The Shadows

She’s a woman of focus; marami ang naiinggit sa kanya dahil ang akala nila ay nasa kanya na ang lahat. Little did they know, Aliyah Williams is craving for something that she always wants to have: A perfect lover. But in her experience, there’s no such thing as perfection and her past relationship always ends up in heartbreak. Primo Hernani lives by his own set of rules in life, and that includes of not getting too much attached, especially to the people he sees as enemy. What if Aliyah was able dig deeper and finds all the dark shadows that Primo has been keeping inside him all along? Will he let her in and break all his own rules, or he’s just another heart break?

Betrayal turned deadlier than a venomous snake but wasn't the end. What would happen when the two people you trusted rob you of your life? Cara's previous life is bound to Kyle, her mate, and Layla, her blood sister who betrayed her, leading to her death and her unborn child. But Cara was reborn into a new life. Cara discovers she's Maya, the Queen of Mooncrest, mated to Alpha Dane, and also the blood sister to Kyle. As she navigates her new role and relationship with Alpha Dane, she must confront the darkness of her past and the secrets of her rebirth. *** "Can she find peace and loyalty with her new mate, or will the shadows of her former life destroy her chance at happiness?"

Niko was a multibillionaire to the world—but in the shadows, he ruled as the undisputed king of the underworld. His reputation? A man who never entertained women. The truth? A wound that never healed. Years ago, his ex-wife betrayed him in the worst way—with his own father—right before her sudden death. Since then, Niko had sworn off love, his heart locked away behind ice. Until her. An FBI agent with sharp eyes and a sharper mind, Mabel wasn’t just investigating his empire—she was unraveling him. And for the first time in years, Niko felt something dangerous: interest. But between his secrets and her duty, could there ever be trust? Or would the past destroy them before they even began?

Kora's world shatters when her mate—her Alpha—betrays her with her own best friend. Stripped of her title as Luna and marked for death, she barely escapes their murderous scheme. But fate intervenes in the form of a powerful, enigmatic Alpha who saves her life. Just as hope begins to flicker in the shadows of her pain, Kora uncovers a new twist in her destiny—she’s pregnant with his child. Determined to protect her baby and believed to be dead by those who wronged her, Kora vanishes into the night. But she won’t stay hidden forever. With fire in her heart and vengeance in her blood, she vows to return—not just to face her past, but to make them all pay.

Beautiful, headstrong Aria has one rule: never let anyone control her—even if it means risking her family's fortune. But when her inheritance is tied to marriage, she's forced into a deal with a mysterious stranger whose name she barely knows. The twist? He doesn’t show up to the wedding. Instead, a perfectly groomed puppy arrives in his place—wearing a diamond-studded collar and a note: “This is only the beginning.” Thrust into a tangled web of secrets and shadows, Aria finds herself drawn to her unexpected companion—and the deeper mystery behind her vanished husband. With loyalty tested, truths unraveling, and a love story unlike any other, Aria’s journey begins not with a kiss, but with a wagging tail and a trail of clues.

The things we want are so very rarely the things we need. Clifton Heights, a modest Adirondack town, offers many unique attractions. Arcane Delights sells both paperbacks and hard-to-find limited editions. The Skylark Diner serves the best home-cooked meals around, with friendly service and a smile. Every August, Mr. Jingo’s County Fair visits, to the delight of children and adults. In essence, Clifton Heights is the quintessential small American town. Everyone knows everyone else, and everyone is treated like family. It is quiet, simple, and peaceful. But shadows linger here. Flitting in dark corners, from the corner of the eye. If you walk down Main Street after dark, the slight scrape of shoes on asphalt whispers you're not alone, but when you look over your shoulder, no one is there. The moon shines high and bright in the night sky, but instead of throwing light, it only seems to make the shadows lengthen. Children disappear. Teens run away. Hunters get lost in the woods with frightening regularity. Husbands go mad, and wives vanish in the dead of night. And still, when the sun rises in the morning, you are greeted by townspeople with warm waves and friendly smiles, and the shivers pass as everything seems fresh and new... Until night falls once more. Handy's Pawn and Thrift sits several blocks down from Arcane Delights. Like any thrift store, its wares range from the mundane to the bizarre. By daylight, it seems just another slice of small town Americana. But in its window hangs a sign which reads: We Have Things You Need. And when a lonely traveling salesman comes looking for something he desperately wants, after normal visiting hours, after night has fallen, he will face a harsh truth among the shelves of Handy’s Pawn and Thrift: the things we want are rarely the things we need. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Adrian Wells just wants to be left alone. Quiet nights, warm tea, and his sketchpad are all he needs to survive in a world that has taken too much from him already. Scarred by the fire that claimed his family and plagued by anxiety that keeps him from truly living, Adrian has grown used to solitude. But someone else has been watching—and waiting. When a black box appears at his doorstep, filled with unsettlingly personal gifts, Adrian brushes it off as a prank. But the messages grow bolder. The intrusions into his life become impossible to ignore. Someone knows him. Someone sees him. And that someone is Evan Thorn. Evan isn’t just a stalker—he’s a protector in his own twisted way. Rich, intelligent, and obsessive, he believes Adrian is his to love, to shield, to possess. From anonymous letters to watching from the shadows, Evan orchestrates a careful descent into Adrian’s world, eliminating anyone who gets too close. But he isn’t the only one watching. When a more violent rival stalker emerges, Adrian finds himself caught between two versions of danger: the chaos of the unknown and the devil he’s slowly come to understand. As the walls close in, Adrian is forced to rely on Evan—the very man who shattered his sense of safety. What begins as fear turns into something darker: a toxic intimacy that blurs the line between captor and comfort. As Adrian starts to feel seen for the first time in his life, he questions whether love can grow in the shadows—or if it’s just another kind of cage. In a story about obsession, trauma, what, If someone breaks you just to put you back together, is that still love? And when you finally escape them, do they ever really leave?

"Why do you always look at me like that?" she whispered. "Because you're unlike anyone I've ever known," Damien replied, his voice low and husky, sending shivers down her spine. "Your presence is like a thorn in my side." Eira scoffed. “You're nothing but trouble, Damien. A brooding vampire with an ego the size of a castle. But you need me. Without me, you’ll be dead.” “I hate that," he admitted. She smirked. "Hate that you need me? So, what is it, Damien? A weakness you'd rather keep in the shadows?" Damien leaned in, his face dangerously close to hers, his gaze dropping to her lips. Eira's breath caught, her shock palpable. "I might need you, Eira, but I don’t want you," he said, his eyes betraying a desire he refused to acknowledge. "Remember that." With that, he turned and walked away, leaving her standing there, her thoughts in turmoil and her lips tingling with the ghost of an almost-kiss. *** The Silverstone Pack is out for blood, determined to avenge their alpha's brutal murder. All eyes are on Damien, the prime suspect, who now lives in the shadows, focused on survival. His only goal is to stay one step ahead and keep himself well-fed. But everything changes when he encounters a girl who is mysteriously immune to his powers. In her, he finds a glimmer of hope he thought long lost. Eira, heartbroken from a recent breakup, unexpectedly crosses paths with Damien. Her confrontation with him quickly turns into a nightmare when she is taken captive. Damien, desperate and cornered, offers her a chilling deal: help him save himself, or face unimaginable suffering. With little choice, Eira agrees, setting off a chain of events that will forever change the course of her life.

Synopsis: The Billionaire’s Vengeful Queen Aurora Voss-Ryder has spent ten years perfecting the role of perfect wife to billionaire Damien Ryder. On their anniversary, she gifts him a rescued AI startup worth $400 million and proof she’s the reason Ryder Corp still breathes. In return, he hands her divorce papers, a forged scandal, and a threat to leak photos of her begging. Pregnant and betrayed, Aurora walks out with nothing but a positive test and a text from a ghost: “The Voss bloodline isn’t broken. Come home.” In her mother’s abandoned Brooklyn studio, Aurora unlocks a safe containing a $12 billion secret—VossTech, an AI empire built in shadows, 51% hers if she marries within a year of her mother’s death. With joint accounts frozen and paparazzi circling, she allies with Victor Kane, her mother’s dying partner and the only man who can give her controlling interest. A paper marriage, a black diamond ring, and a syringe of custom prenatal serum later, Aurora storms the VossTech boardroom in a killer pantsuit and claims interim CEO. But Damien isn’t finished. He forges abortion records, demands custody of the unborn child, and prepares a hostile takeover. Aurora counters with offshore leaks, a turncoat mistress, and two ex-Mossad shadows in the vents. At midnight in Ryder Tower, gun drawn and city watching, she tears up his custody agreement and watches federal agents drag him away. Victory tastes like ash when Victor’s heart fails hours later. His final words warn of a “blood moon” birth and enemies still hunting the Voss gene. With her due date looming and a new message signed –E., Aurora realizes the war for her empire, her child, and her life has only begun.

Abigail is trying to survive in a world full of dangers — a world where men would do anything to possess a woman, and where demonic creatures constantly lurk in the shadows, ready to seize whatever they desire. After a year of relentless hiding, secret shelters, and disguises, she has finally been found — and this is where her story truly begins: a story in which every choice, every heartbeat, tests the limits of survival, freedom, and the deepest desires of the heart. Abigail’s body and heart are at stake as she faces dangers that threaten not only her life but also her soul. The question remains: who will claim her body, who will win her heart, and who will control her fate in this world where power, desire, and betrayal always walk hand in hand.