Rare Layne Staley 2002 Novels & Stories

"I'm your destiny, Darryl. Your mate. Your golden wolf." "And that's exactly why I can't have you, Hazel." ------------------- Hazel returns to her hometown, hoping to reconnect with her childhood friend Darryl. But the brooding mysterious boy she hopes to connect with is nothing like the friend she remembers, but now someone who seems to despise her very existence. But fate has other plans - Hazel is Darryl's destined mate and a rare golden wolf, key to unlocking his true alpha powers. But claiming Hazel could mean her death. The ruthless rogue alpha Malachi, with a history of killing Darryl's loved ones, has returned. And he's not the only threat - Katrina, a jealous beta, and Lucian, Darryl's rival, will stop at nothing to keep them apart. As if that weren't enough, Hazel learns she holds the key to breaking an ancient curse - one that requires the ultimate sacrifice. Will Darryl risk everything to be with Hazel? Can Hazel embrace her destiny as a golden wolf without losing herself? And when the time comes, will she choose love or sacrifice to save those closest to her?

My younger sister, Mindy Sampson, has a rare blood condition. She needs regular blood transfusions and a bone marrow transplant. My husband, Ian Huffman, and I are matches. My mother says we should draw lots. Whoever draws the short stick will become Mindy's blood donor. In the next five years, I am always the one who draws the short stick. Because of constant blood draws and bone marrow extractions, my body breaks down. Before I die, I stumble upon Ian holding Mindy and saying, "Cindy is so stupid. There are only short sticks in the container. Every time, we let her draw first. How could she ever get a long one? "She is going to die without ever knowing you are not sick at all. Once she dies and we get the insurance money, we can travel the world." When I open my eyes again, I am back in the fifth year after Mindy is diagnosed. I look at the container of sticks on the table and smile. Then, I look at Ian and say, "This time, you draw first."

Sara Michaels is a smart, hardworking woman who once loved her husband, Tom McCarthy, a busy CEO of a big company. He promised her the world but chose his career and an old flame over her, leading to a painful divorce. Sara walks away quietly and rebuilds her life. She starts her own small design firm and discovers she has a rare talent for creating viral apps that big companies want. Years later, Tom's company faces a crisis—they need her new app to survive a tough competition. He tracks her down, shocked to see how successful and independent she has become. At first, Sara refuses to help, wanting payback for the hurt he caused. But as they work together on the project, old sparks fly again. Tom realizes he never stopped loving her and fights to win her back. Sara must decide if she can trust him this time or if she'll walk away for good, leaving him to lose both his company and his chance at true love. ***Trigger warning**18+**Explicit content**Smut**

"They hunted me because I was a freak. Now, they’ll bow because I’m their only hope." Cara never asked to be a living bridge between three ancient powers. As a rare hybrid—part lethal Wolf, scorching Dragon, and ethereal Fae—she is the ultimate prize in a supernatural cold war. For years, she lived in the shadows, haunted by a past where truth and myth collide. But the shadows are catching up. With a relentless enemy rising and ancient alliances crumbling, Cara is no longer just a target; she is a weapon. As her dormant powers stir and prophetic visions bleed into reality, she is thrust into a war that transcends the mortal realm. To survive, she must master: The Wolf’s primal, bone-snapping strength. The Dragon’s scorched-earth fire. The Fae’s deadly, deceptive wisdom. In a world where trust is a liability, Cara must stop fighting her nature and start wielding it. But for a hybrid, destiny is a double-edged blade. To save the supernatural world from tearing itself apart, she must risk losing her humanity to the very power she was born to command. One girl. Three bloodlines. Zero mercy. #BadassHeroine #WolfHybrid #DragonShifter #FaeWar #HiddenPower #Prophecy

Jessie watched Justice North from the far corner of the room and bit her lip. She really wanted to work up the nerve to approach him. He’d been on the news often but he appeared even taller and better-looking in person. Not too many people intimidated her but the man who had been appointed the leader of the New Species Organization by his own people was one of those rare few. She respected strength and courage, something he seemed to have in abundance. She debated the wisdom of having a conversation with him. Justice gave orders to her bosses and held the power to change some of the task-force policies that she didn’t agree with. The chance of finding another opportunity to have a chat with him was slim to none. She wasn’t allowed to attend briefings her team leader held with the tall Species leader. Her opinion was irrelevant to him but the issues were important. She hesitated, considering the ramifications. Tim Oberto would haul her into his office if he found out she’d gone over his head. He’d be his normal loud self and tear her to verbal shreds.

"You're too weak to be my Luna," Alpha Ryker spat, choosing my stepsister over me—his fated mate. I thought losing my mate was the worst pain imaginable. I was wrong. The worst pain came when I discovered I was pregnant with his child the same day he banished me. The worst betrayal came when my stepsister revealed she'd been poisoning me for years, keeping my true power dormant. Now I'm back, no longer the weak omega they discarded. I'm the mysterious healer who saved the Savage Alpha's life—the ruthless Alpha King who's claimed me as his. They want me gone, but they don't know my secret: I'm carrying twins with a rare gift that could change everything. My ex-mate wants me back. My new mate wants revenge. And me? I just want to survive long enough to discover why everyone seems terrified of what I'm becoming. Because sometimes the weakest wolf holds the strongest bite.

Death and war, two things that always chased Haley around. The last war tore up her family, forcing her to kill her sister to save the world. Knowing the rogues' plans too well, they won't stop until they find the imperial phoenix pack, a rare pack of shapeshifters who vanished long ago. Haley's sister was just like them, and she guessed her niece was the same. So, to avoid history from repeating itself, Haley gave away her niece to a human couple where she will have a normal life. Ten years went by, filled with peace, or that's what Haley thought. Behind her back, the rogues were plotting the upcoming war after they knew about the young shapeshifter. Haley watched the man who helped her during those ten years die because of her mistakes. The rogues killed him as they did with her parents. And when she needed help, only five alphas stood by her side. With an upcoming war and the destiny of the goddess pack in her hands, Haley had to wait for the alpha's son to take his title, not knowing he was her destined mate.

When I accompany my best friend, Olivia Martin, to the hotel in hopes of catching her partner in the act red-handed, I end up catching my own husband, Wilson Gunner, instead. I don't break down in tears, nor do I throw a tantrum. In fact, I even shoot a smile at the young lady who's with Wilson. "Don't worry. I'll keep this a secret." The lady shoots me a grateful look before stumbling out of the hotel room haphazardly. Not only does Wilson not feel any sense of shame, but he also looks at me approvingly. "I knew you were sensible enough to not cause a fuss. Since you're a plastic surgeon, you should know that it's rare to see young ladies who have never gone under the knife nowadays. "The woman from earlier is au naturale. Besides, she's all clean and pure, so you have nothing to worry about." I lower my gaze and nod gently in agreement. But I don't plan on telling Wilson that the so-called au naturale woman was still a young man last week.

Mileena Holland was born into The Nightingale, a prestigious royal Lycan pack, the daughter of two of its most formidable warriors. But at the age of five, her life took a shocking turn—she transformed into a rare white Lycan, something almost unheard of. From that moment on, she was never seen the same way twice. To some, she was a blessing touched by fate; to others, a dangerous omen. The other children made their judgment clear, and Mileena grew up in the shadow of their cruelty. Unable to watch her daughter suffer any longer, Mileena’s mother made the difficult choice to leave the pack, taking her child with her. Her father, bound by loyalty, remained behind. Cast out into the unknown, the two became rogues, eventually finding refuge and a fragile sense of belonging in a new pack. For a time, it seemed they had escaped the past—but peace is fleeting. A brutal rogue attack shattered their new home, claiming many lives, including the one person Mileena had left—her mother. Now alone, burdened by grief and the weight of who she is, Mileena stands at a crossroads. Will she let vengeance consume her, or will she find a way to rise above the pain and forge a new path?

Orennox is a wizard who has been around since the world was made. As technology progresses, magic tends to wane and Orennox adapts to the trends. Now called Oren Knox, he is mostly known as a gunfighter, a notoriously cheap gunfighter who will use magic to make one bullet do the work of many so he doesn't have to keep buying ammunition. His quest is to locate the last Earth Nodes, the last strongholds of magic, and harness their power with the goal of bringing back his trapped wife. In order to find these Earth Nodes, he must use the services of the female Diabolists (night witches) who can sense the magic from long distances. Only, Diabolists are extremely rare and there is a psychopathic killer out there who wants them all dead. After losing one Diabolist to fate, Oren must protect his new asset from those who would hunt her down and kill her so he can find enough magic to complete his quest. However, he is not the only wizard left looking for Diabolists, Diabolists have minds of their own, and, according to him, everyone Oren comes in contact with is a sidewinding, low down, scoundrel.