Nail Biting Cartoon

"Cry, Mermaid!" a sharp lash sliced into my back, forcing a yelp from my lips. Screams and sobs surrounded me on all sides, but no one would save me. Strong hands caught me beneath my arms and yanked me from the water. It was time for Tail Cut. The operation lasted hours. I felt every last slice of their blades, every new tendon sewn into my muscles and nail hammered into my bones. I screamed. I begged. I begged for them to stop, for them to kill me, just ended the pain. --- I have a secret, I am a mermaid. I should live in the ocean, but my tail was cut and I only owned legs. After escaping to Asterion, I hid my identity. I thought I could finally live a peaceful life, until that day I met the famous bad boy, the future Alpha, Caspian. --- I felt a strange prickling on the back of my neck. I spun around just in time to see Caspian prowling towards me through the darkened wings, his blue eyes positively glowing. Sharp white teeth flashed as Caspian's lips unfurled into a lethal grin, "Hello Mate."

"Mine." I heard as I felt two sharp fangs biting my neck. I didn't know that at that moment, I was CLAIMED by the ALPHA of DARKNESS. --- They called me cursed. They bullied me. Spat on me. Blamed me for every misfortune. Until one night, they killed my family and threw me into the cave that reeked of death. I thought I was alone. I thought I would die in the dark. But something was already there—watching, waiting, hungry. When my blood spilled, he came out of the shadows. His fangs sank deep into my neck, and with a voice that made my soul tremble, he whispered one word. “Mine.” Years later, I tried to escape my past. But at the university, three Alphas appeared. And the King of Alphas—the untouchable Campus King—looked at me with the same hunger. Because he was the monster in the darkness. And I was never meant to be free.

I was dying of kidney failure. Henry Colombo—the ruthless Mafia heir who once swore he’d burn the world to keep me alive— found me a donor. But the price… was her. Susan Miller, the woman who’d always lingered between us, smiled as she set her terms: “Be mine for one month. Pretend you love me—and I’ll save her life.” He agreed. He said it was just to save me. But every lie, every kiss, every photo she posted online was another nail in my coffin. Each time the surgery drew near, she invented a new delay—a fever, a nightmare, a tender bruise. And Henry believed her. He always believed her. The night my heart flatlined on the operating table, he was across the city, feeding her grapes under candlelight, whispering her name—the name of the woman who had let me die. When he finally learned the truth—that every tear she shed was rehearsed, every promise she made was poison— he destroyed everything. Her lies. Her wealth. Her family name. His own empire. But none of it brought me back.

A marriage based on blackmail. A contract signed with blood. And a man who follows his own rules. When feisty, impulsive Ciara Moretti is lured into the perilous world of the Romano Mafia, her life is upended quickly. Her father's betrayal has sold her to the highest bidder: Luca Romano, the brutal and demanding Mafia boss. Cold, arrogant, and sinfully dangerous. Luca does not want a wife; he wants a pawn. A beautiful shield to protect his empire. However, Ciara is not the frail doll he expected. She's stubborn, sharp-tongued, and ready to fight tooth and nail for her freedom. Unfortunately, the more she resists, the more Luca wants to own her.   The mansion may be her jail, but it is the fire between them that is most threatening. However, the lines get increasingly hazy the more she battles. She is enraged and at the same time drawn to his dominance, uneasy by his presence, and most terrified by the boiling tension between them. Ciara must make a choice in a realm of darkness where love is a weakness and loyalty is deadly. Either resist the Mafia boss's dangerous pull or give in to him entirely. *Updates every Monday, Wednesday and Friday*

Our blood-oath ceremony was on the horizon. But my fated mate, Darius, told me he had to forge a blood bond with another woman. Livia. He claimed her life force was unraveling. That without his blood, she would fade to nothing. I fought him. But the next day, he moved Livia directly into the Prince's Chambers in the Coven’s castle. That was the suite reserved for the future Prince’s mate. My suite. He tried to soothe me, sinking to his knees, his crimson eyes pleading. “Once she’s stable, I swear I’ll break the bond. You are my only eternity. You always will be.” But then Livia found me. She showed me the fresh, golden mark on her wrist—the symbol of an Eternal Bond. They had already completed the sacred rite. Long before Darius ever confessed to me. My heart shattered to ash. I dragged my nail across the calendar, carving a vicious X over the date that was supposed to be our blood-oath ceremony. Then I opened the encrypted message from the Vienna Coven Academy. “I accept. I’ll leave on the day of our ceremony.”

“When can I see you again?” She pried, summoning her last drop of courage. “Next time” He replied, biting his lower lips to prevent himself from blushing. “When is the next time?” She continued. He grinned, but remained mum. Six years later, she still could never forget the image of his endearing figure standing before her when she was barely twelve years old, with his handsome face that shone brightly like the fierce sun. Eighteen year old Ariadne, got admission into Leyland university in a different city to pursue a life of her dreams; to get closer to Denver, as close as possible. She just wanted to present herself and make him see her in a new light; an adult as against the little girl in his memory. All she ever wanted is to gently walk into his heart and occupy it. Can such a simple wish come so easy?

Lucy Carrigan has run away from her hometown to live a secluded life in Sedona, Arizona. Unbeknownst to her, Gabriel Herman, the banished stray Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, has discovered she is his beloved mate. An undeniable connection brings the two broken mates together, and Gabriel must find a way to tell Lucy what he is. Will she be able to heal from her previous trauma and begin a romantic relationship with Gabriel? Would a human and a hybrid wolf shifter being mates be as taboo as his uncle, current Alpha of the Moonlight Pack, wants everyone to believe? Will they learn how to work together to weather the storms cast their way? *** "Gabriel," she whispered. "Yeah?" he asked, spinning his head toward her, making direct eye contact as the light faded. "Can I kiss you?" she asked, biting her lip. "You have my consent, Freckles." He winked. The Stray Alpha is created by Laura Dickey-Couch, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

I stared at his bloodshot eyes as panic invaded my heart. “I hate the way you smell…it makes me want to sink my teeth into that pretty neck of yours,” He hissed, walking towards me. He took some strands of my hair, sniffing and slowly biting down on his lower lip. “You drive me insane Bri,” His voice was starting to sound hoarse and deep with need. “I want to do unimaginable things to you, He continued. “Things…what things?” I asked in my naivety. I heard his low chuckle. “Anything you think a man could ever do to you,” He said. *** After being cheated on and rejected by her mate… Brianne, an omega without her wolf who thinks of herself as the ultimate damsel in distress goes into despair and depression. But not for long, as she soon got entwined with Jordyn, Alpha of silver-black pack after an accidental one-night stand. Something unexpected happens between them, leaving the entire pack puzzled and in an unsettled state.

It happened on Thanksgiving Day. I was on my way to my girlfriend's house when a car slammed straight into mine. The road was deserted, not a single person was around. The doors were jammed shut from the impact, and flames were licking toward the engine. I fumbled for the safety hammer, only to find that someone had replaced it with a toy hammer shaped like a cartoon bear. Panicking, I called my girlfriend. But before she could even pick up, her ringtone started playing from the car that had just hit me. Luna Hill stepped out, hand in hand with her childhood sweetheart, Julian Ford. Julian put on a show of alarm. "Oh no, I'm such an idiot! My first time driving, and I already hit a car." When Luna saw that it was me in the crushed car, she quickly tried to calm him down. "It's fine. He probably did it on purpose." I pounded on the window, shouting for her. "Luna, the safety hammer's been switched out! Please, help me get out!" Julian burst into a grin. "Sebastian, that was me! The little bear hammer's adorable, isn't it?" Luna's face twisted in disgust. "You're fine. Stop being dramatic. Figure it out yourself." Thick smoke was billowing inside the car, and it was about to explode. I begged her to get me out. Julian chuckled. "Sebastian, are you cooking in there or what? That smoke's killing me!" He patted his stomach and said with a laugh, "Man, I'm starving. Luna, let's go home and eat." Luna hooked her arm through his and tossed a parting line over her shoulder. "Enough already. My parents are waiting for us to start dinner." Just as I was about to pass out from the smoke, I slammed my hand on the car's emergency button.

Dean Romero is not your average Tiger Shifter. He is the king or the Neta of the Island Stripe Pride, operating out of Manhattan. Wanting to avoid the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, this Neta elects to spend Christmas at his newly built cabin in a remote section of the Pine Barrens just outside of Maccon City, New Jersey. A town notorious among supernaturals for its Shifter ties. Violet Martinez is a nail technician stuck working on the holidays. Asked to make a house call she has no choice but to drive to an important client’s house on Christmas Eve. She’d much rather be at home curled up with her favorite mug full of steaming spiked hot chocolate and a marathon of old black and white movies to keep her company. Resigned to her fate, she heads out in the wintry weather which has made the drive nearly impossible. Halfway there, Violet’s car spins out on a lonely stretch of road and she slams into a tree, hitting her head on the dashboard. Passing out in the cold with a head injury was not on Violet’s Christmas list, but good thing there’s a Tiger king who just happens to be out for a run nearby. When Dean gets a whiff of Violet’s sugar cookie scent all bets are off. This Neta wants her for his own, but will the dark-haired beauty accept him and agree to be his bride this Christmas?