Lana Pawn

Trigger warning: Matured content. Dark romance! ***** ~Jasper Morgan~ I hate him because he hates me. He's my first love, my bully. Yet, when his hatred turns into a burning obsession, I crave it, unable to live without it. Rhys' loathing has become my addiction, driving me to corrupt him, to claim him as my own. But what if he's just a beautiful nightmare? I can't let him go. ~Rhys Volkov~ I've never been drawn to men, never entertained the thought. Jasper Morgan was just a pawn in my vendetta against his father, who destroyed my life. I wanted to break him, shatter his perfection. But Jasper's twisted hate awakened something within me. I craved his scorn, his resentment. I wanted more than just revenge; I wanted him. His body, mind, and soul. He crossed the line. Now, nothing will stop me from possessing him. ******

Ellie was a good, ideal werewolf of her pack. Once abandoned by her family, she wanted to do everything she could to give back the love and care she received from her adopted family, even if it meant giving up her own wolf for a better future for them. However, what she did not know was that it was all a trick. That she was never loved by anyone in the pack; not her family, nor her mate. And the rite used for ‘her sake’? It was actually for her sister’s sake. All this time, Ellie was but a pawn to be used and tossed away. One day, she met an injured werewolf in the middle of the woods, who claimed her to be his mate, and later saved her from a cruel fate. Only… “We may be mates, but I feel nothing from you. All I want from you is to bear my child.” Once again, she was to be used as a pawn for someone else, when all she wanted was to at least be treated as any other werewolf. Will Ellie ever be able to change her fate? Can she get through to her mate? Will she find out what happened to her real parents?

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Malia Ray Smith, the heiress to the country's largest chocolate manufacturer, thought she had it all wealth, power, and the love of her father. But her husband Maynard Salvador cheats on her leaving Malia feeling worthless and insecure Just when Malia thought things couldn't get any worse, Larson Reynold enters her life and sweeps her off her feet and Malia believes she has found her true love. But as she falls deeper, she uncovers a web of lies and deception, and realizes she's been nothing but a pawn in Larson's dangerous game. Malia must navigate a world of betrayal, corruption, and evil plotting, all while finding the strength to stand up for herself and fight for the love and happiness she truly deserves.

I watch as he gently places the gun on the table. Seconds tick by a heavy silence filling the room. He takes a stand and makes his way to me. He takes a stance behind my chair and places his firm arms on my armchair, caging me. I bask in his scent and warmth. "You choose now Lana, here and now." He whispers into my ear. His traces my knuckles before grabbing my notebook out of my hands, and tossing it on the table. "I wasn't done with that." I say. He laughs, I feel his chest rumble as he laughs. I turn to face him, feeling my breaths shorten with each passing second. "Eyes on the prize, Lana." He turns my head back towards the table. "You choose the notebook you can go back to living your life in fear and delusion, then one day end up dead in a dumpster or," He brushes a strand of hair from my face, " You could pick up the gun and hunt your past which shall it be Lana?" I feel beads of sweat on my back and my anxiety prickling through my skin. I have to choose, here and now. I extend my hand and pick my choice.

“Even the most broken wolf carries the deadliest bite.” All her life, Thalissia has been nothing more than a stain on her pack's proud legacy. Born from the affair of their revered Alpha and a lowly Omega, she grew up powerless and relentlessly ridiculed. But when the King Selection Ball is announced — a sacred tradition where the newly crowned Lycan King chooses his future queen from the kingdom’s most eligible she-wolves — Thalissia dares to dream. But,... The Lycan King’s heart is already beating for another, his fated mate. His chosen queen will just be a mere pawn in his twisted game of love and power. Therefore, she must be betrayed and… killed.

During a company retreat to Colmar, I found out my boyfriend was going to propose at sunset, surrounded by colleagues. Instead, in the golden light, he dropped to one knee with a ring in hand in front of someone else. “Lana, I’m ready to be the father of your child. Will you marry me?” Lana, the woman Mark had loved for ten years, his unforgettable first love. I stared at the two, watching them embrace. Then I quietly turned away, booked myself a trip three days out, and went home for an arranged date. A year later, I ran into him again when I returned to the country. Mark’s eyes were bloodshot as he grabbed my wrist. “Rosie, you’re finally back. Don’t leave me again…”

There are a lot of twists and turns in this romance novel about a billionaire and his assistant; it's unlike any other story. Raven Snow meets Ace Black at a party where she almost kissed him. When she goes for a job interview and enters the office of the CEO, she then recognizes Ace Black as the CEO of Black Global Group of Companies. Ace denies her the job she applied for because she didn’t kiss him. Raven grows to hate Ace. But little does she know that the story of how love grew from hate begins here. Ace eventually employs Raven to be his assistant. Raven has no choice but to work for him since she is in dire need of a job. Things get interesting in the office as they work together and that’s when Raven starts falling for Ace. When her ex, Todd, appears in the picture, Ravens get entangled in a love triangle and things get complicated. Life, or Ace’s mother and Raven’s father in this case, hit them with the news of an arranged marriage. This complicates things further as they learn that they are betrothed to each other. For some reason, Raven hates the idea of being betrothed to Ace. But love always conquers. Ace and Raven find themselves so badly in love with each other that they can’t seem to have enough of each other. But with all the good thing that come are also the bad things. Lana, Raven’s best friend and Ace’ ex, grows jealous of Raven and Ace’s relationship and plans to separate them with Todd’s help. In the end, their plan fails thanks to Ray, Raven’s sister. Raven and Ace continue to love each other unconditionally. Love conquers all.

Vivian Brown knew she had responsibilities as the daughter of the Alpha, her father was not a man to say no to. Especially when it comes to the Red Crescent Pack. Thomas Bradley the Alpha of the Rogues, a pack of misfits, traitors and wolves who have been banished from their packs has become a threat. His pack growing in numbers, and Vivian's father would do anything to save his pack. Even if that means sacrificing his daughter. In a world dominated by Alpha's, by men. Will this wolf find her voice or is she destined to be a pawn in a very dangerous game?

At Sullivan Group's annual banquet, a female university student approaches Peter Sullivan and offers herself to him. The usually cold and distant Peter suddenly freezes because this young woman looks exactly like his deceased first love. He can't help but tease, "You're asking to be my mistress in front of my wife. Are you so sure you won't be thrown out?" The young lady lifts her chin, and her stubborn expression is identical to that of his lost love. "You two got married for business reasons and mutual benefits. Does she have any say over what you do? Peter, only you can save my mom. Will you do it or not?" She's right. I'm just a pawn in a marriage of convenience. How could I possibly influence Peter's choices? But then, I catch a glint of tenderness in his eyes that I've never seen before, and a self-deprecating smile forms on my lips. Maybe, instead of clinging on and being thrown out like trash, it's better if I give up my place willingly.