Cherry Blossoms Before Winter

Embark on an enchanting journey through the realms of Aqualearia in "Merturned." In this captivating tale, two extraordinary mermaid sisters, Madissa and Nerissa, find their lives interwoven with Bryan and Joe, two marine biologists from the human world. Their worlds collide as they discover the existence of mythical creatures and embark on an adventure that defies belief. Madissa, bound by tradition and responsibility, yearns for freedom beyond the constraints of her underwater kingdom. Nerissa, driven by curiosity and compassion, embraces the mysteries of the ocean with an open heart. Bryan and Joe, dedicated scientists, stumble upon the mermaids and are propelled into a world they never thought possible. Leaving behind the familiar shores of the human realm, Bryan and Joe venture into the depths of Aqualearia, where science and myth converge. In Tritania's hidden kingdom, their paths entwine with Madissa and Nerissa, forming an unlikely bond that challenges the boundaries between land and sea. As love blossoms and secrets unravel, the story explores themes of bravery, sacrifice, and the indomitable power of the human heart. Through treacherous tides and forbidden encounters, the characters are tested in ways they never imagined. Their journey unearths the true essence of wonder, discovery, and the unbreakable bonds that transcend myth and reality. "Merturned" is a mesmerizing fusion of mythical allure and scientific exploration. With its richly imagined world, compelling characters, and themes of unity and discovery, this tale invites readers to dive deep into the depths of Aqualearia and embark on a transcendent adventure that will leave them spellbound.

"I, Alpha Dean Smith, reject you, Tamara Brown, you pathetic little orphan, as my mate and Luna," Alpha Dean Smith says. He has plans for his pack, and he first wants to eliminate all the pathetic wolves in his pack. Dean can not believe that the Moon Goddess played such a trick on him by giving him the most pathetic she-wolf in his pack as his mate. Tamara and her wolf Winter feel the pain of his rejection where they stand in front of the Alpha. She refuses to beg or cry. For too long did she allow everyone to walk all over her. "I, Tamara Brown, accept your rejection, Alpha Dean Smith. I may be a pathetic orphan in your eyes, but my parents gave their lives for your pack," Tamara says. Dean is furious! How dare she not beg him to make her stay? "Get out! Take the pathetic bunch of wolves with you! I never want to see you again! The Red River pack does not need useless wolves like you!" Dean shouts. Dean has plans for the Red River pack. He plans to make it the biggest and best pack in America, and he has no place for wolves who can not fight! Tamara starts walking away, and the other "pathetic wolves" follow her. "Why are you following me? You also do not like me! Go your own way," Tamara says as she walks towards the border of the Red Wood Pack.

[Young Adult Story - Sequel Daddy Of 5] Ini kisah tentang kedua pendosa yang merasakan sesuatu rasa yang begitu rumit. Memang tidak ada salahnya memiliki sebuah rasa pada seseorang. Tetapi, bagaimana jika kau memiliki rasa pada saudaramu sendiri? Tidak hanya rumit, ini juga termasuk dosa dan kesalahan yang begitu besar. Ah, bukankah sebuah rasa timbul tiba-tiba tanpa bisa dicegah? ***** Crystal Winter Oberoi tidak pernah mengerti dan sulit memahami sikap kakaknya, Austin Mark Oberoi. Austin selalu bersikap kasar, dan terlihat begitu membedakan. Jika dengan para saudara-saudaranya yang lainnya Austin akan bersikap hangat penuh kasih sayang, berbeda jika dengan Crystal. Pria itu memperlihatkan sikap dinginnya, sangat terlihat tidak menyukai Crystal. Entah apa kesalahan yang telah dibuatnya tanpa sengaja, sehingga Austin selalu memperlakukannya seperti itu. Hingga rasa yang tidak seharusnya ada, timbul begitu saja secara tiba-tiba, tanpa bisa dicegah. Crystal memiliki rasa pada Austin, kakaknya, begitu pula dengan Austin yang memiliki rasa pada Crystal yang notabenya adalah adiknya sendiri. Bersikap dingin pada Crystal hanya menjadi tameng Austin untuk mengontrol perasaannya agar tidak semakin meluas. Termasuk sebuah komitmen dengan seorang wanita yang menjadi tunangannya sejak dua tahun yang lalu. let's read!

“I don't understand,” I tell Viktor, desperately. “I don't know why the bond is still there. I accepted his rejection, I don't want him, I want you. Whatever yearnings you saw between us, is not by choice. You are my mate. I choose you.” “Then why is the bind still present?” he snaps as he turns from me. “I don't know! And frankly, I don't care! I haven't cared or thought about Dominic in nearly a decade. How can I prove that you are the one I love?” I ask as I take hold of his hands, hoping that he sees my sincerity. “Have the ceremony with me.” “What?!” “The mating ceremony, where we bind ourselves to each other. Let's do it. That is the only way I can relax. Be mine. Truly, mine.” Rowan Blaze, abused and maltreated in her former pack and after being rejected and left to die by her Alpha finds a second chance as a rogue. Now known as the Winter Wolf, and leader of the largest rogue coalition, with a renowned dislike for packs, fate offers her another chance at love in the form of Alpha Viktor Thorn, a renowned man known for his wicked intelligence and stubborn persona. How do these two stubborn individuals react to this opportunity? Are they capable of letting their walls down and giving life one more chance? And what of Dominic Valor? Is he capable of letting go of his rejected mate or would he do anything to right the wrong he made years ago?

"The world paints him in red. But before that—he only saw the world in black and white." A re-imagining of Emperor Caligula's life, history's infamous mad ruler... Was he made, or was he born? Told from multiple perspectives, Love and Honor explores the violent, intimate bond between a broken prince and the boy who dares to love him. Before the blood, before the madness, there was silence. There was pain. And there was love.

Samantha Carter has always fought hard, balancing university studies with caring for her sick mother while learning not to trust easily. When she meets Jake Dawson, a kind but troubled friend, she finally opens her heart. Their friendship blossoms into a deep love full of hope for the future. But everything changes when pressure from his family and Julia Blake's romantic obsession force Jake to leave Samantha, leaving her heartbroken and alone. In her deep pain, Samantha searches for healing and finds comfort with Gabriel, a gentle and caring man who seems to offer her a new beginning. For a while, she believes that love can mend her wounded heart. But when Gabriel suddenly pulls away with a harsh letter, she is left wondering if she is chasing love as an escape from her past or if it might lead to a better future. At the same time, a long-hidden secret is revealed that will change everything. Ronald William, a billionaire heir living in luxury, is Brandon Carter—Samantha’s long-lost brother, who was stolen from their family as a child. As his true identity comes to light, his decision to unite with his family becomes a threat to his possession. When love, loyalty, and deceit collide, the price is higher than anyone ever imagined.

What makes a hero? They say a hero is someone that has given his life to something bigger than himself. I say a hero is no braver than an ordinary man, he is just braver for five minutes longer. All soldiers are brave, it's what they do with their bravery that makes them heroes. Am I a hero? Clayton Jackson dedicated his life to serving his country. Enlisting in the Marine Corps at the young age of eighteen, he never imagined following any other path. However, fate had other plans for him as a life-altering accident during his last deployment left him disabled and forces him to return home. Hiding in the small town he grew up in, Clayton tries to keep his secret from his loved ones at all costs. One day while seeking refuge from his troubled mind, his path crosses with Isabella Jones. Their connection is instantaneous as if the universe conspired to bring them together. Isabella, a mysterious and enigmatic woman, is haunted by the demons from her own past. As their relationship quickly blossoms, the unspoken truths between them threaten to tear them apart. When Clayton is presented with the opportunity to rejoin the Marine Corps, Isabella is faced with a decision: whether to accompany him or remain behind. Caught in this web of secrets and lies, they try to navigate their love through the murky waters, desperately hoping to find solace in each other's arms. But will love be enough to conquer the shadows that lingered in their hearts? Or would the truth ultimately be their undoing?

For years, the witches and vampires of Shadowbrooke co-existed secretly, without much incident. Until one winter evening in 2002. Luca Delacroix was on a hunting trip when the monthly court hosted by his clan turned disastrous. What began as a normal night for the residents of the sleepy town ended horribly when fledgelings in blood-lust took Shadowbrooke under siege. It took a small coven of witches, a powerful spell, the Chaos Star and a virgin's blood to end the terror. But in the aftermath, Julian Delacroix, Luca's brother, along with several of their clan members, were eternally bound to the manor's cellar, forsaken to wither and perish from thirst. It's 2022, and Luca's returned to Shadowbrooke after two decades. His sudden reappearance threatens to destabilise the peaceful town again. He'll stop at nothing to get his brother out, and the Youngblood Coven will not hesitate to destroy him. While the witches scramble to get the missing piece of the Star of Chaos, the rune they once used against Luca's clan, he has to fight hard to stay one step ahead of them. But, his plans go awry when he meets and falls in love with Cadence Youngblood, the same woman responsible for his brother's infernal prison. Cadence is everything he shouldn't want, but for her, Luca is willing to take the backlash from his clan and risk her coven's wrath. © 2022 Val Sims. All rights reserved. No part of this novel may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author and publishers.

I died five years ago. Now my husband, the Don of our Mafia family, wants me to take the fall for his sister again—this time for accidentally killing a British noble's heir during an arms deal. He's holding a fake confession letter with my forged signature, storming into my old apartment in the rust district, only to find it empty. Frustrated, he grabs the corner store owner downstairs, demanding to know where I am. The owner pauses, wiping his hands on his apron, calmly tells him: "Serafine? She died five years ago." "Heard it was retaliation from a rival family during the gang war. They ambushed her in an alley... shot her over a dozen times. She died immediately." My husband, Lucien, refuses to believe it. Convinced the owner is on my payroll, hiding me to help me escape his reach. He scoffs, his eyes filled with scorn: "Oh, so what? Because I called her out for messing up that last job, now she's throwing a tantrum?" "You tell her, if she doesn't come back and take the fall in three days, I'll revoke her grandmother's 'special family protection'! Let the old woman rot!" With that, he storms out, his rage still simmering. The owner watches him leave and sighs, shaking his head. "There's no grandmother left to protect... That woman passed away not long after Serafine did... couldn't survive the winter without our family's medical supplies and protection..."

What makes a hero? They say a hero is someone that has given his life to something bigger than himself. I say a hero is no braver than an ordinary man, he is just braver for five minutes longer. All soldiers are brave, it's what they do with their bravery that makes them heroes. Am I a hero? Clayton Jackson dedicated his life to serving his country. Enlisting in the Marine Corps at the young age of eighteen, he never imagined following any other path. However, fate had other plans for him as a life-altering accident during his last deployment left him disabled and forces him to return home. Hiding in the small town he grew up in, Clayton tries to keep his secret from his loved ones at all costs. One day while seeking refuge from his troubled mind, his path crosses with Isabella Jones. Their connection is instantaneous as if the universe conspired to bring them together. Isabella, a mysterious and enigmatic woman, is haunted by the demons from her own past. As their relationship quickly blossoms, the unspoken truths between them threaten to tear them apart. When Clayton is presented with the opportunity to rejoin the Marine Corps, Isabella is faced with a decision: whether to accompany him or remain behind. Caught in this web of secrets and lies, they try to navigate their love through the murky waters, desperately hoping to find solace in each other's arms. But will love be enough to conquer the shadows that lingered in their hearts? Or would the truth ultimately be their undoing?