Does Lillie Like Ash

After betrayal shatters her world, 17-year-old Julianne Ashwynd wants nothing more than to disappear. But when a glowing mark appears on her skin and powers she can’t control begin to stir, disappearing is no longer an option. Drawn to Blackthorn Academy—a school that shouldn’t exist—Julianne finds herself surrounded by Vampires, Werewolves, Incubi, Dragon-born… and somehow, Julianne fits right in. With her past cloaked in mystery and her magic dangerously unstable, Julianne must unravel the truth of who, and what, she is. But the four supernatural boys who orbit her each carry secrets of their own. One will betray her. One will protect her. One will awaken her magic. And one may claim her heart. But trusting the wrong monster boy could mean the end of everything.

On Valentine's Day, I set up a candlelit dinner and waited. At 9 PM, my husband, Alfred Johnston, finally texted. [Something came up at work. Don't wait for me.] Then I saw her post. [On a business trip with the CEO for Valentine's Day. Every hotel is fully booked—awkward...] Vivian Bianca, his secretary. Attached was a photo of a guy in a bathrobe, standing by a floor-to-ceiling window. The comments were all 'ooh, CEO's so hot and girl, you're in for a night.' Vivian? Just dropped a smug emoji. So that's what "something came up" meant—a romantic getaway with his secretary. I screenshotted it, posted it on my own feed, and added a smiling emoji. A second later, Alfred called, fuming. "Vivian was joking! Why are you so petty? She's young, not as calculating as you!" I didn't let him finish. "Then let's get a divorce. That way, I won't have to care when you screw around and catch something."

Ezekiel Richard Wright is not only charismatic, handsome, clever, and a world-class architect, but his characteristics and achievements make him more alluring. The CEO, who suffers from sleeplessness, is arrogant, cold, and distant. Chen Xiu Ying, also known as Bella Chen, is a mixed-race woman with an American mother and a Chinese father. Her family is one of China's wealthiest, owning four mansions in Peking and three in Shanghai. She is the daughter of the CEO of Chen Entertainment. She is also the brilliant, stubborn, and acrophobic president of La Bella Fashion Threads Co. What if the worlds of these two CEOs collided as a result of their parents' arrangement? Can they figure out what's behind their phobias and cure each other, or will they trigger each other's fears and end their marriage?

As I bent over to do the laundry, a man suddenly pressed himself against me from behind, thrusting me forward into the washing machine. My hips were left exposed to the open air, held firmly in the grasp of his hands. I was trapped, unable to move. His large hands roamed freely over my body, sending waves of heat coursing through me against my will. Pleasure shuddered through my limbs, making my legs tremble uncontrollably. When I finally managed to look back, I saw—to my shock—that the man behind me was my father-in-law.

As I head to see my boyfriend, Howard Schultz, who is working late, I get into a car accident. I call him dozens of times for help, but he doesn't answer a single one. Staring at his brightly lit office building not far away, I sink into despair. When I wake up in the hospital, I see a post from his subordinate. It's a picture showing the reflection of the two of them in the glass door, standing far closer than they should, with the caption, "What do I do when my boss is scolding me late at night?" Unwilling to believe it, I call him again. This time, he finally answers. My voice trembles. "Howard, I got into a car accident…" "Celine, I'm still working. I'll send my assistant to take care of it, okay? Be good. I'll see you after I come back from my business trip." I try to say more, but his angry shout suddenly cuts through the line. "Crystal Jennings! You're only allowed to bring one suitcase for this trip. Why do you have three? Do you think we're going on vacation?" Crystal Jennings—the new intern Howard just hired. I stare at the disconnected call, tears drying on my cheeks. I then call my parents instead. "I agree to the engagement you arranged."

I was the Alpha's lost bloodline, raised far from home. I was thin, pale, and covered in ugly scars no one wanted to look at. Lucia Abbott was the pack's jewel, carefully raised and fiercely protected. She was beautiful, powerful, and loved by everyone. Before she fell from the cliff, her soul scream tore through the entire pack. "Lyla joined the enemy! She tried to kill me!" No one questioned it. After all, who would believe a filthy lone wolf over someone as pure as moonlight? My fiancé chained me to the ritual altar. My father lit the Moonfire Trial fire with his own hands. The flames burned through my wolf spirit, ripping my memories apart and forcing them into the sky for everyone to witness. It was a public execution offered to the entire pack. But the truth was worse than death. It was slow destruction, carved piece by piece.

After being rejected by her pack, Luna finds herself consumed by a burning desire for revenge. Determined not to back down, she forms an unlikely alliance with Ethan, another outcast werewolf with his own dark past. Together, they devise a plot to unleash their desires upon the pack that wronged them, setting off a chain of events that threaten to engulf them and everything in their path. As Luna and Ethan set their plans in motion, their connection grows deeper, sparking a sizzling passion that they can't deny. However, their quest for vengeance is fraught with challenges. They must navigate rival werewolf packs and confront their own inner demons, including Luna's trust issues and Ethan's haunted past. As their desires for each other intensify, they must reconcile their unleashed passions with their thirst for revenge. In a world where loyalties are divided and forbidden desires collide, Luna and Ethan are faced with impossible choices. Will they succumb to the darkness within them, or will their second chance at love be enough to redeem them? Can they find a balance between their quest for vengeance and their longing for each other? Join Luna and Ethan on a heart-pounding journey of romance, betrayal, and redemption as they pursue their quest for vengeance and discover that sometimes, the most powerful desires can also set us free.

"I'll never ever fall for you, and sure as well I ain't gonna mark you!" Connor announced to Hailey, his bride. The marriage was his grandpa's idea, and he had no choice but to comply. Since day 1, he'd vowed to dump Hailey the minute he took over as Alpha. It would be a total disgrace if his Luna was a country girl. Oddly, ever since Hailey showed up, his savage wolf had cooled down, and it even started to communicate with him, something that seemed almost impossible before. Despite all that, his rough past rendered him insecure and paranoid. Holding on to the belief that Hailey was up to something, he hurt her nonstop in every way. By the time he finally found out how incredibly wrong he was—Hailey was literally kindness personified, it was too late. She had made up her mind to leave him for good.

Anna Steine, twenty-nine-year-old divorced Los Angeles publisher, discovers a mysterious manuscript and learns she is the reincarnated daughter of a biblical queen from 366 BCE. Risking her company and romantic relationship with the author, she must fulfill a vow made centuries ago and break a curse that finally brings her true happiness and changes the world's view of a biblical heroine.

I had just gotten home when a parent in my son’s class group chat erupted: [Ms. Zinn, what kind of place are you running? Do you let just any random stray off the street become a teacher?] [My daughter came home, grabbed two forks, and tried to jump off the balcony. She said it was Miss Never who told her to!] The homeroom teacher panicked and denied it at once, insisting there was no such person as Miss Never at the kindergarten. She even posted the official teaching schedule in the chat to prove it. On the security footage, there was not a single trace of this so-called Miss Never. However, later, my son whispered to me in secret, “Mom, Miss Never is an old lady with a cat’s face.” “She says only kids can see her.”