Flowing River

The Falcon Ridge Series Book 1 Anna Riker: I have no patience for the military Security unit. I have a giant chip on my shoulder and it didn't help when one soldier almost gets himself killed and I have to save him. There's something about this soldier that gets under my skin. I don't want to find out, but the closer I get, the more I can't help myself. River Blake: I'm next in line to take over my pack. I joined the security unit over a year ago to appease my father. When he says I need my fated mate to get my title, yeah I'm angry. Until I see a woman, dressed in leather. She says our future together could never be, but I'll do everything i can to prove to her that she's for me and I'm for her. Michael Dorian: I know Im being used. I didn't mind at first, but now things have changed. When she meets some soldier, a rage boils in my gut. Like a powder keg ready to explode. I have to prove to Anna she's for me and only me. And I will. Even if I have commit treason and murder to do it.

In the shadows of polite society, the ancient practices of oppression, segregation, and slavery abound. The Moon Goddess has a plan, and change is on the horizon, but only if an abused and wolfless orphan is strong enough to survive. Late one night, a mysterious woman appears on the doorstep of a history professor in the Dark Sky Pack. Leaving a child with them to raise as their own, the woman is never seen again. They name the little girl Electra after a Greek Goddess. She is raised as one of the family and accepted by the family even when she did not receive a wolf and is rejected by the pack. Abused and mistreated by the Dark Sky Pack, she flees to a nearby human town to attend college. The Alpha of the Dark Sky Pack calls a council meeting the same weekend that Electra is graduating. With the Elders and Council in attendance, Electra meets a female Alpha and her life changes. When the Crystal River Pack hosted the annual Hunt, Alpha Wyatt changed all the rules. Hadrian volunteered as a Guard for a Maidan and while at the mating ceremony for Alpha Wyatt and Luna Celeste, his world is turned upside down. Hadrian, a firefighter for Crystal Falls, now finds himself as a single father of two little girls. Come on the adventure of Electra and Hadrian as they find their place in the world…

The night my husband, William Costello, was assassinated by his enemies was supposed to be a celebration—our wedding anniversary. I was dressed in his favorite red dress, waiting for him, when the phone rang. "Mr. Costello was shot at the harbor. The bullet went through the back of his head. He died on the spot." I collapsed to the floor. I clung to his belongings, mourning for a week straight. We even lost our unborn child during this time. Everyone said William and I were true love. Even the Don himself came to the funeral, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder with a sigh. He said, "All of Blackhaven knows you were the only woman he ever loved." Grief nearly destroyed me. I stood at the river's edge, ready to follow William into the afterlife. However, I overheard my sister-in-law, Emily Hawkins, leaning into my brother-in-law, Jones Costello, her voice dripping with a twisted affection. She purred, "William, I love you so much. Between Nina and me, who do you think is sexier?" "Of course it's you, babe!" came the husky reply. I stood frozen, my eyes wide and my body trembling. Why was Emily calling my brother-in-law by my husband's name?

Michael is the alpha of the Red River pack; his cruelty and contempt towards the woman he is meant to love and protect are vile. Will the woman survive? Can they rebuild the rest of their lives, or will his cruelty forever break their minds, bodies, and souls? Nicole was his chosen mate. She knew and experienced firsthand the depths of his depravity. Young, naive, and innocent, she fell victim to his manipulations, only to be discarded when he had no more use for her. To truly know someone, you have to know where they came from; my name is Layla, they are my parents, and this is our story. It never ceased to amaze me how the moon goddess allowed someone like my father to exist. How could she stand by and let one man ruin so many lives, and yet she constantly challenges the rest of us with so much loss and sorrow? I rose above every obstacle put in my path. I have loved, lost, and suffered at the hands of others, and yet I'm still here. I overcame my struggles tougher, stronger, and more determined to build a better life for my people, pack, and family. And I did; we finally made it. I stare at the people in the room. They came into my life when I needed them the most; they are my family, and I love them all.

Warning, mengandung konten dewasa! Dalam permainan penuh tipu daya, satu hasrat terlarang bisa mengubah segalanya. Dipaksa menikah dalam perjodohan dengan seorang pewaris kaya yang tidak ia cintai, Lena bertekad untuk melarikan diri. Rencananya? Menyamar sebagai wanita yang tidak menarik agar suaminya muak dan segera menceraikannya. Namun segalanya tak berjalan sesuai rencana. Neil River—paman dari suaminya yang misterius—adalah pria kejam dan berbahaya yang tahu jauh lebih banyak daripada yang seharusnya. Bukan hanya menyadari penyamaran Lena, ia juga mengetahui kehidupan gandanya sebagai pemilik misterius klub karaoke elite yang dibicarakan para pria secara diam-diam. Alih-alih membongkarnya, Neil justru tertarik. Ia menggoda Lena, hingga wanita itu terjebak dalam permainan berbahaya—di mana batas antara moral, nafsu, dan cinta mulai kabur. Bisakah Lena melepaskan diri dari pesona pria yang seharusnya tak pernah ia cintai—paman dari suaminya sendiri? “Jadi? Kau berhasil merayu suamimu hari ini?” “Tidak, Om. Aku sudah dandan cantik sejak subuh tadi, tapi… dia tetap saja jijik melihatku.” “Lalu bagaimana kalau… aku yang tergoda?” “Om… bercanda, kan?”

In the world of werewolves, tradition is everything. Ancient customs, passed down through generations, dictate that females endure brutal mating ceremonies, leaving them scarred both physically and emotionally. When Celeste faces her own impending mating, she makes a daring choice: to escape the pack and forge her own path. Only days before her Hunt, she runs away to the Marines. The next Alpha of the Crystal River Pack can scent his mate while he is at the Hunt at the Silver Lake Pack. Yet he can't find her. The new Alpha warns Wyatt that if he chases after Celeste, she will run from him. He courts her through old fashioned letters carefully orchestrated through her brother. While he is in the Navy and she's in the Marines, they cross paths, but he keeps his distance. Will she manage to break free from the oppressive traditions that have claimed so many before her, or will the relentless pull of her family and heritage drag her back? The Hunt chronicles the terrifying mating rituals of the werewolves. However, interwoven in a story of masochism, true love is born. Are the bonds of love, friendship, and the fight against tradition strong enough to save Celeste? Find out in this moving narrative about challenging the status quo and the courage it takes to forge a new destiny.

After I became pregnant, my figure changed, and my face grew puffy. My fiancé began to treat me with a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of disdain. When the baby was five months along, it happened to be Valentine's Day. That day, he finally agreed to take our wedding photos, something I'd been hoping for. But just as we arrived at the bridal studio, his phone rang. "Mike, I just got back to the country. My friends are hosting a gathering, and everyone's bringing their boyfriends. Could you come and pretend to be mine?" It was a few short sentences, yet it completely altered the expression on his face. He turned abruptly, stepping out of the studio with a look of urgency. "Lucy's back. I have to go see her," he said. Hearing those words, a fire of rage ignited inside me, one I couldn't suppress. "For her? You're going to leave me here alone?" I demanded. "Do you even know how long I've been looking forward to today? It's Valentine's Day, and instead of staying with me, you're going to be with her?" His impatience flared visibly as I stood my ground. Without a word, his hand pushed me aside, and he strode out of the shop. "We can take wedding photos any day. I'm the only one Lucy has in this country. I have to go see her," he said. Then, gripping my wrist with alarming force, he shoved me, sending me sprawling to the floor. Without a backward glance, he got into his car and drove off. I felt a sudden, wet heat flowing from my lower abdomen. Pain surged through my stomach, sharp and unbearable, as my consciousness started to fade. A wave of despair and terror consumed me. Someone. Anyone. Please save my baby.

I'd never forget how cold the icy waters of the Sandford River were. In my previous life, I was Dalia Valentino, the future Donna of the Rossi family that they'd already acknowledged. But later on, I got betrayed by my fiance, Marco Rossi, and my cousin, Alice Palermo. They stole my betrothal contract away and took over my family's resources. In the end, they used me as a human shield and got me killed during a crossfire between our families. The moment I felt a bullet penetrating my chest, I saw Marco protecting Alice. As for my childhood friend, Riccardo Corleone, who had always watched me from behind, rushed over to me like a madman. He scooped my cooling corpse into his arms before letting out an anguished roar. That was why after I got reborn, I didn't hesitate to kick Marco to the curb and marry Riccardo, resulting in me becoming the Donna of the Corleone family. I thought Riccardo was my savior. Little did I know that fate was just playing a crueler prank on me. Both men had always been in love with the same woman this whole time. In this case, I decided to quit this game of romance and deceit.

"I love you." She blurted out, eyes wide, filled with unshed tears as they both stared at each other. "I love you and I know you know that so please don't say what happened was a mistake or that you're leaving me." Her cracked at the last statement. "Don't destroy us." She moved closer to him, putting a gentle hand on his arm. He lifted his gaze to hers and she feared whatever it is he was going to say the way his eyes looked. They've never looked so....empty. "Darling, there is nothing to destroy if there was nothing to ever break. There was never an us Idalia." He stated venom lacing his words. "What?" Her voice cracked "Whatever happened between us was a mistake. I regret it." Her face crumpled as her hand dropped from his arm, putting space between them. "Don't say that." "Just leave Idalia." He turned his back to awards her and continued stuffing clothes into his bag. After some time, "Okay." She nodded her head in understanding, wiping her tears, trying to stop the already flowing tears. Glancing at him one more time, she walked out of his room. When Idalia Bianchi confesses her love to Ivan Volklov, her best friend and the heir to the Italian mafia, he does not reciprocate the feeling. Years after walking out of the room of the one she loves, he is back in her life. Her brother's best friend. It’s finally time for her to find a husband and according to her family tradition it has to be an arranged marriage and what better and safer match for her than a member of the Italian mafia. Even though there is already an alliance between the families, a marriage makes it more "sophisticated", like her father says.

The crowd starts a countdown to midnight like New Year’s Eve. I close my eyes and smile, holding Liam’s hand tightly. Everyone yells “ONE!” and cheers. I open my eyes and see the iridescent liquid light of the full moon pouring out of the giant orb flowing down over us. People around us ooh and ahh at the beautiful sight.  When the first rays of moonlight cascade over my skin, I feel a heat inside me turn into a burning fire. I gasp and look up at Liam. He looks at me with wide, surprised eyes. “Mate,” he murmurs and squeezes my hand tighter. It isn’t a comforting feeling. There are no sparks like people describe when they touch their mate. Maybe it takes a few minutes to develop. I smile and try to admire Liam, but I don't want to say it back. Nothing feels different. I still love him, but he’s not the one. Liam is looking at me, but it isn’t a look of true love. It’s lustful and carnal. I feel a pit in my stomach. Liam isn’t my mate. How can this be? And how was he able to call me his mate if he’s not mine? “Zara,” a woman’s voice says in my head, “My name is Lavender. I’m your wolf and you’re in grave danger, my dear. You need to run. You need to run now. Your life depends on it.” “My… wolf?” With everything that happened the past couple of hours, I forgot she was waking up. “L-Lavender, what’s happening? What do you know?” Lavender repeats her order. “Zara, you need to run. I can explain later. I’m so sorry this is happening to you, sweet girl.”