Broad Daylight

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

"You shouldn’t be here." Lila’s voice trembled, betraying the iron resolve she clung to. Cassian smirked, his broad frame blocking the doorway. "And yet, here I am." His gaze lingered on her, dark and hungry. "You didn’t think I’d let you go so easily, did you?" Two years ago, he shattered her heart with a rejection that still stung like a fresh wound. Now, the powerful Alpha stood in her doorway, his scent wrapping around her like a forbidden promise. "You made your choice, Cassian," she said, stepping back, even as her pulse quickened. "I’ve moved on." "Have you?" His voice was low, dangerous, as he closed the distance between them. "Because I haven’t. Every moment without you has been hell." Lila’s breath hitched as his hand brushed her cheek, the touch sparking a fire she thought had long since burned out. "You don’t get to do this," she whispered, though her body betrayed her, leaning into him. "I’ll do whatever it takes to make you mine again," he growled, his lips just a breath away from hers. "Even if I have to fight the entire world you to prove it." But Cassian isn’t the only one after her heart. And this time, Lila refuses to be anyone’s second choice.

Milo never expected survival to look like this. At twenty-one, he’s spent most of his life drifting, bruised by the world and too soft to fight back. His beauty makes people underestimate him; his fragility makes them think they can shape him. Isaak is a walking contradiction: cold-eyed, dark-inked, and terrifyingly controlled. At thirty-one, he has carved his body and his life into hard, elegant precision. Power clings to him as naturally as oxygen, and people follow him even when they don’t understand why. To him, Milo isn’t fragile. He’s fascinating. He’s something worth remaking. Kasym, older by barely a year, is the opposite—a broad, golden-haired monolith of warmth and violence. He smiles easily, loves fiercely, and destroys without remorse. Under his tattoos and bruised knuckles lies a heart that has bled too often, yet still hungers for someone to protect. He sees Milo’s softness and doesn’t want to change it. He wants to guard it with his teeth. But three hearts are not easily aligned. Isaak’s possessiveness clashes with Kasym’s tenderness, and both men fear that the softness they worship will shatter under the weight of their devotion. Milo must learn to navigate two hungers, two ways of loving that demand more than he has ever given. The question isn’t whether he belongs to them—it’s whether they can learn to belong to each other without destroying the boy who binds them. This is a love story built not on simplicity but on collision—where surrender becomes power, devotion becomes war, and three lives entwine in a bond too fierce to break.

Two men came forward pointing thier guns on Daddy and Bhai. Seeing that, Mom screamed loudly in horror. I wanted to scream too but I had lost my voice with fear especially, when that man's dark orbs were dagered on me. "Wh...what do you all want?! Money? Gold? Anything else....take it...just take it! B....but please... please let them go..." Mom cried out as I just stood thier motionless. I didn't even had the strength to comfort her. Fear was coercing in my veins like blood. "Anything?" The man finally spoke. "Yes!" He looked at me with an amused expression. "Then..." He pointed his gun at me as I was hiding behind my mother shaking like a leaf. "... I'll take this one." My eyes widened. We all looked at him horrified and Mom shielded me behind her. "What's wrong? Didn't you just say I can take anything? Then I'll take your daughter." He winked at me. _______________ Rahina, a simple bubbly girl had it all perfect. A perfect loving family, friends and now a handsome, charming, understanding and gentle fiancé. A perfect man every girl dreams off. All she could think about was being his bride soon and spend the rest of her life with him. But what happens when a mysterious handsome man infiltrates her home suddenly and points his gun at her innocent family kidnapping her in bright daylight? Who is this man? What does he wants? Why is he doing this? Will she be able to fight back to protect her dignity and feelings for her fiancé or...fall deeper into his world, his life and end up falling into something much more dangerous of his..... Love! Dive in to find out....

Eden Taylor thought she knew what heartbreak felt like ... until the day found out her fiancee was having an affair with her sister. Betrayed and broken, she fled the wreckage of her life, searching for peace in the mountains. There, she meets Everett, a man both magnetic and terrifying .. a being who claims to belong to the dark itself. Bound by forces neither of them understand, Eden feels her world shifting the moment they touch. The connection between them awakens something deep within her .. a light he’s been searching for since the dawn of time. Everett is no myth or monster. He is the God of Shadows, cursed to dwell in darkness, unable to move in daylight unless the Goddess of Light accepts him. That goddess, reborn in mortal form, is Eden .. though she doesn’t yet know it. As Everett slowly earns her trust, showing her the truth behind her fractured world, the bond between them deepens into something dangerous .. something divine. But ancient forces stir against them. Wraiths from the void break through the veil, drawn to her light and his defiance. When Eden nearly dies, Everett shatters every rule of their universe to bring her back... binding their souls in ways that neither heaven nor hell can undo. The mortal world believes she vanished for weeks, but she returns changed, her blood humming with the memory of him. Ben, her ex-fiancé, sees only madness... until Everett’s voice tears through the night with a warning that freezes his blood: “Get your fing hands off my light.”* Now, Eden stands between two worlds, the human life that betrayed her and the god who would burn the heavens to protect her. And in the war between light and shadow, love might just be the weapon that changes everything.

**FIRST BOOK**Meet tall and handsome, slightly tanned Alpha Dominic Thunders, Alpha of the notorious and merciless Red Moon pack, his features could make the Greek gods jealous even though it is believed that he was hand crafted by them. His broad muscular body with his perfect bulging muscles and well chiseled and could make you drool; one look from him with those damn beautiful brown eyes could make girls wet and the men in worlds known mafia's bow down to respect him, they spoke the words of authority and had a mischievous look. A true born Alpha who leads by example. Admired and adored by his pack; he has protected them by putting his life on the line, a story for much later; a storm brewing and it is coming for the Red Moon Pack. His right hook is known to put the toughest of men out in one swing. His beast needs to be tamed and the storm in his soul needs to be calmed. Now! Meet Athena Breeze, her stunning body and those sexy curves; she is half heaven and half hell and believe me you do not want to be on the half that is hell. Long black waist length hair and dark brown eyes, her smile could either make your heart melt and her fair skin so soft and smooth, not a single blemish. The women warriors of the first world would be in admiration of her fighting skills. Stubborn and strong minded like any other female Alpha who is being groomed to take the reins of Ocean Moon. She has a heart full of love; don't forget the sass. She needs to be grounded. Could it be coincidence that these two fated mates meet a couple of days later?

Warning: Smut! Smut!! Smut!!! Rated 18. Captured by an Alpha Daddy for Christmas contains possessive alpha behavior, forced proximity, age-gap romance, plus-size heroine, daddy-dom dynamics, jealousy, obsessive protectiveness, power imbalance, and holiday-season intimacy. Not suitable for readers under 18. ~~~ Dumped a week before Christmas, Annabelle “Belle” Evans forfeits her plan to spend Christmas with her narcissistic boyfriend in New York, and agrees to travel back home to Big Bear Lake with her perfect model sister and her nerdy brother-in-law. But a funny Christmas wish has other plans for her. When their car breaks down in the middle of nowhere, Belle wanders off for help and finds herself cornered by a wolf in the snowy woods. Just when she thinks she’s about to be torn to pieces, a massive stranger appears—tall, broad, and sinfully hot, his eyes glowing amber in the moonlight. He saves her life… and then claims her as his. He takes her to his secluded cabin deep in the woods, refusing to let her leave until she’s “healed.” But the way his hands linger on her skin, the way he looks at her curves like she’s a meal he needs to taste, Belle starts to realize the wound he really wants to tend to is the one between her thighs. He’s dangerous. He’s dominant. He’s sexy. He’s everything she wished for when she jokingly wrote to Santa for a “hot werewolf boyfriend.” Now she’s trapped in his arms, a prisoner to his touch, his heat, his growl, and the wild, wicked love burning between them might just make this her best Christmas ever.

Blurb. He was supposed to marry the eldest daughter of the Moretti but he fell for the younger daughter. Maximiliano Bianchi(ML).The heir to the most feared and dangerous mafia empire in New York agrees to an arranged marriage. His betrothed is everything the underworld wants.Sophisticated, beautiful. But on the day of their engagement,Max meets Aaliyah Moretti.Soft-spoken,hazel eyes and innocent but beneath all that,is a ruthless and defiant girl. Amidst everything,Max can't seem to stay away from her. As their forbidden connection goes on. Iris has some skeletons and when the truth is out,might love be enough to save them. Hearts will be broken, loyalty will be tested,ties cut off but only one sister will be able to wear the crown. Characterization. Aaliyah (FM)is a smart,strong-willed young lady who doesn't scare easily.She has hazel eyes,curvy and blonde shoulder length hair. She has her own scars and struggles.She challenges the mafia king any chance she gets. Aaliyah grew up not getting involved in their Mafia affairs. Aaliyah struggles between taking revenge and accepting her feelings for the man she hates. Maximiliano Branchi (Max)is a cold hearted, ruthless and dangerous mafia heir who is feared not only in the underworld but across New York.Physically,he is tall with broad shoulders and bone chicks as sharp as a blade.He has piecing blue eyes that is cold and calculating. He was betrothed to Iris but got eyes for her younger sister Aaliyah. Iris Moretti is a beautiful, sophisticated and well mannered young lady with long dark hair and the shape of a model. She was betrothed to the heir of the Bianchi mafia.She loved Max but loves power and money. She pretends when everyone is watching.

He thrust in with a force that snatched my breath for a minute. “Arghh!!!” I groaned out feeling my eyes burning with unshed tears. But I had to cool it off. I'm nothing but a collateral exchange for my dad. In exchange of favours, he hands me off to the new Alpha of our park. This has been my life for years. Not being able to change to a wolf since I came of age has hit my family hard, as the only child I feel I've let my family down which is why I deserve this type of treatment. “Yeah Aria!” He groaned, releasing inside of me. Feeling relieved that it's over, as Bale stood up, I quickly stood up and rushed to go out, Bale was once someone I thought was a friend before he inherited the Alpha title from his dad who died after they tried to attack another pack, my dad who's nothing but a coward fled and left the Alpha to his death. Walking through the forest to my house, the thought to run away crossed my mind for the 100th time. On getting home, everywhere was eerily quiet, I walked to my room and stopped in shock, seeing the broad back of a shirtless man, he turned towards me holding the dress I changed from yesterday, before I could blink he was already in my front, the pull I felt towards him was so strong and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his deep blue eyes. “Why do you smell like mine and at the same time smell like you've been with another man?” He barked out, anger covering his features. I whimpered and cowered in fear. “You're coming with me!” Was the last thing I heard before I lost consciousness.

The evening air was biting cold, sending shivers down Cole's spine. She was sure she'd turn into an icicle when, without warning, Vincent gently scooped her up. A soft gasp escaped her lips as he settled them both across the length of the bed, pulling her close as he draped an extra blanket over their entwined forms. A warm blush bloomed across Cole's cheeks as she became acutely aware of their intimate position. But Vincent, with his steady composure, seemed entirely unbothered, simply relaxing into the bed’s softness. "Get some sleep," he murmured, his voice a soothing rumble that resonated in her chest. Sensing her gaze, he added, "The power will be back on once the damage is repaired. So… just stay close to me until then." Cole took a deep breath, willing her racing heart to calm. Slowly, she let herself melt into his embrace, resting her head on his broad chest. The faint scent of spring blossoms and cypress swirled around her, a fragrance that felt both comforting and familiar. She nestled closer, the warmth of his body chasing away the chill as sleep began to tug at her eyelids. With each steady beat of his heart, Cole felt a sense of peace she hadn't known she needed. She smiled softly, the rhythm of his heartbeat the most beautiful melody, lulling her into the comfort of dreams. As survivors of a collapsed society, a group of doctors are the world's last hope for a cure. In order to protect each other and the future, they've worked in secret. Preserving resources which become scarcer year after year. Among these survivors, a pair of doctors endure challenges as a deadly contagion spreads. Against better judgment, an unexpected bond develops between them and their patient.