Bungo Stray Dogs Birthdays

His right hand left his pocket and made its way to my face. He tucked a stray strand of hair behind my ear. He moved even closer, his face a few inches away from mine. His finger left my hair and gently drew invisible lines down my cheek. I felt a wave of electricity course through my being, my eyelids flickered shut and my lips parted slightly in anticipation. “Ingrid?” the softness in his voice made my knees tremble and when I felt his arm wrap securely around my slim waist, I leaned into him mindlessly. “Be mine.” ----------------------------------- To Ingrid nothing is more important than her job, not until Kareem stepped into that elevator and made his way into her life. She is in for the ride of a lifetime as Kareem brings with him, scandals and his vicious ex, who would go to any length to get him back, even if it means ruining Ingrid. Will Ingrid decide to take the risk and give love a chance? Or will she turn her back on what might be a ride to happily ever after?

"You like what I do to you, darling? As much as you don't want it, your eyes show desire." Noah wakes up to a naked man in his bed. Last night, this naked man was a stray he picked up off the rain-soaked streets of Chicago's South Side. Noah doesn't know what he's brought into his life, but as the stranger begins to unravel showing his dark, mysterious side, he finds himself in a love that's forbidden. Dominic Voss, a cold mafia boss who loses his memories after a brutal hit from rival gangs, finds himself in the gritty world of strip clubs and survival. Hunted down by his enemies, Dominic creates an illusion of happiness with Noah, even when he has sixty days left before his amnesia leads to permanent memory loss and his past catches up. Their love is forbidden. A mafia boss. A stripper. It's war. Dominic isn't willing to let go, but if his rivals get to him first, he won't even remember Noah loved him at all.

Just because my wolf mom scratched Ava Shaw's favorite dress, Noah Potter called a butcher. He punished her seriously. I found her dying body and screamed at him. "I told you before—I was raised by wolves. What you did to her is no different from killing my mother!" Noah stayed cold. He covered Ava's eyes and stared at me. "You are just a stray kid my stepmom picked up. Stop trying to fool me." My wolf mom was still bleeding as she dragged herself toward me. I crawled to her and held her tight. "I stayed here to repay Noah's family for helping the wolf pack. You chased me for miles because you could not let me go. I never thought I would end up hurting you instead." That night, I held my wolf mom and knelt in front of Aunt Wendy's memorial. "Aunt Wendy, the Potters' Zoo are everywhere now. They do not need my gift anymore. I should leave."

Elias Rourke was more than a billionaire he was a tempest in a custom-fitted suit. As the CEO of Rourke Enterprises a bachelor, he was known for his icy effectiveness, merciless transactions, and total absence of emotion. Everyone referred to him as “Ice King” when he wasn't around. Up until her. Chloe Hart had worked as his secretary for slightly more than two weeks. Timid, kind-hearted, and excessively courteous, she was the type of woman who kept track of birthdays, tended to plants, and uttered "please" to the coffee maker. Elias hardly paid attention to her,until the morning she entered his office unannounced. “I apologize for the interruption,” she said, her voice shaking, “but you haven’t had anything to eat today.” "It's nearly four." He looked at her, irritated. “That’s none of your business.” “I prepared a sandwich for you.” She places it on his desk and walks away before he has a chance to reply to her. Even with how rude he is to her, she brings him homemade meals everyday and lavender tea after tough meetings. He started to notice little details about her, the way she played with her necklace when anxious, she shows no emotions even when he yells at her. One day, he sees himself approaching her desk not to order her around, but to ask her about her well being. When a scandal almost destroys Elias’s empire. She stays by his side, not out of obligation, but because she trusted him. He looked at her and whispered, “You are the gentleness in my whole existence." "I don't know how to show emotions, but I will learn just for you." Chloe smiled, looking at him and said "Steel is capable of melting, Elias." "Even kings can experience love."

Noel Ashford is the only child of Scott Ashford, famed law attorney of the small town of Bisbee, Arizona. Life for the two is rather simple. Until the day her father brings home a stray criminal in the form of a 6-foot devil, by the name of Harken Lewis - who makes it his everyday mission to uproot Noel's simple life and welcome her to the dangers of his. At the loss of her mother at the age of 10, Noel has depended on herself in the absence of her father, counting down the days until she can leave her small town and finally start living her life outside of her shut-in home. Harken Lewis has lived his 18 years in and out of juvie and foster homes, never knowing the meaning of a home, never allowing himself to be tied down. Shacking up with his lawyer and her daughter is meant to be a means to an end, a pit stop on his journey to greener pastures. He doesn't expect to find the one thing to shake his resolve and shatter everything he thought he knew about himself. Stick a shut-in hermit and an adrenaline junkie delinquent under the same roof, what do you get? Disaster.

A comedy of errors, that offers second chances for first love in this BDSM Mafia, Reverse Harem Romance. In that moment of embarrassment, fear and dread, I do the unthinkable…….. I jump into the black clad stranger's arms, and kiss him with all the drama of a soap opera. Yes, I meant it to be for show to avoid my stalker, but .....Let’s just say it’s not all fake when I practically swoon like the well-to-do British lady I’m impersonating. “Renfield tricked me,” I pant, pointing my shaking finger at the obnoxious blonde man, literally crying, this is all so hysterical to him. “Dracula's spell is too powerful. I can't fight it, go! Go find Van Helsing!" How did this happen? Nicky! That’s right, this is all my orphan brother, Roman Nikolai Cross’ fault! Ever since that tweedle twap jerk named me after the bad luck stray cat outside our orphanage, there is no end to the comedy of errors that is my life. I was hoping to avoid the so tragic it’s funny or so funny it’s tragic stigma with my second chance on life, but no such luck with his latest shenanigans.

Like cats and dogs—that’s how Nick and Jessica’s relationship was. Jessica became Nick’s temporary secretary because his male secretary had to take a leave. Nick was allergic to female secretaries, believing that none of them were trustworthy and that they all had hidden agendas. That’s why he never hired a female secretary. But this time, he had no choice—he couldn’t handle everything on his own without a secretary. And Jessica was the only one available, personally trusted by his best friend, Andrei. Even though he was "allergic," he had to endure it—after all, it was only for three days. But how could he possibly endure it when, in less than a day, she was already making a mess of things? She was only proving his belief that female secretaries were unreliable. And how could Jessica prove that she was a professional and skilled secretary if her temporary boss—grumpy and seemingly carrying the weight of the world—had already judged her without giving her a chance? How long could they put up with each other? And could love possibly bloom when, from the very beginning, they already had the worst impression of one another?

After taking her stepsister’s place, Yvonne Miller is married into a wealthy family. To take back her family business, she plots each step she takes carefully. Everyone knows Stephen Anderson is a cruel and ruthless person. Yet, his ugly and uncultured wife has him wrapped around her little finger. Stephen doesn’t mind that his wife’s an ugly duckling. On the contrary, he dotes on her excessively. When he hears gossip about his wife being ugly, with cosmetic surgeons offering her discounts, he whirls into a rage. “These blind dogs! My wife’s the most beautiful woman alive!” he insists.With that, a rumor spreads in Northerna City that Yvonne is Stephen’s retribution for his past misdeeds… Until one day, Yvonne returns from abroad drop-dead gorgeous, sending shockwaves all across the city. However, she doesn’t show up in Stephen’s life again. “What do you take me for, coming and going as you please?” he demands. Stepping aside to present the young kid behind her, Yvonne says in chagrin, “My child’s father?”

The end of the world was upon us, but there weren't enough spots for evacuation. The roars of the zombies echoed in my ears as my fiancé, Oliver, gritted his teeth and pulled me onto the rescue vehicle—securing the last available seat. I arrived safely at the survivor base. Lina, his first love, did not. The zombies tore her apart. Oliver still went through with our marriage, but I never expected that he had only done so to make me suffer. In his eyes, I was the one who had killed Lina. If she had to endure such agony, then I should, too. For five years, he hated me. My life was worse than that of a stray dog scavenging for food on the street. On the day my divorce was finalized, he kidnapped me, dragged me into the wilderness, and wrapped his fingers around my throat. Then, he threw us both into the swarm of the undead. When I opened my eyes again, I was somehow reborn on the day the apocalypse began. The rescue team was shouting impatiently, "One more! We have room for one more—hurry!" I turned to Oliver, watching his hesitation. Then, with a quiet smile, I took a step back and let someone else have the last seat.

I used to be the secret mate of Jason Boone, Alpha King of the Northern Realm. I was an Omega kept in the dark for seven long years. In this forbidden relationship, I gave birth to his son. Yet, he never once allowed our child to address him as his father. He promised that once his position was secure, he would publicly announce me as his Luna. But what I got instead was news of his grand engagement ceremony with Princess Bailey Shaw of a neighboring kingdom. "You're just a filthy stray Omega, surviving only because Jason pities you. Spare us the noble act. The elders would've cast you out of the Northern Realm long ago if it weren't for Jason. You'd be dead in some wilderness." Bailey rose gracefully and linked arms with Jason. She looked down on me as she spit out her contempt. When Jason missed our son's birthday again because of Bailey, I made my decision. I left, taking my son with me, and returned to my homeland. Unexpectedly, Jason, who had always been arrogant, lost control. He stormed into the healer academy I founded, desperately asking where I'd gone. But this time, neither I nor my son would look back.