Ten Minutes Till Dawn

**Completed. This is the second book in the Baxter Brother's series. It can be read as a stand-alone novel. Almost ten years ago, Landon watched his mate be killed right before his eyes. It changed him. After being hard and controlling for years, he has finally learned how to deal with the fact that she was gone. Forever. So when he arrives in Washington, Landon is shocked to find his mate alive. And he is even more determined to convince her to give him a chance. Brooklyn Eversteen almost died ten years ago. She vividly remembers the beckoning golden eyes that saved her, but she never saw him again. Ten years later, she agrees to marry Vincent in the agreement that he will forgive the debt. But when those beckoning golden eyes return, she finds she must make an even harder decision.

The night before high school graduation, Ethan Luciano pulled me into his bedroom. His hands were rough, his touch demanding, yet my heart overflowed with a decade's worth of unspoken longing. I'd loved Ethan for ten years, and finally, it seemed my silent wishes had come true. Afterwards, as we lay tangled in his sheets, he whispered that he'd marry me after graduation. Once he took over the Luciano family's empire from his father, he'd make me the most cherished woman in the family. I believed him. The next morning, I sat curled up against his bare chest as he casually told my foster brother, Lucas, about us. My cheeks were flushed, and my heart raced, still clinging to the sweetness of the night before. However, then their conversation shifted into Italian. Lucas smirked, leaning back against the doorframe. "Not bad, Young Boss. Your first time, and the school's 'it girl' just threw herself at you. So, how's my little sister taste?" Ethan gave a lazy chuckle. "Looks like an angel, but a freak in the sheets. Who would’ve thought?" The room erupted in low, conspiratorial laughter. Lucas raised a brow. "So, should I call her my little sister or my future sister-in-law?" Ethan’s tone darkened, his arm tightening around my waist for a moment. Then he let out a sigh. "She’s nothing. Just practice," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper. "I’m trying to hook up with the cheer captain, Sylvia Dawson, but I don’t want her thinking I’m clueless in bed. Cynthia Saville’s just a warm-up." He paused. "But don’t tell Sylvia. I don’t need her getting all emotional." They didn't know that I’d spent months secretly learning Italian, preparing for the life I thought I’d share with Ethan. I didn't say a word. Later that day, I quietly withdrew my early decision application to Caltech and applied to MIT instead.

Abandoned by her mum at the age of ten, Abused by her own father since then and bullied at school every single day, Makaila wanted nothing more than to feel the love of a father, a mother, a friend... Or that special someone. Then, He came into her life. Will he give her that love she has always craved for? Or will he just make matters worse?

Rosella had been living in pain since birth and she's quite convinced that the universe hates her. From losing her mother to being used to pay off the debt her father owed the alpha, she doesn't need a soothsayer to confirm it. She was abused and trampled on till she could no longer take it. Multiple escape attempts all ending in the same way; Her being caught and beaten seriously. A final attempt at suicide delivers her right into her true mate's hands. Maybe the universe doesn't hate her after all. Finding out she's pregnant for her alpha and her true mate is his half-brother, maybe the universe hates her truly.

Grace Jones fell in love with a stranger at first sight on her final day in college which led to a one night stand. And she believed she had found her mate till the next morning when she woke up and the stranger was no longer there. Grace fell pregnant two months later and had to run away from home as her parents were forcing her to abort the pregnancy. She managed to survive somehow and became a freelance writer. Seven years later, Grace saved a young Billionaire who later turned out to be the Father of her child, the one man she had loved and hated at the same time...

Alta Rodriguez's one goal in life is pretty simple; to survive. Which is why, to achieve said goal, she's landed herself in one of the most affluent stripclubs in Prescott, Arizona. Where she meets him. Lorenzo Vitale. Controlling, demanding, intense. The self made billionaire rocks her world until she's left questioning herself in regards to his dark desires. After one insanely passionate night with him, Alta finds herself back in her destitute world, never to see him again. But fate works to bring them back together, and also to test their bond. Would it hold up against Alta's dark past? Would it survive under the strain of conflicts both internal and external? Warning: Mature content. Suitable for readers above the ages of 18.

My art studio caught fire. I risked my life to pull my boyfriend, Vincent Parcelle, out of the flames. Vincent wanted to rush back inside to save his first love, Tammy Reese, who was trapped inside. But I stopped him. The fire destroyed her face and left her legs amputated. Unable to face her disfigurement and disability, Tammy took her own life by overdosing on pills. Afterward, Vincent and I moved forward and got married. On our wedding night, he slit my throat without thinking twice. "If it weren't for you, Tammy wouldn't be dead. Go to hell and pay for your sins!" Only after dying did I realize—Vincent had hated me to the core ever since the fire. For some reason, I was reborn. Grateful that the heavens had given me another chance at life, I ran without looking back this time. To hell with love. I was determined to survive.

Two different worlds, two separate lives are fused together in this surreal tale of the supernatural. A world unknown to her and a world he runs from. An unending war between their worlds leads them down the same path with their destinies aligned. What will happen when the fate of their worlds hang in the balance and they have to make a choice? *** She had no idea how long she had been sleeping for but she woke up to the sound of someone sniffing. She was drowsy so she paid not much attention to it but then it continued, then she heard the voice again, “Lavender, you use lavender for your hair. How have I never sniffed your hair before?", the sniffing continued. The sound reverberated through the caves, whilst she felt the vibrations on his chest where she lay, but she did not need that to know whose voice it belonged to. It was deep but not hoarse, somehow it was powerful and soothing at the same time, it was the voice of a god, one that had spoken to her all of these months, one she had replayed over again in her head till it was ingrained in her memory. “Dragomir…”, she whispered in a teary voice, she proceeded to stand up but he held on to a part of her hair and was sniffing it. When he noticed her staring at him, he stopped and stared back at her as if she had just caught him trying to steal from the cookie jar. “Was that creepy?”, he asked.

Lin Wen Xin is a beautiful woman, born with elegant and distinctive features. There are countless men chasing after her love, but she has never accepted any one of them. She will always remember the promise that her first love made to her in high school, “Wait for me, you will be the only girl that I will marry!” Six years later, she was forced to marry the cold and ruthless billionaire president of DT Holdings, Wang Shen Ze. “Since she wants to play with me, I will play with her till the end. I will make sure that she will heavily regret her decision to marry me for the rest of her life!”

“Let’s get this over with, I have things to do. Just so you understand, I need a strong and BEAUTIFUL Luna by my side. I, Alpha Cullen Niles, of the Ironclaw Pack, reject you, Rebel Lawson, as my mate and Luna.” Instantly, my chest feels like it is ripped open and gutted. The pain is the worst I’ve ever felt. But I refuse to show pain in front of Alpha Cullen. I stay rigid and force my face not to react. Roxie is howling in desperation, because she wants her mate and he just rejected us, causing her immense pain too. The sooner I accept, the sooner we can move on. “I, Rebel Lawson, accept your rejection.” It was like a final death blow. I see Alpha Cullen grab his chest, taking deep breaths. Then after a couple of minutes he stood straight up. I still haven’t moved. Bearing all the pain until Roxie and I can be alone. “You will not mention this to anyone, do you understand?” As much pain as I was in, I couldn’t muster up the strength to say yes, so I just nodded. “Good, I can’t have people knowing I was mated to such a she-wolf.” With that, he turned and walked away. I turned and went back to the lake, sat down next to my guitar and then the barriers crumbled. I held on to my chest and cried for hours. Roxie feeling weak from the rejection, retreated to the back of my mind. She was still talking to me, but it was much quieter. I felt so incredibly alone. Fated mates were supposed to love each other, no matter what. He was supposed to protect, cherish and love me. However, I never felt more unwanted and alone.