The romantic lives of three teenagers are intertwined in unimaginable ways the moment one of them returns from the States. And with all of the impediments that come with living in a conservative town, these set of queer youth struggle the most with drugs, trauma and crime, inadvertently testing deeply entrenched beliefs about life, friendships, love and sexuality. This book encompasses all their lives, and tells their heartwarming coming of age stories as they embark on a journey of finding their identity whilst navigating the tumultuous hallways of high school. It is anything but easy, especially when a tragic murder is uncovered, leading to a trail of both imminent danger and fear. The question isn't just whether or not they'd survive it all in the end, but also how much of themselves they'd lose in the process. And who would they even be?
The night skies glimmered with a fistful of stars. The moon was barely out, it being just 7pm. But the thunder that rumbled in them seemed to gather just enough clouds to wrap the blissful sunset. A little while ago as they drove from the airport, the Lagos skies were on fire, all crimson and orange. It was a blissful sunset, as i said. But in an eventful second, it was all gone, like who this young boy was yesterday. The sun, was now hidden behind the dark, fat clouds rather than its horizon. It's home.
Ola looked up, with a drizzle of rain falling between his hazel eyes and his pair of oval brown glasses. The lightning that followed after lit his eyes, as if he were in a dark room with large cinematic screen. He wiped it off gently, and gripped the handle of his suitcase simultaneously. He didn't hate the rain per say, but it was just about enough to make him cuss under his breath. He didn't hate it meant it wasn't just his favorite type of weather. His life had dramatically altered in the course of hours, and whether or not it was for the better was the question that seemed to haunt him all this time. He hated alot of things, with himself topping the charts most times. I did say, most times because right now, more than anything- -he hated that he was here. 2001. LAGOS, NIGERIA. "Is that the last bag?" His father, Akin rushed through the door as if he was sure the rain would start in the next second. He closed the boot, without a response as he walked to the driver's seat. Ola took a moment to pause, to take in everything. The bustling sounds of the late Abule-Egba highway sparked in his ears. They lived by the roads where the high pitched okada horns was music to the maniacs that drove them. Lagos traffic could drive anyone mad, he could testify. He'd been on the road from the airport for at least the whole day. And his body ached. But there he still stood, taking it all in with a single breath. He couldn't believe he was here. After it all moved so fast. The lights shot on at that time, illuminating the little details on the side of the road. Like the woman tied in nothing but a wrapper and a little fan in her hands which she used to air the corn on fire. Half of it had turned black, or perhaps it was the light. But then, he'd heard her cuss as she battled with the flames and the produce. And the crying baby on her back. Away from that, the supermarket still boomed at this time of the night with people still trooping in. And even more hanging around. This was the beauty of living by the road. There was a bridge up ahead, and the traffic had eased from there. Everyone was in a hurry, trying to outrun the outpour. The rain, which some did see as a blessing. Some, but excluding Ola. His father peered from his rear view mirror as he reparked his car further into the driveway with his taillights first, ready to take off in the morning. It went off, as he alighted the car. The sound of the door slamming drifted Ola back to consciousness and he cleared his throat. "What are you doing?" Akin asked, gently hitting his son on his shoulders. He halted by his side, as if wanting to know what grasped his son's full attention. Was it Fela Kuti's song they played from the supermarket or the market seller beside? Anyways, he gave up after a second, pulling back his hands. "You need to get inside, so we can pray" He said, lowly as he walked ahead. Ola budged, trailing right behind towards the front porch. Their house wasn't alot, but it was theirs. They had the comfort of not owing anyone rent at the end of each year. And it was definitely a relief on his father's meagre income as a real estate consultant. Fancy, you'd think. Except where there weren't enough jobs to suit the influx of people like him. The infamous supply being more than the demand. Except the little shop, which he rented, Akin had nowhere else to spend his day. Thriving was one word to describe the Bankoles. And Ola was just about right, to fit in. He looked back one last time, as if finally coming to terms of where he really was. With the flashy billboard illuminating a pepsi advert. And the harmonious singing of the nearby pepper seller twins. This scenery struck a memory in his head. Him and Obi, his neighbor best friend, dancing in nothing but their pants and rolling tires by the side of the road. It was so fun then, that they'd be quick to throw off their uniforms and head out, playing in the sands but not too much, they were continually reminded that they were just inches apart from the road. And the manic vehicle owners. Those were the prime days to him, and the only good from this place which he took to Houston. But now, he was back. He shut his eyes, looking forward. And then opened it to his father by the door. "Come on, Olamide. You're home now" He grinned wide enough to reveal his set of teeth. And he nodded, a bit of his anxiety revealed as he walked through the doors to his mother with wide arms. She stopped, also with a smile. "Olamide" She walked to him, unable to contain her excitement from her airport. She had on a ridiculous style of gele, a headwear which she tied. She threw it off capriciously to the dinner table and ran to Ola. Literally. His bags fell as her hands went into his hair. His thick brown hair. "You need to get a haircut, first thing tomorrow. Clean, and smart. Before i show you off the neighbors" She squealed and he resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "And the photo" She said. "Mum" Was the first word he said. "What? Can't a mother be happy?" She threw questions at him as she looked to Ola. "The prodigal son has indeed returned" Mary smiled with her arms gestured out. "Welcome to Nigeria" "Welcome home" She didn't fail to add as her eyes shimmered in tears. Happy tears, behind which she already planned the next day's outing. And everything they were to do. How could Ola tell her that this wasn't a holiday, like he had been lied to? This was indeed his home, now. That was scary as fuck to this slim sized teenager, with frisky hair he dreaded out. And a glasses perched atop his nose. "I guess" He was willing to spare a benefit of doubt as he walked in and dropped his bags aside to pray. "Welcome home, son" Came his father's words too. - The sound of the hard dried cereal hitting the bowl was noise to his under rested ears. He had pajama pants on a sweatshirt, through which he sweat through. He was having a hard time adjusting to the weather after a decade away. The sun was out as early as seven and even his father, earlier. It was him and his mother, who was probably caking her face with as much makeup like she was making a grand entrance. Like she was the one back from Texas. Ola loved that about his mother. The extra, in Nigerian mothers. And he expected that but what he did not expect was for her to come out in iro and buba. A lavishly tied lace with diamonds on them, and she flashed a smile. One that came under her gele. She was only perfect to a fault, she couldn't tie it to save her life. But the confidence outmatched every flaw. "What are you wearing?" Ola asked, dipping his cutlery back into his milky choco. "And where are you going?" He added and she just walked past, an ostentatious scent that followed her if that made any sense. One that proved the famous statement right. That you didn't have to be rich, to dress rich. "Most normal sons would compliment their mothers first" She said, with her thick yoruba accent. It only made me realize how much i missed her voice. Her plain voice, away from the calls. Or voice recordings. Little things like these were the little luxuries Ola missed. "Are you calling me an abnormal son, Mary?" He called her and she walked closer to him. She had this habit of ruffling his hair which she did again. She exhaled this time. "Ah, i've missed you, Olamide" She whispered as she looked into his hazel eyes. And she backed away, like they hadn't a moment of connection just there. "Now, eat like a human and go get dressed" "Time is of the essence" She quoted, and he hummed a famous song in his head as he poured his water into his cereal like a psychopath. "I already have the whole day planned" She looked to her nails with a sly smile as she adjusted her head tie.
To be continued...
"I, Mia Harper, reject you, Alpha Lucien Storm as my mate." There was a crack in my voice as I stared into his eyes. "You can't reject me, Mia. I'm your Mate." My heart sank from so much pain and betrayal I'd endured. I shook my head. "Not anymore." - Mia Harper, a wolfless omega flees her wedding the night of her eighteenth birthday and as fate would have it, she runs into the arms of her mate, Lucien Storm-one of the most ruthless Alphas anyone had ever seen. But in a twist of fate, he takes Mia in. They soon fall in love but one visit to her Pack changes everything. Ezra, the man she was yet to marry a year ago is furious on her return and declares war. The war wipes out her entire Pack including her father. But then Mia finds out that it was Lucien that killed him. Her Mate had murdered her father in cold blood. Disheveled and broken, the betrayal drives her to the edge of a cliff where she takes a leap to her death. But somehow, she's saved by Lucien. However, Mia doesn't remember anything. Would he tell her the truth or would Lucien take his second chance by the horn? What would happen when the secrets finally become unveiled and everyone is faced with their truths? Would Mia ever forgive her mate, Lucien, especially after finding out she's pregnant with his twins? And importantly, did he really kill her Father?
"I, Alpha Malik Denver hereby reject you, Eliana Jacobs as my mate and Luna." His voice was like a sword through my chest, slicing my heart into a million tiny pieces. He looked at me with a commanding glare and I knew I didn't have much of an option. "I, Eliana Jacobs, accept your rejection." I whispered as my hands fell to my stomach because unbeknownst to the Alpha, I was carrying his child. Eliana Jacobs had been through hell her entire life. Ever since her mother died, she'd been abused by her whole pack. However, destiny led her into the hands of Malik Denver, the most ruthless of all Alphas in Oakland and the leader of her own rival pack. In a twist of fate, he took her in and saved her from becoming rogue. But all in exchange for one thing—a child. How would Denver take the news of her return? Would he finally regret his decision to let her go? And alas, what would happen when he finds out about his secret baby?
When Isla Carter moves to Marquette, Michigan to live with her estranged father and to start a new life, what she doesn't expect is to meet Elijah, a mysterious young man who she's instantly drawn to before she ever finds out his darkest secret. - Isla knew she had always been different ever since she was young and she rarely ever fit in wherever she was. She moves to Marquette because of her mother, in the hopes that starting a new life with her dad could somewhat help her. She doesn't really expect things to change—that is until they do. Until she meets Elijah, the dazzling and beautiful mystery with whom she falls in love with. He wasn't like the other guys but she soon finds out the reason why. Elijah was a werewolf. Fueled by intrigue and desire, the both of them bond and eventually become closer, close enough to threaten the very balance of nature and humanity. Isla is faced with several threats and dangers that comes with being with Elijah. But when a truth about her past comes to light, she's forced to figure out where exactly she stands. But she knew, Loving Elijah was a choice bound to change the rest of her life forever, for better and for worse.
“You leave Leonardo Carter” Patricia slithered through her lips and in her eyes, Francesca saw the truth and a threat. “Or i make your life a living hell for stealing him away from me” She brushed past her nemesis’s shoulders with a villainous glint. “I’m just protecting my family” She clasped the slight protrusion that was her belly. Because unbeknownst to everyone, Patricia was carrying the heir’s child. - Leonardo Carter was New York City’s most eligible bachelor. Powerful and Enigmatic—asides from being the Mayor’s son, he was also the heir to the multi-billion dollar Carter Corporations. Every woman sought after him and every parent as well. But all his life, he had belonged to one woman, Patricia Walters. Petitioned by his father to provide a wife on the national Conference night, it was only reasonable that Patricia saw herself finally being his wife after six years. But alas, when the night came, she watched in horror as he slipped the ring on another woman’s finger. One wrong proposal, and lifetime filled with vengeance. Patricia is dedicated to her quest to get to the bottom of this engagement and hopefully unveil this new woman—Francesca Peters’ hidden identity. Embroiled in a conspiracy larger than her, Patricia looses herself to the jealousy that eats her up before she ever realizes that she lost Leonardo long before. Fueled with revenge, she swears to take down the all of them, including the entire Carter empire for shaming her, with the help of her best friend, Jacqueline. But her whole world collapses when she finds one vicious string that still connected the both of them—she was pregnant with his child. That was bound to change everything, and set a new motive. Will she ever come clean to Leonardo, who so wanted to have a child for his father, that she was expecting his baby? Or will she hide it for as long as she could? What happens when Francesca is roped in the dirty mafia business that went on behind the scenes of such wealthy family and will she later give into the charming heir? Watch the story unfold with a burst of twists and turns, one that would leave you hanging by your seats. One large scandal, One proposal, several deaths and several lives intertwined together. What will finally halt Patricia’s thirst for revenge—perhaps it could be a stranger from her past.
Eva Daniels, a psychopathic assassin is tasked with taking down Tobias Blake—the alpha of the Dark Raven Pack. But as the chase progresses, the two soon develop a mutual obsession with each other that may destroy everything including themselves. - Trained to kill, Eva is recruited by a top-secret werewolf hunting organization called The One. And each kill leads her closer to Tobias, whose attention she might have already caught. When eventually they cross paths, they begin a cycle of obsession which leads them away from the truths they once knew and closer to each other— —sabotaging everything and everyone in their way while uncovering some of the darkest secrets linking both worlds. A match made in hell, this pair must overcome all obstacles but the question is if they'll find their way back to each other in the end. And just how much would have been lost?
When billionaire playboy, Damien Archer sets his eyes on the one woman who wants nothing to do with him, how far would he go to win her over? - Olivia Sanders might be the most boring person you've met. The kind that obsessed over romance novels and dreamed her own love story, the kind with the most intricate imaginations. On the outside however, she might seem plain. Content. After college, a twenty one year old Liv finds it difficult landing a foot in the real world while trying to balance working as a secretary at a tech firm and dreams of her own. But everything changes the moment Damien shows up as the heir to the business empire. And they both navigate the building tensions that soon rise between them. Alas, it's a tale of forbidden romance when Olivia recognizes him from her dark past, and that single thing is bound to change everything.
"I will work for you till I pay back the amount in full.. I want to be a maid.. Please… I don't want to be a breeder" I started to plead once everyone left the ward.. He saw her begging but his stone cold heart didn't melt. "I never tasted a weak duckling Alpha.." He smirked and walked toward me.. I walked back with fear till I hit the wall. "I am not weak." I said in a low tone and tried to push him away.. But his solid body didn't move an inch.. I could not breathe properly because of his aura.. "I will make you beg me for pleasure…" His words disgusted me. I didn't talk back as his Alpha tone was overbearing.. I felt weak wherever he was touching me.. "You will be my toy till you get pregnant.." I turned my head away with disgust but he touched my cheek roughly and caught my chin. He made me look into his eyes.. His hand covered my neck and gripped it hard.. "I will come to you every night to f**k you.." His eyes became devilish as if he was looking at his prey.. Suddenly I felt scared of him more.. and my breathing became suffocating.. He is pressing my windpipe to make me suffer… My eyes become red while I shake my head slowly... "No… no.." I murmured and I forgot to breathe in his presence.. He was scaring hell out of me.. "Girl.. You will be lucky if you get pregnancy soon otherwise I will have my ways to f**k you.." I dropped my eyes not able to hear such f***y words.. Tears rolled down my cheeks when he loosened his grip.. I don't want to believe that my father sold me as a breeder.. I can't accept it.. "If you agree or not.. it doesn't matter.. spread your legs when I come to you.." He pushed me back again and the tip of his nose touched my cheek while I looked at him scarily.. He nibbled on the crook of my neck and kissed my sensitive places… "Remember I am your Alpha from now on and don't you dare to say no…" he said huskily and pushed me back fiercely.. His cruel and harsh words made me fall back on the ground..
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
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.
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.