Pulling Myself Together

My name is Christian Thompson, and once upon a time, I was the best striker in European football. That was until he came along—Ashford Ryder, young and carefree, 10 years my junior and the new shining star. I hate him. At least that's what I tell myself. Not just because he's taken my spot, but because he's everything I've struggled all my life to be, and not to be. He's vibrant, he's happy, and the worst of all, he's openly gay. I'm not homophobic, quite the opposite—I've lived in the closet all my life. All my life, I've had to hide who I am to please the people around me. European football hasn't always been this accepting of gay men, and I'd squeezed myself into a box to fit in with what they wanted of me. It isn’t that hard when you think about my family who'd rather disown me than have an openly gay son. So imagine how I feel when the world decides to be more accommodating to people like Ashford Ryder when they shoved me in a box. It's not so easy to hate the happy-go-lucky striker, when he does everything to get close to me, despite my insistent hatred for him. He's like a thorn in my side—a hot, sexy, blonde, 5ft9 thorn I can't stop thinking about. But when one day I lose my cool around the popular striker and land myself in bad press, I end up needing his help. It's supposed to be easy. Spend some time with Ashford Ryder, and show our fans that we can work together—it's what I need to do to save my career. But no one tells you how hard it is to hate someone you spend every waking hour dreaming about.

I crave excitement in my life. To do that, I send my deskmate a video of me pleasing myself with a toy. Bit by bit, it awakens his desires…

"Mr. Woods, what's that thing pressing against me?" I was teaching a freshman girl how to drive at a driving school. I never expected that this innocent-looking but boldly dressed underclassman would actually ask to sit on my lap and have me teach her hands-on. On the way, I held back my urge and forced myself to focus on teaching as I deliberately ignored her brushing against me. But then she released the clutch too quickly, and the car suddenly stalled and shook violently. She fell heavily between my legs, and I could feel myself pressing against her core. She was only wearing a short skirt, with thin underwear underneath.

"Jett?" My voice trembled. "Shhh, Bunny," he murmured, tilting the bottle and pouring the liquor over my p***y. The cold sting hit my swollen folds, and I jolted up, gasping as the burn spread through me. "Ahhh—!" I nearly buckled from the mix of cold fire and his hot tongue as he went back to eating me. My body jerked off the table, chasing the torment I knew I couldn’t withstand. He pulled back, eyes dark, smirking as his tongue followed every drop running down my thighs. "F***," he groaned. "You taste even better with whiskey on your pussy." --- I thought my biggest mistake was crushing on Jason Maltideon—my best friend, the boy I’d spent my life yearning for—only for him to reject me the moment the Goddess fated me to him. But my real mistake? Giving myself to the wrong man. His twin brother—Jettison Maltideon. He’s everything I should fear: wild, reckless, a walking sin wrapped in leather and gasoline. The kind of man who fights too hard, drinks too much, and smirks like he knows exactly how to ruin me. I hate him. I hate that he looks just like the man who shattered my heart. I hate that he knows my darkest secrets—and doesn’t care. But most of all, I hate that when he touches me, I burn. Jettison wants me. He doesn’t take no, and he’s made it clear he’ll chase me until I break. Now, with the Moon Goddess pulling our strings in a storm of betrayal, forbidden bonds, and a sickness tearing our pack apart, I’ll have to decide— Is Jettison my ruin? Or the only wolf who was ever meant to save me? Note: Rated 18+. Dark romance, morally complex characters, and triggering themes.

SIX PACK SERIES BOOK SIX ~ *This is the final book in the series. I strongly recommend reading books 1-5 (Gray, Theo, Jax, Brock, & Reid) before reading this one.* CHASE : Two months ago, everything changed. An enemy descended on our territory, a war was fought, and lives were lost. I woke up the next morning as Alpha of my pack, a role I never expected to step into so soon. I learned that I'd been lied to, deceived for half my life by the people closest to me. I couldn't take the pain, so I just shut it all out, descending into a darkness of my own making. And then there she was. Her flame burned so bright that I couldn't resist reaching out to touch it. Taste it. Take it. If she's fire, I'm gasoline- this thing between us chaotic and volatile, bound to set everything and everyone around us ablaze. Still, I can't let her go. If I'm headed for , I'm dragging her with me. ~ VIENNA : Life has never been an easy ride for me, but I've always been resilient. I'm just trying to make my way in the world; trying to build something for myself that nobody can take away. I've got big plans, none of which include getting involved with an arrogant Alpha who thinks he can lay claim to anything he wants. The truth is, Chase doesn't know what he wants- but that doesn't stop him from pulling me into his vortex of destruction, one that I can't escape no matter how hard I try to fight it. I'm no savior, but maybe he doesn't need someone to save him from the darkness. Maybe what he really needs, is for someone to join him there.

Alexa just graduated from Harvard University with a law degree and a mountain of debt pulling up and after finding out that her father is sick and needs surgery and behind on her half of the rent she decides to go out to a popular club with her roommate to celebrate graduation and to blow off some steam only to be swept away in the middle of the night for a night she would never forget and left with a secret that could potentially change her life for the better or will it?

In order to take care of my father, who got hurt from a fall, I gave up on my chance to get promoted and even took a week's leave. On the day he gets discharged from the hospital, my dad hands me a mysterious envelope with a wide smile on his face. "Thank you for your trouble over the past few days, Luther. This is a little token of appreciation from me. You can buy yourself a nice pack of smokes." I rub my hands together, feeling warmth surging into my heart. But when I open the envelope, all I see is seven dollars. Still, I comfort myself in thinking that the sum isn't important at all. It's the thought that counts, after all. But the next day, I come across a social media post of my younger brother, Felix Grayson, who never showed his face around the hospital during Dad's hospitalization. It features a photo collage of a luxurious villa, with a photo of the purchasing contract smack dab in the middle of collage. The caption writes, "I bought the top-tier riverside villa for seven million dollars! Thank you so much for your support, Dad!"

"Yes”, I say slowly, tears welling up in my eyes as each drop run down my cheeks, hot and carrying the weight of my emotions, I feel my throat closing up and my chest tightening as I struggle to find words. What have I done to him? I think to myself, it dawn on me that maybe, just maybe, his aching and bothersome affection towards me could be sincere and I was at the brink of losing it. Billionaire CEO Elias Vermontary seems to only care about raising stocks and making investments, anything and everything to diversify the Vermontary enterprise. He is considered the most eligible bachelor in the country but marriage is unfortunately the last thing on his mind. In a bid to die down the rising rumors of his sexuality and the conniving efforts of his family, he decides to get married to Selene Argraval a struggling lawyer, who has a nerve wrecking disdain for the wealthy and their lavish lifestyle. As their worlds collide, they must learn to face the challenges of life together, forgoing their differences and withstanding the pressures of their contrasting lives. Will a love that doesn’t seem to exist brew, and will it be better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all? Unravel the sacrifices made in a bid to love harder and longer.

"You're... oh," I whispered, my eyes rolling back as his lips found that irresistible spot on my neck. "You’re mated!" I gasped, barely finding my voice. Julian's eyes burned with a golden fire as he nodded. "You’re still mine, Avery. I want to own every inch of your body and soul." His words swept away my senses, rekindling feelings I thought had died three years ago. How could he say that and not make my heart flutter? But I hadn't learned my lesson then and feared I still hadn't. _________ My mate chose another woman, parading their love in front of me and shattering my heart into pieces. The pain was unbearable—I lost our baby and, with it, the last hope that he might one day love me. The harsh truth that he never cherished me cut more profound than any wound, leaving scars that time couldn’t heal. Three years later, fate brought us together again in the most unexpected way. Despite the pain and every warning in my mind, I find myself drawn to him again.

At Smith family mansion, Camille and her mother Dorca were enjoying their expensive wine as they laughed heartily, it had been easy getting rid of that pest from their lives. " Mother you should have at least accompanied dad to her daughter's wedding," Camille said as she broke into laughter. " Oh dear, you know that I can't allow myself to get embarrassed in front of everyone, I can't have myself associated with Samantha marrying that old fool, it would be a disgrace to our family," Dorca replied sipping her wine ceremoniously. " Why were you at my wedding?" Eliot asked, the question Samantha had dreaded the most.