Rice By Manuel Arguilla

One reckless night. One dominant stranger. One obsession that refuses to end. Ava Sinclair thought the dark, sinful stranger she met at an exclusive club will be a fleeting escape from her suffocating life. But Damien Blackwell doesn't let things go easily. Marked by a single night of passion, Ava is dragged into Damien's world. A world of power, jealousy and secrets. He owns the night, and now he wants to own her. But Ava isn't one to be caged...or is she?

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.

"Ella! You belong to me. Your body, your soul, all of you is mine, Alpha Marcus says. You're destined for me! You can run anywhere, but in the end, I will find you, you are meant for me." Ella struggled to catch her breath as she sobbed. She felt the pain that Marcus was with someone else, he was her mate, but he refused to get close to her, even though everyone feared him. She hated him, yet she had seen the good in him. She drank until she was drunk and then made her way to Marcus's room. She entered the room but didn't find him, so she headed to the bathroom where she found him in the jacuzzi, his massive muscles dripping with water. Marcus took the towel that hung nearby and asked coldly, "Ella, what are you doing here?" She was swaying, nearly falling, and said, "Why do you punish me like this? I'm hot and tempting. How can you not be affected by my presence?" Marcus realized she was drunk, picked her up, and asked in concern, "Are you okay?" He stood close to her, making it hard for her to breathe. It was as if she was about to have a breakdown. She was about to leave, tears streaming, but before she could make any more moves, Marcus immediately trapped her, placing his arms on either side of her. Both of them swallowed hard when their eyes met. A strange, powerful, but addictive feeling surged between them. "You have to stay here, Ella," he said. She looked at his half-opened lips. Intense and unwanted thoughts filled her mind as her breaths escaped her. Ella stated painfully, "I'm sure you feel it too, Marcus... You're my mate."

Rhea Valdez was promised to Nikolai Voss to be his wife, a contract was tied between both of them. Nikolai wanted Rhea and only Rhea. But on the wedding day, to his upmost surprise he got her sister, Kate instead. He hated Kate, and never made any interest to hide his hatred for her. He weds Kate silently, and vows to make her pay for doing what she did. -------------------- After the priest said you may now kiss the bride, Nikolai brought his face forward and whispered to me, "From this day henceforth, you will pay for agreeing to play with my intelligence. This I promise you." He then took my fragile lips into his, and kissed me. The crowds cheering, not knowing I just signed my death's bed by agreeing to help my step-sister flee with her boyfriend from Nikolai.

Black Knight Series: #1 Kioz Knight Harrington Sabrina has had a crush on Jeadon for a very long time. And perhaps she is in love with him. One evening when Jaedon is drinking with his brothers and Sabrina is drunk too, she plans to seduce Jaedon so she goes to his room and has sex with him. Sabrina got pregnant and announced it to Jaedon’s family but Jaedon believed that he was not the father. Kioz admitted that he was the one who got Sabrina pregnant. And the parents of Kioz prepare for their wedding. Kioz and Sabrina couldn’t do anything to stop their parents from arranging their marriage.

In the electrifying world of Formula 1, Alex Dupont and Marco Bianchi are more than just fierce rivals; they're each other's obsession. As they race towards the championship, their secret passion off-track intensifies, threatening to unravel their careers. When a devastating crash brings their hidden feelings to the forefront, they must decide if their love is worth the ultimate risk. "You know, I can't stand how you're always pushing me on the track," Alex said, frustration lacing her voice. Marco leaned in closer, his eyes locking with hers. "I can't help myself when l see you out there, Alex. You bring out the best- and sometimes the worst- in me." "Driven by Desire" is a captivating story of forbidden romance, high-speed rivalry, and the perilous balance between ambition and desire.

Arya Astrid Fonacier is a lot of things; she's beautiful, cunningly smart, restless, and outgoing. She just wants nothing but to prove herself to their school that she and her entire volleyball team deserves the support they can get. That's what only matters to her. Life is never difficult for her. Her family loves her, her friends are supportive of her and she has a boyfriend that she can be proud of. What could go wrong? Well.. It all started when she unwittingly called a deal with their school rival's Alpha, Blaise Rafaelo Gandia. Things in her life is never the same again. And it is a game that Arya definitely doesn't want to play.

I'm already half-blind in my left eye, but Cedric Thompson forces me to donate my right cornea to his childhood sweetheart. Her parents berate me. "She's blind now! It's not like you'll die without one eye's cornea!" Cedric consoles me. "We're only taking the cornea for one eye. It won't affect anything." I'm forcibly placed under anesthesia. I lose all hope in life before my eyes slide shut. I would never have married him if I'd know he would treat me like this. He has no idea I can barely see with my left eye now.

You must be crazy to think I'll mate with the one who murdered my parents! ************* Zephyr is a ruthless Alpha who vowed to eliminate all rogues he comes across with. Bellona is an assassin rogue who wants more than anything to kill Zephyr because she believes that he killed her parents. Bellona has only one thing on her mind. Revenge. She gets closer to Zephyr and even becomes his secretary. However,a silly mistake on her part blows her cover and reveals who she really is. Will Bellona be blinded by revenge or can love overcome hate?

Betrayal. Murder. A heart-wrenching escape to New York City. Eloise's decision to leave her hometown of Blue Creek leads her to find a passionate love with charming heir Stanley Bradshaw. But a shocking revelation forces her back to her small town, where buried secrets threaten everything she's built. As she unravels the truth about her best friend's death, Eloise must choose: embrace the love she's found or confront a powerful family who may not accept her past. Can Eloise find love and justice, or will the sins of her past destroy her future?