Crossing The Bar

My name is Audrey, and I'm the adopted daughter of the Bailey family. Four years ago, the Bailey family faced a devastating financial crisis. Just when bankruptcy seemed inevitable, a mysterious benefactor emerged, offering salvation with one condition: a contract marriage. Rumors swirled about this enigmatic man—whispers claimed he was hideously ugly and too ashamed to show his face, possibly harboring dark, twisted obsessions. Without hesitation, the Baileys sacrificed me to protect their precious biological daughter, forcing me to take her place as a pawn in this cold, calculated arrangement. Luckily, in those four years, the mysterious husband never asked to meet in person. Now, in the final year of our arrangement, the husband I've never met is demanding we meet face to face. But disaster struck the night before my return—drunk and disoriented, I stumbled into the wrong hotel room and ended up sleeping with the legendary financial mogul, Caspar Thornton. What the hell am I supposed to do now?

What was even more humiliating than discovering her fiancé’s affair was hearing him claim he’d lost interest in her, and that he had gotten another woman pregnant. In the world of adults, it’s never about right or wrong—only about leverage. Heather Jenner couldn’t afford to lose the status she was so close to achieving as a wealthy wife. Let him have his fun, she thought. If he could stray, why shouldn’t she find another man to father her child? And so, she set her sights on his younger brother—the one who outshone him in every way.

“Jangan buka bagian sana, kita masih di jalanan, aduh memalukan sekali!” Di depan sebuah bar pada tengah malam, aku dan pacarku mabuk berat hingga tersungkur di pinggiran trotoar. Hal yang tak kusangka adalah pacarku tiba-tiba menindih bokongku dan mulai menarik celana dalamku. Aku mengenakan rok pendek dan hanya ada selapis kain tipis di dalamnya. Jika sampai terlepas, bukannya semuanya akan terlihat oleh orang-orang? Baru saja hendak menolak, tapi saat aku menoleh ke belakang, barulah sadar bahwa ternyata pria ini bukan pacarku. ….

"Hey Jerry, that's my daughter! Where do you think you're touching?" My colleague, Jerry Steele, has had too much to drink in the bar. He's mistaken my daughter, Maya Glover, for an escort of the bar. His hand keeps roaming across her thighs. At one point, he almost reaches up her skirt to touch her. What's crazy is that Maya seems to enjoy the way Jerry touches her, based on how horny she seems. Then, I look at Jerry's daughter, Lucinda Steele. Her chest is so big that her top is about to burst from the pressure. In that case, don't blame me for what I'm about to do to your daughter, Jerry!

Rebecca Allen thought Lilac Grove was a great place to start over, away from her abusive ex-husband. But people are going missing. There’re too many hunters ready to shoot anything that moves around for everyone’s comfort. Now, the drop-dead gorgeous owner of The Wolf’s Den Bar, Robert Northgate, is missing. Rebecca was one of the last people to see him. It’s not even lunch. On the way home from work, Becky finds an injured wolf on the road. The wolf is lucky, she’s the new town vet. Robert Northgate’s day isn’t going any better. He’s under pressure to keep the money flowing for his pack. Times are hard. Though the annoying hunters are at least spending some money like it’s water but there are too many shoot first types around for Robert’s comfort. As the Shadow Mists Pack Alpha. It gets worse when he’s attacked rogue wolves in his territory. They leave him for dead on a rural road. On the same day, he meets his very human mate. How can he explain the existence of werewolves to Rebecca? It’s Robert’s job to protect his people. But his mate is a lowly human and prejudices run deep with the elders. Can he find love with his mate without losing his pack’s confidence? Can he stop the disappearances and find the missing people? Will he be able to stop the rogue wolves from taking his territory before some hunter shoots first and someone dies? Original Cover Design by Central Covers

"Om, aku salah, aku nggak akan datang ke bar lagi .... Hmm, di sana nggak boleh disentuh." Larut malam di depan pintu bar, seorang wanita cantik yang mengenakan stoking hitam mabuk, terbaring di pinggir jalan, memperlihatkan celana dalam putihnya yang bersih. Hatiku bersorak girang. Tanganku menyelinap masuk ke bawah rok pendeknya. Siapa sangka, dia mengira aku adalah ayah angkatnya yang datang untuk menghukumnya. Saking takutnya, dia tak berani bergerak. Aku memanfaatkan keadaan itu untuk membuka kedua pahanya yang putih mulus, lalu menerkamnya. Dia menjerit ketakutan, "Om! Kenapa menghukumku seperti ini?"

Four years after my death, the true heiress won the Best Actress award, but her sex tape was once again spread like wildfire. My Best Actor boyfriend, Nicholas Jennings, kicked open the rented house where I used to live, hoping to make me clarify once again that it was me in the video, but all he saw was a complete mess. The landlord happened to pass by and, upon his inquiry, scolded him, "You’re talking about Astrid Rhode? She died four years ago! A man saw the sex tape posted online and came here to have some fun with her, but she would rather die than comply. In a fit of rage, he killed her." Nicholas did not believe it at all. He kicked our couple's mugs. "Astrid made you say that, didn't she? She stole Maddie's life just because she looked like her. Did she think that helping Maddie once would atone for her sins? Tell her that none of the children in her orphanage will live if I don't see her clarification video in two days!" He strode away, and I shook my head with a wry smile. The orphanage had long since been reduced to ashes in the fire, and the children had already passed on to their next lives. I had made a deal with Death, wanting to come back and see him one last time. However, now, it seemed that the deal was better left undone.

During the holiday season, a flood hits. The company's warehouse is submerged up to the third floor. Due to the emergency, I have my assistant tell everyone to come back a day early to help. I promise that the company will provide stipends and extra time off to make up for this. But on that day, a Gen Z employee goes live across the internet to report me. "Oh, my God. It's 2025, yet there are still companies forcing employees to adjust their time off and work overtime! Is this heartless boss so broke that she needs to exploit us like this? Will she die if she doesn't squeeze us out of every drop of usefulness? Company notices override the law. Impressive stuff, this is!" Soon, the company ends up on the trending list due to criticism from the online community. Even the regulators come knocking to hold us accountable. In the end, the company is forced to cancel the notice. A lot of equipment isn't salvaged in time, resulting in significant losses. The employee even posts a victory lap. "Give the boss a tiny lesson—see if she dares to force overtime again!" I'm so angry that I laugh out loud. I tell my assistant to cancel the annual benefit we give all employees—an entire month of paid time off for Christmas and the New Year holidays. If we have to stick strictly to the law, then fine. Have it your way!

My Alpha, Ethan Alexander, and I are supposed to hold our private wedding this morning in Moonlight Forest. But he only shows up at the airport at the very last minute. Just as we are about to board, he gets an urgent phone call from his Omega assistant. "My dear, my future Luna, there's an important business deal back at the pack that I have to handle myself," he says apologetically, pulling me into a tight hug. "Why don't you go on ahead and have a good time while you wait? Just give me a few days. Once I've taken care of everything, I swear in the name of the Moon Goddess that I'll come running straight to you." Disappointment crashes over me like a wave, knocking the breath from my lungs. But pack matters always come first. I swallow the ache in my chest and force a smile as I tell him I understand. The moment Ethan turns and walks away, I rip my plane ticket into pieces. I decide to see for myself which foolish pack dares to bypass me, the true power behind Moonveil Pack and the only daughter of the Werewolf Alliance Leader. I try to negotiate a so-called important deal with an Alpha who holds the title but wields no real authority. After all, I had quietly taken back every bit of Moonveil Pack's territory and wealth just hours ago.

He’s my brother’s best friend. The golden boy of the ice rink. The one every girl in town dreams about, except I’ve been doing more than dreaming. I’ve been wanting him for years. But he’s forbidden. Not just because of my brother, who would tear the world apart if he knew what I felt, but because of what we are. Wolves. Bound by pack law. Caged by duty. And I was raised knowing the one rule that can’t be broken, never cross the line with someone who isn’t chosen for you. Except lines blur when he looks at me the way he does now. When his touch lingers too long. When his wolf calls to mine in a way I can’t ignore. On the ice, he’s ruthless, a star forward who plays to win. Off the ice, he’s reckless, dangerous, and everything I should run from. But one stolen kiss in the shadows changes everything. Suddenly, keeping secrets becomes as natural as breathing, and every game, every glance, every accidental brush of his hand is a war between what’s right and what we crave. Because this isn’t just about love, it’s about survival. Packs don’t forgive betrayal. Families don’t forgive broken trust. And if anyone finds out that I belong to him, the fallout won’t just destroy his career or my family’s name. It could start a war. He’s the one man I can’t have… and the only one my wolf refuses to let go.