Osmanthus Wine

Three months after the mysterious disappearance of my Alpha mate during his patrol, I found him in a bar near the border. He was cuddling his childhood friend, a she-wolf, laughing smugly. "I wanted to get rid of Bethany for ages! Thanks for giving me the idea to enjoy the freedom I've been looking forward to for a long time." The she-wolf nestled delicately against his chest, feeding him wine with her mouth. She asked him when he was planning to return—his answer was nonchalant. "I'll enjoy myself for another week and go back once Bethany's gone mad. That'll teach her not to be such a micromanager!" His close friends all praised them. "Great move! After this, the Luna will obey your every word." "The witch's disguise potion is so useful. No one recognized you all this time!" No one noticed me hiding in the shadows, watching how carefree he was. I called the pack's elder; using my position as the Luna, I announced that the Alpha was dead and that it was time to prepare for the election of the next Alpha.

My mate-to-be, Ethan, said he had some urgent work come up right before our planned full moon trip. He bailed. I was missing him like crazy, so I immediately drove for over ten hours to his city. I hadn’t told Ethan I was coming. There I was, flowers in hand, standing outside his mansion, ready to give my destined mate a sweet surprise. But then I caught the mixed scent of Ethan and another female werewolf. The scent was sickeningly familiar. Amber Collins. Ethan’s ex-mate. I fought back the burn in my nose, my eyes already red, and pushed the door open. And what did I see? Them, sharing a glass of red wine, cuddled up, practically on top of each other. When Ethan finally noticed me, he jerked his arm away from Amber, walked stiffly over, his voice laced with panic. "Scarlett, why didn't you tell me you were coming?"

Outside the private room, Charlotte Riley overheard Zac Gibson say, “Charlotte is gorgeous, no doubt. But the reason I pursued her? She reminded me of Wendy Cooper. For years, I was just searching for traces of Wendy in her.” That night, she finally made the call she had been avoiding for years. “Dad, I’m ready. I’ll come home and go through with the engagement.” Later, when Zac saw Charlotte at a high-society gala—elegant, untouchable, and more dazzling than ever—only then did he realize the truth. And he completely lost it. * The night Charlotte walked away from her family’s arranged marriage, Sean stood by the window, swirling his wine, his expression unreadable. “Lottie, one day, you’ll come back to me willingly.” Rumor had it that Jersey City's most powerful heir, Sean Jasper, was cold, reserved, and indifferent to women. Charlotte believed it. Until she realized just how intense and unwavering his devotion truly was beneath that composed, self-restrained facade.

On the day before the marking ceremony, my Alpha mate, Zev Briarwood, is wounded in a battle and loses his memory. He forgets everything… including me. To help him restore his memories and Alpha pride, I go all out. I seek out an evil witch to trade my precious heartblood and fangs for her magic, nearly dying in the process. I sketch jewelry designs day and night, selling them just to earn money and to find every possible memory cure. When I drag my battered body to visit Zev at the clinic, I overhear him laughing with his buddies. "Your acting's next level, Zev! Kira still hasn't figured out you're faking it, and you've delayed the marking ceremony!" A buddy snickers. Zev gulps his wine and grins. "I'm definitely winning the bet that I'd sleep with 100 women at parties. Once I've had my fun, I'll go back to her for my mate duties and complete that marking ceremony."

Lily Bashwood's only crime is looking exactly like the recently dead daughter of Don Grander. She is only a poor server at a wine shop. When she is kidnapped, and forced to impersonate their dead daughter just to be Christopher's wife, billionaire heir to the Bridger Empire for one year, she is left without a choice, especially when the life of her only brother is threatened. Lily is thrown into a world of wealth, lies, deceit and foul play, the survival against the enemies being the wife of Christopher have accumulated, and navigating the complex personality of the dead girl she is impersonating; wild, adventurous, and luxurious, a sharp contrast from the life Lily is accustomed to. The marriage contract is to last a year, and Lily is to play by the rules of Don Grander and his extravagant wife for their personal gain. As Lily plays her role, she realizes there is more than meets the eye with everyone in the world of the rich. Will she be able to keep herself from falling for the handsome billionaire? Will Lily survive a year without being caught, or will she be swallowed up by the woes surrounding her? Only time will tell for Lily Bashwood.

At our Thanksgiving family dinner, my stepbrother brought his beautiful girlfriend to meet the family for the first time. She held up her wine glass and flashed me a malicious smirk. “I heard you had a first love you can’t forget, Summer.” I kept my head low and focused on my food, unsure how to respond. After all, my first love… was her boyfriend. When I was seventeen, my stepbrother Ethan Cole tricked me into crossing the line we should never have crossed, while our parents were blissfully unaware. Even right now, under the table, his foot was rubbing mine sensually. He did not bother holding back. On the table, he held his girlfriend’s hand tenderly as he mocked me with a smirk, “You’re twenty-seven, sis. Your shelf life is running out, and you’re such a plain Jane. Who would ever want you?” I stood up abruptly and looked at him, my tone calm and resolute. “I’m married, Ethan.”

My dormmate invites me to a college mate's engagement party. I choose an expensive tailor-made gown for the occasion. When I arrive at the hotel, I see several of my former classmates are already there. Everyone looks like they're doing well—they're wearing expensive clothing. Someone is even wearing something from a luxury brand. As soon as I enter the private room, a familiar classmate rolls her eyes at me. "Look at who it is—the woman who was once the most outstanding student in our class. You're dressed so plainly for such an important occasion." Everyone is circled around the classmate who's wearing something from a luxury brand. They ignore me. Only our former class monitor clinks glasses with me and consoles me softly. "It's good enough that you're here. You're dressed plainly, but don't give up. You'll succeed one day." I sip my wine and smile. "My outfit may not be too opulent, but it's an expensive, tailor-made piece. It's 100% handcrafted by a master designer."

One night destroyed everything Celine believed in. A single sip of wine at her mother-in-law’s party dragged her from laughter into nightmare. The next moment, she woke up in another man’s room. In his bed. When Adam, her supposed husband, walked in, his voice cut sharper than a blade: “What is this?” “Adam, I don’t know how I got here. I swear—” Her mother-in-law had set her up, ready to destroy whatever that connected her and her son. Before Celine could say another word, two police officers stepped in. “Mrs. Celine Brooks, you are under arrest for conspiracy to commit fraud and embezzlement.” After her release, divorced and sent away, her now ex mother-in-law discovered she was pregnant. She sent a thug after Celine. She was beaten till she lost the baby. Three years later, Celine returns to afflict ten times the pains they caused her. This is a story of love, betrayal and revenge, best served COLD.

Damien had been stuck in a night from five years ago when he had a night with a random lady. For some reasons, he couldn't get her off his mind and vowed to find her. But that would be hard. With only her face in his memory and no name, how would he find her? As coincidences, fate, destiny, and a certain connection pull them, with each passing moment, closer to each other, they realize that they had been right under each other's noses all along. "Do, you really think.it was just a night stand?" The older woman asked and the two youngsters were thrown into instant confusion. Eleanor was sure that the only reason she went to the bar was because she was angry and needed a place to vent it out. And to her greatest knowledge, no one forced her to it. Damien too. He was at the Castle of Wine because he needed a quiet place... away from work. So... What was it...? ***** And, when they find out that it wasn't just a nightstand they shared, but infact, had a lot of things in common apart from the kids, only then would they realize... The journey just begun…

A housemaid who doesn’t care about love. A billionaire used to being in control. And one unexpected night… that leads to marriage?! Roxane Hermenez is a simple woman: work, home, sleep, repeat. Her dream? To save money, leave her job as a maid, and give her family a better life. No time for romance—especially since her boss is Dark Nathaniel Villamonte—rich, arrogant, and annoyingly meticulous. But one night, due to strange circumstances, a glass of wine, and a broken elevator… something happened. And when Dark Nathaniel found out that there might be a “possible consequence” from that night, he didn’t hide— He insisted on getting married! “I can’t just ignore my responsibility. A civil wedding will do!” Now, Roxane is panicking. What kind of woman gets proposed to by her own boss?! But wait… if it’s just about responsibility, why is Dark starting to become possessive, sweet, and jealous? Is love really starting to bloom? Or maybe… the billionaire just wants to play with her? Where will Roxane’s feelings for her handsome boss lead her if he keeps pursuing her despite all the opposition against what he’s doing?!