Comforting Words

The night my parents died, I was found amongst the ashes of our home. My eyes glowed red, and my hair had been altered to a flaming hue to match. My pack ostracised me, deeming me responsible for the death of my beloved parents. For years, I have been treated like a slave and was underfed, bullied, and abused. The son of the Alpha, Jordan, and my cousin Ruth were the worst offenders. Yet, I endured as I planned my escape. When I turn nineteen, I am out of here. Or so I thought. One night, out of the blue, Jordan kisses me, everything changes, and I find myself falling in love with the one who was my tormentor. So naive, so foolish, just when I think I will have a happy ending, reality slaps me in the face. The same night I find myself in the arms of my mate, Jordan, I find myself rejected for a nightmare of a betrayal I had no hope in preventing. As punishment, I was shunned in the worst possible way and turned rouge. As the cold seeps in, I dream of a white wolf—my white wolf. He has always appeared in my mind when I most needed him, his presence always comforting me. Is this the end of my story? I have lost hope and the will to live.

“Richard, if Lynn and I were hit by a car at the same time, who would you save first?” I once asked, curled up in his arms, teasing like a spoiled pup. He just scoffed, ruffling my hair. “That kind of situation doesn’t exist.” But when blinding headlights tore through the rain— He didn’t hesitate. He shielded Lynn in his embrace, and I was thrown into the blood-soaked street. Through the agony, I heard my phone buzz. A message from him: [What tantrum are you throwing now? Why didn’t you come to Moonstone today?] While the machines beeped beside me, I caught the sound of his gentle voice drifting from the next room—comforting her. “Don’t be afraid. I just reacted to the person closest to me.” That was the moment I wiped away bloody tears with a smile. Fine, Richard. Then you’ll watch with your own eyes—ten days from now, when I put on a wedding dress, it won’t be for you. It’ll be for your sworn enemy, the Alpha of Bloodmoon. On the eve of the ceremony, a helicopter thundered down onto the estate balcony. He kicked open my door, yanked my wrist with his tie. “Come with me.”

On the night of my 30th birthday, I waited until the early hours of the morning, but my husband, Theodore Hawk never showed up. Instead, I came across an Instagram post from his childhood sweetheart, Emily Gallagher. [What romantic is not the starry night, it is having you by my side.] In the picture, she was wearing a delicate, sky-blue camisole that revealed just enough to charm and seduce. A man stood close behind her, his hand firmly gripping her waist. The scene was set in the seaside villa that Theodore had gifted her, their figures intimately entwined under the soft glow of the night. Someone had commented beneath the post: [I can’t stand you two being this lovey-dovey all the time! Just get married already!] Emily had responded with a shy-face emoji. I had just liked the post when Theodore, who I had failed to reach all night, blew up my phone with calls. "Are you out of your mind, Camilla? Emi and I grew up together! If we wanted to be together, we would’ve done so long ago! Why are you being so petty?" Looking at how Theodore gently held her in his arms, comforting her, I realized something. Letting go of someone you’ve loved for seven years... can take only a moment.

We have been dating for ten years, but Vincent Carter has never been romantic toward me. However, before our wedding, he has someone deliver a delicate bracelet and an elegant dress to me. I take photos of them happily, only to find a card tucked inside the dress that's not addressed to me. Just as I'm about to contact Vincent, I see a post from Emily Foster, his childhood sweetheart, on her social media. "Someone stole something that belongs to me!" That's also how I find out Vincent has also bought her an apartment. The address stated on the card is for the unit downstairs. The gift is meant for unit 701, but it's delivered to me by mistake. I pick up the items and go downstairs, just in time to see Vincent gently comforting her in his arms. The moment he sees me, his face darkens with irritation. "Can you stop overreacting? You're always suspicious for no reason. Emily and I grew up together. If we were going to be together, you wouldn't even be in the picture!" If it were before, I would've been furious and demanded an explanation. But now, I simply let out a chuckle and toss the gifts onto him. "I wish you both the best, then."

Twenty seven year old trust fund baby Sawyer Driscoll has way too much time on her hands, and even she knows it. Emotionally scarred with crippling abandonment issues, she finds solace in whimsical Kate Lovelace's comforting presence– the breathtaking lifeguard two years her junior who heroically rescued her from nearly drowning while drunk at Naples beach. At around the same time, she becomes drawn to mysterious Blythe Collier– an aspiring Conductor in her early thirties dead set on fulfilling her longtime dream of working with world renowned Orchestras. After meeting at a local Lesbian nightclub roughly three weeks later, the two hit it off immediately with their mutual love for body shots and the fine art of instrumental music. Her only issue? She's already heavily involved with Kate. The solution to crafty Sawyer's dilemma is simple; Date them both. What could go wrong? Assuming they don't catch on to the idea that their charming girlfriend wants to have her cake and eat it too, that is. Two's company, three's a crowd; Everyone says so, right? ...But does it have to be? *Disclaimer* - Strong sexual content, difficult mental health topics, and discussions of death, self harm, and suicide. 18+, please 2020 All Rights Reserved (you know how it goes)

“You’ll serve me as a mistress. My personal sex slave.” He said, in his ever calm sultry and silky voice and if it were not for the words that he had spoken, I would have been carried away by that voice. “What? You can’t be serious! That is not happening at all.” Maybe I should have thought through my words before speaking because the moment the words were out of my mouth the Alpha’s dark eyes turned even darker. *** On the night of the feast of Alphas, Catherine spills some onto the jacket of one of the Alphas present and she thought her life would be ruined for good, especially when the Alpha King decided to step in to clear off the debt and also acquire her as a mistress, little did she know that this singular experience was about to change her life forever.

The remnants of the pack gathering had barely faded when my whole world changed. My best friend, Hallie Richmond, vanished, snatched away by rogues. Only for her to reappear the next day, found bruised and bitten near the pack borders. My heart ached for her, so I went to her with her favourite apple pie. But the solace I intended to offer shattered into a million pieces the moment I heard the words of my boyfriend, Camilo White, our pack's beta. "...Hallie's family will destroy her if they learn of this. I have no choice but to mark her first.” "What about me, Camilo? I'm your girlfriend!" The words tumbled out. "You can be my secondary mate, Violet. It's just a small favor. Surely, if you truly loved me, you wouldn't hesitate to help?" Camilo's words ripped my heart out, breaking up with me and replacing me with Hallie for the marking ceremony we had both anticipated with such joy. From that moment forward, I became a shadow. The pack whispered words of how I was deflowered before my true mate could claim me. My family now regarded me with disappointment. My father's anger was a physical force, driving me to my knees beneath the icy waterfall. Then, the following day, a figure emerged from the mist. Alex Skye, the Alpha's son, pulled me from the water. He leaned close, his sky-blue eyes holding mine, and whispered the words that offered home: "I'm your true mate, Violet. Break up with that vile, idiotic boyfriend of yours. I believe you will be the perfect future Luna."

On the fifth year of our hidden marriage, I died on the operating table of a hospital belonging to Allen Jones. Before I died, I called him ninety-nine times, begging for help. The last time, he finally answered. His voice was heavy with impatience. "Enough already. First, it's pregnancy, now it's liver cancer. Can you stop making a scene? I'm exhausted from work. "Mia, when did you learn to lie? Do you know how disgusting you are right now? "I'm warning you—if you keep this up, I'll divorce you. Don't even think about coming back home until you admit you're wrong." But this time, I could never go back. Just before the call ended, I heard him comforting Sadie with a gentleness he had never shown me. "Don't be afraid. The surgery will be over soon, and you'll be fine. Once you're out, I'll take you to see your favorite movie and eat at your favorite restaurant. I promised you, and I'll make it all come true." After he hung up, I called him for the hundredth time. He didn't answer. Later, when Allen saw my body on the operating table, he broke down completely.

To celebrate our daughter's eighteenth birthday, my husband, James Miller, decided to go nude cycling. I told him he was too old for that and would embarrass himself, but he looked at me with disdain and said, "Liliana, your life is so boring. You refuse to embrace new things." Then he brought the dog belonging to his first love, Sophia Lewis, and placed it before me. It was then I realized it was Sophia who had organized the nude cycling event. I felt my anger boiling beneath the surface as our son, Thomas, took the leash and handed it to me. "Dad, you can go have fun with Sophia. Mom will take care of the dog," Thomas said. But when the dog lunged at me later, Thomas protected it. Meanwhile, my daughter, Alice, fought to shield me. In the end, both Alice and I were bitten to death. James didn't even take us to the hospital. Instead, he dragged our bodies straight to the crematorium. Just before I turned into a wisp of smoke, I saw Alice rolling in the flames. During that time, James and Thomas were comforting Sophia. At that moment, I felt a deep rage—rage at myself for being so naive and for causing my daughter's death. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day when my son handed me the leash. This time, I was determined to make them all pay.

Keira buried her face in his chest, her voice trembling. “Maybe I’m not good enough for you.” He ran his fingers through her hair, then whispered. “You’re perfect for me. One walking disaster in this relationship is enough.” She sniffled, a small laugh breaking through. “Are you comforting me or mocking me?” He tilted her chin up, his lips hovering just above hers. “Both,” he whispered. And then he kissed her. ****** Keira Small has spent her life in the shadow of her family’s legacy as the daughter of the prestigious owner of Small Solutions Tech. But instead of following in her father’s footsteps, she chooses to keep her identity a secret and work elsewhere—all to be closer to the one man she’s never forgotten. When she’s sent to deliver documents to her enigmatic boss, the CEO of Dawnborne Inc., she doesn’t expect to find him intoxicated—or to end up in the bed of the one man she had never expected to have: her childhood crush. But one night of passion isn’t so easily forgotten, as an investigation was held by the CEO to find who the woman he slept with was. Buried feelings begin to resurface and secrets threaten to unravel, Keira must decide: will she continue to hide who she really is, or risk everything for the man she’s always wanted?