North American Literature 21st Century

"You're in heat." His words were breathy as his hand moved down her face to caress her cheek. "Your body will writhe with pain, and it will only get more intense as the moon rises." "How do I stop it?" She asked, leaning against his touch. "If you allow me, I can ease your pain, Xenia." Mason's gaze traveled the length of her body as a smile tugged at the corners of his mouth. "All you have to do is say yes." The sight of him created a desire that made her wet all over until only one thing echoed in her mind… Let him take us. *************** Many years have passed since the Century War between humans and other species, but times seem to improve. Since then, more have come to terms with living peacefully side by side, while others believe things should go back to where the species were segregated. Xenia Bakken is just a baker who wants to run her own business one day and work with her best friend, Lottie. Everything changes when a chance encounter turns into a kidnapping. Now, she is thrown into a world she doesn't want to be in and has to adapt to survive. Mason Dalton only has one goal: to bring back his first mate, Melania. So when he meets the perfect person to help, he acts without hesitation. However, he discovers his perfect vessel is unwilling to give up without a fight. The attraction between the two is stronger than they both realize and will test them to their limits. With a quick deadline and people searching for them all over, will Mason be able to reunite with his love, or will Xenia gather the strength needed to get away?

Playing With Violet Ashlock Austin Portwalt Crazy ambitious billionare who loves making big deals. He loves money and wants more than what he has now. He loves his bachelor life and wants to continue it forever but too bad his parents set him an arrange marriage with Dubai's most successful businessman's daughter but he has no interest dating the half american half italian girl. So he decided to use someone else. Violet Ashlock Classy. Arrogant. Proper. That 3 words describe her perfectly. One day, she met Austin Portwalt at her friend's party and hooked up a little bit. She likes him but he doesn't. She tried to take his attention but it never worked until he set his eyes on her suddenly without any warning. Dating her while making deals here and there.

Waking up, Eva realized she was naked in bed. Events from last night slowly crept into her mind. Even though she suspected her memories for a moment, the intoxicating scent, tingling of her skin, and the man beside her cleared all her doubts. Waking up beside their mate was a normal routine but in her case, the night was a one-time mistake. Minding the reality, she quietly slipped out of his hold, dressed up, and walked out of the room with teary eyes. Eva Silver, daughter of Grey Lake pack Gamma Robert Silver and the strongest she-wolf of her pack. All she wanted was the person who was born for her, her mate. She was waiting for him from the moment she turned eighteen. Meeting her mate was supposed to be the happiest moment for her but on contrary, she was disappointed with the man she met. Add on to her misery, the girl beside him introduced herself as his future Luna. Jake Smith, Alpha of North Mountain Pack. North Mountain was a small pack but no one dare to step on its wrong side because of its horrible reputation which included killing their own mates. Jake never wanted to meet his mate but fate wasn't easy on him. From a very young age, he was taught to hate the mate, if not reject the mate, and if not kill the mate. "I, Eva Silver rejecting Alpha Jake Smith as my mate", Eva said with tear-filled eyes, and after finishing her words a surge of pain emerged into her body. "I.. I, Alpha Jake...", a loud roar erupted from him and he shifted into his shiny brown wolf. What made Eva reject her mate? Why was North Mountain pack against mate bond? What were Eva and Jake destined for?

Ria Singh is a seventeen-year-old Indian American, who hates her Indian relatives. After a prank on her Indian cousin went wrong, she is forced by her mother to study for medical education in India. Upset with her parent's decision, Ria planned to fail her first year so that she can return to America but destiny has something else in store for her.

My mafia husband, Vincent Santoro, was born a monster, incapable of loving anyone. But one day, I discovered he was hiding a ‘forbidden fruit’. A girl from the slums, Claire Murphy. Scarred by life, yet as beautiful as a wildflower growing through concrete. For a man who'd waded through blood his whole life, she was a fatal attraction he never saw coming. He thought he'd covered his tracks. He was wrong. At the Santoro family's annual dinner, I confronted him about Claire, tears streaking down my face. He just lightly frowned, then had his consigliere slide the divorce papers across the table to me. "Isabella. Sign it. The three North Side docks and the shipping lines are yours." I tore the papers to shreds. He just kept raising the offer. He had me thrown into the freezing waters of Lake Michigan. He blew up my family's distillery—the Romano family's legacy. Finally, he took my parents. Tied them in an abandoned warehouse and made one watch as he set the other on fire. "Sign, or watch them burn. Your choice." I begged him on my knees, but a roar of flames consumed the world— The heat seared my skin, the ash of my parents clinging to my face. "No... NO!" When I opened my eyes, I was back. Back on the day I first learned about Claire. This time, no tears, no drama. That night, I called my family in Sicily and set my escape in motion. But the moment I vanished from his world… Vincent Santoro went insane.

Every century years mates are chosen, destined to produce the Fated one - the offspring who will lead in the war between Werewolf and Vampire. Many have tried and many have failed. Death and fear dominate the two communities. Anastasia, a seer and messenger of the moon goddess foresees the Chosen, but all is not as it seems. Felicity Stone is resisting the pull of the mate bond and as a result putting herself and the world in danger, without even realising it.

Labeebah Sheriff, known as 'BeebahShe' in the south and simply 'Beebah' in the north is your girl-next-door actress, likes to hide indoors but has enough vanity to see herself grace the screens. When tragedy strikes, Labeebah isn't surprised because to her, what could be more tragic that having an unsupportive partner? So she plunges herself harder into her work and leaves him to his antics. But how does she deal when she ends up in a wheelchair and has only her thoughts for company? What will she do? How will she even let light come back to her life? Misfortunate is Labeebah's fate.

Alice is the Don of the Russian Mafia. In a world full of evil, she fought her way to the top and became the most respected woman in the whole of Russia. People shivered in fear when they heard her name. She was the law herself and no one dared to go against her, except one person. Her father. He was her worst nightmare. He agreed with the American Mafia to marry her off to their Don. Matt Salvador on the other side didn't care about the marriage. All he wanted was to make his Mafia the strongest. He has never seen his supposed fiance before but he heard a lot about her. Toiling with the idea of breaking her, what happens when the two of them meet? Will they find love or kill each other?

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

"I desire you now, beautiful Latifah". The King stated in what I might have thought as a calm but rumbling tone. "Your Grace!". I said, avoiding his gaze,  sobbing in a low, whining, and broken voice. "Look at me!". He ordered, in a husky voice, but I quietly declined, looking elsewhere but his face. "Latifah". He called out, sounding rather agitated this time. "Your Majesty..I fear for my life, should the queen walk in and meet us in this compromising position-". I asked, barely whispering. "I do not give a damn fvck what she thinks or feels". He said, in a rather calm tone, yet so firm it scared me to death. "I want you in my bed withering underneath me as you moan my name". He added. ************ Latifah Lakewood had never known life outside of the palace. Although privileged to have been born in the palace. She was however, raised to serve in the palace all her life, thus, making her life nothing short of sighs, sorrow and sadness.  Over the last century, the evil beast had possessed and dominated the human race, totally annihilating the majority of the population, and enslaving the remnant.  Sadly enough for her, her parents had been counted among the enslaved humans. With the advice of the wise, she must now do everything possible not to draw unnecessary attention to herself, or risk being noticed.  This she ensured until an unfortunate incident happened, altering the course of her life forever. Join me in this ride as we journey into the world of intrigues, suspense and dilemma.