Hornet X Lace

Ariana thought her life was finally hers. An admission to Riverside University, a quiet routine, and a chance to escape the past. But a single night changes everything. She wakes to find herself promised to Alpha Kael Draxen, a powerful wolf she barely knows. Thrown into a dangerous pack and hunted by secrets, Ariana must discover her hidden strength. Between desire, betrayal, and deadly threats, can she survive—and claim the life she truly wants?

On one mid-autumn day, my national classified mission finally came to an end. I dug out the phone I hadn't touched for four years, planning to call my wife, Nora Christie, and tell her that I'd be coming home. But the moment my phone screen lit up, I saw a public court notice declaring me… dead. I froze. Then, I looked closer. The person who had filed the petition to have me legally declared dead was Nora. Frowning with confusion, I dialed her number. With a soft chuckle, she brushed it off, saying that it must have been a clerical error by some court intern. Then, she asked when I would be coming home. Just when I was about to answer, I heard a soft, restrained moan from Nora. "Ah, don't touch me there…" Realizing something wasn't right, I told her that I would be back in a few more years before hanging up. Then, I grabbed the medal I had earned from four years of service to my country, and took the next train home. Nothing could have prepared me for what I saw when I arrived. Right outside my front door, Nora was holding a wedding ceremony. The groom was Henry Crowley, the poor student I had sponsored!

The wedding had reached the part where the groom kissed the bride. I closed my eyes and leaned in to kiss Stella Stafford, only to end up with a mouthful of fur. Her assistant held up the camera and burst out laughing. "The almighty Mr. Rowe can't even tell if he's kissing a person or a dog?" I stared at the Husky in front of me, its tongue lolling out, and felt my stomach churn. I was about to lay into him when Stella stepped in to block me. "It was just a joke. No hard feelings." Laurent Reilly smirked smugly, his tone dripping with arrogance. "And guess what? This Husky happens to be a female, so why don't you just marry her instead? You're not good enough for Stella anyway." The employees erupted in laughter. Mortified, I kicked him square in the chest, sending him sprawling. The next second, Stella smashed a wine bottle over my head and demanded an apology. I wiped the mix of wine and blood from my face, then dialed an overseas number with a cold grin. "The wedding is short one bride. You in?"

In the quiet of the forest, the darkest fears are born. The people of Dunballan, harbour a dark secret. A secret more terrible than the Beast that stalks the dense forests of Dunballan. A secret that holds David McCavendish, last in a long line of Lairds, in its unbreakable grip. It’s down to Sally, David’s lover, to free David from the sinister clutches of the Beast. But, with the whole town against her, she must ally herself with an ancient woodland force and trace Dunballan’s secret back to its bitter origins. Those origins lie within the McCavendish family history, and a blasphemous heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. Some truths are too terrible to face, and the darkest of these lie waiting for Sally, in the Quiet Places. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Valentina Castillo, 22, never owed her father’s debts—but when her runaway sister leaves a night to her wedding, she is handed over as payment, a bride stolen for a price she cannot refuse. Nikolai De Luca, Miami’s ruthless Don, gave a man three choices: repay his debt, give his life… or offer a bride. When she was brought before him—trembling, unprepared, aware of the darkness in his gaze, he decided in an instant. She would be his. In his world, power is absolute, and a wife is not a partner—she is a possession. And once Nikolai De Luca claims what is his… even death itself can’t take it from him.

Stellina did not expect that her life would change drastically when Diego, an Underboss of the Pacnozzi mafia clan, asked her to be his wife. Of course the request was not based on love. Because Diego only wanted to use Stellina to replace his wife, Vellina, who died in a car accident. Stellina, who look similiar to Vellina, could not refuse Diego's request when the life of the father she loved so much was at stake. When Stellina finally joined the Pacnozzi family to replace Vellina, she seemed to bring a warmth that had never filled the mansion until now. Arianna, the daughter of Diego and Vellina really loves her current mother because Stellina treats Arianna with great affection, unlike Vellina who always snaps and scolds her all the time. But somehow, Vellina's cousin Matteo finds out about Stellina's identity and blackmails her. Stellina could not tell Diego for fear that Diego would stop her father's health treatment if Diego found out that someone else knew Stellina's true identity. How will Stellina deal with this situation and save herself in the mafia's lair? Will Diego let the woman who has slowly stolen his heart fight alone?

Marry him or die" When Lira is abducted, she is given an impossible choice, to impersonate Sophia Vale and marry the ruthless mafia lord Sebastian Jameson or watch her grandmother die. She has no choice but to say, "I do" But Sebastian doesn't want a wife; he wants revenge, and he swears to destroy the woman she represents. However, the line between hatred and desire is thinner than she thought, and when Lira finds herself falling for Sebastian, the truth about her identity could destroy it all. Can her marriage survive the deception and lies it was built on?

Eleanor thought she was everything to Henry. For three years, she was his constant—his quiet support, his emotional anchor. But when the woman he truly loves returns to the city, everything shatters. “I’ve been chasing her ghost,” Henry confesses, leaving Eleanor to pick up the pieces of a love that was never hers to begin with. In the glittering world of Manhattan’s elite, Eleanor finds herself trapped in a toxic relationship with a man who can’t let go of his past. After overhearing a conversation that reveals Henry’s betrayal, Eleanor is left questioning everything she thought she knew about love—and herself. With her heart shattered and her future uncertain, she turns to an unlikely solution: an arranged marriage to Jasper Blackwood, the stoic heir to a powerful family she’s known her whole life. But leaving Henry isn’t as easy as it seems. Jasper’s steady presence stirs something in Eleanor, something she hasn’t felt in years—security, respect, and a growing attraction. Yet, the pull of her past refuses to loosen its grip. As Henry desperately tries to win her back, Eleanor must confront the deepest fears she’s kept buried: Will she ever truly be able to trust again? And, more importantly, can she move on from a love that never truly belonged to her? In a world where wealth and power dominate, Eleanor’s journey to reclaim her self-worth is a battle she never saw coming. Will she finally choose herself—and the man who has always been there—or will her heart remain tethered to a past that can never be hers? The choice is hers. But will it be enough to heal a heart shattered by betrayal?

After Maya’s mother got into coma and has been in the hospital for 6 months, her father Mr Adam married Doris her step mother. Things haven’t been the same since he married her, but the worse nightmare came for Maya when she’s forced to Maya a stranger. Will she oever find love in this arranged marriage?

Three days before my marking ceremony, someone set fire to the bridal shop while I was inside trying on my ceremonial dress. Alpha Marcus threw the arsonist into the pack prison, sentencing them to the harshest punishment our laws allowed. I lay in the hospital bed, my body covered in third-degree burns, refusing to wake fully as the reality of my disfigurement sank in. In my semi-conscious state, I heard Marcus speaking with the pack's healing witch. "Alpha, we can still heal her completely with the ancient magic. If we wait any longer, Sarah will bear these scars for life! You just want Miss Rachel to be your Luna at the marking ceremony. This is cruel beyond measure!" "Let her keep the scars. I'll provide for her for the rest of her life, but if she's healed, she'll definitely cause trouble at the marking ceremony." "I promised Rachel that her pup would be welcomed into the pack with full honors. Only when Sarah is completely disfigured will she be grateful enough to raise Rachel's child as her own. The scars are necessary - at least this way, she won't dare mistreat the pup." In the corner of the room, where no one was watching, a tear slid down my burned cheek. So this was the truth. The marking ceremony I'd dreamed of was nothing but a lie. The mate bond I longed for would be my death sentence. If that's how it had to be, I would give him what he wanted.