Crimson Waves

Just one week before my marking ceremony with Lucien, I discovered his heart already belonged to someone else. His secretary, Anika, walked out of his office with a smirk that was a little too knowing. Her blouse was askew, her usually neat hair a tangled mess, and only the faintest trace of her crimson lipstick remained. My heart seized in my chest, and my fingers went cold on the doorknob. Two years ago, she had been a timid girl fresh from the countryside. All that pretense of innocence had vanished, replaced by a brazen ambition written across her face. Her relentless eagerness around Lucien had always grated on my nerves, and I had asked him more than once. "Lucien, can't you replace her?" His smile would always fade. "Anika saved my life," he'd say. "I can't be so heartless." Now, that single triumphant smirk was all it took for me to understand. What others once envied in me had already been trampled beneath her heels. My phone vibrated. It was a new proposal from the event planner. [The marking ceremony plan is nearly perfect. Can we finalize it?] I refused to be consumed by sorrow. I wiped a tear from my cheek and made one last adjustment to the document.——Replaced the bride's name withAnika I didn't want a false love, or a fake Alpha Lucien. Let them have the marking ceremony. Let Anika stand at his side as his Luna, his chosen mate. In seven days, I would be gone with my pup.

"Do you know what it feels like to know that all the decisions that you've ever taken in your life are masterminded by someone?" Eleanor Welsh is an intelligent, independent girl who always wanted her life to be in her control since the tragic fatal accident that claimed her parents' lives at twelve. Being an orphan at a such tender age, her father's best friend, Antonio Welsh, took her into his custody but sold her off to a contracted marriage later on to a heartless billionaire, Ethan Grayson, in dire need to save his business from bankruptcy. What happens when the mysteries of her parent's death unfold with her protective husband backing her up? Ethan walked into the dark room unhurriedly with both hands in the pockets of his pants. He was furious, yet he had his usually calm expression. He walked to the fireplace in the room which was the only source of light in the room and pulled out a hot metal. From the way the metal glowed in a dark-red crimson color, even a fool can tell that the metal had been in the fire for hours. Walking to where a man who was chained to the wall with blood all over his body was with the metal still in his hands, Ethan stood before the man, his eyes black from the lack of light in the room. "Mr. Grayson, please..." the man pleaded in almost a whisper "I didn't know she was your wife." Before anybody in the room could blink, the hot metal was placed on the man's face. The man screamed in pain as hot tears fell from his eyes, before fainting. "Take him to his boss as my gift. Anyone that touches my property, I will burn him in hell." Max nodded.

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Fairytales don’t always come from the earth... until her. 
 Mermaid legends are human fables, but beneath the waves, war is looming. A missing daughter is the only hope for a dying species. 
 Rescued during a typhoon, Galene finds herself in a new world amongst a dangerous species—humans. With no memories of her watery pasts, she doesn’t see the predators closing in until it’s too late.
 Stralath is a shape-shifting bounty hunter dedicated to keeping the peace in a violent universe. His earthly mission? To find the elusive mermaid who he’ll dangle in front of a dangerous oceanic pod.  Except Galene is not what he expected—she’s an innocent caught in a dangerous game of extinction. An angel who paints with color and smiles at the world.  She is easy prey, and Stralath abandons his mission, unleashing his brutal self to guard her heart and life. 

'Calm down Tamara, I can explain. ' My extra alert ears collected the sound waves, sending them to the brain for interpretation. I couldn't believe it! He was asking me to calm down after saying such words. 'My mind can only picture you between her legs right now, and you want me to calm down? ' The flames continued growing just as the invisible force wrenched me near him. His wide eyes met with mine as I leaned in closer to him, tiptoeing on my feet to reach just below his ear. 'The remedy for fire is fire.' My arms were convulsively grasped yet again by the inexplicable force. I failed miserably to counter the forced actions as my hands tore my blouse in an instant. 'No!' His shout was a second late because the flames died out as my hands embedded into the cloth, pulling it apart in ferocious strength. ********* Orphaned and living as the only witch in a pack of werewolves, Tamara is hated and ridiculed despite her kindness. When the Alpha of the pack, Alpha Ryker turns out to be her mate, everything changes. Their bond is fated and sealed, and so is Tamara's role in saving the pack. Their victory depends on a prophecy and one life must be lost for others to be saved. As the pack's antagonist rises to power, she must team up with her mate despite the storms, betrayal and secrets surrounding them. Will they withstand or with the storm destroy everything they have ever known?

A dystopian Earth was struck with a series of plagues called the Death Waves, where it wiped out more than half of the entire world. As the remaining survivors try to rebuild a new world, systems in societies sprung up that ensures humanity doesn't fall to extinction. But at what costs? Fifteen-year-old Elizabeth hates everything about these systems. Although born into nobility, Eli wanted nothing of her status and struggles to fit in a society where she feels everything is followed in coercion. But she will do everything to protect her family, even when it means giving away the only man she loves. As she navigates her way in life, family, friendship, and love, Eli discovers there's a much more evil lurking in the system that was created to protect humanity.

After the death of her family, Romona Quinn, a Seer and half dragon destined to protect her kind, the dragons, had a goal in mind to kill the tyrant lycan Alpha king Caspian of Dalerie, who had taken everything from her. What she didn't expect was the blooming, overwhelming passion that erupted whenever he gazes at her. Alpha Caspian Alessandro, a powerful lycan, despises dragons and anything related to magic, and he destroys them all in his empire. What happens when he meets his fated mate that dispels his hatred? What happens when he becomes entangled in the web of her raging vengeance? ... "Stay with me, and piece by piece, I will make your life even more extraordinary than it is." He whispered monotonously, slowly carressing her red cheeks with the back of his fingers and igniting the fire she never thought she had in her. Ramona's luminous pink lips parted slightly, her heart raced, and her twinkling amber eyes reflected those blazing crimson eyes that oozed desire. "It will be the biggest mistake I will ever make, but I will never regret it, Caspian," her voice came out deep, and the side of her lips pulled up. What was she thinking?! Was she really not going to regret staying with him? What about vengeance?

To become Marcus's Luna, I hid my identity as Crimson Ridge pack's Alpha heiress and married him. Since two Alphas have difficulty conceiving offspring, I even begged the pack witch to suppress my bloodline, downgrading my wolf from Alpha to Beta. After I finally got pregnant, Marcus was out shopping with his omega mistress while I was being attacked by rogue wolves and losing our child. I forced myself to like the social media post where his lover was showing off their relationship, fighting back nausea. His call came through immediately. "What are you trying to pull now! The pack successfully signed a cooperation treaty with the neighboring pack today. You didn't even show up to the celebration, so Ivy had to take over all your Luna duties and has been taking care of my daily needs. You should be thanking her for helping you out!" "You're supposed to be a strong warrior! How can one pregnancy make you this delicate?!" He finished his rant and hung up in anger. Right. I'd been away from home too long. I was starting to forget my own last name. I didn't hesitate anymore. I picked up my phone and dialed a number I hadn't called in ages. "Beta Hayes, book me a flight for tomorrow morning. I'm going back to Crimson Ridge pack."

What if the Little Mermaid fairy tale ended in a completely different way? Nokté did marry a prince, but after failing to bring an heir into the world, she was banished to the Black Cliff Castle. One day, on its northern shore, waves brought gutted newts. Who would want them dead? The little mermaid will have a lot to figure out and face her fears all alone.

" What about her?" His inquire came out softly and lazy. Ayla's eyes suddenly contracted fiercely and rolled to her brain! She thought she might collapse any moment from now! No! She can't be known! Her identity can't be revealed! The senior nun must not reveal my identity! " Errr......that's Ayla, the wolfslayer's daughter." Damn! The atmosphere dropped to a freezing point and Alpha Darius felt his lips twitched for a second. He looked back at the senior nun, snapping his brows coldly and back at Ayla, whose legs was already trembling violently. " You mean Morgan and Arnold's daughter?" He hissed, finding it hard to believe. " Yes." The senior nun replied. " We found her not too long when her father was set ablaze." Darius unexpectedly chuckled dryly, and his eyes lowered. " The slayer's daughter hun?" He approached Ayla even closer, gazing at her keenly like she was his prey and he lifted her chin, allowing her nervous dim eyes to met his. " Then, I guess my bride is in front of me." ****** A war was coming and it is predicted there might be no survivors. With this, Darius, a heartless, dangerous and crazy Alpha king of the Crimson moon, who was feared by all, set to get a bride who would give him an heir. Their pack was cursed, making it impossible. This led them to a downtown church, where ladies are sold like slaves and nuns, to seek bride. However, he encountered the least person he thought! The daughter of the wolves slayer's? This was going to be fun! But would something change between Ayla's hatred for the wolves and Darius vengeance on Ayla? What would fate write for them?