How Democracies Die

Um die Vernichtung des Meervolks zu verhindern, beschloss ich, an Land zu gehen und meinen Jugendfreund Cyrus zu verführen, der inzwischen zum Alpha-König aufgestiegen war. Wie erwartet liebte er mich immer noch. Drei Tage und Nächte verbrachten wir voller Leidenschaft im Bett. Als ich aus den Freuden erwacht war, konnte ich mich kaum freuen, da er mich bereits mit ätzender Flüssigkeit übergoss. Ich schrie vor Schmerz auf, während Cyrus kalt lachend daneben stand. „Eine unsterbliche Meerjungfrau kann also auch Schmerzen spüren?“ „Das ist erst der Anfang. Solange du das Versteck meiner Eltern nicht verrätst, wirst du keine ruhige Minute haben!“ Er war überzeugt, dass unser Meervolk für das Verschwinden seiner Eltern verantwortlich war. Von da an musste ich zusehen, wie er absichtlich mit seiner Geliebten Emily flirtete; musste die Meerjungfrauen-Perle aus meinem Herzen entfernen, um Emilys Gesundheit zu stärken; musste unter qualvollen Schmerzen barfuß tanzen, um Emily in den Schlaf zu wiegen... Er hasste mich bis ins Mark, doch jedes Mal, wenn ich dem Tod nahe war, nahm er mich auch in die Arme und flößte mir Medizin ein. Mal war er eiskalt: „Glaubst du, ich bin wehrlos, weil ich dich liebe? Wachen, foltert sie weiter!“ Mal war er sanft: „Sei brav und sag mir – wo sind meine Eltern wirklich?“ Stillschweigend ertrug ich seine widersprüchliche Liebe. Bald würde ich das Geheimnis über seine Eltern nicht mehr hüten müssen. Denn wenn eine Meerjungfrau drei Jahre an Land blieb, ohne ins Meer zurückzukehren, verwandelte sie sich unweigerlich in Schaum. Bis zu meinem Tod blieben nur noch drei Tage.

Set up to break her bond with her Alpha mate after the Lycan King passed a decree that no alpha was allowed to reject or break off their bonds with their mates unless the mates did it themselves, Ellie Fowler could hardly believe her luck when by some strange fate, she's immediately bonded to the Lycan King himself, who now thinks she's nothing but a disloyal mate and worse, an Omega. Lycan King, Archer Daalmans, has a year to find his mate to prevent him from losing his strength or worse, dying, and he is determined to find her only for that reason. However, he is disappointed to find his mate is a dirty Omega who doesn't know her place, and he wants nothing to do with her, but he can't seem to keep his eyes off her or stop himself from protecting her.

There are monsters in this world. And they used to be us. Now it's time to euthanize to survive in a hospice where Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. Post-infection Chicago. Christmas. Inside The Hospice, Emily and her fellow nurses do their rounds. Here, men and women live out their final days in comfort, segregated from society, and are then humanely terminated before fate turns them into marrow-craving monsters known as ‘Smilers.’ Outside these imposing walls, rabid protesters swarm with signs, caught up in the heat of their hatred. Emily, a woman haunted by her past, only wants to do her job and be the best mother possible. But in a world where mortality means nothing, where guns are drawn in fear and nobody seems safe anymore – at what cost will this pursuit come? And through it all, the soon to be dead remain silent, ever smiling. Such is their curse. It won't be long before that snow-speckled ground will be salted by blood. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Story 1: "Make a wish," He asked her. "I want to die." She replied without hesitation. He was the only one who could save her, and she was the only one who could see him and bring him back to life. Story 2: after so many years, a message arrived for a reunion of the whole batch. everyone was excited except those two hearts, twisted and anxious. But little did they know it was going to be a new beginning for the two of them as they would finally fall in love all over again...

BLURB: Forced into a marriage of convenience by her parents, Chloe had only one job: to spy on her husband's family in order to steal business secrets. She never expected herself falling for the arrogant billionaire heir— Grayson Coleman. Eventually, the Coleman's discover her plan and set her up, ruining her life and reputation. After being abandoned by her own family when the plan failed, she discovers she is pregnant. Years later, Chloe has returned after building her empire and when fate throws Grayson in her path, she is hell bent on ruining him but emotions they say, always tend to get in the way. Will she destroy the man who ruined her, or risk her hard work to love a man who broke her?

How could you forgive the one who shattered you and still makes your heart burn? Seth was a broke scholarship student by day, and a forbidden secret by night. Caught between survival and desire, he sold pieces of himself until one man changed everything. Then came a night of passion that ended in tragedy… and turned his world upside down. When the truth explodes, Seth is branded as a liar, a gold-digger, and worst of all…August’s ultimate betrayal. But love this raw doesn’t die so easily. Every kiss burns like revenge, every touch blurs into need, and the line between hatred and obsession vanishes between them. He’s the boy August can’t forgive… and the man he can’t let go of.

Nachdem sie in der Nacht vor ihrer Hochzeit eine Nacht mit einem Fremden verbracht hatte, verließ Arianna das Land, um ihr Leben neu zu beginnen. Die 22-jährige Arianna Jason lebte ihr Leben, um den Menschen zu gefallen, die sie am meisten liebte, ohne zu wissen, dass sie lediglich eine Beute war, die für den Tag ihres Untergangs gehegt wurde. Ihr Leben hat die bittere Pille des Verrats geschmeckt. Sie möchte der Welt das zurückgeben, was sie bekommen hat, aber wie kann sie ihre gute, unschuldige Persönlichkeit ändern, um in eine grausame Gesellschaft und Welt zu passen? Kann ihre süße Natur verdorben werden, oder wird sie es schaffen, auf dem richtigen Weg zu bleiben?

I fell for my next-door neighbor, James Grayson. I even tried to seduce him in a sexy nightdress. But he humiliated me by throwing me out in front of everyone. I was utterly embarrassed. The next day, he told me straight up that he was getting engaged, and I should just give up. So, I did. I let him go and said yes to someone else’s proposal. But on my wedding day, James showed up looking like a mess and tried to stop the wedding. “Summer, I regret everything.” But by then, my heart already belonged to my husband.

In a world where the gods of legend have become actual fact, a few misnomers from another planet seek to simply live their lives in peace. If you could choose one word from the dictionary, one that simply defines you to the core of your soul, what would you say your definition is?

RISE ABOVE THE ZODIACS SERIES | Uno - AQUARIUS Title: Show Me How (Jan Quaro Zodiac's Story) Genre: Romantic comedy | Light Erotica | R-18 Synopsis: Jan Quaro Zodiac is the owner of the "Panaderia De Quaro". Tagamasa. Tagasalang. Tagabalot. Tagabantay. Tagatinda. Tagasilbi. He is a one-man army; kaya niyang gawin ang lahat ng mga gawain sa shop nang mag-isa. He has never employed a single soul since he opened his business as he was just too proud and confident working alone. He has been running his bread-slash-coffee shop for years now, at ang madalas niyang mga customers ay pawang mga babaeng estudyante sa katabing kolehiyo na walang ibang ginawa kung hindi magpa-cute sa kaniya. Everybody wants to get the shop owner's attention, but if you ain't buying his bread and cookies, Quaro won't entertain. Pero iba ang diskarte ng isang dalagita na matagal nang pabalik-balik sa shop ni Quaro; dinaan ba naman sa mala-Oscars na drama ang binata upang mapansin nito? Kahit ang matalino at wais na si Quaro ay nalinlang! Paanong drama at anong diskarte ba 'ka mo? You will have to read and find out yourself.