Window Shopping Tessa Bailey

Mariin akong napakapit sa bedsheets ng kama sa bawat baon at labas na ginagawa niya. Sobrang init Ng kwartong kinaroroonan naming dalawa na tila ba tinutupok kaming dalawa. "Ugh! You're so hot baby" Ungol nito habang binabayo Ako sa likod at minamasahe Ang dibdib ko, tila ba doe Ang dibdib sa ginagawa nito, patuloy lang ito sa walang humpay Niyang pag bayo hindi ko alam Kong ilang beses akong nanginig sa sarap. Sa laki ba Naman Ng pag-aari niya. "Ughhh I'm coming again" Ungol ko and for an instance, tumirik Ang mata ko sa sarap. Hinihingal kaming pareho, bagsak sa kama at bumabawi Ng lakas dahil sa matinding labanan. I crawled in the top of the bed Saka inihilig Ang sarili sa unan na naroroon. Ilang sandali pa'y gumapang Rin ito papunta sakin Saka ako'y niyakap. Kailangan Kong Gawin to at lunukin Ang delekadesa ko. Kung kasalanan man Ang ginagawa Kong ito handa akong matupok sa apoy Ng impyerno maligtas lang Ang buhay ko. "What is your name?" Napalunok Ako sa laway ko Saka huminga Ng malalim. Just for tonight, I hope someone will save me. "I'm A-a-shanti" Nauutal na sambit ko. I saw him getting up Saka kinuha Ang baso na may lamang alak, nilagok niya ito habang naka talikod sakin at naka harap sa glass window na Mula floor Hanggang ceiling. "P-please---" I swallowed the lump and cleared my throat again before I continued to talk. "Bid for me Mr. Billionaire"

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

Angelo once thought when he was five that he was powerful, when he turned 15, his childishness that he was powerful was shattered into pieces after he meet two men. He should be angry and frustrated but he can’t, one of the men who make him feel him hopeless possess the brightest smile he had longed to ever see plus the force that was telling him to get close and be intimate had make Angelo surrender all of his stubbornness and followed what was his heart was advising. The other one had strong rejection that make Angelo feel disappointed and hurt but he still let the other go because he knew his other mate would find happiness than with him. Angelo thought that this would continue, him being lovey-dovey with the ‘gentle’ mate that didn’t reject him while his other mate continue to put an expression of disgust, he was wrong. In his 17th, when the Red Moon appears in the window sill of his room, his mates appear at the same time using the Red Moon as their door. The mate that was full of rejection towards him had an obsess expression put on his face while his gentle mate still wore that gentle facade but there were lust, obsession that was written all over their transformed golden eyes when they approached him like a hungry wolf ready to mark him as theirs. Angelo black eyes also transformed into golden after the red moon appeared. Hades busily torn Angelo clothes apart while Zeus caresses Angelo angelic face, he reach for Angelo ears that was faintly red then exhaled their Luna scent heavily, releasing his pheromones. Both the twins golden eyes flash, they opened their lips and says the same thing, “Our Luna, it’s time for our mating"

I had not asked my mother for money in three months. She thought I had finally learned to be a good, obedient son and, in a rare act of mercy, sent me a message. "I already had Calvin pay the registration fee. Learn to be more sensible from now on. Stop thinking about scamming money from the family. "I know your dad is having a hard time right now, but since you chose to stay with me, you need to be on the same side as me." When she said this, she did not yet know that I had already transferred my in-state residency out. No one believed that I, Miles Hart, who appeared on the surface to be the young master of a wealthy family, had a closet filled entirely with clothes bought before my parents’ divorce. For three full years, there was not a single new piece of clothing. Every dollar I spent privately had to be submitted through an internal approval system, with a written application and justification. Even fees for school activities required screenshots of official notices and formal quotations. All expenses had to pass the review of my stepfather, Calvin Pierce. Just because my mother constantly suspected I was siding with my father and was afraid I would secretly funnel money to him. A month ago, I needed $500 for a math competition registration fee. Calvin rejected the request again and again. "There isn't enough justification. "Why do you have to participate in this competition? "Wait until the end of the month for unified approval." By the time approval finally came through, the registration window had already closed. Mom did not know that I had endured these three years for only one reason: an in-state residency, which would make college admissions easier. Now, I was officially recommended for admission to a top university. This family was no longer a place I needed to stay in.

When he looked in through the window, he was astounded to see her topless and braless. She was standing with her back to him, eliciting wild desires in him. He took his handkerchief from his pocket and crept into her room. He blindfolded her with his hankie before dragging her towards the bed. Her heartbeat accelerated. She could feel that he was her man. She asked, "is it you, baby?" He pushed her onto the bed and gazed at her perfect slender body with profound desires in his eyes. He hovered her and tied her wrists with his tie to the headboard. *** She could never stop her heart from beating for him since the day she saw him despite knowing that he would never retaliate to her feelings as for him she was only his best friend's sister. She was so innocent and pure like holy water, and he was messed up and a monster whom anybody definitely wouldn't like to come across. She had never dated anyone in her entire life because, for her, the love of her life was everything. On the other hand, he never believed in all this. For him, "love" didn't exist; it was all about physical needs. His mere presence was enough to relieve her pain; he was like oxygen to her, while on the other hand, he didn't even acknowledge her presence. Her love was so pure and selfless that it could make anyone fall for it because it's not easy to love someone who is forbidden. But will he ever witness her love? Will he ever love her as purely as she loves him? Will her one-sided love ever be fulfilled? If you want to know, then follow the journey of a tempting biker and his secret admirer.

CAN BE READ ALONE!! Growing up, at a younger age my mom would tell me her romantic story of how she and dad met. I fell in love with their love story and would beg her to tell me every night before going to bed. I love her story so much that I could not wait to one day be old enough to find my one true mate; that every full moon, I would stare through my bedroom window and watch excitedly wolves being wandered off into the dark, having only the full moon to guide them. Seeing them, I was even more anxious to turn eighteen and to too meet my mate. The wolf, the moon goddess has blessed me with to spend my entire life with. Before my mom was taken from me, she used to tell me, a one true mate is like an alpha, and that the only difference is that he may not have a pack he's destined to rule and protect, but a single wolf he's destined to love forever. I kept that quote with me and impatiently waited until I was of the rightful age, searching under the beautiful moonlight for my one true mate. It was the most beautiful night and even more beautiful when I lay eyes on a dark hair and blue eyes handsome wolf. I could hear my wolf crying inside telling me that he was mine; that night I thought I found everything that I was looking for and ever wanted, but the next day after my one true mate mark me as his own and took my innocent. Everything wasn't going the way I thought it would be. My mate mostly. His sweet behavior towards me suddenly changes into something terrifying; something I'd never wish upon anyone.

I stood on the pavement outside the townhouse that had been my sanctuary for ten years, watching the removal men haul out my life. Beside me, Lyle didn't even have the decency to look guilty. "It’s just business, Lolly," he’d said an hour ago, dropping the divorce papers onto the marble kitchen island. "You were a beautiful asset. But assets fucking depreciate." Now, I was a 'no one'. No money, no keys, and my reputation dragged through the mud. I stared up at the window of my bedroom. Krista – my ex best friend – was up there right now.. I turned. A man leaned against the frame of a waiting black saloon car. He didn't look like a bloody saviour. He looked like the devil, and right now, the devil was exactly what I needed. "I'm Franco," he murmured. "And I think Lyle just made the biggest mistake of his pathetic life. He thinks he broke you. I think he just let you off the leash." The heat radiating off his body was a phenomenal. I had just lost my husband, but standing this close to Franco, the only thing I felt was a sudden, violent ache. He held out an invitation. The Apex Bloom. A survival game for the elite. The prize is a billion pounds. But it doesn't reward beauty. It rewards the hunger of a woman who has nothing left to lose." A sharp shock shot through me, and I let out a soft gasp. He stepped half an inch closer, his thigh brushing against mine. He knew what that touch did to me. He wanted it just as much as I did. "Rule one," Franco whispered. "In my arena, the only way to bloom is to bleed. Are you ready?"

Luke finally agreed to bind with me, urged by his mother Monica on her deathbed. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a glow on his golden-brown fur. He stood by the bed, his amber wolf eyes deep and seemingly nervous. As soon as he stepped out of the room, his expression returned to its usual calm, and he said to me coldly, "Emma, let's wait a little longer." "I need to bond with Alina first," he continued, his wolf eyes distant, his tone neutral. "Her mother is seriously ill, and I promised her." "What about your mother? She wants to witness our bonding too!" "I have to bond with Alina first. You don't need to worry about my mother’s health," he said, as he effortlessly removed the vow ring Monica had given me from my finger, then turned and walked away. His little wolf followed, its tail wagging happily, showing no sign of reluctance. But as soon as he left, his mother suddenly took a turn for the worse. By the time Monica passed away, I was the only one by her side. Weakly, she squeezed my hand and whispered, "Emma, don’t wait for him anymore. Find someone who truly loves you." Her hand fell limp, and in the quiet darkness, I made two calls. The first was to the church, changing our marking ceremony to a funeral for his mother. The second call was to my best friend. Her brother was the Alpha of another pack, with dark fur and sharp green eyes. "He once said that if I was willing, he would bond with me... Is that promise still valid?" There was a pause on the other end before a deep voice, full of natural authority, came through: "Emma, have you finally figured it out?"

On Independence Day, I was on my way to my boyfriend's house when a car slammed into me. The stretch of road was deserted. The collision jammed my door shut, and the acrid smell of gasoline filled the air. My car was about to explode. I scrambled for the emergency hammer, only to find it had been swapped out for a pink toy mallet. Panic rising in my chest, I dialed my boyfriend's number. To my horror, his ringtone sounded from the very car that had crashed into me. He stepped out, arm wrapped around his childhood sweetheart. She put on a pitiful face, tears in her eyes. "Oh no, I'm so clumsy. It's my first time driving, and I hit someone." When my boyfriend realized the victim was me, he didn't hesitate to console her. "Don't worry. She must have collided with you on purpose." I pounded on the window, desperate. "Nick! The emergency hammer's been switched out. Help me get out of here!" His childhood sweetheart lit up with a mischievous smile. "Katie, I swapped it! Isn't the pink hammer super cute?" Disgust flickered across Nick's face. "It's just a little crash. Get out on your own." By now, thick smoke was pouring into the car, and the heat was searing my lungs. I begged him to save me. But the girl only giggled, covering her nose in mock annoyance. "Katie, why are you cooking in there? The smoke is awful." Then she patted her stomach. "Oops, my tummy is rumbling. Nick, let's go home and eat." He tightened his hold around her and turned to leave. "Enough already. Stop pretending. My parents are waiting for us at home." Just as suffocation closed in on me, I slammed my hand against the car's emergency distress button.

I should have been walking down the aisle. Instead, I was running through the woods in my wedding dress. The white fabric caught on every branch, tearing apart like my life. My name is Camela Siegel. My father is the Mayor, and he sold me to save himself. Vincent Castellano was supposed to be my husband. They call him the Mad Prince, but I learned he’s so much worse than that. His hands trembled when he touched me—sometimes gentle, like I might break, and sometimes rough, like he wanted to overpower me. “You’re mine now,” he’d whisper in the dark corners of that house. “No one else gets to touch you. No one else gets to hurt you but me.” I tried the door handle every day for three months. It only turned from the outside. When help finally came, I thought it was over. I thought I could go home and pretend none of it ever happened. I was wrong. Vincent found my journal—the one where I wrote about him, about what he did to me, and about who he truly is. Now he’s not just keeping me locked up. He’s hunting me. They call him “The Fox” for a reason. He’s patient and waits. When he catches what he’s after, he never lets it go. I can feel him watching me even now—through my bedroom window, from across the street, in the shadows where I can’t see him but I know he’s there. My father thinks making that deal saved his life. He doesn’t realize it destroyed mine. Vincent said he’d keep me until the last day of my life. I’m starting to think that day is coming soon.