Uncanny Valley

"Alpha Richard, my Alpha's bride just escaped. Karen is gone." He announced, glaring down at my father like an evil Ogre.  "W-what, how is that possible?" My father stuttered, and for the first time in my life, I saw true fear in his eyes. Karen escaped, the bride to-be. "Guards!" The man continued, his dark, cold, uncanny black eyes flitting towards me.  "Seize the princess. If we can't find Karen, she'll be the replacement." *** On her eighteenth birthday, Princess Andrea's world is turned upside down when her sister, who was set to marry, escapes her impending nuptials. Her father, the pack's leader, makes a fateful decision: Andrea will take her sister's place at the altar. Yet, Andrea's heart already belongs to another, until she finds her lover in bed with another woman. Saddened and enraged Andrea accepts the arranged marriage and a husband she doesn't know with open arms.  As the new bride of Alpha Ronin, she discovers that he, too, is not what he seems. Cold, distant and wanting nothing do to with their marriage, he is not at all the husband Andrea envisioned beside her. Secrets and hidden desires begin to unravel as their journey takes a dangerous turn. As they navigate the treacherous path of deception, Andrea's heartache and Ronin's conflicted feelings bind them together in unexpected ways. Just as the pack's elders, powerful alliances, and envious lovers threaten to tear them apart.  Amidst the turmoil, Andrea faces the challenges of her new role as Luna, determined to break traditions and empower the she-wolves in her pack. Ronin, burdened by a dark history, wrestles with the truth about his past and the uncertain future that lies ahead. But will they be able to protect their newfound love? Or will forces beyond their control rip them apart forever?

At eighteen, Diana knows she'll find her mate. She prayed to the moon goddess to have her most favorite person as her mate but what she didn't expect was a fierce rejection. The betrayal of spurning knocks her down, but she was not meant to be down for so long because the moon goddess had other plans for her. She was meant to bring light in the life of others. Following her journey she overcame every hurdle and got everything she wanted except the person she craved for....... ********* "Why are you following me everywhere? Why are you helping me out every time?" Diana raised her hand, taking a deep breath to touch his shoulder but the person in the mask moved with the speed of light. "I want to know who is the owner of this delicious smell." She purred but her eyelids became heavy. She tried to open her eyes because she wanted to know the person in front of her but the exhaustion of hunting the beasts knocked her down. Before she could touch the ground and engulf into the deep valley of slumber she felt his strong arms around her waist. The butterflies flew in her stomach while a shiver crawled down her spine. She felt safe in those arms so without any hesitation, she snuggled into his chest. "I want to know you." She mumbled in a voice, hardly heard and fell asleep. The person in the mask put her safely besides the rock. He kissed her forehead and whispered. "Sleep well Princess,"

Richard Franklin has left his Midwestern roots behind to live on the coast of Maine with his family. But in the autumn of the year 2000, he must return to his Illinois birthplace on a sorrowful journey. His wife Michelle has been killed in New England by a hit-and-run driver who is never found, so back home he comes with her cremated remains, to fulfill a final wish and on her birthday scatter her ashes in the park along the river in Blackwater Valley—simply Blackwater Val to locals—the small town where they both grew up and fell in love. With him he brings his six-year-old daughter Katie who still grieves for her lost mother: Katie, who can sometimes guess who’s going to be on the phone before it rings. Who can stop all the clocks in the house, and break up clouds in the sky with her mind, and heal sicknesses, and who sometimes sees things that aren’t there...people who are no longer alive. All gifts she inherited from her mother. Only something isn’t quite right in the Val. Sinkholes are opening up, revealing the plague pits the sleepy hamlet was built over in the 1830s, when malaria and cholera outbreaks ran riot. Mysterious bird and fish die-offs begin to occur, and Katie can see ghosts of the dead gathering all around. But what she can’t see is the charred, centuries-old malevolence which has been waiting for her, and wants her for its very own. Or the pale Sallow Man who haunts the town’s nighttime streets...or the river witch—another Blackwater Val, of sorts—each of whom will be drawn one by one into the nightmarish bloodletting about to take place. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

Aria Hale once believed the Moon Goddess had blessed her when she found her fated mate. But the night Alpha Kael Blackthorn rejected her before his entire pack, her world shattered. She had come to the Silver Crest Pack with nothing but courage and hope, an orphan from a destroyed clan, dreaming of a place to belong. Instead, she was branded unworthy, her heart torn apart by the man destiny had chosen for her. Kael was power and pride wrapped in human form, a leader who feared weakness more than death. He convinced himself that love was a burden he could not afford, that tenderness would destroy the Alpha he was meant to be. So when fate placed a gentle, broken girl in his path, he turned away. He broke the bond and drove her from his territory, believing that rejection would set him free. He was wrong. Years passed, but her scent of lavender haunted him through every battle and every sleepless night. His wolf mourned for what had been lost. He told himself she was gone, but the ache never faded. Somewhere deep inside, Kael knew that part of him had died the moment she walked away. Far from his reach, hidden in a quiet human valley called Mistwood, Aria built a new life. She healed others with her herbs and her kindness, raising a secret that carried both her heart and her pain — a boy with golden eyes and the same strength she once saw in his father. She named him Liam, and he became her reason to breathe.

It's the tenth anniversary of my bonding with my warrior mate, Owen Chase, and also our son Leo's birthday. A month earlier, I spent $8000 arranging a trip to the Blood Moon Forest. I plan to take my mate and pup to the Moon Goddess' sacred grounds to receive her blessings. This is supposed to be a happy anniversary celebration for our complete werewolf family. I've prepared everything and booked tickets for the Twilight Coach. But on the night before our departure, Owen and Leo suddenly block our mind-link. "Dad and I are having dinner with Ms. Emma on the 24th floor of Moonlight Restaurant. We've cancelled the tickets—we're not going." The call ends there. They promptly block my number as well. I rush back to our pack overnight, only to find that the security system no longer recognizes me. That night, every household locks its doors and activates protective barriers against the toxic mist of the Silver Mines in the nearby Moonveil Valley, while I could only huddle on the stone steps outside our house, inhaling the silver-laden fog all night. The poisonous substances flood my systems. I am sent to the hospital, burning with fever as my wolf grows weaker with every labored breath. Meanwhile, my family is busy touring Central City with Emma Skinner, spending the money I had worked so hard to earn. Owen posts a photo on his social media. In the photo, Emma, my mate Owen, and my child Leo stand hand-in-hand in front of the wishing fountain in Central City, all smiling brightly. The caption reads: "A perfect trip, a perfect family of three." It is only then that I finally understand—this family exists in name only. It's time for me to rebuild my life.

Sanjana, a gifted singer and journalism student, lives with her maternal uncle in the breathtaking valley of Kashmir. After losing her fearless journalist mother and British father in a tragic accident, her uncle became her only family. To support herself, Sanjana occasionally sings on the radio, her melodious voice catching hearts across the region. Liam, the son of ruthless billionaire Catherine, dreams not of business empires but of creating music. On his friend Kabir’s advice, he visits Kashmir in search of a soulful voice—and finds it in Sanjana. Her innocence and passion captivate him, and love soon blossoms between them. But fate strikes cruelly. A horrific car accident leaves Sanjana’s face severely disfigured. Catherine, appalled by her appearance, threatens Sanjana into leaving Liam. Heartbroken, Sanjana disappears from Liam’s life. Her uncle, unable to watch her suffer, reveals a hidden truth—Sanjana's father belonged to an elite British family, and his brother, a renowned plastic surgeon, offers her a second chance. In London, she undergoes a complex surgery and emerges with a new face—and a secret: she’s pregnant with Liam’s child. Years later, Sanjana, now Samantha Harper, a successful journalist in the UK, is assigned to cover the engagement of a billionaire—Liam. She returns to his world, certain he won’t recognize her. But Liam is haunted by her presence. Her voice, her laughter… they stir memories long buried. As he digs deeper, Liam uncovers the truth—that the woman he lost still lives, and she’s the mother of his child. With betrayal, heartbreak, and years between them, Liam must fight to reclaim the love that never truly faded. Because true love never forgets—even when the face changes.

When the command for action to take place happened, I had to readjust myself and strike a pose as she took steps closer to me. Things suddenly felt awkward, weird, and intimidating. She's a badass! I fought my eyes away from her tempting body and began to face the recording. I couldn't and it's required that I look at her anyway. The gown accentuated her curves and made me want to gobble her on the floor and fuck the shit out of her sexy body. Her stomach was bare, and the gown failed to hide her hourglass shape. To make it worse, it's left open, revealing her cleavage, the valley between her breasts. The next is her addictive scent behind me, filling my nostrils and interfering with my senses that I feel like enveloping her in a tight hug and basking in her scent. "Get out!" I screamed and walked away from her, slamming the door shut and running up to my office. It was getting messy but my mind was way messier. What the fuck is going on? What is this? Gosh!! I was astonished by her, I didn't know what came over me. I have never swooned over a lady, like the way this lady made me. "Master, are you alright?" My secretary hands me a glass of water and I gulped immediately anything to soothe the fire in my soul. ******* Master Adrain a Billionaire Playboy who is from an affluent Cuban family hasn't fallen in love and is determined to make it that way. When the two crosses path in a stripping club. He knew he had found the woman with the right physical attributes to birth his child and she knew she has gotten into trouble anytime he flashes his handsome Greek god smile at her.

No one has seen him, No one can tell what he looks like, No one can tell if he's human, wolf, dragon, elf or vampire. We've only heard his very deep, hoarse voice that doesn't sound so humanly. We only know he's a ruthless beast, And that beast is the king of all supernatural creatures -he is King Wymond. He is an abomination -a mistake made by the moon goddess. There are rumors that he is immortal -are there still any immortals in this age? He walks the lands every night and kills any soul that crosses path with him or it, He never lets anyone see him and doesn't attend public meetings. He's always inside his palace, with those two big gates locking him away and isolating him from the world. Weird! How did he ended up becoming the king then? Every five years, girls who have come of age (18years to 25years), from different species (werewolves, vampires, witches, elves and dragons) are taken to his palace. We don't know why they are taken there, And we dare not ask why, because asking why is death penalty. And strangely, all the girls taken to the palace always come back alive, but they end up losing their memories of what had happened in there. No one has enough courage to investigate and find out what's going on -investigating is like walking into the valley of death. These are stories my grandma always told me when I was a kid, I don't know if they are real or if she was saying those things just to scare me. But I still couldn't help but wonder if it's true, Why does those girls end up losing their memories? Could there be a deep secret behind those closed, big gates?

An anonymous girl is seen running away from men who are behind her like wolves, amidst the darkness of the valley and the gleaming moon. Panting, gasping for breath she reached for her shield huffing. As she saw his silhouette she felt relieved and started to run to him to find warmth in his embrace. As she stepped closer to him, the men stopped. Suddenly she heard his voice which made her steps stall and her heart crack. "Stop! Don't come near me" She felt her bleeding heart slashed by his stern words. She expected his comfort to surround her and his love to transcend her plight, but neither happened. Eventually, her demons overcame her as her feet began to give way. Her bruised body started to feel twice the pain as before. "You don't trust me" she muttered and let the darkness lull her to sleep. It's difficult to say what led her to give up: the same distrust from her loved ones twice, or the fact that she was the favorite victim of all the bad luck. ****** Hailey is a nerd, anti-social and awkward. Her striking orbs were hidden behind rimmed spectacles and her curvy figure was hidden behind her oversized hoodies. During high school, she was the most famous person in college. What changed? Enter Mark Anderson, the hottest guy in college. Girls swoon over him and boys envy him but does he give a damn? Naa! He isn't a playboy or a bookworm. He is just the man of dreams. His plan is simple. He is saving himself for the queen of his heart. His parents were his role models. Their love was the ideal example for him and he wanted something like that. Magical. What happens when they meet? ******

"Don't you for a second believe that we are ever letting you go, sweetheart". He muttered against her ear, his husky voice sending jolt through her body. His tongue suddenly flicked out to lick her ear lobe. She didn't even understand why was this happening to her. "You are stuck between us, Vanessa." another voice muttered out as he trailed his lips down her chest, his breath fanning against the skin between valley of her breasts. She whimpered feeling scared of them. "You are ours, love." the third voice made it's way to her ear. The last brother's lips teasing the nape of her neck and he suddenly bite the sensitive skin there making tears fell out of her doe eyes. "P-P-P-Please l-l-l-let me g-go." Vanessa pleaded to them making the trio smirked at her stuttering self. "Say this without stuttering and then we will consider your request." one of them said to her and the trio laughed at her aloud. *** Joaquin, Emiliano and Alejandro Fernandez are the triplet brothers. Their aura screams danger and power. They always have the upper hand and no one dares to cross them. They never had a mother figure in their life but a bastard father names Teal, who was killed at the name of peace treaty by Russian mafia boss Miakhail Igor Gorbachev years ago. Now they only had their sister with them but she was also taken away by Liam ovich Gorbachev and the Spanish trio brothers are furious would be an understatement. Vanessa Lynn Gorbachev, daughter of Rooh and Mikhail Igor Gorbachev and the only sister of Liam, is an innocent little girl. She was as innocuous as the child because she was never been out in the cruel world. She was homeschooled because of her stuttering problem.