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I just came from the shithole in the Middle East, carrying a scar of war. What I am not ready for is, when Brooklyn Paisley appears on my doorstep, looking for a place to crash. The odd thing is, I'd been attracted to her since we were teens. Of course, she doesn't know about it because I just was the thin nerd with metal in my mouth back then. Now she is in front of me, my unwavering desires trigger, and I can't confess because we are vulnerable, and she looks like just someone dear to me.
ARROW
MIX EMOTIONS played across my girls' faces; exhaustion, satisfaction, motivation, and joy after an hour an half of exercise. It was a great fulfillment on my part to see them participating in this program.
Since I joined my best buddy teaching self-defense classes two years, I wasn't sure if I made the right decision over choosing a personal details job for a self-made billionaire, but so far, I have loved my job.
My fucking ass comrade, Kian chose to train male trainees, while I handled classes for women. I didn't have a problem though-if I was trained to protect my country, how could I not teach women to protect themselves?
"Okay, girls. We're done with the hammer strike. Tomorrow, I will show you how to knee a groin." I faked a grimace. The room quickly filled with laughers from sixteen women--battered wives, divorced, victims of physical assaults by thugs, and others just wanted to protect themselves.
"Thanks, Arrow," they chorused and scattered to dismiss except for a young woman. She was tense, distant, and distracted since I started the training earlier.
"Caitriona?"
She startled and flicked her gaze at me. "Y-yes?" She was the newest member of the group-started last week. Judging by her reaction, she didn't have to tell me what she'd been going through. I'd seen many people like her. It fucking hurt me that as young as nineteen, she had to go through that experience. She was still one of the luckiest people who chose to fight other than hid it in the darkness until it swallowed them whole.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Thank you." She smiled timidly.
I was not entirely convinced. Her eyes said otherwise-the pain and horror are so deep. But I made a promise a long time ago that I wouldn't just stand here and do nothing.
"You know, if you need someone to talk to, I am here, not only as your instructor but as a friend, okay?"
She nodded. "I'm fine. Really. But thanks. Appreciate it."
"Okay then. Take care. See you tomorrow." I walked out of the studio, queasy. I felt that I fail her. To be able to help them, I needed to gain their trust. That was one of my goals. I wanted to help them, but there was always someone who would not easily open up something painful, terrible to someone like me, even to a psychologist.
For fuck's sake. I sounded like a shrink, which was not part of my job, by the way. I just couldn't help it. It was in my nature. There was just a part of me that if I could get to know them, it would be easy for me to teach them how to protect themselves.
From the moment my mother and my sister died in that collision, I was bound to that one purpose-it was to protect. At twelve, my grandmother took care of me, then a year after, she died-all the women in my life just died and left me helpless, and I couldn't do anything about it. Even if it was a part of the cycle of life. It twisted my gut to see someone as helpless as I was.
I hit the shower and let the water into almost freezing cold. Bullets of water hit my skin which made my whole body shiver. It works. It made me numb and forgot the memory of how I left the job that I loved.
After I did my shower, I slipped into my old ripped jeans and black tees. I scrubbed my unshaven cheeks to find two missed calls from Imogen. We grew up together as we passed from foster to foster homes. She didn't call me often, but we never missed at least a message or a meetup in a month. Now, she worried me.
I dialed her number and she picked up as if she was waiting for my call.
"About damn time!"
"'sup, bigfoot?" I could feel her rolling her eyes from the other line. She hated that name, but I thought it fit her. She had ten-size shoes and stood five feet and eleven inches tall-a taller for a woman of my liking. Good thing she was like a sister to me.
"I saw her, Arrow! But I think she didn't recognize me anymore." There was an urgent and panic in her voice.
"Who?"
"I didn't even get a chance to introduce myself because I was about to leave, and I just stood there like an idiot. She was early for her appointment."
"Can you stop for a sec, emoji? Who's her?"
"The girl. Remember when you told me during our high school?"
My brows furrowed. My thoughts scattered. Wait. Oh, fuck! Was Imogen saying the same person? How in the hell did she end up here? Or the right question was, what the hell was she doing in the hospital? I let go of the breathing I had not known I'd been holding. I was suddenly terrified.
When I first saw her in high school, it was odd that I felt something for her. I couldn't get near her without thinking of someone I cared about and felt something mortifying at the same time.
I was torn between grateful and in pain when her family suddenly left. I didn't even get a chance to talk to her because every time we bumped into one another, I ran away like my ass was on fire. Her exit had caused something terrible to me. I thought of her a lot until I ended up jacking off while thinking about her. I felt fucking guilty, devastated, and ashamed of myself.
"Arrow Archer Remington Slate." Imogen's angry voice jabbed me back from my thoughts. "Are you listening? Damn you, dude! You still got it bad, don't you?"
"Sorry, I was a little distracted."
"Obviously," she snapped.
"How did you know it was her? It's been years, emoji."
"She's Brooklyn Paisley, isn't she?" Her name did a flutter down my belly and my heart was in my fucking throat.
Shit!
"Is she okay?" I asked hesitantly, hoping it didn't sound like I was inquiring about something when it was my real intention.
"No. And I can't discuss it with you. I can't break the PBR."
I groaned. "Then what do you hope to achieve? It's not that I can help her, can't I? You are a nurse, and it's your freaking job."
"I just feel bad for her, Arrow. She's not the-"
"Then don't!" I swallowed. Something deep inside me wanted to press what happened to her, to sate my curiosity, but the only person I considered family had no plan on to tell me. "Is that all you can tell me? Fine. I have to go." Before I could end the call, she sighed.
"She's blind, okay?"
My eyes widened. I swallowed the clog of shock down my throat. "What the-? How-?" My jaw clenched. I shut my eyes closed, and suddenly her face sprung into my mind. Her big hazel eyes--those were the only things that made Brooklyn different from her, who had a brown one just like mine.
Shit!
***
I BOLTED up in bed, heaving. The thin sheet was sticking into my sweaty skin.
"Motherfucking world!" I threw my legs out of bed as the ringing of the doorbell never went off. It was probably Imogen, and I would fucking let her clean my apartment for disturbing my sleep. At least, this time, it was not the same fucking terror-filled nightmare I had-not the face of my ex in that fucking explosion or the car crash of Mom and my sister.
Rubbing my tired eyes, I strode toward the door. "Just fucking wait!"
I let go an irritated breath before I unlocked the door and turned back to the kitchen. "Shut the door behind you."
Click
Clack
That sound. My heart stopped in my chest as I froze stiffly like a corpse. Jesus Christ. I swallowed before I turned around. My world was just suspended. My eyes widened at the sight of the woman standing right in front of me. I was stunned to the point that I forgot how to breathe.
Heartbroken, Charleigh Wrylee, a charming and driven associate architect, dedicates her life to her career. She grabs the opportunity when a new project promises her a promotion. Bryce Chase is a tough daddy and a great baker with only two goals in life-raising his child and managing his cake shop. But things change when he runs into a new girl. Even though their interests don't align, it turns the heat between them, pulling them together like magnets. Will they be able to set their issues aside and follow their hearts instead? Or will they rather stick to what they're fighting for; his shop and her promotion? *** Sometimes hiding the truth comes with a great price. That's what the quiet and preserved Arizona Sky realizes after meeting Tripp Wrylee- a hardworking overconfident CEO of a top architectural firm. She finds herself doing things she never thought she'd do- marrying a man she barely knows and leaving her the next day. Three years later, he comes back, asking for a second chance, filling the husband's role he left empty, bringing out the other side of him that Ari never knew he had. Things between them become surreal until his job is at risk, their relationship is in hot water, and the people she loves are against their relationship, but something between them is maybe worth saving.
"Why did you bend over, Maverick?" "Because you told me to, assh*le." "I'm so tempted to f*ck you right now. You're the most exquisite woman I've ever been with, the only beautiful thing I see and have." "Then what are you waiting for? Just punish me already!" *** MAVERICK As a working college student, I struggle to make ends meet until a stranger approaches me with a proposal-- to be his employer's wife for an enormous sum of money. Knowing the cash will help me pay my grandmother's medical bills, I accept the offer with a demand-- just a marriage of convenience, no intimacy. It's too late to realize I'm marrying the charming and gorgeous to a fault, young Mr. Winston. And there's this instant fire between us despite my inhibitions. Things get more complicated when our sham marriage is put to the test by his father, who threatens to expose my dirty little secret. *** LAKE Being a Braddson-Winston heir is sometimes a curse. My father is a real SOB and a pain in my ass. He makes one outrageous demand for me to secure the CEO seat in the company-- marriage. So I found a perfect bride- Maverick Bates II, who is beautiful but in a dire financial situation. I only ask two things. We stay MBA and keep things purely business until the contract ends. As simple as that. It was meant to be a straightforward deal, but each day I get to know her, my position is not the only thing at stake but also my heart. I realize I can't let her go even if I have to make a dangerous bargain with her father, who happens to be a ruthless crime boss.
Without warning, he grabbed me by my ankles and dragged me to the edge of the bed. “Take your panties off,” he ordered me as he unbuckled his belt and worked on his pants, letting them fall on his ankles. Then he grabbed his dick out of his boxers. He was already hard and began stroking it. When I was too shocked to move, he growled at me, his green eyes searing against mine. “Panties. Off. Now, Nirvana.” I did as he said, scrambling to remove my shorts and underwear. My chest started heaving. My lips went dry as I watched him enjoy stroking himself. “Open your mouth, suck me, and take me all in.” His order woke up something inside me. Lust fired up through my veins, and my clit ached for him. I opened my mouth, and he shoved his shaft inside. “That’s it, sweetheart. Good girl.” *** All her life, Nirvana Thorne thought she was just human, at least not until a mysterious guy rejected her for no reason. When she finally uncovers her family secrets, Knight reclaims her as his fated mate and forces her to dig deep into the unimaginable danger of the underworld to undo the curse. Fighting her attraction towards him is hard enough. Every time they get close, their chemistry sizzles, and the heat between them becomes irresistible. When the pack is under siege, she must learn to gain control of the newfound power within her while the alpha intends to show her where she belongs. *** All Knight Blackwell ever wanted was to run his pack while getting rich. What he didn’t need was a woman demanding his attention, let alone a human mate like Nirvana. So he rejects her. What he never sees coming is his mate possesses an ancient secret— she’s a creature bound in magic intertwined with an ancient dark prophecy and the key to something bigger than anything they’ve ever imagined. With his primal urges getting harder to resist and the powerful being wreaking havoc in his wake, Knight has to sate his dark cravings for his mate before they go to war that Nirvana might have to sacrifice a piece of herself.
“Do it again.” “Be more specific, baby.” I heard a smile in his words. He was enjoying this and wanted me to beg. “Fuck you. You know what I mean.” I grunted in frustration. “I actually don’t.” He stopped again. His rough hand remained between my thighs. “Stop playing games, or I will stroke myself until I come.” I wiggled my ass, seeking a quick relief from the throbbing in my core. Breathing raggedly, he said, “No one is playing games here, baby. I just want to know what you want.” “You really make me do this, don’t you?” My voice was a combination of frustration and irritation. He was enjoying this too much, probably punishing me for giving him blue balls twice. “You were complaining earlier, so, yes. I don’t want another broken nose.” “Spank my ass, Califf. Then touch me and fuck me with your finger. I wanna come. Do you think you can do that?” *** All Shadow ever wanted is to live in peace with their pack, but as a royal Lycan and the daughter of a witch, it comes at a price. When a faceless enemy targeted her, she did not only lose her wolf but also her healing gift, leaving her powerless and vulnerable. Now that the bond is gone and her happy ending is not guaranteed, she has nothing left to offer. She doubts whether she’s still worthy of her mate and Luna of their pack. Alpha Califf becomes a formidable Alpha after defeating a sinister enemy. He should be invincible with allied packs everywhere and witches at his disposal, but Shadow becomes a liability. Despite what happened to his mate, he’s willing to leave the pack and live with her away from threats, but their enemy is two steps ahead of them, and Shadow becomes cold and distant, leaving him nothing but agony he’d never felt before. Will Shadow get her revenge and find a way to get her wolf and gift back? Will they uncover the ugly truth behind their enemy? Or their foe is just right under their noses all along.
“I can smell you’re wet for me, my little mate.” My nose flared. My chest heaved. My rage boiled inside my body, making me want to explode. “Well, take this, Alpha. I, Shadow Raven Hawks, omega of Night Stalker Pack—” “Shadow, what the fuck are you doing?” He was fast to cup my face as his eyes began brewing the pain. “Rejecting—” I wasn’t finished when he slammed his mouth against mine, stopping me. *** She’s a lone wolf— a rogue. Shadow Hawks learns to keep her head down. That’s how she survives until she wakes up in a pack run by a control freak hot-as-sin ruthless Alpha. With one single sniff of him, she feels an intense connection with irresistible heat. Now she’s got her old pack on her heels. The only one who can protect her is Alpha Califf. She will do everything, even if she has to bow down and reveal herself. Califf Stone doesn’t have time for a relationship but to protect his pack from a sinister, vicious Alpha killing the neighboring packs. Until he meets a mysterious rogue who enjoys defying his orders, he finds himself craving for her, losing control— And he knows she’s the one. When their common enemy threatens her, he’s ready to break his defenses to protect his mate. What surprises him, she’s not only half-Lycan, half-witch. She’s also a Lycan Princess.
Estelle Bladwyn has a certain type— a little older with a little less demanding job and knows his way in bed. When she bumps into a hot thirty-ish man on her not-so-romantic-getaway on an island, he does check two on her checklist, and exactly what she wants for that moment. One thing that doesn’t set right— their growing attraction is overwhelming, and her life is already complicated. But who can deny someone like Linden, who held you captive with his eyes, caged you in his arms, and still promised you a good time? Gabe Linden is getting old and still single and done with hookups and doing favors. When some big guns like Moses Braddson, a man he looks up to, he just can’t say no to. The only problem is he hasn’t taken the job yet— he knows he’s already failing it. Looking into her celadon blue eyes, he sees right into her soul. There’s no way he’s letting her go, even by means of breaking his number one rule— The beautiful billionaire is his to keep.
While Sienna reached the pinnacle of her success, Julian remained the forgotten son of his family, the one who had secretly stolen her first kiss in the shadows of the night. As Sienna hit her darkest moment, Julian returned home, leaving his life behind, only to witness her tears glistening in the moonlight as she reluctantly accepted another man's proposal. When Sienna needed Julian more than ever, he had risen to a position of power and had become her most steadfast pillar of support. "Please marry me." There was no one else in the world who could love Sienna as deeply as Julian did.
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
Five years ago, Alessia La Rosa's life took a drastic turn when, suffering from memory loss, she wed to Dominic Carter under her grandfather's mysterious arrangement. But their marriage was a facade, bringing her only humiliation and heartache as Dominic showed no love, and she couldn't conceive. Upon discovering Dominic's infidelity, Alessia sought liberation through divorce. Yet, fate had more in store for her. Five years later, spurred by an anonymous email hinting at her lost child's whereabouts, she returns to the city with her twin babies in tow, determined to uncover the truth. As she navigates the tangled web of her past, a surprising twist awaits. Dominic, upon meeting her again, finds himself drawn to the woman she has become, unaware of her true identity as his former wife. Little does he know, the woman he's falling for is not only his ex-wife but also a powerful Doctor and Master Hacker.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.