Specific Wine Quality Crossword Clue

The day I went into labor with the twins, I bribed the family doctor to shoot me up with every heavy-duty suppressant he could get his hands on. Anything to stall the birth. Why? Because in my last life, Vincent—my husband, the Don—claimed to have a low sperm count. To guarantee an heir, he lined up ten mistresses and told the whole house: whoever popped out a son first, her kid would be the next Corleone Don. He promised if I delivered first, he'd ditch the others. Said our baby would inherit the throne. I bought every word. When I found out I was carrying twins, I couldn't stop shaking—I thought I'd won. But after I gave birth, he tossed me and the babies into the freezing wine cellar and locked the place down. "Lucy came from nothing. I just wanted to give her kid a name. You started rumors, pushed her into despair, and now she's dead—her and the baby. You're vile. Not fit to be the Don's wife. Think about what you've done. I'll open the door in three days." Then he had the butler seal it shut. What he didn't know? That night, the cellar caught fire. Me and my babies? Burned alive. When I opened my eyes again, I was back—right before labor. This time, I'm not staying. Soon as I deliver and get back on my feet, I'm taking my kids and disappearing for good.

It took me ten years to become the right hand to Damian Costello, the Consigliere of the Costello crime family. From a nobody to the woman wearing his engagement ring. But two weeks before the wedding, I decided to throw that ring away. Everyone in the family knew how hard I had fought all these years just to stand by Damian's side. I gave up the chance to become a top trader on Wall Street, willingly becoming Damian's assistant, his shadow. This man was infamous for his coldness and exacting nature, keeping everyone at arm's length. So I hid my sharp edges, spending a decade wearing down his icy exterior with gentleness. I cleansed the blood from every dollar he made. I became a necessity to him, as essential as the air he breathed. I thought that after ten years, I had finally made my presence indispensable. And finally earned what looked, to outsiders, like a glimmer of his affection. The family's notoriously aloof genius actually remembered my birthday. He even made an exception, letting me spend the night in his private study when I was unwell. He didn't even push me away when, emboldened by wine, I pressed a kiss to the side of his neck. If the Don's daughter, Isabella, hadn't returned from Italy, I might have kept playing my part, clinging to that false dream forever. But sadly, there are no ‘ifs’. I am going to give up everything here and leave you.

When I'm seven months pregnant, my mate, Kayden Booker, brings me to a celebratory party hosted in the Darkwind pack. Vera Walker, a Beta warrior, purposefully splashes red wine onto my gown. She also accuses me of smelling like a Rogue. I shove her away, only for her to collapse to the floor. Kayden immediately picks Vera up before slapping me in the face. "You're just a plaything to warm my bed, and yet you have the gall to touch what's mine?" That night, the video of me doing a lap dance while heavily pregnant is projected to the pack's public monitor, all thanks to Vera. The comment section is filled with the wolves' lewd chuckles and mocking comments. As I hide outside the door, I listen to Kayden and his subordinates' conversation. "She's just a human being who's meant to carry my pup. I'm going to abandon her when I get sick of her." "Only the Moon Goddess knows if that pup inside her womb is a bastard pup or what." "Vera is right. Women like her should be groomed." The wolves laugh among themselves. "Alpha Kayden, that woman sure is hot! Will you give her to us and let us have a taste?" Kayden replies icily, "Once she gives birth to that wretched pup, you can do whatever you want to her." Laughter fills the conference hall once again. I pull out the silver dagger that I've been tucking under my pillow. Then, I scratch out the countdown timer on my calendar.

Everyone in the upper circles knew I was the Xander family’s delicate little porcelain doll, someone who could not tolerate even the slightest grievance. I always had to sit in the seat of honor at gatherings. My drinks had to be served ice-cold. If anything annoyed me even a little, I would have my childhood friends clear the room. That was, until the fallen heiress returned. She did not rely on men. She had built her own business from scratch and was ruthless in the boardroom, radiating a wild, untamed beauty. Slowly, my dear brothers began to find me insufferable and too high-maintenance. When they pulled their investments from my gallery to back her projects instead, only my fiancé stayed by my side, comforting me. “Forget them. They’re all opportunists. I’ll always keep you safe in the palm of my hand!” That was until one day, I saw that same proud fiancé bent low like a servant, humbly wiping wine stains off the heiress's shoes in a corner of a club. His eyes were filled with a devotion I had never seen before. “All I need is one look from you, and I’ll drop the whole wedding.” I took off my engagement ring and tossed it into the drain. Then, I went home and told my grandfather, “Grandpa, I’m going to Africa for that development aid project. “I’ll agree to the arranged marriage. Just don’t make me see them again."

When Alpha Silas Whitlock, the strongest Alpha of the Thunder Stone pack, had expected to settle down with his mate in a peaceful life, he is betrayed by his Beta and half-brother, Ezra, who frames him for a murder he didn’t commit. Now, he has no option but to run from the people who he once considered family. However, what he hadn't expected was to run into his real mate. The only problem is that she’s a weak human with no idea of the existence of the supernatural world and Silas needs a strong warrior by his side if he has to get back his pack and defeat his brother. Zoya had once had the perfect life and the perfect job at New York City Hospital. However, one wrong move with her perverted boss ends her transferred to a clinic in the middle of nowhere. To top it off, her ‘arranged’ fiancé decides to cheat on her with her cousin! Just as she is about to say ‘fuck you’ to her past and start a new life in the mountains, she ends up finding a very naked man inside her cabin in the middle of the woods. What on earth is going on? Things couldn’t get any worse, could they? If only she had the slightest clue… Will Silas be able to look past Zoya’s humanity and accept her as his mate? Or will Zoya have to watch the man she has come to love be claimed by another, breaking her heart forever? Or will fate give her a second chance at love with a man just as broken as her?

In the world of high finance, Melody Von Line is making a name for herself. She’s started working with the legendary Wolf of Bay Street as his associate, no less. There’re a few slight problems, okay, they’re huge. She didn’t know when they called him a wolf. They really meant it. He’s a wolf shifter. That wouldn’t be a problem if she were a human woman. She’s not. Melody is a fox, as in a fox shifter. Foxes are the prey for wolves, and it hasn’t changed. So, she desperately resists her growing attraction to the handsome wolf. But today’s the day he makes his move. Offering her a long weekend with him, no strings attached, anything goes, but they walk away at the end of the weekend and get on with their lives as it never happened.Things like this never go as planned. Malcolm wants to change the rules as the weekend winds down. But now he’s alone in the cottage, without a clue to where Melody has gone. Tuesday morning, he discovers she’s quit her job with no forwarding address. He wants answers. This has put him off his A-game because he wants her back. After a meeting over a year later, he sees her in a crowd. There’s no mistaking that fiery red hair, and she’s pushing a stroller with a child in it. A child who bears his distinctive blue wolf’s eyes. There’s no mistaking them. Now the hunt begins anew. No human could ever raise a shifter pup without their secret existence being revealed. This time he’s hunting two for keeps.

This is book 1 in the Royal Wolf Of Zidiah series. This book can be read as part of the series or as a standalone. Lillian Dalgaard, or Lilly to her friends, is the future Queen of Zidiah, a strong, powerful, rare wolf shifter and part vampire. With capabilities like no other, only a strong Alpha wolf will do as Lilly's mate. However, the mate she gains is not one she wants. Bastian is a powerful Alpha in his own right and runs his pack with an iron fist. He has no tolerance for rogues and even less for Lillian Dalgaard. When Bastain's men kidnap Lilly, locking her in Greenrock packs cells, they have no clue what they've set in motion. Realising that Lilly is his mate, Bastian rejects her on the spot, not realising he just rejected the future Queen and Omerian wolf that all men wish was theirs, leaving her to die. When the realisation hits, Bastian knows his only choice is to accept Lilly, or it could mean the end of both of them. Lilly, however, has other ideas. She will not accept Bastian, no matter what it costs. Lilly will fight for what's right, and Bastian Ashworth has no business believing that he can write the wrongs of the past between them. Will Bastain be able to show Lillian how wrong he was? Or will her mighty wolf tear him to shreds before the eyes of his pack? There are four books in the series - Alpha Verses Omerian book 1 The Romerian Alpha's Mate, book 2 - both available now. **I sincerely apologise for any confusion with this book and the second. I hope you will continue to read book 2 **

Billy had a tough life and had always lived by one unshakable rule. But one fateful night at an elite party, where she worked as a part-time server, everything changed as she caught the intense eyes of a stranger—a man whose allure was impossible to resist. And against her better judgment, she broke that rule of hers, surrendering to a night of passion and desire that left her breathless. But when she woke up in the morning, the bed was empty, and the stranger was gone, leaving Billy with nothing but memories of that night. Weeks later, she discovered the consequences of that night: she was pregnant. With no clue, and no way to find that stranger, she braced herself to face motherhood alone. Months passed, and Billy landed another job—serving at the engagement party of one of the city’s most powerful billionaires. But when she was called to serve a drink at the party, her world tilted as the groom-to-be was none other than the man she had been searching for: Marcus Lorenzo. Marcus, the cold-hearted billionaire with a reputation for ruthlessness, had been haunted by that night he had with Billy. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t forget the mysterious woman who had set his soul on fire. Now, faced with Billy again, he keep finding himself drawing closer to her and this brings out their lust for each other despite the obstacles between them. As their shared desire reignites, the boundaries of their lives blur. But with secret and lies threatening to destroy them, Billy and Marcus must confront the question: Was their night of passion a fleeting mistake, or the start of something far more dangerous?

Gianna had tirelessly searched for employment, driven by the need to earn a living, and finally secured a position at one of the largest beverage companies in the Philippines. However, in an unforeseen twist of fate, she discovered that her new boss was none other than the man she vehemently despised: Francis Locan, the CEO and President of The Golden Scenery, one of the most renowned wine companies in the Philippines. He was known for his cold demeanor and his aversion to those who sought him out solely for his wealth. But beneath his icy gaze lay a secret he had guarded for a long time. He suffered from a rare condition called monochromacy disorder, which rendered him unable to perceive color and also significantly impaired his vision compared to that of a normal person. Yet, upon meeting Gianna, he couldn't explain why he could perceive the colors surrounding her, a phenomenon that defied all medical understanding. Driven by a desperate hope for a cure, he devised a plan to use Gianna, believing that somehow she held the key to his healing. However, as time passed, his feelings for the young woman became increasingly genuine, despite his repeated attempts to dismiss them. Though he resisted acknowledging it, he found himself ensnared in his own carefully constructed trap. What would Gianna do when she discovered that all the affection and attention she had received from the man she had grown to love had been meticulously planned and orchestrated? Would she be able to forgive him for his deception, or would she choose to walk away, her heart shattered by his betrayal?

One week before our wedding, my fiancé, my father’s own consigliere, sold him out.He set him up for a FBI raid. My father died in a pool of blood, his eyes wide open, and the once-great Moretti family collapsed overnight. In my darkest hour, Dominic, the Don of the New York Luciani family, showed up with a crew of mercenaries. He didn't just take care of the rat; he gave me total protection. He obsessed over me for three years, even tattooing my name over his heart. I fell for it. I believed he loved me. I let my guard down and stayed by his side, serving as the lead perfumer for the coldest man in the city. Until today. Outside the wine cellar, I overheard him talking to his rival. "Old man Moretti died never knowing who had leaked his location," Dominic said. "But imagine if that stupid woman, Elena, found out," the rival mocked. "If she knew the man who killed her father was the same husband kissing her forehead every night... would she lose her mind?" My hand froze on the cellar door. The rival’s laughter came through the cracks: "You’re cold-blooded, Dominic! Elena thinks you’re her savior. She even wants to give you an heir. She’d never dream the raid that destroyed her life was actually your offering to Sienna."