March 21 Sign

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

Tom could make my body ache with just a word. The closer he stepped towards me the more I would crumble to my knees, ready for what he had in store next. I couldn’t imagine a normal relationship anymore.. this was more. This was my more…. . “Yes master”, I responded bringing my mind out of deep thought. ~~~~~ Anna was newly 21, heartbroken and looking for anything but complicated, and that’s when Tom entered her life. He was everything she didn’t know she wanted. But he came with his own set of likes. If you don’t like explicit, erotic, steamy novels, turn back now! As unsure as you are about where this story is going, I’m just as in the dark. Follow along with me as Anna and Tom’s story unravels.

“You are barren and worthless. I want nothing to do with an infertile woman like you. Sign these divorce papers and get the bloody hell out of my house and my life!!!” He yelled, and that was all I needed to wake up from my foolish and stupid dream, coming to the realization that my husband despised me and there was no way I could make this work anymore. With shaky hands, I took a pen and signed the divorce papers. It was all over now. ***** She dedicated all her life to loving him, he was like a god to her and despite the obstacles she faced in their marriage, she was happy because loving him was enough for her, but what she didn’t expect was to be thrown out by the same man she dedicated all her life to. After getting cheated on and thrown out, Janette started her life anew, unknown to everyone that she was pregnant. She fought her way to the top and six years later, she is back with a handsome baby boy and her new lover. She thought her life was now on track, not until her ex-husband showed up and claimed he wanted her back. With his eyes filled with longing and regret, he muttered under his breath. “Dear Ex-Wife, Let Us Restart.” But is she ready to forgive and get back together with him when she now has someone, who loves her dearly? And what about her son, who now wants her to be with his daddy? What is she going to do about that? Each choice came with a price, and it was all hers to make.

"Did you think I’d just let you go?" Suzanne’s grip on her son tightened as Charles took a slow step forward, his smirk curling like smoke in the air. "I sent you the damn divorce papers, Charles. Sign them and leave." He chuckled. "Oh, I got them." Another step. "But I don’t sign away what’s mine." She backed up. "I am not yours. I stopped being yours the night you betrayed me." His jaw clenched. The silence stretched—thick, suffocating—before he lunged. Suzanne barely had time to gasp before his hands were on her, ripping their son from her arms. The boy hit the couch with a soft thud and let out a startled cry. "You son of a—!" She shoved at him, clawing, struggling, but he was stronger. His hands dug into her waist, yanking her against him, his breath hot and reeking of alcohol. "You’re mine, Suzanne," he growled, fingers digging into her skin. "And if I can’t have you—" his grip tightened, his lips brushing her ear, "no one will." Then—CRACK! Charles gone—ripped off her, sent flying across the room. Suzanne gasped, chest heaving, scrambling back just as her attacker crashed into a table. A voice, dark and furious, sliced through the chaos. "Touch her again, and I’ll kill you." Her heart stopped. She knew that voice. Liam Carter. --- Trapped in a loveless marriage to a ruthless CEO, Suzanne Smith thought she had no way out—until Liam Carter, her high school sweetheart, walked back into her life. He’s everything her husband isn’t—kind, passionate, and willing to fight for her. But leaving Charles Langford won’t be easy. His Lies. Betrayal. Violence. Will she escape his grip, or will her past consume her? How far will she go for freedom?

Camilla's entire world shattered when her husband Nick Sinclair abruptly ended their three-year marriage, hurling divorce papers at her. His cruel, harsh words still echoed in her ears... "I'm done with this marriage. Get out of my house!" She always knew their arranged marriage was devoid of love, but she had clung to the possibility that he would one day grow to love her. However, the arrival of his first love, bearing a child she claimed was his, destroyed any lingering hopes and exposed the emptiness of their relationship. Fingers trembling, heart bleeding, she signed the divorce agreement. But the shock overwhelmed her just as she stepped outside Nick's mansion and she collapsed. Hours later, she awakened in the hospital, staring into the icy blue eyes of the stranger who saved her. ... Derek Donovan, New York's heartthrob and wealthiest billionaire CEO, had been searching for a way to deflect the media's attention from his status as a sought-after bachelor. In exchange for saving her life, he proposed a contract to Camilla: pretend to be his wife for three years to keep the press and paparazzi off. With no other options and no one to rely on, Camilla felt compelled to accept the proposal and sign the contract. But as they navigated the path of their fake marriage, the lines blurred. Derek's icy facade cracked, revealing a burning passion for Camilla. As Camilla's heart wavered, a shocking truth emerged: Derek's past hid secrets, and she was now entrenched in a deadly game of wealth, power, and deception. Will she risk everything to love again, or will the shadows of her past and the danger lurking in Derek's world destroy her forever? The contract has been signed, but the real stakes are only just beginning...

Scarlett rose Williams is 21 year old girl who is leaving her family and home town behind to fulfil her dreams to become a writer at a publishing company in newyork and become sucessful and to make her parents proud. Scarlett has demons which haunts her everyday and she is running away from the past which she is hiding From everyone. How will Scarlett cope up with a new city, New friends, New challenges. What if her past catches up to her in her new life? Will she need a knight in shinning armour? Will she be able to fight her own demons? Follow Scarlett to know her journey.

After spending the night with the Greatest Alpha and losing her virginity to him, Celine didn't expect to be in an arranged mate bond with him. The worst was, he hated her and loved another woman... **** "I, Alpha Tyrion Macklin, in the presence of all Alpha council take Celine, as my fated mate. I vow to cherish her and..." He paused and looked at me with disgust. "I can't do this. I can't mate with a maid..." Celine is a low ranking wolf who was found in the woods by her now father when she was a baby. She was abused and lost hope for future yet always wanted to have a child of her own. To give it the world, love and home she never got. Alpha Tyrion Macklin is one of the most powerful alphas in the world, aspiring to become the Alpha King. He has a fiancée, the daughter of Great Alpha Jonathan, who gives him control over two packs. Their fates collide when the Alphas accuse Tyrion of mating with Celine during the annual meeting of alphas. Under the pressure of the Alpha Alliance, Tyrion marks Celine and takes her back to his pack. They sign a contract which states Celine will leave after she gets pregnant. Unknown about her true powers and the dangers lurking to use her special abilities, she turns a rogue and Alpha Tyrion goes crazy after her. Will he accept her as his true mate? And can she overcome his hatred and indifference?

"Take this five billion money. But from now on, you must go and stay away from my son. Moreover, don't let him know about your pregnancy." _______________________________ An arranged marriage forces Belle Kensington to sign a contract marriage with a billionaire who is only after her body. Their marriage doesn't work out after she learns that Mattheo, her contract husband, wants to divorce her after impregnated her. She almost gives up on the marriage, finding Mattheo's divorce papers when the doctor says she won't live long due to a chronic illness she had suffered for 10 years. It was compounded by Sinclair's family that doesn't accept her pregnancy. So, what is the fate of their marriage? With Belle Kensington diagnosed with only 3 months to live before she dies, is revenge the way to fight for her love? Then, how about their secret baby?

"What... What are these?" Selene stammered, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Divorce papers?" She looked up at Maximus, searching his face for some sign of a joke, a mistake - anything to tell her this wasn’t real. His eyes flickered with a brief moment of hesitation before hardening into a steely gaze. "If Jess hadn’t disappeared, we never would have gotten married” he drawled before delivering the final blow. “Well, Jess is back now.” She couldn’t breathe. Despite her best efforts over their three years of marriage, Maximus had never acknowledged her nor loved her the way he loved Jess. **** She signed the papers, and left his life for good, taking the babies growing in her womb with her. A few years later, She became a top medical doctor and did everything possible to stay away from Maximus. However, on her twins’ fifth birthday, they came running to her, giggling: "Mummy, we found our billionaire daddy!" She looked up and saw Maximus standing in front of her, clearly expecting her to run into his arms. Instead, She chuckled. His eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when she responded with a deadpan expression, "No, babies, your Father is dead."

A COLLECTION OF SHORT LOVE STORIES. 1. FATED TO LOVE YOU She wasn't looking for love; yet, found it in the least expected person. When Dr. Mahnoor first laid eyes on Captain. Dr. Haider, she couldn't fathom even in her wildest dreams the mess she was about to get herself into. Haider, who was a , quirky and charming neurosurgeon, could hardly be described as anything except trouble personified. The kind of man, whom she never thought she could give a second thought about, least of all get involved with.Yet, little did she know that all her prayers had led her to someone, who was going to challenge everything she had ever believed in and break down the barriers she had spent a lifetime building. Fate brought them together but love tore them apart. 2. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE Hoorain is done with her studies and ready to be thrown into all this marriage business. But what she isn't prepared for, is meeting the dashing and arrogant Hadeed who is not only far from her ideal type but a cold jerk whom she wishes to have nothing to do with. Hadeed is coldhearted and ruthless to anyone who messes with him. His past still haunts him and he measures a person's worth on that scale. Yet, he finds it hard to ignore the girl who dares challenge him at every step. Despite their mutual hatred, the two get thrown into a marriage pact. What do you do when you realise that the world is not all that it seems and you have battles to fight that you didn't sign up for? Can the two overcome their hatred and heal each other, mending the broken pieces of their souls? Or will the reality of their world tear them down even more?