Oak Tree Image

At the full moon gathering, I learned that my mate Carrick was forced to bond with the Omega daughter of our rival pack. He rushed to complete a mating ritual with her regardless of the consequences. They fled to the Northern Territories that very night. Their childhood bond story went viral among the packs, but I became the shameful third wheel who interfered with their "true pairing" and was shunned so severely that I couldn't even leave my den. Unexpectedly, Alex, the blind Alpha of the Silver Crest Pack—Carrick's sworn enemy—appeared at my door. "I've always been a vengeful wolf. Carrick stole my intended mate through deception, so I will claim his rightful Luna." His unseeing eyes somehow found mine with uncanny precision. "Alliances require balance, Jenna. Are you willing to complete the mating bond with me?" I looked at the image of their moonlight ceremony being shared through pack links, and without hesitation, I handed him my wrist, exposing my scent gland for the claiming bite.

One night of rebellion. One forbidden kiss. One viral scandal that could ruin it all. Savannah Madrigal is the nation’s "Diamond Sweetheart"—an A-list actress with a pristine image and a secret, rebellious streak. But when a night of heavy drinking leads to a torrid, reckless kiss with a stranger in a dark VIP bar, her "innocent angel" career is pushed to the edge of a cliff. The stranger? Sebastian de Cartier, the arrogant and cold Tech Tycoon, and the second richest billionaire in the Philippines. Known for his ruthless boardroom tactics and his private, lowkey one-night stands, Sebastian is forced into a corner when his father—the country’s number one billionaire—demands a cleanup of the family’s reputation. To save their empires, they are forced into a Flash Marriage. It was supposed to be a Contract Marriage—purely scripted, strictly professional, and completely fake. But behind closed doors, their Hate to Love tension is a ticking time bomb. As they navigate their Love after Marriage, the lines between their public script and private passion begin to blur. In a world of glitz, grit, and high-stakes power plays, can they survive the Steamy reality of their arrangement, or will the truth behind their Arranged Marriage be their ultimate downfall?

She was backed up against the tree and I took a branch, breaking it in half to reveal a sharp end, and going straight for his neck. It might not do much, or at least that's what I thought, but it should be enough to get him away from her.To my surprise, he plummeted to the floor. I looked at Illyria and walked towards her like a predator. With my bloodied hands, not sure if it was mine or his blood, I put them on Illyria's collarbone while dragging it up to her neck and ending up in her face, painting it just like the red rose in her hand, while she looked at me with panic in her eyes.“Don't fear me, little rose. I won't hurt you, but next time you decide to run away, make sure you do it without anyone noticing. I have eyes everywhere” I said in a low growl, that sounded even more dangerous than what I usually sound. ~~~~~~Illyria Abbot was meant to choose a husband on her 21st birthday. When her mansion is attacked by rebellious vampires, she barely escapes with her life. Lost in the woods she’s found by Kieran Moore, a brute vampire who will make her life hard while falling in love with her. But there are secrets who will keep testing them and their love. Will they be able to overcome it, or will it be their doom? Author’s Note: This story contains Latin Language. I am using a program that might not be accurate on the translation, so I apologize in advance if the translation is wrong. Thank you for reading this story and enjoy.

A doomsday blizzard hit just before Christmas. The zombie virus exploded. Our fortress was a top-tier ski resort. Now, it was about to fall. My husband, Ethan, was a former Navy SEAL. Our head of security. He swore his defense system was foolproof. The blizzard knocked out the power. But he’d sent all the backup generator fuel to the summit. Just to light up a Christmas tree for Chloe. He even had a few guards up there with them, throwing a party. In my last life, I fought him. I herded everyone into the last bunker. But Chloe whined. A crowded Christmas was boring, she said. She stormed out of the safe room and ran right into the jaws of the horde. Ethan carved a path through the horde to secure the walls. Then he sat in silence, cradling Chloe’s bones. He pretended he wanted to start over with me. He let me get pregnant with his child. The day I gave birth, he knocked me unconscious and dumped me into a nearby zombie nest. He always rescued me just before I died. He’d inject me with a serum that kept me from turning. Nineteen times, he threw me to the zombies. I died in agony as they tore the flesh from my bones. "If you hadn't sabotaged my defenses," he’d hissed, "if you hadn't crashed our party and led the horde right to us, Chloe would still be alive!" I opened my eyes. I was back. Christmas Eve.

In an East London lock up, two film makers, Jimmy and Sam, are duct taped to chairs and forced to watch a snuff film by Ashkan, a loan shark to whom they owe a lot of money. If they don’t pay up, they’ll be starring in the next one. Before the film reaches its end, Ashkan and all his men are slaughtered by unknown assailants. Only Jimmy and Sam survive the massacre, leaving them with the sole copy of the snuff film. The film makers decide to build their next movie around the brutal film. While auditioning actors, they stumble upon Melissa, an enigmatic actress who seems perfect for the leading role, not least because she’s the spitting image of the snuff film’s main victim. Neither the film, nor Melissa, are entirely what they seem however. Jimmy and Sam find themselves pulled into a paranormal mystery that leads them through the shadowy streets of the city beneath the city and sees them re-enacting an ancient Mesopotamian myth cycle. As they play out the roles of long forgotten gods and goddesses, they’re drawn into the subtle web of a deadly heresy that stretches from the beginnings of civilization to the end of the world as we know it. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Ava crossed her arms. “You’re scared I’ll ruin you,” Liam smirked. “No, I’m scared you’ll keep me hooked.” Ava Davis works hard to survive in a cutthroat corporate world. Her arrogant billionaire boss, Liam Carter, makes life impossible with his demands. But when Ava stumbles upon a secret that could destroy him, she uses it to fight back. Liam won’t go down without a fight. He makes Ava an offer: help him clean up his image, and he’ll make sure her career doesn’t crash. Now they’re stuck together, working side by side. Every moment is a battlefield, every glance charged. Liam hides a dark past, and Ava is determined to uncover it. But the closer they get, the harder it is to ignore the growing tension between them. When a scandal shatters everything, Ava and Liam must choose: keep fighting or let the walls between them crumble. In a world of power, secrets, and second chances, can two enemies find redemption and love? Enemies at work. Bound by secrets. Can love be the endgame?

Liana merasa dirinya begitu hancur ketika tiba-tiba seseorang yang begitu membuatnya kesal selama ini, datang melamarnya. Dia berpikir bahwa yang dilakukan lelaki itu adalah sebuah kelicikan. Namum siapa sangka, ternyata lamaran itu datang akibat sebuah kesalahpahaman yang terjadi di antara mereka. Kini Liana harus mencari berbagai cara agar pernikahan mereka gagal terjadi sehingga membuatnya bisa kembali bersama sang pujaan hati. Di sisi lain, Andreas adalah seorang CEO muda sebuah perusahaan rintisan, yang mencari istri lugu, baik hati, dan keibuan. Karenanya dia memilih untuk menikahi Liana yang merupakan seorang gadis desa sederhana. Namun siapa sangka, ternyata tak ada kata sederhana dalam kamus istrinya itu. Apakah mereka akan mampu bertahan hanya demi kedua orang tua mereka masing-masing, atau mereka harus bercerai yang kemudian akan membuat banyak orang kecewa serta image buruk bagi perusahaan rintisan yang sedang dibangun Andreas?

Le jour de notre dixième anniversaire de mariage, mon ancienne meilleure amie a posté une photo. Sur l’image, sa fille et mon fils, chacun dans les bras de mon mari et d’elle. Tous les quatre serrés ensemble. La légende disait : « Une belle famille avec un fils et une fille. » J’ai commenté en dessous : « Très assortis. » La publication a disparu aussitôt. Le lendemain, mon mari a déboulé à la maison, furieux : « Sophie commençait juste à se sentir mieux, pourquoi tu l’as provoquée ? » Mon fils m’a poussée, plein de reproches : « C’est de ta faute ! Tu as fait pleurer ma petite sœur Cécile ! » J’ai sorti les papiers du divorce et les leur ai balancés au visage : « Ouais, tout est de ma faute. Alors je me casse. Profitez bien de belle famille à quatre. »

I am in such a rush to pick up my daughter, Ava Pennington, from school that I don't have time to change out of my work attire. At the kindergarten gates, I run into the mother of one of her classmates, Candice Austin. She sizes me up from head to toe and says, "You must be Ava Pennington's mom." I politely nod. Just as I am about to say hello, her expression suddenly sours. "It's no wonder your daughter dresses so skimpily at school. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" I am so mad that I nearly forgot to respond. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Candice clicks her tongue and grows even more aggressive. "Nonsense? Your daughter wears skirts to school every day. She's distracting my son so much that his grades have slipped." Her words leave me utterly speechless. How is her son's failing grades somehow Ava's fault? When I don't respond, she gets bolder. "Look at you dressed from head to toe in cheap junk; how can you afford to send your daughter to this elite kindergarten? You must have pulled some shady strings to sneak her in through the back door, didn't you?" Has she lost her mind? Since when does Ava need strings to attend the school I built?

Ava Williams has fallen head over heels over her charming prince and best friend, Axel. So imagine her disappointment when she realizes her fated mate isn't Axel, but that one playboy in her school named Hunter Ysrael, the future alpha of a rival pack! 19 year old Hunter Ysrael had always looked down on wolves of her rank. When he discovers his mate was none other than an omega from his rival pack, he couldn't wait to get rid of her. But when Ava proposed to be the first to reject the breathtakingly handsome, god-like future alpha Hunter, he is filled with an unyielding determination and desire to turn the tables and make Ava fall in love with him no matter what. However, it turns out that Ava has other dreams of her own. The night brings surprises not only for Ava but her family tree as well as the structure of the wolves' societal order. As she struggles with finding her true identity and dealing with unexpected extraordinary powers, an evil force from the past comes back to haunt the wolves and to seek vengeance from the werewolf kind. It is said that only a white can save them from those corrosive, dark magic wielding demons, but until now the prophesized white has yet to be found. Everything changes for Ava when she learns her true identity, and the purpose she was made to serve in this cruel world. She has a lot to lose if she does fight but a lot more if she doesn't. A story of divided loyalties, love, magic, and survival.