Halcyon Bird Myth

Richard Franklin has left his Midwestern roots behind to live on the coast of Maine with his family. But in the autumn of the year 2000, he must return to his Illinois birthplace on a sorrowful journey. His wife Michelle has been killed in New England by a hit-and-run driver who is never found, so back home he comes with her cremated remains, to fulfill a final wish and on her birthday scatter her ashes in the park along the river in Blackwater Valley—simply Blackwater Val to locals—the small town where they both grew up and fell in love. With him he brings his six-year-old daughter Katie who still grieves for her lost mother: Katie, who can sometimes guess who’s going to be on the phone before it rings. Who can stop all the clocks in the house, and break up clouds in the sky with her mind, and heal sicknesses, and who sometimes sees things that aren’t there...people who are no longer alive. All gifts she inherited from her mother. Only something isn’t quite right in the Val. Sinkholes are opening up, revealing the plague pits the sleepy hamlet was built over in the 1830s, when malaria and cholera outbreaks ran riot. Mysterious bird and fish die-offs begin to occur, and Katie can see ghosts of the dead gathering all around. But what she can’t see is the charred, centuries-old malevolence which has been waiting for her, and wants her for its very own. Or the pale Sallow Man who haunts the town’s nighttime streets...or the river witch—another Blackwater Val, of sorts—each of whom will be drawn one by one into the nightmarish bloodletting about to take place. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

His mission was to kill her, falling for her wasn't in the plan. To enemies, he was a killing machine. To his own, a fierce shield. Emotions never mattered to him, love was just a myth he had no use for. But everything changed when death swept through the city. Werewolves were being slaughtered, one after another. And every clue pointed to one person, the quirky, loner witch named Violet. He was ordered to eliminate her. It should’ve been easy. But it wasn’t. He wasn’t supposed to fall for her. He wasn’t supposed to defy his Alpha for her. And he sure as hell wasn’t supposed to risk his life to protect that one beauty with violet eyes. ............ Her mother's betrayal didn't just hurt her; it hollowed her. She hardened her heart and strived to become a powerful witch. However, she hadn't expected to fall victim to a malicious conspiracy that almost got her killed. Armed with every spell she knew, she thought she was ready for anything. What she wasn’t ready for… was him. A black-eyed, messy-haired, fuller-lipped Beta who barged into her life and changed it like he owns it. Their story isn’t simple. It’s a tangled mess of love, pain, angst, and stolen moments of happiness. Love is beautiful when people choose it. But it's beyond messy when love chooses its victims.

“There’s no sleeping and cuddling, Robyn. Just fu*king. I will f*ck you hard and fast. I will f*ck you until I lose interest in you. I will f*ck you every night. I’ll make sure you beg for more. That’s for a year. You will be naked in bed for 365 nights. After that, your debt is paid. I will forget you existed. Unless you have my three million dollars right now, then you have no choice but to bend to my will.” *** One night is supposed to be fun, not waking up sold to the highest bidder. Before I knew it, my boss, the beast with an ice-cold heart and a nightmare to work for, bought me and owned my very existence, turning me into his little bird in his golden gilded cage with impossible choices until I agreed to his dark bargain. Being at the mercy of a man like Spade Kolby with wealth, power, and an enigmatic past as dark as the night, I soon realized that having your boss save your life comes with a price. Nothing’s free. The only way to pay my debt is to be his wife and surrender my freedom. But the second our skins touch, there’s fire. The longer I try to resist his scorching touch and fight his death grip on my heart, the harder it gets, and I know nothing good comes out of falling for him.  Knowing the unimaginable consequences of escaping— how a snap of his fingers can destroy me, his words can rip me apart, and the unbreakable bond that binds us. After all, maybe once he gets what he wants, his obsession with me stops. Or maybe he’s not as cruel as I imagined him to be.

After her father’s brutal murder, Natalie Pierce is forced into a life she never asked for. Her uncle steps in as guardian and pulls strings to secure her a spot at Cainebrielle University—a school built for the elite, the powerful, and the 0.1% who rule their secretive world. Her father never wanted her there. Now, she understands why. Because Cainebrielle doesn’t just teach ancient myth—it lives it. And monsters don’t hide in the dark here. They walk the halls, cloaked in beauty and danger. Natalie never believed in legends... until she met Adrian—the devastatingly seductive man with eyes that promise ruin and lips that taste like sin. He’s more than a student. More than a man. He’s something other. And he wants her. Badly. Adrian isn’t supposed to crave her. Natalie isn’t supposed to burn for him. But the heat between them threatens to consume everything—and everyone—around them. Because their bond isn’t fate. It’s a threat. To fall for him is to challenge bloodlines, defy ancient law, and risk waking a power buried long before she was born. But some flames aren’t meant to be tamed. Some touches aren’t meant to be denied. And some loves? They were made to set the world on fire. Sink your teeth into this steamy, forbidden vampire romance where the rules were made to be broken—and desire always wins.

In the shadows of an ordinary world, Gil stands apart with her ethereal white hair and piercing grey eyes. His life is a ceaseless whirlwind of evasion and concealment. An unseen force with a crimson gaze haunts her steps, a harbinger of a hidden legacy and a fate grander than she could ever imagine. Born under a veil of prophecy, she is the key to mending a fractured world, hunted by those desperate to halt the tide of change she is destined to bring. Enter Aren, the enigmatic Alpha whose very existence is a legend woven through the centuries. Bound to his wolf spirit, Oto, he walks the line between beast and leader of the most formidable pack known to both man and creature. Revered and reviled in equal measure, Aren is ensnared by an ancient curse cast from the depths of darkness—a curse only his true Luna can dispel. Destined descendants of gods, Gil and Aren are the embodiment of ancient power, slumbering until the fateful hour of awakening. An eternal bond of love is their promised salvation, a beacon through battles for a bliss that has eluded their kind for eons. As celestial forces conspire, these solitary spirits are steered by the guiding light of Mother Moon towards one another. In their union lies the balance of love and war, salvation and destruction. But are they prepared for the monumental trials that loom before them? Can their nascent love endure the tempest of an age-old struggle clawing at their heels? Dive into an odyssey where myth meets destiny, and discover whether Gil and Aren can triumph over the darkness that seeks to smother their light.

Silver Pact When silence becomes power, who dares to listen? In a world where magic is shaped by memory and bound by ancient oaths, the Silver Pact once held the world together. But now, the bloomfields — mystical zones where magic and emotion entwine — are breaking down. The once-stable order is crumbling, and with it, the illusion of control. Ari, the reluctant heir to the Pact, inherits more than legacy — she inherits a world on the brink. Haunted by the memory of Mira Hale, the Pact’s enigmatic founder, and challenged by the rise of Seris, a rebel who preaches total magical freedom, Ari is forced to choose between restoring order or letting it all fall apart. Then comes Kaima — a voiceless girl who doesn’t cast spells but awakens them. Her silence holds more power than any spellbook, and her presence marks the beginning of a new kind of magic: one built on witnessing, not ruling. As Ari and Kaima forge an unlikely alliance, a new force rises — the Hollow, where magic responds to intent rather than command. But not everyone wants a world without structure. As rebellion erupts, ideologies collide, and ancient truths are unearthed, the world must decide: Will it be ruled by tradition, broken by chaos, or reshaped by those brave enough to listen? Told across twenty chapters in a lyrical blend of epic fantasy and introspective myth, Silver Pact is a story of legacy, silence, sacrifice, and the power of choosing what to become — when the old world no longer speaks for you.

My name is Cassie Aster. I was born Cassandra Burton. I wasn’t born rich, or with a powerful name. But I was born smart—some would say lucky. At fifteen, I entered a contest for a scholarship to the most prestigious school in the country: Aster Academy of Excellence. Out of more than four hundred applicants, only five were chosen. By sixteen, I was walking through its gates. That’s where I met him—Jacob Aster. The son of the school’s owners. The heir to one of the wealthiest families on Earth. I fell for him immediately, but I rejected him—over a hundred times. My studies, my scholarship, my future came first. To him, that meant only one thing: he had to buy my love. Over a decade later, we’re married. And to the world, I’m the luckiest girl alive—proof that fairy tales come true. From rags to riches, just like that. But I never thought of myself as having only rags. And I didn’t marry him for his riches. Still, every time he strays, he buys my forgiveness—for $100,000. For him, I gave up my career. For him, I live like a caged bird, taken out only for display. For him, I die a little every day. Every time my card doesn’t decline, my heart does. Most of his women at least have the shame to stay out of my sight. But not her. Coral Monroue is shameless. He favors her now. And I can’t help but wonder— will she be the one who finally pushes me to leave?

she was a lioness in birdcage a bird in depth of seas she was strong and free but she wasn't where she should be!! *His Human Mate* Vampires and werewolf don't exist. they all are just stories. right? absolutely wrong! Vampire, werewolf, fairy,witches,Trolls and every other creature exist they are just hidden from human eyes as they live in their own world. Like every story have a beginning this one begin with girl named Gigi Hadid. Though born in a werewolf family she didn't had wolf so people called her weak and pathetic but oh they were so wrong because the girl they thought was weak held the most destructive powers. Gigi could control weather by her health and bring natural disasters by her mood. Due to some odd reasons Gigi's elder brother Four made her hide her powers from the world but as the saying goes that secrets are meant to be revealed. Her secret came out when she traveled to the capital with her brother and found her mate who happened to be the king of werewolf kingdom. Things happened as Four went in to a coma while Zayn and Gigi got married. when things finally seemed get back to normal Fate played a huge game and Gigi's found out the reason behind her powers and they along with many others fell into a deep well filled with chaos,problems, and schemes leading to a blood thirsty war leading to long lost and buried secrets to be revealed. After all what happened..... Will everything turn to be alright in the end? Will Gigi ever find out where she actually belong and what is her purpose of living?

Tess Janssen was ridiculed with the betrayal of her childhood lover after their marriage and discovering he only agreed to their marriage for the sole purpose of establishing his company with her father´s support, and after her father´s demise he treated her like used water. Unable to make terms with the fact that she was in love with a shadow all along, Tess drugged Ruben and made love to him at a room in the hotel the ceremony for the official launching of his mobile app was held. Ruben woke up furious as memories of the steamy night clouded his memory, she didn't only violate him, she left him signed divorce papers which he tore in rage. Tess traveled to the US and realized a few weeks later that she was pregnant. For a second, she thought to return to Ruben’s side, but news of his marriage got to her ears, and her chest burned furiously with revenge, discarding the thoughts of reunion. On the other side of the world, Ruben made his assistant spread the fake news of his marriage to Tess´s acquaintances. Ever since that night, a seedling of conflicting emotions sprouted in his heart, burning furiously. She was different that night compared to the usually meek Tess, she was wild and free, a part of him was attracted to that and upset she stepped all over him. Unknown to Tess, they were still a legally wedded couple, and Ruben has been on the search for her. Her return to the Netherlands was a mission for her second identity as a hacker, Blue Bird, to investigate ´De Vries, Ruben´s mobile app company for stealing his mobile app users´ personal information. The perfect chance for revenge for both sides wielding a double-headed sword.

How will you feel when you end up with the same person you were trying to find an escape from? How will you feel when you end up in a one-night stand with your Ex-husband? Her eyes fluttered as she felt the morning cool breeze brushing against her bare body, which was semi-covered with a quilt. Although her eyes felt heavy to even blink, her other senses were high alert. She could hear the bird chirping outside the windows, she could smell a familiar masculine cologne, her body covered with goosebumps with the presence of someone familiar, and her heart beats rapidly on its own accord. That's when her brain registered her surroundings and could recollect her last passionate night with someone who would be her soon-to-be ex-husband. How? When? Why? She mentally slapped herself, but then she couldn't hide the contentment. She felt as if she was complete now. She couldn't stop but feel happy again. Why? Why does she feel like falling in love again? "I see you are still the w***e you were back then," his words broke her little dream she just thought of. "A desperate woman like you, who can with her ex-husband, can no wonder w***e around any men." He said with no remorse. "I did the right thing by divorcing you. How much do you charge for a night?" he smirked, looking at her teary face. "Here! Take extra 200 bucks for the sake of our old times." She vowed never to cry in front of her husband, but what he said just now shattered her soul beyond repair. Her quivering body and hollow eyes didn't hide the agony she felt at that very moment. "Sorry for loving you."