Unhealthy Stretched Ears

I had been married to Adrian Foster for six years when I finally conceived his child. However, the doctor’s reaction upon hearing Adrian’s name left me frozen. "I clearly recall that Mrs. Foster already gave birth to a son here two years ago. She’s a famous actress, and she and Mr. Foster made the perfect couple." I stared at her in disbelief. "What are you talking about? We’re legally married. We have a certificate!" "There’s no mistake. Mr. Foster is someone notable, and he doted on his wife. He was always by her side." I stormed out of the hospital in anger, but my hope was shattered when the lawyer confirmed that my marriage certificate was a forgery. The world tilted into darkness. My ears rang, my surroundings blurred, and I could no longer hear a thing. At last, I understood. He had never been my husband. He had never once looked forward to the child growing within me. With shaking hands, I dialed my family’s number, and in my heart, I swore that this merciless liar would burn in hell.

The evening wind and tranquility wiped away all the chaos that had been filling my mind for the preceding few days. It felt as though I had been granted a second opportunity at life, akin to that of a newborn kid. I'd always wanted to feel that way for so long, and that night was a very captivating time for me to begin with. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, feeling the breeze brush against my skin as I relived all the horrific events that had occurred. All the turmoil that seemed to escape reappeared in an instant. Tears rush down my cheeks as I feel my body shudder as a dreadful understanding dawns on me. It feels as if every second of my existence has been squandered, and as if the sense of despair and worry has taken over the little strand of sanity that exists for me as it pours through my veins and fills my spirit to the core. "You've got this. All you have to do is think that you can," I said to myself persuasively. "You can't, you just can't. You'll never be able to do it, and you'll have to live with the repercussions for the rest of your life," a familiar voice said. My senses begin to be overpowered by numbness. And with that, I realized I could not go away. The reality that this is my fate hits me like a ton of bricks. As I stretched out to wipe away all my tears, I felt thick moisture on my fingers and was terrified to find blood instead of tears. I felt as if my world was spinning before I could even scream. Then, all of a sudden, darkness crept inside me. And eventually sends me to oblivion.

The air crackled with menace, each syllable a poisoned dart. "You belong to me. You'll serve me. Do this and be quiet if you want to live." These were the ironclad words that slammed down on Miguel and Alejandro, forging a link of fear and obligation. Miguel , a shadow in the city's underbelly, found his deadly profession twisted into a personal debt. A botched hit, a life spared – the mafia prince demanded repayment in flesh and loyalty. Now, Miguel 's existence was tethered to a man he was meant to extinguish. Alejandro, the journalist with a voice too loud for the prince's liking, became collateral damage in this dangerous game. His relentless pursuit of truth had landed him squarely in the crosshairs. One careless encounter, a desperate attempt by Miguel to silence Alejandro's probing questions with a kiss – a spark ignited in the suffocating darkness. It was a kiss meant to quell, but it unfurled a landscape of unexpected desire. Suddenly, the stakes were higher than survival. The illicit touch had awakened a fierce passion, a dangerous intimacy blooming between captor and… something more. Yet, the prince's wrath was a constant shadow, threats lurked in every corner, and the chasm of their circumstances stretched between them like a vast, unforgiving ocean. Could this fragile connection withstand the forces determined to tear them apart? the constant threat of exposure, the weight of their conflicting worlds, and the ever-present danger? Could Alejandro find a way to reconcile his principles with the undeniable pull he felt for his captor? Could Miguel risk the stability of his empire for a love born in captivity? Would their love become a casualty of the very danger that brought them together, or would they fight to keep its flame alive against impossible odds?

The silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Kourtney paced in front of him, her heels clicking against the dusty floor of the abandoned villa. The contract lay untouched on the table, just inches from Travis’s restrained hands. Her plan had been reckless, but it was all she had left. “I didn’t want to do this,” she murmured, voice shaking. “But you gave me no choice.” Travis tilted his head. “You think tying me to a chair will change how I feel?” “No. But it changes what you’re allowed to do,” she said, forcing a smirk that didn’t reach her eyes. He didn’t flinch. “What happens after the wedding, Kourtney? When your father finds out? When Kim finds out?” She looked away. “Then it’ll be too late. I’ll have what’s mine.” “Money?” he asked. “Or revenge?” That struck something in her. Kourtney turned to him, face darkening. “You chose her. You loved her. But what about me, Travis? You never even gave me a chance.” “You think forcing me into marriage will give you love?” “No,” she whispered. “But it’ll give me power.” Travis met her eyes. No fear. Just sadness. “This isn’t you,” he said softly. “You don’t know me anymore,” she replied, backing away. “Sign the contract, Travis. Or I swear, I’ll make sure you never walk free again.” Travis looked down at the paper, then back at her. “You’ll lose yourself in this, Kourtney.” She swallowed hard. “Then maybe losing myself is the only way I survive.”

Title: The Alpha’s Luna and the Bloodmoon Amulet Genre: WEREWOLF Trope: HIDDEN HERITAGE AND BETRAYAL Theme: MYSTERY AND THRILLER Setting: MYSTICAL WORLD, CRIMSON CITY, MID 20TH CENTURY Blurb: Her legs had barely stretched as she stood when the hairs on her neck stood on end. An instinctive sense of awareness creeping through her. It wasn’t the usual eerie silence of the room, it was something more. A presence loomed behind her, dark and predatory. “Thought you could steal from me?”…. Lycia, a thief who never knew she was anything more than human, was sent to steal a magical artifact from a mansion. She was captured by Cove, a cold-hearted Lycan alpha. She had to take up the quest to receive a pay to afford the medication of her guardian, Jack. She’s thrown into a dark world of secrets, where she learns she’s far from ordinary. Hidden powers stir within her, and the truth behind her parents' death comes crashing down. Trapped between revenge, betrayal, and a destiny she never asked for, Lycia must face her fears, fight for survival, and scream out for the power that calls to her. What dark secrets about her past will Lycia uncover as she delves deeper into the world of Lycans? Can she trust the ruthless alpha who captured her, or is he hiding his own deadly agenda? What will happen when her brother, the merciless werewolf hunter, learns of her true identity? Will Lycia embrace her hidden powers in time to stop the war brewing in the shadows or will her enemies destroy her before she can reclaim her destiny as the true Luna?

On the first day of my rebirth, I turn straight into the bedroom of Don Raffaele Caruso and begin undoing my clothes. In my previous life, I was in a marriage of convenience with his son, Matteo Caruso, but there was no love between us. We were notorious in Liberty City's mafia circle. Matteo believed I was the reason he lost his first love. He thought I had deliberately gone into his room the night he was drugged with an aphrodisiac, trapping him in a marriage. Hence, for eight years after our wedding, he stayed out drunk every night and refused to come home. Even when I went into obstructed labor and was on the brink of death, he never asked about me even once. Then, the hurricane came. A storm surge swallowed Liberty City. The harbor collapsed under the waves, and there was only one seat left on the evacuation boat. Everyone thought Matteo would keep it for himself. Instead, he shoved me hard onto the boat. "Go! I'm giving you my chance to live, Chiara. If there's a next life, don't come saving me again. I just want to be with Lucia." The next second, his body was dragged into the pitch-black sea. I survived, only to be hacked to death by a rival family afterward. What Matteo never knew was that he wasn't the only one who was drugged that night. His father was too. This time around, I step into the room just as the effects of the aphrodisiac take hold. Raffaele is currently forcing himself to endure it, his control stretched to the limit. I walk over and say softly, "Let me be your antidote, Don Caruso."

Rosemary is an orphaned werewolf girl with extreme gifts. Taken away from her childhood friend Jesiah who is destined to become the king of werewolf’s. Forced to train to become an assassin for the Vatican to kill their eternal enemy Lucifer. Rosemary finds herself in the middle of romance between Lucifer whom she was sworn to kill and Jesiah her loving mate. Enjoy! Excerpt - With my eyes closed, I stretched my arms to feel silky sheets all around me. Coming to, I remembered blacking out near the river so why am I feeling silk and pillows?!? I shot up and took in my surroundings. I noticed a dagger on the wall. Is this another one of Enora’s drills? I thought feeling confused. Then the flood of memories from the past night hit me. I killed her. I killed hundreds of wolves in training. The realization began to sink in and though they were vile creatures and Enora treated me less than an animal, I felt guilt. Guilt that I gave into the monster they created in me. The nuns, the Order, Enora. They never wanted me alive because they cared for me. They didn’t train me and push my power for the purpose of helping protect myself or others. No, they wanted to use me. The empty angry void in my soul was because of them. I was never nurtured in all my time at the convent nor Enoras prison. I was completely unloved. Though I needed so badly to burst into tears, I couldn’t bring myself to cry. Lost in my thoughts, the door to my left began to open and before my host could walk completely in, I grabbed a chunk full of hair on the top of their head and put my dagger to their muscular neck.

“Your body, your heart, your soul. everything is mine, Kira.” He whispered into me, his breath fanning my ears and his voice was deep enough to send shivers down my spine. “So I would appreciate it if you stay away from anyone. One wrong move and I’ll kill them.” Said Lycan King Ace. Kira Itzayana Fernandez considered herself an orphan the moment her life went down. Her mother’s death, her step-mother is abusing her, and she only has a crazy aunt in her care. She has always been unfortunate, but she strives hard to make her ends meet. Kira did not expect her life to turn out weird. Her cat disappeared, and she woke up one day to be the luna of the ferocious, Lycan King Ace. Alpha Ace couldn’t take his pride knowing his mate is a human but tries to make it work. With enemies going after them, and Alpha Ace’s beta Mark taking a liking to his mate, Kira is put to choose between the two. Book 3 of Destined Series (can also be read as standalone)

"Father, I accept the marriage alliance with the Blackwood Pack." Silence stretched on his end of the link before he finally replied, "Caterina, are you certain?" "I am." I didn't tell him the real reason. Last night, a heart-shattering agony ripped through our Mate Bond, through that damned bond, I saw everything— My mate, Alpha Rocco, was in the cabin on his private hunting grounds, pinning his childhood sweetheart, Scarlett, against the wall and kissing her with a desperate frenzy. I confronted Scarlett directly at the pack meeting, a flicker of triumph flashed in her eyes before she feigned innocence. "Caterina, I have no idea what you're talking about." Just then, Rocco's voice boomed through the open mind-link, echoing in the minds of everyone present. "Caterina, as the Luna of the pack, you shouldn’t cause a scene like this. Scarlett is just a friend. " In that moment, my heart died completely. He was my Alpha, my husband—the man I had spent years helping rise to power. I severed my mind-link with Rocco. The pain of the forced disconnection was so intense I could barely stand, but I straightened my spine and sent my reply. "I'll be home in two weeks." Go home and marry the most powerful Alpha in North America. They say he is cold and ruthless, unmoved by any she-wolf. Perfect. I don't need love. I just need an Alpha strong enough to help me secure the Silver Moon Pack. And as for Rocco? The Moon Goddess gave us a destiny, and he shattered it with his own hands. Now, I will seize my own.

The night before her wedding, she had a fling with a strange man; on her wedding day, he appeared as her groom's brother. ** “Last night, we had a fling, and today you're married to my brother?!” He scowled, spewing out hot breath on her face. She stuttered, “I..I'm..I'm..” “No!! You can't be married to Ryker! You can't be my brother's wife!” He raged, looking aggrieved as he pulled away from her. Ryker's dominant voice was immediately heard from the stairs, “What's going on here?” Her feet grew cold, and realizing he must have heard their conversation, she grabbed hold of her wedding dress and took to her heels. “Wait!” His commanding voice made her halt in the middle of the passageway. She stood stiff as she heard the sound of his shoes kissing the ground stylishly. His presence behind her made her turn pale in the blink of an eye. Caressing her left shoulder, he whispered sinisterly into her ears “Wifey, what did you do on the night before our wedding?”.