Sword Draw

On my twentieth birthday, my father asked me to draw from a box of straws. It was to pick a husband between William Smith and Austin Smith to inherit North Town. The short straw represented Austin, while the long straw represented William. No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the long straw. However, I was certain that I did not want to marry Austin. I drew straws for three years, but it was to no avail. I had no choice but to tamper with the straws to marry William as I wished. However, ten years into our marriage, he was no longer gentle and kind. He had turned into a really cold person. He neither returned home nor touched me. Even when I threatened him with a knife, he refused to talk to me. Despite feeling hurt, I was unwilling to let him go. That was until I watched him kick away the only medicine I had for my asthma while I was writhing on the floor. “I was the one who switched out the straws. There was no long straw, yet you forced me to marry you. Mandy died from a broken heart, so you should pay with your life.” When I opened my eyes again, I was holding a short straw. I calmly said, “Since it’s the short one, I choose Austin.”

I was prepping the ceremonial cloak for our seventh mating anniversary. The front door suddenly banged open. My son rushed inside, tears streaming down his face. "The teacher yelled at me," he sobbed. He shoved the wrinkled drawing into my hands before burying his face in my shirt. I smoothed out the paper to see what the drama was about. It was a sketch of a faceless woman titled: The Substitute Mom. My heart stopped as I read the scribbles underneath. "Daddy said she is the backup." "She does the chores but gets no wages." "The Real Mom is responsible for being beautiful and guarding the treasury." My fingertips turned ice-cold against the paper. My mate, Ethan, had just returned from a patrol. He kissed my forehead. "What did our pup draw?" The next second, his smile froze when he saw the content. His voice tightened, and he reached out to snatch the book. "He watches too many cartoons! He's writing nonsense!" I stared at the man I had shared a den with for seven years. He looked like a stranger now. If I was the substitute. Who was this beautiful real mother? And where had my true son been all these years?

* The fourth book in the Love and Other Sorcery Series - Book One, The Mage's Heart, Book Two, The Golden Dragon's Princess, Book Three, Akyran's Folly * Love's Sacrifice Will Make You Stronger Tarragon, the first-born child of Queen Diandreliera of Uyan Taesil and her dragon husband, Aurien, is the child of prophecy in every way. She is beautiful, talented, well-learned, and a master of the sword she was born to wield. She is also as magnificent a golden dragon as her father when in dragon-form. Daethie loves and adores her older sister and envies her for all that Tarragon is and Daethie isn't. Short, small, dark haired, and unable to shift into a dragon, Daethie is fondly known as "the runt of the dragon litter." Whilst her siblings excel at Prince Akyran and Princess Ecaeris' Monster Hunting training, Daethie is a disaster more likely to harm herself than any monster that she encounters. When Prince Akyran brings Aien, the son of a local warlock who is well known for his villainy, to the castle as his hostage, Aien singles out Daethie to befriend, and Daethie falls hard and fast for the enigmatic warlock's son. With the increasing danger of monsters roaming their land, Tarragon leads an expedition to locate the portal that is allowing the creatures to cross from their world, but it is a dangerous, testing journey and one that not all will complete alive. What sacrifice will be made for love and the rescue of their world?

Rae Castor is an orphan with attractive features that never fails to draw the attention of men. However with her beauty, comes a price as most ladies in the blue moon pack despises her. She’s seen as a whore—condemned by both young and old. Things become worse after the Alpha King’s son—Damien begins to shower Rae with attention. Kayla—Damien’s best friend who has always been in love with him learns about his growing attraction for Rae. She works on way to get Rae banished from the pack by the Alpha king. Her plans takes an unexpected turn, and instead of Rae being banished she is taken by the Hybrid king—Von Dax. Rae’s world changes before her eyes as she steps into the hybrid kingdom. She is forced to serve Von Dax and his wife—Queen Calister. But what happens when the death of Von’s wife, surprisingly brings them closer? Rae finds herself falling for Von, and so does Von as he begins to feel drawn to her. Unable to control his feelings, Von decides to claim Rae as his mate, but their sweet love story crashes as Von discovers that Rae is his long lost sister, and that marking her has placed a curse on not only her but also his kingdom. Will Von be able to break the curse and save Rae and his kingdom , or will he lose everything?

Elara Moonwyn once believed love could soften even the most feared alpha alive. She was wrong. When Alpha Darius Blackmoor accused her of betrayal, Elara had no chance to defend herself. The Blackmoor pack chose power over truth, and the man she loved turned cold and cruel. With her heart shattered and her trust destroyed, Elara fled the pack in silence—carrying a secret that could have changed everything. She was carrying Darius’s child. Years pass. Elara builds a quiet life far from pack politics, raising her daughter, Mira, in secrecy. But Mira is not an ordinary child. Her wolf power begins to awaken—wild, rare, and impossible to hide. When her abilities draw the attention of the Blackmoor pack, Elara’s past comes crashing back. Darius Blackmoor is no longer the same alpha he once was. Hardened by regret and haunted by mistakes he cannot undo, he is forced to face a truth that shatters his world: he has a daughter. An heir he never knew. A child born from the mate he wronged. As enemies close in and pack leaders demand control over Mira, Elara must decide whether she can trust the alpha who broke her. And Darius must prove—through actions, not words—that he is no longer the ruthless ruler of before, but a father and mate willing to kneel, fight, and bleed for his family. Because redemption is not claimed by strength alone. It is earned through love, sacrifice… and forgiveness.

Claire thought she had it all: a handsome billionaire husband, a luxurious lifestyle, and the promise of a bright future. But behind the glittering facade of her marriage to Leonard Parker, CEO of Parker Industries, lies a heart-wrenching reality. For five years, Claire has played second fiddle to Charlotte, Leonard's childhood friend and constant priority. Despite her unwavering love for Leonard, Claire finds herself suffocating in the shadow of a woman who seems to hold her husband's heart. When Claire discovers she's pregnant, she sees a glimmer of hope for her failing marriage. But a tragic accident at a family gathering shatters her dreams and forces her to confront the painful truth: in Leonard's eyes, she'll always come second to Charlotte. Determined to reclaim her identity and protect her unborn child, Claire makes the heart-wrenching decision to leave Leonard. But walking away from the man she loves and the life she's known proves to be only the beginning of her journey. As Claire navigates her new reality, she finds unexpected allies and rediscovers her passion for architecture. But Leonard isn't ready to let her go, and Charlotte's true nature begins to surface, threatening everything Claire holds dear. Can Claire find the strength to stand on her own and build a new life for herself and her child? Or will the powerful pull of her love for Leonard – and his for her – draw her back into a world where her heart may never truly be first?

Book #1 Marked by the bully Book #2 Protected by the bully ________ Having fallen for his best friend's mate, Zander's finding it difficult to keep up with his promises as a best friend. It is hard to draw her out of his head. Everything about her has attracted him. And watching her around him all the time with his best friend is having an adverse effect on him. He hates it when they kiss, when his friend touches her, and when she lingers around him to make her boyfriend feel jealous. Zander's trying hard to keep it easy between them but in vain— until a mysterious message pops up in his messenger. ***"Hii!" "Who's this?" "You guess *winking emoji*" "Fuc** you" "I asked you to guess, not to swear on me." "I'm asking you for the last time.. Tell me WHO ARE YOUUUUUUUUUUUUU!" "I wish that was 'I LOVE' than 'WHO ARE' before that YOUUUUUUUUU. *monkey hides face emoji*" "Go to hell..." "Hey, wait! I'll tell you who I am *sighing emoji*" "Bark" "I am," "You are???" "I am... Your mate!" "Wait, what? Hey, where are you going come back online and talk to me. At least tell me your name!" //Protected by the bully//**Book #2 for Bully Series. Can't be read as a stand alone, so it's recommended that you read book #1 first.**

On the night of Halloween, my best friend, Mina Corvelle, rushes to save the black cat before me, triumph dancing in her eyes. That is when I, Elora Aldridge, realize that she has been reincarnated, too. In my past life, she scorned the stray for being filthy, so she kept her distance. So, it was I who took pity on the cat and rescued it. When I walked past an old blind woman manning a roadside stall, she told me that the cat was a rare dark fortune cat. Once it recognized a master, it would draw dark riches from all directions and bring unimaginable wealth. I dismissed it as superstition. Yet, the very next day, I was inexplicably promoted to director of the department. Soon after, my family's dilapidated old house found itself part of a redevelopment scheme, and we were given compensation of eight apartments and 30 million dollars in cash. Even the enigmatic golden boy of Lakeshire, Cassian Mercer, started to pursue me relentlessly, declaring that he would only marry me and no one else. But not long after I married Cassian, Mina trapped me—and the black cat—inside the apartment. She then set it on fire, burning us alive. Outside the inferno, she screamed, "Why should you get everything without even lifting a finger? All those riches should've been mine!" When I open my eyes again, I find myself back at the very intersection.

Seventeen-year-old Elara Ward has spent her life being forgotten and shuffled between foster homes and small towns that never remembered her once she’s gone. But the dying town of Willowmere is different. The air hums with whispers, the lake no longer reflects the moon, and something ancient is stirring beneath the willows. When Elara follows a strange light into the woods one blood-red night, she crosses the veil and a boundary between the human world and the Lumenwild, a realm of living moonlight and haunted shadows. There, she’s marked by an ancient power known as Moonfire, a symbol burned into her skin that pulses with the rhythm of the twin moons above. Saved by four mysterious men who are named Cael, their golden-eyed Alpha; Kian, the lightning-tongued rogue; Auren, the silent watcher; and Nyx, the shadow who walks between worlds and Elara learns that her arrival has reignited a prophecy buried in legend. The Riftborn, creatures of bone and smoke, are returning, and the mark she bears is both a weapon and a curse. In the heart of the Lumenwild’s glowing forest lies the Sanctum, a stronghold where wolves walk in light and the Moon’s will is law. There, Elara begins to uncover the truth, her crossing was no accident. The veil didn’t just let her in but it had called her home. As the moons draw closer and the bond between Elara and the wolves deepens, she must choose whether to embrace the power that could heal a broken world… or unleash the one that could end it. Because the Moon is awake again and she remembers her chosen.

In a world where ancient treaties keep monsters in check, Lyra Hale has spent her life hiding what she is. A human witch born of a forbidden bloodline, Lyra’s magic first awakened in childhood, wild, powerful, and dangerous enough to draw the attention of forces her mother spent years running from. When her mother vanishes without a trace, Lyra follows the only clue left behind to Transylvania, a land ruled by vampires and werewolves haunted by the aftermath of forbidden magic. Her arrival does not go unnoticed. Once human, once powerless, Caspian has built his reign on control and fear of vulnerability. Lyra’s magic, ancient, untamed, and resistant to domination, becomes both his greatest threat and his darkest obsession. As witches, vampires, and werewolves close in, Lyra is pulled into a hidden war between covens, courts, and prophecies long buried. Ancient elders awaken, feral creatures stalk the shadows, and whispers of a forbidden creation resurface, proof of what happens when love and power cross sacred lines. Bound to Caspian by dangerous magic neither fully understands, Lyra must choose whether to submit to the laws that seek to control her… or defy them and risk destroying the fragile balance holding the supernatural world together. Because in a realm built on blood and fear, purity is a provocation, love is rebellion, and some bonds were never meant to exist, yet refuse to be broken.