Present Or Past Tense

Allison, daughter of Fox City's most powerful gang family, a medical doctor, a passion and dream contrast to her family's life back at home. Her past, a ghost she thought she'd buried, was about to return with a vengeance –colliding with the present life she had built. On her birthday, a letter arrives from her father, Gerald Wenston —a man who has ignored her for years. His words, cloaked in a sweet tone, are not a request, but a command: return home and marry the heir of a rival gang —Michael Shelby, to secure an ancestral peace and rule treaty. But peace is the last thing Allison finds on her return, a single, forbidden night with a stranger —Luke Reynolds, her father’s right-hand man, ignites a dangerous passion that threatens to shatter the fragile truce. Caught between the duty to her family and a love that could ignite a gang war, Allison must navigate a web of family secrets and deadly betrayals. For in the shadows, a rival —her half sister Hayley also vying for Michael's affection, is waiting to claim everything she holds dear, even if it means destroying her and the city she's meant to save. Allison's choices could either save her family or condemn them all to a bloody war.

"Your sister has already been through so much, why can't you let her have this?" "But today was supposed to be my wedding! How can I just stand aside and let her have my mate?" •••••• After four long years, her awaited wedding finally arrives. What Tamara Vladis expected to be a pivotal moment in her life remained so but for all the wrong reasons. Her mate, the future alpha of Crestwood Pack, publicly humiliates her, firmly stating that she cannot be his mate because she is wolfless. In the same breath he shares a deep kiss with her twin, Tiana, declaring her as his luna. Tamara turned to her parents for support, but they had her flimsy excuses, firmly backing the union of her longtime mate and sister. Tamara no longer has a place in Crestwood, she is pressured to leave and accidentally trespasses into Phoenix Dawn territory, the moment she locks eyes with their Alpha her entire world tilts on his axis as the mate bond between them sparks to live. But unfortunately between their families lies a checkered history painted with blood and betrayal. Will this fresh flame that burns them to their core wiping off any rational thought in their heads survive a past fault that birthed present scars? Or will it couple with the overwhelming power awakening within Tamara and consume both of them?

*(Dimitri's story) Can be read as a standalone novel* Alyanna Rosellini's life is on pause because of a murderer on the loose. Only being able to live through the present by holding on to the past while hoping for a better future, she will do anything she can to go back to her old life. Even if it is to act as bait to draw out the killer. Jayden Carlton is in a relationship with two women - his dead childhood sweetheart and a woman who won't leave him alone. Everyone has only one piece of advice for him - go to therapy and move on. But that advice is applicable to people who want to get better, not Jayden. How can he, when moving on also means letting go? Katerina Van Acker has a heart of gold but the world convinced her to use it sparingly. So she wore a bitchy attitude for armour, sharpened her tongue into a sword, and waged a war against it. But if she doesn't stop fighting, she might chase away everyone she cares about. And nothing short of her own guardian angel can convince her of that. Dimitri Volkov might be a prince but he is no guardian angel. Haunted by the memories of the one he was supposed to love and protect but ended up killing, he knows that he deserves no second chance. But fate has other plans. Now, his future rests in his shaky hands. Their life is on pause. The only way to move ahead is to reflect back on the past, learn from their mistakes, and make better choices this time around. Because with stakes higher than last time, they will either get everything they hoped for and more or lose more than their soul can bear.

"I've purchased you, which only means one thing; I own you. I own every bit of you, Margarette. Your body, your heart, and even your soul. You are mine. And no one can take you away from me." Possessive, cold-hearted, and ruthless. That's Xavier Ivanov, a Russian Mafia boss or also known as the devil himself. He cares no one but himself. He kills people for money and satisfaction. He runs illegal businesses and is one of the most influential yet dangerous people in the world. People were afraid of him. They despise his existence. He's a living Satan, and people tremble upon seeing him. It was quite impossible to tame a devil like him. No one can tame Xavier, or so they thought. Margarette Ferrero. She is a total opposite of him. An angel sent from above and was bound to burn an evil like himself. She is sweet, loving, yet naive. Being purchased by a powerful mafia boss from the dark market, Margarette was supposed to fear him. However, that was the total opposite of what she felt. Oddly, she felt safe and saved. And Xavier was beyond amused and enthralled by the naive girl. People were afraid of him, but that is not the case with Margarette. He's her saviour, her angel, and her owner. No one owns her but him. Two people with different personalities, different worlds, and different stories to be told. Is it possible to find love amongst the odds? Does love know no boundaries? Or was it all just an illusion? When secrets begin unfolding themselves and then the past that was buried six feet below the ground resurface, will the love be strong enough to keep the two people together? Or will the past change what is present?

She was chasing her dreams. He was her unexpected detour. All Marinel ever wanted was to finish college and become a nurse in a private hospital. Love wasn’t part of the plan—until a fateful encounter with a handsome stranger on the beach changed everything. Calvin wasn’t supposed to mean anything. But when their paths crossed again, her world turned upside down. Their connection was undeniable, but fate wasn’t kind. Marinel found herself risking everything for a love that seemed doomed from the start. And just when she thought she had moved on, tragedy struck—leaving her to fulfill promises to a man she lost too soon. Years later, with her life back on track, another twist of fate comes knocking. Calvin’s twin brother shows up out of nowhere, accusing her of deceit… and claiming they’re married. Confused and shaken, Marinel is thrown into a mystery she never saw coming—one that reveals a deeper bond, a hidden truth, and a second chance she never asked for. When the past and present collide, will the truth set her free—or ruin everything all over again? One woman. Two brothers. A love that refuses to die. Will Marinel find her happily ever after—or face another heartbreak?

Her world collapsed when she received a divorce text on her wedding anniversary and then her husband went ahead to pretend he didn't know her. Miguel Valente, heir to one of Spain’s most ruthless conglomerates ended their secret marriage with a single text. The same night, she lost everything… including the child she thought he wanted. Two years later, Inés wakes in a foreign alleyway, broken and alone until a stranger saves her. Emilio Cortez, the charming Italian heir with a gentle touch, nurses her back to life. With him, she rebuilds her life into a woman the world would never again break. But fate isn’t done with her. At a glittering gala, her past and present collide when Miguel colder, darker, and untouchably powerful stands before her again. He claims he never betrayed her. Emilio vows he will protect her from him. And Inés? She’s caught between two men, one fire one that burned her alive, and one that promises to consume her whole. As lies unravel and hidden truths surface, love turns into war. But Inés is done been chosen, she will now do the choosing. And in the end, only one heart will survive the fire.

Kyra Walter, the Luna of the Silvershade pack is a wolfless omega. She devoted three years of her life to her choosen mate Dane Walter. But one night changed everything for her. On the night of her 21st birthday, her first heat hit her. She ended up in the bed of Dane's adopted father, the Alpha king and her husband was busy cheating with his Beta, and her best friend. ..... 'King Alpha, i ..I am Dane's mate' she whispered. Her breath a shaky whisper. His scent, clouded her judgment, and she found herself leaning closer to him. This would end up in the biggest scandal if this gets out. But he has other ideas. 'But still you gave your virginity to me' he smirked. ..... As Kyra's forbidden relationship with her ex's father started to become intense, secrets from her past and present threatened to break them apart. Will Kaiser accept the enemy? Or will she be castrated like the others? What will happen when their relationship is exposed infront of the people she cares about? Will she lose everything she holds dear? Or will she leave him? What will happen when she realized who she really is? Will it change their fate? Will this forbidden relationship end when they realize that they are each other's enemies?

She was a slave to the pack that slaughtered her family. A rogue Omega, broken, but set for revenge. Amaya’s world was turned upside down when the Grayhide Pack wiped out her rogue clan, taking her captive. Forced to serve under the Alpha who commanded the attack, she hides her pain beneath a mask of obedience, until fate takes a cruel turn in the darkest way. Rejected in secret at the mating ceremony, the bond should have broken. But it didn’t. Every whisper, every touch, every graze the Alpha gives his betrothed, waves of agony meet Amaya. She is forced to watch. Every dream she has is permeated by his presence; he is at every corner she turns to. Haunted by vengeance, Amaya begins to work in secret, but the more she moves, the more shattering truths are uncovered. What if everything she has been made to believe was a lie? What if she isn’t the only one set out for revenge? What if the person her soul truly craves is totally different from the mate the moon goddess has fated for her? As her forbidden powers awaken, rewriting the very fragment of fate itself and creating a forge between the past and the present, Amaya must choose between blood and destiny. Because in the Grayhide Pack, some secrets are deadly, and some bonds refuse to be broken.

Bound by his secret Ameera Clarke has always known how to fight for survival—working endless shifts, barely keeping her sick mother alive, and holding her world together with nothing but grit and late-night prayers. When she lands a job as secretary to the ruthless billionaire Kevin Black wood, she tells herself it’s just another paycheck. Another mask to wear. But the first time she steps into his office, her breath stills. Those piercing eyes… she’s seen them before. Under the moonlight. In the shadows of a night she swore she’d never speak of again. Kevin Blackwood is every rumor come true—cold, merciless, untouchable. He thrives on control, and Ameera’s defiance is the one thing he can’t bend to his will. She infuriates him. Challenges him. Tempts him. And the more he pushes her away, the deeper she burrows under his skin. But Kevin has a secret. One powerful enough to ruin them both. And when past and present collide, Ameera will have to decide whether to run from the man who could destroy her… or fall for the one she can’t resist. One thing is certain: in his world of power, lies, and dangerous desires—love is the most dangerous game of all.

Lily Montgomery had always believed her life was marked by goodbyes. Her father, a mystery buried beneath lies. Her ex-fiancé, Matteo, who disappeared without explanation, shattering her heart and dreams. And now, her mother, taken by a cruel illness, leaving her completely alone. Returning to New York for the funeral, Lily—a failed writer struggling to rebuild her career—only hoped to close this painful chapter. But fate had other plans. Her father wasn’t dead as she had always believed—he was Luigi Romano, one of the most powerful mafia leaders in the city. And Matteo? The man who walked away without a trace belonged to that dark world… and now he was her future husband. Forced into marriage for her own safety, Lily finds herself trapped between betrayals, secrets, and a love that never truly died. As she fights to escape the mafia’s grasp and uncover the truth about her origins, a new dilemma arises: Did Matteo really betray her, or did he leave to protect her? And worse… will he do whatever it takes to win her back? In a game between past and present, between duty and desire, Lily must decide if she can still trust the man she once loved… or if he is just another lie in her life.