Enigmatic Smile

The end of the world was upon us, but there weren't enough spots for evacuation. The roars of the zombies echoed in my ears as my fiancé, Oliver, gritted his teeth and pulled me onto the rescue vehicle—securing the last available seat. I arrived safely at the survivor base. Lina, his first love, did not. The zombies tore her apart. Oliver still went through with our marriage, but I never expected that he had only done so to make me suffer. In his eyes, I was the one who had killed Lina. If she had to endure such agony, then I should, too. For five years, he hated me. My life was worse than that of a stray dog scavenging for food on the street. On the day my divorce was finalized, he kidnapped me, dragged me into the wilderness, and wrapped his fingers around my throat. Then, he threw us both into the swarm of the undead. When I opened my eyes again, I was somehow reborn on the day the apocalypse began. The rescue team was shouting impatiently, "One more! We have room for one more—hurry!" I turned to Oliver, watching his hesitation. Then, with a quiet smile, I took a step back and let someone else have the last seat.

Leon Ma, a freshly graduated doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, never expected his life to take such a dark turn. Drugged and sold to the Darkwood Continent — a land where sunlight never shines, demons rule, and humans are treated as little more than pawns. Confused and disoriented, Leon wakes to find himself forced into a marriage with the seemingly gentle yet scheming second prince of the demon realm. Just as he begins to accept his grim fate, the cold and fearsome first prince intervenes, shattering the engagement and abducting Leon for his own purposes. Trapped between the two princes—one calculating and manipulative, the other ruthless and enigmatic—Leon must navigate their dangerous power plays while struggling to survive as a powerless human in a world of darkness and demons. With no allies and only his skills in medicine and his supernatural sensitivity to rely on, Leon must find a way to escape the web of schemes that binds him before he becomes a casualty in the deadly rivalry between the two princes.

My mate, Charalambos, was the heir to the Nightshade Pack. To take over as Alpha, he was sent to Noctis City, the capital city, for special training. When he left, my stepsister, Francesca, insisted on going with him. He refused at first, but she forced his hand, threatening a hunger strike until he gave in. Eventually, he allowed her to accompany him as his assistant. This went on for three years. Throughout those three years, our mate bond stayed strong. I never felt the slightest hint of betrayal. He constantly reassured me through our mind-link. "You're the only one for me." At some point, I started receiving photos anonymously. Francesca kissed him in the face, but he never refused. Once, Charalambos and I were on a video call in the dark, and I could hear Francesca’s breathless voice clearly while she whispered his name in the heat of it. Three years later, the day he returned to the pack, I saw her walking behind him. She had been with pup for five months, and there was a smug, victorious smile on her face. He looked at me apologetically. Guilt was written all over his face. "I'm sorry. I’ve only ever loved you. Once the pup comes, you can raise it." I was done. I had waited for three years. I made up my mind to reject him.

I spend three torturous years in a dark underground cell after taking the fall for Cole Greyhouse, a member of the nobility. He once held my hand tightly and tearfully promised that he would wait for me to return. Then, he would take my hand in marriage. However, he doesn't show up on the day I'm released from prison. I head to the palace to look for him, but all I see is him with his arm around another woman. He also has a mocking smile on his face. "Do you really think a former convict like you deserves to become a member of the royal family?" Only then do I understand that he's long since forgotten about the three years he was supposed to wait for me. I'm devastated, and my heart dies. I accept the marriage my family has arranged for me. On the big day, Cole crashes my wedding with his comrades and laughs raucously. "Are you that desperate to be my secret lover, Leah? How dare you put on a wedding gown meant for a royal bride to force me into marriage? You're pathetic!" Just then, his uncle, Fenryr Greyhouse, the youngest Alpha King in Lunholm's history, hurriedly arrives. He drapes a shawl around my shoulders and slides a wedding ring onto my finger. That's when Cole panics.

Claire, the chosen one by the moon goddess was born to Omega parents and unable to shift at sixteen, she experienced loneliness and exclusion. Alpha Jacob had mated with her and heartlessly dumped her the next morning because she was a human. Upset Claire flees, concealing a three-year-old child. Four years later, destiny reunites them, sparking a story of love, deceit, and a band that could possibly make a comeback. ************************* Mike noticed her with his sharp eyes and enthusiastically yelled, "Momma!" before running towards me. His face lit up with a bright smile as I eagerly embraced him, his happiness infectious and briefly lightening the burden of the difficult situation. While embracing Mike closely, I made eye contact with Alpha Jacob. At that moment, I noticed a spark of recognition in his gaze. He had only just discovered that Mike was his child. Claire who is disguise to be Bella resolve to protect Mike and maintain her new identity, as Bella is tested by Jacob's relentless pursuit and the undeniable connection between him and Mike. The story concludes with an air of uncertainty, as Bella must decide whether to confront her past and potentially reconcile with Jacob, or to continue safeguarding her son and moving forward without him.

Amalie finds herself trapped in a fate worse than death. As a spirit wolf who cannot shift, her existence is considered a bad omen by her pack. Fated to Easton, the cruel and manipulative future Alpha of the Hallowed Moon pack, her life becomes nothing more than a series of cruel games and harsh punishments. But the arrival of the fearsome Alpha Jericho turns Amalies world upside down. Jericho, a powerful Alpha with a devastating past, harbours secrets that could destroy them both. His sudden interest in Amalie is not coincidental—she holds the key to his vengeance. As hidden truths slowly surface, Amalie must decide if she can trust the enigmatic Alpha who promises freedom from Easton. With each passing day, the stakes grow higher, and Amalie is drawn deeper into a deadly plot that could either set her free or seal her fate forever. ** Jericho growls softly and pushes my panties to the side – just enough to bare the hollow of my groin. Her rubs his nose along the spot where my leg and groin meets, and without any warning sinks his teeth into the soft flesh right below my hip. He gets to his feet and wipes a droplet of blood away with his thumb. He stares at it for a moment, then curl his full lips around his finger while he looks straight at me. He doesn't attempt to hide the bulge in his trousers, acting as if this is the most natural thing in the world. "You have to remember, Amalie," he says gruffly, "that this is not a real bond.” Bewildered, all I can do is stare at him and nod.

I finally became pregnant after my husband and I underwent over a dozen rounds of IVF. However, to my horror, I discovered that the embryo growing inside me was the fertilized egg of my husband and the family maid. They even schemed to have me disappear so that the child could inherit everything. I pretended not to know, carried the child to term, and took care of him, raising him with love and care. It was not until 20 years later that they forced me to sign a share transfer agreement by my hospital bed, along with a divorce agreement that left me with nothing. "After 20 years, we finally have our happy family. You never saw this coming, did you? The child you fought so hard to give birth to is my biological son!" Even my son, without any remorse, said, "Honestly, your illness is beyond help. It'd be better for you to just die." With a knowing, almost bittersweet, smile I replied, "For your happiness, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"Tomorrow, we don't have to speak of this again." I hardly know what I'm asking. I just know I want whatever it is. He watches me with an intensity only he is capable of. "Put my hand where you want me to touch you." **** Vaela should never have gone up that mountain. She should never have tried to find the Immortal Prince. But she did, and now she's mortal in a land of immortals, fighting to find her mate in order to save her own life. Yet the enigmatic Prince trying to save her life is getting in her way. How can she concentrate on finding her true mate when she is confined to his home, unable to resist him? Unless, of course, he is the answer to all her problems. *Mature Content! Read at your own discretion!*

[ WARNING: MATURE CONTENT] "You're an offer to me this night and there's nothing you can do to change my mindset, because, after this day, I'm going to be your worst nightmare," he said in that blink of a scary smile that washed across his lips. _____ She was convinced to have a nightstand with a stranger to save her father's legacy, but never in her life had she thought after that night. Her life was going to change completely and she would become a bride to the ruthless man in the city.

On Christmas Eve, my father got the man I had secretly loved for ten years drunk and sent him to my bed. When I woke up the next morning, Roy pulled away from my attempt at a good-morning kiss. His voice was cold and distant as he agreed to marry me. After the wedding, Roy wasted no time submitting a transfer request. He took an overseas post and left. He did not return for five years. I gave birth to our daughter, Eve, alone and waited for him to come back home. When I heard that Roy had finally applied to return to a domestic position, I was overjoyed. I spent days preparing, imagining our first reunion as husband and wife. But even when the clock struck midnight, he still hadn't come home. Our daughter, ever so thoughtful, placed her most treasured possession—a photograph of Roy—into my hands. "Don't cry, Mommy," she said softly. "Look, Daddy's right here." I tried to convince myself that his absence was due to a delayed flight. But later that night, while watching the news, I saw him. He was on a crowded city street, holding a young girl in his arms. Beside him stood a woman, her smile soft and warm. Facing the camera, Roy said, "Being with them is my greatest wish." At that moment, something inside me broke. I wrote up the divorce papers, packed our things, and planned to take Eve to change her identity. I didn't want him anymore. The day before we left, a man I had never met came to see me. He was Roy's father. "You could call me Dad," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips. "But I'd rather you call me Ryan." I told him everything about the past five years—how I had waited, how I had hoped. When I finished, he laughed softly, an unusual warmth in his voice. "If it was just business," he said, "perhaps your father should have tied a bow around me and sent me to your bed instead. But I hold my liquor well—if I ever end up wrapped in a bow, you can be sure it's by choice."