Tragic Short

The night my husband, William Costello, was assassinated by his enemies was supposed to be a celebration—our wedding anniversary. I was dressed in his favorite red dress, waiting for him, when the phone rang. "Mr. Costello was shot at the harbor. The bullet went through the back of his head. He died on the spot." I collapsed to the floor. I clung to his belongings, mourning for a week straight. We even lost our unborn child during this time. Everyone said William and I were true love. Even the Don himself came to the funeral, resting a heavy hand on my shoulder with a sigh. He said, "All of Blackhaven knows you were the only woman he ever loved." Grief nearly destroyed me. I stood at the river's edge, ready to follow William into the afterlife. However, I overheard my sister-in-law, Emily Hawkins, leaning into my brother-in-law, Jones Costello, her voice dripping with a twisted affection. She purred, "William, I love you so much. Between Nina and me, who do you think is sexier?" "Of course it's you, babe!" came the husky reply. I stood frozen, my eyes wide and my body trembling. Why was Emily calling my brother-in-law by my husband's name?

Leila is a normal girl trying to get through university, except for the fact she dreams of the same man every night. A man that only exists inside her head, but who she cannot stop thinking about. What happens when the man she thought only haunted her dreams, turns out to be real? Not only that, but he's the leader of a terrifying and ruthless gang. Oh and he says he's a werewolf, because those exist right? And he seems to believe she's his fated mate that disappeared only a few short months ago?

My fiancée is a forensic doctor, and I'm a detective in the major crimes unit. I love her more than life itself, but she only cares about her first love. To help him wash his hands of a murder, she helps him deal with a corpse. What she doesn't know is that it's my corpse. When she learns the truth, she breaks down…

Axel Griffin, a multibillionaire and the CEO of Perfect Touch Inc. He’s got the look, power, and wealth. But lacks only one thing—a good sexual relationship.   Reese McBride, the heiress to a multibillion-dollar company. She’s beautiful, kind, and has a perfect body shape. But lacks only one thing—a good sexual relationship.   They have something in common…   One fateful night, they cross paths at a bar, and the chemistry between them ignites. They couldn't resist.   They indulge in a steamy encounter, but circumstances cut it short before they can exchange names.   Two years later, fate brings them together, but this time, with a twist. He must choose between Reese and her sister, Beatrice.   Will Axel be able to resist the fiery attraction he feels towards Reese and settle for a loveless marriage to Beatrice because of the benefits that come with the marriage?   Or will he choose to follow his heart's desire and risk it all for the one person who makes his body come alive with want?   Get ready to be swept away in their gripping journey of love and lust.

The day before my wedding, I was insulted by two men. In my defense, I ended up killing one and injuring the other. My fiancé at the time, Alexander, who was supposed to protect me, abandoned me during the trial. I was sentenced to two years in jail. When I was finally released two years later, I discovered that my ex-fiancé had already married my best friend, Isabella. And Isabella? She didn’t just ‘steal’ my fiancé—she took the doctor position that was supposed to be mine too. I had nowhere to go, and in my most desperate moment, Eric Graves appeared at my door. As the most powerful mafia leader in NYC, Eric used his influence to ensure no one would speak ill of my past. He also proposed to me, confessing that he'd always had feelings for me and wanted to marry me. I believed he was my knight in shining armor, my true love. The first four years of our marriage were perfect—at least, that’s what I thought, until the day I overheard a conversation between my husband, Eric, and his right-hand man, Adam. “Boss, you were so clever to let those scums harass Evelyn. If it weren't for that, Miss Isabella would never have had a chance with Alexander.” Eric’s teasing voice followed, “I just wanted to scare her for a bit. Never thought she’d kill one of them and end up behind bars.” Adam sounded confused. “But Miss Isabella is already married now. Why would you still keep that whore around after she got out of prison?” “Because,” Eric paused, “I have to make sure she doesn’t run back to Alexander or disturb Isabella.” The laughter that followed shattered my heart. All those memories of Eric saving me from humiliation? They were all a lie. He was the one who made my life fall apart, just to make sure Isabella could live happily ever after. Wiping away the lingering tears, I dialed Eric’s biggest rival in NYC, Caleb Nightshade. "Do you still want to wipe Eric out of New York?”

Randy’s mother, Monica, was on her dying bed. Her only wish before she died was for him, my alpha boyfriend, to perform our marking ceremony before she passed. When Monica looked at him eagerly, Randy agreed to mark me. But after we left her room, Randy said that he was going to marry Alina. “Alina’s mother is critically ill. She also wants to watch her undergo the marking ceremony before she passes. We can wait a little longer before we conduct our own marking ceremony, Emma.” “But what about your mother? She wants to witness us undergo the marking ceremony too!” “My mother can hang in there a little longer. Don’t worry.” Randy then grabbed the ring that Monica had given to me. It had acted as a symbol of me being her daughter-in-law, but Randy gave it to Alina. Unbeknownst to him, Monica was already at Death’s door, and she was feigning a picture of health in front of him. On the day Monica passed away, Randy performed the marking ceremony with another woman. After I made preparations for Monica’s funeral, I vanished from Randy’s world. To my surprise, he started begging me to become his mate after I left.

Every bonding anniversary, Shawn would bring home a new human girl from the outside—always under the lovely pretense of letting me mentor her on how to serve an Alpha. On our seventh anniversary, he brought back a nightclub girl dressed in a Princess Snow White outfit—cheap satin trembling under the chandelier's light. “She doesn’t have anything appropriate for an occasion like this,” he said casually. “Let her borrow your bonding dress. And the jewelry I gave you last time. As for shoes—what you're wearing now will do.” Then he added, with a trace of irony, “She’s just a young human girl, clueless. Teach her a few things about our world, will you? Especially the part about the bed.” Everyone was waiting for the spectacle—for me to break again, as I always had. And I didn’t disappoint them. I looked at Shawn, my voice steady, and said I wanted a bond-severance. He laughed—short and sharp—and leaned back like he was watching a comedy. “Clara, when are you going to stop with this bond-severance nonsense? I’ve heard it so many times. They’re just human girls, while you are my Luna. How could they ever compare to you?” Then, grinning as if doing me a favor, he added, “Fine. If you really want a bond-severance, I’ll gift you a territory in the south. Consider it a reward for doing your job as my Luna.” The room erupted in laughter. To them, I was ridiculous—greedy, jealous, hysterical. But what they didn’t know was that this was the 365th time I’d asked for a bond-severance. And the first time, I truly meant it. When he found out I wasn’t joking this time, he lost his composure. He searched for me across the world—only after he realized I was no longer where he thought I’d always be.

“If you were the last man on earth and I needed to be saved, I would rather die than let you touch me.” I screamed in his face, my husband. The name still sounded bitter on my tongue. He looked the least bit bothered by my outburst, taking two tentative steps until he stood right in front of me, close enough that all I could smell was him. He gripped my chin and forced me to look at him. “Throw your tantrum princess. When you’re done you’ll come back pleading for my touch, you’ll beg me to ruin you. You will swell with my child and give me the heir that I want.” He turned but stopped short and faced me again. “That is all you would be good for.”

I've been married to Ryan Hardin for nine years. He's a pureblood and the Alpha of Silverfang Pack. And I'm just a "temporary Luna" picked for a political alliance within the pack. In those nine years, he's brought home 199 women. Tonight makes it 200. She's a freshly turned Omega who flirted with Ryan at a party. He didn't turn her down. Instead, he brought her back to the home we share. When the woman walks through the door and sees me sitting on the living room couch, she doesn't bother hiding the mockery in her eyes. "Alpha Ryan, so this is the Luna you still haven't bothered to mark?" she asks with a smirk. Ryan leans back in his chair and answers lazily, "Yeah." She strolls over, looks down at me, and smiles smugly. Then, she reaches out and pats my face. Her voice is soft, but every word drips with provocation. "Make sure you listen tonight. I'll show you what it really takes to drive Alpha Ryan wild." That night, I'm forced to sit outside their door, listening to every sound as they sleep together. It feels like a ritual meant to strip me of every last shred of dignity. By morning, Ryan comes downstairs like nothing happened. His expression is cold as he orders, "Make breakfast. I want raw meat and coffee." I tell him no. Maybe he's forgotten, but we're only bound by an agreement. We've never officially been marked as mates. And today is the third-to-last day before that agreement ends.

The day Eve Jones came back to town, Zac Gibson did not come home all night. The next day, I saw a post on her social media, showing a photo of two hands tightly intertwined, along with Zac’s peaceful, childlike sleeping face. When he finally came home, he threw divorce papers at me and said, "You’ve been standing in Eve’s place this whole time. Now that she’s back, it’s time for you to move on." It did not matter anymore. I was not going to live much longer anyway. Whoever wanted the title of "Mrs. Gibson" could have it. Later, I died. But Zac cried at my grave, kneeling, promising he would never hold anyone else’s hand again.