Crossing Lines Novels & Stories

“Then stop acting like it does.” “I’m not acting.” “Then what are you doing?” Another step closer. This time… Noticeable. “Being honest.” My heart picked up slightly. Annoying. Unwelcome. Uncontrollable. “You’re crossing a line,” I said. “Which one?” “All of them.” “You’re the one who drew them.” “Yes.” “And you’re the one who keeps stepping over them.” Silence. Because that… hit. Harder than I expected. “I’m not the only one,” he added.

*Chapter 80* The Line in the Dirt* *Word count: ∼1617words* Day thirty-eight after the ruling, and the line was still there. Not a river. Not a ridge. Just a shallow groove scratched into the earth with a blade, running east to west for half a mile. Luna had drawn it herself the morning after the council gave Red Fang the southern grounds. It wasn’t a border. It was a reminder. Cross it, and the peace breaks.

Yet, I still crossed it. I know I had to find Lily. I had no choice but to find the girl. I shifted once I crossed, knowing that my black pelt will make it more obvious I was not part of their pack, but I will be easier hidden in the shadows. I ran through the trees, picking up the faintest scent of Lilacs. It led me further and further away from safety but closer to Lily. That was… up until my senses got overwhelmed by the smell of coffee. O crap…

Heather Jenner glanced at the ovulation test strip in her hand. The result was clear—a bold red line. Today was the day. Her body was about to release a mature egg. It would be her best chance to conceive. Without hesitation, she tossed the strip aside and stepped out of the bathroom. In the expansive, minimalist living room, a man lay sprawled across the sofa, drunk. His white dress shirt was unbuttoned at the collar, revealing the smooth, pale skin beneath. The gentle rise and fall of his throat with each breath was tantalizing.

Blinding. Something collides with the back of my skull and my world tips. I collapse forward, hands scraping against the floor, vision flickering. The voice changes. Now female. Cold. Detached. “He talks too much.” My blood sings in my ear. My body is failing me, limbs heavy as lead. The man speaks again, voice lower. “He’s remembering, that’s the problem.” I try to lift my head and everything spins. Then I feel it–something brushing my face. Fabric. Tight. Restricting.

The tear in the forest bucks once, then starts to close. Not gently, violently. The creatures still standing on this side don’t panic. They step back from it in calm silence as the silver opening folds in on itself like an eye shutting. One by one the glowing lines detach from the wound and swing back toward the mountain. The crossing is ending. For now. Kasper sees it too. “No,” he says sharply. The threads around him flare as he reaches for them again. This time— Nothing. The lines nearest him go rigid and cold.

At seventeen, Damien Delta severed all ties with his best friend. Without a single word or explanation, he cut Harrison Kane, out of his life completely. For years, Damien stayed on the circuit, masterfully calculating his schedule to make sure their paths never crossed. When dodging Harrison became too difficult, Damien quit driving altogether, stepping away from the track to build the cars instead. He thought he was safe behind the scenes. He was wrong. When the Delta empire faces complete ruin, Damien is forced to break his own golden rule. Dragged out of retirement for SLAT—the most prestigious, brutal racing tournament in the world—he has to step back into the driver's seat.  And

Only memory, rebalanced. "Three roads," he whispered. She nodded. "And others will follow." They didn't need to know where any of them went. Not today. Today, it was sufficient to know they had walked in. --- 7:11 AM — Sector R, Boundary Weave Crossing The crossing was not broad, but it was tiered: silkcord braids along tension beams, sewn with bits of flags originally flown for district designations. Those now indicated but change. Renewal. Resilience.

"Someone is deliberately targeting these locations. Every disturbance we have dealt with in the last four months falls on a ley line intersection. That cannot be a coincidence." Nate leaned over the map. "Why would someone target ley lines?" "Because they are barriers." Selene's voice was grave. She had appeared without warning. "Natural walls between our world and others. If someone wanted to weaken those barriers and make it easier for entities to cross over then they would need to destabilize the ley lines." "How many intersections are there?" I asked. Already dreading the answer. "Twelve major ones in our region." Ashton pointed them out. "We have dealt with disturbances at seven. That l

The first course arrived like a temporary ceasefire,delicate sashimi arranged with artistic precision, each piece a small work of art that nobody seemed interested in eating. Collins watched Jerome handle his chopsticks with practiced ease, noting the way his long fingers moved with unconscious elegance. He hated noticing. "Jerome," Akihito said suddenly, breaking the strained silence. "I read your quarterly report for Linèa's Southeast Asian expansion." Collins's chopsticks paused halfway to his mouth. His father never discussed business at family dinners,it was one of his sacred rules, carved in stone since Collins was old enough to sit at the adult table.