Gifts Of The Magi

My suitcase, filled with precious and expensive birthday gifts, was mistakenly claimed by another person at the airport. When I opened the one left behind, I found it packed with men’s clothes instead of my belongings. Determined to retrieve what was rightfully mine, I went on a frantic search for the man who had taken my suitcase. When I finally confronted him and politely asked for an exchange, he responded with the gentlest of tones: “Oh, I opened it and realized I’d made a mistake—it’s all women’s items.” I breathed a sigh of relief, ready to thank him and express my gratitude. Then he added casually, “I couldn’t use any of those things, so I sorted them out and gave them to my girlfriend. You’re welcome.” My jaw dropped. I could barely muster a response as I muttered under my breath, “What the hell?”

When I was struck by a stomach illness, my boyfriend, Charles Fischer, was busy blowing out birthday candles with his assistant, Beverly Wagner. I lay there in excruciating pain, but he didn't even glance at me. Instead, he affectionately stroked her nose.  “Bev is a year older! Make a wish, birthday girl!” Later, after I had fainted and was rushed to the hospital, I called Charles, only for him to ignore me.  Meanwhile, Beverly posted a photo on Instagram. Gifts filled the screen, with the caption, [Yay! Charles is the best ever! Charles and Bev, together forever!] When I confronted him, Charles didn’t care at all. "It's Bev’s birthday. Were you expecting me not to spend it with her? If you can't handle it, we're done!" This was the umpteenth time he'd threatened to break up with me, always confident that I wouldn't dare to leave him.  Not this time.

The day after my first shift, my Alpha mate Marcus Stone couldn’t wait to mark me as his Luna. He was the most powerful Alpha in Northern Regions. Rumors said he kept his distance from every beautiful she-wolf. Only I was the exception. Every anniversary, he would give me an exquisite red haute couture dress and a carefully arranged bouquet of moonflowers. I thought he loved the scent of moonflowers, so even though I was allergic to them, I happily accepted the gifts every time. Until at our mating ceremony anniversary banquet, I saw Marcus's childhood sweetheart Rose wearing a red dress, adorned with moonflower decorations. That's when I realized it was Rose who loved red dresses and moonflowers. Even when I was attacked by rogue wolves and lost our baby, he was by his first love's side. After learning the truth, I decided to leave him completely.

Selene’s life is shattered when her younger sister announces she’s pregnant—and marrying the very man Selene thought she’d spend the rest of her life with. In her family’s cruel tradition, the elder daughter must marry first, leaving Selene with an ultimatum: find a husband in seven days or be forced to marry an imbecile of their choosing. Desperate and heartbroken, Selene confides in an elderly man at her workplace, who jokingly offers his mysterious grandson as a solution. Thinking it’s just a lighthearted moment, Selene agrees—but the next morning, extravagant gifts start arriving with a serious proposal. With the deadline looming and no sign of her mysterious suitor, Selene fears the worst. But on the seventh day, a sleek luxury car pulls up, and the man she never expected steps out, claiming her as his wife. What began as a desperate joke turns into a marriage she never imagined—one filled with power, secrets, and a man more dangerous and captivating than she ever dreamed.

“Are you here to save me?” I asked bitterly, thinking of the look in my father’s eyes as he tried to wring the life out of me. “Or are you just here to bring me gifts and false hope?”The stranger didn’t answer, but I could feel his presence as he approached. Still, I didn’t turn to face him, even when I felt a warm, gentle hand squeeze my shoulder.Abused. Neglected. Caged. That’s how Princess Ember, the daughter of the Alpha King of Allusia, has spent her young life. Sold like chattel to another Alpha in exchange for the promise of warriors for her father against an uprising, Ember’s life feels like it might be over. But a stranger comes to her in the night, her only refuge from the daily attacks from her father. Will he be her savior? Or will she just find herself in another gilded cage?An Alpha for the Stolen Princess is created by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.

Everyone in Sparrowville said that Margaret Chapman was the happiest woman in town. Gavin Hartley showered her with gifts—a sapphire ring, an asteroid after her name—treating her like she was the center of his universe. Margaret had always believed it, too. Until the day she accidentally discovered the woman he had been hiding in his villa. For ten years, he had kept her there—his childhood sweetheart. After she lost herself to schizophrenia, she had said, "Margaret is me." And so, for nearly seven years, Gavin had courted Margaret and cherished her, playing out a love story that had never truly been hers. Margaret's heart crumbled to ash after she found out the truth. She left without looking back, moving to a country thousands of miles away. But she never imagined that Gavin would lose himself to rage, his eyes burning red as he nearly tore Sparrowville apart. "Where the hell is Margaret?!"

At 20, Judi thought her life was finally turning around. She and her niece Aria had been struggling for years, barely scraping by in a run down apartment. Then Aria met a man online, a Norwegian billionaire named Aleksander Barginsen and everything changed. Within days, money was pouring in. Gifts, rent paid in full, a luxury penthouse and it felt like a dream. But that dream unraveled fast. Because the man Aria had been talking to wasn’t Aleksander at all. It was his nephew, pretending to be him, spending Aleksander’s fortune behind his back. And when the real billionaire finds out, he shows up furious and ready to press charges. Aria is arrested, and Judi’s world falls apart all over again. But Aleksander offers her a deal: a contract with terms that could get Aria out of jail. It’s risky. It’s complicated. And it comes at a cost Judi isn’t sure she’s ready to pay. Twisted Fate is a gripping story about deception, loyalty, and the impossible choices we make for the people we love.

I thought agreeing to carry a stranger’s child was the hardest decision I’d ever make. I was wrong. Armani Del Rossi is everything I don’t want—cold, controlling, and untouchably powerful. But when he offered me the chance to save my father’s life, I couldn’t say no. What started as a simple contract became so much more. Living under his roof, I discovered a man haunted by secrets, a man whose obsession with control extends even to me. But then the danger began. Gifts from an unknown sender, threats I couldn’t explain, and a betrayal that shattered the fragile trust between us. When his world collided with mine, I learned the truth about Armani—he’s a mafia lord, and his enemies will stop at nothing to destroy him. Now, my baby and I are caught in the crossfire. Armani swears he’ll protect me, but can I trust a man who’s built a life on violence and vengeance? Or is falling for him the biggest risk of all?

Once, as a girl of seventeen, beautiful, headstrong Portia Cabot saved the cursed life of the dashing vampire Julian Kane—who marked her forever, then left to go in search of his soul. He returns five years later to find the enchanting young girl he left behind grown into a bewitching woman with a woman's heart . . . and a woman's desires. Portia quickly discovers that Julian's seductive and forbidden kiss can still make her crave the night . . . and his touch. But the Julian who has returned to London is not the vampire she remembers. His fruitless pursuit of his stolen mortality has reduced him to drunken debauchery. And a recent spate of murders makes Portia fear that the man she has always adored may truly be a monster. Julian knows he must drive Portia away—but his passion and hunger for her grow more irresistible every time they touch. For years he has fought the temptation to embrace his dark gifts, never realizing that Portia's love may give him the most dangerous gift of all . . . a reason to live.

I did three things when I had made a decision to leave Alpha James. The first thing I did was throw all the precious gifts he had given to me. The second thing I did was secretly donate the wooden house he had built for our future and tear up the ceremonial dress that was custom-made for me on our marking day. The third thing I did was go to the Northern Territory to guard our pack, so I cast all ties with the entire pack and disappeared into the tribe. What he didn’t know was that I had quietly planned my departure while he was out hunting and spending countless nights at the Moon River with Doris, his childhood sweetheart. I became the ideal Luna he was hoping for, considerate and tolerant. Later, he lost control and asked me: “Why aren’t you angry? Don’t you love me anymore?” I lowered my head in silence and announced my decision to leave after seeing the ambiguous messages Doris, James's sweetheart, had sent to me.