These Silent Woods

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

Curiosity isn't a bad thing... Particularly for two powerful men locked in a silent battle they refuse to acknowledge. When they allow a human to open a mysterious business between their tattoo shop and gym, they soon realize their new tenant plans to help them explore more than just surface-level issues. They're about to learn that desire isn't something you can control... and being stuck in the middle might just be the best place to start becoming more fluid in their beliefs.

Ellie was a good, ideal werewolf of her pack. Once abandoned by her family, she wanted to do everything she could to give back the love and care she received from her adopted family, even if it meant giving up her own wolf for a better future for them. However, what she did not know was that it was all a trick. That she was never loved by anyone in the pack; not her family, nor her mate. And the rite used for ‘her sake’? It was actually for her sister’s sake. All this time, Ellie was but a pawn to be used and tossed away. One day, she met an injured werewolf in the middle of the woods, who claimed her to be his mate, and later saved her from a cruel fate. Only… “We may be mates, but I feel nothing from you. All I want from you is to bear my child.” Once again, she was to be used as a pawn for someone else, when all she wanted was to at least be treated as any other werewolf. Will Ellie ever be able to change her fate? Can she get through to her mate? Will she find out what happened to her real parents?

***This is a spinoff of my first book Couldn't Hide the Feelings. The female leading's brother in that book will be the hero in this new one. Hope you like it. You can also have a try of Couldn't Hide the Feelings, which won't fail you. By coincidence, Olive lived a life of sharing with her high school classmate Liam, who had been rejected by her. The two were like two strangers living under the same roof. A quiet life ended one night. Olive learned about her recent sleepwalking from Liam. She was embarrassed and didn't know how to react, "Last night was the first time you saw me sleepwalking, right?" Liam said, "There was another time." Olive was silent for two seconds and hesitated to say, "What... what did I do?" "You suddenly ran out, hugging me." "?" Liam raised his eyebrows and added, "And kissed me.”

Gabriella's 24th mission was to catch Silent Thief—the criminal that is so impossible to catch, as the police and detectives had a very hard time arresting him. While on her mission, Gabriella lost 300 million dollars so her mom made a deal with her that if she's going to get married, she'll give her 300 million dollars back as a wedding gift. Gabriella immediately accepted the deal and met the person her mom chose to be her husband. The man looks nice and decent. He's also kind and a gentleman so she have no problem marrying him, as she also badly wants to get her 300 million dollars back... But as she started living with the man, Gabriella starts finding him suspicious. What would she do if she found out that her husband is actually Silent Thief? Would she blab him to the police and say that he isn't the thief who stole jewelries and paintings, but the thief who stole her heart?

They take girls and women in the depth of the night, when the moon is as high and powerful in the sky. They sit back only ready to hunt at their time crawling through the streets of our tiny town, the people all quiver in fear doing all sorts of spiritual and religion tailsman like marking their doors with the cross symbols to stay safe from the beasts... But that dosen't scare away the beast but no one wants to be the next girl or woman people pity over being mauled by the beast. No one wants to be the next girl who was found dead in the woods last week with her body parts missing. Garbage trash and sewage and many others is the next best remedy to use to hide their smell since they noticed the beast rely on their sense of smell. No one wants to be the mother, or father or sister that wakes up in an empty bed to the loved ones... The humans just want to be safe from the beasts, if only their ancestors hadn't signed some kind of treaty that made them reign over the humans now.. They once underestimated the beast but now no one wants to take the risk, everyone is advised to stay in their house under their covers to protect themselves from the beast...

Keira is madly in love with Troy, the gorgeous Alpha of her pack. The only problem: Keira is a lowly Omega, and he won’t pay any attention to her. In fact, he bullies her, along with everyone else.But one day everything changes, and Keira, after a mysterious encounter in the woods, might just find her fortune turned around.Can a lowly Omega hope for greatness? Will Keira find her true mate?

"Finders keepers," Deangelo growled, his voice all sharp edges. "I found her first, commoners, she belongs to me. The only reason she's still breathing is because I saved her from that fucking fire." Romano snorted, pushing his way further inside. "You think you can just claim her like that? She's not a damn trophy, Scorpion." Fernando gave a series of hand gestures in sign language. Deangelo translated, "You may have found her, but that does not make her yours. We have a stake here, Papi." Vincenzo's voice cut like a knife through the tension. "This isn't some playground game. She's a person, not a prize to be fought over?" As their voices rose, they suddenly fell silent, snapping their eyes to Rosita. She was rushing towards the door. DeAngelo's eyes narrowed as he took a step towards her. "Little peasant, don't even think about it." **** Rosita's life has been anything but ordinary. Homeschooled and sheltered by her overprotective father after a near-fatal stalking incident, she dreams of escaping to college and pursuing her passion for music. But her father's plans to enroll her in an online university leave her feeling trapped and desperate. On the day, she finally decides to away, a fire overtakes their home, trapping her in her room. Just when she thinks all hope is lost, her metal door is broken down—not by her father, but by Deangelo Luis Valladares, the most-feared mafia drug lord in the whole of Mexico. With an intriguing, sinister smile, he extends his hand to Rosita through the smoke-filled room. Will Rosita take his hand and let him save her, or will she be taken by force? Can a breathtaking beauty like Rosita survive in a world ruled by mafia dons who live like kings and control Mexico City?

She had just experienced the most humiliating rejection. Unable to take the taunting anymore, she lashes out and runs into the woods to escape judgment. What she wasn't expecting was to run into the arms of drunken rogue wolves who wanted nothing but trouble. Fighting to survive and nearly losing the battle, she is saved by a handsome stranger who turns out to be her second mate. As the moon rose in all of its glory, they had a fiery night of passion, and by morning he was gone. What happens when Hilda is accused of being a slut and then finds out that she is pregnant? And what happens when her stranger comes to save her, this time with knowledge of who he is? An enemy. Her mate. How does she escape the same fate her parents had? She had a responsibility now, and that was to take care of her new family, and nothing was going to get in the way of that.

Amelie DaVinci never expected to be stolen from the altar. One moment, she was walking down the aisle. The next, her stepbrothers stormed in, guns drawn, tearing her from the life she never wanted. Luca, the cold and ruthless leader, plays mind games that blur the line between cruelty and seduction. Matteo teases her with whispered promises of pleasure and pain. And Nico, the silent one. As a mafia war ignites and betrayals cut deep, Amelie faces an impossible choice—fight back or surrender to the dark temptation of the men who refuse to let her go. Escape is impossible. Betrayal is inevitable. And surrendering to the darkness might be her only way to survive. Amelie knew she shouldn’t be anywhere near them. But here she was, trapped between Luca and Matteo, with Nico watching from the armchair. Matteo’s fingers brushed against her waist. “You know,” he murmured, “you keep running, but you always end up right back here. With us.” Amelie swallowed hard. “This is a mistake.” Luca hummed in amusement. “Then why haven’t you stopped us?” His fingers wrapped around a loose strand of her hair, tugging lightly. “Or better yet, why haven’t you stopped yourself?” She shivered. “We shouldn’t be doing this,” she whispered, but it lacked conviction. Nico finally moved, his gaze locking on hers. “Then walk away,” he said. “If that’s what you really want.” Amelie’s breath hitched. Her body betrayed her, leaning slightly into Luca’s touch, into Matteo’s warmth. Matteo tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. “That’s what I thought.” His lips hovered over hers. “We’re not the ones keeping you here, Amelie. You are.” This was dangerous. It was reckless. But she knew she was already theirs.