Phantom Troupe Arm Wrestling

My mother’s a doctor and with one beer and some stolen sleeping pills that she knew nothing about, they were knocked out like little babies. I ran to my mother’s room who was working on some paperwork when I grabbed her arm urgently. “We need to leave. We need to leave right now.” I demanded. “What are you talking about?” “Let’s go.” I yelled, yanking her off the bed. We ran down the stairs and out the front door when my mother stopped momentarily when she saw the guards on the ground. She looked at me and knew that I did something but I kept yanking on her arm towards the car. They were ready for us at the border and I could see my mother hesitating as she saw the line of wolves blocking the road. So I reached my leg over and I pushed it on hers so that we would accelerate faster. “Savannah. What the hell are you doing?” My mother screamed. “If he catches us now, what the hell do you think he’s going to do to us?” I asked. “I can’t believe you just did that.” My mother said, practically out of breath. “If I had told you that I was going to do it then you would have stopped me.” I said. “Because Alpha Calvin is not going to stop looking for us. He is going to come after us and it will be even worse when he finds us. We don’t even know where we’re going.” Mom said. “Louisiana.” I said. “What?” She asked, looking at me confused. “We’re going to Louisiana. Alpha Kane at the Hidden Moon Pack.” I said.

The hairs on the back of my neck stood as his lips brushed against mine. The warmth in his eyes made butterflies swarm in my stomach, and I pushed myself up on the balls of my feet to close the distance between us. I knew he must feel the same way I did, that the feelings between us ran deeper than either of us had admitted to. "Ember?”A man's voice made me pull back, and I turned to meet Tristan's eyes…my mate's eyes. They were full of hurt and betrayal. As if he hadn't rejected me when he found out I, a lowly Omega, was his mate. I told myself to never look back, and I won't let him bring me down again, so I averted my eyes. "Ember is no longer your concern. Get lost.” Dex growled, arm around me in a possessive way. His Alpha command making Tristan grit his jaw before the wolf beside him grabbed his arm and pulled him away to prevent him from causing a scene. I pushed down the churning in my stomach and smiled up at Dex, wanting to pick up where we left off, to show him how much he meant to me… how good we could be together, but I froze as he spoke. "No one is looking now. You can take your hands off me." His words washed over me like a bucket of ice water, though they were just low enough that no one else would hear, saving me from public humiliation. Dex pulled himself from my touch, turned, and walked away. Right, I shouldn't have wanted more. I was just his fake mate and needed to remember my place.

By a twist of fate, my husband, Morgan Lancaster, and I perish together in a sea of flames. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the very day we received our marriage certificate. In my previous life, we appeared to be a loving couple in the eyes of others, yet Morgan refused to share a bedroom with me the entire time we were married. It was only moments before our deaths that I discovered I was merely a substitute for his first love and that he had chosen to remain chaste for her for life. After getting another chance at life, neither of us mentions the past. Instead, by mutual understanding, we file for divorce that same day. From that point on, we go our separate ways. Eight years later, Morgan shows up arm in arm with his childhood sweetheart, Freya Springer, at a business summit. He is now a prominent and celebrated rising star in the business world. Seeing me dressed in a plain outfit, he approaches with a glass of champagne. His tone drips with mockery as he asks, "Ms. Smith, even if you still have feelings for me, there's no need to dress like a waitress just to get close to me. You aren't hoping for a reconciliation, are you?" I say nothing and simply smile as I wave at someone in the distance. My son, Theo Coltrane, toddles over and tugs at the hem of my shirt. "Mommy, Daddy says that he's tired from waiting so long. When are you coming home with us?" The smile on Morgan's face freezes instantly, and he nearly loses his grip on the glass in his hand.

I'd made plans to spend New Year's Eve with my fiancee, Sophie Bennett. I'd even rushed home with a custom cake I picked up just for us. However, my smile slipped the second I walked in. A photo of Sophie and me that was hanging on the wall was being used as a dartboard. Her guy best friend, Sean Hewitt, had one arm wrapped around her waist while casually throwing darts at it. "Oh, hey, you're back?" he said with a grin. "Perfect timing. We're playing Truth or Dare." The words had barely left his mouth when another dart hit the photo—right in my face. My chest tightened as I parted my lips to call him out. Yet, Sean only laughed. "Wow, hit you again? Guess even fate thinks you two aren't meant to be." Then, he added, all fake innocence, "Don't get the wrong idea, alright? It's just a game. Sophie and I are basically bros. You're not seriously bothered by this, are you?" I stood there, completely still. As I stared at that photo completely riddled with holes, I couldn't help but think it looked a lot like my heart at that moment. Sophie gave him a half-hearted scolding. "Alright, cut it out." But Sean just put on a wounded look and kept his arm around her waist. Sophie only smiled helplessly before turning to me with clear impatience. "Sean's just messing around. Don't stand there with that look on your face and kill the mood. It's just a photo. We can print another one tomorrow. Stop being so petty."

Seven years I spent with Jason Shaw, but I never got a ring. Rather, all I received was an invitation to another person's wedding. That day, as a wedding planner, I was at the rehearsal, making last-minute adjustments. Looking up, I saw the man whom I waited every day to reply to my messages, walking down the aisle, arm in arm with another bride. "Her boyfriend had something urgent come up, so I'm filling in for him," he said, standing straight, his tone light, a small smile on his lips. But his eyes couldn't hide the hurt, like a child who lost his favorite toy. As if that wasn't enough, he told me to hand over my wedding plan. He patted me on the shoulder, saying sincerely, "There's no rush for us. We've got plenty of time. I promise I'll give you an even better wedding. Just help me out this time. It's not like I'm not going to marry you." He didn't know that I had revised the wedding plan hundreds of times, even counted and recounted the bouquets seven times. To me, it wasn't mere work—it was a dream I held for five long years. I didn't argue anymore, just quietly stepped aside. Later, I lay alone in a hospital bed, listening to the rain tapping against the window from outside. I counted each drop as the hours slipped through my fingers. Perhaps those who worked so hard to create happiness for others had lost the right to their own happiness.

It was a small pull, that had her confused at first, but kept bothering her like a strand of hair attached to your arm that you can't find and remove. When she focused on it, the pull drove her to touch his chest lightly. She cleared her mind to make sense of the foreign sensation that spoke to her and when she did, it was strange and dark. He was calling for fire. ---- Brianna is a witch that tends to the needs of nature by controlling the four elements. Nathaniel is a phoenix assigned to her village by a mysterious and suspicious organization, the Council. He is a master of fire, unwaveringly dedicated to his life's work. She is an untamable force of nature. Can their unexpected encounter alter the path of fate?

Princess Vionna of Aurenza was dead. She died in the estate of Theron Thornefell, Warden of the North—buried beneath snow and silence. The blizzard raged for seven days before it eased, uncovering her frostbitten body beneath the drifts. Even in death, she was curled around her swollen belly, one arm reaching toward the nearest gates. No one came. She and the unborn child were frozen to death. Left behind. As the cold took her, regret cut deep. She never should've loved him. Never should've bowed. Because of her, the child never saw the sky. If she had another life, she'd never look his way again.

"Wanna lie on it?" Diam husked, his breath fanning her neck. He'd caught her staring at the bed. Wouldn't be a bad idea if she lies on it. Baby quickly moved away from him. Her cheeks, she knew, were flushed from embarrassment. "Where's my room-Sir Diam?" He closed up the little distance between them. She squirmed at their proximity but it only aroused him more. Her boobs rubbed against his hard chest, tingling all the hairs in the region to life. Her mould was pressed against his thighs. He wound an arm around her waist, pulling her to himself. "Your room...is right here, Baby."

College-educated werewolf Cassie Semberton has spent a good portion of her life preparing to reject -and be rejected by- her mate. Her plans go sideways when she meets her mate while her mate has a beautiful blond on his arm and she (Cassie) is trying on wedding dresses. Meanwhile, Jason is a womanizing beta wolf who knows nothing about women. He wants a mate, but he has no idea how to treat or be one. Join Cassie, Jason, and crew as they explore the power of misunderstandings, the reality of weddings with more drama than flowers, and difficult questions surrounding cheating, mistresses, and forgiveness. Will Cassie and Jason get their happily ever after? Will it be with each other or someone else?

Maddox Laurier, the reckless playboy and enigmatic owner of Escapades, is used to indulgence, control, and keeping emotions at arm’s length. But when Iris Hansley enters his world, quiet, graceful, and seemingly untouched by the chaos of his elite lifestyle. He’s drawn to her like a moth to a flame. What begins as fascination quickly deepens into something far more dangerous: love. But Iris isn’t just a housekeeper. She’s the daughter of the woman Maddox’s family once destroyed, a scandal buried beneath layers of wealth and silence. As Maddox defies his family’s fury to protect Iris, he unravels the truth behind her mother’s death. And Iris? She’s caught between the tenderness she feels for Maddox and the vengeance she was raised to seek.