Stroked Meaning

The world is cruel. The world is impartial. good people suffer. And the assholes cum. The people we believe in turn out to be the ones who will stab us in the back the next day. I learned all this in one night. One evening my life turned upside down, and I lost my family, my friends, the love of my life and my innocence. I lost my life. What gave meaning to my existence. But it's not big deal! And you know why?... Because I was able to be reborn. because I understood that all this time I was on the wrong side of the bank. That of good people, of those who strive to live by pronouncing good. And by condemning evil. But now.......I only have one goal. Have power. To be untouchable. And take revenge. And for that, I am ready to sacrifice my body and my soul. For that, I am ready to make a pact with the devil. A pact with Sladerkiss The most powerful and Machiavellian gangster in the state. my name is Suyakie and I am the rotten fruit of this unequal society. And I like it!

A year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.

"Stop squirming, Babydoll. I won't let you go," he said without blinking his eyes, frightening Pearl as he restrained her body. "Who are you? I don't know you," Pearl answered fearfully. He stroked Pearl's flawless skin with the tips of his fingers, then took hold of her jaw. Pearl opened her eyes wide at once. Her breath stopped. This time, she will die. "You know me well, doll. You are my mate.” *** Pearl Rosental has one big dream: to get the best position at a famous design company, The Excellor Enterprise. Therefore, she worked hard to get the opportunity to participate in their internship program. Unfortunately, her father and stepmother forced her to marry Kellent’s only heir, Taggart. Pearl rejected Taggart as her mate despite his urgent need to imprint her. Later, she learns that Taggart is The Excellor's president and owner. Taggart never stepped back from his obsession when he found out about her. Pearl is more than just a mate; she also keeps a big secret about her blood, which captivates Taggart's cousin, Damian. Damian and his father, Matthew, have been trying to steal the Alpha’s crown for a hundred years. Damian falls for Pearl, leading him one step closer to becoming the next Alpha.

The year is 2304 and war has ravaged the world, leaving scattered communities. Keira, a headstrong 25-year-old, has joined the Eagle tribe with the goal of making a difference. Their primary mission is to take back Meraki, a planet that was intended only for the wealthy and privileged. For the past 50 years, raiders seeking riches have taken over Meraki and severed all communication. The Eagle tribe, trained by old war heroes, has been selected to assess the situation and is actively searching for scattered pieces of a space shuttle that was used to travel to Meraki. Keira is one of the few women who joined the force, as most women help out with daily necessities. She has no interest in marriage, but she can't help but react whenever Josh is nearby. Josh, newly appointed as second in command, has a string of women eagerly throwing hints of marriage, and he would stop at nothing to make them sway. His piercing green eyes, sun-kissed blonde hair, dashing dimples, and ripped physique due to excessive training would contribute to the madness. As fate would have it, she found herself crossing paths with Caleb - a master of manipulation with a dashing demeanor. Despite his apparent immunity to emotion, he exuded a commanding presence that was both cold and alluring. There was something dark and mysterious about him that drew her in, and she couldn't help but feel like he had a way of penetrating her guarded thoughts. Meraki is a place for dreams, a meaning to a better future, or maybe where dreams are now scattered by the selfish traits of men for self-gain.

Kill or be killed: That was the motto of a predator and a prey. Turns out that was the same motto in love and relationships. Walking in on my fiancee making out with someone else was the last straw it took for me to break but to save myself the humiliation, I couldn't let the huge proposal I had planned out go to waste. What happens when the stranger I had forced a ring on turned out to be the Capobastone of the Ndrangheta Clan? Even worse, my ex boyfriend was involved in the mafia and the stranger was his boss. Fate twisted and lies were uncovered and I was caught up in a little cat and rat chase with a Mafia boss and there was no hope for me getting out. His words sealed my fate: "Now i didn't force this ring on myself, you did. Might as well add more meaning to it.”

Luke moved then. Fast. Too fast. One second he was across the room, the next he was in front of her, towering over her like a wall of heat and fury. His hands came up, gripping her arms not gently, not cruelly, but with a force that said he was one second from shattering. “You think I don’t fight for you every damn day?” His voice was low, dangerous, vibrating with something raw. “You think I don’t take bullets for you behind the scenes? Every single move I make is to keep you breathing, Abigail. So don’t you dare stand there and act like I’m doing nothing.” Her breath hitched, but the anger didn’t stop burning. “Then say it to her. Say it to their faces instead of hiding behind silence like a coward!” Something snapped in his eyes then something sharp and blazing. And before Abigail could blink, his mouth was on hers. The kiss wasn’t gentle. It wasn’t sweet. It was a collision hard, punishing, desperate. All the rage, the fear, the need that had been coiling between them exploded like fire. Abigail gasped against him, her hands going up to his chest, meaning to push him away except she didn’t. Just couldn’t. Because the second his tongue slid against hers, the second his body pressed flush against hers, every bone in her body melted. Luke growled low in his throat, a sound that made heat curl deep in her belly. He spun her, slamming her gently but firmly against the wall, his hands framing her face as he devoured her mouth like he’d been starving for years.

BOUGHT! BOUND! OWNED! Kyomi King is the first born child in her family, meaning she has to scrape and fend for herself and her brother, now that her parents are gone. Her life is not all sunshine and rainbows because not only were they orphaned when they were young, but they live in a country without legal papers, making the two siblings always on the receiving end of bad things. She slaves for his only family to put bread on the table and keep the roof over their heads, enduring endless sexual assault from her boss and the customers. But it is her life, and she has learned not to thirst for things that are out of reach. Until one day when her very own flesh and blood walks in followed by a bunch of mobsters, then brazenly sells her to them without much of hesitation. Betrayed, she finds herself trapped in a world of darkness, only to discover her inner strength and blossoms into an unstoppable force. All with the help of the man who owned her. Vincenzo Russo.

Ever since I started at the Brooklyn Enquirer as a journalist, I've been reporting on stories nobody cares about. But the other day, I found a story that I was sure the audience would sink their teeth into. One that was front-page worthy and would make our newspaper infamous. Except it centers around a mafia boss and his bloodthirsty brothers.  It won't be easy to get it, but I'm determined to prove my worth. And it starts with Darick Dawson. My heart fluttered as we gazed into each other's eyes. At the same time, we leaned forward, and our lips touched. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he stroked his fingers through my hair, pulling at the roots softly, earning a moan from me. He traced his finger around my lips when suddenly, I opened my eyes and noticed the red in his irises getting darker. My Bloodthirsty Mafia Man is written by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author

"You are mine, mine alone." He muttered, sending a rush of terror and excitement through her. Her face crumbled into a frown as she tried to process his words. "Yours?" She laughed nervously, trying to conceal her fear, "You don't mean it, right?" She questioned doubtfully, but the seriousness on the man's face said otherwise. She scoffed, trying to project , What's this? It's nothing. It's just a mistake night." The man's piercing gaze caused her heart to skip a beat. "I don't think it is." He replied, his voice firm and commanding. "I've marked you, so you are mine now." Her eyes widened in terror as she realised the meaning behind his words. "The bite...it's just a bite." She said, attempting to downplay it, but deep down she knew that the bite meant more than that. She was aware that once a girl was marked, she was chosen as a mate. Being betrayed by the one you loved and trusted is the most miserable thing. For Lily, being the daughter of a traitor in her pack meant a life of mistreatment and abuse. But nothing could have prepared her for the ultimate betrayal: her boyfriend, the new Alpha, bringing home another woman and declaring her his Luna, forcing Lily out of the pack.With her world shattered, Lily drowned her sorrows in a bar, leading to a chance encounter with the enigmatic and feared Alpha, Logan Knight. A ruthless leader with a dark past and a thirst for revenge, Logan has been searching for his mate for years, scouring packs far and wide. And then fate brings him Lily. Will Lily, scarred by her previous betrayal, be able to open her heart to Logan's charms? 

Sent miles from home as part of an Alliance Contract to Thunderwolf Pack, the most powerful pack in the world. Promised mate to the Alpha's son? Fated mate to the Dragon-blood Fae Leader's son? Aria finds herself in the path of two formidably powerful entities as she struggles with her own identity as a werewolf Omega, daughter to an Alpha in the small country of New Zealand, she possesses a rare Alpha-positive gene that guarantees Alpha progeny. In this modern time of low birthrates and failing magic she holds the key to the survival of both races. But will she get to pick the one she loves or will she be forced to be a breeder guaranteeing Alphas where so far none have been born for twenty four years, worldwide. To save werewolves from a fate worse than death - chaos and madness from having no Alpha to control them. No one knowing the true meaning behind her Alpha+ genes - a destiny steeped in ancient fae scripture.