neighbors. After six long years of having a crush on Dean, I finally decided to give up my feelings for him. The fact finally hits on me, that no matter what I did he's not going to like me back. We moved to another city after a tragedy falls on my family. Since then, Dean and I have never met again. But after ten long years, we finally meet each other. He is now a lawyer, a well-known and successful public defender while I'm just a small coffee shop owner. After I met him again I realized that I still liked him a lot, but I found out that he's already engaged to someone else. Is this a second chance that God gave me to pursue Dean again or a second chance for me to feel the heartache that I once was felt before?

My name is Ella Grace Johnson. I'm just an ordinary girl, living an ordinary life of an artist, until cancer forces me into an extraordinary situation. Desperate for medical treatment, I find myself in a fake marriage with Adrian Charles Montgomery, a billionaire CEO with a hidden struggle - sex addiction. It's supposed to be a simple arrangement, a means to an end. But life has a funny way of complicating things. Adrian is nothing like I expected. Behind his CEO persona, he's caring, considerate, and surprisingly understanding. But his addiction brings a new set of challenges to our relationship. As we go through this deception, I find myself drawn to him. But our secret is exposed, and I'm sent away, leaving my heart with Adrian. Now, I'm not just fighting for my life, but also for a love that was never supposed to happen. Can we turn our fake marriage into a real one? Or will our love story end before it even begins?

My brother-in-law had a sudden heart attack. The doctor said only my wife could perform the specific surgery he needed. It was a critical situation. By the time I finally managed to get through to her, her childhood sweetheart answered the phone. "We're just about to head out camping," he said casually. "We won't be coming back tonight." My heart sank. "Ryan had a heart attack. He needs surgery immediately. Tell her to come back to the hospital—now." Instead, my wife's irritated voice cut through. "Are you done? How dare you make up a lie like that and curse my brother!" Before I could explain, she hung up. When I tried calling back, her phone was already off. In the end, my brother-in-law died because the window for surgery closed. And my wife lost her mind.

"This is so wrong. I shouldn't be here with you. I should avoid you if I want to survive." He drawled in a hoarse as sniffed down her neck. "I should but I can't." ***** Anastasia Nelton, a single mother with a painful past finds a new chance at life when she is given a job at Kade Inc. Her hope that had just begun to take shape gets shattered when she runs smack into the president of said company. He is her past, her bane and the father of her child. She does not want anything to do with him, but a wolf cannot outrun it's mate. Betrayal, Attraction, Dark secrets, Curses and Untold Truths. Will Anastasia be able to navigate chaos that is her Cursed mate, Tristan Connor? Or will she get drowned with no way to survive?

It was the first night we spent together as a married couple. When my husband insisted that the hotel manager clean our bed for us, she cried and said to him, "You're asking me to clean up after the two of you made love! How heartbroken do you want me to be before you're finally satisfied?" My husband claimed not to know that the manager was his ex-girlfriend, but when the woman threw a kettle of hot water and left, he chased after her instead of coming to my aid.