Onyx Storm Excerpt Cosmopolitan

Xiana took a deep breath when she reached her boss's office. "Amanda" he called the secretary who was his friend so she looked at him and smiled then said goodbye to the people he was talking to. "Hey, best friend" he laughed and put his arm around her.

With a slight blush of embarrassment, she nods, and her boss smiles. " You know it isn't free, right?" Even though she can't speak, she made up her mind to do it for her grandparents. "yes," she says as tears run down her cheeks. "Okay good, a deal is a deal," he said with a smirk.

"Yes! I want to be your girlfriend, Kairus Dhan Alvarez. Sinasagot na kita," sigaw ng kaibigan ko. Ouch! Nanigas ako sa kinatayuan ko ng pagpasok ko pa lang sa university kung saan ako nag-aaral, ng marinig ko ang sigaw ng isang pamilyar na boses, o should I say, ng aking best friend. Ang ganda naman ng bungad. Hindi ako makagalaw sa kinatayuan ko. Para akong natulala. Para akong binagsakan ng langit at lupa. "WOAH, CONGRATS NEW COUPLE." Nanlalabo ang paningin ko habang pinagmamasdan ang kaibigan ko at ang lalaking mahal ko. Kitang kita ko kung gaano kasaya si Kairus nang sagutin siya ni Amara. Nagyayakapan silang dalawa, at worst, they kissed each other in front of me. Mas lalong lumakas ang sigawan ng mga tao habang ako naman ay parang nabingi. Hindi ko alam kung anong nararamdaman ko. Basta alam ko lang, unti-unti nang nawawasak ang puso ko. Yumuko ako. Ramdam na ramdam ko ang physical na sakit sa puso ko. "I LOVE YOU, AMARA... SO MUCH!" D@MN! Tuluyan nang nawasak ang puso ko nang marinig ko ang katagang iyon mula sa bibig ng mahal ko na para sa kaibigan ko. Kinagat ko ang aking ibabang labi upang pigilan ang luha na gustong kumawala sa aking mga mata. Dapat handa na ako sa ganito, alam kong darating ang araw na ito, pero p*tangina, bakit parang sobrang sakit? Bakit parang hindi ko kaya? "BESH...!" Kaagad kong pinunasan ang isang butil na luha na tuluyan itong kumawala sa mata ko. Huminga ako ng malalim at saka inangat ang paningin sa kaibigan kong patakbong palapit sa akin na may malaking ngiti. Ngumiti din ako, pero pilit lang. Sinubukan kong maging masaya para hindi siya makahalata. "KAMI NA... I ALREADY SAID YES TO HIM," masaya niyang sabi bago ako niyakap.

"Get up, I'm hungry. Cook for me NOW!" The authoritative tone jolted me awake, not giving me a moment to freshen up or even change. We don't sleep side by side; he stays in the master bedroom while I occupy the guest room. He can't stand being near me. It hurts deeply when those words come from him, but it's a recurring pattern. I hurriedly made my way downstairs, still tying the robe around me. In the kitchen, I began preparing his breakfast. You see, I'm his secret wife. No one knows except our parents and a few friends. Since we got married, not a day goes by without him reminding me that he doesn't love me. Not a day goes by without him hurting me. But that's alright because, as I've mentioned, I love him so much that I'm willing to do anything just to earn his love in return. A single tear escaped and fell onto the clove of garlic I was chopping. I quickly wiped it away. From the corner of my eye, I noticed Manang watching me. I took a deep breath to regain my composure before turning to her with a forced smile. "I'm sorry; I got emotional over garlic." I lied.

Book One of the Luminary Quartet Join Willow as she trades in one terrifying situation for another. Bear shifters are invading the wolves' territories in droves, and no place is safe, save the South. Willow is forced to flee her home alone unexpectedly, but she tirelessly makes her way to the South and the promise of sanctuary while the war rages on. Unfortunately, Willow quickly realizes that the South is no safer than her home, but she is forced to stay against her will. Has she made a terrible mistake or is Willow right where she is meant to be? Jax became Alpha of the Northern Province shortly after the beginning of the war, just after his parents were murdered, in fact. Though he has not been alpha long, he has already made a name for himself as a fearsome ruler throughout the territories. With the war ending, Jax and his warriors only have one thought on their minds: finding their soulmates. *Note: While the main characters in each book will receive their HEA, I would not recommend reading the sequels out of order due to the overarching storyline. ****Warning**** This book is for adults 18+. It contains mature themes and adult language. Please read at your own discretion.

Bumukas ang malaking pintuan sa harap ko, at narito ang lalaking minamahal ko, ang mata'y walang damdamin habang lumalapit ako sa altar. Ngumiti ako kahit na masikip ang dibdib ko. Narinig ko ang musika habang dahan-dahang naglalakad patungo sa lalaking naghihintay sa harap. Si Kiel, nakatitig nang seryoso sa akin. Walang kahit anong kasiyahan ang makikita sa kanyang mukha, at ito'y nagdulot ng kirot sa aking puso. Iniharap ko ang aking kamay, ngunit itinuring niyang wala ito at agad na umusad patungo sa harap ng pari. Iniwan akong nakatambad ang kamay sa ere. Yumuko ako, bahagyang nahihiya. Sumunod ako sa harap ng pari, at sinimulan na ang misa. "Maari mo nang halikan ang iyong asawa," ang sabi ng pari. Humarap ako kay Kiel, inaasahan ang isang halik sa labi, ngunit sa pisngi lamang ito dumapo. "Nakuha mo na ang titulong Mrs. Valerian, ngunit tiyak kong hindi mo makukuha ang aking pagmamahal," bulong niya. Pumikit ako, at naramdaman ang sakit sa aking puso. "Tandaan mo 'yan, Sam? Hindi mo makukuha ang aking pagmamahal dahil may iniibig na ako," dagdag niya habang nagpalakpakan na ang mga tao. Tumulo ang isang butil na luha. "Sarap mong pagmasdan habang umiiyak," layo na nito sa akin pagkatapos ng mga salitang iyon at agad na lumabas ng simbahan. Pinalis ko ang luha ko at mag-isang ngumiti sa harap ng mga taong masaya para sa amin. Kumikirot ang dibdib ko sa likod ng aking mga ngiti. Daig ko pa ang sinaksak, ngunit hindi ko pinahalata. "Saan pupunta ang asawa mo?" inosenteng tanong ng isang matanda. Ngumiti ako, ngunit hindi na nagbigay ng pagsasalita. "Baka excited lang," mapanukso ng isa. Tumawa ako, kahit na parang pinipiga ang puso ko. Ako si Samantha Alexandria Perez, o dapat bang sabihin Samantha Alexandria Perez Valerian, and I am his unwanted wife.

She stole his first kiss. He will steal her heart! *** When Vera Rhys first met Mateo storm, she stole his first kiss and his family heirloom, leaving him half-naked, handcuffed to the windows and aroused. Five years later, she is back. This time she is looking to steal something bigger. Her target: The Royal crown. But her plans start to go wonky when she realizes the shy, soft-spoken boy she has once stolen from is her mate and he is not so shy anymore, that someone is pulling the strings with far more malicious intentions than she has anticipated. Can she thwart their plans and save the kingdom with her mate?

Ang kasal ni Abigail kay Liam ay hindi dahil sa love, kundi dahil sa business deal. Kahit anong effort ni Abigail na ayusin ang relasyon nila, hindi niya mapawi ang galit ni Liam. Sa isang matinding phone call, sinabi ni Liam na gusto na niyang mag-divorce dahil sawang-sawa na siya. Initially, nagprotesta si Abigail pero sa huli, pumayag din siya. Habang pinipirmahan ang divorce papers, tiniyak ni Abigail na hindi makikialam si Liam sa negosyo ng pamilya niya. Ngayon, handa na siyang kalimutan si Liam at simulan ang bagong buhay. —- Abigail gazed at her signature and broke into a wide grin “ Liam Jones, from now on we’re strangers “

Book Two of the Luminary Quartet Veronica's life was thrown into turmoil with the beginning of the war and the abrupt loss of her parents. One night of bliss was all she had been granted as compensation before her brother’s best friend absconded without a trace the next morning. Yet, the wheels of fate had already been set in motion, forever changing the course of Ronnie’s life as she struggles to rebuild her future in the South on her own. Ryker had been pushed around his whole life, up until that tragic night that he had fled his home without a backward glance and somehow found himself in the middle of the Northern Province with no recollection of how he had arrived there. Still reeling from the loss, only the effervescent emerald eyes-of who he learned much later was his mate-was able to break him out of the haze that had taken hold. One night was all he got before she became just another ghost that haunted him from his past, but all bets are off now that Ryker is finally returning home to reclaim his rightful role. Tension mounts as secrets are spilled and the elders treachery is further exposed in this riveting sequel to 'Mated to the Alpha of the North.' *Note: While the main characters all receive their HEA in each individual story, I would not recommend reading them out of order due to the overarching storyline that continues throughout them all. ****Warning**** This book is intended for adults 18+ only. There is mature scenes and adult language included. Please read at your own discretion.

Kylee Nicole Montenegro, ako 'yun. Labing-walong taong gulang na at malapit ng mag-kolehiyo. Hindi na ako nagho-homeschool; malapit na akong maging normal na estudyante, tulad ng pangako ni Dad. Homeschooled ako mula nung ako'y limang taon dahil sa isang aksidente. Madalas sabihin ng mga tao na marami daw nangyari sa buhay ko noong bata ako, pero isang bagay lang ang matandaan ko — isang panyo. Isang hindi kakilalang bata ang nagbigay sa akin nito, at hindi ko alam ang pangalan niya. Malamang, hindi ko na siya makikilala matapos ang maraming taon, pero umaasa ako na isang araw ay makakita ako sa kanya para magpasalamat. Ang hindi kakilalang ito ang tumulong sa akin nang mawala ako sa mall. Naalala ko ang bahagi ng pangyayari, pero hindi lahat. Napapangiti ako nang hindi ko namamalay. Pagkatapos kong lumabas ng banyo, napansin ko ulit ang panyo at ngumiti. Mukhang may kaunting paghanga ako sa taong nagbigay nito sa akin. Ilang taon na itong nasa akin at hindi ko pa ito nalalabhan. May nakasulat ding salitang "TRIST" dito. Iniisip ko kung pangalan ba ito. Nagtango na lang ako dahil wala akong alam. Nahulog sa malalim na iniisip, isang katok sa pinto ang bumalik sa akin sa realidad. "PUPUNTA NA!" sigaw ko nang marinig ko si Ate Lena na nagpapaalam na ang almusal ay handa na. Isinilid ko ulit ang panyo sa aparador, may kakaibang tanong pa rin sa aking isipan. SINO KA?