Stepping Artinya

"Hatred is still an emotion, sweetheart," I murmured, stepping closer. "That means you still care." Forced into a marriage with the man who despises her family, Isla vows to resist him. But Dante is a man who always gets what he wants, and what he wants… is her. As secrets unravel and enemies close in, Serena finds herself trapped in a dangerous game of power, revenge, and an undeniable attraction she can't escape. Because in Dante’s world, love isn’t gentle. It’s a war. And Serena is about to learn—when the Don wants something, he takes it.

The Bloodfang Pack’s Alpha has declared a grand warrior match. A test of strength, cunning, and dominance. The werewolf who emerges victorious will not only earn the title of champion but will also claim his most beautiful daughter as a mate. But everyone knows this is just a formality. No matter who wins, I should be the one to marry Harken Shadowfang. He and I grew up together, our wolves intertwined by years of shared hunts and whispered promises beneath the full moon. He has always been my destined mate—or so I thought. The match begins, and Harken deliberately loses. I watch as he kneels in the dirt, breathing heavily, his sharp golden eyes flicking toward me with something cruel, something mocking. A chill runs down my spine. Why? Why would he do this? The victor stands tall, his fur still bristling from the heat of battle. Alaric Jaggedmane. A warrior through and through, his aura is heavy with the weight of a true Alpha—something Harken never had. Without hesitation, I step forward, lifting the warrior’s wreath. "Congratulations," I say, my voice steady. "You're now my husband." A furious snarl rips through the air. Harken storms toward me like a rabid beast, his fangs bared, his hands trembling as he snatches the wreath from my grasp. "Why didn't you pick me?" he demands, his voice bordering on madness. I meet his gaze without fear. Because in my past life, I did. I chose him. I thought he loved me. I thought we would be happy. But I was a fool. After my father’s death, Harken locked me away, keeping me weak with silver-laced drugs while he took his true mate, Ravyn Evermoon, to public events at his side. I was nothing but a tool. A stepping stone for his ambitions. A title to secure his rule. It was only then that I learned of his betrayal— of the three children he had already fathered with her. And so now, with this second chance granted to me by the Moon Goddess herself, I do not waver. I will not be Harken’s pawn again.

‘It’s not that there aren’t good people in the world. It’s that the bad ones are so much easier to find.’ A teen mother raises her daughter on a looping road trip, living hand-to-mouth in motel rest stops and backwater towns, stepping occasionally into the heat and chaos of the surrounding cities. A life without permanence, filled with terrors and joys, their stability is dependent on the strangers—and strange men—they meet along the way. But what is the difference between the love of a mother, and the love of a friend? And in a world with such blurred lines, where money is tight and there’s little outside influence, when does the need to survive slide into something more sinister? ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

After I became pregnant, my figure changed, and my face grew puffy. My fiancé began to treat me with a subtle, almost imperceptible sense of disdain. When the baby was five months along, it happened to be Valentine's Day. That day, he finally agreed to take our wedding photos, something I'd been hoping for. But just as we arrived at the bridal studio, his phone rang. "Mike, I just got back to the country. My friends are hosting a gathering, and everyone's bringing their boyfriends. Could you come and pretend to be mine?" It was a few short sentences, yet it completely altered the expression on his face. He turned abruptly, stepping out of the studio with a look of urgency. "Lucy's back. I have to go see her," he said. Hearing those words, a fire of rage ignited inside me, one I couldn't suppress. "For her? You're going to leave me here alone?" I demanded. "Do you even know how long I've been looking forward to today? It's Valentine's Day, and instead of staying with me, you're going to be with her?" His impatience flared visibly as I stood my ground. Without a word, his hand pushed me aside, and he strode out of the shop. "We can take wedding photos any day. I'm the only one Lucy has in this country. I have to go see her," he said. Then, gripping my wrist with alarming force, he shoved me, sending me sprawling to the floor. Without a backward glance, he got into his car and drove off. I felt a sudden, wet heat flowing from my lower abdomen. Pain surged through my stomach, sharp and unbearable, as my consciousness started to fade. A wave of despair and terror consumed me. Someone. Anyone. Please save my baby.

“You’re so wet for me, baby.” I yank on his clothes and pull him closer, “Always so hungry for my cock,” he groans, His eyes are on me as he pushes into me, and I whimper impatiently. He’s taking his sweet time filling me up, loving how he’s driving me crazy. “Good girl,” he murmurs. “Taking my cock like that.” He pulls back almost all the way and then slams into me, finally giving me what I want. I moan in delight and Alexander buries his hand in my hair, pulling me closer. He kisses me roughly, and I lose myself in him. “Tell me how you want it, baby. I want you to come for me,” he says, his lips lingering on mine. “Just like this,” I tell him. “More.” ___________________ In a desperate bid to save her mother's life, Elena finds herself at a crossroads she never imagined. Stepping into the dimly lit embrace of a gentlemen's club, she prepares to make a sacrifice she never thought she would have to make. But fate has a twisted sense of humor, as she comes face to face with a man she never expected to encounter in such a place - Alexander Kennedy. What starts as a chance encounter quickly spirals into a proposition that turns Elena's world upside down. Instead of selling her body, Alexander offers her a marriage of convenience. A deal that promises to save her mother's life, but at a cost she never anticipated. For hidden beneath his charming facade lies a web of revenge, and Elena becomes a pawn in his dangerous game. Caught between a rock and a hard place, Elena is left with an impossible choice. Does she embrace the devil she knows, Alexander, and risk losing herself in his twisted plans?

Healing from a devastating breakup with her longtime boyfriend, Ember Heart crosses paths with Icen Clayton Blackstone, the smoking hot heir to Phoenix Empire dubbed by tabloids 'Heartless Prince'.  She vowed to avoid him at all costs only to find herself stepping on his office for an interview and getting the job.

Louisa Mensah believes she has it all; a powerful business, a wonderful daughter and the greatest best friend one could ever wish for... but one thing she does not have is a man to call her own. She did have one, but he vanished from her life without a trace, leaving her with no option but to move on after a very devastating heartbreak. Billionaire Philanthropist, William Blankson has never stopped loving Louisa. Yes, he may have exited her life abruptly... but he has a perfectly reasonable explanation for that; it was to protect her from the darkness that was his family's past. But he's back now, and he's ready to do whatever it takes to win her back. Christian Ayettey meets Louisa, his former classmate again after so many years and just like that, his crush on her is back with a vengeance- only this time... it is something even more. Chris is determined to win her heart with this second chance he has been given, even if it means stepping on the toes of his business partner and close friend, William Blankson. Stuck in a dilemma of having to choose between the two men, and wanting to keep a very important secret hidden, Louisa finds that perhaps, she may not have it all like she initially thought.

When I went to the hospital for a checkup to see if my fourth IVF attempt had succeeded, I saw Daniel Cooper, who was supposed to be on a business trip. He was carefully supporting a young, beautiful woman as they walked out of the obstetrics and gynecology department. Her belly was unmistakably round, and she looked like she was ready to give birth at any moment. Daniel froze for just a second before stepping in front of her, shielding her from me. He explained, "Abby, the Cooper family needs an heir to carry on the lineage. Once the baby is born, everything will go back to the way it was." I heard the certainty in his words. So I smiled, nodded, and quietly tucked my test results away as he stared at me in surprise. On the day she gave birth, I left the divorce papers on the kitchen table and walked out of his life for good.

Awakening to a bewildering and astonishing reality, Seraphina found herself in an extraordinary situation: she had transmigrated into her own novel, stepping into the shoes of a character she had meticulously crafted. The male lead in her story was notoriously elusive, challenging to approach, and the master of a harem. Seraphina, now Zephyrine Everlynn, unexpectedly found herself among the women in his harem. It was utterly absurd! Promptly leaving the harem, Seraphina used her knowledge to help others win the male lead's heart, all for the right price. But why did the male lead continuously find his way back to her?

Clara Nolan thinks she has her life all figured out until the threat of a lay off at work looms over her. She is determined to keep her job as a reporter at all costs even if it means stepping on everyone in her path to success. All she needs is to break the biggest story the town has ever heard. But in a town terrified of the very people she's after, will she have any support to expose a dark secret? * The last place Lincoln James Bancroft wants to be is in Sunrise Cove, a town that he equates to tragedy after the loss of his mother. But he knows better than anyone else that when the patriarch of the Bancroft family calls, there is no option but to respond. * What has brought the Bancrofts back together after the terrible tragedy that claimed the life of Georgia Bancroft? Where will Clara Nolan draw the line when she finds herself in a rough entanglement with the most powerful family in town?