Makima Stare

Michael is the alpha of the Red River pack; his cruelty and contempt towards the woman he is meant to love and protect are vile. Will the woman survive? Can they rebuild the rest of their lives, or will his cruelty forever break their minds, bodies, and souls? Nicole was his chosen mate. She knew and experienced firsthand the depths of his depravity. Young, naive, and innocent, she fell victim to his manipulations, only to be discarded when he had no more use for her. To truly know someone, you have to know where they came from; my name is Layla, they are my parents, and this is our story. It never ceased to amaze me how the moon goddess allowed someone like my father to exist. How could she stand by and let one man ruin so many lives, and yet she constantly challenges the rest of us with so much loss and sorrow? I rose above every obstacle put in my path. I have loved, lost, and suffered at the hands of others, and yet I'm still here. I overcame my struggles tougher, stronger, and more determined to build a better life for my people, pack, and family. And I did; we finally made it. I stare at the people in the room. They came into my life when I needed them the most; they are my family, and I love them all.

Chester Ford brings home a female university student for the 10th time during our 10th wedding anniversary banquet. He walks into the banquet hall with the young lady in his arms. "Don't you see that your outfit is clashing with hers, Yuna Sutherland? Take off your dress. Right here and now." He slowly loosens his tie while I take a step back in panic. He then proceeds to tug my pearl necklace from my neck. "What are you waiting for? Stop acting like you're innocent. Your father tossed your younger sister to Ford Group to be a kept woman back then. He also practically delivered you straight onto my bed, all for 30 million dollars. I'll never forget how he looked when he was begging on his knees." Everyone eagerly watches the drama unfold with champagne glasses in hand. I stare at the wedding ring on his ring finger, which is close to becoming tarnished. For the 10th time, I request a divorce. Chester sneers. "How original of you, Yuna. Yet, you eventually kneel and plead for forgiveness every time. If you leave the Ford family, who's going to pay to keep your sister alive in the ICU?"

I flinched as his breath fanned my face, my body trembled in his arms. This was the chance, but was I scared? His eyes affected me in so many ways, as they held grief, pain and regret. Our stare was our way of communicating. It was intended, emotional and agonizing. I was hiding the knife behind me, picturing the perfect place to stab him. His searing heat sent a gush of lust inside me. I shouldn't fall for that. This was a revenge plan, not a romantic show-off. "I'm engaged, and I have a child with him" I remembered, barely recognizing my cold voice which had become soft and weak. He let out a dirty smirk, lowering his eyes to my lips as we exchanged breath. "I know, but I can't stop myself from falling" he whispered, and before I could blink an eye, he captured my lips, twirling them to his taste. It was a long liquid kiss that made me wet so that I couldn't fight back. The knife slipped off my hand as my body yanked on his. We both dried up where we stood when her voice resounded in our ears. "Mom?"

"The bride is here" someone shouted and he calmed down a bit, he just want to get this over with. He turned to stare at his bride and was shocked to see another face, dressed as his bride walking towards the altar. The lady has blond hair and baby blue eyes, a straight nose and a rosebud mouth that was twitching nervously He stared at his friend who was standing beside him, his gaze demanding for an explanation but he only shrugged, his gaze portrayed that he doesn't have a clue about what's going on. She smiled nervously when she got to where he was standing "Hello, you must be the groom, my name is Isabella. Joana's cousin and I am your bride" Daniel arched a brow at her before turning back to the priest, "let's begin"........ ******************************************* [One Year Later] "Boss, you have to see this video, it is a video of your wife with another man and the worst is that it is uploaded on an adult site" Daniel flung the phone angrily across the wall, "find me that bastard who would dare do such, find him before 24hours elapses" he yelled....... Find out what will become of Daniel and Isabella's marriage after this shocking revelation. Will their love be able to withstand every little secret being dished out?

When Alexander Smith stands in front of me and says he's going to marry someone else, that's when I realize he's been reborn too. I remember our 20 years of love in our past life. A plane crash. And then, rebirth. "This is to save Sophia," he says. "In our past life, she was sold to a Vostmark oligarch after her father's political scandal. Not long after, she took her own life due to abuse. I can't let that tragedy happen again, so I need to get engaged to her." As he speaks, he hands me an orange prescription bottle. "If you take this, you'll forget me for a little while. You won't feel the pain. It's just seven days. Once her father's scandal blows over, you'll stop the medication and your memory will return. Then I'll end the engagement and officially propose to you." I stare at the bottle, knowing it's a lie. Not the part about Sophia's suicide. The lie is about the drug. He thinks it only causes temporary memory loss. But I know better. The suppressant causes permanent damage to emotional memory. The seven-day countdown isn't the time it takes for my memories to return. It's the time it takes for my love for him to die.

The beach was crowded as it was summer and many families tend to camp and have fun during this period. A young tanned skinned girl of about eight years, sat on the sand a little bit far from her family. She had a darkblue hoodie on and a headphone over her head. Her beautiful grey eyes seem to shimmer as she stared with keen interest at the water, while humming a song softly and enjoying the quiet. However, her little peace and privacy was shortlived as a lad of about ten years old, endowed with curly jet-black hair, ran along. He stopped however, on seeing her. She turned to see the one invading her quiet only to see the boy staring at her. She looked at him without saying a word, holding his gaze. Time seemed to fly by as they both continued their staring match which was eventually interrupted, when another lad of same age as the boy came by. "Jordan! There you are. Come, Mom calls for you." The blonde haired lad said, looking at the girl briefly before dragging the other along who continued to stare at the girl from his shoulders until she was out of eyesight. "Hey Elle!" A little girl of same age as the grey eyed, called as she ran towards her. "Come see the sand castle that Rosalie and I built." "Jordan," the grey-eyed girl whispered.

“Klein you…” My voice catches in my throat as I attempt to speak again. I shut my eyes close, let out a heavy exhale before prying my eyes open again to continue. “Are you having an affair?” I ask, my voice raspy and watch his eyebrows nearly fly off his face from sheer shock and mortification. His countenance morphs into a bewildered expression and I once more, regret ever opening my mouth. “What if I am? Are you going to ask for a divorce?” I stare at him, silent and unmoving, with my heart threatening to hop out of my chest. When he realizes that I have no response to his question, he gives me a reproachful head shake, while sighing like I absolutely exasperate him and says: “I didn’t think so. You can think whatever you want about what’s going on between Jasmine and I. I don’t care.” ... Our marriage was a business alliance. The perfect marriage in the eyes of the public, but a complete sham in reality. He said affection is the one thing I will never get from him and I learned not to crave it. I was the perfect trophy wife... until the kiss. It changed everything.

Scarlett I was in love with Archer. He was my everything- the one I was so sure I would end up with. Until fate ripped my world apart. Because my mate wasn't Archer. It was him. Adrian Blackwood. The cocky, entitled, and unapologetic Alpha who believed the world revolved around him. A notorious heartbreaker who toyed with hearts like they were nothing… He was everything I swore I'd never want. Yet the one temptation I couldn't escape. One touch sets my skin on fire. One stare unravels me completely. Adrian was forbidden, a fire waiting to consume me… and he’s relentless Now I'm caught in a deadly game of love between two rival brothers. Two men. One heart. Do I fight for the man I love or surrender to the one fate has chosen for me? ******* Adrian She was already mine. The moment fate tied her to me, it was done. Sealed. Unbreakable. But Scarlett? She refuses to accept it. Her heart belongs to Archer, my step-brother. My greatest enemy. That should have made me walk away. But I didn't. Because no matter how much she fights it, she is mine. Mine to ruin. Mine to claim. Mine to protect. I never chased. Never got attached. But for Scarlett, I’d break every damn rule.

"Are you okay, did I hurt you?" he whispers, gently running his thumb on my flushed cheek. His eyes are so tender and the way they stare down at me, makes my heart swell with immense joy. I can't believe I just did it, and it was amazing. "No" I shake my head leaning into his touch. Fuck! I love him so much. I want this man to myself all days of my life. "Thank you for trusting me, baby. I..I...i" he quickly looks away when he couldn't complete his sentence, and I know why. "You don't have to tell me anything" I whisper pulling his head to my lips. "It doesn't matter to me, Rico. You are all I want, with your every flaw and the darkness that surrounds you" "But you deserve so much better sweetheart, you deserve the world" "Then be my world. I don't want to exist in a place you aren't " I sincerely murmur and it silences him. For the first time since I met rico, his eyes hold a different emotion other than the obvious ones. Determination. They are both lonely with troubling pasts, they both have walls built up so high and won't allow anyone to notice the pain behind their eyes. Can Mia Vulcan and Rico Moreno help each other overcome the demons hunting them? Find out.

Commander Samson Gardner was my fiance. In his family was an iron-clad rule—no divorces. Before my brother died, his last wish was for Samson to marry me. So, even after falling in love with his childhood sweetheart, Samson still decided to marry me as promised. However, everything changed the day said childhood sweetheart destroyed the only watch my brother left me. When Samson sided with her again, I didn't argue. I simply reached out to my mentor overseas and started preparing to become a foreign correspondent. Before leaving, I gave myself ten days to put things in order. On the first day, I quietly hid the marriage application I was supposed to submit. On the third day, I turned in my resignation to the military. The day I was to leave, Samson finally remembered the watch and promised to take me to buy a new one on his next day off. Right after that, he ordered me, "Celia is inviting friends over for dinner tonight. Make sure the food is ready before you go." I agreed with a smile—and then never showed up in his world again. Afterward, Samson would stare blankly at the marriage application inside his drawer every time he saw my name in the news. There, within his drawer, were the memories of an autumn not yet fully arrived, the lover he could never win back, and the watch he could never give...