« It's you and me. Together, » he says, his voice soft yet unwavering. « Us against the world. » In that moment, I want to believe him. I want to believe that someone like him - untouchable, adored, the golden boy of our school - could really mean those words. That the universe could be kind enough to let someone like me hold on to someone like him. But life isn't a fairy tale. I know that better than anyone. Growing up, I learned to fear men. To distrust their words, their smiles, and their promises. My stepfather was my first lesson - a cruel man who used his fists and his words to break my mother and me into pieces too small to repair. I watched her endure him, and I told myself I'd never give anyone that power over me. I would never let anyone get close enough to hurt me. And then came that morning. The day Jake Spencer - star quarterback, school heartthrob, a boy who lives in a world so far from mine it might as well be another galaxy - saw me. Not just looked at me, but *saw* me. It was the day he saved me. Maybe he didn't realize what he was doing, but it didn't matter. That small act of kindness cracked something open inside me, like sunlight slipping through the shutters of a locked room. But Jake Spencer doesn't remember that day. How could he ? To him, it was nothing - a fleeting moment in a life full of glory and victories. But to me, it was everything. It was a lifeline, a flicker of hope in a world I thought would always be dark. It doesn't matter. I tell myself that every day. He's the golden boy. I'm the invisible girl. We belong in two different stories, and I'm better off blending into the background. It's safer there. For both of us. But fate has never cared about what I want. When it brings us together again, it isn't gentle. It strikes like lightning - sudden, fierce, and utterly unstoppable. He crashes into my life, turning everything I thought I knew into chaos. He tears down my walls, breaks through my defenses, and leaves me exposed in ways I never thought possible. He destroys me. And just like the first time, I'm the only one who remembers. But what I don't realize is that this time, he's breaking too.
I throw my phone on my bed and lie down on it, a soft sigh escaping my lips. I just made a phone call to check on my sister, Melanie, who has just arrived in Australia with Mom and Dad.
She's just been accepted at a well-known university in Perth to pursue her bachelor degree, and our parents are staying there for a week before going back home to New York.
Meanwhile, here I am, in Texas. Completely away for them. To say that I'm thrilled to work here as an intern in one of the biggest oil and gas companies in the country is an understatement.
I can't be more grateful for that. It's the result of all the hard work that I've been putting my entire life.
I just have to make a little more effort to nail my job here – enough to secure the company's trust – and finish my final year in Boston University before graduating with honours.
I've got my life planned. Some people might think that I already have everything in my hands. Excellent academic records. Promising career prospects. And glorious achievement in sports – I've never given up the thing I love the most, which is football.
But now, as I stare at the ceiling of my house, I can't help but feel empty. I'm close to achieving all my goals. So what now ?
Another sigh escapes from my mouth as I cover my eyes with my arm, closing my eyes to sleep.
At some nights, just like what happens now, the same horrible feeling stirs inside me again. That feeling of guilt. Regrets. Fear.
The funny thing is that it always happens when I feel lonely.
Fuck. This makes me not want to fall asleep. But I can't help it.
No matter how hard I try to resist, when the nightmare comes, it just happens.
It's something that I've been trying to escape, only to fail miserably. It's something about my ruined past. My horrible past.
It's something that happened years ago. Back when I was still in high school.
.
« Jake. » Her voice is shaking. It sounds so vulnerable.
A scream threatens to escape from my mouth. I don't want to hear it.
I don't want to go through this anymore.
« Please, » she begs, her cries echoing in my ears.
I snap my eyes open, but I can't see anything. Everything is dark.
I try to open them as wide as I can, to the point that I can feel that my eyes are bulging out of their sockets. But still, I see nothing.
I can only hear her voice.
« It hurts, » she whispers brokenly.
The lump in my throat is getting bigger, and I swallow hard. Her sobs break, and suddenly, I feel nauseated again.
I want to throw up. I'm so disgusted at myself. I want to scream, but again, nothing comes out from my throat.
I want to get out, but my arms and feet are attached to chains. They are controlling my body and my movement. I feel my hands roaming something, and I jerk in shock. This is not happening. I can't let this happen.
I won't let this happen. Again.
My fingers brush against something soft, and I know what it is. I can feel her skin. But I still can't see her. I can't smell her either. I can only hear and feel.
It's impossible that something I used to find comforting, something that made me feel at ease, now pains me to the point that it can actually kill me. Yes, now that I'm sane, it tortures me. Fucking tortures me.
This is fucking ridiculous.
Something warm engulfs my neck and shoulder. She's clinging unto me like I'm her life.
Yes, I'm the only one who can save her, but I chose not to. I beg to do it now. I beg to stop what I'm doing, but the chains are too powerful.
She can only cry in my arms now, her soft sobs so close to my ear, and I'm losing my mind because I can't even remember her voice. It always changes every time I have this nightmare. It's just a fraction.
« Stop it ! » I can feel the words in my throat as I shout at myself, but still, no sound leaves my throat.
Because I know that it happened. It already happened.
« Jake, » she says my name one last time, and I can feel her hot tears dampening my neck. I already know the next words that she'll whisper, because all of this has already played in my mind countless times, in every nightmare. « It hurts... »
Slowly, I open my eyes, and a tear slides down my cheek.
I'm staring at the ceiling of my bedroom. It's brighter than the last time I saw it before I went to bed, because the rays of the morning sun have come through the window.
I sit up on my bed, and my hand is shaking when I rake my fingers through my blonde hair. I'm panting, and my chest hurts like hell.
No matter how many times this happens, the pain won't lessen.
This is my curse, and I have to go through it as long as I live. This is my punishment.
It hurts. Just like she said.
I open the drawer of my nightstand and take out a small box. My throat tightens as I open it.
A small earring sits inside it. It's lost its pair, which might still be with its owner. It's silver-plated and comes in a form of a butterfly.
It's the only trace that was left of her.
Closing the box, I trudge toward my balcony. As the morning has come, I can already hear the sound of cars on the street as their passengers start their weekend.
Declan Stone was the very definition of certainty. Known for his devastating charm and his ability to make anyone fall for his smile with a single blink, he had always believed himself to be the master of the game. Emotions were for others. He preferred simple pleasures, easy conquests, and above all, no attachments. His life, perfectly controlled, ran on tracks he had laid out with precision. Until Kai Coachman entered the scene. Kai was no mere pawn to be moved. He was a storm, unpredictable and captivating, sweeping everything in his path. His voice carried a sharp humor, and his gaze-piercing, bold-seemed to see beyond the carefully constructed facades of Declan. Kai expected nothing from him, and that was what made the irresistible Declan Stone completely crazy. From their first encounter, Declan had felt something, a shiver, a faint alarm ringing that warned him. Kai was not like the others. He wasn't someone you could seduce and forget. Yet, Declan had always been clear with himself : he only played games he knew he could win. But with Kai, it wasn't a game. It was a growing obsession, a need he couldn't control. He wanted him-not for a night or a week, but for everything. Kai had awakened something within him he hadn't known existed : a burning, unshakable desire, something deep, dangerous. Kai, however, was not one to be captured. The closer Declan got, the more he seemed to slip away, leaving behind a trail of sly smiles and sharp remarks. It was frustrating, exhilarating, terrifying. But Declan Stone never gave up on what he wanted. And what he wanted was Kai Coachman.
Killian King is cold, distant, dominant, and possessive of what's his. He is the undisputed top dog at school, the one everyone fears and admires, known as the bad boy. His piercing gaze and unwavering attitude guarantee him a place at the top among his peers. But everything changes the day Finnick Green, a shy, socially awkward, and reserved boy, accidentally stumbles into his life. A simple misstep, a chance encounter, and suddenly Killian's perfect world begins to tremble. Finnick, unknowingly, causes an uproar, an unexpected chaos. The bad boy, who has never shown weakness, finds himself in a situation he can't control. Because what he feels for this uncertain boy is far more disturbing than he could have ever imagined. An alpha trembling in the face of a fragile soul... What will happen when Killian realizes he might be the most vulnerable in front of the one he considers an intruder ?
Niklaus Wade is a quiet, shy, and mute young man, carrying with him a dark and painful past that haunts him every moment, preventing him from uttering a single word. Every silence he keeps is an invisible scar, a mark of everything he has lived through and lost. His world is one of isolation and introspection, where words escape his lips and emotions hide behind a facade of calmness. On the other side is Gnashton Wade, a violent, reckless man dominated by raw instincts. His anger management issues and distorted view of life make him an uncontrollable man, an enraged alpha, often willing to do anything to satisfy his desires. His explosive temper makes those who cross his path tremble, but everything changes the day Niklaus enters his life. Gnashton cannot take his eyes off this fragile boy, this living silence that intrigues him and pushes him to cross boundaries. More than just an attraction, an obsession is born within him. He has decided that Niklaus will be his, that he will do anything to subdue him, to have him under his control. He knows the mute young man is frightened, and that fear only excites his dominant urges further. Through his violence, Gnashton believes he can transform Niklaus, make him his own and his only. But beneath this facade of authority, will Gnashton realize that love and possession can blur together? And that behind Niklaus's silence, there may be answers he never imagined?
Nathaniel lives a life marked by bad luck, a series of never-ending events. Working as a library assistant for a minimum wage, he doesn't have much reason to hope for anything better. His parents have been dead for years, and since then, he's just been getting by. No love, no wealth, not even an appearance that might catch anyone's eye. He's invisible to the world. Society leaves him in the shadows, an ordinary man with nothing remarkable. Nathaniel's daily life is a long string of monotonous days, a sequence of small disappointments and big struggles. But life, even in its cruelty, does not give him a break. No, it has other plans for him. One night, while he's on his night shift at the library, something unexpected happens. Nathaniel, sticking to his routine, slips between the dusty shelves, solitary and lost in his thoughts. But little does he know that the night will take a turn that will change his life forever. Unknowingly, he's stepped into a much more dangerous place than the quiet aisles of the library. He's crossed paths with the most feared of all mafias, a man who can break anyone with just a glance, a man whose icy eyes can make the toughest of people tremble like puppies. This mafia boss, with his crushing aura of power, has no intention of letting Nathaniel go so easily. And here's the kicker: Nathaniel starts feeling strangely drawn to this man, to this force that dominates him. The invisible boy with no future now finds himself chained to a reality he doesn't understand, and he's about to discover just how intoxicating bad luck can sometimes be.
Carrie’s pack life was going perfectly. Chosen mate to the alpha, acting luna to her pack, and in love with her fiancé, she had nothing to complain about. Until the alpha found his mate and everything Carrie loved and worked for quickly unravels before her eyes. Banished from her pack, she works to build a life as a rogue among the humans until the unexpected happens.
She is running for her life from her abusive brother when she finally finds a house deep in the woods. Without thinking, she opens the door to see more than 20 men watching a football game. They turn to look at her, amused and alarmed. “Please help.” Stella is an 18-year-old teenager who was abused for about eight years by her brother. He would hit her whenever he felt like it. She was lucky if he was in a good mood because he would only punch her in the stomach. He claims to have a reason for his abuse. Julian Woods is the soon-to-be alpha of the Graymod pack. He’s 20 years old and has been looking for his mate for about two years now. What will he do when he sees his abused mate in his house?
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!
"I'm going to tell you what I have in mind," he murmured. "First you're going to strip down until you're completely naked," he whispered against her ear. "Then I'm going to tie you up so you're completely powerless and subject to my every whim." "Mmm, sounds good so far," she murmured. "Then I'm going to insert a plug to prepare you for me. After that I'm going to spank that sweet ass of yours until it's rosy with my marks." She shivered uncontrollably, her mind exploding with the images he evoked. She let out a small whimper as he sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth. God, she could cum with just his words. She was already aching with need. Her nipples tingled and hardened to painful points. Her clit pulsed and twitched between her legs until she clamped her thighs together to alleviate the burn. "And then I'm going to f**k your mouth. But I won't cum. Not yet. When I'm close, I'll flog you again until your ass is burning and you're on fire with the need for relief. And then I'm going to f**k that ass. I'm going to take you hard and rough, to the very limits of what you can withstand. I won't be gentle. Not tonight. I'm going to take you as roughly as you can stand. And then I'm going to cum all over your ass. Are you ready to be completely and utterly dominated?"
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.