Pulling Rope Snail

Maya Rivers came to Eldridge Falls to disappear — to bury herself in routine, classes, and the quiet anonymity of the library stacks. But secrets don’t stay buried here. Not in the same town where her best friend Lena has already learned how quickly desire can ignite in the shadows. For Maya, it begins as a late-night confession whispered into the glow of her phone. A fantasy shared with a stranger. Harmless, she thought—until the fantasy steps out of the screen and into the library aisles. Now every night draws her deeper into a game of secrets and proximity, where rules are written in whispers and broken with a touch. The man in the shadows knows too much, appears too often, and echoes words she thought no one else could read. As Maya wrestles with temptation, danger, and the thrill of being noticed, her story begins to intertwine with Lena’s. In Eldridge Falls, boundaries blur, shadows stretch long, and desire has a way of pulling you past the lines you swore you’d never cross. Some secrets keep you safe. Others demand to be lived.

Holly thought she had it all—a decade-long marriage to the love of her life, Michael, a cozy home, and a sense of stability. But when Michael starts pulling away and forming a suspiciously close bond with a charming coworker, Holly feels the familiar pangs of being invisible in her own love story. Determined not to jump to conclusions, she supports Michael through his stress, even as her own insecurities and loneliness deepen. But everything changes during his work trip. Faced with the slow unraveling of her marriage, Holly chooses herself for the first time in years. She throws herself into therapy, fitness, and healing—reconnecting with parts of herself she had long buried. By chance, she meets Finn, a magnetic bartender with a guarded past and a knack for listening. Their late-night conversations turn into something more… something safe, yet electric. Now caught between the ashes of a long-term love and the flicker of something new, Holly must answer the hardest question of all: Can love survive betrayal—or is it time to let go of what once was, to make room for what could be?

Jesse sets the flowers down on the dining table, plucking the card off the little holder to read out the contents. “Dearest Jesse, just wanted you to know that I'm thinking about you. I hope you're thinking about me too. Love--" He pauses and squints before cocking an eyebrow and pursing his lips turning to face his brother. "Wal, why is the boss of your little boy band gang professing his love to his son’s babysitter?" Wallace drops the noodles on the floor with a loud curse as he burns his hand. ************* Jesse offers to be a babysitter to a kid he hasn’t even met until he realizes he’s babysitting a mafia’s kid. The same mafia he had a one night run in with. Infuriated, he tries to back out since he has been trying his hardest to avoid the criminal life for a long time despite being born into it, but a cute kid and an infuriating Mafia Lord keeps pulling him deeper into the mix.

"You're a woman. Where's your brother? I would like to talk to him." She rolled her eyes, raising her pistol at him, fear crossed his hazel eyes. "Being a woman doesn't make this gun any less deadly. So if I were you, I would watch what I say because, to me, your life means nothing," Natalia told him firmly. "I'll ask you one more time and think about your answer because my patience is running thin. Where is my money?" "I don't have it!" She aimed the pistol to his right leg, pulling the trigger, the silencer made sure no one could hear the shot only his screams. "Where is the money, Michael?" - She is a drug He wants to taste One drop of her Is all it takes To have you addicted Where ever she goes Death follows But he didn't care Since he knew He'd die for her She is fire He'd touch Despite the heat She is a killer But so is he. This woman was both the devil and an angel. -

Elena Carter never thought her life could get any worse. After years of being treated as an outsider in her own family, she thought she had finally found love with her boyfriend, Brian. But everything shatters when she catches him in bed with her younger sister. Her father, a desperate gambler, sees her as nothing more than a burden. When a ruthless mafia boss, Dominic Moretti, comes to collect a debt, her father makes a horrifying decision—he offers Elena as payment. Before she can process what is happening, she is handed over to a dangerous man who sees people as nothing more than pests under his expensive shoes. Elena is taken to Dominic’s estate, where she is treated like a prisoner. But unlike the others who fear him, she refuses to submit. “I'll be a good girl," I said. "But only if you treat me right." Something crossed his face at the mention of my words. Amusement? Respect? Crossed his face. "We'll see," he said, pulling his hand away.

Silas Vaughn hasn’t touched a man in five years…not since his husband, Emery, died in a mysterious car crash that was never solved. He buried his grief beneath ice, building his empire and locking his heart away. Until one night, at a charity gala, he sees him. Same dimples. Same smile. Same face. But the man isn’t Emery. His name is Julian Reed…a broke artist drowning in debt, hiding secrets he refuses to share. Fascinated and desperate, Silas makes him an outrageous offer: “Marry me for one year. I’ll erase your debts. You’ll never want for anything again.” Julian thinks he’s insane. But against all reason, he accepts. What begins as a cold bargain spirals into dangerous passion, pulling Julian into Silas’s world of obsession, grief, and forbidden desire. For the first time in years, Silas feels alive again. But Julian isn’t just Emery’s lookalike. He knows something about the night Emery died something that could destroy Silas forever.

"Are you disgusted now?" She asked with a dark smile, "After seeing my real face, do you still want to be with me? A woman seeking her own family's downfall," "I am not disgusted nor am I going to leave you," He answered grabbing both her arms and pulling her toward him until their lips almost touched, then he whispered, "In fact... There's no way that I'm letting you go now, my devious hacker," Nadia's life is a carefully woven web of secrets and revenge. By day, she's the impeccable assistant with unparalleled skills, while by night, she's a single mother and an astute hacker, plotting the ultimate revenge against her own family. Everything was on track until her enigmatic boss, desperate to escape an arranged marriage, stumbles upon her hidden life. Their unlikely alliance turns her world upside down, forcing her to reveal her true self to save her intricate plan. As they navigate a treacherous path together, a volatile mix of attraction and deception unfolds, threatening to either destroy her or grant her the vindication she's long sought.

I quickly rushed ahead and saw her lying near the edge where the huge cut tree had fallen a few days ago. Half of her body was resting in water while the other half was resting on the side of the tree. "No," I whispered as I ran ahead, instantly jumping into the river and grabbing her body, pulling it into my arms. I was sniffling and trying to hold back my tears while I swam back to land. Once she was placed on the ground, I looked at her helplessly, tears running down my cheeks. My body was trembling, and my wolf was whimpering loudly. I felt nauseous, and my head was throbbing badly. "She's fine," I said to myself in a cracked voice as I raised my hand and placed it on her chest. "Alpha!" Harvey called when he reached where I was. I looked at him with blurry vision, then back at my mate. "Why?" I whispered in a cracked voice. "Why can't I feel her heartbeat, Harvey?" I asked with a heavy heart, then moved my hand to my chest as I felt like I was suffocating.

For a thousand years, Roman, the Alpha, has waited to destroy the wolf tribe that betrayed him — the same tribe that murdered his mate, stole his future, and condemned him to exile. His revenge requires patience, and above all, the rebirth of the Arion. For his revenge to happen exactly the way he wants he has to wait for his perfect weapon, her. But when his most sought after moment came, fate played a cruel trick instead. On the night of the Blood Moon ritual, fate turns against him. Instead of binding Marcelene to her tribe, the magic ties her to him—heart to heart, soul to soul. Dragged into the shadows, Marcelene swears to hate him. Yet every heartbeat betrays her, pulling her closer to the very Alpha who wants to use her for revenge she knows nothing about. But Marcelene is more than a weapon. She is the reincarnation of his lost mate — the only one who once loved him and who he still loves. Bound by blood and vengeance, high emotions, and destiny itself, they must decide: destroy each other, or defy fate together.

"I am going to have some fun. He said, and he started pulling at my shirt, causing me to panic. "Don't touch me," I said "Don't touch my sister," Lilly added, and she ran toward him, but he pushed her so hard she fell into the cell wall. "Lilly," Poppy and I screamed at the same time. Damen tore my shirt off, revealing my bra, but I wasn't going to give up so easily. I kicked him where the sun didn't shine, causing him to groan in pain. "You bitch," Damen said before he pushed me to the ground. "Rose," Poppy said "I was going to take it easy on you, but since you want to be difficult, I changed my mind," Damen said. He got on top and I tried to kick him again but he woudln't let me. "That won't work this time," Damen said, and then he punched me in my face so hard my vision became blurry. "Beloved!" Was the last thing I heard before darkness consumed me