Okami Brush Techniques

I put my t-shirt down, my hands shaking. I try to ignore them and stare at my reflection in the mirror. My hair color is dark brown and a vague hint of golden. My dad used to say that my eyes are ocean blue. A guy in my history cl once said that I had perfect s. Another guy said that I had a great body. They wanted to date me. And I dated few of them. I brush my fingers in my forehead. Then my dark, thick eyelashes. The side of my nose. My s. I run my hand at my neck, then across my collarbone. Am I beautiful? Honestly, I don't know. Maybe I'm not. "You were wrong, Angelina Valentine." A voice inside my head suddenly whispers. "Calm down, Angel," another voice whispers. It's the voice I loved. His voice is fading away. My hands start shake again, my breath rapidly quickening. I am losing control. I have to do something. "Goddammit!" I punch the mirror with my fist. It shatters into thousand pieces. My reflection has shattered into thousand pieces, too. The mirror now looks to me like an art. And my bloody knuckles. "I am sorry, Edwin. I can't promise you anymore, because you left me." I bite my to stop myself from crying. I won't cry. What's the point of crying? My sixth sense is suddenly alert. Somebody is watching me. I spin around. A guy is standing in front of the door, leaning against it. He wears a tight blue shirt, the sleeves folded. His black hair is ruffled and his hands are folded across his chest. The probable most amazing thing about him is his eyes. They are dark green. They are dangerous, beautiful and incredibly unreadable. And they are watching me.

I knock on the door, heart pounding like it always does when I’m about to see him. “Come in,” Justin’s voice calls—cool, smooth, and frustratingly calm. I take a deep breath and walk in, holding the folder tightly. “Here’s the report you requested, sir.” He doesn’t even glance at me. Just keeps typing, his expression unreadable. “You’re late,” he says without missing a beat. I clench my jaw. “There was a delay at the printer—” “No excuses, Joanna. Just do better next time.” Ouch. Professional and cold. As always. I nod, ignoring the sting in my chest. “Yes, sir.” I turn to leave, gripping the doorknob—just one more second and I’ll be out of this weird tension-filled office— “Wait.” I freeze. I turn around slowly. “Yes?” Justin stands now, walking toward me. In his hand, a familiar brown paper bag. He holds it out. “You didn’t have lunch.” I blink. “I’m fine.” “You skipped breakfast too. Eat.” I hesitate. “What is it?” “Chicken pesto. No onions.” My breath catches. He still remembers? “Why are you doing this?” I ask quietly. He shrugs, not meeting my eyes. “I just… remember things.” My fingers brush his as I take the bag. Warmth. Stupid warmth that shouldn’t still feel this familiar. Then, he looks at me—really looks at me. “You shouldn’t skip meals… wife.” Silence. My chest tightens. “Don’t call me that.” But my voice is too soft to sound convincing. I walk out before I say something I’ll regret. His words echo in my mind like a dangerous lullaby. Cold one second. Kilig the next. God… he’s still him. And that’s exactly the problem.

He catches my wrist as I try to flee, spinning me back against his chest in the empty hallway. "Running from me again? That's not very stepmother-ly of you." His lips brush the shell of my ear, and I shiver. "Let me go, Klaus," I manage, though my body melts into his touch. "Before someone sees…" "Let them," he murmurs, his hand sliding up my thigh beneath my skirts. "Let the whole kingdom see and know that you are mine, damnit!” ***** She wore a veil and a lie when she walked into the palace as the Alpha King's bride. But revenge has a way of getting complicated when your fated mate is your new stepson. Margaux should be dead. Her mate rejected her, and the Alpha King slaughtered her family—but she survived, and now she's back wearing someone else's face. Her plan is simple: marry the King, gain his trust, and destroy him from within. What she didn't plan for was him. Klaus recognizes her the moment their eyes meet across the throne room, mate bond blazing to life despite the years and lies between them. He's the King's son. Her stepson now. The man who shattered her heart. And he's making it very clear that he doesn't care about scandal, propriety, or the fact that she belongs to his father—at least on paper. He never stopped wanting her. He never stopped loving her. But Klaus doesn't know the whole truth: his father murdered her family in cold blood, and Margaux won't rest until she's bathed in the King's destruction. She should be focused on vengeance, not the forbidden heat that ignites every time Klaus corners her in darkened hallways. She should hate him for abandoning her. She does hate him. So why can't she stay away?

Sienna Moretti I always knew the world my brother ruled was dangerous, but I never imagined it would reach my doorstep. As the sister of Adrian Moretti—the infamous mafia leader—I have been kept hidden, protected. But all of that shatters the night Lucien De Luca, Adrian’s sworn enemy and a ruthless Don, sets his sight on me. I know better than to trust the charming, lethal man who once called my brother a friend... before everything fell apart in betrayal. I tell myself it's a trap. Yet every glance, every brush of Lucien's hand against mine, chips away at my defenses. He's my brother’s rival, but in Adrian’s absence, Lucien becomes my unexpected shield. The lines blur. I start to believe Lucien might not be the villain everyone says he is. But happy endings aren’t written in blood-soaked worlds like ours. Some sins refuse to stay buried. Lucien De Luca I only wanted one thing— destroy Adrian Moretti for the sins he committed. And what better way to bring a king to his knees than by using the one thing he cared about most? His sister. His precious Sienna. She was supposed to be another move on a bloody chessboard. Nothing more. But from the moment she looked at me with those stormy eyes, the game shifted. Sienna wasn’t a piece to be played. She was the spark that could burn my whole Mafia empire down. She made a hunger ignite inside me no one else had ever touched. Nothing could have prepared me for the war she would start inside my soul—or the secrets that would rise from the ashes, threatening to ruin everything. Because Sienna Moretti was never meant to be mine. But damned if I was going to let her go.

Eli Ashcroft is an Omega whose scent is so faint it is almost nonexistent. His first mate, Elric, betrays him by cheating with Eli’s own Omega best friend, Liam. The double betrayal destroys their bond, shatters Eli’s trust, and leaves him emotionally numb just as his father becomes gravely ill and medical bills begin to suffocate him. With no other choice left, Eli accepts an absurd solution: a contract marriage. His husband is Lucen Blackthorne, the most powerful and feared Alpha in the region. To the pack, the reason for Lucen’s choice is cruelly obvious. Eli bears an uncanny resemblance to his late older brother, Elion, the Omega rumored to be Lucen’s lost mate. The contract is mercilessly clear—three years as a substitute to stabilize Lucen’s unstable wolf, generous payment, then a clean separation with nothing owed. For three years, Eli survives by erasing himself. He suppresses his scent, mimics his brother’s habits, believing imitation is the only reason he is tolerated. When Lucen’s wolf writhes under grief, Eli comforts it quietly, never expecting affection meant for him. Lucen shields him during full moons and touches him with restrained care, yet his golden eyes always seem to look past Eli, searching for someone else. That silent distance hurts more than betrayal ever did. When the contract ends, Eli returns it calmly and prepares to leave, telling Lucen he is finally free. He expects indifference. Instead, Lucen’s control snaps. Alpha pheromones crash down as Lucen tears the contract apart and pulls Eli into his arms, his wolf roaring through his voice as his fangs brush Eli’s nape. “Leave?” Lucen growls softly. “My little wolf… your scent has soaked into my den for three years. And now you want to run? Too late.”

He is the most powerful CEO in the city. I am the forbidden secret his body can’t ignore. When I accepted the temporary job at BlackWolf Corp, I thought my biggest problem would be pleasing a cold, intimidating boss. I was wrong. Adrian Blackwood isn’t just a billionaire, dominant, and ridiculously sexy. He’s an Alpha. And I’m the Omega he should never touch. From the very first second, something between us snaps. His stare undresses me. His voice makes my legs tremble. His scent leaves me feverish, needy… dangerously ready to kneel. He tries to keep his distance. He fails miserably. I didn’t know I was an Omega. I didn’t know wolves existed. And I definitely didn’t know my body was made to belong to him. Adrian was promised by a political treaty to another Omega. Wanting me is illegal. Marking me could start a war. And yet, every time he pins me against the office wall, every time his teeth brush my neck, every time his rough voice growls “you’re mine”… I melt. My heat awakens out of control. Desire turns into pain. And the Alpha inside him starts losing the battle. When enemies try to steal me to use me as political leverage, Adrian goes insane. He kills for me. He lies for me. He breaks ancient laws for me. And finally… he marks me. Now I officially belong to him. Body. Soul. Wolf. The Council wants to tear us apart. The promised Omega wants to destroy me. And my body starts changing in a way no male Omega ever has before. He is the Alpha who should reject me. I am the Omega who could destroy his world. But he would rather burn everything down… than live without me.

He was trained to repair failing hearts. She never imagined hers would be the one placed in danger. When Iris Moore steps into Hale Heart Institute as a newly graduated medical trainee, she carries ambition, grief, and hunger beneath her calm exterior. Raised by her grandmother after losing her mother early, Iris chose cardiology to honor love, survival, and sacrifice. Desire was never part of her plan. Until Dr. Nathaniel Hale. Powerful. Controlled. Forbidden. Nathaniel is the hospital’s most respected cardiologist, bound by legacy, family, and expectation. The woman chosen for him has his name, not his heart. Discipline built his world. Iris threatens to burn it down. From their first meeting, tension coils tight and breathless. Training becomes intimate. Touches linger. Hands brush skin too slowly. In quiet labs and shadowed corridors, restraint frays, desire pulses, and every heartbeat feels like a risk. But hospitals whisper. Nurses watch. Jealousy sharpens. And the woman waiting to claim Nathaniel’s future moves to destroy the threat. A complaint is filed. Warning arrives. line is crossed. Iris is targeted, isolated, and tested. Nathaniel is forced to choose between duty and desire, control and craving. Every stolen look costs more. Every step closer invites ruin. Because when forbidden hearts collide, consequences are brutal. And when restraint finally snaps, passion will demand payment. Some loves are dangerous because they feel too right. Some choices shatter everything. In a hospital built to save lives, this love might destroy two. And when secrets surface, survival will require courage, sacrifice, and surrender. Iris must decide whether to run or stay. Nathaniel must risk his name, his family, his future. Because once desire claims the heart, there is no safe way back. This story burns slow, deep, and unforgiving, pulling readers breathless toward scandal, surrender, obsession, desire

"Please," I whisper as his teeth graze my neck, my body betraying every promise I made to keep him at a distance. "We can't—" "Can't?" His laugh is dark, dangerous. "Your wolf is screaming for me, Fin. I can smell how much you want this." His hands pin my wrists above my head, his body pressing mine against the wall. "Tell me to stop. Tell me you don't dream about my hands on your skin, my mark on your throat." His lips brush my ear, voice rough with need. "Tell me, and I'll walk away. But we both know you're tired of denying what's between us." Finley Bennett never expected to be Alpha of Forest Trails pack. But when her brother refuses the role, she's determined to prove a female can lead - even if it means burying her broken heart. Because the one wolf who was supposed to be her perfect match chose another, leaving her with nothing but duty to cling to. When Mountain Ridge's powerful Alpha arrives to discuss border threats, his sudden marking of her as his mate offers a second chance at happiness. But fate isn't finished testing her yet. Another cruel rejection leaves her wondering if she's destined to lead alone. As mysterious attacks threaten pack lands and ancient magic stirs, Finley must navigate pack politics, unseen enemies, and the return of her first mate. But something darker lurks beneath the surface - a hidden enemy whose manipulation could cost her everything she's fought to protect. With her territory under siege and her heart torn between two wolves who rejected her, Finley must decide: can she trust fate's choice a third time? Or will opening her heart again destroy everything she's built?

"Help me tighten this?" Her voice trembles as she turns her bare back to the doorway. Calloused fingers brush her spine – but it’s not her stepmother. It’s Asher Voss, SU’s star quarterback and her new stepbrother, smirking in the mirror， "Next time you mistake me for Mom..." His breath scorches her ear. "...I’ll leave a real mark." To survive the sweltering New York summer before college, Wendy Wu makes a deal with Asher: Act like strangers once school starts. He’ll remain the untouchable quarterback; she’ll be just another exchange student. No eye contact. No acknowledgement. Ever. But when her father’s long hauls and her stepmother’s busy schedule force Asher into babysitting duty, the lines blur: In the kitchen, he catches her weeping over a shelter documentary and lifts her against his sweat-drenched chest. Garage doors rattle open – his grip tightens: "Hold on. Unless you want them to see you like this." At a party, her friend spots a cherry hair tie on his wrist before he drags her into a dark hallway: "You didn’t want to see me?" His whiskey-laced kiss brands her lips. "Yet your eyes undressed me all night." In a restaurant, a rival girl glares through the window. He traps Wendy’s thigh under the table， "Call me ‘brother’ and I’ll save you."  Their secret collapses. Wendy ends it, and he freezes her out in public， "Do I know you?" Until a rain-lashed night when Ahser, drenched and desperate, pins her to the wall， "Don’t tell me you do not regret the breakup" His teeth find her collarbone. "I have to admit it-- I miss you." Can a love forged in stolen touches survive the spotlight? Or will their step-sibling bond shatter them both?

“You think you can tame an old daddy like me?” Mr. Domenico Lombardi’s stone-like voice makes me nervous, but I’m not backing down; I know what I want. “Yes,” I added a nod to confirm it but cursed internally at my luck. I’ve never had a boyfriend, and here I am trying to tame a man old enough to be my father. It is said that the apple does not fall far from the tree. I guess I am truly Kate’s daughter. I had an internal laugh at my stupidity. He scoffed, and I responded by nodding once more while watching the darkening of the silvery gray pupils in his eyes. How come? I brush it off as his cold eyes wash over me. Domenico Lombardi’s presence makes me squirm. When I’m around him, I get the impression that I’m being judged and ignored at every turn. “How old are you?” “18” “How old is your father?” “38,” I replied truthfully. “Well, I’m 37 years old.” He stared at me; his eyes darkened again, and I became terrified. I fiddle with my nails, clipping them together as I lean back on my heels to help relieve some of the anxiety he’s causing me. “You see, I’m like a father to you, or maybe a grandfather or a great-great-grandfather. How many boyfriends have you had in your life?” “None.” He chuckled as I responded. “You see, I’ve lost count of how many ladies I’ve fucked, thousands or millions, over the centuries. You are just a little girl to me with nothing to offer; now, get lost!” “My panties made you hard!” “You think so?” “Yes,” I responded confidently. “Well, I wasn’t hard; I just have a donkey-like cock.”