How Did Makima Die

In order to save Alpha Varkon Stormclaw, who was poisoned with wolfsbane, I've used my life force to trade for the antidote with the witch. After the transaction, I become unusually weak. My wolf sinks into a deep slumber as well. Because of that, the elders have cast me out of the Moon Goddess Church. Nyla Ironcrest, the newly-appointed Luna, locks me up in a silver cage that's filled with wolfsbane. "How could a lowly and filthy defective she-wolf like you be a good match for the prestigious Alpha?" Varkon, who has once loved me with all his heart, gets tricked by Nyla into thinking that she's his savior. Not only does he sever our mate bond from me, but he also turns a deaf ear on my pleas for help. Defeated and devastated, I breathe my last breath in the silver cage. However, Varkon kneels before my corpse later on. He's struck with so much pain in the chest that he goes crazy. At the same time, he keeps spitting out blood. But I can never hear his confession of atonement ever again.

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.

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

He woke up with no memory, no name, no past… only a system in his mind telling him his fate: conquer the hearts of eight men… or lose everything. Naïve, silly, and utterly unprepared, Finn had no choice but to obey. Each man was more than a challenge... they were his past lovers, the very ones he had betrayed and abandoned, and now, he had to win their hearts again. There was Niam, wild, reckless, and infuriatingly irresistible—the first to challenge Finn, and the one who taught him that love could sting as sharply as it could thrill. Then Franklin, the perfect golden prince, hiding a playboy heart behind a flawless smile. Lucian, the older, calm, untouchable stepfather figure. Ethan, the cold professor, untouchable and strict. Aiden, the brilliant scientist. Lucas, the cunning actor, schemer, and manipulator…. Mason, the isolated genius doctor, haunted by solitude, whose heart melted for a patient unafraid to cry, play, and demand love on his terms. And finally, Theo, the dying tycoon, preparing to leave the world, only to find a reason to fight for life, desire, and passion… in the arms of the boy who promised him love in return. Bound to these eight men, Finn had to navigate lust, desire, heartbreak, and the pain of past betrayals. Every touch, every glance, every kiss was both a weapon and a lifeline. Could he win back the hearts he once broke, or would he lose himself—and them—forever? From system-driven missions to torrid nights of passion, from angst to redemption, Finn’s journey is one of love, loss, and a harem that refuses to forgive—or let go. One thing was certain: to survive, to regain his life, and maybe even happiness… he would have to conquer not just their hearts but his own.

Even though I've been with Eric Blackclaw, the heir to the Alpha title, for three years, he's still unwilling to mark me. Later, he falls in love at first sight with my stepsister, Layla Talbot. Thus, he begins courting her in a grand manner in the pack. This time, I no longer throw a tantrum, nor do I question Eric like I did before. Instead, I just burn all the gifts he's given me and rip my gown for our marking ceremony into shreds. On Eric's birthday, I leave Northpine Woods on my own. Before I board the private jet bound for another continent, Eric sends me a message via the mind-link. "Avril, why aren't you here yet? Everyone's waiting for you." I don't respond to Eric at all. This time, I just sever my mind-link with Eric. What he doesn't know is that I've already accepted Alpha Marcus Howler's mating proposal to me half a month ago. Once the private jet lands in the new territory located in Frosthill Mountains, Marcus and I will become mates with the Moon Goddess as our witness.

I was the prime suspect in the notorious murder of my parents-in-law in Cardinal City. The one who arrested me was my wife—Linda Reese, the police chief. While the verdict was still pending, the killer struck again. The new victim was murdered with the same savage cruelty. Linda knelt before me, begging me to tell her the truth. I told her I didn’t know. The victims’ families screamed, demanding that I be carved into pieces. Three months later, Linda found me beside a garbage bin, bringing with her a memory-decoding device. Her hands trembled as she pressed two thin needles into my temples. “I’m sorry, Finn. I know you’re not the killer. I just want this slaughter to end. I don’t want anyone else to die. Let everyone see your memories—let them see what really happened back then.” But when she finished watching my memories, she collapsed to the ground, utterly broken, and fell to her knees.

Eine Braut wird in ein Königreich geschickt, das nicht existieren sollte. Ophelia wurde Sicherheit versprochen, doch in dem Moment, in dem sie die Welt ihres Ehemannes betritt, erkennt sie, dass etwas furchtbar falsch ist — niemand atmet, niemand lächelt, und das Schloss beobachtet sie wie eine Beute. Dann beginnen die Träume. Träume, in denen sie gejagt wird … und wenn sie aufwacht, sind die Wunden real. Weit entfernt spürt Tristan ihren Schmerz durch eine Verbindung, die sich langsam in ein Todesurteil verwandelt — und als er sich auf den Weg macht, sie zu retten, wird er als Verräter gebrandmarkt und durch ganze Königreiche gejagt. Doch die Wahrheit ist weitaus schlimmer, als sie beide es sich je hätten vorstellen können. Ophelia war nie dazu bestimmt, eine Braut zu sein. Sie war dazu bestimmt, ein Opfer zu sein. Und je näher Tristan daran kommt, sie zu retten, desto näher kommt sie dem, was die Welt fürchten sollte.

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.

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?

Ich war die beste Auftragskillerin von Don Alexander. Seine Consigliere war ich auch. Und seine geheime Ehefrau. Fünf Jahre lang lebte ich diese verborgene Ehe mit ihm. Doch in all diesen Jahren erlaubte er unserem Sohn nie, ihn Papa zu nennen. Immer wieder sagte er, die verfeindeten Familien würden jede seiner Bewegungen beobachten. Mein Sohn und ich seien seine einzige Schwachstelle. Nur wenn unsere Beziehung im Verborgenen bliebe, könne er uns schützen. Ich glaubte ihm. Also schwieg ich. Ich stand an seiner Seite, regelte die Angelegenheiten der Familie, räumte seine Feinde aus dem Weg und hielt ihm den Rücken frei. Bis zu dem Tag, an dem seine erste Liebe Bella plötzlich zurückkam. Sie war nicht allein. An ihrer Hand lief ein fünfjähriger Junge. Für Bella und dieses Kind ließ Alexander kurzerhand das gesamte Disneyland reservieren, nur damit sie dort einen ungestörten Tag verbringen konnten. Genau an diesem Tag hatte unser Sohn Geburtstag. Leo hielt den Geburtstagskuchen im Arm. Die Kerzen waren längst heruntergebrannt, die Sahne begann schon zu verlaufen, und trotzdem blieb er stur an der Tür stehen. Er wartete auf seinen Vater. Er wollte unbedingt, dass Alexander mit ihm die Kerzen ausblies. In diesem Moment starb der letzte Rest Hoffnung in mir. Ich nahm mein Handy und sagte nur: „Hilf mir, die Identitäten von Leo und mir aufzuheben. Lösche alles. Jede Information. Jede Spur.“ Als mein Sohn und ich dann wirklich verschwanden, verlor der mächtige Don den Verstand. Er setzte Himmel und Hölle in Bewegung. Er ließ nach jeder noch so kleinen Spur von uns suchen. Auf der ganzen Welt.