Quiet

Ashlyn hasn't spoken a word since the age of eight, and her heart's never felt more protected. But, when the confident and ever so charming Derek stumbles into her quiet little world, her emotions-and forbidden desires-have never been so loud. For twenty years, silence is all Ashlyn Holland has known. Haunted by the memories of her father, and the harrowing song of the ocean that stole him from her, Ashlyn maintains a safe distance from the rest of the world. Treading carefully the sea of fear and anguish that surrounds her, Ashlyn is determined to do all she can to protect her heart from such a tragic loss striking again. In silence, she grieves. In silence, she is safe. In silence, she finds the strength to breathe. But the silence can only last so long... Derek Moreno is charming and devoted, and quick to see through every wall Ashlyn erects. With his arrival in town, defences fold and walls begin to crumble, the songs of her heart reaching new heights. Together, they crest twin tides of fate, the silence she'd once sought engulfed by his gentle touch, and the whispers of a love thought impossible. For the summer, Ashlyn welcomes the noise. The disruption. But, the ghosts of Derek's past will no longer remain silent, and their deafening power has the potential to drag them both into a current strong enough to drown them amidst their heartache.

Shivering, I sobbed out, unable to speak, unable to move. "Shh, shh, now baby-girl, it's alright, you're safe, don't cry" he soothed, moving closer to me. "N-Noah, I w-want to go home," I sobbed, feeling weak from my inability to talk without stuttering. A gasp left my parted lips as his hand forcefully connected with my cheek, "You are home, so I don't want to hear that crap from you, okay?" shaking, I looked down at my feet, his gaze too menacing to hold. "I said, do you understand" he spit through clenched teeth, "y-yes, I'm sorry" I whispered, a new wave of tears making their appearance. "Good girl, now I need you to keep being a good girl, okay?" nodding, my eyes met his dark ones. His form towered over me, making me feel small and irrelevant. "Words, Embry!" He demanded as I stuttered out a quiet yes. I studied him cautiously as he walked towards the far end of the room, shuffling through drawers before stalking back towards me and crouching down. I sucked in a breath as I saw the knife in his hand, his face held a mischievous grin as it glinted in the light. "Now baby-girl, you see, as much as I hate to, you need to be punished, do you know why?" Warning! This story is for mature audience, it contains strong language, abuse, mature themes and sensitive topics. ___ He was her rock, her best friend, her first love. He became her worst nightmare, her tormentor, her captor She was his everything. His obsession. Their story should have ended with that court case, but he's found a way back to her, and he won't give her another opportunity to escape. Not this time.

"Jamie, I've decided. I'm ready to join you at Hillridge as your exclusive screenwriter. I'll be there by the end of this month!" Melanie huddled in a quiet corner on the set as she made the call, a pregnancy test report clutched in her hand. She tried to shake off the chill from the freezing weather, but her hands and feet still felt painfully cold. Jamie's voice at the end of the line was a deep and pleasant baritone. "Your talent has long deserved a bigger stage. For eight years, you've turned me down nearly a hundred times for Ken's sake. Are you ready to leave him this time?" "Yes. I'm leaving him for good!" She clenched the pregnancy test report, her lips a bitter smile.

A witch and a vampire don't mix in a crowd nor do they marry for curse abounds their way. It's highly unthinkable even impossible to think of. But what happens when fate allows two extremely opposite creatures to be united in the farce of marriage? Adrienne Mallory is a fire-witch who lives a quiet life with her bosom friend Mary Crossborough, a wind witch inside their charming house in Ardelean Village. Until one morning Mary accidentally kills a dhampir while she is out practicing her defense magic. The killed dhampir is a young half-human half-vampire named Athan Silos who happens to be not only a mere cousin of the vampire king but his very own first cousin. Alaric Emrick is a young vampire king of Emrick City who lives inside Acheron Castle. He tasks his cousin to find a redhead witch in Ardelean Village who incessantly searches for her mother whom she lost as a child. Finding his cousin dead before two witches inside the Forest of the Witches, Alaric is prepared to kill them when he decides to spare their lives by taking Adrienne Mallory to be his wife back to Acheron Castle. A night of passion left Adrienne alone the next day when Alaric suddenly disappears with a note promising return. Waiting for the delayed return of her lover Alaric, learning a secret about her family, and suddenly expecting a child she didn't fully expect leaves fire-witch, Adrienne, searching for a new village to reside and to raise her baby. Now living a full life with her secret child settled inside a village considered a rival of her ex-lover, Alaric Emrick came back in her life with the knowledge existence of his son. Is love worthy to look back with a heart for a second chance this time?

"What is going on with you?" she practically yelled. I looked at her and shrugged. "Seriously, Wolf. You're so damn confusing. One minute you act like you hate me the next you are defending me and acting like you love me. You make no sense" she ranted. She glared at me and I chuckled. "I didn't know what I wanted before. I do now" I said casually. "Really? And what is that?" She fumed. "You, baby." I smirked. Ruby, Scarlett, Sam and Wolf were all childhood best friends. As close as they could be. Ruby moved away years ago when her parents divorced. Her mother wanted a fresh start in New York. Everyone promised to keep in touch but, of course, they didn't. Only her cousin. Scarlett stuck by Ruby. Ruby survived though. She made new friends and her mother remarried making her new best friend Cassy her sister. Wolf was broken when Ruby left. Losing her changed him. As the years wore on, he became darker and cruel. He joined his Dad and ran the local MC and truly loved the lifestyle. Sam felt hollow since Ruby left. He distracted himself with football and girls and had earned himself quite a reputation. Ruby and Cassy became best friends while their mothers dated. They both embraced the New York party lifestyle. Ruby changed from a sweet, quiet girl to a bit of a wild child but kept her heart of gold. That is, until Ruby and Cassy have to move back to Rose Hills with their mothers. Wolf and Sam are shocked to see Ruby again. One of them view her as a challenge, the other as prey. Ruby has other ideas though. She's not the same girl that left and she's not about to let anyone hurt her again.

Damien had been stuck in a night from five years ago when he had a night with a random lady. For some reasons, he couldn't get her off his mind and vowed to find her. But that would be hard. With only her face in his memory and no name, how would he find her? As coincidences, fate, destiny, and a certain connection pull them, with each passing moment, closer to each other, they realize that they had been right under each other's noses all along. "Do, you really think.it was just a night stand?" The older woman asked and the two youngsters were thrown into instant confusion. Eleanor was sure that the only reason she went to the bar was because she was angry and needed a place to vent it out. And to her greatest knowledge, no one forced her to it. Damien too. He was at the Castle of Wine because he needed a quiet place... away from work. So... What was it...? ***** And, when they find out that it wasn't just a nightstand they shared, but infact, had a lot of things in common apart from the kids, only then would they realize... The journey just begun…

Alice is living her quiet life alone in the university until she gets to meet Canary Morales, a mad money making scholar. A story about family, friendship, and politics.

I was unable to perceive the man before me. He was greater than expected, overshadowing me, every one of his muscles flexed and his jaws gripped, disdain and outrage all around his face. He resembled an incensed monster, his noses erupting and his eyes red. I was feeling pulled towards him, unknowingly my hands came to him and laid on his chest I could feel his body loosen up quickly under my touch, his breathing dialed back and his face mellowed. He resembled the sweet Karish I knew. "If it's not too much trouble, quiet down, "I said in a delicate voice. His eyes shot back to me and he folded his arms over my abdomen pulling me to him. I could feel him sniffing my hair then he established his head on the hoodlum of my neck. I lifted my arms and put them around his neck. We remained here briefly, embracing one another. It felt close, warm, safe, and agreeable like I was home like I was the place where I should be

Twenty-five-year-old Katherine is a single mother who moves to an isolated small town in Alaska with her three-year-old daughter. Kat has been so focused on being a mother these last few years she hasn't had time for romance. When she meets Shaw on her first day in town, she can't help but feel an attraction towards him however there are some secrets being kept in this quiet Alaskan town. Secrets that could destroy this new romance between them.

"Gemma, we agreed on ten years. That time is up now. I'd like to leave with Kira." "You know he never liked her," she added quietly. In the quiet of the coffee house, Josie Carr spoke with a bitter expression. She had lived with Graham Holloway for ten years—ten long years, and still, she hadn't managed to thaw his heart. It wasn't love that brought them a child—it was a night of drunken confusion. He'd pushed her onto the bed, dazed and careless, and Kira came from that. Afterward, he gave her a villa and agreed to let her keep the baby. His only condition was simple: the child must never call him father. Publicly, Graham remained a single man. "I will never marry you. Don't hold out hope. "I'll pay child support, but don't expect me to acknowledge her. That child doesn't exist to me."