Haunting Whispers

Born From Darkness - A Legend Will Rise After many years of fear and suffering, the brave Ravennites of the Dark Zone have come out of hiding and engaged their oppressors from the Outside in an all-out war to reclaim their homes, their lives and their freedom. In the wake of countless victories and losses across the vast, mountainous territories, there are many who attribute their newfound hope to the young Outsider who selflessly turned his back on his own life to save all of theirs: Alex Lee. Determined to prove his loyalty to the cause, Alex leads a small but daring squad of Ravennite warriors to take the fight deep into enemy territory. As time continues to wear on, Alex’s mind is constantly plagued by many unwelcome thoughts; the fear that the day may come when his valor and his resolve fails the people he calls his family, a growing and restless love for the young Ravennite woman who vowed to fight by his side, and the haunting memory of the night, many months ago, when he reluctantly revealed the location of the last Ravennite refuge known as the Citadel. Time is running out. Alex’s heart is torn between what he believes is worth fighting for and protecting the one he loves. As he struggles to keep his gallant team, and himself, intact, he soon finds himself before a trial far more malevolent than anything he has ever faced in his life. His convictions are being challenged, his mettle put to the ultimate test, and in his mind, Alex begins to wonder if he is truly losing his sanity - and if he will ever leave the Dark Zone alive.

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

Tiffany Jones is beautiful, innocent and a straight-A student, straight from elementary school, well, until she met Zeke. She had a lot of bad experiences while growing up, but that didn't stop her from becoming the person she was. Except that she had very huge trust issues. In college, she's made to share a bedroom with who she calls a total jerk. Yup, that's him, Ezekiel Blakely, popularly known as Zeke. He's a bad boy. He's a player. He's dangerous. He's reckless. The two are seen and talked about in the college, making Tiffany get attention, which she dislikes. How's she gonna cope with such a jerk? Would she give in to his flirtatious character and risk it all or would she flee before it's too late? Keep reading to find out. "Why the f*** did you have to wear this," This time, he pinned me to the wall, completely taking me off guard. "Nerd you're turning me on," He said and then pressed himself against me. There was no doubt he was already turned on. Oh, God! He brought his face to my neck and breathed hotly against it, sending shivers to my body. He trailed one of his hands up to my dress and our breathing was already getting hot. With one hand on my waist and the other making its way to my bra he whispers, "Stop torturing little Zeke."

They said she was lucky to have married him. He had wealth, charm, a name with legacy and other women warming his bed. She was "just" a scholarship girl with a gentle voice and no background. So when Liana Davids divorced and parted from Dominic Smith, the world snickered. "She'll be back in no time," they taunted. "He's irreplaceable." Even Dominic smiled, betting on her return to his board of directors. But Liana never came back. Liana didn't just disappear, when she returned, she came back like a ghost. A masked tech mogul, business guru and a headline queen. The wife they discarded returned as the woman no one could touch. Now, whispers say she's looking for a father figure for her daughter. Powerful men line up, begging for a taste of the empire she built. But Dominic thinks he is not through yet. He corners her, seething: "Your baby is mine, isn't it?" She lifts her head, eyes colder than frost. "That's none of your business. Now step aside, ex-husband before I bury you."

William Kelly, a former Combat Marine, and a Corporal at the six-three precinct of the Heights Police has his world turned upside down when he answers a radio call of a multiple homicide at the East Coast Green Herbal Shop. The "Heights," well known for its persecution and execution of witches for almost four centuries is the backdrop of the wickedness he is about to encounter. A legacy in the Heights Police, his family has served in the precinct from its inception just after the Civil War. His bloodline's haunting history is soon revealed as he combats an evil that he doesn't believe in nor comprehend. He finds that a witch's coven is secretly operating out of a storefront in town. This coven, lead by Casper Crowningshield, are perpetrating rival gangs to war so that they can take over the drug trade. Kelly's hard nose Marine Corps approach and a quest for justice, leads him into a world of death, retribution, vengeance, and great pain. Warned by his fiancé and his best friend, Kelly ignores them and pushes on for the truth. Putting his job on the line, Kelly leaps in to solve a four-hundred-year-old mystery of a missing witch, a coven's witches bottle, and a story of wickedness that has plagued the town forever.

Vineet has a facade of a shy and nerdy girl that no one seems to notice and she wants to stay that way until a very hot dangerous guy named Levias came to disrupt her life and that too by chance. They both have secrets of their own that they don't wanna tell everyone. What will happen when these two collide? What happens when the past came haunting Neet? Will they be together if fate pulls them apart for reasons yet to be known?

The infamous Alpha Xavier Ashford is known as the ruthless king of the rogues. Although few have ever seen him and survived, there are whispers throughout the packs of his cruel reputation. No one knows what he looks like, but everyone knows the rumors. Elena Madden has been looking forward to the day she turns 18. Her 18th birthday means escaping her glass castle and the freedom she has always craved. Ever since she was little, she has dreamed of going to college and becoming a doctor. But when she is rejected by her mate, the pack's Alpha, she is forced to abandon all her plans and run away from everything she knows. What will happen when their fates intertwine? Will she run away again or fight for the life she wants?

I've been in love for six years, but my wedding has been called off 99 times by the man who claims to love me most, the mafia boss, Daniel Reed. The first time is on a private island off the coast of Sorellia. He promises me a secret wedding. But an hour before the ceremony, he gets a call saying that his new assistant, Emily Jennings, has been taken by a rival family. Without a word, he leaves me behind and sails off into the night. The second time, we're standing at the altar, exchanging vows. His underboss then leans in and whispers, "Emily's in trouble." Daniel tears off his boutonniere and walks out without looking back. Emily has been kidnapped again—this time, near the border district. He leads an armed raid that very night while I'm left behind, becoming the laughingstock in the mafia's VIP lounges. No matter when I schedule the wedding, Emily always ends up in danger. And Daniel always runs to her without hesitation. Eventually, I realize I will never win against the reckless Gen Z assistant who constantly drags him into chaos. After the 99th cancellation, I decide to break up with him and disappear from Valemont. I move out overnight, erase every trace of myself, leaving nothing behind. But I never expect him to go completely mad. He shuts down the ports, searches every villa, and unleashes his entire family's intelligence network just to find me. His eyes burn red like a wild animal on the edge of collapse. "Elara," he growls, "just give me one more chance."

Elara has spent her life as an outcast. Marked by a half-moon birthmark and whispered to be cursed, she has known nothing but isolation in the Grimshade Pack. When her fated mate rejects her—only to die soon after—the rumors of her misfortune spiral out of control. Then, in an unexpected twist, Alpha Andrew of the Salientmoon Pack claims her as his mate. Ruthless and feared, Andrew is known for his icy heart and the dark whispers that surround him. His offer isn’t born from love—it’s a calculated move in a brewing war. But as Elara is pulled into his world, she begins to wonder: is she truly cursed, or is there more to her fate than she ever imagined? And beneath Andrew’s cold exterior, does a heart beat that just might shatter the chains binding them both?

In a car, Matteo Gallagher kisses Evelyn Walsh until she's breathless and entranced. She's been stripped, but he's still fully clothed. The stark contrast makes her blush. Matteo wraps an arm around Evelyn's waist and pulls her close. He chuckles and whispers, "The soundproof divider is up, so the driver can't hear you. He wouldn't dare listen in, anyway. Why are you so shy?" She watches as he intensifies his ministrations on her and throws her arms around him. Love fills her eyes, and she's about to reach her climax. Just then, a phone rings, interrupting them.