Underneath The Oak Tree

I am in such a rush to pick up my daughter, Ava Pennington, from school that I don't have time to change out of my work attire. At the kindergarten gates, I run into the mother of one of her classmates, Candice Austin. She sizes me up from head to toe and says, "You must be Ava Pennington's mom." I politely nod. Just as I am about to say hello, her expression suddenly sours. "It's no wonder your daughter dresses so skimpily at school. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" I am so mad that I nearly forgot to respond. "What nonsense are you talking about?" Candice clicks her tongue and grows even more aggressive. "Nonsense? Your daughter wears skirts to school every day. She's distracting my son so much that his grades have slipped." Her words leave me utterly speechless. How is her son's failing grades somehow Ava's fault? When I don't respond, she gets bolder. "Look at you dressed from head to toe in cheap junk; how can you afford to send your daughter to this elite kindergarten? You must have pulled some shady strings to sneak her in through the back door, didn't you?" Has she lost her mind? Since when does Ava need strings to attend the school I built?

Ava Williams has fallen head over heels over her charming prince and best friend, Axel. So imagine her disappointment when she realizes her fated mate isn't Axel, but that one playboy in her school named Hunter Ysrael, the future alpha of a rival pack! 19 year old Hunter Ysrael had always looked down on wolves of her rank. When he discovers his mate was none other than an omega from his rival pack, he couldn't wait to get rid of her. But when Ava proposed to be the first to reject the breathtakingly handsome, god-like future alpha Hunter, he is filled with an unyielding determination and desire to turn the tables and make Ava fall in love with him no matter what. However, it turns out that Ava has other dreams of her own. The night brings surprises not only for Ava but her family tree as well as the structure of the wolves' societal order. As she struggles with finding her true identity and dealing with unexpected extraordinary powers, an evil force from the past comes back to haunt the wolves and to seek vengeance from the werewolf kind. It is said that only a white can save them from those corrosive, dark magic wielding demons, but until now the prophesized white has yet to be found. Everything changes for Ava when she learns her true identity, and the purpose she was made to serve in this cruel world. She has a lot to lose if she does fight but a lot more if she doesn't. A story of divided loyalties, love, magic, and survival.

A ruthless alpha. A gifted omega. A burning passion. For taking her mother’s life during childbirth, Sihana is condemned to be hated all her life. Desperate to be loved, she works hard to please her pack and prove her worth but her pack only uses her as a servant. After years of working as a pseudo-slave to people who hate her, Sia decides to leave her pack. The bitter experience of being mated to her bully who promptly rejects her puts her off mating but the goddess gives her a second chance mate in the person of Alpha Cahir Armani. The Alpha of the strongest pack in the world, Cahir Armani has a reputation for being bloodthirsty, cold and cruel. Cahir is ruthless, a man who kills without remorse, laughs without humour and takes without asking. What no one knows is that underneath his bloody armour is a scarred man. Cahir has no place for a mate in his life but the goddess throws Sihana his way. Although he sees no use for a mate, he can’t resist the pull of the mate bond any more than he can resist Sia’s seductive curves. Sihana needs love. Cahir does not know how to love. Kissed by the goddess and gifted healing abilities, she becomes a treasure her ex-mate and his pack refuse to let go of but who can stop a man like Cahir from claiming his mate? Can Cahir learn to love and can Sia heal his wounds? Will a relationship between two broken people work or are they better off without each other?

"My pack sold me to the devil to pay back a debt." Maya is a twenty-two years old Omega, and she has always been the unimportant runt of her pack. But her fate changes in just a second when her Alpha drags her to the auction block. To salvage her pack from ruin, the pack sells her for King Dante-the meanest and most feared alpha in the area. The deal is hard-core: one year. One heir. Then free. Dante is fully cold, basically domineering and marked by what may be called a woeful past. To him, it is simply a business transaction that will guarantee his throne. But when he touches Maya, suddenly his inner beast erupts. She is more than simply a purchase; she is his True Mate. The problem? Maya has yet to shift. She feels no tether but only fear mixed with an off-putting, blazing heat whenever he's near. She thinks he's just some cold-hearted guy, not knowing that he's actually struggling against all instinct to claim her in every way possible. Locked up in his castle, they become increasingly carnally contractual. Possessive and controlling, Dante awakens a hunger in Maya she has never felt before. But just as she begins to fall for the broken man underneath the crown, enemies tighten around her like a noose. She suddenly finds herself a pawn in a rival Alpha's scheme as well as the unwanted gift of a jealous ex returned with a claim that could ruin everything. Maya walked in as a prisoner yet when her wolf really wakes, the world will tremble. She is not just a breeder; she is a Queen.

"I desire you now, beautiful Latifah". The King stated in what I might have thought as a calm but rumbling tone. "Your Grace!". I said, avoiding his gaze,  sobbing in a low, whining, and broken voice. "Look at me!". He ordered, in a husky voice, but I quietly declined, looking elsewhere but his face. "Latifah". He called out, sounding rather agitated this time. "Your Majesty..I fear for my life, should the queen walk in and meet us in this compromising position-". I asked, barely whispering. "I do not give a damn fvck what she thinks or feels". He said, in a rather calm tone, yet so firm it scared me to death. "I want you in my bed withering underneath me as you moan my name". He added. ************ Latifah Lakewood had never known life outside of the palace. Although privileged to have been born in the palace. She was however, raised to serve in the palace all her life, thus, making her life nothing short of sighs, sorrow and sadness.  Over the last century, the evil beast had possessed and dominated the human race, totally annihilating the majority of the population, and enslaving the remnant.  Sadly enough for her, her parents had been counted among the enslaved humans. With the advice of the wise, she must now do everything possible not to draw unnecessary attention to herself, or risk being noticed.  This she ensured until an unfortunate incident happened, altering the course of her life forever. Join me in this ride as we journey into the world of intrigues, suspense and dilemma.

"Oops, I did it again. I played with your heart, got lost in the game.” I close my eyes; I am enjoying the sun on my face and the wind in my hair. The sound of my voice echoing across the fields. Then I open my eyes; I am scared out of my mind by someone standing over me. "Where did you come from?! You should not creep up on people!" "I can ask you the same thing, what the hell are you doing out here?" His eyes run over my body, and I can see amusement build in his smile. "I never thought I would see the day that I find a clearly lost woman in a wedding dress in the back seat of a car singing to Britney Spears." Tyler Moore is the Sheriff of a small town far out from the city. With a body that is carved to perfection, this soft-spoken man should not be underestimated. Even though he is elegant and yet powerful, there is far more than lives underneath the façade that he brings. Jenna Davis, a girl that decides to leave her husband at the altar, runs away to the small little town where Tyler lives. She gets stuck on the side of the road in nothing but an empty tank, a wedding dress, and singing to Britney Spears. Tyler is the one that finds the poor damsel on the side of the road. Even though he finds her situation amusing, he is immediately captivated by her. She pushes him to his limits and brings the danger that he craves, that he desires. The two soon send off on a whirlwind relationship, but there is one thing that Tyler refuses to give…his heart. Will Jenna ultimately win his heart?

We stood across from each other, with a bed in the middle. The bed was surrounded with golden pots of burning incense, the fragrance intoxicating. On one side of the bed stood a warrior wolf from my pack, and on the other side was a vampire from Diego's pride, both present to guard us. Chairs were set in both sides of the large room, with the werewolves occupying the right side and the vampires on the other side. Everyone stood when the head witches of the three covens arrived and took their seats adjacent to the two parties. " Creatures of the underworld, we have all gathered here to witness something spectacular, something unheard of, the mating of a vampire and a werewolf. These two from both sides have claimed to be mated to each other even though they are not of the same kind, so tonight, underneath the full moon, we shall witness them in bed to attest if the Moon Goddess truly destined them for each other. Let the drums roll!", one of the witches addressed everyone. The incense had aroused us . My were hard and erect, and I could clearly see the bulge in Diego's pants as he stood across. The drums signalled us to begin the mating process, and we got onto the bed. We gently , suppressing the urge to tear each other's clothes off. I felt a bit insecure and ashamed. I could literally feel my alpha's eyes on me and could only imagine the disdain that will be written on his face. Diego's father too was watching, together with their maester. Everyone we knew was there to watch us have and I just couldn't bring myself to feel comfortable. Most importantly, I couldn't help but wonder, what if we die mating?

"Why can’t you just leave me alone?" Valentina snarled, breath hitching as she shoved against the bark of the tree behind her. He stepped closer, eyes glowing with an untamed hunger. In one swift, possessive motion, he pinned her hands above her head, his lips grazing the pulse at her neck—dangerously close to the spot only a mate should touch. “Because, little wolf,” he whispered, his voice dark velvet against her skin, “you belong to me—and I’m done pretending otherwise.” _______ Stabbed by the man she once loved and betrayed by the friend she trusted most, Valentina was reborn in the ashes of heartbreak. No longer the obedient luna of the Shadow Crust pack, she rises from the shadows to reclaim her life—and her power. But home is no longer safe. Her pack is in ruins. Her father? Bewitched by a mysterious woman named Carmella. And fate? Cruel, as always. Because waiting for her in the heart of the storm is the man she should never desire—Andres Donovan, the cold and dangerously obsessive Lycan King… and her second-chance mate. He watches her with eyes full of secrets, speaks in riddles that echo of a past she can’t remember, and touches her like he’s been starving for centuries. But as enemies close in, alliances fracture, and war brews over the divine blood flowing in her veins, Valentina must decide: Will she fight fate again… Or surrender to the one man who could ruin her—or save her?

When my husband, Lucius Croft, and I were on a flight that was heading toward our honeymoon destination, his childhood friend, Belinda Todd, suddenly appeared before us while pregnant. She claimed that she had bought an economy-class ticket and that she wanted to go on a vacation with us. Not only did Lucius not reject Belinda, but he also wanted me to give my first-class ticket away to her. I turned his suggestion down. So, he helped Belinda occupy the first-class seat next to us. When I realized that an old lady was the owner of that particular seat, I did everything I could to convince Lucius to return the seat to her. Unexpectedly, Belinda was so mad that she got off the plane right away. On her way home, she got into an accident, which killed her and her unborn baby. Lucius attended her funeral calmly. But on the day I was supposed to go into labor, he tied me up in the car and staged a car accident on purpose. "This is all your fault! If it wasn't for you, Belinda never would've died! You deserve to make it up to her with your life!" I could only watch the car drive into the tree in total despair. All I saw was a huge explosion and tongues of flame around me before I completely lost consciousness. When I open my eyes again, I see Belinda standing before me with her belly jutting out. This time, I no longer stop them. What they don't know is that the inconspicuous-looking old lady is actually a member of the esteemed Howard family, also known as the global business powerhouse. She's also the grandmother of the richest man in the world, Ethan Howard.

“The Rossellinis are to the Mahonnas what the Montagues are to the Capulets, sworn enemies bound by years of feud that fuels hatred and bitter rivalry. In summary, the man standing beside me, the man who I just said my vows to, is my father’s archenemy.” *** When Marco Rossellini, a ruthless Mafia boss, feared and respected in the underground world kidnaps Vienna’s husband-to-be on her wedding day, and forces her to marry him as an act of revenge against her father, she is trapped under the painful existence of being married to a man as cold as ice. As they navigate through the stormy waters of hate and the treacherous landscape of mafia politics, Vienna is torn between loyalty to her father and the growing feelings for the man who married her as an act of revenge. But can she trust Marco, or will his vendetta against her family shatter her into a thousand broken pieces beyond repair? *** All his life, Marco has only wanted one thing - vengeance against the man who wronged his family. What better way to get back at Daniello Mahonnas than taking away his most prized treasure, right underneath his nose in one calculated move? Marriage to the beautiful Vienna was supposed to be an act of revenge, a genius move that will bring the Mahonnas down on their knees, pleading for his mercy. But with every banter, with every smile she sends his way, every heated kiss and stolen passion, she chips away at his icy exterior, leaving him bare, vulnerable and worst – in love. Will he be able to move past his vendetta and love her the way his heart wants or will those eyes staring back at him remind him more of his past than he ever wanted?