Brownie Points Meaning

Seven years into my marriage to Sebastian, we had our first child. On Logan's first birthday party, one of the old friends Sebastian had known since prep school rattled a little velvet cup of dice in Logan's face and laughed. "Come on, Mrs. Forsythe, humor us. Let the birthday boy roll. A game. For old times' sake." Logan giggled and slapped at the cup. "If he rolls a six," the groomsman went on, grinning sideways at Sebastian, "Sebastian goes and picks Serena up from the airport tonight. Deal?" The moment I heard her name, my blood went cold. I turned to Sebastian. He'd been keeping in touch with her behind my back. All this time. He caught my eyes. He covered my shaking fingers with his and frowned slightly. "Don't be jealous over nothing. We're all friends. It's just a ride from the airport." And then, without quite meaning to, he nodded. Permission given. Logan laughed and opened his little fist. The dice clattered across the linen. A six. "That's fate!" someone whooped. "Serena's flight lands in two hours. You'll make it!" The room erupted. Glasses up. Backs slapped. Sebastian surrounded. His face softened and he turned and went for the door. Watching his back disappear through that door, I didn't do what I used to do. This seven-year bet of mine — I had lost it, completely.

On the day of Winter Hunt, Grayson Ashcroft, the future Alpha of the pack, successfully hunts down a white deer, which is very rare to be seen in the woods. He's about to give the prize to me when Raven Black, a she-wolf who has just joined the Northwind pack, speaks up. She points at the deer while saying, "Grayson, you promised that you'd give me a present. Is it okay if I ask for that present to be this deer?" I am Grayson's mate. Before the hunt, Grayson has vowed to the Moon Goddess that he'll give me the first prey he has hunted. All the wolves await the humiliating moment when Raven's request will get turned down. Surprisingly, Grayson gives her the white deer instead. "Since you like the deer that much, you can have it. Winters in the north can be very harsh and cold. I'll have someone make the deer's pelt into a cloak that you can wear." All the wolves in the pack turn to look at me at that moment. Feeling rather conflicted, Grayson says to me, "Ella, I'll give you something else that's better next time. Just let Raven have the white deer today, okay?" It has been less than half a year since Raven joined the Northwind pack. But during those months, Grayson has repeatedly asked me to give away a few things so far. This includes a silver ring that has his baby fang embedded in it, the spot next to him during the Full Moon Assembly, and the bear paw that he has severed during his first solo hunt. As I gaze at Grayson, who expects me to obey him as always, I can only smile in a self-derogatory manner. Since he wants me to let Raven have her way all the time, I might as well give this mate of mine to her at this point. Yes, I don't want him anymore.

[MATURE CONTENT: DARK REVERSE HAREM ROMANCE] A rough hand covers my mouth, muffling my cry of surprise when I'm pushed against the fence. A muscular thigh pushes between my legs, and I stare at a red eyed Haeden. "Haeden?" It comes out on a heavy exhale. His pupils dilate, and I squirm against him as he presses even closer. "Fuck," He tangles his fingers into my hair and I cry out in pain. He tilts my head back not once loosening his hold on me. He leans in and forces his tongue down my throat.  He produces a deep groan that vibrates through me. I whimper when he bites my bottom lip. He tilts my head and licks a trail up the length of my neck. "Haeden," I whisper, my voice thick. He finds my pulse and sucks, teeth grazing along my tendons.  "Do you know how much I hate you?" he hisses into my ear, "Yet here I am, going crazy after seeing you dance with Ivy like that." His voice is husky. I gasp when he bites me, the points of his teeth digging into my skin. "We were just dancing," I whisper. He scoffs and presses his knee tighter against me. "You're fucking adorable, but you must be a niave little bitch if you think that didn't affect me, Stone, or Kingston," he growls into my ear. *** Ariella went from prized virgin to psycho pariah in less than a day. Her father, the Pastor of a church, mass murders a group of it’s members. She's the one to catch him red handed, literally.  She becomes an outcast, with a target pinned to her. Making unlikely friends with delinquents, Ariella gives a sacrifice. Psychopathy is hereditary. Stone, Haeden, and Kingston just want to see if it's true.

My mom is a retired supermodel. She's added a monitor to the weight scales at home so that she can monitor my and my sister, Abigail Teller's perfect body weight. If my data goes up by 0.1%, Mom will ban me from eating for the next three days. But the thing is, Abigail keeps eating fried chicken every day, yet her monitor's light is always green. Mom claims that Abigail's still going through puberty. I defend myself, saying that I've gained weight because of the bloating caused by my period. As Mom points at the red light emitted by my monitor, she exclaims, "The data is never wrong! If you've gained weight, that means you've been snacking far too much!" After getting punished many times, I begin believing that being fat is a sin. On the night of my 20th birthday, the long-term diet I've been placed on has triggered my kidney failure, which causes me to bloat up everywhere. I kneel on the floor and plead to Mom that I'm seriously ill. But that's when the monitor lets out a shrill alarm. When Mom sees the 5% increase in my body fat data, she puts me through a devillish punishment. I can feel the electric currents jolting through my body. "It's bad enough that you've secretly snacked on cake, but to even lie in my face about your illness? I'd like to see how long you can stay stubborn for!" Having said her piece, Mom locks the door and takes Abigail out to celebrate her birthday. I guess Mom is correct. Monitors never lie. I'm the one who's at the wrong for being a glutton. That's why I've transformed into a monster who doesn't deserve any love at all. I'm sorry, Mom. I'll only drink water in my next life.

Outside the police tape surrounding a fancy hotel, a police officer can be seen blocking my way. "There seems to be a bomb hidden in the hotel! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to get any closer!" I'm just about to dig out my work badge when the intern next to me, Christine Wyatt, covers her mouth in a pretentiously shocked manner. "Officer, there's a detonator and a timer in his bag! Those things look so scary!" The entire scene goes eerily silent. Almost immediately, I see a few guns getting aimed at my forehead. Anxiety begins overwhelming me. "I'm a bomb disposal expert from the Headquarters Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit! My bag contains all the tools necessary to dispose of a bomb!" "Throw your bag over to me and keep your hands where I can see them!" Captain Scott Hunter roars at me. My bag is opened afterward. Things like an insulated cutter, a bomb suppression blanket, and a liquid nitrogen cooling tank are scattered across the ground. Before I can explain myself, Christine suddenly points at me while screaming, "Why are you still playing dumb? You just told me that you wanted to set off an explosion in that hotel! "What, now that the police are here, you dare not admit what you just said, huh? You're a terrorist through and through!" Scott reacts quickly by pinning me on the hood of the police cruiser with my hands folded behind my back. "We're taking you back for a thorough interrogation!" My heart almost stops at those words. The bomb that's packed with enough firepower to take out half a street has already gone on a countdown in the hotel lobby. But I, the only bomb disposal expert who can get rid of the bomb, have handcuffs put on me because of Christine's nonsensical accusations. Right now, there are only 29 minutes left before the bomb goes off.

Get ready for a heartwarming and thrilling tale of destiny and true love! Kiara Middleton, at just nine years old, is already a star among her peers. Blessed with beauty and intelligence, she seems to have it all. But beneath her confident facade, she faces bullying from her peers, a challenge she tries to overcome with grace. When Kiara accompanies her parents and triplet elder brothers to the crowning of the new twin alpha kings in the werewolf multiverse, her life takes an unexpected turn. Kayden and Jayden Wittmoore, the future alpha kings, have been searching for their Luna Queen since they turned eighteen, but with no success. They had almost given up hope until they lay their eyes on Kiara at their coronation. The only problem? She's just a nine-year-old pup, unable to feel the mate bond. As Kayden and Jayden face the ultimate test of patience, they are determined to wait for Kiara to come of age. But fate has other plans in store for them, and they find themselves embarking on a journey filled with challenges, obstacles, and sacrifices. Can they navigate the complexities of their unconventional situation and fulfill their destiny as leaders of the wolf population in the human and werewolf multiverse? Join Kiara, Kayden, and Jayden on an epic adventure as they navigate the world of werewolf politics, face their inner demons, and discover the true meaning of love in "Twin Alpha Kings Pup Mate." This paranormal romance will captivate your heart, leaving you eagerly flipping through the pages to uncover what lies ahead. Don't miss out on this enchanting tale of soulmates, fate, and true love that will leave you breathless!

There's a prophecy – a prophecy holding the fate of two worlds. On the edge of Lilah's field, at the twelfth hour of the fall of twelve, the three kings will unite, a daisy will be lost, or the worlds will be gone. The Oracle tells me that I am bound to the prophecy. That I cannot alter or change it. That I’m destined to be greater than what I am, but I already knew that. I’ve known that since the age of five. Now, can you guess who needs to die? Death doesn’t bother me. I will let the world burn if it means achieving my goals – because with every lick of the whip; he tore my flesh raw, as his laughter rang through the mansion, and my screams disturbed the heavens. No one cared to help, no one listened – definitely not the Gods. So why should I? ._. Eldora. A world woven together by magic. Cloaked in darkness and chaos, sin and deceit. Where no one is innocent; where both hands - and teeth - drip with the blood of others. And there is her. A lone wolf, watching the world tear itself apart. Watching the chaos, the death, the destruction as she fights a far greater war, within her. What's right and wrong? What's considered good and evil? Where does she stand in this enteral mystery, we call a universe? Coated in darkness and pain, she questions the meaning of life and death, and her purpose in this world of infinite possibilities. She finds only one answer: REVENGE. *WARNING this story contains abuse, suicidal thoughts, intense trauma, and erotic scenes. Please do not read if this is heavily triggering for you!*

My whole body began to quiver as I looked up at Ryan who wore a smug or was it? I couldn't tell as my vision was blurred with tears. "What is the meaning of this?" I questioned still in disbelief. Where had it all gone wrong??!. "It's exactly what it says in the paper, Ciara" "And what is that?" I stubbornly inquired. It was as if I didn't want to believe what the paper read until Ryan says it. A part of me still wanted to fight for whatever we still had left. But then he'd said it. Ryan had uttered those words I so desperately dreaded," I want a divorce, Ciara" *** Ciara is the heiress to her father's company but she left all of that to be in a contract marriage with Ryan. It was supposed to be a 'no-strings-attached' kind of feeling but, she couldn't help but fall in love with him. Just when she wanted to start a clean slate on their first anniversary, she was handed a divorce paper. Ryan is a billionaire and a man with a hardened heart. He never saw Ciara as something more than just a 'fake wife' who was willing to help him out with a case. Deciding that he had had enough, Ryan hands Ciara a divorce paper setting himself free from her. But on his way to the office of the new investor of his company one day, he is overcomed by a welling shock that the name of his new investor was Ciara. The same Ciara he'd once known. What happens when this two duo meets for the first time since their rough divorce? Find out!

Catherine Montanari is the brilliant heiress to Montanari, a powerful company owned by her grandfather. With stunning beauty, sharp intelligence, and exceptional business skills, Catherine is determined to become the best manager possible. However, her life is turned upside down when she is forced to marry a complete stranger, unleashing a burning rage in her heart. Determined to prove her true worth to everyone, Catherine plunges headlong into a battle of obstinacy and determination. Thomas Conner, heir to a large company, also faces the pressure to marry in order to continue as CEO. At first he is firmly opposed to the idea, but everything changes when he crosses Catherine's path and is captivated by her strong and passionate personality. With each encounter, Catherine enchants him with her bright personality and stunning beauty, leading Thomas to become a possessive and protective fiancé. Driven by a burning desire, he will do anything to ensure that the wedding will take place and that Catherine will become his wife. Amidst a whirlwind of emotions, secrets, and ambitions, Catherine and Thomas embark on a tumultuous journey toward marriage. As they struggle against the expectations placed upon them and the challenges that life throws their way, the couple finds themselves involved in a dangerous game of passion and power. Will they be able to overcome their own fears and insecurities and discover the true meaning of love and trust? "Ties of Fire" is an irresistible story of two passionate souls who defy fate and fight for true love. Amidst a ruthless corporate world, hidden secrets, and an overwhelming attraction, Catherine and Thomas will discover that love may be the most powerful force capable of transforming their lives forever. Prepare to be immersed in an electrifying romance filled with intrigue, sensuality, and surprising twists and turns.

Time. It’s the only thing every person has – regardless of gender, age, race, and social status. We all have the time. But, time, for others, can be longer than they expect it to be, shorter than it is, and for some like Zoe, time is her ultimatum. Living a mundane life in the peaceful city of Glendale, Zoe only has two priorities in life – her mom, and her dream. Arts has brought colors and meaning to her life, and the ambition of being a successful artist someday, just like her dad she never met. Despite the lack of confidence in her works, Zoe has big dreams. But her dreams slowly fall in the spiral of her reality when she was diagnosed with a chronic disease. Now, her time is ticking. She has so many things she wants to do and now with her time being limited, she goes out from her comfort zone and starts to explore, wanting to live her life to the fullest before her time is up. Her once dull and boring life turns completely upside down when she met Lucas, a mafia leader. Despite knowing the pending danger that comes with him, she was rather thrilled because why not? She might die tomorrow, or the next day, or even the next few hours. What harm could it be if she falls for a mafia leader when she’s more scared of her condition? And the excitement she rather felt eventually birthed something really unexpected – something that gave her life a new purpose she never imagined she would have.