Dance Slow

Two souls, forged in suffering, would collide in a dance of darkness and desire, testing the limits of love and redemption. Their paths meet when Asher's sister becomes the target of a predator, and Kaidën sees an opportunity for justice. As they navigate their dark worlds, they must confront the demons that haunt them. Will Asher's desire for protection and Kaidën's quest for vengeance spark a twisted romance, or will their shattered reflections destroy them? *** “You killed my mother.” Asher's voice trembled with fury. Kaidën's smile was cold, almost mirthful. “Who gave your sister to her husband who sold her to pay off his debts.” “I watched you murder her in cold blood!” Asher’s fists clenched around the gun he held pointed at the killer, memories of that night flooding back. Kaidën leaned closer, a sinister smile creeping onto his face. "I remember begging you to look away. But you didn’t. Did you enjoy it, Asher? Watching the woman who shattered your world writhe in agony? Or would you prefer to keep that little secret buried deep? Ah, but don’t answer that. Come, help me gather the pieces of your father's remains. It’s time to tidy up this little mess." Asher’s eyes widened in horror, realization crashing over him like a wave. All this time, he had been unaware that he was not only a witness to his father’s murder, but had watched it unfold until the very end, just like he had done that night when he watched his mother’s murder. Nodding, he picked up the severed hand of his father—the same hand that had beaten and broken him until his skin grew numb to pain. ‘Oh, sweet Emily, if only you could see our father now. How the mighty have fallen.’

I was on the verge of unbuckling his belt when he pulled away so forcefully I stumbled forward, disoriented by the sudden loss of contact. My core throbbed, my nipples could cut diamonds, and my skin was so sensitive even the brush of air caused me to tremble. But when the fog of sensation dissipated, I realized Alex was glaring at me. “Fuck.” He scrubbed a hand over his face, his scowl fierce enough to make grown men quake. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.” “Alex—” “No. What the hell were you thinking?” he bit out. “Did you think we would fuck in the kitchen while your friends are in the other room?” Heat scorched my cheeks. “If this is about Josh—” “It’s not about Josh.” Alex pinched the bridge of his nose and exhaled a slow, controlled breath. “Not entirely.” “Then what is it?” He wanted me. I knew he did; I felt it, and I’m not just talking about the massive bulge straining his pants. Yes, Josh would attempt to murder us both if he found out what happened, but he couldn’t stay mad at us forever. Besides, he didn’t return to D.C. until Christmas. We had time. “It’s me. And you. Together. It won’t work.” Alex’s glare intensified. “Whatever fantasies you have of us swirling in that pretty head of yours, kill them. That kiss was a one-time mistake. It’ll never happen again.”

"You think you've seen me unhinged?" I asked with a dark grin. "Tonight... I'm not your husband. I'm the man you betrayed." I kissed her then, without restraint, and she stifled a moan that threatened to escape her lips. "You should be scared," I whispered, brushing my fingertips along her spine, slow and teasing, then down over the swell of her ass. My palm lingered, gripping one cheek possessively. "Because you've just given yourself to the devil." I leaned down, my lips brushing her ear. "And the devil? He doesn’t believe in mercy." .... I should have known better than to sign his contract. My new husband was never meant to be real. He was supposed to be a name on paper, a shield against the vultures circling my late husband's empire. An arrangement with an expiration date. But Killian Cross doesn't let go. He's ruthless, obsessive, and dangerously possessive. The kind of man who doesn't just own his empire. He owns everything in his grasp. And now, that includes me. I thought I could play his game. That I could survive the year, take my freedom, and walk away unscathed. I was wrong. Because my contract husband has made one thing clear. I belong to him now. But what if he's the real enemy hidden in the shadows?

Eidolon Avenue: Where the secretly guilty go to die. One building. Five floors. Five doors per floor. Twenty-five nightmares feeding the hunger lurking between the bricks and waiting beneath the boards. The sequel to Eidolon Avenue: The First Feast (“a great read...powerful and jarring” - Cemetery Dance) returns to the voracious Eidolon as it savors The Second Feast. A narcoleptic man in apartment 2A battles a vengeful past determined to rob him of everything as he runs from the barbaric disaster of a delusional love. A woman in 2B, reinventing herself to please a callous boyfriend, discovers the horrors that wait in the shadows of her self-renovation. The man in 2C, a teacher at the nearby Catholic girl’s school, collapses beneath the brutal consequences of his lecherous desires. An older woman in 2D, after decades dedicated to the church, is cornered at last by the grisly carnage beating at the hollow center of her faith. And a college student in 2E, hungry to escape an ignored life of invisible anonymity, finds herself captured between the pages of a ravenous book. All thrown into their own private hell as every cruel choice, every drop of spilled blood, every silent, complicit moment of cowardice is remembered, resurrected and relived to feed the ancient evil that lives on Eidolon Avenue. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

"I need you," he whispered as I felt the pressure of him at my entrance. "It hurts," I whimpered. "I will go as slow as you could endure," he said trailing soft kisses to my shoulder all the way to my ear. "Why can I not be free to find my mate? This is unfair to him," I said placing my hands on the king's firm chest. "Because you are mine, McKenna," he whispered. "I am for no one," I rebutted. "I will never hurt you, my love. If you want me to stop all you must do is ask," he said gathering my hands in his before he eased himself inside me. The myth of the bastards has been long gone from the texts of history. It has been said that this treachery of dragging bastards back hasn't occurred in the last hundred years as it became frowned upon. Some even say that the Moon Goddess will curse her werewolf children if this epidemic was to begin happening again. Why can't life just be simple?

“You stare like you’re trying to memorize me,” she murmured quietly, without looking up. He stepped closer, voice rough. “I already have. Every inch. Every sigh. But I still feel like I’m starving for you.” He walked up behind her. His fingers trail over her collarbone, slow, reverent. She shivers. “You shouldn’t touch me like that,” she whispered. “Say stop, and I will. But don’t lie.” He leaned down, brushing his lips against the side of her neck. Her breath hitched. “This… this is dangerous.” He murmured, “You’re the most dangerous thing in my life. I’ve killed men with steadier hands than I have when I’m near you.” She turned to face him, their eyes locked. One look—everything trembled between them. “Let me ruin every thought you have of gentleness, Inayat. Let me be the fire you crave but don’t dare name.” He lifted her, gently, set her on the table beside the couch. His hands lingered on her thighs, the tension coiling like smoke in the air. He whispered, “You asked me once why I watch you like I might break. It’s because loving you has become my most violent instinct.” *** When King Agnil is betrayed and slain by his own commander, Samarth, his kingdom falls into chaos—and his daughter, Inayat, becomes the obsession of the man who murdered her father. Years later, the exiled prince, Ayman, returns to reclaim the throne. His plan? Use Samarth’s sister as a weapon of revenge. But as vengeance tangles with emotion, Ayman finds himself torn between justice and the forbidden pull of love. Can he destroy the man who stole everything—without losing the girl who might save him?

HE WAS BORN TO INHERIT AN EMPIRE... UNTIL ONE SINGLE MISTAKE COST HIM EVERYTHING! Heir to an empire with a last name that opens every door, Asher West was powerful. An Alpha bred to be dominant, Asher takes what he wants and leaves behind a trail of broken hearts, never looking back. But for all his arrogance, Asher had two weaknesses. His taste for danger…and his blistering, malignant, and seething HATRED for his half-brother, Zane West. And that hatred was the key to opening the pandora’s box of his misery. Now stripped of his status, his pride, and his biology, Asher finds himself trapped in an Omega’s body, in a world that only worships the strength of an Alpha. And worse, the man holding the leash is none other than the one he hated the most. His half-brother, now his master. Zane West. The bastard no one wanted. The illegitimate Alpha, who clawed his way out of nothing while watching Asher like a wolf watches a dying stag. Silent. Cold. Hungry. There’s no mercy or humanity left in Zane’s gaze, only the promise of ownership. And the slow, patient destruction of the golden prince who once ruled him. Zane doesn’t want love. Or even forgiveness. He wants to own Asher, furrow deep into his skull until his entire existence revolves around pleasing him, Zane West. In a war for dominance where obsession replaces love and revenge tastes like sex and blood, who really wields the power?

Natacha, was never accepted in the supernatural world. The whispered myth and abomination among supernatural beings, she is hunted relentlessly by a coven of sorcerers. Forced into hiding with her adopted father among humans, she yearns for a simple mortal life filled with adventure and friendship. But fate has other plans when Natacha crosses paths with a she-wolf, igniting a friendship that will forever change her destiny. As the most hunted creature in existence, can she still find solace in her dreams of a normal life? And what happens when she catches the attention of the enigmatic Alpha King himself? Alpha Luciano Black, the first hybrid and sole survivor of the vampire king's venom, is a force to be reckoned with. Known for his immortality, unrivaled strength, and unyielding ferocity, Luciano seeks redemption and salvation in the form of a mate. He believes that she holds the key to his redemption, the missing piece that will bring light into his eternal existence. However, when the Alpha King sets out to find a mysterious she-wolf, he stumbles upon Natacha instead. Filled with secrets and a fierce determination to have nothing to do with him, she presents an unexpected challenge to his plans. Will their paths intertwine in a dance of fate and desire? Can Natacha find the courage to embrace her true nature and accept the love of an Alpha King?

High School students Logan, Charlie, and Jennifer fall in love for the first time. The experiences are magical. The first kiss, the first dance, and the emotions of tender love. They are challenged by being from different social standing. They are challenge by the parent approval and disapproval. They must deal with physical and emotional challenges. Can the relationships endure until the end?

"Tell me, Mr Blue. Was it worth it? Is it worth it? Will it be worth it?" It wasn't and it never will be. Not in Erin's eyes tinted blue. Not in the eyes of the hopeless young man doomed to the clutches of fate; doomed to eternal pain. Did beauty lie between the cracks of fate? Does the Moon know of the Sun who died every night to let the Moon breathe? Erin, a poor, hospital bound boy just wants to be like everyone else, to love someone. Every day, he escapes to the virtual world with his wings of freedom, creating his own reality where things goes the way he wants. That world gave him a real, painless body, with infinite possibilities. Life got that much harder when, Uriel, a rich boy enters this realm and steals Erin’s world. The man who says the ugliest of words with the smoothest of tones. Does he help Erin, or dig him deeper? OR Erin wanted love and got pain instead. Things changed, and so did Uriel. INCLUDES: futuristic virtual reality, Persian mythology (minor), romance, sci-fi, slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers, rich/poor dynamic, mythology, distance, cold families, battles, quests, stars and moon metaphor. WARNING: includes mentions of depression, swearing, and sexually explicit content.