Gallant Ve Schwab

All my life, I've been thinking about the same thing...That because of who I was, I was destined to be alone forever... But who would've thought, that I was actually destined to be bound to Death himself... "His fingers went under my chin, coaxing me to look back up at him and as soon as I did, my heart started racing again, noticing the way his haunting eyes were now trained on my lips as he huskily said those two words again, "Forgive me." And before I could utter a single word, his soft, plump lips crashed against mine in a chaste, yet passionate kiss, sending warm tingles all over my body, making my heart almost jump out of my chest as we stayed like that for a few moments, before he suddenly pulled back, staring at me a little shocked, only now realizing what he had just done, then turned around and quickly walked away, leaving me standing there, speechless."

I could've sworn I was in sanity but everyone thought I wasn't. The same thought whirled through the heads of my parents who specifically gave birth to me. With that, I found myself falling in love with my own solitude. I fought my demons alone. I chose to live by myself and isolated myself from the people I love. I'd been searching long and hard for a hand to hold. Then suddenly, a small light hidden in the depths of darkness flashed before me and the wall that I've been unconsciously building to protect myself vanished in an instant. Once again, I felt the affection and I was desperate to keep it. However, little did I know that a lot of malevolent eyes were keeping track of what I do. I am not who I think I am. The other world has confirmed it. But my past won't allow me to change. Will I keep on choosing love? Or will I accept my destiny that has been long engraved in the prophecy?

On the day before the marking ceremony, my Alpha mate, Zev Briarwood, is wounded in a battle and loses his memory. He forgets everything… including me. To help him restore his memories and Alpha pride, I go all out. I seek out an evil witch to trade my precious heartblood and fangs for her magic, nearly dying in the process. I sketch jewelry designs day and night, selling them just to earn money and to find every possible memory cure. When I drag my battered body to visit Zev at the clinic, I overhear him laughing with his buddies. "Your acting's next level, Zev! Kira still hasn't figured out you're faking it, and you've delayed the marking ceremony!" A buddy snickers. Zev gulps his wine and grins. "I'm definitely winning the bet that I'd sleep with 100 women at parties. Once I've had my fun, I'll go back to her for my mate duties and complete that marking ceremony."

Community Service. Two words I should be thankful for, but I’m not. I resent the hours it’s away from building my business. When they push the little girl into the room, her crazy curls barely held back by the barrette in her hair, and studious glasses on her face, I can tell she’s scared. Something inside of me breaks, and I want this girl to feel wanted again. What I’m unprepared for is meeting her mom. The second our hands touch, there are fireworks, bright lights, and a picture of the future I could one day have. The future I’ve never allowed myself to wish for. Community service becomes more than a chore. In the months that follow, I realize they’re just like me: they’ve been abandoned, left behind by the world, forgotten by those who should love them. Thanks to the one last hope in both our lives - we found the light in the darkness we’d been searching for.Trick is created by Laramie Briscoe, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.

My African American Mom married a rich Japanese man. As I moved the skeleton of my new bed next to the window, I felt a gaze focused on me. Outside my window, was the house next door. The house shape was similar to ours, so it also had a window facing mine at the same level. Standing there on the other side was a skinny Japanese boy. As soon as I laid eyes on him, he stiffened, then shyly smiled and waved. His hair was all over the place, seeing him in his tanktop I thought to myself that he must've just rolled out of bed. But wasn't it the afternoon already? The boy says something but of course I can't hear him with my window closed so I slide it open. "Eto....hi." He tried in English. If someone were to tell me later I'd come to care about him deeply, I'd find that hard to believe. For as long as I could remember I've always felt empty. And that emptiness, I hid on instinct.

At the party, my daughter deliberately raises a question to my husband. "Daddy, since Ms. Lloyd is having your baby, does that mean we'll be living with her in the future?" He places the nicely cut steak onto my plate and answers softly, "Your mommy and I made a deal—whoever betrays first will disappear from the other's life. I can't afford for that to happen, darling, so this must stay a secret. Even when the baby is born, I will never let Mommy find out about them." Then, he signs to me, "I'll always love you." My eyes turn red-rimmed without him noticing. Little does he know, my hearing was restored a week ago. He doesn't realize I've learned about the mistress he's been hiding either. And he definitely doesn't know I've secretly bought a ticket to volunteer-teach in the Seru Plateau. All I have to do is wait for the paperwork to clear in seven days. Then, I'll disappear from his life for good.

Rejected by her fated mate for a political alliance, Layla sleeps with his uncle, Alpha Samuel. When her ex begs for reconciliation, Layla coolly replies, "Sorry, I’ve lost interest in you." Though Alpha Samuel claims their one-night stand was a mistake, his actions suggest otherwise. Their chemistry continues to ignite, and the tension between them is far from over...

They know what this is. A relationship? They can’t even call it that. The only time they can stand each other is when they’re breathless, tangled in sheets, lost in the heat of the moment. But when a dark history begins to unravel between them, threatening the fragile balance they’ve built, one misstep could change everything. What happens when one of them crosses the line?

"Mr. Jack, why are you secretly f*cking me? You've broken our contract marriage agreement!" *** In order to pay for her mother's surgery cost of about $10,000 dollars, Kate Sydnee was forced to accept a contract marriage with a disabled billionaire who was confined to a wheelchair. He is Jackson Mattew, a billionaire who has a lot of secrets in his life!

I've waited five years for my mafia fiance, Daniele Moretti, while he keeps pushing our wedding back again and again. I've turned down every man who approaches me and put up with all the snide comments from high society. On the eve of exchanging our marriage alliance contract, thanks to a bet with his lover, Daniele decides it's hilarious to switch the groom's name. He replaces himself with his uncle, Samuele Moretti, a man who is practically on his deathbed. Daniele laughs as he brags to his friends, "Regina's obsessed with me. When she finds out, she'll cry and beg me to change it back." I stand just outside the door and hear every word. On the day of the wedding, I take Samuele's arm—the "sickly wreck" Daniele keeps mocking—and walk him up the aisle. When Daniele finally shows up late with his lover and tries to turn the ceremony into a spectacle, I slap him across the face. Now he's the one who has to call me Aunt Regina.