Once Upon Lifetime

Everyone called Mia a shameless whore. However, the one trailing behind her was the youngest don of the Yorick family, James. He hand-washed her lace camisoles, broke three ribs for her, and even with his face covered in blood from a beating, he could still smile at her. One night, after too much drinking, the underboss he trusted most leaned down beside him. His face was full of disdain. “Boss, Mia is a disgrace to all of us! A woman like that, how could she ever be worthy of you?” James suddenly laughed. His eyes went terrifyingly blank. The cigar between his fingers glowed faintly in the dark. “Back then, before I secured my position, I was young, greedy for power. To get my sister-in-law that antique necklace she wanted, I took advantage of Mia being drunk and took pictures of her myself… “Ten dollars a copy. I sold thirty thousand of them. Things blew way out of control… I owe her.” James took a long drink of whiskey while his Adam’s apple bobbed. “Thankfully… she will never know. I will spend my whole life making it up to her, treating her twice as well.” He did not see the private room door quietly close the moment he said those words. Mia turned around with a blank expression on her face and walked into a small clinic on the corner. She laid down on the operating table. He would never deserve to know that he had once been a father, if only for a moment. That whole lifetime he planned to spend making it up to her, she did not want it anymore.

Once upon a time, the world was balanced and peaceful, thanks to its protectors of nature, the Amazons, a unique breed of werewolves that existed solely to protect and maintain the balance of the natural world. But they fell victim to the seduction of greed and power, ultimately leading to the Tribe’s downfall, shattering the balance and laws of nature with it. This gave rise to the Council and its insatiable greed, depravity, and power-hungry behaviors, creating a further imbalance in the world, with she-wolves, once revered and respected, slowly dying out due to their enslaved existence. Still, some refuse to go down without a fight, clinging to the hope and rumor that a powerful she-wolf, their Savior, will rise and save them. Corinna Woods is the naive and kind-hearted Luna of the Dark Shadow pack and chosen mate of Xander Woods, but after years of horror, she runs. Years later, she’s changed into a broken, paranoid, reckless single mother unable to escape her pain. When she discovers her mate, she is petrified and refuses to accept, having vowed never to allow a man that kind of power over her again. Wyatt Campbell is a powerful Alpha who believes in the old ways of fated mate bonds and thinks the council's laws are ridiculous and degrading, refusing to follow them within his pack. When he finds his mate, he is shocked not only to find her after years of searching, but also when she rejects him. Can he prove to his mate that he is not like the others? Can their fated mate bond, along with the support of their allies, change the ways and restore the much-needed balance to the werewolf world before they become extinct?

Aurora Walton once made a bet with her mother—if Joseph Hunt ever fell in love with her, her mother would step aside and let them be together. So, upon learning that Joseph preferred gentle and resilient girls, she disguised herself as a struggling college student to get close to him. But in the end, Joseph crushed her illusions, holding his first love in his arms as he looked at Aurora with disdain. "A gold-digging nobody like you? How could you ever compare to Judy?" Humiliated and heartbroken, Aurora walked away, returning home to claim her rightful place as heiress to a billion-dollar empire. Years later, she returned, draped in a custom-made designer gown worth million, exuding elegance and power. Beside her stood a man whispered to be untouchable, feared, and revered. As she crossed paths with Joseph once more, the tables had turned. This time, it was Joseph who was left in regret. He took to social media with a public confession: "I used to think I loved strong, one-of-a-kind women. But Aurora, meeting you made me realize that love isn’t about rules. You are my exception." That very night, the elusive Lucas Carter broke his silence, releasing a long-cherished photograph. In it, a girl smiled brightly, untamed and full of life. With absolute certainty, he took Aurora’s hand and made his declaration for the world to hear. "Mrs. Carter, there are no exceptions. You've always been the one. And I've been waiting for this moment my whole life."

I'm 29 years old, nearly 30 and so far, my sister and Photography have been my life and soul. Ever since I stepped foot in my first darkroom during my Sophomore year I always had a hunch that this would be my true passion. Since I held my first camera. Set up my first tripod, captured my first photo and filmed my first piece. I just knew that this is what I wanted to do. My life has been a complicated mess since I was 10 years old. My life was thrown away by my parents because I was a burden to them, I had a pen pal who I vented my anger out on for years yet he had become a huge part of my life. I haven't had a serious relationship in...well...ever and It's not every day that you find a man wanting to talk to you...granted, this man is the one who spilt his coffee down me the first time we met and from then on he became the Baine of my existence. I live in Texas City, Houston and I love what I do, the freedom it gives me being behind a camera but it also comes with a price when you least expect it. My life was complicated enough but when I vent out on a secret to this man, my feelings towards him become stir crazy and a whirlwind of emotions. One's I didn't want in the first place because 2 weeks before meeting said man...I was applying for a year long fellow ship abroad. A once in a lifetime opportunity to go to one of Spain's most explored and cultured cities - Barcelona.

Luna Nyla wouldn't accept to tie a knot to an Alpha she didn't know. She escaped from their pack and wanted to start a new life. Unfortunately, she was caught by the rogues, thinking it would be the end of her life. Yet, someone saved her, and it was Alpha Hadar of Moonlight West Pack. Saving her wasn't only for free, but she had to repay it as his slave for a lifetime in their pack. Thinking it might be her fate to be a slave forever, she didn't know destiny bound her to be with Alpha Hadar. For her to realize she wasn't only to be a slave of the Alpha, but she was indeed his reborn runaway mate he had waited to come.

The Mafia war had spilled out on the streets, claiming many of innocent lives. That was not supposed to happen. But two respected families, each strong and powerful in the game, wanted peace, but refused to trust each other easily. The heads of the families called a cease fire and reached THE AGREEMENT of a lifetime for each family, an alliance between the two, the only cost? Their children’s happiness as they are put into this arranged marriage. Although Giovanni Constantini, son of the great Donatello could not stand the mafia princess known as Valentina De Luca, the only child of Rafael De Luca; and Valentina hated the playboy status of Giovanni, aka Vinny. Can these two come together in THE AGREEMENT to make this alliance work or will it start a whole new era of war?

One night of passion. One ring. Two brothers It was meant to be one last night of freedom before a lifetime commitment to a man she knew nothing about. One night to forget all her sorrows and have fun. But a night of fun turned into a mistake she could never undo. It turned into a night of sin. Because the man who set her body on fire last night was her soon to be brother-in-law. And he’s not done with her. Now, she wore his brother’s ring, but he wore her secret like a crown. If she won’t come to him willingly, he’d gladly make her remember who made her scream.

I used to be the most promising composer of my generation. But while I was working on my latest piece, my husband Charles Lambert's childhood friend destroyed everything I had. She slashed my face, stole my compositions, and set fire to my house—leaving me to burn alive alongside the kitten I'd just adopted. Then, as if my death were just a spark for her success, she posted my compositions online, claiming I'd plagiarized her. And people believed her. Everyone did. Strangers on the internet sneered and spat my name, and my own husband, Charles, chose to believe her over me. Even the International Musical Society rescinded my award and handed it to her without a second thought. My students, who once followed me loyally, were now fawning over her. I became the laughingstock of the entire internet—mocked, discredited, erased. It wasn't until a week later, when someone stumbled upon the charred remains of my lakeside studio, that they found what was left of me.

In the midst of relentless bullying and despair, Isla's desire to end her life leads her to a dark, stormy night in the heart of a forbidding forest. But fate takes an unexpected turn when a captivating, enigmatic man named Liam emerges from the shadows, saving her from certain death. With a revelation that shatters her reality, Liam unveils his true nature as a werewolf and claims Isla as his destined mate. This revelation marks only the beginning of her extraordinary journey. As Isla delves deeper into this mystical realm, she encounters a plethora of supernatural beings she never fathomed existed. The truths she once held dear crumble, leaving her to grapple with a world transformed before her eyes. Amidst the chaos and danger, Isla must summon her inner strength to adapt and survive in this new and perplexing life thrust upon her. The question looms: Will Isla find the resilience to navigate this strange existence, embracing her connection with Liam? In a world where destiny and danger entwine, her journey unravels a tale of love, courage, and the untold secrets of the supernatural.

…from his responsibilities as a father, hiding out from his pregnant girlfriend, and working as a groundskeeper in a rural graveyard. He’s running from a lifetime of guilt and bad decisions, but principally he’s running from the murderous entities that have possessed the very ground at his feet. Jim has no idea what these entities are, but they’ve done unspeakable things to everyone in the graveyard and now they’re hunting him down. There is nowhere Jim can hide, nowhere he can walk and nowhere he can run that isn’t under the lethal power of the things in the ground. If he stands any chance of survival he must uncover the link between his murderous tormentors, three mysterious graves and an ancient heresy that stretches back to the beginning of time. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing