Jarhead Buzz Cut

Ever since I tied the knot with Connor Steele, he ditched his playboy ways and cut off all his side flings. Everyone thought I had him wrapped around my finger, with our perfect little family. But that all came crashing down on our ninth anniversary when I accidentally saw his group chat with his friends. [Connor, how was that Bentley ride with Ashley yesterday? Pretty wild, huh?] [We tried every spot imaginable. She's totally obsessed with me and can't get enough.] There was a steamy photo of them attached, and the group was blowing up with cheers and congrats, wishing them happiness ever after. I stared at the screen, feeling a sharp stab of pain hit me right in the chest. It turned out that all our happy moments were just a carefully staged performance. I sat there in a daze all night, waiting for him to get home. When he finally walked in with a cake, I let out a cold laugh. "I know everything now. Aren't you sick of faking it?"

By our sixth year of marriage, Derrick hadn't touched me in three months. Said he was swamped at work. Always tired. After everything, I still believed him. Then on my birthday, I caught his friend talking in Garmenian—a language Derrick didn't think I understood. "You cut off the side piece yet? You were with her nonstop. Surprised you didn't drop dead. Your wife cool with that?" Derrick let out a smoke ring. "Haven't touched Audrey in months. Sabrina's insane in bed—I'm not over her yet. Sucks she got pregnant. Audrey doesn't want kids, so I gave Sabrina some cash. She'll have the baby overseas." My hands curled into fists. Silent tears streamed down my face. He glanced over, nervous. "What's wrong?" I smiled. "The cake you made is amazing. I'm really touched." It was sweet—but when you understand Garmenian, all you taste is betrayal.

My blood-bonded vampire mate left me while I was pregnant to be with his "first love" in the human world. When danger struck, he abandoned our son to protect her human child, who was not in any danger. While our son was struggling with lethal UV burns and calling for his father through a high fever, he was celebrating under citywide fireworks with that human boy, who only had a common cold. He even took the life-saving serum I had prepared for our son, just to use it for the boy’s "pre-transformation conditioning." He coldly stated, "Vampires are resilient; he’ll endure it. Human children are too fragile." After four years of raising our son alone, I finally decided to leave. I officially cut our blood ties and moved away with our son. Only then did he find out that his "first love" had been lying to him all along. After learning the truth, the arrogant vampire prince wept and begged for us to come back.

I stared at him blankly. "Then reject me before I do it myself." "I won't. I'm not as heartless as you are." "Compared to your cold-blooded pack?" I laughed with no humor before being serious again. "Choose and save us both from this misery. Reject me or I will." The alpha remained still, just staring at me with no emotion at all. "I, Zehra Heyerdahl of the Crescent Moon Pack, re—" He cut me off. — • — Zehra Heyerdahl's life was sailing smoothly until one night, her family was murdered brutally by unknown assailants. To seek justice that they deserve, she found herself stepping into the Farnsworth Valley where she encountered a series of events that turned her world to disarray... especially after meeting Alpha Xanth. Skeletons in the closet were unveiled, revealing all the unmentionable things kept for a long time ago. Two souls with their own priorities; one uncovering the truth and the other one protecting the lies they believed were true. What faith awaits to the both of them? Will there still be a happy ending? Or will they just go in separate ways?

As the flames engulfed my body in the underground warehouse, I used the last of my strength to call my brother, the new Don of the Moretti family. Just as I was about to draw my last breath, Lorenzo finally answered, his voice as cold as the Sicilian winter wind. "Isabella, what the hell are you up to now?" "Brother, save me…" My voice was barely a whisper, but he cut me off without a hint of mercy. "Can't you go one day without causing trouble?" "Liliana's debutante dinner is next week. If you don't show up, I'll drag you back here myself." He hung up without a second thought, completely oblivious to the desperation in my voice. Despair mingled with the searing agony that wracked my body as the flames danced higher, and I couldn't hold on any longer. As I closed my eyes, tears still trickled from their corners. You won't have to drag me back, my brother. I'm never coming back.

Noah left me at the altar three times—for his precious Freya. First time? She threatened to jump off a building. Second? Said she was moving abroad. Third? Sent a text saying she was getting forced into some arranged marriage. Noah, usually Mr. Cool, freaked. Left a packed venue and turned me into a total joke. Again. I called him. "If you don't come back today, I'm marrying someone else." He laughed. "Freya's young. You're too old to be playing games, aren't you?" I clutched my phone, heart sinking. He knew Freya was bluffing. Still picked her. That's when I finally gave up. Later, after he'd calmed her down, he came looking for me. "Pick a new wedding date," he said, like it was no big deal. "It'll be even grander this time." A guy's voice cut through, smiling. "Sorry, man. Gotta get my wife on the plane."

I knew perfectly well that open flames were forbidden at a gas-leak scene, yet as a firefighter, I still backed my girlfriend's childhood friend when he insisted on lighting a cigarette "to calm his nerves." In my previous life, a sudden gas leak erupted during a gathering. Her childhood friend insisted on smoking to steady himself. I slapped the lighter out of his hand and yelled at him for trying to get us all killed. Humiliated, he ignored everyone's attempts to stop him and stormed outside—only to be crushed by an advertising board blown loose by the explosion's shockwave. Later, when I saved a child who had fallen from a building and was left hanging in midair myself, my girlfriend—my second-in-command—maliciously cut my safety rope. She stared at my corpse and said, "If you hadn't humiliated George in front of everyone, he wouldn't have died." When I opened my eyes again, I was back in that room thick with the stench of leaking gas.

Sage Nieva Battlerce, the illegitimate daughter of an alpha and a lowly slave, has spent her life as nothing more than a tool in her father's empire. Her existence has always been defined by rejection and servitude-until the day the Elders declare her fate. Chosen by the Moon Goddess herself, Sage is destined to be the mate of Damien Angentha, the powerful and enigmatic Crown Alpha of the Angentha family. For a fleeting moment, it feels like destiny might offer her a new beginning. But the dream shatters the night Damien whispers the words that cut deeper than any blade: "I don't want to mark you as my mate." Sage is no stranger to rejection, but this is different. Damien was supposed to love and protect her, yet his heart belongs to another. Forced to navigate a cruel twist of fate, Sage must uncover the truth about her destiny, her strength, and the hidden powers within her that could change everything. In a world where loyalty is tested and hearts are torn apart, can Sage rise above her shattered beginnings and rewrite her fate? - Language: English

Fia Lawson had been in love with Conrad Maxwell for years. She knew that he had a childhood friend whom he loved, so she hid her feelings for him in the deepest part of herself. She never had any expectations about it. Then one day, his beloved suddenly left the country and she was forced to become the sacrificial lamb for their families’ alliance. After their marriage, he was the perfect husband. Even when he knew that she was infertile, he protected her. Three years later, while she was still drowning in bliss, he asked for a divorce and wanted her to set him free.“I’m pregnant.”“You’re lying. You’re infertile.”She finally had a child after being on medication for two years. She wanted to keep their marriage from falling apart.“Our marriage is a mistake. If we’re going to separate, we should cut each other off completely!”The only thing that could match the level of anguish she felt was how deep her love was for him.

"You'll be my wife on paper only. You'll have everything—except my heart. You'll never be Marina." For five years, Lily lived as David's secret wife—his poised secretary by day, his invisible stand-in by night. Every cold touch reminded her she was just a replacement. Every whispered “Marina” cut deeper than the last. Then his ex returned. And without hesitation, David cast Lily aside like she meant nothing. So she did what she should have done years ago. She signed the divorce papers. She walked away. But now, David couldn't escape her absence. Her silence burned him in ways Marina never could. And suddenly, the man who swore he'd never love her was determined to get her back. By any means necessary. Even if it meant breaking her all over again. She paid the price for loving him once. Now, he'd pay for losing her forever.