"S-Save me!" Roxanne ran desperately, pushing her body to its limits as she feared for her life. Her eyes darted across the vast woods, searching for the apparition she had seen before she took to her heels. Then she saw it, the thing which relentlessly pursued her. The shadow resembled something she had never seen before, a man, a beast, she had no idea. The only certainty she had left was the fact that it was after her. "Someone... Someone help me!" She cried. Her voice was lost in the large expanse of dried barks and wilted branches. The snowy field of thorns and the cold winds of winter seemed to swallow her entire being, almost like it choked her. Her breathing became uneven as she panted due to exhaustion, yet she couldn't stop running. Doing so would mean her end. As she dashed through the cold and snowy path, she could hear it getting closer. "Grrrrrrrrrrrr" The sound sent shivers down her spine. She willed herself with every fiber of her being not to look behind her for the fear of what she might see. She could feel it's gaze on her, she could hear the sound of it's growl. Roxanne could sense her pursuer's nearing proximity as she fled for her life. Many questions raced through her mind, but she didn't have the luxury to answer any of them. The only thing at the forefront of her mind was survival. Fortunately for her, the falling snow had ceased, else she would have been in a much more awry state. She just had to keep her legs moving until she reached the road intersection where she would get help. Yes, help would come! She heard creaking sounds above her, from the branches of the trees behind and beside her. The monster was pouncing on them, keeping pace with her desperate sprint. She looked around her, but the creature moved too fast for her eyes to clearly capture its movements. It was as though the beast was toying with her, playing a game it knew it would win. ~ Coming to her grandma's in the woods for Christmas after an heated argument with her mom, Roxanne has never thought she would experience something like this. "Mine" The voice roared.
[Five Days Earlier]
Roxanne stirred on her bed as she turned from side to side. She muttered intelligible words as she tightly clutched her comfy pillow.
"Roxanne! Aren't you up yet? At this rate, you'll be late for school!" A loud voice came forth.
This voice belonged to her mother, who was beginning to get concerned that her daughter wasn't responding to her calls.
"This girl..." She muttered to herself, climbing the stairs which led to the first floor where Roxanne's room was located.
Within moments, she arrived at the front of Roxanne's room, with only the lacquered door serving as a boundary, preventing her from entering.
>Knock, Knock, Knock<
The clacking sounds her mother's hands made as they made contact with the door to her room seemed to do the trick as the sleeping beauty immediately roused from her slumber, opening her eyes slowly as the knocking sounds continued.
Her blue lens shone dimly as she opened her eyes lazily. She slowly stirred, moving her body in an attempt to rise from bed, an exercise in futility. Instead, she compensated by shifting her body toward the crown of the bed, while using the wooden structure alongside her hands to support her body.
"I can hear you mom. I'm up..." Roxanne grumbled, sitting up on her bed.
Her unruly, long dark hair covered her face, causing the strands to dance all over her cheeks. She pushed herself to stand, dragging her feet as she walked toward the door to her room where her mom stood on the other side. She undid the lock and opened the door slowly.
"Morning mom" She said in a tired fashion.
"Roxanne!? I can't believe this. You're such a mess! This never happens, just when did you get to bed last night?" Her mom asked her with a concerned look.
Roxanne smiled uncomfortably. There's no way she could tell her mom what she had been up to the previous night. As always, she had to just come up with a special something called a LIE.
"I was studying. We have tests by the end of the week before we leave for Winter Break." Roxanne mumbled.
"Oh, wow. That's good then, but don't push it, okay? You need to get to school quickly, so I'll leave you right now. Get freshened up quickly, if you don't want to ruin your perfect attendance record." Her mom said with her usual doting tone.
Roxanne was used to this though.
"Aye aye mom," She said, closing the door to her room before her mother uttered another word.
"Gah, I feel sore. Last night didn't, in any way, go as I thought." She said to herself.
She stretched her body and yawned, releasing the tensed-up feeling she was feeling as she felt even more awake. She turned her head, causing her hair to flail behind her and stop it's dance all over her face. A strand still remained in the middle of her face, causing her to glare a bit.
"Whoo. Whoo. Hoooo."
She let out air from her mouth, pursing her lips to increase the concentration of her breath as she tried to use the air she produced to forcibly make the strand join the rest of its members. All to no avail.
Tired of her meaningless and fruitless effort, she used her hand to carry the strand and place it at its rightful place behind her, just where it belonged. Even though she had achieved her goal, she still felt a sense of defeat, like she lost to the strand.
She quickly pulled herself together, realizing the goal she was neglecting.
"School! I should start getting ready" She mumbled.
Without wasting more time than what she had done already, she darted toward the bathroom to freshen up.
She brushed her teeth while staring at her reflection in the mirror directly facing her, a habit she had cultivated ever since she was little. Without this little truck, she never managed to take care of her teeth properly.
She glared at the unruly hair she had on, noticing blue strands appearing among the predominantly black color.
"It's happening again, uh?" She thought to herself.
She quickly finished up with her teeth and went to take her bath, brushing off the thought of her hair. It was something she didn't want to bother with so early in the morning. She had more important things to think about. For example, her perfect attendance record.
"Better hurry up!" She said under her breath.
After thirty minutes and her daughter was still not downstairs, Roxanne's mother had stopped checking the time.
"She's never been this tardy before. I wonder..."
As her thoughts trailed off, she suddenly heard a ringing sound coming from the table in front of her. The ringtone and vibrations from her smartphone made the woman snap from her thoughts on her daughter as she quickly reached for her phone.
Her eyes tightened and her lips pursed when she saw the number calling her. It was unsaved, but she recognized the person the number belonged to. She tightened her left fist as her right hands trembled slightly as she saw it.
"Just leave me alone... Please..." She muttered as she stared hard at the number, waiting for the call to time out.
Her moment of wait seemed like forever, until finally the call ended without her answering. She took a deep breath as she closed her eyes and clutched her chest. She heaved a sigh of relief, but at the same time, sadness. She didn't know how to feel, or what to do.
Her phone suddenly started ringing again, startling her for a bit as the vibrations could be felt from her body since the phone was close to her chest. She quickly glanced at the phone and saw yet the same number. She made a deep scowl as she stared intensely at the digits displayed on the device.
"Ohhh, who's got mum so upset this early in the morning?" Roxanne's voice suddenly appeared.
Roxanne's mother's skin jumped from the sound of her voice, nearly dropping her phone due to her sudden appearance. She quickly grabbed it and placed it back on the table, while appearing to maintain a semblance of normalcy.
"Oh, that? That was just work. Some annoying client just won't get off my back" Her mother said with a slight smile, obviously she was faking it.
Roxanne stared hard at her mother and observed her face. Her now brown eyes, thanks to contact lenses, focused on her Mom's expression.
Her mother's eyes twitched and her lips pursed while her fingers moved irrationally, tapping on the she sat on. This only happened when her mother was being dishonest about something.
"She's lying," Roxanne thought to herself.
Her mother's work involved bookkeeping and accounting, so she never had to deal with customers or clients. She worked for a very large company, so she only answered to her superiors, which were very few. Besides, since the time she knew her mother, she had never once received any calls from 'annoying clients'.
Something was definitely fishy, but she had no right to pry or judge her mother. After all, she was keeping a few secrets of her own.
Ava lost her parents as a teenager and was left in the care of her ruthless older stepbrother, who treats her worse than a slave. For years, she lived as a loyal meek "puppy." In exchange for his debt, her stepbrother sells her to Caleb Morano, the mafia lord who only wants a baby factory...
Being a puppet for the alpha isn't exactly what Ava had dreamt of, but yes, she has to be what she is without choice. Ava was sold by her father to the playboy Alpha who has a collection of sex slaves, she hopes to win his heart and he hopes to use her. Find out what twists are there to come for them.. Note: 🔞 if you don't feel comfortable with sex slaves then please don't read.
In a werewolf world where wolves still belive in gods and decisions are made that females shouldn't rule. Alina sets to break this record, with this she set some goals for herself; she is going to be the first female Alpha at all cost, she is going to make history even if it means she has to blaspheme the gods. But how exactly is she going to achieve this? find out in this trilling sweet novel that would leave you in an amusing spirit.
A twenty six year old Isabella, who aspires to be a baker is hooked in an arranged marriage with a mafia prince she hates. Little does she know that it is all to save her life from a predator who wants her as his prey. * * What do you mean I am getting married to Lucas Crawford!!!! I exclaimed. That guy is a damn womanizer and am not ready to get married, for Christ sake I want to be a successful baker first!!! I added shouting Calm down sweetie, mom tried to percify me but dad cut her short. Now listen two me young lady, you are my daughter and I know what's best for you and no daughter of mine would be a worthless baker, so shut up and get dressed the Crawford's are having dinner with us.. He shouted. Of course no daughter of the great McKenzie family can be a baker isn't it? How absurd, oh I know this is another one of your business isn't it? Well Mr McKenzie I hope you sell your daughter for a very good price... I ranted but he cut me short with a slap. I looked at my once loving father and ran upstairs to my room. Isabella!!!! Mom tried calling me but I turned deaf ears I know what to do. Lucas Crawford Ceo of The Crawford Automobile industry, Bad ass womanizer and a Rude idiot. Our parts crossed once and am never going to marry that idiot.
Brown eyes, with huge muscular body of a Greek god, Billionaire city sweetheart and big time player, Alexander Montero had a night of fun with his Personal Assistant "Petra George", a lady with great curves, with light brown eyes, intelligent with great personality. Though both has always nursed feelings for each other, but they never really showed it, To Petra he was her boss and to Alex she isn't his type. Sacking her heartlessly from her Job, the morning of the night they had sex, Alex couldn't stop thinking about her and planned his wedding with a mini devil Skyler thinking Petra would come running. Petra on the other hand finds out she is pregnant with her bosses baby. Petra's best friend "Ariana" alongside her boyfriend"Liam" who is also Alex best friend tried uniting them but it's going to be a rollercoaster of Love, Betrayal, Death, deceit and many more. Sit back, grab your popcorn and read yet another unique billionaire romance drama.
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
Becky endured three years of marriage to the cold-hearted Rory. In all that time, she naively reasoned that one day, he'd gradually come to like her. But the second he forced her to kneel down and humiliate herself, she knew she had been wrong about him. This man had no feelings for her at all. So why should she still love him? When Rory gave her the choice between kneeling down and divorcing, she didn't miss a beat and chose the latter. After all, why should she waste her youth on this scumbag? Wouldn't it be nicer for her to just have fun every day with her billion-dollar family fortune?
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
"I, Erika Blackwood, stand before you, Alexander Robertson, with a heavy heart. I hereby reject you as my mate. The bond we once shared has grown fragile, and my soul yearns for a different path. May you find solace in the love of another, and may we both find the happiness we seek." Alexander didn't say a word and looked at me. But he refused to accept. *********** Erika Blackwood is the next Alpha in line of the Ironclaw Pack. She hides her identity and gets mated to the Alpha of the Moonforest Pack, Alexander Robertson. Three years passed, but Alexander is still unwilling to let go of his childhood sweetheart. Erika is mistreated and eventually framed by the same childhood sweetheart. Now she leaves with that humiliation, and goes back to her pack, swearing vengeance on those who hurt her. They all waited for her to return and beg, but what happens when they realize that the famous Ironclaw Pack that was going to help in the rogue war, was ruled by a woman named, Erika Blackwood. Now her Ex mates want her back. Other Alphas want this woman.. But will she accept any of them? Or will she stay independent forever?...
Iris grew from an orphaned child to the adopted daughter of the Stewart family at age ten, finding warmth in her nominal uncle Vincent's kindness. Seven years later, she became his secret lover. When Vincent's engagement was announced, gossip spread about the notorious playboy CEO finally settling down. But only Iris knew the extent of his cold, two-faced nature. Iris fell for Vincent and, through tears, begged, "Marry me," only to be met with his frosty refusal. Defeated, she accepted a lawyer's proposal, sparking public excitement. Then, on her wedding day, Vincent pleaded desperately, "Don't marry him…"