Tenderness

Your freedom is not yours to bargain with,” his deep voice growled as he closed the distance between us. My body trembled, helpless against the fear of what awaited me. His fingers traced my check with cruel tenderness, his breath warm against my skin as I leaned in. A shiver ran through me as his lips brushed my neck. "You're mine forever," he whispered. "That's all you shall ever be–a breeder." That one word shattered my world. I never wished this fate, least of all to him, the ruthless Lycan King who sees Omegas as nothing more than his sexual plaything. I wanted him to be my first, though love isn't for someone like me–a discarded Omega with no worth. Rejected by her Alpha mate, who chose her twin sister over her, Morwenna is sold to the Lycan King, Leofric Thaddeus, as his breeder. Heartbroken and filled with anger, she vowed to resist him, yet her body betrayed her, wanting the Lycan King's touch. But when her first mate returned, pleading for her forgiveness, Morwenna faced an impossible choice: the love she once dreamed of or the ruthless Lycan King who now claims her body. Perhaps even her heart.

I had been married for eight years when I inherited a fortune worth hundreds of millions that my grandfather left to me and my mafia boss husband. However, just as the lawyer was finalizing the transfer, we discovered my marriage certificate was fake. That meant the entire inheritance could only go to me. “Ms. Rivers, according to the system, you were divorced a year ago. Your husband, Zayn Levine, is legally married to… Whitney Sanders. According to the papers, you're single. In other words, Mr. Levine has no right to claim the inheritance.” Whitney, the woman Zayn had once loved before she went abroad, the one he never forgot. I stared at the lawyer’s message, unable to accept it. All of Zayn’s affection and tenderness over the years had been nothing but a lie. I had planned to tell him on our anniversary that after eight long years of marriage, I was pregnant. It was the miracle we had both been waiting for. Yet it seemed like he had never really been looking forward to it at all. As I gently rested my hand on my belly, I told myself that even if my twins grew up without a father, they would be just fine. In this place built on nothing but lies, the only thing left for me to do was run away.

One night. One mistake. One secret that changes everything. Broke, heartbroken, and struggling to survive, Chloe never imagined her life could get any messier—until a drugged drink at a bar lands her in the bed of a mysterious, sinfully attractive stranger. She swears she’ll never see him again… until two months later, she discovers she’s pregnant. Desperate for a job, Chloe saves an old man from an attack, not knowing he’s the grandfather of her new boss—the same man from that unforgettable night, Drake Jefferson. Cold, powerful, and determined to uncover the truth, Drake suspects the baby might be his and will stop at nothing to find out. When Mr. Jefferson’s dying wish forces Chloe into a one-year marriage contract with Drake, she vows to protect her heart. But as Drake’s tenderness chips away at her walls, Chloe finds herself falling for the man she promised to leave. Just when love feels within reach, a jealous rival strikes, putting Chloe and her unborn child in deadly danger. Now, Drake must decide how far he’ll go to protect the woman who was never supposed to be his… but might just be his forever.

In the coastal quiet of Baler, a studio is born—not of architecture, but of intention.* Founded by Yam, a poet whose words cradle pain gently, and Franc, an artist who paints tenderness into walls, the studio becomes a refuge for those learning to stay—with grief, love, longing, and themselves. As visitors arrive, they leave behind more than footprints: a sigh recorded in bamboo, a poem tucked into the “Found Letters” shelf, a mural painted in crooked lines. Through zines, tea, silence, and sketchbooks, the studio teaches softness as revolution. Ren creates the *Window of Soft Returns*, an installation of anonymous voice recordings—each whisper forming a community of echoes. Drew builds the *Staircase With No Wrong Turns*, inviting people to walk through emotions without shame. Franc offers brushstrokes as brave work, and Yam curates writing circles that map healing in half sentences. Together, they host festivals that feel like hugs, and they begin traveling their archive, letting softness cross oceans. Even those who once left—like Miguel—return, discovering that some doors never truly close. Others, like Tala, capture the studio’s sound and turn it into a podcast of breath and becoming. Over seventy chapters, the studio transforms into something larger than itself: a mural of memory, a sanctuary for second chances, a place where return is sacred and voice is proof of survival. In the final bloom, the studio stands not as a monument—but as a reminder: > *“Staying isn’t easy. > But chosen together, > it becomes home.”*

Elysia had loved Orion for ten years, watching from the shadows as he chased after someone else. Their contract marriage was supposed to be temporary—a favor for family, a mask for the public—but a year of shared mornings, quiet dinners, and unspoken tenderness made her believe maybe, just maybe, he had chosen her. Then the woman he never stopped loving came back. And in less than 24 hours, he handed Elysia the divorce papers. No warning. No hesitation. She didn’t beg. She signed and walked out of the home she helped build—quietly carrying the child he never asked for. But secrets don’t stay buried. When Orion finds out she’s pregnant, his world doesn’t crack—it detonates. The woman he thought he could cast aside… is the one now slipping through his fingers. “You erased me like I never existed.” her voice was calm, eyes distant. It broke him. “Because I thought you’d always be there.” She sighed. "I havr someone who looks at me and really sees me now. You can leave." Now, it’s not just about love—it’s about guilt, consequences, and Orion chasing trying to win Elysia back after she finally stopped waiting. Will she forgive him or move on with her new lover?

All it takes one moment to fall in love with a person. But it takes a lifetime to forget the person we love. Three years of marriage. Three years of believing the care in his eyes was meant for her. Three years of lies broke the moment when Alpha Cyrus pushes divorce papers in front of Melania and murmurs, “Sign it,” Her world doesn't just collapse, it's completely over for her. Their marriage was a contract from the beginning. Love was never part of the deal. Yet he treated her with a tenderness she had once thought impossible for the cold, ruthless Alpha. He remembered her allergies. He made sure she took her medicine. Melania believed foolishly that she mattered to him until she learned the truth. He never did those things for her. He did them because another woman had once needed them. The woman he truly loved. The woman who abandoned him… and is now back. The contract is over. Her role is over. Her heart shattered. So she signed the divorce papers without a word and walked away. But six years later when Alpha Cyrus got to know that he had a son with Melania she wanted her back. But now there was another man in the picture. Who will she choose now, the man she loved all her life or the person who was always there for her and loved her dearly.

“All this time, I was just a mere substitute to you? A replacement for someone you lost?” “It’s not that simple, Sheila. I—” “Don’t! I trusted you. Every embrace, every word, the heartfelt feelings—it was all for her, wasn’t it? Did you ever love me, Andrew? Did you ever feel something for me? Tell me!”  “Sheila, I……Sorry……” ********************* Sheila found out her boyfriend cheated on her and then lost her . Just when she thought things couldn't get worse, she realizes how naive she still was. Her father and stepmother, her so-called family, forced her to marry a stranger, and treated her like a bargain item at a mall sale. On the other hand, Andrew's father tried to pressure him into an engagement by threatening his inheritance. Andrew felt a sense of powerlessness as well as amusement, as he didn't care about the inheritance; he had already made a name for himself as a successful and feared business magnate. But when he saw Sheila's smiling face, Andrew's blood froze for a moment, and his eyes were filled with shock, doubt, nostalgia, and a hint of tenderness that he hadn't even noticed. He thought that maybe this was a chance given to him by fate, and this time he had to grab it no matter what, but he didn't know how the decision he made at this moment would change his life.

On the night Elena Carter discovers she is carrying her husband’s child, she believes her dreams have finally come true. For three years, she has endured Damien Rothschild’s coldness, cherished every fleeting moment of tenderness, and held on to the hope that one day he might love her back. But instead of joy, her secret gift is met with cruelty. A single letter, accusing Elena and her late mother of orchestrating the accident that nearly killed Damien’s parents, shatters everything. Betrayed and blinded by rage, Damien casts her aside, accusing her of lies, greed, and manipulation. Worse, he threatens to destroy her brother’s future unless she signs the divorce papers. Heartbroken but resolute, Elena walks away, pregnant, abandoned, and determined to protect her child from the man she once loved more than life itself. Five years later, Elena has rebuilt her life. She is stronger, successful, and devoted to raising her twins in secret. But Damien Rothschild is a man who never forgets. He never lets go. When he learns that she carried his children, nothing will stop him from claiming back what he lost. Now Elena must face the man who broke her, the father of her children, and the billionaire whose love is as dangerous as his power. Will she let him back into her life, or will she protect her heart and her family from him forever?

From New York Times bestselling author Krista Lakes comes a sexy standalone novel about a billionaire and the indecent proposal he gives the local barista. Billionaire CEO Jackson Weathers needs a family for a PR boost, and I've signed a contract agreeing to give him one. A doting girlfriend in public. A wedding ceremony to invite all the socialites to. And finally, a baby for him to parade around, to show he's really a wholesome, down-to-Earth man. I've tried to remain cynical about it. He's going to make all my dreams come true. So what if it's supposed to be a loveless marriage? Only, his tenderness in private has me hooked. The way he kisses me drives me wild. When we make love, I lose myself to him. His body feels like it was meant to be on top of mine, like we fit together like two puzzle pieces. I can't help but begin to fall for him. I can't tell him, or I risk losing everything. And nobody else can find out about our little "arrangement" or it will destroy his reputation. Still, I feel like I have to know how he feels, before the marriage, before the baby, before I give my entire life over to him. Is it still just pretend?

I bloomed early, my curves more defined than other she-wolves my age. The year I came of age, my Alpha brother, Asher, was terrified I’d be snatched up by some rogue. He asked his best friend—Alpha Caden of the Nightshade Pack—to personally look after me. What my brother didn't know was that the very first time we met, Caden got drunk and took me. He pinned me against the wall, claiming me with a primal urgency. He left his scent all over me, kissing every inch of my skin like he was obsessed. But the next day, he told me that if my brother found out, he would kill him. And so began our four-year secret affair. For four years, I was his personal healer by day and his secret lover by night. Until his first love, an Omega she-wolf, came back. I watched them in a passionate embrace as Caden kissed her with a tenderness he never showed me. As for me? The same mouth that had been tangled with mine just yesterday was now spitting venom. "Aria, don't forget it was you who faked the scent of my fated mate to seduce me four years ago." "Are you going to make a scene and try to force me to marry you again?" In that moment, I finally saw him for who he truly was. I called my brother. "Asher, I'll do it. I'll accept the marriage alliance with the Silvercrest Pack."