Bi Annual

"If I can cheat, so can you. It’s an open marriage, babe. Get used to it." Those were the words my husband spat at me after I caught him with his third assistant this year. So, I took his advice. He thought he could break me. After ten years of his "open marriage" demands and revolving door of mistresses, I decided to play his game. So, I bought a man. A cold, nameless call boy to help me settle the score. I left $5,000 on the nightstand and slipped away before dawn, finally feeling even. Until I missed my period. Two hours after that, my husband dragged me to his firm's annual gala to meet the new CEO; the man who holds my husband's entire career in his hands. My heart stopped. Standing there in a $10,000 suit, looking like a lethal god, was my "call boy." Julian Vane isn't a sex worker. He’s the most powerful man in the state, my husband’s biggest rival, and... he’s the father of my baby.

At the award-giving ceremony of the end-of-the-year gala, my boss, George White, suddenly announces that he will be adding a bonus round on a whim. "This is the annual department evaluation! The department that comes last shall come onto the stage and receive a tiny encouragement from me!" The huge screen lights up at that moment. The sales achievements accumulated by all departments are being shown in a ranking system. The sales department is ranked first. The operations department comes second, and the marketing department gets third place. As for the administrative department, the sales achievements shown on the screen are none. After all, that department has no KPI to achieve at all. George beams at us from the administrative department. "Everyone from the administrative department, come on up and receive your prize!" Two people can be seen carrying a basket of brooms up the stage. Everyone bursts into laughter instantly. "Come now, sweep away your bad luck with the brooms! Try not to come up as the bottom-ranked department again next year!" George personally thrusts the brooms into our hands. Camera flashes go off beneath the stage—people are clearly taking photos of us. The people from the sales department are the ones laughing the hardest. "Finally, the peeps from the administrative department are getting the recognition they deserve!"

In the shadows of polite society, the ancient practices of oppression, segregation, and slavery abound. The Moon Goddess has a plan, and change is on the horizon, but only if an abused and wolfless orphan is strong enough to survive. Late one night, a mysterious woman appears on the doorstep of a history professor in the Dark Sky Pack. Leaving a child with them to raise as their own, the woman is never seen again. They name the little girl Electra after a Greek Goddess. She is raised as one of the family and accepted by the family even when she did not receive a wolf and is rejected by the pack. Abused and mistreated by the Dark Sky Pack, she flees to a nearby human town to attend college. The Alpha of the Dark Sky Pack calls a council meeting the same weekend that Electra is graduating. With the Elders and Council in attendance, Electra meets a female Alpha and her life changes. When the Crystal River Pack hosted the annual Hunt, Alpha Wyatt changed all the rules. Hadrian volunteered as a Guard for a Maidan and while at the mating ceremony for Alpha Wyatt and Luna Celeste, his world is turned upside down. Hadrian, a firefighter for Crystal Falls, now finds himself as a single father of two little girls. Come on the adventure of Electra and Hadrian as they find their place in the world…

On her 16th birthday Lana’s older brother and the king of Alpha’s, a title handed down by her mother holds the annual Alpha meeting.  Lana hates all things Alpha’s having grown up under her mother’s reign and meeting plenty of Alpha’s, she longed to be normal.  When the meeting is held, she has a run in with Alpha Tate who declares she is his mate and refuses to leave without her, but little does she know things were about to get stranger when not only one Alpha declares her as his but a second from a pack that rivals Alpha Tate’s.  There is just one catch, Lana is a hybrid without a wolf and can’t recognize a mate bond and now she must choose who to believe. Lana finds herself stuck between two Alpha’s who hate each other but they have a secret of their own, one they don’t want her to find out.  Will Lana be able to navigate through their web of lies and the secrets they hide or will she walk away from both of them and find a way to break the bonds that tie her?

She always belonged to him….and now he’s ready to claim her. Intimidating, ruthless Italian mafia boss has one motive in his life, to avenge the death of his parents. His ruthless pursuits of success and vengeance leave no room for love in his heart. He has never been emotionally involved with anyone. Ever. Until he met her. Sadie Quintin. Kidnapped. Taken away from her family. She never thought her life would take a twisted turn. Never reckoned that one decision would change her life completely. Despite her broken past, she’s adamant to see beauty in life….even in cold heart of the man she betrayed. Silvio Salvatore. She was never supposed to fall for him, but she did, not realising it was already too late. Abducted by his rival, Sadie is forced to stay with him. During an annual gala of top business tycoons of the world, Sadie was coerced to accompany her captor. She wasn’t expecting to meet those cerulean eyes again, but when she did, it unleashed secrets that could destroy them both…and everything closer to them. Even their lost relationship.

After spending the past month working overtime and burning the midnight oil every day, I finally closed a business deal that's worth 50 million dollars before the company's annual dinner. My boss, William Lewis, begins giving away the end-of-the-year bonuses with a wide smile on his face. "The finance director helped our company save three million dollars worth of taxes. He will receive a villa by the river as a gift." "The head of IT led the team and solved various difficult problems. He shall receive 200 thousand dollars in cash." "Lily Lane, the receptionist, has always shown a great attitude whenever she greets the clients. She shall receive a Hermes bag." When it's my turn, I wipe the sweat off my palms before accepting my bonus. But upon opening the giftbox, I see three entrance tickets to the local zoo instead. "You must be sick of receiving commissions all the time as the sales director. Why don't you take advantage of this holiday to spend some quality time with your family?" On the way home, I dial a number. "Mr. Skylar, there's a problem with the 50-million-dollar contract. Let's discuss it later."

With her eighteenth birthday quickly approaching, Selene Lockwood is eager to meet her mate. At the arrival of their Light Moon Pack's annual Mating Ball, she becomes enamored with a man whose familiar presence and charm convinces her he's her childhood sweetheart, Nathaniel Wulfric, who always looked out for her. Thinking he's the mate the Goddess Lupa has given her, Selene surrenders herself to him on the night of the mating ritual. However, when Selene learns that the man she has spent the night with isn't Nathan but his scheming and mysterious twin brother, she feels devastated. Left heartbroken and confused, Selene then questions everything she knows about Nathan and his family. As she digs into the hidden past of the Wulfric twins, she discovers the truth that's buried deep in history. Torn with her feelings, Selene's caught up in a dilemma between her love for Nathan and her forged bond with his evil twin brother. As the tension escalates, Selene must confront the devastating consequences that her choice may bring, not only for herself but for the entire werewolf population. Will she choose destiny's path for her or the love for which she's willing to pay the price?

My best friend, Cassidy Braun, earned a modest monthly salary of 2,800 dollars, only to constantly trash her doting husband with an annual income of 600,000 dollars, labelling him a broke loser. “That incompetent husband of mine can’t even afford a 20-carat diamond ring! “I have the looks that can bag me a billionaire. I must have been out of my mind to marry that piece of trash.” I chimed in. “You’re right. You’re practically a goddess. Only a Greek God stands a chance with you.” Eventually, Cassidy left her husband and hooked up with a trust-fund kid, just as she wanted. A year later, she was scammed out of every penny she owned and diagnosed with cancer. Fragile and broken, she came to me. “I heard that ex-husband of mine remarried and that he’s loaded now. Judging by the way he used to worship the ground I walked on, I bet he’ll drop the woman in a heartbeat if I ask to get back together.” I gave a dismissive nod while running my fingers along the new Birkin bag my husband had bought. “Oh, absolutely. He’s pretty wealthy now.”

Richard Rossi, co-owner of Petals Cosmetics and Pharmaceuticals gets a sexual experience that shakes his whole being from a young woman who turns out to be the youngest daughter of his partner, Peter Torres. He hides away after the incident miles away from the Torres family. His presence is not required until the sudden passing away of his partner and best friend. Jacqueline Torres is a wild child, the black sheep of the Torres family and the youngest child. On the night of her parents' annual summer party, she meets a man who evokes the female side of her which she had strived to keep buried within her. When she finds out who he is, she vows to make him pay for running out on her. When the runaway co-owner returns to take over after her father's death, Jacqueline begins to question her emotions as memories of that night plague her still. Richard is called upon to take up the responsibility of his company, putting an end to his nomadic lifestyle. He tries to play a distant, fatherly role when he meets with the lady from five years ago but when they encounter dire situations and death targets from all sides, he has a reason to stay, to protect and to love her.

As Cain Knight's mate, I watched him lead Elias Sinclair, his childhood sweetheart, onto the stage at the Black Moon Pack's annual charity gala. "In recognition of Miss Sinclair's outstanding contributions to our community," Cain announced, his voice a glacial shard as his eyes found me, "I have decided to grant her the title of this year's 'Charity Ambassador.'" An honor that had, for years, been bestowed upon the Luna by her Alpha. He shattered tradition just to humiliate me. Under the pitying gazes of the entire pack, I did not cry. I did not question him. I simply straightened my spine, set down my champagne flute, and silently turned to leave. "Let her go," I heard Cain sneer behind me. "She won't last half the night. She'll come crawling back like a beaten dog, begging for my forgiveness." A wave of derisive laughter erupted behind me. "After all these years, Lupita still uses the same tired tricks to get Alpha Cain's attention!" "I bet she'll be on her knees, pleading for Alpha Cain's forgiveness before sunrise!" But they didn't know. The person waiting to spirit me away was already at the door. This time, I would vanish from this gilded cage forever.