Yakiniku Branches

With a history like ours, the meaning of the word family tended to tangle into something unrecognizable. DNA and bloodlines didn’t tie us together, and neither did our last names. Various shades of grey blurred the branches of our twisted family tree. I wasn’t her brother. They weren’t my parents. Not that it mattered… She was off limits. Portia was my friend. Then my foster sister. And she’d always be the love of my life. Family Ties is created by Stephie Walls, an eGlobal Creative Publishing Signed Author.

They met in the darkness. Brandon a mortal. Ezekiel a Shifter. Pain and loneliness brought them crashing into one another. Their meeting will be the first dominoes in an epic saga that branches through not only time, but blood as well. Broken Bonds will come too light. A new Bond will form in the stillness of the night. And trapped beneath the cogs of fate will be Brandon and Ezekiel. Two beings that were never supposed to meet. Brandon is lost in misery....running from shadows. Ezekiel is intrigued by Brandon's darkness...and his sorrowful beauty....but are they destined to be? Will the shadows at Brandon's heels become real and tear them apart before they ever get the chance to try? BOOK ONE PART ONE- THE MEETING

"Don't make me say this again," He said, his voice hard, "Spread your legs wide for me, Love, Or You will be punished," Arthur Spencer, 30 years old C.E.O. and Golden heir of the world's most enormous business empire, Spencer Enterprises, he's a powerful billionaire and an eligible bachelor of New York City, He's cold, Self-centred, Impulsive, and extremely possessive. He has the power to destroy anyone's life in just a blink of an eye, and his family is acknowledged as Dark Royalty. Davina Ellis, a divorced 27 years old sweet, and naive woman, works as a restaurant manager at Neens Restaurant. With her hard work and determination in just three years, she made the restaurant more popular and successful than other branches of it. *** What happens when Arthur discovers that It was Davina's husband, with whom Olivia, his fiancee and the love of his life had an affair and chose to leave him?

My younger brother told me he was overwhelmed by school stress and had developed depression. I tried to help by encouraging him to seek treatment, drawing from my own experience with the illness. However, my mother blamed me, accusing me of passing the depression onto him. She took me to a witch, who locked me in the house. Every day, the witch used willow branches to drive away evil spirits, beating me until my skin was raw, forcing me to drink filthy water, and making me bleed. "This is the only way to banish the evil and bless your little brother." After enduring days of torment, my depression worsened, and I chose to end my life. However, when I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my brother first confessed his depression. I looked at my body—whole and unharmed. This time, I will make them pay for everything I endured.

Sage Carden, the heir to Carden Inc., is well-known nationwide for owning almost 145 branches of gas stations. However, his business empire is not the only thing that makes him one of the youngest billionaires you'll ever meet. Despite being the idol of many people because of his alleged ability to become a billionaire at 26 years old, they do not see the person behind Sage's fancy, well-tailored suit. The whole world does not know that Sage is already married and that lucky woman is Phoebe Jimenez, just an ordinary, talented writer whose only goal is to share stories from her imagination, inspiration, ideas, and experience. What if all the stories Phoebe writes are about and always revolve around her husband, Sage? And what if one of Phoeb e's writings is Sage's true identity, including the secret that only their family knows about? What will happen to Sage's hard-earned status in life?

Since the death of their mother, Trixie had always lived in the shadow of her sister. No matter what she did, it was never enough for their father—not since the night their mother died. A cold winter evening when she gave her life trying to protect Trixie from a band of rogues that had invaded their kingdom. The only human who ever loved Trixie for who she was had died in her arms. As her breath faded, she whispered the last words that would cling to Trixie like skin to bone: “You’re special, my child. Mama is going to be watching over you...” Those words became a fragile beacon in the dark world that followed. Years later, on their eighteenth birthday, Trixie’s sister Trisha was honored with the ceremony every Alpha deserved—firelight, songs, and the whole pack gathered in reverence. Meanwhile, Trixie was tied up behind the pack house, hidden away, a secret shame. But the forest does not care for family politics. When a group of rogues stumbled upon the weak girl passed out beneath frost-bitten branches, they saw only prey.

***This book contains violence, cursing, sexual content, and talk of suicide, enjoy at your discretion.*** I was walking through an unknown foggy forest when I spotted a field of wildflowers. My feet had a mind of their own as they led me to wander through the flowers. I nonchalantly dragged my hands over the flowers. It was a beautiful and serene sight. I deeply inhaled the sweet scent of the flower and gave a little shudder of bliss. I closed my eyes and just absorbed the moment wanting to remember it. Suddenly the sounds of paws hitting the forest floor overwhelmed me. Then the forest was ignited with flames. Everything glowed vibrant oranges and reds as heavy smoke smothered me from above. I threw myself to the ground desperate for any trace of clean air. As I attempted to crawl out of the flowers a new sound harmonized with the thunder paws, screams and howls for help terrorized me. I clawed at the ground desperate to escape the menacing choir. Fire licked my skin and I screamed for help. Sobs escaped my lips as flaming branches fell on me from above. The smell of burning flesh was the only thing that consumed me as everything went dark.

Laki sa layaw at brat si Beatrice Lustre. Dahil nag-iisang anak, alam niya sa sariling siya ang magiging heiress sa nagkalat na branches ng Lustre Hotel Services sa Pilipinas. Kaya naman sa debut party ng dalaga, engrandeng selebrasyon ang inihanda ng mga magulang. Ang hindi niya alam, sa pagkakataong iyon na pala magbabago ang kaniyang buhay. Dumating ang unfamiliar na gwapong lalaki bilang last dance niya, si Lucas Sebastian Apollo. Siya ang pinakabatang bilyonaryo sa bansa at CEO ng Apollo Groups of Companies. Ang nakatakdang ikasal kay Beatrice pagtungtong ng dalaga sa ika-25 anyos. At dahil unang pagtatagpo pa lamang, pagkamuhi ang namuo sa dalawa. Sa stubbornness ni Beatrice, hindi ito basta-basta magpapakontrol. Bagay kung saan mababa ang tolerance ni Lucas lalo't sanay na nasusunod ang lalaki. Paano nila pakikisamahan ang isa't isa? Ano ang magiging takbo ng buhay nila sa kanilang arranged dating at marriage life? Posible kayang maramdaman ang tunay na pag-ibig sa pagitan nila kung ang kasal ay may malalim pa lang tinatagong agenda?

"You're in my bed, naked and begging me to kiss you more. Now tell me, am I just the other man that you should hide? Or the one you desire to be your legal husband?" ~Axel~ When the hot and dangerous billionaire Axel Barcelona meets Shaira Branson, he thought he finally found the woman that he wanted for himself. But he can't be more wrong when he finds out that his supposed woman was his cousin's fiance. **** Axel Barcelona is a hot but dangerous billionaire who owns the famous Barcelona Construction Sites with ten branches all over Asia. Four days on Vitale Island make him think that he finally met the woman of his dreams. But then, Shaira Branson disappears the next day after the sweet yet steamy night happened between them on the island. When fate allows him to meet her again, Axel was surprised to see her with his cousin Andrei and announces their engagement. Discovering that Shaira was already engaged to his cousin, made Axel think that she was cheating on his supposed husband- with him. Will his feelings for Shaira overcome her betrayal and will Axel allow her to marry his cousin? Or let himself become the other man?

Rhett’s father is making him go to dinner because his father’s best friend is arriving and will be staying with the family while his new home is finished being renovated. All Rhett knows is the guy is a stiff. He runs some big company and is moving his headquarters here. He remembers meeting him once and thought he was boring and as annoying as his father. What Rhett didn’t remember is how attractive this older man is despite his stiff posture and suit, the much shorter and much older man has serious sex appeal. Despite his short stature and social awkwardness, Gabriel bests Rhett when he tries talking to him on the terrace and promises to “whip” the younger man into shape in a rather heated moment. The sexual tension is high, but their personalities clash. Meanwhile, Rhett is forced to move home and declare his major and Gabriel is having a hard time convincing the shareholders, firstly that his move to the East Coast was for the best of the company seeing as the most successful branches are in the region and that his spinoff idea which really connects with the essence of who he is will bring the company more success. He must find a solution and that solution might just save both his and Rhett’s asses, if he can get the younger man to comply. Trigger warning: This book contains mature materials and homosexual content including domination and kinks, betrayals, attempted suicide, depression, attempted murder, homophobia and mental health issues. There may not be content warnings on chapters within.