Noughts And Crosses

+++✦+++ She looked up at me with those soft, damn eyes. I stepped in closer, my hand lifting before I even thought it through, and I brushed the tips of my fingers against her cheek. Warm. Delicate. Curious. I watched her mouth part slightly, her lashes lowering just a bit. "Can I kiss you?" I heard myself say. It surprised me. I don’t ask. I take. But she wasn’t like anyone else. With her, I found myself wanting permission...wanting her to want me back. She blinked, caught off guard, but something in her softened. And after a breath, she slowly nodded. I leaned in, brushing my lips over hers in a gentle and slow motion, like I was trying to memorize her taste, savoring the moment. But, that one kiss was enough to set my nerves on edge. I pulled back slightly, watching the way her cheeks turned pink, her eyes wide, her lips still parted like she hadn’t expected it to feel like that. And fuck, I hadn’t either. I leaned in again, but paused when I realized she was leaning toward me too, unconsciously. She didn’t even realize she wanted more. And this time, I didn’t ask. +++✦+++ In a city plagued by crime and violence, a young woman fights to stay hidden from her sadistic stepfather and his ruthless gang. In her journey to uncover the truth about her forgotten past, she crosses paths with a dangerous and mysterious stranger in the most unexpected manner. Together, they embrace their twisted fate by striking a deal and altering their lives through a tale of romance and mystery. +++✦+++ ✦ 𝐷𝑒𝑑𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠, 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑣𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝑖𝑠 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑜 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑎 𝑏𝑒𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑛. ✦ +++✦+++

***Completed*** Cara Anderson She is an orphan whose parents died when she was five and then she was sent to foster home which was nothing but a living hell for her. There is one thing which she can’t tolerate or even witness and that is Violence. Chase Adams Violence is his second name. He is most feared bully not only in college but in town. He is cruel, cold and dangerous. Rumours says he has been to juvenile center but reason is unknown. He is called soulless delinquent, monster and much worse. But does he care about it? No he doesn’t. He doesn’t care what people think of him. Not many are capable of standing in front of him and saying a whole sentence without stuttering, and he likes it that way. He likes seeing fear in other’s eyes, he likes it when people try to stay as far away from him as possible. But everything changes when a new student crosses paths with him and messes with his heart, his feelings. He wants to stay away from her seeing the fear in her eyes she has for him, but he can’t fight the urge to touch her, hold her and be close to her. She urges him to think about changing his ways which he would never ever do for anyone. She is scared of him and his possessiveness but she is the only one who can break all the barriers and see right through his darkest soul and cruelest heart, which he doesn’t appreciate at all. Will she be able to tame the monster or is he going to ruin and break her even more than she already is?

"It won’t fit," I whispered, my breath hitching as he leaned closer, his lips grazing my ear. His voice was dark, commanding, and impossibly seductive. "You have no idea what your body is capable of. Relax and let me teach you." Alessia never believed in fairy tales. Life had taught her that happy endings were a cruel illusion. Struggling to care for her sick mother, she’s spent years working dead-end jobs, her sharp tongue and stubborn nature ensuring she never stayed anywhere for long. Now, she’s a bartender in a shady Sicilian bar, juggling rowdy customers and a boss who thinks a raise is only for women willing to strip. Then he walked in. Luca Romano is a man of few words but commands a room with his presence. The whispers about him are conflicting—billionaire, recluse, criminal mastermind. Women throw themselves at his feet, but his cold, detached demeanor makes one thing clear: he doesn’t care about anyone. Yet when Alessia crosses his path, everything changes. What begins as a business arrangement—a desperate woman agreeing to play the role of his date for one night—quickly spirals into something much darker. Luca’s possessiveness knows no bounds, and Alessia finds herself drawn into a world of power, danger, and unrelenting desire. But Luca has secrets as deep as his scars, and his love is anything but gentle. He’s a man consumed by vengeance, his methods ruthless, his emotions raw. Alessia thought she could handle his intensity, but the closer she gets, the more she realizes there’s no escaping him. He doesn’t just want her. He owns her. And as their twisted romance unfolds.

In a bid to assess rare resources, our expedition team ventures into an uninhabited desert, only to be suddenly faced with a heat wave that reaches 158 degrees Fahrenheit. Becoming so dehydrated that I'm close to fainting, I hurriedly open my backpack to dig out the electrolyte drink I prepared beforehand. The bottle is already about to touch my lips when I realize it's half filled with urine. I turn my head, just in time to see my husband's childhood sweetheart guzzling the electrolyte drink. Just as I'm about to lose my temper, my husband yanks on my sleeve. "Don't be mad. I was the one who gave your electrolyte drink to Maddy because she's nearly dehydrated. In the meantime, you'd better just make do and drink this, okay?" By then, black spots are dancing in my vision. Squeezing the bottle of urine, I hiss through gritted teeth, "I'm already dehydrated, but instead of letting me rehydrate quickly, you're telling me to drink this. Are you trying to kill me?" Immediately, a displeased look crosses his face. "Stop talking nonsense. Maddy isn't like you and doesn't train her body every day. She absolutely can't handle such high temperatures. Isn't it only right that she gets the electrolyte drink? "Besides, urine can rehydrate you, too. Why are you still making a fuss at this point?" Realizing that he cannot be reasoned with, I decide to send out a distress signal and seek help before I fully lose consciousness. "Severely dehydrated and near death. Expedition operations suspended. Immediate rescue required. Also reporting the presence of a robber within the team—please contact authorities as soon as possible."

"Why do you always look at me like that?" she whispered. "Because you're unlike anyone I've ever known," Damien replied, his voice low and husky, sending shivers down her spine. "Your presence is like a thorn in my side." Eira scoffed. “You're nothing but trouble, Damien. A brooding vampire with an ego the size of a castle. But you need me. Without me, you’ll be dead.” “I hate that," he admitted. She smirked. "Hate that you need me? So, what is it, Damien? A weakness you'd rather keep in the shadows?" Damien leaned in, his face dangerously close to hers, his gaze dropping to her lips. Eira's breath caught, her shock palpable. "I might need you, Eira, but I don’t want you," he said, his eyes betraying a desire he refused to acknowledge. "Remember that." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, her thoughts in turmoil and her lips tingling with the ghost of an almost-kiss. *** The Silverstone Pack is out for blood, determined to avenge their alpha's brutal murder. All eyes are on Damien, the prime suspect, who now lives in the shadows, focused on survival. His only goal is to stay one step ahead and keep himself well-fed. But everything changes when he encounters a girl who is mysteriously immune to his powers. In her, he finds a glimmer of hope he thought long lost. Eira, heartbroken from a recent breakup, unexpectedly crosses paths with Damien. Her confrontation with him quickly turns into a nightmare when she is taken captive. Damien, desperate and cornered, offers her a chilling deal: help him save himself, or face unimaginable suffering. With little choice, Eira agrees, setting off a chain of events that will forever change the course of her life.

In the heart of Manila, a city full of mystery, Hestia seeks answers. Driven by the painful memory of her parents' untimely death, she is determined to uncover the truth. Every day is a battle as she navigates through the city's chaos not knowing what she might find. Along the way, she crosses paths with Finn, a local detective, the son of her parents secretary. As they dig deeper into the case, danger lurks in every corner, but so does an unexpected romance. Hestia finds herself torn between her quest for the truth and her growing feelings for the only son of her parents killer. As Hestia embarks on her mission to uncover the truth about her parents' sudden death, she had an unexpected one night stand of a hot manly stranger. Little did she know, that he was the man who will breaks her heart into a tiny pieces. As she gets closer to the truth, Hestia faces potential threats from those who want to keep the truth buried. While focused on her mission, Hestia also struggles to balance her growing feelings for Xavier Caldwell, the only son of her parents killer, which adds another layer of complexity to her situation. After a passionate one-night stand with the enigmatic Hestia, he found himself captivated by her. But when he woke up, Hestia was gone, leaving nothing but a note and a memory. Driven by a desire he couldn't quite understand, Xavier embarked on a mission to find Hestia. Meanwhile, Hestia was on her own mission, oblivious to Xavier's relentless search. But as days turned into weeks, Hestia couldn't help but think of Xavier. She remembered his touch, his voice, and the way he looked at her. It was a distraction she couldn't afford, but also one she couldn't ignore.

When Wakely transfers to a new university, she has one goal: keep her head down, finish her final credits, and get out. The plan is simple: stay invisible, avoid drama, and leave behind her abusive past. But the moment she steps onto campus, she has no idea what is about to happen to her. She quickly crosses paths with Cora, a bold, orange-haired wild card who takes Wakely under her wing. Cora introduces her to the unspoken hierarchy that rules the school, warning her about the campus “gods”: the Walker brothers. Sinfully attractive, effortlessly powerful, and notoriously cruel, the Walkers are known as much for their charm as for their dangerous pranks. Students either worship them or fear them. Wakely? She wants nothing to do with them. But Waylon Walker, the darkest of the three, has other plans. Unlike the others, Wakely doesn’t care about his reputation. She doesn’t flirt. She doesn’t chase. And she certainly doesn’t fall for arrogant boys with too much control. That only makes her more fascinating to him. What begins as curiosity spirals into obsession. Waylon watches her, follows her, learns everything he can—and slowly starts crossing lines no one’s ever dared to before. As their worlds collide, Wakely finds herself drawn into a twisted game of desire, secrets, and violence. Her carefully buried past begins to unravel when she discovers that her abusive father holds a far darker secret. A secret that she was unaware of, that could change her life forever. Now, with the weight of betrayal, obsession, and legacy pressing down on them, Wakely must decide whether to run from the danger or face it head-on, with Waylon at her side. And some secrets are never meant to be uncovered.

No one has seen him, No one can tell what he looks like, No one can tell if he's human, wolf, dragon, elf or vampire. We've only heard his very deep, hoarse voice that doesn't sound so humanly. We only know he's a ruthless beast, And that beast is the king of all supernatural creatures -he is King Wymond. He is an abomination -a mistake made by the moon goddess. There are rumors that he is immortal -are there still any immortals in this age? He walks the lands every night and kills any soul that crosses path with him or it, He never lets anyone see him and doesn't attend public meetings. He's always inside his palace, with those two big gates locking him away and isolating him from the world. Weird! How did he ended up becoming the king then? Every five years, girls who have come of age (18years to 25years), from different species (werewolves, vampires, witches, elves and dragons) are taken to his palace. We don't know why they are taken there, And we dare not ask why, because asking why is death penalty. And strangely, all the girls taken to the palace always come back alive, but they end up losing their memories of what had happened in there. No one has enough courage to investigate and find out what's going on -investigating is like walking into the valley of death. These are stories my grandma always told me when I was a kid, I don't know if they are real or if she was saying those things just to scare me. But I still couldn't help but wonder if it's true, Why does those girls end up losing their memories? Could there be a deep secret behind those closed, big gates?

When the command for action to take place happened, I had to readjust myself and strike a pose as she took steps closer to me. Things suddenly felt awkward, weird, and intimidating. She's a badass! I fought my eyes away from her tempting body and began to face the recording. I couldn't and it's required that I look at her anyway. The gown accentuated her curves and made me want to gobble her on the floor and fuck the shit out of her sexy body. Her stomach was bare, and the gown failed to hide her hourglass shape. To make it worse, it's left open, revealing her cleavage, the valley between her breasts. The next is her addictive scent behind me, filling my nostrils and interfering with my senses that I feel like enveloping her in a tight hug and basking in her scent. "Get out!" I screamed and walked away from her, slamming the door shut and running up to my office. It was getting messy but my mind was way messier. What the fuck is going on? What is this? Gosh!! I was astonished by her, I didn't know what came over me. I have never swooned over a lady, like the way this lady made me. "Master, are you alright?" My secretary hands me a glass of water and I gulped immediately anything to soothe the fire in my soul. ******* Master Adrain a Billionaire Playboy who is from an affluent Cuban family hasn't fallen in love and is determined to make it that way. When the two crosses path in a stripping club. He knew he had found the woman with the right physical attributes to birth his child and she knew she has gotten into trouble anytime he flashes his handsome Greek god smile at her.

"Please, let's try again. We can make another baby right now if you want," I begged, my voice broken and desperate. "A like you doesn't deserve a second chance," he spat, his words like venom cutting through my heart like a knife had stabbed my chest. "I love you." I whispered, despite his harshness, feeling my heart bleed internally from pain and my wolf slowly vanishing due to heartbreak. *********** Ruby once had the most perfect life any she-wolf could ask for; with a loving mate by her side and a baby on the way, what else could she want? However, her whole world turned upside down right in the delivery room, and she faces a cascade of heartbreaks. Life seemed to have given her a second chance at happiness until she got rejected for the second time openly, in the most disgraceful way, and thrown away like dirt, sending her back on the verge of tears. Seven years later, with her son all grown up and getting accepted into the biggest werewolf academy that was owned by her ex-mate, she is forced to go back to her previous life and face her nightmare all again. But this time she is going back stronger and better for the sake of her child. But what happens when she returns and finds her mate regretful and remorseful—and not just that she crosses paths with her second chance mate—the new strongest alpha in town who also has a little daughter? Would she forsake her quest for revenge by accepting her first mate and childhood love for the sake of her child and having the perfect family she had once dreamed of, or would she explore the new spark of connection with the second chance mate, the powerful alpha?