Gaping Wound

"This is my first time... it hurts... oh, it’s bleeding..." Allie winced as a cut from the kitchen knife throbbed on her finger. Liam glanced at her, his face full of concern, and applied the medicine with a sharp, almost angry tone: "I’ve told you not to go near the kitchen! Just tell me what you want to eat, and I’ll make it for you!" For Allie, her 20th birthday gift was discovering her boyfriend's betrayal with her best friend in bed. Furious, she turned her back on Nick and married Liam Hart, the city’s most influential and untouchable man. From that moment, she faced endless challenges: Nick’s constant manipulations, Liam’s family scheming against her, and the toxic people in their lives. Everyone sees Liam as the perfect, doting husband—no one knows the price she pays for his love. Exhausted, Allie faced Liam one night, her voice trembling with frustration: "Liam Hart, you are a monster in disguise." Liam, looking hurt, replied with a soft grin, “You wound me, darling. How could I possibly be a monster when I’m the one who’s supposed to protect you?”

Niko was a multibillionaire to the world—but in the shadows, he ruled as the undisputed king of the underworld. His reputation? A man who never entertained women. The truth? A wound that never healed. Years ago, his ex-wife betrayed him in the worst way—with his own father—right before her sudden death. Since then, Niko had sworn off love, his heart locked away behind ice. Until her. An FBI agent with sharp eyes and a sharper mind, Mabel wasn’t just investigating his empire—she was unraveling him. And for the first time in years, Niko felt something dangerous: interest. But between his secrets and her duty, could there ever be trust? Or would the past destroy them before they even began?

"You've come to kill me detective?",He whispered against her skin as he gently grasped her arm and turned her to him. Jude swallowed a gulp and looked up at him. His eyes were a cobalt shade of blue behind the mask, daring,cold and... terrifying. "And you've come to me to be killed?", She replied in a hushed tone, gathering a lot of nerve and taking a step closer to him. His eyes roamed over her, lingering on the curves of her body, the dress, before returning to her eyes. She didn't want to admit it to herself that she had developed a thing,some sort of feeling besides hate for him. The Maestro. The most dangerous man in New Haven. She had made it a habit, risking her life for a flicker of hope, clarity and some sort of peace. The memory of being against a wall,with the edge of his dagger at her throat and his body pressed against hers still lingered. He was devastating and she couldn't get him out of her head. She needed answers; to have some knowledge of what happened. Did he know? If she tried hard enough, could she get him right where she want and extract the information she needed? Or was she was just trying to fill the gaping hole in her heart? You're going to get yourself killed; the Lieutenant had said to her over and over. But it was a risk she was willing to take. Perhaps this was just another cruel twist the universe had in store for her. Jude thought she had gotten used to it but that was her just lying to herself. The universe wasn't cruel,it was brutal. And it was yet to show Jude what it had installed just for her.

A dragon’s fury. A werewolf’s redemption. A mate bond that could either heal… or destroy. Ty Jackson vanished five years ago, betrayed and heartbroken. Now he’s back—deadlier, colder, and wielding the unmatched power of a dragon shifter. Hardened by elite training and driven by vengeance, Ty has no room for weakness... especially not for the ex who shattered him. But destiny doesn’t care about the past. Kai Stone, once Ty’s greatest love and deepest wound, is now a haunted Alpha. After years of torturous military training, brutal missions, and soul-crushing guilt, he’s no longer the cocky boy who let Ty slip through his fingers—he’s a warrior forged by pain, and desperate for one shot at redemption. When Ty and Kai discover they're fated mates, their reunion sets off a storm of power, passion, and unresolved rage. Can a dragon forgive the wolf who broke him? Can a remorseful Alpha prove he’s worthy of the only soul he ever loved? The battlefield awaits—not just for blood, but for hearts. Enemies are rising. The past is hunting them. And this time, love might not be enough to save them.

“I, Kael Veyrith, reject you, Ashina Kai." The words tore through Ashina, sharper than claws and even crueler than death ever could. Ashina felt their bond snap and the agony of it carving into her soul like a wound that would never heal. ─── ⋅ ∙ ∘ ☽ ༓ ☾ ∘ ⋅ ⋅ ─── Ashina Kai was never meant to survive without her mate. Cast out from her pack after Kael’s rejection, she vanished into the human world, burying her past beneath a lie. No pack. No mate. No past. Just a quiet, ordinary life. Until the night she sees him again. Kael stands at the heart of a brutal attack, no longer the person she once knew but a man carved from war and shadows. And he’s leading a war she wants no part of. But despite every instinct screaming at her to run, Ashina is caught in the center of it all. But the past doesn’t forget. Neither does betrayal. He broke her once. If she lets him in again, will it be her undoing—or his?

On the day of the company's annual gala, my CEO husband suddenly assigned me an unexpected business trip. The plane had barely touched down when I received a call from his young assistant. Before I could utter a word, her voice came through, "Matty, did you send Daphne on that business trip just so we could spend more time together?" And then, as if to hammer the nail deeper into my heart, I heard his unmistakable tone—light, indulgent, full of affection, "What do you think, silly girl?" Her laughter rang out before she teased, "Then tonight, let's try something new. I promise you'll be satisfied..." The call ended amidst a swirl of suggestive murmurs. Staring at my phone, I waged a silent war with the pain gripping my chest. Again and again, I dialed his number, each attempt met with either silence or the cruel finality of his phone being switched off. Finally, I let out a bitter laugh, tucking the phone away as if to bury the wound it carried. From that moment on, I resolved—no more questions, no more efforts to understand this man who had once been my whole world. But fate has its own irony. Later, it was he who came back, pleading, begging me to love him again.

“Hmm.” Luca lowered himself, his groin making contact with mine. He brought his nose to my hair and sniffed, letting out an appreciative moan. “Roses. I like it.” “Luca…” his name came out as a moan when he nibbled my ear. “Don't hurt Matt, please.” He looked at me with an indescribable look. “And what are you willing to give me in return for sparing your lover's life?” I gaped at him in surprise. He knew? That Matt was my ex boyfriend? “How did you…” He shook his head with a humorless laugh. “You wound me, honey. I know a lot of things. I just choose not to say it.” “I haven't threatened to kill you in your sleep, have I?” I asked, then let out a defeated sigh when he raised a brow in disbelief at me. “Fine. What do you want in return?” He stared down at me for one… two… five seconds and then said, “I'd like to watch you come undone. With my tongue.” ********** Born into a family of generational tradition, Ariadne has a duty to uphold. She has been engaged to part of the society's son Santiago Russo since birth. Never having met or talked to her fiancè, she's accepted her fate that she could never be married to the one her heart wants. On the day of her debut, she is hit with an avalanche of shock when she discovers after an unforseen circumstance that Santiago won't be the one marrying her, but his Uncle, Luca Russo, the infamous, ruthless, billionaire bachelor in New York will be the one she will be tying the knot with. Caught between accepting her new fate or rebelling, Ariadne learns that there's nowhere to escape the beast and the only way to survive is abiding by his rules.

Immediately we walked into the pack house, he pulled me by the arm. "Welcome to hell, Darling." I tried to pull away from him, giving him a piece of my mind now that he had no leverage over my head. "Firstly, stop with the pet name-calling. It doesn't go well with your image." He pulled me closer, we were breathing the same air now as he held my eyes in his icy orbs. "My image? And what just might that be?" I responded with a shaky breath. "You know, arrogant, mean, insufferable." He took a deep breath, his head touching mine."Is that all?" His hand wound around the small of my back. His actions sent a pool of wetness between my legs. I knew he could sense my arousal, anyone for miles could. It was turning into an ocean as he pushed me into him. "Rude, ruthless, evil?" I stated breathlessly, nearly giving in to my desire. "Rude? I've been nothing but polite since we met." His lips were inches from mine. My eyes closed subconsciously as I waited for his lips to meet mine. …….. One curse, two mates, and the end of the world

Bella has spent her whole life being overlooked. A 25-year-old chubby doctor with a cold billionaire mother, she thought things couldn't get worse until the man she loved publicly humiliated her and walked away with a slim and perfect girl. But fate drags her into the mansion of Liam, a ruthless mafia boss bleeding from a gunshot wound and surrounded by men with guns. She saves his life. When he woke up, she was the first person he saw, and the first word that came out of his mouth was, “I like you. You’re mine now. Held captive under luxury and control, Bella becomes the one thing Liam refuses to let go of. But when he discovers she's the daughter of the woman who destroyed his family, his obsession turns into something darker. In a world of blood, betrayal, and buried truth, love wasn't supposed to survive. But Liam will burn the world to keep her.

"I hate you Mason Livingston," I mumbled breathlessly, my knuckles wound tightly around his collar, as my knees threatened to buckle under me. "I know," his throaty whisper threatened to undo the very last of my resistance. I had to resist him, I had to resist his kiss, his touch, his smell, I had to resist him. He broke my heart before. "But just for tonight," he brushed his lips lightly against mine and the very last shred of resistance gave way. "Just for tonight Imogen, I want to feel your passion, raw and untamed..." Just for tonight... Was my last thought before he claimed my lips with fiery passion. *** Imogen Grey wanted nothing more than to be loved by Mason Livingston, heir to the multi billion dollars Livingston empire. That was until he broke her heart in the worst way possible. Six years later, fate brings them together. Now Imogen wants nothing than to ruin Mason Livingston and also to protect her 6 year old son from him. But Mason is not the same playboy she knew six years ago. Now with everything riding on the line, Imogen must choose, passion or revenge