Golden Cucumber

Everyone who lives will die, and nothing they do can stop it. That's the way things are. The circle of life. And a single undeniable truth. The minute we are born we start our journey of that cycle and we will continue down that path until we take our very last breath. However, not all life spans are the same. Some people live to an old age. Others die young. Some die of natural causes, and others die of accidents, murder, or disease. It's the sad truth of being human and death doesn’t discriminate. But what if someone could see their death coming? Would they do everything in their power to stop it from happening, or would they live their lives to the fullest since they knew it was coming to an end? Would they fight tooth and nail to be able to stay earthside for even a minute longer or would they succumb to the inevitable? This is the universal question and the only ones who can answer it are the people who saw their deaths, people like me. My name is Remi Woods. I'm eighteen years old, and for as long as I can remember, I've been able to see how a person will die with a single touch. At first, I wasn't quite sure what was happening and I was terrified that maybe I was going crazy, but after my visions kept coming to fruition no matter what I did, I knew I was different, and not in a good way.

“She’s the coach’s daughter. He’s the captain. Together, they’re breaking every rule.” Ava Reynolds has one rule—never let her life be defined by basketball. As the coach’s daughter, she’s spent years dodging whispers and expectations, determined to make her mark through journalism. But when her editor forces her to cover the university’s star team, Ava finds herself colliding with Ethan Cole—cocky, brilliant on the court, and infuriatingly impossible to ignore. Ethan lives for basketball. It’s his ticket out, his shot at protecting the only family he has left—his younger brother. The last thing he needs is a sharp-tongued reporter questioning his every move, especially when she sees more than he wants anyone to. What starts as a battle of words spirals into undeniable chemistry, leaving Ava torn between loyalty to her father and the pull of a boy who breaks every rule she set for herself. But when a secret threatens to ruin them both…will crossing the line cost them everything?

Loud music is playing, some students are dancing and other are chatting. The few one who are alone are dispersed observing the others. My eyes scan the room for Liam. Fortunately, I see him standing at the entrance with Lucas, Mateo, Levi and Mason. My legs drag me to their direction and he smiles as he sees me. His friends pushed him to me and he looks like he hesitates for a while before walking up to me. Without a word, he grabs my hand and pulled me away from the noise. Now we’re standing in the boys changing room. Before I speak, he gently cups my face. His forehead is touching mine as his eyes flash in the evening light. My heart races and I look away shyly but he lifts my chin up with his finger. I admire his beauty,drowning in the rush of love and awaiting a toe-curling kiss. I hear his words; “Don’t be silly. You’ll never be my type.” Followed by a chuckle. My blood runs cold as my brain draws a blank *************** Liam Hunter, the name that could make your knees turn jelly. He had it all the looks, money and everyone’s dream girl, Beatrice. He was the school’s basketball team captain. Every girl was dying to spend even a second with him, well except her. His charms didn’t work on her and she seemed oblivious to his existence. Everything changes for Liam when he is dared to date Zara for a month and then dump her. It all starts as game, a mind game for Liam. But what happens when the heart gets involved? What will Zara do after learning the truth? Will she get over her love for Liam and go back to herself?

Ethan Blake and Julian Cross are Hollywood’s favorite rivals—two A-list actors whose off-screen feud is as legendary as their on-screen performances. For years, the media has played up their animosity, feeding into the narrative of two stars who can’t stand each other. And Ethan is fine with that. Julian is arrogant, reckless, and far too good at getting under his skin. But when they are cast as romantic leads in a high-profile LGBTQ+ blockbuster, everything changes. Forced into close proximity, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. Heated arguments behind the scenes turn into charged moments neither of them can ignore. A single off-script kiss during filming shatters their carefully constructed walls, sending both their careers—and emotions—into uncharted territory. The media explodes with speculation. Rumors spread like wildfire, and their public feud only adds fuel to the fire. A PR crisis forces them into damage control, but every interview, every staged moment, only makes it harder to deny the truth simmering beneath the surface. As industry backlash looms and personal stakes grow higher, Ethan finds himself at a crossroads. He has spent years playing it safe, hiding behind his carefully curated image. But Julian refuses to be another script he follows. He wants something real. In an industry built on illusion, can two men who were never meant to fall for each other survive the spotlight’s harsh glare? Or will fear and fame tear them apart before they even have a chance? Enemies on screen. Lovers behind the scenes. But can they survive the ultimate Hollywood scandal?

"You can hate me all you want, Cameron," Brandon murmured, lips brushing his ear. "But by the end of this marriage, you'll crave me." Cameron Aston is straight. Or so he thought—until his father forces him into an engagement with Brandon Deville, the arrogant, maddeningly attractive heir to a rival empire. What should have been a cold business deal turns into a dangerous game of tension, temptation, and blurred lines. Because the more Cameron fights Brandon, the harder he falls. And in this marriage, losing might mean wanting something he swore he never would.

What do you do when the person you've always loved is the same person who keeps hurting you the most? That's something Allison McConnell would like to know. Allison has had feelings for Derris Fox for as long as she could remember. Unfortunately, she wasn't the only one. As a musician and actor known worldwide, Derris was the dream of every girl and popular as he was, he was way out of her league. Allison thought she was doomed to be just one of his many fangirls until fate caused them to cross paths. Unfortunately, what would have been a dream come true for her turned out to be a nightmare after circumstances led to Derris developing an intense dislike for her causing him to treat her badly. Still struggling with issues at home along with her complicated relationship with Derris, Allison also has to handle being the object of affection of the equally handsome Max Crest, Derris' best friend which inadvertently puts tension between the two friends. As tensions heightens and Allison battles her feelings and enemies alike, will she make the right choice or will a sinister plot by a clingy ex ruin her chances at ‘happily ever after’?

“Ja…cob, what's the problem? what are you doing?” I stammered, He was standing close to me, much closer than how friends were supposed to be. “The problem is today is the last day of our stay in this hell hole, and probably the last day we will see each other,” he said, his voice dark. “I…we can call, or maybe visit…” I was saying when his lips crashed on mine, sealing my heart. ******************** Alex, after spending his long vacation in a camp, returns to his boring and quiet life as the weird kid in the neighbourhood where he was bullied and maltreated. Heartbroken for three years after parting with his only friend, he continued his lonely life as the shunned nerd until he went to college. But on his first day in college, rumors fly about the arrival of a hot, mysterious new student, the heir to the powerful Rufus Corporation. But who would have thought that the mysterious hot guy was his first kiss? The person he had sleepless nights for. But Jacob has changed, now going by the name Andrian, a ruthless, dangerous, powerful figure from the strongest family in town. Acting Indifferent, as if Alex doesn't even exist. From first love to bitter enemies, what will he do when the boy of his dreams becomes his fiercest rival and arch enemy? That was hellbent on making his life miserable. Alex's world is further thrown into chaos when conspiracies about his origin as heir to another powerful corporation, the Davidson and his father's death surfaces, pointing toward the Rufus family. This is a thrilling story of hate, love, betrayal, and discovery

She was supposed to heal him, not crave him. Olivia Carter, a divorced physical therapist, thought her new job with the Chicago Blizzard hockey team would be simple—treat injuries, keep her head down, and cheer for her son on the ice. But when the team’s arrogant and devastatingly handsome captain, Xander Hayes, lands in her care, everything spirals out of control. He’s engaged. He’s her son’s best friend. And he’s forbidden. What begins as teasing flirtation turns into stolen touches, midnight encounters, and a dangerous obsession neither of them can resist. But secrets never stay buried—especially in the world of fame, fortune, and ruthless tabloids. When their affair explodes into the public eye, Olivia risks not only her career and reputation, but the one bond she can’t afford to lose: her son’s trust. Will Xander choose his fiancée, his career, and his best friend… or the woman he should never want?

Nyma, the Privileged Luna, never imagined her life would be dictated by an unbreakable mate bond. Raised in a werewolf pack where loyalty to a single mate was sacred, she struggled to accept her fate with Prince Adrain—the future Lycan King. Six months into their marriage, Nyma has balanced the weight of leading her pack and navigating the treacherous politics of the Lycan royal family. She sacrificed her claim to the throne, choosing freedom over power, earning the scorn of her mate’s family—especially Second Prince Lucian, the brother who still dares to claim her as his second mate. On the night of her baby shower, everything shatters. Secrets unravel, betrayals surface, and Nyma walks in on the ultimate heartbreak—her mate entwined with the one woman from his past he swore meant nothing. Now, with her heart in pieces and her child’s future at stake, Nyma must decide: fight for a bond that has only brought her pain or break free from fate and forge her own destiny? Love may be fated—but trust is earned. And Adrain has just lost hers. She survives. And then she takes everything. Left for dead, Nyma rises from the ashes with a single purpose—to reclaim the legacy that was stolen from her and make the ones who wronged her choke on their own betrayal. The young Luna was never meant to be a pawn in Lycan politics, and she sure as hell won’t be a forgotten footnote in Adrian’s story. She builds her own pack, her own empire. And when the so-called King and his family come crawling, desperate for the very heir they discarded? Oops. Her bastard just took their legacy.

Being part of a reserved family, Suki knows her place within the community of the Moonstone pack. She has her duties and she completes them perfectly, just as her father orders. As the daughter of the Beta, the second in command, she’s set to live a life of importance within the pack, helping to aid it to greatness, and that’s only meant to become stronger once she finds her mate. Like every other werewolf, she has dreamt of what it would be like to find her mate when she comes of age, to know what the power of the mate bond truly feels like. However, on her 18th birthday, she doesn’t just experience one bond… she experiences TWO. Two separate bonds with two completely different males - bad boy Brendan and the perfect soldier Reynard. How could this be? It defies the laws of nature, all werewolves are given one mate and one mate only. As she and her two mates try to understand their anomaly of a mate bond, they also have to deal with an even greater threat that’s approaching - something that’s not only a threat to their pack, but to the entire werewolf species. Will they be able to save the pack? And who will Suki choose as her mate to seal the bond? Brendan or Reynard…? NOTE: This is a spin-off story to my other original story, "The One True Alpha", and though it is not essential to read that story before this one, there will be brief mentions and appearances of characters from that story within this right from the start, as well as some potential for minor spoilers of that story. If you enjoy this story, then you'd likely enjoy reading TOTA too! (It's already complete, so check it out!)