Skeleton Hand Holding Something

At the Thorn Pack banquet, Jacob Mason carefully cut the steak on my plate. His gentlemanly demeanor and meticulous attention to detail drew envious glances from those around us. "Our Alpha is so good to our Luna," a voice murmured from across the table. "You won’t find a more devoted mate in all of Southspire." I glanced at Jacob, a sweet warmth unfurled in my chest. I silently tightened my grip around the Moonstone Ring—a ring my father had left me, the symbol of power in the Lotus Pack. I had planned to give it to Jacob when the banquet ended, when we were alone. But as the evening wore on, the noise and the clinking of glasses became too much to bear. I feigned a slight dizziness, excusing myself to return to our castle ahead of him. In truth, I needed the time to prepare a surprise—something special to commemorate this night. When everything was set, I silently slipped back into the banquet hall, ready to take Jacob by the hand and whisk him away. But as I arrived, I stopped dead in my tracks. There he was, holding Hazel Rhea tightly in his arms. "Chloe is so rigid," he said. "Always clinging to the dignity of being the Lotus Pack Alpha's daughter. How could she ever compare to Hazel's passion?" "Don't worry," he added, his tone light with mock reassurance. "Hazel and I are just friends. Chloe won't feel betrayed." He laughed softly. "But don't tell her, alright? She's so old-fashioned—if she found out, she'd leave me for sure. Honestly, the thought of spending the rest of my life with such a dull partner… It's exhausting." Just friends? Is that what he called the way his hand slid beneath her dress—being "just friends"? I didn't interrupt them. There was no need to disturb their lively conversation. Instead, I slid the Moonstone Ring onto my finger. Without a word, I turned and left. In the quiet of the night, Xavier Grey—who had been following me all along—waited. Together, we set off on the journey I should have taken long ago.

He ended their marriage with a signature, divorcing her the very night Ava planned to tell him she was pregnant. For power, for a ruthless business alliance, he chose another woman without looking back. So Ava vanished. Years later, she walks back into his life, no longer broken but powerful, untouchable, and holding enough shares to control the fate of his now failing company. And she is not alone. The boy beside her carries his face, his silence… something that feels far too familiar. But while Ava kept her secret, the woman he married has been hiding something far more dangerous. Because his empire isn’t just collapsing by chance… it’s being destroyed from within. And as the truth begins to surface, the billionaire is forced to confront the one question that could ruin everything: Who is truly his heir… and who has been lying all along?

I am the long-lost true heir of the Kensington family. In just the second month after reconciling with the Kensington family, I solved a technical problem that the Kensington Corp's Military Research Institute had failed to crack for five whole years. Yet, my adoptive brother, Sean Kensington, the fake heir, exchanged my patent bonus worth millions for a 20-percent-off coupon for a cup of latte. I went to my older sister, Sonya, the CEO, but she simply waved her hand dismissively, completely unconcerned. "Enough, Wesley. Sean just did it for your own good. If you're holding onto that much money, what if some organization set their eyes on you? This way, your safety is protected. "Besides, you've only come to the city not long ago. I doubt you've ever had something like a latte before. Take it as a chance to experience it. I'll even give you another ten dollars. You can buy yourself another cup." I looked at the condescension in her eyes, planning to send the recording to our parents. Yet, I saw on their social media that they had just bought a seaside mansion and a luxury car as a celebration gift for Sean's achievements. Then, I glanced at the coupon they had just sent me. [You did help Sean after all. Your father and I bought you a cake as a reward. Go pick it up yourself.] I checked the price. After discount, it was a mere 13 bucks. They had to be kidding me. I directly dialed the number of Kensington Corp's rival company, Jet Group. "I think the exclusive patent for this new missile should be yours. From now on, all my research results will only be shared with Jet Group."

"I'll never ever fall for you, and sure as well I ain't gonna mark you!" Connor announced to Hailey, his bride. The marriage was his grandpa's idea, and he had no choice but to comply. Since day 1, he'd vowed to dump Hailey the minute he took over as Alpha. It would be a total disgrace if his Luna was a country girl. Oddly, ever since Hailey showed up, his savage wolf had cooled down, and it even started to communicate with him, something that seemed almost impossible before. Despite all that, his rough past rendered him insecure and paranoid. Holding on to the belief that Hailey was up to something, he hurt her nonstop in every way. By the time he finally found out how incredibly wrong he was—Hailey was literally kindness personified, it was too late. She had made up her mind to leave him for good.

When my husband learns of his first love's death, he jumps from the cruise ship where we are spending our honeymoon, ending his life. Only then do I realize he has never gotten over Clara Levine. Reborn back to his teenage years, he resolutely lets go of my hand and walks toward his first love. I watch them leave together, then turn and walk away. From that moment on, our lives become nothing more than two parallel lines that will never meet. Ten years later, we run into each other at a banquet in Oceanus City. He has become a rising star among the elite, with Clara appearing on his arm, intimately holding onto him. When he sees me accidentally wander into the banquet, he can't help but give me advice. "Stop obsessing over me. Even if you wait for me for ten years, I still won't fall in love with you." I ignore him and pull my son out from the corner where he's sneaking cake. His eyes suddenly turn bloodshot as he grabs my hand tightly. "How dare you try to make me jealous on purpose? Didn't you say you would only love me for your entire life?" he says.

“Let. Me. Go!” She said, trying to run away from the man who now had her cornered. A familiar scent filled her nostrils, but she could barely find it in her to speak let alone call for HIS help. “You are mine now,” he glared at her, his eyes filled with rage. Her heart raced, and she tried moving away from his tight grip as he wrapped his hand around her neck, choking her. “I will show you what it is to try and run away from your Alpha.” Her breathing ragged, and her eyes rolled to the back of her head before the man’s hand loosened around her neck. His green eyes met hers in the darkness, and it was seconds later before his tattooed arms wrapped around her, holding her to his chest. “And that is what you get for messing with my MATE, Stefano…” ********************************* What if everything was nothing more than a lie? What if what you know was not more than a game? What if what you held onto was the one thing that was to drop you? When Alpha Diego is given a task by his father, he is forced to play the ONE game he hates most. The game of love. And the one thing that makes it even worse is that he forced to play it against the one person that he is supposed to cherish. His mate, Lea Auditore…

Zara is a driven and dedicated office worker who falls deeply in love with her charming and charismatic boss, Isaac. Despite the initial professional boundaries between them, their relationship quickly blossoms into something more. However, as time goes by, Zara can't shake the feeling that Isaac is holding something back from her about his late wife. As her frustrations grow, she begins to distance herself from him, unsure of where their relationship is headed. The trustworthy and reliable Aidan, Isaac's closest friend, was recently introduced to Zara. Zara finds solace in Aidan's companionship, and as time goes on, she discovers how deeply she cares for him. Zara's allegiance and affection are divided between two men, and she must make a choice. Does she desire the peace of mind that comes with being in Aidan's company, or does she want the adventure that comes with being with the enigmatic and fascinating Isaac?

I'm the heiress of the elite Graham family, and yet my life is like hell. After all, the rolls of fat keep clinging to my body. No matter how hard I try, I can never get rid of them. Even if I don't eat for the entire day, my weight still rises exponentially. When I'm on the verge of dying from organ failure, I see my parents showing up with the adopted daughter, Freya Graham, in front of my sick bed. Freya covers her nose while gazing at me with a mixture of smugness and disgust in her eyes. "Thank you so much for taking the brunt of the misfortune for me, Dakota! Otherwise, I'll be the one plagued by the fat! "Then again, you've already had it good. You've lived a lavish life for many years, after all. This lifestyle is something that you can never experience for the rest of your life!" I widen my eyes in shock. But it's because of my overwhelming emotions that I can't breathe at all. In the end, I die tragically with hatred in my eyes. It turns out I'm just the fake heiress who the Grahams have adopted. My purpose is to shoulder the misfortune that's meant for Freya this whole time! She gorges on food every day, only for all of her fat to accumulate on my body instead! When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the first day when I start putting on weight like mad. In this lifetime, since Freya doesn't want the body fat this badly, she might as well live her life as a living skeleton!

Anita," her angelic voice calls to me. Thunder rumbles in the distance. Her soft, delicate hands caressing my face, sparkling green eyes grounding me from the dark past I wish I could forget. "You're safe, it's okay." I bring my hand up, running my finger over the mound of scar tissue. The constant reminder of that night. The raised bump covers the bullet fragment embedded in my sternum. She takes my hands as more thunder rumbles and tears roll down my cheeks. "Breathe Anita," she says in a soothing whisper. My lungs were burning with the need for air and it was then that I realized I'd been holding it. I take in a gasping breath and recall the first time my eyes met her green eyes. My sister had been lifted off me and my eyes opening had startled her. The first time she touched me gave me strength to hold on. I held her hand tight, trying to tell her what happened, but couldn't get enough breath to form words. Sitting in the present going through the same as I had five years ago. "They were all found, Anita. They can't hurt you anymore. It's just a storm. All the doors and windows are locked, the alarm is set. It's just you and me." "Will you keep the light on tonight, please?"

The series follows 3 Alphas as they meet their mates in the most difficult and unpredictable way. Will they choose to protect their pack and break the matebond or will they risk it all to have it all? The story starts with Alpha Max and Raven. Book 1 of the Alliance Series Max: She has the brightest ocean blue, which is made more enchanting by her long black lashes and perfectly sculpted eyebrows. Her button nose and defined cheekbone make her look so innocent. Her plump dark red lips are begging to be devoured. Her silky smooth long black her is tied in a high ponytail. A hint of pink reaches her cheeks and I swear I have never seen a more beautiful, alluring, and enchanting woman. She looks like something out of a dream or fairy tale. She does not belong in a place with so much violence and death. As I let my eyes roam her body, I notice she is only dressed in an oversized shirt, leaving her long-toned porcelain legs on full display. Her arms are folded in front of her chest which only pushes ups her perky tits. Her nails are digging into her forearm like she is holding herself back. She’s not the only one trying to hold back. I can see my hand wrapped around her ponytail pulling her tightly against me devouring her lips and breasts as she wraps those gorgeous porcelain legs around me so that I can plunge myself into her. I'm pulled away from my thoughts by Colton's sombre voice "Max, we are sorry we didn’t make it in time, we came as soon as we received the SOS”.