Smoke Screen

“I, Alpha Arthur Grant, reject you, Phineas Wells. You were never my mate; you were just a placeholder for a King.” The words didn't just break Phineas’s heart; they shattered his soul. Standing in the center of the pack gala, clutching a hidden sonogram in his pocket, Phineas watched as his husband of three years handed him divorce papers in front of the very people he had served, healed, and protected. Behind Arthur stood Phineas’s own younger brother, Clement, wearing a smug smile of betrayal. They didn't just want Phineas gone—they wanted him erased. Thrown into the freezing rain of the Dead Lands, pregnant and broken, Phineas expects to die. Instead, he finds a nightmare far more seductive. Enter Lucian Aurelius. A Mafia Kingpin with a wolf of pure shadow and a heart of ice. He doesn’t offer Phineas love; he offers a cage of gold and a contract written in blood. Lucian is the ultimate Black Flag—possessive, obsessive, and dangerous. He monitors Phineas’s heartbeat, tracks his every breath, and whispers terrifying promises of protection that feel exactly like imprisonment. But as Phineas’s life is reduced to a "Scattered and Shattered" mess, the "Sunshine" Omega dies, and something colder is born in the dark. While Arthur’s pack begins to crumble and Lucian’s obsession turns into a lethal addiction, Phineas stops crying. He begins to watch. He begins to learn. He realizes that a monster’s greatest weakness is the thing he claims to own. In a world of fated mates and brutal betrayals, Phineas will play the "Helpless Omega" one last time. He will make them crawl. He will make them bleed. And when the smoke clears, the two Alphas who broke him will realize the terrifying truth:

They say love at first sight is a fantasy. He turned it into an obsession…and then a contract. Drowning in debt and dodging loan sharks, Louis's only break is a one-time ad gig. He smiles for seven seconds, gets paid, and thinks that's the end of it. He's wrong. Across the world, reclusive billionaire Lorenzo Volterra sees the clip. A man who has spent his life never looking twice at another man suddenly cannot look away. In that fleeting glimpse, he finds his obsession. Within twenty-four hours, he's at Louis's door. His first words: "You are my husband now." Louis laughs. He's not for sale. But Lorenzo doesn't understand "no." Raised to believe money buys everything…including love…he's never been refused. Never been loved. He doesn't know the difference between possessing someone and caring for them. When he offers to erase Louis's debt, it isn't kindness. It's a transaction. The price? A year of Louis's life, pretending to be the husband of a man whose love language is ownership, and whose broken English hides something darker. Lorenzo has never wanted anyone like this. The gender should matter…but looking at Louis, it simply doesn't. The obsession doesn't care about labels. It only cares about him. Now Louis is swept into ruthless luxury, where every desire is anticipated and every move watched. Lorenzo surrounds him with everything money can buy…because that's the only way he knows to keep something precious. But is Louis a cherished partner, or a trophy the man on the screen simply took? Can someone never taught to love ever learn? And when Louis looks into those glacier-blue eyes…why does he feel like he's falling?

In this tale, two broken hearts are brought together by fate. Cradled with good news to give her husband about their unborn child, Esita caught him in bed with his lover and to add insult to injury, his lover attacked her while she was trying to get answers from him. This confrontation led to her miscarriage and an accident that almost claimed the life of Lucian Nut's only beloved daughter. For many years after his ex-wife and mate walked out on him and their daughter, Lucian had devoted his entire life to taking care of her so when her life was put at risk, he wasn't willing to back down and let the matter slide. However his daughter, Layla is a compassionate woman and sympathetized with Esita especially when her husband showed up with divorce papers for her to sign. Along the line, Lucian recognized Esita as his second chance mate but because she doesn't have her mate, Esita doesn't realize it until much later. Not wanting to be far away from his mate even though he wanted nothing to do with her, Lucian kept Esita around. When the council of elders hand him and ultimatum to get an heir or risk losing his Alpha status, he chooses someone else as a surrogate mother for his child but isn't ready to let Esita go. When jealousy and envy collide, Esita's life and that of her unborn child might be at risk unless Lucian steps up and saves them both from harm. With the arrival of his ex-wife back on the screen, things are about to be more complicated. Can Lucian protect his second chance mate and let go of the hurt of the past enough to be happy with her?

Si Adelaine Funtales, kilala sa screen name bilang Lalaine ay nagtungo sa Berlin kasama ang buong production team. Sa bansang iyon nakilala niya si Mr. Schmidt. Ang direktor ng Germany show business at entertainment. Wala itong ibang pagnanais kundi ay ang makilala si Lalaine nang lubos. Lingid sa kanyang kaalaman ang masamang binabalak nito. Nilagyan ni Schmidt ang puting tela ng chloroform dahilan kung bakit nakatulog si Lalaine sa loob ng sasakyan nito. Nang siya'y magising, nasa ibabaw na siya ng kama. Tanging kumot ang nakatakip sa katawan, naghihingalo sa takot, nanginginig sa lamig. Akala ni Lalaine ay doon nagtatapos ang kasamaan ni Schmidt. Dinala siya nito sa auction hall. Ang lugar kung saan ay mga babaeng katulad niya ang ibinibenta para sa mga banyaga ng legal. Walang papeles, madaliang proseso. Walang nakakaalam sa lugar na iyon kundi ay ang mga taong hayok sa laman. Binili siya ni Massimo Valerio sa napakalaking halaga. Akala niya'y tutulungan siya nitong makalaya ngunit dinaig pa nito si Mr. Schmidt sa kasamaang binabalak laban sa kanya. Lalo at nalaman ni Lalaine ay ito pala ang Chief Executive Officer, Chairman, or Founder ng buong major media conglomerates, studios, o talent agencies. Ano ang laban niya sa isang mayaman, at makapangyarihang lalaki? Paano siya makakalaya?

Misty I looked at the faces of my pups on the screen, being away from them was so hard but I had to make it better. I had to provide for them. Give them the best chance I could as a single uneducated Mother. They'd had such a crap start to life, mostly my own fault because if I hadnt stayed when he continued to allow the alcohol to become him, they wouldnt have been through the hell, but then if I hadnt stayed they all wouldnt exist and i dont regret any of them, No matter how they were conceived. My Life, My Legacy, My loves. I listened to them tell me about all their adventures and the feasts they ate from banana leaves. Id put out an ad searching for somebody to take care of them while I worked, somebody to love them and assure them i wasnt abandoning them just trying to make things better. Id found those angels, theyd accepted accomodation food and utilities in exchange for making sure my pups were fed, clean and cared for. I thanked the driver for the ride and entered the roadhouse, passed all the food that made my stomach rumble from its 48 hour emptiness, made use of the amenities and headed out back to try and get another ride north that would hopefully take me all the way back to my pups. I took a seat at an empty table, aware of the fact i hadnt showered in 3 days, I kept my eyes down and avoided contact listening for conversation that would point me to a driver heading north. That was the beginning of the rest of my life.

On the day my dad, the Don of the Capone family, comes to the orphanage to take me home, I show up in a tactical helmet and a bulletproof vest. "I'm not going home with you. You're definitely doing this to trick me into getting married to a perverted old geezer in a marriage alliance. I bet my adopted sister has made preparations to start fake-crying anytime by loading up on her eyedrops." My dad is amused, to say the least. "Why would any of that happen? Silvia is nothing but welcoming you to our home! Also, our family isn't a lowly organization that deals with human trafficking." But I refuse to believe my dad at all. On the way home, I keep typing something on my phone. My mom, the Donna, leans over curiously. "Are you writing a diary entry?" "Nope. I'm writing tips on 'How to Survive the Mafia.'" 1) My food will definitely be poisoned. 2) If I get close to a staircase, I'll definitely get pushed down the stairs. 3) I'll get framed for something that I've never done before. My parents swear to me that none of the things I've written will ever happen. They tell me that my adopted sister, Silvia Capone, has a great personality, and things are amicable in the family. However, everything changes when Silvia brings me a glass of juice before lunchtime and insists on watching me drink it. Instead, I dump the juice into a nearby vase of flowers. Just as my parents are about to scold me for wasting the juice, smoke begins drifting from the flowers inside the vase. Then, they start wilting rapidly. I calmly leave a bright red checkmark behind the "poison" tip. As my parents stare at the dead flowers, they can feel color draining from their faces. "You should send the juice to a chem lab for analysis."

Rivergate's most elite social circle had always shared an unspoken rule. Men were free to play the field as they pleased, drifting from one woman to the next. Women, on the other hand, were only allowed a single, discreet indulgence on the day they came of age—a privately hired "life assistant" meant to take care of their physical needs. … On my coming-of-age day, I picked Elliot at first glance from a hundred applicants who came in for interviews. He wore gold-rimmed glasses, looked composed and restrained, and carried himself with a calm maturity that set him apart. He was steady, meticulous, and obsessively clean. The only condition he agreed to was that there would be no bodily contact—hands only. And after every encounter, he would scrub his hands with disinfectant alcohol a hundred times. Over five years, the empty bottles alone were enough to circle the villa seven times. I used to think that one day, I'd help him overcome his barriers and truly make him mine. That illusion shattered the night I got drunk and accidentally wandered into Elliot's room. Hidden beneath his pillow was a DV camera, and inside were several videos of him pleasuring himself. On the screen, the same man who had always been calm and rational with me was staring at the lingerie of the adopted sister who had caused my mother's death, his Adam's apple bobbing as he moaned her name, "Chloe… I love you…" Only then did I realize that every step he had taken toward me had never been about me at all. It had always been a carefully concealed, long-nurtured love for her. So, it was very odd that he cried when I took my adopted sister's place in marrying someone else.

This book is authored by G O A. Why Tech Billionaire Artemis Rhodes would post such a thing?! "Everyone is talking about the hashtag that just went viral in less than a few hours. Nevertheless, this girl has become a mystery everyone wants to solve. In fact, we have pictures from several people who have seen the girl in person." The screen of the phone is small but I catch several pictures of me flashing on the screen. This can't be happening! You know that panic attack I had been pushing down? Well, that thing comes back with a vengeance. It feels like all the air is sucked out of me and my chest gets tight. My vision blurs and I register I'm falling just before things go dark. "Relax Miss Riley, this is Mr. Rhodes a donor to our hospital. This woman is his fiancee. I'll take things from here." The doctor says and steps aside to let the nurse out. I watch her scurry away before I focus on the doctor. He's an older man with white hair and a friendly face but he gives me weird vibes. Wait...did he just say, fiancee? "I'm sorry what did you say?" I ask. "I have a proposition for you." The man says. "A proposition for me? What do you mean?" "A proposition? It means-" I wave my hand. "Not that! I'm not an idiot. I mean what proposition?" "I want you to marry me." He says with a straight face. So I bet your wondering how a woman who lives in an abandoned train car ends up married to a big tech billionaire. Well it's simple. We ran right into each other, locked eyes and the rest is history.

In the kingdom of Drakemont, silence hits harder than any blade sometimes. Selene is this mute servant girl, cursed to stay hidden in the shadows her whole life. She has always known how to survive without anyone noticing her. But then one night changes everything. A single glance from King Aurek, the ruthless Alpha King, breaks down those walls she built around her secret. His wolf wakes up inside him. It claims her as his mate, something she can never let happen. Destiny bites deep, though. The queen-in-waiting, this witch named Veyra, will do anything to lock down Aurek's throne. Selene turns into the target right away. Her only real ally is Maris, an old childhood friend. But that loyalty has some serious weak spots in it. The court is full of whispers that cut like daggers. Alliances shift around like smoke in the wind. Selene has to figure out if she runs from the king's shadow. Or if she steps right into it completely. The more she gets pulled into Aurek's world, the more secrets she finds out about. There are his cursed brothers, the ones who shift between man and beast all the time. A prophecy talks about a silent queen coming along. And a betrayal that is so close to home, it might stab her heart before any enemy even gets near. Selene and Aurek are stuck between love and just trying to stay alive. They have to untangle all the lies holding them together. Otherwise, the witch's crown gets made from their blood. In a realm run by wolves, where silence covers up the worst truths, The Alpha King's Shadow tells a haunting story. It is about forbidden love. Dark magic pulls at everything. And a fate that just will not let go.

Selene Davies was heartbroken when Sunny Dale humiliated and dumped her on her 20th birthday. She felt that she had done everything right in their relationship, and couldn’t tell where things went wrong. After all, she was raised by her mother to be a lady; prim and proper. That night, she gave in to her wildest desires and threw herself into the warm arms of Declan Grayson, the personification of wealth and power. Selene reckoned that there was nothing wrong with letting herself loose and having a great night. However, what if her fling wasn't just a decade older than her but also turned out to be her step-uncle? Well, he was nothing but a fling, no strings attached, or so she thought. Regret was an understatement when she learned that Declan didn't only take her first, but also publicized their affair. He portrayed her as a slut who gave sexual favors for a measly screen time. Now, she has the black market drug, ecstasy in her system, and when it’s effects kick in at random times, she either gets laid quickly or kicks the bucket. Who, or better still, what would be her medicine, when she has no man in her life? *** "Oh my God! Why does my head hurt so much? And my whole body also hurts like crazy. Ouch!!! Selene suddenly spotted a full-grown man lying beside her, “Hey, who the fu*k are you? And why are you in my bed?” Declan only smiled beautifully, a coy smirk lacing his lips. "Take a look around, sweetheart. You. Are. In. My. Bed!” His deep baritone voice sounded in her ear, stirring emotions she swore never to entertain again, or just maybe she never really felt that way before...