Grocery Store

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

His hand found the small of her back, pulling her even closer. He dipped his head down, capturing her lips in a fierce, demanding kiss. She moaned as he deepened the kiss, his tongue tangling with hers. And then he pulled away from her lips and leaned in, his breath hot against her ear. "What do you want, Erin?" "You," she whispered, her voice trembling. He wasted no time, lifting her up and pressing her against the wall, his hands running up and down her body. "Are you sure you want me, Erin?" he asked, his voice rough with desire. "Most people are warned to stay away from me, Erin. They say I'm a Demon, they say I'd eat their souls and that I would ruin them. So why do you, of all people, want me?" "I don't care about any of that. I want you to ruin me, just as they say." -:- Princess Erin thought death would be the end of her suffering at the hands of Alpha Magnus, her toxic and abusive mate who made her suffer through hell. However, fate had other plans in store for her... Her spiritual powers lead her to Alpha Axel, the notorious and ruthless future leader of Black Blood Pack, who's eyes held the coldest of gazes and who's tongue spoke the most brutal words. And ever since he got a taste of her, he never stopped his quest to feel more of her. As the two alphas battle for control, Erin finds herself caught in the middle of a dangerous love triangle, torn between her feelings for Axel and the pull of destiny with Magnus. Erin must choose, to fight for what she believes in, even if it means sacrificing her heart.

Paxton captured her earlobe between his teeth. Rhiannon stilled as the nip sent a shower of familiar sensation through her veins. “Does he kiss like me?” he whispered in her ear. “Do we taste the same?” Fury and lust whipped through her body. “You are disgusting.” But most of all she was disgusted with herself. How could she respond to his touch so immediately while he said those hurtful words? “Did you think of me when he was deep inside you? Making you moan and scream like I did?” “Stop it!” He rested his forehead against hers. “I want to erase his from your memory,” Paxton confessed in a harsh whisper. “I want to take you to bed and make you forget you were ever his.” “I am not going to bed with you.” She wanted to... She wanted him so badly. But Rhiannon knew Paxton would kick her out in the morning. And her heart would stay broken this time. **** When Paxton Ridgway met Rhiannon King, he instantly knew she was a moneygrubber, a gold-digger whose mind was set on seducing Kieran, his little brother, and getting her hands on everything he owned. So, Paxton decides to beat her at her own game. To save his brother from a huge blow, he decides to seduce Rhiannon and get rid of her. Just one night of hot, passionate sex, and then kick her out without any remorse whatsoever. But fate has something else in store for Paxton. While on a hospital bed, Kieran asks his brother to protect Rhiannon, the woman Paxton thought would never see again, the woman he hated the most. This promise will change their future forever… since Rhiannon is hiding some explosive secrets, truths that could bring the new Ridgway heir to his knees.

Maya Chen has one goal: survive university on her scholarship and build a better life for herself and her younger sister. She works two jobs, rides a beat up Kawasaki, and keeps her head down while wealthy classmates mock her thrift store clothes. Romance isn't on her radar, especially not with someone like Dominic Blackwood. Dominic is everything Maya despises. The son of a business mogul, president of the Iron Wolves Motorcycle Club, and a notorious playboy who goes through women like they're disposable. Their worlds should never collide. But when Maya's bike breaks down in dangerous territory and she's cornered by a rival gang, Dominic and his club arrive just in time. To protect her, he does the unthinkable: he claims her as his in front of everyone. In the world of motorcycle clubs, that claim means she's untouchable. It also means she's his. Maya insists their arrangement is fake, just protection until things cool down. Dominic agrees, but his actions say otherwise. He shows up at her job. Walks her to class. Makes her feel things she swore she'd never feel. The more time they spend together, the harder it becomes to remember this isn't real. Then the threats escalate. The rival gang wants revenge and Maya becomes their target. Dominic will do anything to keep her safe, even if it costs him everything. Maya realizes she's falling for the one person she promised herself she'd never trust. When violence erupts and lives hang in the balance, Maya must decide: keep running from love to protect her independence, or fight for the man who's been fighting for her all along. Sometimes the biggest risk leads to the greatest reward. Sometimes you have to crash before you can truly ride free.

NOTE: MATURED CONTENT. Excerpt. "On your knees," he commanded, his voice dripping with dominance and lust. "Now." "Please," I whimpered, but he silenced me with a swift slap across my cheek. "Silence!" he barked. "You know what I want. Now open your mouth and take it." As I unzipped his pants and pulled his hard dick out, My lips parted as he shoved his hard cock between them, his hand tangled in my hair as he guided me. "Suck it!! Suck it slut!!" He slapped me again, making me feel more wanted. I loved the pain because I was used to Noah spanking me so hard. "Suck it you little bitch!!" He stroked my hair, his eyes shut as he thrust so hard and fast that I could barely breathe. ************** Britney Williams, the pack's Omega gets married to Alpha Liam Michaelson, a successful billionaire in New York City but she never had enough in bed and the sex he gave her. It happened that Britney's past life wasn't just the type a regular kind of girl would have. She was a Nymphomaniac, the sex freak. It was all about fun and that meant mad, Psycho fun with her first Alpha. Things were going well in her marriage until she couldn't cope with the fact that her husband wasn't satisfying her so hard in bed like "HE" did in the past. When I say "HE?", I mean Britney's ex boyfriend, Alpha Noah Lex. What happens when the beautiful and most elegant but sex driving Britney gets to find out that she just can't go a day without thinking about Alpha Noah's touch? Or the fact that she gets to meet Noah at a store which led to something crazy...... Find out more on; BITTEN BY THE DOMINANT ALPHA:

Walang matandaan si Mark sa kasunduang nagdala sa kanya sa cruising trip na kasama si Marlyn at Wanda, magkapatid na nakilala lamang niya dahil sa hindi inaasahang pagkakatuklas niya sa kataksilan ng kasintahang si Cleo na dapat sana ay aalukin na niya ng kasal. Sila ang mga berdugong dapat ay magbibigay katuparan sa hangarin niyang mamatay nang gabing iyon--as it turned out, the siblings were tour guides specializing in executing euthanasia to travelers with a death wish. But fate had better plan in store for them. Sinalubong sila ng malakas na bagyo sa gitna ng paglalayag. They were left with nothing but the company of each other and a dead engine that could get them nowhere. Napadpad sila sa isang isla kung saan masusukat ang haba ng pisi ni Mark. Masusukat maging ang kakayahan niyang lumaban sa tukso. Lalo at habang tumatagal sila sa isla, nagkakaroon siya ng hindi maipaliwanag na damdamin para sa dalawa. Umibig siya ng sabay sa dalawang babae na hindi niya puwedeng angkinin pareho. Muli ay natagpuan niya ang sarili sa isang sitwasyon na higit pang kumplikado sa delubyong nagdala sa kanila sa islang iyon. Ano ang naghihintay na kapalaran sa kanilang tatlo sa isla? Sino sa dalawang babae ang higit niyang kailangan at dapat niyang piliin? Kung isip ang piiralin niya, wala siyang pipiliin sa magkapatid para pare-pareho ang laban. Walang masasaktan. Walang magdidiwang. Ngunit dumating siya sa puntong kailangan pa rin naman niyang mamili. Kung sino kina Marlyn at Wanda ang magwawagi sa puso niya, tadhana na ang magtatakda.

On my wedding day, my best friend, Beatrice Hopper, buys a lottery ticket from a convenience store and gives it to me as a wedding gift. I initially believe that she's joking, but when I see the unmistakable disdain in her eyes, I know something is off. "They say it's the thought that counts. This gift is precisely how I show that I care. Besides, I'm pregnant and need money for everything right now. I don't want you to feel bad about taking my money," she says. Honestly, I'm disappointed. But since it's my wedding, I can only stand there and watch as my best friend drags her entire family to the reception for free food and drinks. As expected, the wedding ends on a sour note. The two of us part ways unhappily. What I don't see coming, though, is winning 50 million dollars in the lottery that night. Elated, I tell my husband the news, and we head to the lottery office first thing in the morning to claim the prize. The news quickly spreads among our friends and family. But by the afternoon, Beatrice pounds on my door, demanding I return the lottery ticket. "I should've been the winner!" she screamed. "I was the one who bought it, so why should you take away my prize?" I keep backing away from her, panic flooding my entire body, so much so that I don't even notice she's holding a knife. The last thing I expect is for her to swing it at me in the middle of our struggle. By the time I realize what's happening, the blade is already buried in my husband's chest. I try to call the police, but Beatrice yanks me back. We grapple, stumble, and crash through the floor-to-ceiling windows. Eventually, we fall to our deaths in the courtyard below. The universe must've had mercy on me because when I open my eyes again, I'm back at the moment she hands me that lottery ticket. Here comes my second chance.

After three years of relentless pursuit, I finally won over Logan—a guy who had never shown the slightest interest in women—and he cherished me like I was his entire world. On the eve of our wedding, I accidentally overheard one of his friends teasing him, "Logan, are you really ready to step into the grave of marriage for Bella? And what about Joann? She's chased you for so many years. Don't you feel anything for her?" Logan's voice was cold. "If we hadn't grown up together, I wouldn't even want to see Joann's face. She could never compare to Bella, ever." So, I held onto dreams for our future, and I married him. Two years later, at our daughter's hundred-day celebration, Joann came to me in tears, claiming her baby had leukemia—and that only my daughter could save her baby. Logan's eyes reddened instantly, and without hesitation, he sent our daughter into the operating room to have her blood drawn. I struggled in the bodyguards' grip desperately, crying and pleading, "Logan, Lily is still so little. She can't take this. She'll die! Please, use the cord blood I stored for her. I'm begging you, let her go." He kicked me aside. "It's just a bit of blood. Joann's baby is dying, and you're still this selfish? Get out!" When the surgery was over, he tossed a divorce agreement at me. "Joann's child is mine. I have to give them both a name, and I'm taking her abroad for treatment." I stared at my silent, motionless daughter in the operating room, my heart turning to ash. "Fine." Six years later, Logan saw me in a baby store, holding the hand of my five-year-old son. Logan reached out with a pained look, trying to pick him up. "Why did you cut Lily's hair so short? She looks like a boy. What were you thinking?"

The day before our mating ceremony, my Alpha mate suddenly demanded I give him five hundred thousand dollars. "You're just an Omega. Even if you're pregnant, you have no right to become the pack's Luna. But our pack is facing a financial crisis right now. We don't have enough weapons or healing supplies. If you can provide funding, the pack might accept a generous Luna who contributes to our survival." To help me, Dad emptied his entire life savings: "I'm old now. Seeing you happy is enough for me. I understand Damon's position as the pack's Alpha. This money—I'll pay it for you." But shortly after the mating ceremony, Dad was sent by my mate to the frontline battlefield to fight rogue wolves. He was severely injured in combat. I couldn't afford the expensive healing herbs he needed. I had no choice Damon Blackwood to help me save my father's life. I never expected his account balance to show only a few dollars! I demanded answers. He accused me of scheming against him and dragged me straight to the pack healer to force an abortion. "You just became Luna and you're already plotting against me? Think having my pup gives you power over me? Let me tell you the truth—I don't lack women willing to bear my children!" I worked every job I could find and borrowed money from everyone I knew. But I still couldn't afford those expensive herbs. The day Dad died, I couldn't even buy him a decent burial plot in the pack cemetery. On my way home from the funeral, I saw Damon with another woman in a luxury jewelry store, selecting expensive pieces. "Turns out all Omegas are the same—always scheming. I thought Sage was different from other women. Didn't realize she was just another gold-digger trying to climb the social ladder by becoming Luna. I guess I lost this bet. Pick any gemstone you want, baby. I'm buying." But when I finally gave up and turned to leave for good, he broke down crying and begged me not to go.