Clean Parents Guide

On my fifth birthday, my parents showed up at my birthday party later than usual. They brought with them a skinny little girl who couldn't seem to speak at all. I rushed over, hoping to hug Mom, only to get knocked down by her. That was how I fell into the ten-foot cake that my parents had specifically picked out for me. Buttercream filled my nose and mouth, suffocating me to no end. When I managed to climb out of the mess, I burst out in tears and asked Dad to cuddle me. But Dad retracted his hands while looking conflicted. "Don't blame your mom, Willow. From now on, you must take good care of Maple, your little sister. As long as Maple is happy, your mom will be happy." Later on, the mean kids in the neighborhood shove Maple Thompson, my new little sister, into a pile of sand. I rush over to protect her immediately. Once we get home, I mimic my parents by drawing a bath so that I can clean Maple up. That's when Mom suddenly barge into the bathroom and slap me heavily across the face. "You've already enjoyed our love for the past five years! Why are you still greedy for more? I can't believe you're trying to drown Maple right now!" Mom's eyes have gone bloodshot. She drags me by the hair and stuffs me into the washing machine. "Only a washing machine is capable of cleanse that filth out of your soul! You can only scramble out of the washing machine and apologize to Maple once you've decided to quit bullying your sister!" In the living room, Dad lowers his voice. "Keep your voice down when you're chewing Willow out. Maple is about to fall asleep. Don't go around waking her up now." Mom doesn't want to look at me anymore. Instead, she slams the lid onto the washing machine forcefully. I can't get out of the machine. What she doesn't know is that the washing machine will activate. "The 212-degree-Fahrenheit wash cycle has been activated." Scalding hot water is soon dumped onto my body. It hurts so much that I gradually lose my consciousness. Will Mom love me again once I'm squeaky clean after the wash cycle?

The blood-infused elixir I crafted won the top honor at the Nocturne's Gala, but my adopted sister stole it and claimed the credit. She thought she'd won glory, not realizing it was a vampire betrothal contract to the Prince Kaelan—rumored to be impotent, barbaric, and monstrous. When the proposal arrived, my archmage fiancé, to "protect" her, hastily bound himself to her with a blood-mark and took her to his bed. She returned, the fresh mark on her neck a badge of triumph. "Sister, your man is mine now. You turn twenty-five in three days. If no one claims you, the Matchmaking Registry will toss you to some aging, wife-beating rogue mercenary..." She was wrong. I always had a choice. I walked to my parents, who were scrambling to clean up her mess, and declared calmly. "If she refuses to marry Kaelan Nocturne, then I will."

It was the first night we spent together as a married couple. When my husband insisted that the hotel manager clean our bed for us, she cried and said to him, "You're asking me to clean up after the two of you made love! How heartbroken do you want me to be before you're finally satisfied?" My husband claimed not to know that the manager was his ex-girlfriend, but when the woman threw a kettle of hot water and left, he chased after her instead of coming to my aid.

Ophelia discovered her boyfriend's betrayal in the most devastating way possible. She attended an engagement party, only to discover that the groom was her boyfriend of two years–the man she had poured her heart and soul into. The same man for whom she had sacrificed everything had not only betrayed her heart but also driven her family's business into bankruptcy. Still trying to pick up the pieces of what's left of her life, her parents gave her a more devastating news: they had arranged for her to marry a man in a coma. "This is your mess Ophelia, it's only right that you help clean it up," her stepmother had said. With no room for protest, Ophelia found herself bound to a lifeless stranger. Yet, fate wasn't done with her just yet, as the comatose man harbored secrets that would turn her world upside down once again

Ulric Wolcott, known as miniature wolf by his friends and family, has no boundary between man and wolf. His Native American heritage from his mother gave him access to his spirit guide, the Spirit of the Wolf itself. The Spirit of the Wolf blended easily with the wolf nature he received from his werewolf father. The first werewolf he met outside his family set his feet on the path to a new name that would define his future. An encounter with a young girl who would become pivotal in his life would seal it. miniature wolf's spirit guide is leading him to become not only the ruling Alpha of Spirit Wolf's worldly pack but King to all werewolves!

On the night of our seventh anniversary, I was pulled into an emergency C-section. Before I could scrub in, my director caught my arm. “Gianna, the woman on that table is under the protection of a man powerful enough to ruin this hospital by morning. Do not make a mistake.” I glanced at the patient chart and frowned. Men in our world including Enzo were all obsessed with their wives. How could a man like that possibly have another woman he cherished? The surgery went well. Clean incision. Clean closure. No complications. I had barely exhaled in relief when a swarm of men in black dragged me to my knees outside the recovery room and forced me to my knees outside a private recovery suite.

This is the story of four souls Davina, Emmy, Sofia, and Max. Each searching. Each desiring. Each learning, sometimes painfully, that love never arrives clean or easy. But when it does arrive, it changes everything.

They say fire is cleansing, a transformative type of destruction. After a forest fire, nature heals and grows stronger. It's forever changed but not destroyed. Fire is painful but beautiful, something that is warm but left unattended can be devastating. In the flames I was broken, destroyed, but in the ashes I was restored. Left floating in the grey, the smoke that led me through a divine transformation. Now I'm left adrift, the dark my only guide in the smoke, the blue of the sky, of his eyes, the only guide in the light. Forever torn and pulled between the two, unsure who I can trust and terrified to make the wrong choice. Not just my life hangs in the balance, but the lives and well being of all of humanity. It just might be too much for these wings to bare.

My family and I have gone on a vacation to an island on All Hallows' Eve. Alas, that's where we get trapped by a flood as well. The tour guide claims that someone among us has committed many misdeeds, resulting in the flood. That person's antics have offended some malicious spirits, it seems. As long as the sinful culprit is thrown into the water and drowned, everyone else can leave the island safe and sound. "Here's a piece of information for you—the offenders are a family of seven. As long as all seven of them are dead, the rest of you get to survive." My heart goes tense at the tour guide's words. My family consists of seven people! Are we supposed to get annihilated on this island? "That's bullshit! How is the flood related to malicious spirits?" "Floods are caused by natural disasters! How are they related to people?"

“Get off of me!” I shouted, pushing him as hard as I could. Tristan looked surprised, and the next moment, I saw him glaring at me. “What’s your problem?” he asked, annoyed. I looked at him dangerously. “Trying to kiss me, huh? I won’t let you touch me again! Ever!” ********************************* Elaine Scott, a humble omega maid, unexpectedly finds herself in the spotlight when she marries Tristan Hale, the Alpha heir of the Wolfsilver Pack, as a gesture of gratitude for saving his mother's life. Elaine believes their marriage is based on mutual affection, but Tristan secretly resents her, thinking she has manipulated his parents into marrying him. Tristan's bitterness escalates following the sudden death of his parents, and he directs his anger towards Elaine, subjecting her to misery and isolation. Seeking solace, Tristan turns to Megan Smith, his mistress, further cementing Elaine's plight in a loveless marriage. However, fate intervenes when a tragic car accident wipes Elaine's memory clean, erasing the past five years, including her feelings for Tristan. Initially relieved, Tristan becomes unsettled when Elaine no longer exhibits the deference he expects and begins questioning Elaine’s sudden change. As Elaine tries to move forward, Tristan has a change of heart and wants her back. But Elaine is done with him and is ready to move on. But, is she?