Patriotic Arm Tattoos

"She was sweet and pretty, so I dated her. Didn't expect she'd take it seriously." "Why did you string her along then?" "For kicks, you know." From high school to college, Caroline Whitley poured her soul into Laurent Holt, believing she had found her forever. The truth was, he was only obsessed with the unspoken rhythm they shared in bed. That night, his arm slung around another woman, his eyes wild with reckless charm. Caroline's world imploded. He had a fiancée all along, while she was just his toy. Now he was bored with her and scheming to get rid of her. The betrayal cut like a knife, but she didn't scream or beg. Instead, she wept, packed her things, and left without saying a word. Months later, she married Roderick Reed. The news struck Laurent like a thunderbolt. When their paths crossed again, his gaze burned. "Why haven't you divorced that loser yet?" Her eyes flashed, cool and cutting. "What's it to you?" "You walked out on me, and now you talk to me like that?" he growled, stepping closer. "Why is he the one who gets to marry you? Why not me?" Caroline blinked. "Seriously?"

On the one-year anniversary of the company's public listing, my wife, Susan Lynn, publicly announced that she was gifting a supercar worth millions of dollars to her childhood friend, Charles Baker. Charles, with his arm around her shoulder, raised his glass and said, "Thank you, Susan. Here's a toast to our friendship!" I let out a derisive laugh and walked away. Susan, feeling upset, chased after me, shouting, "Angus, what's your problem? What's wrong with me giving the top salesperson a supercar? You're just a useless waste of space, and you still dare to throw a tantrum!"

"You've come to kill me detective?" He whispered against her skin as he gently grasped her arm and turned her to him. Jude swallowed a gulp and looked up at him. His eyes were a cobalt shade of blue behind the mask, daring, cold and... terrifying. "And you've come to me to be killed?" She replied in a hushed tone, gathering a lot of nerve and taking a step closer to him. His eyes roamed over her, lingering on the curves of her body, the dress, before returning to her eyes. She didn't want to admit it to herself that she had developed a thing,some sort of feeling besides hate for him. The Maestro. The most dangerous man in New Haven. She had made it a habit, risking her life for a flicker of hope, clarity and some sort of peace. The memory of being against a wall,with the edge of his dagger at her throat and his body pressed against hers still lingered. He was everywhere and she couldn't get him out of her head. She needed answers; to have some knowledge of what happened. Did he know? If she tried hard enough, could she get him right where she want and extract the information she needed? Or was she was just trying to fill the gaping hole in her heart? You're going to get yourself killed; the Lieutenant had said to her over and over. But it was a risk she was willing to take. Perhaps this was just another cruel twist the universe had in store for her. Jude thought she had gotten used to it but that was her just lying to herself. The universe wasn't cruel, it was brutal. And it was yet to show Jude what it had installed just for her.

I was a broke, jobless, and unhappy woman until I met my new mysterious neighbor whom I mistook for a thief on the first day. There was something strange about him, a mystery I couldn't place my fingers on. I couldn't care less about who he was. He was the most annoying man I had ever met anyway. However, seeing him on my night out with my best friend and his promptness to help me caught my attention. He was more than just the new man in Woodstock. He was a man I'd fall in love with in a heartbeat. Gosh! I had just left a tumbling relationship. A man was the last thing I needed in my life, but a man like Lucas wasn't just a regular man. Then, Lucas offered me a job I couldn't deny. He offered me a job as the in-house chef. I found out Lucas' mysteriousness was because he was a popular billionaire in Boston. He didn't only have a big billionaire family, he had a scandal waiting for him up at Boston. He had a woman, Kimberly, who was carrying his child. This revelation was going to crumble my world. However, Lucas wouldn't give up without a fight. His family stood against our union while Lucas' arm surrounded me even at the expense of losing his billionaire title. We stood together as we fought the forces willing to pull us apart.

The cursed Alpha has claimed five lives. I was never meant to survive him—until a witch gave me a Redemption Code and a warning: I could cheat death only three times. Now I’m trapped in Kade’s world—a blindfolded Alpha feared by all, born from a forbidden union and cursed to destroy everything he touches. But every time I overcome the fear he plants in me, a black rose petal tattoo blooms on my skin—protecting me from the very curse meant to consume me. He says I’m different. That I might be the one to break his curse. That the tattoos mean I’m becoming immune. But I’m not here to save him. I’m here to survive him. And if the only way out of this bond is to pretend… then I’ll play along—until I uncover the truth behind his curse, his prophecy, and the reason he needs me alive. Even if a part of me is starting to wonder… what if the real curse is falling for him?

"she's my Luna" Roseline watched her mate in tears address her sister as his Luna instead of her because he thought she had betrayed him on purpose, but in reality, she had been drugged by her sister and ended up in a stranger's arm the night before her wedding, and the mastermind behind the incident was none other than her step sister, who was jealous that she was getting married to an Alpha instead of her. Roseline did everything she could to persuade her friend that her sister was responsible for the betrayal, but her friend had already been brainwashed by her sister's words and wanted nothing to do with her anymore. Roseline was heartbroken and devastated by her sister's betrayal and her mate's rejection, and she thought she had lost everything, but fate had other plans for her when the man she slept with in her drugged state, which caused her mate to reject her, offered her a marriage proposal in exchange for helping her get back with her mate. The offer was tempting, Roseline wanted nothing more than to be with her mate again, but can she trust him, and what does he want in return for this marriage proposal?

“I want blood,” Rowan said, and suddenly his fingers pierced deep into my chest. The feeling of pain was almost non-existent but I could feel life slipping away from me. Blood gurgled in my mouth and it flowed from the corner of my mouth. “Why Rowan?” I asked, but the answer to the question became even more obvious to me. My face was poise, graceful even at the face of death. “Why did you do this? Why did you betray me?” I asked him, my hands reaching up to cup his face and he leaned into my hand, snuggling his face. Then affectionately, like he hadn't just betrayed me, he leaned down to kiss my lips. “I love you, my queen, but I'm tired of your benevolent rule, tired of drinking that disgusting artificial blood. I want a killing spree, I want suck my fangs into human's warm blood vessels! Slave them!” Rowan said, his face suddenly tainted with anger, one that also left as quickly as it came. “I'm surprised you think you would succeed,” I said, trying to laugh but it only made the blood flow faster. I was getting drained of blood really quickly. “You won't succeed,” I said, laughing disdainfully, “I will take revenge on you, tear you to pieces!” Rowan grinned, saying mockingly, “I look forward to your return, your majesty!” As soon as his words fell off his mouth, his arm swiftly and accurately pierced my chest, precisely digging out my heart. Blooms of blood appeared on the bed sheet, like some kind of cruel artwork. “Moon Goddess, please give me a chance to be reborn!” I silently pleaded, just before my heart was harvested. At this moment, the dazzling full moon suddenly emitted a blinding white light.

My sister, Yvette Chandler, and my boyfriend, Gabriel Johnson, have never gotten along. She doesn't believe that he, a playboy, will settle down and be faithful to me. She even tries to stop us from being together after he proposes to me. To convince her of Gabriel's loyalty, I sign up for a new WhatsApp account to test him. He's frosty toward me and keeps me at arm's length. I'm gleeful over this when he suddenly sends me a voice message. "I already told you I won't fool around with anyone other than you and your sister. Who's going to satisfy you once I'm married when you're so insatiable, Yvette?"

“You fucking carry my name now, Bella. You're Mrs Bella Enzo Barine. You no more belong to Marino's.”, Enzo roared. “I'm not a piece of land or some property that you own, Enzo. I'm a human and I breathe. I'm married to you, not sold.” Bella spoke with tears in her eyes as the grip on her arm was getting harder which might leave a bruise later. I will not be dictated by a mandate to marry someone like Enzo De Luca, the sole heir of the Barone Clan. Despite his reputation for ruthlessness and his animosity towards the Marino’s, I refuse to be coerced into a marriage with a man I haven't seen in years. His grey eyes may have been my first love and my first heartbreak, but I will not allow him to break me. As the daughter of his greatest enemy, I am confident that I will not be bent to his will. The real question is not whether love can emerge from violence and hatred, but whether I will allow myself to be controlled in a perpetual struggle.

Dabere thought her life couldn’t get any worse, until the loan sharks came for her. Cornered in a dark alley, she was ready to meet death… until a beast with golden eyes appeared, saved her life, and licked the blood off her arm like it was the finest wine. Then he vanished into the night. But he didn’t stay gone. Weeks later, Dabere walks into her lecture hall and sees him again—Kyrien. Her new professor. The Lycan Vampire Hybrid who’s vampire side awoke the moment he tasted her blood, and now the only human on earth that can possibly quench his thirst is her. So he makes an offer she can’t refuse: her blood in exchange to make all of her problems disappear for good. Only Kyrien becomes a problem in his own right, one Dabere can’t seem to run from. But there’s an even bigger problem lurking in the shadows; Karel. Kyrien’s identical twin, his sworn enemy, and the assassin sent to kill her. But the moment he lays eyes on Dabere, his dormant wolf awakens for the first time and calls her mate. Two Alphas. Two rival realms. And one girl caught in the middle of their obsession, neither of them willing to let go. Only, Dabere isn’t quite as human as she thinks. PS = Trigger Warning.