Sword Art Online Abridged 10

She had always feared the opposite gender. Her dislike rooted in trauma, her heart shaped by the pain inflicted on her by someone who wasn't female. For years, she ran from those fears, convinced that one day, they would consume her; then she met him. He was everything she despised yet wanted. A mirror of the chaos she tried to escape, yet the calm she never knew she needed. His presence stirred the storm inside her, but still soothed it. She hated the way he made her feel; vulnerable and weak. And in the wreckage of her guarded heart, he planted something dangerous/; hope, that she may run from her fears no longer.

Brianna grew up among the socialites and the Occult of New Orleans. When her adoptive father dies when she is only 10 she discovers just how sinister her mother can be. Now 21 she is in a race against time to get out before the Vipers find out exactly what they are losing. So that one day she can return and seek the retribution owed for the death of her father and to keep his coven's legacy from falling into darkness. Following her fathers divine word as a seer she takes to the Bayou to discover "The Beast that is her heart," What she finds is a whole lot of testosterone and a struggling family trying to keep a foothold as their pack dies out. They too have a vendetta of their own, for an old wound that Brianna's presence dredges up in their hearts. Can Brianna avenge herself and her father? Can they each protect their hearts? Because there's more than one beast in the swamp that she is falling for. Will she choose wisely or will she even choose at all? Being tangled in a web of friendships, family and broken souls, will they find their way together? or will the Vipers devour her soul?

I married a guy thirty-two years older than I am. Reason? Money. We got divorced, I got all his money and became the city's richest person. Just when my luck was starting to turn, I was hit with devastating news. My ex died. Drowned, they said. The cops think I'm the killer.

It's Family Day at my daughter, Hannah Neel's, preschool, but my wife, Samantha Miller, says she has to work and tells both Hannah and me not to go. Seeing the disappointment on Hannah's face breaks my heart, so I bring her to school anyway. As soon as we step through the gates, I see Samantha. She's holding her childhood friend—Oscar Barnett's—hand, with a little boy clutching her other. The three of them look like a perfect family, laughing and chatting, as if they belong together. When Samantha sees us, her smile fades, and she lets go of Oscar's hand. "Zach, it's not what you think. Oscar's raising his son alone. Today's his fifth birthday, and he just wanted to give him a little taste of a mother's love," she says quickly. I study her for a moment, then kneel and gently take Hannah's hand in mine. "Sweetheart, say hello to the lady."

Lila only wanted to fit in for this one night and this one party. So she had one fake boyfriend to keep her from feeling invisible in a sea of confident smiles and perfect couples. It was supposed to be simple until her fake date ditched her under the blinding strobe lights, leaving her stranded and humiliated in the middle of the hockey team’s Freshers Welcome Party. But humiliation took an unexpected turn when Ethan, her best friend’s brother, and worse, her brother’s best friend stepped in to save her. That moment should have been the start of something new. Instead, it became the beginning of everything she never saw coming. Because while her heart recognized something in his eyes, his stayed shuttered, cold and unreachable. And just when she thought she was ready to forget, the fake boyfriend returns, this time, asking for something real. Between two hearts that shouldn’t collide and a past that refuses to stay buried, Lila must choose: follow the safety of what she knows, or risk everything for what she can’t seem to let go of?

COVER PHOTO CREDITS: Monique Albatross A nice hockey romance is waiting for you... but it is also full of unexpected twists, action, and happy endings. Nathaniel is a new hockey player from Canada and Valentina is just a sports reporter who hates hockey players...Or so she tells herself... sparks will fly, promises will be made and broken...secrets are getting uncovered... and since we are at it already let's find a happy ending for the whole team, shall we? dive with me into a whole series of hockey love steam and action In the second story you get to know Anabelle and Seth, each of them has a story that could break your heart...but would they heal, or ruin each other? And so much more awaits you...

In the dangerous world of organized crime, love is a luxury few can afford. But for Andrea Lopez, the daughter of a powerful mafia family, it's the one thing she craves most. Despite her kindness and resilience, past traumas have left her wary of opening her heart. When fate brings her face-to-face with Stefano Costanzo once again—her best friend's brother and the ruthless don she's always longed for—sparks fly, and old wounds reopen. Stefano, a cold and ruthless mafia don, lives a life devoid of emotional attachments, harboring a secret pain known to few. Yet, seeing Andrea again after so many years reignites emotions he thought long buried. As they navigate the treacherous waters of their shared past and uncertain future, they're drawn inexorably together despite their best efforts to resist. But their reunion is not without peril. Stefano's dangerous world threatens to consume them both, and Andrea must confront not only her own demons but also the demons of the man she loves. Can they find redemption in each other's arms, or will their love be their undoing?   *** “Why the hell did you just do that?” I demand, my anger rising. “I’m trying to protect you,” he says, his eyes blazing. “Protect me from what? A good friend?” “He’s not who you think he is. I don’t trust him.” “You don’t trust him, or you’re worried he’ll take me away from you?” I challenge. Stefano’s eyebrow arches. “You think I’m worried he’ll take you away from me?” He leans in close, his lips brushing my ear. “Oh, luce del sole, no one can take you from me. You’re mine.”

Marcus Myers is the classic millionaire playboy, handsome and a rebel, the perfect formula to get what he wants, no woman resists him until he meets Daniella Douglas; she will not fall easily to his charms; she is a determined and intelligent woman, and does not intend to be anyone's toy. Both are about to start College, when by chance, they meet, the attraction between them makes desire and passion inevitable. Daniella is reluctant to be one more in his list of conquests, but Marcus will not give up until she is his and no one else. Marcus and Daniella are attracted to each other in every way, but who will be the one to give in to this relationship, who will take the first step when they both fall madly in love. This is book 2, the sequel to "When you leave your heart behind" book 1; however it can be read as a stand-alone story.

"He shattered her heart. Now she's back, but with his secret and a storm of revenge" Five years ago, Elena once loved Grayson Wolfe with everything she had until he betrayed her. Leaving her broken, abandoned, and pregnant. Now a powerful woman, Elena returns with a single mission: destroy the man who ruined her life. But nothing is ever that simple. Grayson isn't the same ruthless billionaire she left behind. He's colder, darker, and dangerously obsessed with uncovering the truth she hides. As old sparks reignite and secrets unravel, Elena finds herself caught between vengeance and desire, hate and love. But the biggest secret of all? A child! The daughter Grayson never knew existed. In the world of betrayal, twisted passion and second chances, can two scarred hearts find redemption? Or will revenge tear them apart for good?

Alpha Theon Blackwood, a 25-year-old Alpha of the Blackwood Pack, rules with an iron fist, valuing power above all, shaped by a painful past that he overcame through his first kill, earning him respect. His life takes an unexpected turn when he is forced to shelter and protect relatives, including a 20-year-old human girl named Leah, revealed through his older brother's secrets. Leah, who has just lost her parents, is now responsible for raising her three werewolf siblings as a human, facing new dangers and forced to trust the werewolf pack led by the forceful Alpha Blackwood. Despite werewolves not typically keeping secrets, Leah discovers the Blackwood Pack is full of deadly secrets.