Rice By Manuel Arguilla

"Now tell me, young lady, who wants you dead?" Nicholas asked as he stared intently at me. His words froze me in place. My eyes widened, and my heart raced uncontrollably in my chest. I looked at him, my eyes diverting to the blood trickling from his shoulder where he was hit by a bullet while trying to save me. "I... I don't know," I stammered, still bewildered by the events that had unfolded. Laura Dickson had endured an abusive relationship at the hands of her boyfriend Santos, to whom she felt indebted for assisting her in settling some debts. Eventually, she reaches the conclusion that she can no longer tolerate the relationship and flees, disregarding Santos' threats of ending her life should she ever leave him. At a charity ball event, she encounters Nicholas, a strikingly handsome and powerful billionaire, the head of Brandson mafia family, who saves her from a serial killer intent on shooting her. Nicholas takes it upon himself to provide her with protection at his covert hideout until the serial killer is captured. What will unfold when they discover that the serial killer was actually closer to them than they had presumed and was in fact not who they thought it was? How will Laura react when she uncovers a grave secret that will profoundly shake her foundations? And what will occur as Laura falls In love with Nicholas, a billionaire mafioso who only sees women as objects of sexual desires? Discover the answers within the gripping pages of the thrilling novel, "Bound by Passion."

Rowan Priest is known by all feared by all. The mere frown on his face causes grown men to pee their pants. Grace Wilson a sweet, innocent twenty-one year old girl sold by her parents to pay for their debt. Rowan buys Grace from the Auction house. But what does he plan to do with her once he has her?

Magnolia's life slowly falls apart when her step mother sells her to a ruthless Mafia boss, Orion, as payment for her parent sins. His wrath was known to be swift and painful, Magnolia knows this spells doom for her. But Orion's revenge comes with a price: her complete submission to him. He unleashes his inner vengeance and pain on her for the pain her parents made him pass through. Magnolia's world is slowly turned upside down. But Orion has no idea that this beauty would be the end of him. She is a spy sent by his rival Mafia clan to get Intel on him and take him out. Magnolia doesn't want to do it but he doesn't give her a reason to not want to. She is stuck in between the lines of pain, pleasure and love. She finds herself, craving for the very man who absolutely loathes her. Will Magnolia surrender to this intense passion, or will she fight to regain her once lost freedom? In this dark and mysterious world of mafia's, there is one saying that guides all: "Once you've submitted, there's no escape"

Penelope Fox was raised in the Supernatural Academy and thought that she would be the next superstar celebrity. She didn't realize she was getting groomed to be sold as a breeder. Gamma Black of the Moon Stone Pack purchases Penelope intending to put her in his strip club/brothel. Thrusted into a world that only wants her for her body, Penelope has to navigate how to survive when she's still a virgin and has an innocent mind so she doesn't know how to do the things expected of her. No one anticipated that Alpha Stone would want her too.

It was a small pull, that had her confused at first, but kept bothering her like a strand of hair attached to your arm that you can't find and remove. When she focused on it, the pull drove her to touch his chest lightly. She cleared her mind to make sense of the foreign sensation that spoke to her and when she did, it was strange and dark. He was calling for fire. ---- Brianna is a witch that tends to the needs of nature by controlling the four elements. Nathaniel is a phoenix assigned to her village by a mysterious and suspicious organization, the Council. He is a master of fire, unwaveringly dedicated to his life's work. She is an untamable force of nature. Can their unexpected encounter alter the path of fate?

Ann Willow is a human that does not know just how connected she is to a Supernatural world that she did not know to exist until three new students show up for class one day. Ann soon realizes that Vampires, Werewolves, and everything in between are real. What will become of Ann when she falls in love with the Supernaturals of this new world she finds herself in? (Heads up - English is not my first language but feel free to point out mistakes)

When Nova Greenwood returns to her pack after five years, she's not the same omega who was rejected by her mate, Sean. Now a powerful witch and renowned healer, she's determined to care for her ailing father and move on from her past. But fate has other plans. Nova discovers she's the second-chance mate of the Alpha, Colton Black, Sean's cousin. As they navigate their forbidden love, they must confront the secrets and lies that have torn their pack apart. With a war brewing and the past refusing to stay buried, Nova and Colton must fight for their love and their pack's future. Will they find happiness together, or will the shadows of their past tear them apart once more?”

For seven years, I love Cody Rummish, clinging to his promise—once his sister-in-law, Luna Briche, conceives, our ordeal ends, and we finally begin our married life. But reality betrays me. Just months after moving into his home, Cody slips into Luna's bedroom 88 times—starting with once a month, now nearly one or two visits daily. Every night, I sit in the downstairs living room, counting the minutes, clutching a flicker of unrealistic hope. As the sole heir after his twin brother's fatal plane crash, Cody inherits not just power and wealth but also, seamlessly, his brother's widow, Luna. After the 88th visit, Luna announces her pregnancy. But instead of Cody honoring his promise, a public declaration shatters me—he will formally marry Luna. I unravel, demanding answers. Silent, Cody locks me in the bedroom's walk-in closet. "Luna was trapped in an elevator for 30 minutes! She nearly died because of you! Stay here for five days. Feel her fear!" Only on the sixth morning does Cody casually open the door with a chuckle. "Alright, lesson learned. Time to apologize, right?" He finds only the stench of blood and my cold, lifeless body. He's killed the fiancée who's loved him for seven years.

Unloved. Unwanted. Abandoned. Those words have followed Kayla since birth. Abandoned by her pack as a pup and left for dead in the woods she was taken in by the Cedar Wood pack. Raised as their servant and deemed a runt too weak to hunt with the pack, her life is one of servitude and that's all it'll ever be. That's all she's worth. Or at least that's what people keep telling her. So why does the visiting Alpha of the most powerful pack ever to roam the land keep looking at her and what is he whispering about?

The stench of silver dust filled the air, and every breath seared my lungs. My broken body lay twisted among the jagged rocks of the abandoned silver mine, where even the strongest werewolf would feel their strength waning. Beside me, my mate’s first love, Sophia, whimpered softly. A shallow scrape marked her knee. The tunnel was collapsing. Only two people could pass through the exit at a time. Lucas did not hesitate to scoop Sophia in his arms and abandon me. His golden eyes, once filled with unwavering loyalty toward me, now burned with something colder—indifference. I reached out, my fingers trembling as they grasped the hem of his clothing. My voice was hoarse with despair. "Lucas… please… don't leave me here." “I am your mate. I’m carrying your pups.” He glanced at me with a clenched jaw and broke free, shoving me back onto the silver-laced ground. Agony burned through my veins, consuming my soul like fire. “Are you serious, Ava?! After pushing Sophia into this damn abyss and getting her injured, you still dare to compare with her.” “You know what?! You deserve to be left here and reflect on your mistakes!” With that, he vanished into the light, and the tunnel collapsed behind him. His words cut deeper than silver ever could, and the last thing I heard before darkness swallowed me was the sound of their retreating footsteps.