Romans & histoires Laced Roses

There's an unspoken rule in my household—everyone has to engage in a drinking competition during the holidays. Whoever gets wasted first will have to pay off one year's worth of house and car mortgages for the other two siblings. In the first year, I collapsed after my first glass of alcohol. I had to pay the house mortgage for my oldest sister, Dahlia Zeller. In the second year, as soon as I picked up my glass, I fainted right away. Since then, I had to pay off Jasmine Zeller, my second sister's car loan. For the next 20 years, I've always been the loser. In the end, my wife, Jean McCarthy, is forced to jump off a building because of the huge debt I've racked up. The debtors keep dumping paint onto my residence, forcing me to deter away from it. Ransacked by guilt, I end up damaging my stomach from overdrinking when I attempt to train my alcohol tolerance. As a result, half of my liver has gotten removed. When I'm on the verge of death, I hear my parents snickering outside my ward. "Don't you think we've laced too many sleeping pills in his drink? He almost didn't wake up back then!" "It's fine. He's an idiot who merely thinks he has a low alcohol tolerance. Our family still relies on him for financial survival, you see. We can keep drugging him so that he'll keep getting wasted." When I open my eyes again, I've already gotten reborn in the timeframe when I'm sitting at the dining table in the 20th year.

“You are mine.” Jerald possessed, trailing wet kisses down Jasmine's body while she let out uneven breaths, her body tingling as tiny ripples sneered through her. Jerald's right hand gripped her heavy tits and he fondled hard, kissing her navel, obsession burning through his every act. “You are mine. Jasmine… your body..” He paused and kissed her navel. “Your heart and your soul... Everything belongs to me.” His voice was laced with domination as he moved his head downward, trailing wet kisses down her body till he parted her legs with his head, burying his face between her beautiful thighs. * This high and Mighty never took NO for an answer. He is Jerald De Luca. Either business or Women, he would surely always have his slightly illegal way. When Jasmine crawled into his bed with the intention of saving up for some medical bills, she thought everything would last for a month like the contract spelled out. Everyone has been to his bed, but none has ever won his heart like she did. She was the opposite of him, calm, yet fierce and unyielding. She didn't bend to his will like the air and every other woman did and most differently, her eyes held the light that was missing in this world. This mare lust grew into a love that pioneered an unshakable obsession. The desire to protect her was like second nature, clogging his every breath like a whispered secret. But when life challenges come crashing in, threatening to rip their relationship apart, Jerald is faced with the harsh reality of life. This angel was not so innocent as he forsee and all along he had been the enemy that he had sworn to protect her away from.

Lily Thornton was the underprivileged student I'd sponsored for a full ten years. From middle school through college, I covered every penny of her tuition and living expenses. I treated her like my own little sister. When she was diagnosed with a rare disease, I even begged my husband, Graham Forsythe -- Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery -- to personally operate on her. But on the day of her college graduation ceremony. I went to her apartment early to surprise her. And found Graham pressing her into the sofa, tenderly kissing her slightly swollen belly. "Graham, if Serena finds out about our baby, do you think she'll cut off my medication?" Graham pulled her into his arms, his voice laced with that condescending patience of his. "Don't worry. Serena is the kind of woman who's so rational she's practically cold-blooded. She'd never understand the soul-deep connection we share -- two people saving each other." "But to protect my reputation as department chief, she'll fall in line." "Once I get that one-of-a-kind clinical trial slot for the new drug, I'll divorce her and give you and the baby a real home." I stood outside the door, staring at the freshly stamped Phase-I clinical trial authorization in my hand. I didn't push the door open. I didn't make a scene. I simply, with perfect calm, tore it to shreds and dropped the pieces into the trash can beside me. Graham Forsythe. You couldn't have imagined this in your wildest dreams. That clinical trial slot your entire hospital had pulled every string to secure. Its lead research scientist was none other than your wife. The one you mocked for being so rational she was cold-blooded.

Alexis Diaz is a sales representative who attends a conference at a hotel in a remote area. While attending a reception, she meets a mysterious and charming billionaire named Max, who is a werewolf. They are both attracted to each other and share a passionate one-night stand. The next morning, Alexis leaves without saying goodbye, feeling overwhelmed by her emotions. Max realizes Alexis could be his mate, as he was drunk and doesn’tremember whether or not he marked her. The details of the night are fuzzy except he realizes his drink might have been laced by an aphrodisiac for mates. He only remembers her honey/ginger hair Alexis goes through some roughening emotions/changes(heat intolerance/heightened sex drive including sex dreams about the mysterious stranger) but eventually gets used to it, she also gets a new scar in the place she thought she had a hickey that refuses to go. A month or two later, Alexis is sent to pitch her company's product to Max's business. When Max sees her again, he realizes that he can't forget about her and feels drawn to her, she feels the mark on her neck burning as she feels and undeniable sexual tension between them. During the meeting, Max and Alexis try to maintain a professional demeanor as they are with others but the chemistry between them explodes the moment they are alone. Alexis runs away again. Max searches for her and finds her this time around at her workplace where he realizes he can hear two heartbeats. What happens when Alexis decide to runaway? How would Alexis handle the truth of her existence? How would Max save his pack without losing the most important part of his life, Alexis and their baby? Find out in this intriguing story, Alpha's girl.

The chimes of the Full Moon Festival echoed through the night air. I fought down the nervous flutter in my chest and shot a text to Beta Lucas. "When are we telling the pack, Beta Lucas? When do we finally mark each other?" "I was still holding my breath when my brother, Alpha Ryan, suddenly raised his hand." He pointed at the Sacred Oak in the middle of the plaza, his voice laced with surprise. "Hey, Elena. Isn't that Lucas?" "He's holding a girl's hand. Looks like the pack's in for a celebration." I followed Ryan's gaze on instinct. In that split second, my wolf went completely cold. Lucas was kissing the girl in his arms, deep and passionate. I recognized her right away. It was Sarah, the rogue wolf Lucas had brought back from the forest border the week before. Word was she'd saved Lucas's life. I must've been staring too hard, because Lucas suddenly looked up and locked eyes with us. His pupils shrank the second he saw me. A few seconds later, he slowly let go of the girl in his arms. "Ryan, Elena. Let me formally introduce you two." "This is Sarah, my chosen mate." When he got to me, Lucas's eyes darted away. He glanced quickly at my pale face, then turned to the Sarah beside him. "This is Elena, Alpha Ryan's sister. She's like a little sister to me, too." We'd shared a bed countless nights. And all I got in the end was the label of sister. Fine, then. If your little sister marries another Alpha, you'll surely bless me, won't you?

“Mr. Carter, your unborn child was lost due to this trauma. This is serious.” “You brought this upon yourself, Charlotte” his words laced with venom. “And I’m not going to pay her medical bills either. This is all just an act.” “I don’t trust her who claims to have been assaulted,” he spat, his voice dripping with disdain. "She must have seduced them; after all, she already did it once. How can I trust her now? I don’t have time for her drama.” I felt my heart shatter at his cruel dismissal. How could he be so heartless? --- After dedicating her youth to saving lives, Charlotte Valco finds her own destiny slipping away. Her act of heroism at St. Peter Hospital binds her in an arranged marriage to Howard Carter, a wealthy heir whose icy demeanor leaves her longing for genuine affection. Charlotte’s dreams of happiness shatter beneath his emotional distance, the relentless cruelty of his adoptive sister Anastasia, and the scornful machinations of his mother, Karla. Isolated and gaslit, Charlotte loses everything—including her unborn child—when Howard sides with Anna, allowing tragedy to unfold at the hands of old enemies. Broken and alone, Charlotte’s only wish is for a chance to rewrite her fate. Miraculously transported back three years, she awakens in St. Peter Hospital as a doctor, her life—and marriage—unwritten. Armed with memories of betrayal and heartache, Charlotte resolves to choose her own path, protect herself from those who hurt her, and reclaim the compassion that once defined her. As she seeks justice, makes bold choices, and confronts her enemies—including Howard and Anastasia—Charlotte discovers that second chances come with powerful new risks… and the possibility to turn tragedy into triumph.

“You don’t get to reject me, Avery. I will never give you that pleasure.” Julian’s voice was a dark promise, laced with venom. "I’ll keep you, watch you suffer, until I’m ready to discard you. Remember, I own you. And when I’m done with you… you’ll wish you were never born." ********** Avery Smith knew nothing but pain. Abandoned by her pack, betrayed by her own blood, she clung to one fragile hope: her fated mate, Julian Styles. But hope shattered when he chose her sister instead, his rejection a blade to her soul. "A weak thing like you can never be my mate." Humiliated, she fled, vowing never to return. Fate had other plans. When tragedy forces Avery back, she finds herself face-to-face with a man who wants her more than anything... more than power, more than pride, more than sanity. The ruthless Alpha King doesn’t just claim her; he consumes her. His touch is fire, his words a whip, his hunger a storm she can’t outrun. "I don’t want you!" she lies, her body betraying her as his scent wraps around her like chains. "Let go of me!" But Kaiden’s grip is unbreakable, his voice a growl against her skin. "You’re mine, Avery. Every breath, every whimper, every fucking heartbeat." His lips crash into hers, stealing the air from her lungs. "And I’ll take what’s mine." A bond forged in blood. A love born in obsession. Will their souls ignite, or will their war burn them both to ash?

When my husband, Austin Hart, and I participated in the earthquake disaster relief, he discovered the corpse of his first love, Stacy Deleon, in the collapse zone. That night, Austin left a suicide note behind before jumping off the building with our son, Clifford Hart, in order to reunite with Stacy in the afterlife. Only then did I realize that both Austin and Clifford never cared about me, to begin with. When I was reborn, I returned to the moment when Austin first asked for a divorce. This time, I agreed to the divorce immediately. I even gave the custody of the three-year-old Clifford to Austin right away. Five years later, we meet again at an auction. Austin laces fingers with Stacy while taking Clifford's hand with the other. He mocks me, "It's only been five years, Kendra. You're really that shameless now, huh? You can't wait to latch onto me again now that you've found out I'm here!" Clifford mocks me as well. "Mom… Wait, you should be Ms. Powell to me now. You should stop pestering my dad already. My parents and I are living a very happy life right now." I just ignore them. Instead, I grab my daughter, Faye Gilmore, who has been sneaking food off the table, and steer her back to our seats. But Austin flies into a fit of rage instantly. A vein pops out of his hand, which is still laced with Stacy's fingers. "You really are shameless, Kendra Powell! We've only been separated for five years, yet you already have a daughter that old? I can't believe you're willing to resort to such despicable methods just to make me jealous! Which bastard did you have that bastard child with, huh?"

They say fated mates are sacred, practically unbreakable. But Aiden wasn’t mine, and I wasn’t his. That didn’t stop me from loving him like he was the last man left in this cursed world. He swore he didn’t need a bond to love me. Said it was pure. Said he’d love me unconditionally. Said he’d choose me—always. But now he’s in our bed, moaning another woman’s name like a prayer. Wearing a forbidden pendant laced in black magic—magic strong enough to block the mate bond so I wouldn’t feel the betrayal. Too late, Aiden. I felt it. Like a dagger slicing straight through my soul. And just as I hit rock bottom, he shows up. A young, enigmatic Alpha—feared, powerful, far too young for me. Alpha Damon. He’s asking questions about illegal mate bond magic. Magic my husband used to cheat without consequences. Magic that ties back to a dark conspiracy. Turns out, my perfect little marriage is just the rotten tip of a magic-smuggling empire. Damon wants my help. Needs me close. Says I’m the only one who knows enough to crack this wide open. But every time he says my name, something in me stirs, something I swore was long dead. I shouldn’t want him. I couldn't him. He’s too young. Too dangerous. Too…everything. But goddess help me—he’s the first man who’s ever looked at me like I wasn’t something broken. Like I wasn’t disposable. Like I was worth fighting for.

"Do you feel it coming alive?" he whispered. His hand holding mine on his bulge. "If anyone sees us—" I stuttered. We weren’t alone in the house. "If you agree to be my good little stepsister—they’ll treat you with respect too." His dark eyes held a wicked amusement that sent a shiver down my spine. "I know you had a crush on me." "I—I didn’t know you were my stepbrother," I tried to explain, but he silenced me with a finger to my lips. That touch! That gentle press of dominance. It was dangerous. It was temptation itself. "Then no one has to know our dirty little secret." His voice was a trap, laced with seduction. "Be my stepsister by day… and my whore by night." I had thought I was inching toward freedom. That escape was just within reach. But the noose had been tightening all along. And this time, it wasn’t fate or circumstance pulling it tight. It was the hands of my own stepbrothers. .. Lavender wanted a normal life—one where she was respected for who she was, not judged for being born from rape. But everything changed when she helped a wounded stranger– and unknowingly walked into the world of the mafia. She thought she could escape the ruthless mafia boss she saved—until she found herself in his mansion, introduced as his stepsister. When her mother made her meet her new family, Lavender’s world shattered. How could she tell her mother that her soon-to-be stepbrothers were mafia bosses, who saw her as nothing more than a pawn? Lavender is left with two choices: fight back or submit to her stepbrothers' control. But can she escape the grip of the mafia? But how can one ever escape the mafia?