Ortega River Tides Novels & Stories

Michael is the alpha of the Red River pack; his cruelty and contempt towards the woman he is meant to love and protect are vile. Will the woman survive? Can they rebuild the rest of their lives, or will his cruelty forever break their minds, bodies, and souls? Nicole was his chosen mate. She knew and experienced firsthand the depths of his depravity. Young, naive, and innocent, she fell victim to his manipulations, only to be discarded when he had no more use for her. To truly know someone, you have to know where they came from; my name is Layla, they are my parents, and this is our story. It never ceased to amaze me how the moon goddess allowed someone like my father to exist. How could she stand by and let one man ruin so many lives, and yet she constantly challenges the rest of us with so much loss and sorrow? I rose above every obstacle put in my path. I have loved, lost, and suffered at the hands of others, and yet I'm still here. I overcame my struggles tougher, stronger, and more determined to build a better life for my people, pack, and family. And I did; we finally made it. I stare at the people in the room. They came into my life when I needed them the most; they are my family, and I love them all.

The night my husband, William Costello, was assassinated by his enemies was supposed to be a celebration—our wedding anniversary. I was dressed in his favorite red dress, waiting for him, when the phone rang. "Mr. Costello was shot at the harbor. The bullet went through the back of his head. He died on the spot." I collapsed to the floor. I clung to his belongings, mourning for a week straight. We even lost our unborn child during this time. Everyone said William and I were true love. Even the Don himself came to the funeral, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder with a sigh. He said, "All of Blackhaven knows you were the only woman he ever loved." Grief nearly destroyed me. I stood at the river's edge, ready to follow William into the afterlife. However, I overheard my sister-in-law, Emily Hawkins, leaning into my brother-in-law, Jones Costello, her voice dripping with a twisted affection. She purred, "William, I love you so much. Between Nina and me, who do you think is sexier?" "Of course it's you, babe!" came the husky reply. I stood frozen, my eyes wide and my body trembling. Why was Emily calling my brother-in-law by my husband's name?

The Falcon Ridge Series Book 1 Anna Riker: I have no patience for the military Security unit. I have a giant chip on my shoulder and it didn't help when one soldier almost gets himself killed and I have to save him. There's something about this soldier that gets under my skin. I don't want to find out, but the closer I get, the more I can't help myself. River Blake: I'm next in line to take over my pack. I joined the security unit over a year ago to appease my father. When he says I need my fated mate to get my title, yeah I'm angry. Until I see a woman, dressed in leather. She says our future together could never be, but I'll do everything i can to prove to her that she's for me and I'm for her. Michael Dorian: I know Im being used. I didn't mind at first, but now things have changed. When she meets some soldier, a rage boils in my gut. Like a powder keg ready to explode. I have to prove to Anna she's for me and only me. And I will. Even if I have commit treason and murder to do it.

Chiara has never been wanted. Everyone thought of her as a burden and waste of space all her life. When an opportunity presented itself to prove her worth, she eagerly grabbed it. Little did she know that her choice would strip her freedom away and chain her to be the wife and property of Adrian, Alpha of the Galway Pack. A loveless marriage and a cruel husband she can't escape away from, finding her fated mate is now a distant fantasy for her. That was until another alpha bulldozed his way into her life and forced her to take the reigns of her fate once more. Lance is a rogue alpha on the run for over a decade. Blamed for the death of his former pack, he tried to start a new life away from the city and other wolves. However, he's eventually caught by the Galway Pack and offered a second chance as a personal bodyguard for the Alpha's wife. It is a sin for him to set his eyes on Chiara, much more to fall in love with the pack alpha's mate, but his wolf and heart have other things to say. An omega in a gilded cage and a rogue alpha chained by his past sins... can Chiara and Lance find the courage to carve their own paths, or will they simply be swept away by the raging river of fate?

Jade was found in the aftermath of a rogue attack and taken in by a nearby pack as a servant. She is told that her parents were likely some of the rogues, and as such she is treated as worse than worthless her whole life. One day, she snaps and has enough of her treatment, earning herself a death sentence. When a mysterious stranger rescues her and claims to be her mate, Jade realizes that her past may not be as simple and vague as she was led to believe. Elliott is the alpha of Silver Moon, one of the most successful and wealthy packs in the country. He's tough, smart, and lethal if someone he loves is in danger. When he sees a girl in danger during a visit to River Bed pack, he steps in and saves her. When he finds out the girl is his mate, and that she is sentenced to die in a few days, he takes drastic action to get her away from her evil pack and to the safety of his lands. But when he gets his mate home, he finds that they have more history than he thought: Jade is none other than the fallen alpha of Mystic Moon's daughter. But when both Elliott and Jade have no memory of the specifics of the attack, they realize a greater plot may be at foot here, and Elliott is--for the first time in his life-- left wondering if he alone is strong enough to face it.

Being the daughter of an alcoholic, isn't a great thing. But what is worse is losing my mother at the age of seven. My father, Oliver Kruiz has hated me ever since, thinks I took his wife away from him. When in reality, it was his failure to show up that caused her death. As though hating me wasn't enough to keep me depressed, he tried to get me married to a man twenty years older than I was. I don't think twice before running away, the night before my wedding. I was meant to be careful but got careless, and nearly ended up being molested by thugs. That is before I'm saved by my dark hero: Hayden Wren. Things didn't exactly start smoothly, but that didn't mean they ended well either. I had phobia for thugs because my mother was killed by them; while trying to protect me. Everything suddenly goes south, when I find out the man who had saved me was no different. Which leaves me thinking: is he a friend or foe? --- River Kruiz, the daughter of a drunkard, Oliver Kruiz. She has phobia for thugs, and even eloped the night before her wedding. Nearly for this same reason. But what happens when she finds herself growing attached to a mafia?

I thought it was a one-night stand. But he’s an alpha wolf shifter. And I’m his fated mate. When the wickedly handsome, tattooed stranger saved me from getting stranded, I thought he was a good guy. I thought it would be one night of passion in this foggy, misty stretch of forest far from home. A night where I didn’t have to be the good girl. The responsible daughter. Turns out Desmond River is a wolf shifter. Powerful. Dangerous. Obsessed with me. And he’s holding my father prisoner. So I do what any desperate girl would do. I trade myself to the alpha wolf. But Desmond says outsiders aren’t allowed into his wealthy, secretive wolf pack. He says there’s only one way around it. I have to pretend to be his fated mate. His fiancee. That means sleeping in his bed every night. Pretending to be lovers with my enemy. Except that he touches me like he can’t keep his hands off me. Looks at me like I really am his. The only thing worse than getting in a fake relationship with the man who took me captive…Is that I might be falling for him for real. ? ? ? ? ?

I'd never forget how cold the icy waters of the Sandford River were. In my previous life, I was Dalia Valentino, the future Donna of the Rossi family that they'd already acknowledged. But later on, I got betrayed by my fiance, Marco Rossi, and my cousin, Alice Palermo. They stole my betrothal contract away and took over my family's resources. In the end, they used me as a human shield and got me killed during a crossfire between our families. The moment I felt a bullet penetrating my chest, I saw Marco protecting Alice. As for my childhood friend, Riccardo Corleone, who had always watched me from behind, rushed over to me like a madman. He scooped my cooling corpse into his arms before letting out an anguished roar. That was why after I got reborn, I didn't hesitate to kick Marco to the curb and marry Riccardo, resulting in me becoming the Donna of the Corleone family. I thought Riccardo was my savior. Little did I know that fate was just playing a crueler prank on me. Both men had always been in love with the same woman this whole time. In this case, I decided to quit this game of romance and deceit.

Every time my mom, Miranda Turner, comes over to clean my apartment, something goes missing. The first time it happens, a silk scarf I bought goes missing. Not long afterward, my younger sister, Sheryl Colson, gets a promotion and a raise after giving a scarf to her boss as a gift. I think it's just a coincidence. The second time, every premium apple I store in the refrigerator disappears. That very night, Sheryl posts photos on Instagram. She writes, "Thank you, Mom. You're the best. Authentic purple star apple! And eight of them!" I can't help asking about it. Mom hides herself underneath the covers and cries all night, insisting I've wrongfully accused her. Later, several bottles of mineral water labeled "Imported" mysteriously vanish from my apartment. Coincidentally, Sheryl, who's been trying to get pregnant for five years, finally conceives. She proudly tells everyone that even the water she drinks is flown in from overseas. This time, I shudder at the thought of how dire the situation may be. What's missing is imported water from Esithra. It is water from the Gorga River, where there have been corpses floating around. Anyone who drinks it is asking for trouble.

It's my daughter, Clementine Hartman's first time smashing cake and we hold a big birthday party for her. Somehow, she digs out a thong belonging to Nancy Ortega, my husband's female best friend, from the giftbox he has prepared. Everyone is stunned, to say the least. Nancy lets out a soft gasp before blinking at me innocently. "Sorry, this is my fault! Shawn and I traded underwear just for fun some time ago, and I forgot to take it away. Please don't take this matter to heart, Karina." I do my best to suppress my rage and pretend that nothing has happened for Clementine's sake. But suddenly Clementine picks up a document. Thinking that it's a present prepared by the elderly members in the family for Clementine, I glance at it before putting it away. Unexpectedly, Nancy bursts out laughing. "Karina, is money all you care about? Did you seriously accept that document without going through it? Don't tell me you seriously think a property deed is wrapped up in that document!" Then, Nancy picks out a few pieces of paper from the pile before tossing them to me. Only then do I make out the details. It turns out that Clementine has actually grabbed a copy of the divorce agreement meant for me and Shawn Hartman. I stare at Shawn in disbelief. "Is this what you really want? A divorce?" Shawn looks perplexed at first, but he still shields Nancy behind him out of instinct. "Nancy's just pulling a prank. Don't take it to heart. She's just joking around." But Nancy sticks her head out from behind Shawn and adds, "Joking around? Shawn, don't tell me you've lost your courage to divorce Karina!" All the guests fall silent at her words. They all turn to look at me. After a while, I don't react by crying or kicking up a fuss. Instead, I drop my signature on the divorce agreement while everyone else stares at me in shock. "Fine. Let's get divorced." After all, it is my daughter's gift.