Frozen

The night Enzo was made boss of the Moretti family, I gave him my virginity. He was the heir I'd been promised to since before I could speak. We kissed against the floor-to-ceiling windows, tangled in the humid, twilight heat... His rough, urgent hands hurt me, but I didn't pull away. Even the pain felt sacred, a sacrifice I was willing to make for love. Lost in the heat of the moment, he promised me a pair of the most beautiful crystal shoes, so I could dance the opening waltz with him at his coronation ceremony the next day. The first dance is always reserved for the new boss and his future bride. I cried with joy, believing my years of secret pining and patient waiting would finally culminate in a fairytale ending. But I was wrong. So terribly wrong. The next morning, I dragged my aching body out to get his favorite espresso, only to overhear the guys joking as I returned: "So you finally popped the family cherry, huh? How was Vivian on your first night as boss?" Enzo's voice was lazy, mocking. "Face of an angel, body of a devil. She's a hot little viper in bed." The room erupted in sleazy whistles. "So, you really gonna marry her, young boss?" "Are you kidding me?" Enzo scoffed. "Vivian's just a warm-up. Once I get some practice in, I'll go tame the Falcone ice princess. When I get bored, I can always circle back and put a ring on her." I stood frozen in the doorway, my vision blurring, the coffee cup trembling in my hand. Before the world faded to black, I sent a coded message to the Don: "Uncle Romano, for the promotion in three days, get me a transfer. As far away from Enzo as possible."

"You’re not Luna material, Hailey. I reject you." Dimitri's cruel words echoed in her ears as Hailey stood frozen, humiliated in front of the entire pack. Her betrothed—her supposed fated mate—had shattered her in the most public way possible. But before the pain could consume her, a deep, commanding voice interrupted. "Then I’ll claim her." When shy, nerdy Hailey is publicly rejected by Dimitri her betrothed, the Alpha of the Red Moon Pack, her world crumbles. But just when hope seems lost, Paxton, the charismatic Alpha of the Blue Moon Pack, THE BASKETBALL LEADER! and her secret crush, claims her as his Luna, igniting a passion she never knew existed. As rivalries brews and jealousy threatens to tear them apart, Hailey must find her inner strength to embrace her new life and protect her heart. Will she rise above the chaos to claim her true place by Paxton’s side, or will the shadows of her past consume her?

When I became the blood bank for my mate Alpha Kane’s sweetheart, my wolf died from the endless loss of blood—and so did I, alone, in the cold den he rented to keep me out of sight. Today marks the third day since my death, and finally, my six-year-old pup noticed something was wrong. His finger bled when a toy hurt him, but I didn’t come to comfort him. When he tried to feed me his favorite food, I didn’t stop him either. He lay on my chest, gripping my clothes and whispering my name—but I didn’t respond. Desperate and helpless, my pup picked up my cellphone and called his alpha dad. “Dad, why is Mom still sleeping?” Kane didn’t answer. Instead, he sent him a photo of himself and Serena—his sweetheart—celebrating Full Moon Day, smirking. “Don’t worry. Your mom is just sleeping, not dead. You know I’m quite busy on Full Moon Day. Tell your arrogant and stubborn mom not to come find me until she admits her fault.” The call ended, leaving my pup frozen in silence. However, three days later, Kane received news of my death. He let out a gut-wrenching growl, refusing to believe it was true. Clutching my cold, lifeless body in his arms, he wept bitterly. “Kate… you are my only Luna,” he cried. “Come back. Stay with me… please.”

Maynard Hansen planned a luxury birthday cruise for Darlene Thompson, but the cruise ship capsized when a violent storm swept in without warning. Without hesitation, Maynard gave the last seat on the lifeboat to Darlene. As I struggled in the water, my son, Waldo Hansen—whom I carried for nine months and gave birth to—cried out, "Don't let Mom up! She'll push Ms. Thompson off." Clutching nothing but a broken plank, I somehow made it to shore. By the time I collapsed on the sand, I was frozen, exhausted, and done. I had never felt so alone. Shortly after, I found myself clutching a diagnosis of severe depression in my hand. I was ready to bring this wretched life to a quiet end. But when my husband and son realized I truly didn't want to live anymore, they collapsed into tears. They wrapped their arms around me as they sobbed, "Please don't leave us. We really can't live without you."

"Oh my," he smirked, his fingers tracing circles on my trembling thighs. "You're already so wet, yet you pretend you don't want this..." My innocent eyes remained fixed on him, my lips frozen in silence. "Now, spread your legs for me, Nurse Eva," he commanded, his tone firm. "It's time to have me treated..." *** After being wrongly accused and rejected by her mate, Eva Chapman finds herself entangled with a mysterious Alpha who saves her from her misery. He takes her in, offering refuge from the ridicule she faced, but at a steep price. Desperate for revenge against those who wronged her, Eva agrees to care for the Alpha like a nurse tends to her patient, even if it means surrendering to his desires.

**"This isn’t just any party, it’s your wedding."** The words hit me like a truck as I stood frozen in disbelief. **"To Angelo Rizzo."** My stepbrother’s voice was cold, detached. My heart pounded in my chest. **"You’re joking, right?"** But one look at his face told me he wasn’t. **"You’re the payment for my debt to the Cosa Nostra."** His betrayal was a knife twisting in my gut. --- Attending a party with my stepbrother, I was prepared for an ordinary night. Instead, I was thrown into a nightmare. Without warning, I found myself standing beside Angelo Rizzo—a man as feared as he is cold—as his bride. My stepbrother owed the Cosa Nostra money, and I was his only way out. With no escape and no choice, I now wear a wedding ring tied to a man I fear. Three hours later, my world has turned upside down. There’s no running from Angelo, no hiding from the life ahead. My only hope? To survive being married to the infamous Angelo Rizzo.

Luca's expression turned serious. "What's going on, Isabella? You can tell me anything." Isabella took a deep breath before blurting out the truth. "I'm pregnant, Luca." The room fell silent. Luca's eyes widened in shock. Isabella continued, her voice shaking. "And the father... is Vincent Moreno." Luca's face turned grim. "The mafia king?" Isabella nodded, feeling a wave of fear wash over her. She knew what this meant. She knew that she couldn't keep her pregnancy a secret from Vincent. He would stop at nothing to claim his child. Luca's voice brought her back to reality. "You know what this means, don't you? You can't keep this a secret from him. He'll find out, and when he does... " Isabella's eyes flashed with determination. "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my child, Luca. I'll go to the ends of the earth to keep them safe from him." Luca's expression turned somber. "How long can you keep running, Isabella? You can't hide forever." Isabella's jaw set in determination. "As long as I'm alive, Luca. I'll never let him near my child." *** "WHERE IS MY CHILD, ISABELLA?" He thundered, his eyes blazing with fury. Isabella's cup fell from her hands, shattering on the floor. She felt like she was frozen in time, unable to move or speak. The man took a step closer, his eyes fixed on hers. "You've been hiding my child from me for seven years. It's time I took what's mine."

I always thought my wife was just an ordinary "brother-loving sister," the kind who would do anything for her brother. But one night, I watched in frozen horror as she dismembered her brother in our storage room. Then, as if nothing had happened, she turned and looked straight at me. She flashed her usual gentle smile. "Honey," she called softly, her voice sweet and familiar—exactly the same as always.

Hera is a hired assassin sent to kill the king, but what she doesn’t know is this job will change her entire world. When she arrives at the annual ball and meets King Ambrose, she discovers not only that shifters exist but that the entire court is part of the pack. Ambrose reveals she’s his mate and asks her to stay to find who is behind the plot against him. With no other choice, Hera is thrown into dangerous court politics, flirtatious seductions with both the king and prince and a mystery that continues to evade her.  *** Ambrose takes the second knife and, somehow, without touching my chest, slides it beneath my corset from the top. His lips are inches from mine, his breath warm against my own. I’m still frozen, unable to think or react. I swear I see the light catch his eyes, making them glow. But in the next moment, it’s gone.    *** The Shifter King is written by Amara Nelson, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Sylvie was willing to risk everything. She knew that the craziest thing she had done was to love Lucas Wright, the man who deceived her and disappeared from her life after his pack attacked her pack and killed her father. Years passed and Sylvie had learned to close her heart to any men. But then Ray Howard came into the picture and captured her cold and distant heart. As she investigated the incident seventeen years ago, Ray extended a hand to her and promised he would help her bring justice to what happened to her former pack. Would his patience, presence, and kindness become a way to thaw her frozen heart? What would happen if Lucas Wright returned to her life and found out he had a son with Sylvie and She hid the child from him for several years? Would Lucas help Sylvie get the justice she had been seeking for the innocent lives lost in that incident? And who would Sylvie choose? Ray, who had been by her side almost lost everything after he chose her, defying his parent’s orders. Or Lucas, who came back to redeem himself after he betrayed Sylvie and their child?