Closed Species

She wanted stability. She found Adrian Blackwell—dominant, dangerous, and determined to make her his. After catching her boyfriend of three years cheating, Elena Carter swore never to fall in love again. On a reckless whim, she walked into a blind date arranged by her family—and impulsively proposed a flash marriage. All she wanted was a quiet, dependable man. What she got was Adrian Blackwell—a ruthless billionaire known for crushing rivals with a single glance. Cold to the world, dangerously charming behind closed doors, Adrian doesn’t ask. He takes. From the moment she slips on his ring, Adrian makes one thing clear: “You’re mine, Elena. No man touches what belongs to me.” But as whispers of his past lovers surface, Elena’s heart twists with emotions she swore she’d buried—jealousy, heartbreak… longing. Then, a brutal accident unearths a forgotten memory: a reckless one-night stand years ago… with the same face as her husband’s. Everything falls into place. Every twist, every detour— It was always Adrian.

My African American Mom married a rich Japanese man. As I moved the skeleton of my new bed next to the window, I felt a gaze focused on me. Outside my window, was the house next door. The house shape was similar to ours, so it also had a window facing mine at the same level. Standing there on the other side was a skinny Japanese boy. As soon as I laid eyes on him, he stiffened, then shyly smiled and waved. His hair was all over the place, seeing him in his tanktop I thought to myself that he must've just rolled out of bed. But wasn't it the afternoon already? The boy says something but of course I can't hear him with my window closed so I slide it open. "Eto....hi." He tried in English. If someone were to tell me later I'd come to care about him deeply, I'd find that hard to believe. For as long as I could remember I've always felt empty. And that emptiness, I hid on instinct.

Ivana Blake never imagined that marrying into one of the wealthiest families in New York would feel like a sentence instead of salvation. Her new husband, Ethan D’Amelio, is charming in public but distant behind closed doors, quickly swept away by his corporate empire. Left alone in the cavernous D’Amelio estate, Ivana finds herself watched, haunted—not by ghosts, but by a man far more dangerous: Christopher D’Amelio. Her husband’s stepfather. Cold. Ruthless. Beautiful in a way that burns. He is the man no one dares challenge. The man she should avoid at all costs. But when glances turn into confessions, and silence turns into touches, Ivana begins to unravel a dangerous obsession neither of them can resist. What begins as curiosity turns into a tangled web of passion, betrayal, and secrets that threaten to destroy them both. As the walls close in and her marriage crumbles, Ivana must choose between the safety of a lie—or the fire of a love that should never exist. This is not a love story. It’s a descent into desire, power, and the darkest corners of the human heart.

“Marry me, and I’ll protect you.” He smirked at her with his eyes on her body lustrously. “you won’t find any other man as me,” He closed the distance between them and a finger went to her chin and lift them up, staring down at her alluring red lips. “...it’s either a yes or yes.” Eve Montana had to save her life from the bad man that was after her, and get back her heirloom. The only way was to get under the wings of a mysterious man in a contracted wedding. She lost her heart and soul to the man who couldn’t love her. She knew she had to let go, she could have everything but not his love. And his plan was nothing but to use her to get what he wants but what happened when he fell in love? And she discovered his secrets that he had been hiding from her, a secret that would tore them apart. Would he let go of her after he found love?

Desperate times call for desperate measures. When Isabela's father is diagnosed with cancer, money for treatment is the last thing on their minds. But as bills start piling up with no end in sight, Isabel is left with no choice. She seeks out Noah Wolfe, an old family "friend" who has inherited an empire. To her surprise, Noah offers to cover all medical costs. But there's a catch - Isabel must marry him. With her father's life on the line, she accepts Noah's proposal. But Isabel soon realizes she’s in way over her head. Behind closed doors, Noah is nothing like his public image. As his grip on her tightens, Isabela starts to wonder - is getting stuck in this marriage actually a death sentence in disguise? She'll need to play the game better than Noah if she wants to survive. But can she outmaneuver a man with infinite resources and a personality as dark as his secrets? With her life and her father's on the line, the stakes have never been higher in Isabel's deadly game of cat and mouse.

When Kristina got her job as the secretary to the CEO of Black’s textiles, the last thing she expected was to end up in his bed, while he was married to her sister. **** “We need to stop doing this,” Kristina muttered silently to the beautiful man lying next to her. He chuckled silently as he dabbed her cheek with his finger. “You're having so much fun with this,” he teased, She closed her eyes, savoring the moment. As much as she hated admitting it, it was indeed true. She wasn't supposed to be happy nor satisfied in this situation with her in-law. She was betraying her only sister. Her only sane family. She needed to break up with him. She would break up with him, she decided. But as soon as she opened her eyes, the words disappeared from her tongue. “Well, one last time.” She agreed to his pleading eyes. Only that, deep down she knew it wasn't one last time. This unending desire for her in-law would consume her.

I was born a Rogue. At seven, my sorry excuse of a father almost sold me to a disgusting old wolf. Julian the Alpha saved me. He taught me how to fight, to have dignity. Another Alpha, Lucian, showed me how sweet life could be. They treated me like their precious treasure. It all changed when their childhood sweetheart Claire returned. Julian and Lucian stopped spending time with me, and even severed our mind link. I thought that if I worked harder and was more obedient—if I changed myself to suit their tastes a little more—I could get them back, even if it meant losing myself entirely. One day, everything ended. To protect Claire, they intentionally rigged the game and lost the match. They threw me into the Death Forest, full of savage Beasts. There, a Beast pounced at me, its sharp fangs tearing my neck apart. I closed my eyes, the smell of blood drowning me amidst the cheers. No one cared for me… None. So be it! No longer would I have any expectations!

For the fourth and final time, Nia is entering the mating ritual. If she doesn't succeed, she risks exile. But then she sees Leo, Alpha of the Bloodmoon pack and son to her father's rival. Only Leo isn't there for the ritual. He has a mystery of his own that will impact the fate of all existing packs for eternity. *** "You know, Nia," he continued as he closed in the space again, his eyes never leaving mine. "I've had a fair share of flings or romances, as you could say. Things that I once even swore were love."My name sounded so sensual on his lips. No, no. I needed to not give in. I took another step back, only for him to take another forward."I kept hoping one day I'd feel the pull for them. That instant connection everyone talks about. And then, I show up here in an attempt to ask for an alliance and suddenly…I smell applewood and cinnamon." ***The Alpha's Fate is written by Kianna Walpole, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

“When you’re done shedding your tears, don’t forget to close the door behind you.” Those cold disdainful words shattered Starr’s world. Fleeing the scene of her lover’s betrayal, she is left ruined and wrecked by the man she once trusted, who now lies in bed with another woman, indifferent to the pain he has caused. Starr had poured her heart and all into building a life with Charles, only to discover that her love and sacrifices were used to build a life that she was never included in. Betrayed and broken, she learns that Charles only saw her as a way out of poverty and a means to support his true love and their unborn child. Determined to reclaim her life and shut out the pain, Starr seizes an opportunity to start over in France, taking a job offer from her boss that promises a fresh beginning. But as she navigates this new chapter, the wounds of her past linger. Can Starr truly move on and find the love she deserves, or will the scars of betrayal keep her heart closed forever?

"Mrs. Gardner, are you sure you want to hire our team to stage a fire and fake your death in ten days?" Camellia Shaw paused for a moment. Just as she was about to reply to the message, a video call suddenly popped up. "Camellia, look! Andres is spending a fortune on you again!" The video was of an auction in progress. At the front, a man of striking elegance and charm was decisively bidding on several antique collectibles worth hundreds of millions. The crowd was already abuzz with excitement. "Mr. Gardner is so good to his wife! He bought all these antiques just to make her smile!" "$400 million is nothing! I heard Mr. Gardner even built her a private estate and named it Eterna Haven. Just the name alone is proof of how much he loves her." A wealthy businessman nearby sneered. "It's all for show. Who knows what he's really like behind closed doors?" That comment immediately sparked a wave of backlash. Many argued back, talking about how devoted Andres Gardner was to his wife. As she listened to their murmurs, Camellia forced a bitter smile.