Aliyah is a self-made home renovator who has taken on the task of renovating the Charleston Manor, a home that's mysteriously been on the market for over seven years. She's traveled all the way to Rapid Springs, MI, far away from her home in Santa Fe, and she's left her family behind on bad terms, determined to show them she can be successful on her own. However, once Aliyah arrives in Rapid Springs, she immediately catches the eye of bad boy Neo. Aliyah didn't go there looking for love, but she's drawn to this quiet, stoic man. The feeling seems to be mutual, but will Neo be able to let her into his heart with his past still haunting him? Will he be able to love her without his dangerous world crashing down on them both? Aliyah must decide how deep she'll let herself go for a love that seems destined to cause trouble. Refurbished is created by Kayla Mae Francis, an eGlobal Creative Publishing author.
The screen door slammed behind Aliyah as she ran out to her old '02 Chevy Blazer. She tossed her air mattress and backpack into the back seat's open window and got in. She grabbed the steering wheel with a white-knuckle grip and let out a frustrated huff of air.
"I don't need you to tell me what I can and can't do," she mumbled to herself.
Before she backed out of the driveway, she saw her mother press her hand to the living room window and wiped her cheek. Maybe someone else would have been moved by this sad gesture, but Aliyah just wanted to get the h*ll away. She was not about to be emotionally manipulated. Her dad soon showed up behind her mom, putting a tanned hand on her shoulder to comfort his wife. Aliyah watched for a moment with anger still furrowed between her brows. Even when her dad met her gaze and gave a slight nod--perhaps a silent way of letting her know she should go on--she could feel the adrenaline pumping. She backed her car out of the drive.
The first couple of hours Aliyah thought only about what her parents had told her. She was sick of them underestimating her. Ever since she decided to renovate homes for a living rather than become a nurse or a social worker like her parents encouraged her to do, all she'd heard from them was how she wouldn't see much profit from the way she was working, and if she wasn't going to make much money on her own she'd need to find a wealthy husband. Okay, it was mostly her mother, but her dad didn't usually stop his wife or say anything encouraging to Aliyah one-on-one. For three years they ragged on her for this and she was sick of it.
She ignored their calls as she filled up with gas, as she hit the road. Maybe living twenty-two hours away for a few months would get her parents off her back. They didn't seem to understand that she could take care of herself and that she was happiest living her life as she chose. Her sister, Freida, may have fallen into their scheme, but Aliyah wanted to show them all that she didn't need a man or a "safe" career to be successful.
They called again when she merged onto I-70, but she let it go to voicemail. Maybe she'd listen to the messages at the next stop. Maybe she'd listen to them in a couple of days. But she was feeling too hot-blooded to listen to any more lectures right then.
As she got farther from Santa Fe, Aliyah started to relax a bit. The drive through Kansas was long and flat: just fields of various crops and miles and miles spotted with cows. Aliyah grew tired, knowing she wouldn't make it much farther. She was almost relieved when her phone started ringing. This time it was her sister. She suddenly felt a little nervous to answer, but she slid the green button over anyways.
"Hey," she said cautiously.
"Girl, what is going on? Why'd you have to run off like that? You could have at least waited until I got done with work before you sped off hundreds of miles away to Michigan!"
Oh boy, this was going to be an interesting call. At least she wasn't using her scary big-sister voice.
"Frieda, I'm sorry I left without saying anything to you but I really just had to go. I couldn't wait."
There was a bit of a pause before Frieda responded.
"'Li, I know they're tough on you, but it comes from a place of love. You know they struggled to get to where they are. They just want what's best for you."
Aliyah spotted a fuel station ahead and pulled in. Under the glow of a giant green dinosaur, she finally let go of some tension. She cried for a few minutes as her sister waited patiently on the other end of the line.
Aliyah wiped her nose with a stray McDonald's napkin from the passenger seat and took a deep breath.
"Listen, I know they love me, but you don't understand what it's like to constantly be told you can't do something. You're doing everything they wanted us to do: you're a nurse practitioner, you've got a well-off husband, you've got three kids, you attend church regularly. But that's not...me."
"I'm not saying you have to do what they're telling you to do. I just want you to understand where they're coming from," Freida replied semi-defensively.
Aliyah caught her strained tone and instantly felt angry again.
"You know what? I get it. But you don't. You're perfect. I'm not. I refuse to be. I just want to be left alone. I just want to spend my time in cold-a*s Michigan with the hillbillies and have grand old time. I'm twenty-seven years old and I think I can take care of myself. I understand money, but I'm not looking for a job that's just gonna make me rich. I do what I do because it makes me feel good. Can you say the same about what you're doing? Yeah, you help people, but do you even actually care about them?" Aliyah didn't wait for a response. "Plus, it's not like I'm going to live in Michigan forever. It's just for a few months while I fix this place up. It's not like I'm totally abandoning you. I just need some space. I need to test the waters or some sh*t." She hung up the phone and flung her seat back to recline.
She closed her aching eyes and turned her phone on silent so she couldn't be disturbed by any other calls. It was shortly after 10:30, and she'd been driving constantly for the last 10 hours, so her body was ready for a rest.
She fell asleep for a short time. It was light and dreamless, but her body welcomed the stillness.
Sometime while it was still dark, she was awakened by a sharp tapping on the window.
Leena has it all: a degree, a good job for an important company, and a fiance who she's been with for four years. According to everyone, sheās done everything perfectly, and now she has become a person who does things in order, a person who always strives for success, even if that means living a somewhat boring life. However, her whole world is flipped upside down when she witnesses a crime and is kidnapped on the spot. But the man she is taken to stirs up something in her despite his dangerous air. Now with her perfect life in jeopardy, why isnāt she scared? And why does she find the man she was taken to so alluring? Will Leena abandon the ideal life that so many people strive for and find her place in a world of danger and instability? Everything I Never Should Have Wanted is created by Kayla Mae Francis, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
"Who is she?" I asked, feeling tears well up in my eyes. "He met her at the Alpha training camp," he said. "She is a perfect suitor for him. It snowed last night, indicating that his wolf is happy with his choice." My heart sank, and tears made their way down my cheeks. Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing in his office as his Luna. **** Emily never shifted on her 18th birthday and became the laughingstock of the pack. When her old crush, Alexander Black, returns from Alpha Training, she never expected him to be her mate. After a night of passionate love, Emily finds out that young Alpha Alexander has taken a chosen mate. Heartbroken and humiliated, Emily runs off and disappears from the pack. Now, five years later, Emily is a high-ranking warrior in King Alpha's army, specializing in sensitive matters. When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate, Alexander. Will Alexander figure out it is Emily? Will he chase after her, and most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe?
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
Janice, the long-forgotten legitimate heiress, made her way back to her family, pouring her heart into winning their hearts. Yet, she had to relinquish her very identity, her academic credentials, and her creative works to her foster sister. In return for her sacrifices, she found no warmth, only deeper neglect. Resolute, Janice vowed to cut off all emotional bonds. Transformed, she now stood as a master of martial arts, adept in eight languages, an esteemed medical expert, and a celebrated designer. With newfound resolve, she declared, "From this day forward, no one in this family shall cross me."
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?