Bi Annual

Ever since she was young, Chloe knew her best friend, Amelia, was a werewolf. It never bothered her that there were creatures beyond humans; she always believed in other species, just like how some believe in aliens. Chloe and her sister Marley had been struggling ever since their parents passed away. But with the help of Amelia and her family, they were able to find a new sense of belonging moving forward. Chloe had adjusted to the college lifestyle and was about to graduate. She was living independently and had no intention of getting involved in Amelia's supernatural world, knowing the complications that came with mixing werewolves and humans. However, everything changed when Amelia pleaded for her to attend the Aberdeen ball, an annual event held by her best friend's pack. Unable to resist Amelia's pouty face and puppy dog eyes, Chloe reluctantly agreed to go. Little did she know, she would soon be in the presence of Alpha Malachi. Copyright 2020

He's the Alpha the pack fears. She's the Beta-in-training who fears nothing. Xander Laven, Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack, is known for his strength and ruthlessness. His pack respects his power, but fear is their primary response. He attends the annual gathering expecting to secure a suitable mate to bear an heir, not to find himself drawn to a fiery she-wolf who challenges his every command. Chayse Vega, a Delta from the Amber Sky Pack, is a warrior at heart. Stubborn and independent, she'd rather train than attend frivolous gatherings. She certainly wasn't looking for a mate, especially not one as arrogant and controlling as the infamous Alpha Laven.Their first encounter is explosive, a clash of wills and personalities that sparks something neither expected. He's possessive and demanding; she's defiant and sharp-tongued. The mate bond is undeniable, but can two wolves so different navigate a connection forged in growls and witty retorts? When the feared Alpha meets the fearless Delta, their world is about to change forever.

"Kylie, this year's annual bonus is evaluated based on two factors: performance and peer reviews. "Since your team never participates in company social events, your coworkers all gave you poor ratings. That's why this is your year-end bonus." Around me, the male employees were receiving bonuses in the tens of thousands. And yet, the women I led—developers who had worked for over ten years and built every core system the company relied on—each received nothing more than a coffee gift card and a mug engraved with the company logo. I laughed out loud. Then I turned and walked into my office and submitted resignation requests for the entire technical team. The manager, Preston Alec, sneered. "Good riddance. AI can replace women like you who only know how to have children." A few days later, the very people who had mocked me were standing in front of me, begging me to come back. I smiled in return. "AI conquers everything, doesn't it?"

At the Mercer family's annual dinner, I accidentally wore a couture gown that belonged to Lucian's late wife. The eight-year-old boy I had raised myself, in front of every key member of the Family, threw a glass of expensive red wine all over my pure white dress. He just stood there, his cold, condescending expression a mirror of his father's. "Don't think you can become the mistress of this house just by dressing like my Mamma." "I swear, when I'm old enough to take over the family business, I'll make you disappear for good!" The cold liquid soaked through the fabric, clinging to my skin. But I felt nothing. My heart had frozen solid the moment I signed my life away eight years ago. I looked at the child I had raised as my own for eight years. There was no anger. The faintest smile touched my lips. I leaned down and whispered in his ear, "You won't have to wait that long, my little lion. I'm leaving, and it will be very soon."

"I'm gay." My eyes grow so big as I stop breathing, but two seconds later I'm bursting with laughter. "Okay funny," I finally tone down my laugh as I bring myself to look at him again. But he is still staring at me like he had been when he told me that joke. "Wait," uhh, "Really?" He nods, "Really." "You like... guys?" "I fuck guys." Oh wow, you really can't have it all can you. When he checks all the boxes, suddenly there's this big box he doesn't. The most important box, the top on the list. "You're gay or bi?" Because there's a big difference between those two. "I'm gay." "You never fuck a woman?" "I've never fucked a woman." "Then why the hell would you want me to be your sugar baby? To watch you fuck another man's butthole?" He smirks despite my little mockery. "Oh now it's funny?" "It is," he is still smirking, "But no. It's the opposite of what I wanna do." I bring my arms across my chest as I reply in my all-business tone, "Enlighten me." *** 22 year old Estelle is one of the best sugar babies the agency has ever had. She has the whole package, no dick ever gone soft seeing how perfect she is, both her body and personality. But can she sway Owen into the heterosexual group? After being in that homo-pool all this while?

“I am dying for a taste. Just one taste,” He whispered under his breath, like he was admitting to a shameful, forbidden desire, and without warning, he lunged for my wrist. ... Sarah is a high school student who has had a really hard life. Between being bullied at school and problems at home, she has had enough. She decides to commit suicide only to wake up in a different world and a different body. In this new world, vampires and humans coexist in a single society. Vampires protect the land and humans provide labour and blood. With Sarah's rotten luck, her second chance at living is as the hidden and disliked third daughter of the Hale family whose name is Lena. When Lena has to go in place of one of her sisters to the annual ball arranged by Alistair Valerius, the Vampire Lord of the Nocturne Territory, their paths cross. The Vampire Lord wants her blood and he is determined to have it. Lena has to move in with him and unexpectedly, sparks fly. A bond forms between them. Lena must learn to survive in this new and dangerous world as evil plots are made and rebellion rises against the Vampire Lord's reign.

When the earthquake struck on what should have been our fourth wedding anniversary, my supposedly devoted and family-oriented husband, Lionel Brooks, abandoned me and our children, who were trapped under the rubble. Despite our children's pleas for help, Lionel left without a second thought, carrying his former flame, Fiona Smith, and her daughter to safety. While Fiona and her daughter escaped with minor injuries, my precious children had their chests pierced by steel beams, leaving this world forever. It was such a twisted fate. What was meant to be a day of celebration turned into an annual day of mourning for my beautiful children. A week later, during my children's funeral, Lionel had the audacity to call and ask which hospital the kids were in. It was laughable—after ensuring Fiona and her child were comfortable and safe, he finally found time to check on his flesh and blood. I could only say, "You finally remembered your children after a whole week? Lionel, I hope you rot in hell."

The night before the annual gala, my wife promised me a big surprise. But the very next day, she publicly quintupled the marketing manager's bonus. To me, she just gave a curt nod and a half-hearted "keep up the good work". When I questioned her decision, she brushed it off casually. "You've racked up some impressive wins in court. I'll give you that, but let's be real. Without Kevin hyping you up, you'd never have hit top-tier status. Plus, what's mine is yours. Why nitpick over a bonus?" The room buzzed with anticipation of my explosion. But I held my tongue till the gala ended. The next morning, I marched into her office and slapped my resignation letter down on her desk. "Might as well tack my salary onto Kevin's. Consider it my wedding present to you." She erupted, branding me as narrow-minded and dooming me to the unemployment line. She conveniently overlooked my track record as a powerhouse attorney. For that alone, elite firms were lining up to recruit me.

Before I realized it, I’d become the invisible wife standing beside my mafia Don husband, Adrian Kane. A stay-at-home mom buried in chores while my husband paraded around with his secretary, Viola, ten years younger than me. “She’s smart,” Adrian said once. “She knows how to help me.” Tonight marked our tenth anniversary. I saw an elegant designer dress and a necklace presenting in the living room. For a second, I was happy. Looks like Adrian finally decided to take me to this year’s annual mafia gathering and introduce me as his Donna. Turns out the dress and the jewelry was for Viola. Later that night, I caught Adrian sneaking in with Viola—both drunk, hands all over each other like I didn’t exist. I just made one phone call. “I will join the Doctors Without Borders program. Send me away.” Before I married Adrian, I had a future in medicine. But I gave it all up for him. Now? It was time to choose myself and leave behind everything that was never really mine.

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!"