Mantis Piercing Nose

“Breathe,” I muttered to myself as I walked down the aisle, bouquet in hand, scanning the few people seated, people I barely knew, but the groom was nowhere in sight. Panic set in. My heart skipped a beat. Was I about to be ditched on my wedding day? I could already picture what the headline would be : Daughter of Late CEO of Nova White Robotics Abandoned at the Altar. Not only would I be disgraced, but my chances of taking over the company would slip away, and my enemies? Well, they would dance and jubilate. Just as I was about give up, I heard the sound of hasty footsteps. The crowd turned and gasped in shock as Mason appeared, looking dashing in a sharp three-piece crisp suit. His piercing blue eyes locked onto mine. “Sorry, I’m late. My suit didn’t arrive on time,” he said with an apologetic smile. I nodded and the priest began reading the vows, he turned to me and asked, "Will you take Mr. Mason Anderson as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and protect?" I tried to speak, but the words stuck in my throat. I just stood there, lost in confusion, unsure if this was the right choice.

“You think you can run from me?” his voice was low, dangerous as his piercing grey eyes locked onto mine. “You carry my child, my blood. You are mine, Snow. And I will burn the world to keep what’s mine.” I wanted to scream at him, to tell him he was wrong. But the words wouldn’t come. They never did. Snow can’t speak or sing. Not a single word has escaped her throat since that night…that night she watched her parents die. Hated and ostracized by her pack, Snow bears the weight of their hatred, blamed for a murder she didn’t commit. With nothing left to live for, she plans to end it all on her 19th birthday. But a fateful encounter with a dangerous stranger that led to a one-night stand changes everything. When Snow finds herself pregnant weeks later, she just wants to forget the man who shattered her walls in one night. But that becomes impossible when she discovers he’s none other than Roman King–the ruthless Lycan King. Her mate. And if there’s one thing everyone knows about Roman, it’s that he doesn’t take no for an answer.

"You're an insensitive Bastard," I say. I want him to say something to do something, but he just leans against the wall staring at me. To my horror, I feel the telltale sign of tears, but I blink it away aggressively. Max walks towards me and cups my face "You've no idea," he says, leaning in. I don't know what I hope for, but I lift my head to face him anyway. We stare at each other for what feels like an eternity when he whispers "Do you think I'm not tired Callista, you should know by now that I am an addict and you are my addiction, I know I should back away, but these days when it comes to you, it seems my body doesn't obey my commands. I close my eyes, and i see you. I breathe, and your scent fills the air. Every day, i crave a taste of you. You everything to me. " His nose caresses my cheek, and he takes a long inhale, and I realise he's breathing in my scent. He then puts his forehead to mine, and his lips brush mine when he says "I'm never going back to how I was before, am I?" When I open my eyes, he's gone.

After my older sister Rachelle came home from dialysis, the atmosphere at home was suffocating. She curled up on the couch, thin as a rail. She was nagging me hard and telling me not to tire myself out too much at work. Dad was by the door smoking. To get money to treat Rachelle’s condition, he had sold our old house and land. Dirty and muddied, my fiance, who had always viewed Rachelle as a sister of his own, brought home his week’s salary. They all lamented how unfair life was to already poor and suffering people who had to suffer even more. I looked at myself in the mirror with my bleeding nose and flushed away the report with my acute leukemia diagnosis. During dinner, Dad suddenly said, “Ryleigh, Rachelle needs a kidney. You’re healthy and young. You might be a match.” I looked at Rachelle’s pleading eyes and coldly put my cutlery down. “I won’t do it. I’ll be a cripple with one less kidney. How am I supposed to find someone to marry then?” Dad slapped me hard, even as my fiance called me ungrateful. I slammed the door shut as I left. I looked for the nearest room to the hospital to rent so that I could wait it out until I died. The room I found was only five blocks away from the organ donation center.

Alexander Petridis: I still have not found my mate in the seven years since my first shift. I nearly gave up, but then I left to build alliances and hopefully find her. Little did I know she'd been under my nose all along. When I see her, though, I'm stunned, not just because she's innocent little Delilah Fayte but because, in my absence, she made a choice I don't know if I can live with. Delilah Fayte: People have always thought I'm this naïve innocent girl. And okay, maybe I am innocent and all that. After my first shift, I didn't actively seek my mate. I had other plans. And sure, my family was against it at first, but mate or not, I wanted to help André and Darren. I didn't think in doing so, I'd alienate my mate and long-time crush, Alexander Petridis. This is the fourth of the Incubi Pack series. You do not need to have read the previous books to enjoy this book, but it is encouraged. The Incubi Pack Series: Book 1 - Alpha of Nightmares Book 2 - The Hybrid Alpha Book 3 - Dream Mate Anthology Short Story - Chosen Mate Anthology Bonus Story - Sicilian Holiday Anthology Short Story - The Quiet Giant's Mate Book 4 - Beta's Innocent Mate

"I would do anything to have you back, even if it means fighting the Gods" Armando Russo, a name that struck fear into the hearts of many who crossed his path. He strode into the room with an air of confidence that demanded attention, his sharp Italian-cut suit exuding power and authority. His dark, piercing eyes were windows into a calculating mind, a mind that had made him a force to be reckoned with in the world of business and beyond. Weakness? He had none. Until she came into his life- the daughter of his business rival whom he despises the most. Aurora Vero, a name that conjured a different kind of aura in the world of high-profile events. She entered any room with a grace that was both captivating and commanding. Dressed in elegant couture, she wore her status as a badge of honour, but it was her charisma that truly set her apart. With a smile that could light up the darkest corners of a room, she exuded a warmth that belied the fierce spirit within. What happens when such two different personalities are forced to tie a knot? Will Armando accept Aurora as his wife or keep his resentment towards her forever ?

"Say you love me, Calantha," Favian demanded, those oceanic blue eyes piercing deep into hers. "Uhmm... No, thanks. The deal was to get married for a year. Smile before those fucking cameras and pretend to be absolutely in love with, after which you pay me my fucking money. So Mr Drake, cash or transfer?" Her indifference and cold response caught him off guard. A week ago, he could have sworn she was hopelessly in love with him. Or was it all a show? **** Calantha Donovan’s life takes a devastating turn when she’s fired from her dream job, leaving her drowning in debt and with no way to save her brother’s life. Desperate, she crosses paths with the mysterious and aloof billionaire, Favian Drake, who offers her a shocking proposition: A one-year contract marriage. No strings attached, no love—just a business arrangement to save her from her spiraling fate. But when the lines between duty and desire blur, Calantha finds out about Favian's haunting past. Will the price of their passion be more than either of them can bear?

Moon's heart is shattered when her former mate, Aiden rejects her and makes her believe she is unlovable until she comes across Liam, a powerful and mysterious Alpha Werewolf. She becomes drawn to his strength and kindness. To Moon, Liam is unlike every other werewolf she has ever met, his strength and power are matched by his piercing gaze. Liam and Moon slowly bond over their shared experiences and she finds herself falling deeply in love. However, their happiness does not last because Aiden reappears in their little love story and Moon begins to suspect that he might be working with a rogue pack led by a ruthless Alpha who is after Liam and his pack. Moon chooses to stick with Liam and form an alliance but just as they think they have found a way to solve the problem, a shocking truth is revealed Liam is Victor's long-lost son, and his destiny is tied to this rogue pack. Moon is left with only an alternative and that is to choose between her heart or her duty. Will Liam and Moon's love be strong enough to overcome the forces against them or will they have to bow to the darkness surrounding them?

Just reject me already! I braced myself as our eyes locked, his piercing green orbs penetrating mine. “I, Kai–" He didn't get to say more before Knox, the devil’s advocate, raised a hand. “Halt!”A cruel smirk spread across his face. “Rejection is too much mercy. I think she might just be useful.” *** It’s one thing to be an unattractive outcast, it’s another to be an unattractive outcast with a target on your back. Dala is all of the above. As a half-breed from a small pack, she will pay for her sin of being THE ERYMOR TRIPLET’s fated mate. Identical heirs to the throne, feared and revered by all, except Dala who barely acknowledges their existence. Like being sold as a maid into their household isn’t enough torture, she has to go to school with the same brothers hellbent on ruining her existence. Afterall, she’s nothing but filth to their reputations. She’s barely able to keep her pants on. Amidst hot secrets and blurring hate, the mysterious step-brother, Vander comes back into town to ruin everything. Is their bond strong enough for four? How well will Dala play their games while having a secret agenda of her own?

Ember, a mute and wolfless outcast, endures relentless torment as the disgraced daughter of an alpha's mistress in the Crescent Moon Pack. Betrayed by her family and rejected by her mate, Beta Benson, her existence is a living nightmare. Her prayers to the Moon Goddess for freedom—be it through death or a miracle—seem to go unanswered, leaving her trapped in despair. But Ember's pain masks a dangerous mystery. Dreams of blood-soaked hands and an unknown man haunt her nights, while whispers of betrayal and dark truths about her stepbrother, Alpha Leo, gnaw at her sanity. Even as her will is tested, she finds unexpected solace in her only ally, Lily, and fleeting moments of inexplicable connection to the wolf she thought she'd lost forever. When a powerful and enigmatic figure—the Lycan King Draco—arrives, his piercing gaze and commanding presence unravel everything Ember believed about herself. Her soul ignites at the revelation that he is her second-chance mate, a bond both fated and impossible. As her dormant wolf stirs within her, Ember faces the ultimate dilemma: will she embrace her destiny or become the assassin of the very man who might hold the key to her salvation?