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On fire
Last Updated:
2025-02-05 04:51:50
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A Marriage of Convenience Three years
Today marks the three-year anniversary of her coma. The woman my husband loves. The. Woman. My. Husband. Loves. It also happens to be my birthday. What an unfortunate coincidence. I’m unsure of all of the details, as James has barely spoken of his time before me or his time with Marina, but his true love saved him from some form of brutal attack that killed almost his entire family. The doctor that I was shadowing at the time took the woman, as she was barely breathing and I took the man, who despite all of his wounds, was almost stable. It was a miracle. Something about this man felt like we knew each other. The familiarity was undeniable, like how I would imagine love it first sight. I tended to his wounds for a week before he’d finally woken up and the moment I saw those bright green eyes, I was hooked. I’ve never been the type of woman to fall head over heels for a man. Hell, my father made it impossible for me to even date. No one would be good enough for the heir of Red
Last Updated : 2024-01-27A Marriage of Convenience Determined
I went to follow James out to the ambulance. As Marina’s caretaker and James’ wife, I felt a duty to be there, but he turned abruptly, causing me to bump into his chest, “You’ve done enough already. Can’t you see that?” he growled, turning and slamming the door in my face. He rode in the ambulance with Marina while I stood plastered in the spot he’d left me in, wondering what to do. Chewing my bottom lip, I stared at the closed door feeling empty inside. I’ve done everything he’s asked. For three years I’ve made sure Marina had the best care. Three years I’ve carefully followed every one of James’ requests, attempting to show him where my heart was. The entire time mine broke just to get a scrap of attention from him.I wasn’t about to throw all of that hard work in the trash. I rushed down to the garage, where our driver stood posted, “Mr. Green, I need a ride to Saosin Medical. Please," I pleaded with him, fighting the emotions that were swirling in my gut.He nodded, walking
Last Updated : 2024-01-27A Marriage of Convenience Divorce
After seeing the look in his eyes, I was certain he’d agree to her requests, but instead he’d changed the subject, “I have so much to tell you. So much has happened in the last three years.” “Why aren’t you answering my questions?” Marina whined, sounding more like a child than a twenty-three-year-old woman. “Can you just let me enjoy the fact that you are finally awake? Goddess, Marina. I’ve just gotten you back and you want to drill me about things that don’t matter compared to you being okay,” James reached up, tucking a strand of Marina’s hair behind her ear. His fingers lingered lovingly before I watched her lean forward, closing the distance between them and pressing her lips against his. I didn't miss the subtle dig in his sentence. I thought my heart couldn’t feel any worse, but I was wrong. He didn’t bother telling her that he wouldn’t break our sacred vows. We said until death do us part. That was supposed to mean something to him. Sure, maybe not as much as it meant
Last Updated : 2024-01-27A Marriage of Convenience Confusion(JAMES POV)
There aren’t words to describe how happy I was when Marina finally opened her eyes after all this time. Here in the human world, I am James Wood, heir to Wood Industries and the CEO of a billion-dollar corporation. I am active within our community. With more money than I know what to do with, I participate in Charity Galas, help with political campaigns, and help fund schools. The world knows me as the selfless billionaire CEO. What they don’t know is that I am known as the ruthless Alpha of Blackwood. My pack was my life. It was ingrained in who I was. I kept everything running like a tight ship.But my pack was destroyed in an attack that left only two members; Marina and me. The last three years have been hell with the only connection to my past life lying in a coma. That attack cost me everything, including my wolf. He has been silent for three years. Locked away in some sort of holding cell in my head. I can still feel his presence, but it’s as if there is something keeping
Last Updated : 2024-01-27A Marriage of Convenience One condition
“Rosa, wait,” James ran after me, gripping my arm and spinning me towards him. I stared into his green eyes, wondering how I’d ever mistaken this man for someone that would find it in his heart to love me. “What is so wrong with me James? After three years, the least you can do is explain that.” His head fell back as he released a heavy breath. James interlocked his fingers behind his neck muttering curses under his breath, “Nothing. There is nothing wrong with you. It’s me.” Anger bubbled just beneath my skin, “What an original line that is,” I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. “You don’t understand,” he started, but I cut him off, “Then make me understand.” His hand found the small of my back as he led us away from Marina’s room and back down to the room we’d been in previously, “Don’t do this.” James’ voice sounded as if he was pleading with me, but it was too late. I’d made up my mind the moment he walked back into that room and suggested I was simply the help and e
Last Updated : 2024-01-27A Marriage of Convenience Old friend
“It’s been a long time,” Shawn’s lips pulled into a warm smile before his brows knitted in confusion, “Are you okay? I saw the woman they wheeled to the ambulance. She seemed dazed, but fine.” Shawn was my brother’s best friend and the man I swore I was going to marry up until I met James. He’s been a part of my life since we were both in the first grade. My childhood crush turned into a full-on obsession when we were teenagers. He was the center of every dream I had ever created. But no matter how much I planned for him to be a part of my future, to him, I was simply his best friend's little sister. My lips quivered as the last few hours replayed in my mind. “Rosie,” Shawn placed his hands against the bare skin on my upper arms, “What’s going on?” I haven’t seen Shawn in years, but somehow, he still knows me. The way my nickname rolls off his lips takes me back to a time when things were so much simpler. Shaking my head, I forced a smile, “It’s just been a rough day,”
Last Updated : 2024-02-03A Marriage of Convenience Nothing to celebrate
“Can we not tell my mother and father about this? Not yet at least,” I held the papers in my shaky hands. My father would never approve of what I was doing. When James and I announced that we would be getting married, my father was elated. My mother even more so. Their status in the world was always a top priority. They wanted Chris and I to be in the spotlight. We were the product of American royalty and old money. Red Pharmaceutical was passed down from my grandfather to my father, and his father before him. My mother was your typical housewife. Status and appearance were everything. She wanted me to follow in her footsteps, being a housewife to James before having a couple of his children. The future heirs to a fortune. A Red and a Wood creating a family would be the talk of the century. But much to her dismay, James didn’t want children. At least not with me. “Of course. It’s not my place to tell, Rosie,” Shawn distracted me from my thoughts, “Are you sure about this
Last Updated : 2024-02-04A Marriage of Convenience Inferno(James POV)
The hospital had cleared Marina to come home, but I was torn. Rosa had heard me say that I would divorce her. The look in her eyes will haunt me forever. Once she’d stitched up her wound and it had stopped bleeding, I’d slowly been able to pull myself from whatever trance she’d had me wrapped in. Marina was my mate. Not only that, but she was the last remaining link to my past life. And the key to my future. I couldn’t explain why Onyx had awoken at the scent of Rosa’s blood. I couldn’t make sense of any of it. “Fuck,” I growled, slamming my fist against my desk. I don’t beg for anything. I’m James fucking Wood. I don’t need to beg. But today, I was reduced to a blubbering mess trying to hold onto a marriage that I never even wanted. Marina hasn’t spoken to me since we’ve been home. She heard me beg Rosa to stay. She heard the desperation in my voice, but I couldn’t tell her the truth. I couldn’t explain to her something that I didn’t even understand myself. Surely Ros
Last Updated : 2024-02-06
Latest chapter
A Marriage of Convenience On fire
Searing pain rolls through my body. My back arches against the pole, and I feel myself ripping at the restraints.A scream echoes around the warehouse, but I’m not even sure if it’s mine.Everything hurts and I feel as if I have lava swimming through my veins.“Rosie!” Shawn’s voice shouts. “What’s happening?”“It…. IT HURTS,” I scream again, unable to contain it.I’ve experienced pain. In the last year I’ve not only been bitten by a shark, but also a werewolf. Both of which hurt more than I care to admit, but I’d get eaten alive by a shark slowly over this.“JUST KILL ME,” I scream at the flashing light bulb in the corner.“Rosie, what is happening?” I hear him grunt. Something keeps hitting my fingers, but I can’t tell if I’m doing it or if Shawn is.“Please,” I sob as the pain tears through my chest. “It’s too much.”My vision tunnels, and I feel weaker by the second, but the pain eases up, and I finally fill my lungs with a sharp inhale.“Everything hurts, Shawn,” I whimper, feeli
A Marriage of Convenience I'm not leaving you
“Are they off our backs?” Marina practically chased James down as he calmly walked us back into the warehouse.She scoffed when she saw me untied and with free will, “You can be so foolish, James Wood,” her voice echoed around me, but I spun on my heel, pinning her with a glare, “I followed through on my end of the deal. Shawn needs food and pain killers.”Marina let out a low growl, stomping towards me, but James stopped her, “A deal is a deal, Marina. Go. I’ll stay here.”“You can’t be serious,” Marina moved in front of James, shoulder checking me.“Dead. Serious,” he snarled, and out of my peripherals, I saw her spine straighten.Good. She deserves that tiny ounce of fear, and so much more if I had my say.The heavy thudding of her boots as she stomped out of the warehouse was like music to my ears.“There are rags and soap in the bathroom. You can clean him up, but he stays restrained,” James walks away, disappearing out of sight.I practically bolt around to see Shawn sleeping, h
A Marriage of Convenience Hopes and lies
“Rosa, dear,” Joanne grabbed me, pulling me in for a tight hug. Her embrace was warm, and for the second time in the last ten minutes, I wanted to collapse. “How are you doing?” She pulled my body away just enough to look me in my eyes, “And don’t you lie to me. My nephew can be a real pain in the ass.”I snorted at that.She had no idea. “I’m good,” I plaster on a fake smile, “Wishing I had another piece of your apple pie.”“Darlin’,” she winks, “You come on over anytime for a piece of that pie.”“Better be careful,” James’ voice holds a playful tone, “She might visit every day with a promise like that.”Joanne winked again, “And you tell me how that would be a problem?”She released me, walking right up to James and wrapping her arms around him. He was stiff at first before realizing he was meant to be acting and wrapped his arms around her with a quick pat on her back.How do I make it clear that I’m not here by my own free will? I silently wished I had abilities like they do to s
A Marriage of Convenience Illusions
“Try any tricks, and I’ve got a prepared message to Marina to end pretty boys’ life,” James snarled as we approached Joanne’s pub.It looks just as I remember, minus the heavy number of cars filling the now empty spaces in the parking lot.Why I agreed to this meeting, I have no idea. My nerves have been haywire since I stepped out of the shower and James thrust a new cardigan at me in the event that it was possible we were photographed leaving the bank.I’d considered the fact that maybe he’d gone insane, but when he does something as calculated as having me wear a different outfit based solely on the fact that someone possibly snapped our photo, I squash that thought like an unwanted bug.James is too cold. Too calculated for this to be fake, and each moment that passes by trapped in this hell with him pushes me further and further from the feelings that captivated me for so long.The man I’d loved was fake. An illusion meant to lure me in like a Venus fly trap. His words were like
A Marriage of Convenience If we make it out
My breath catches in my throat, eyes wide, as I stare at James and Marina.James’ skin is flushed, and his hair looks as if he’s spent the last thirty minutes running his fingers through it.Such a simple act used to bring a smile to my face, but now, it only makes me angry that I ever saw it as anything more. For years, I overlooked everything about James that was… unfavorable because there was a tiny voice in the back of my mind telling me that he was the one.The Goddess…. His Goddess paired my soul with his. Separated one into two, and what I thought was fate brought us together. I’d ignored the hateful look in his eyes when I’d work on Marina. I’d shielded myself from the words he’d spewed, hoping that someday, the gentleness that he’d whispered into Marina’s ear would be directed at me.I was foolish. I’d accepted years of mistreatment, and dare I say abuse, for a man that was never going to see me as anything more than a revenge plot.I’d given him everything, and for a moment,
A Marriage of Convenience We have a problem
“Hey,” I whisper, “Just tell me if I’m moving too fast.”Shawn lets out a frustrated sigh, his honeyed eyes freezing my movements. It’s clear that he hates the fact that I’m being forced to spoon feed him like this or take care of him at all. I can’t think of a time growing up when I ever remember him allowing anyone to take care of him. When he was sick, he’d fake it, telling my mother that it wasn’t that bad, even when he could barely get himself to the bathroom.“Stop,” I whisper, pleading with my eyes, “Let me take care of you without you feeling like I shouldn’t. You’re weak, and I need to know that you’re going to be okay. Food will help you heal.”“You shouldn’t have bargained with him,” Shawn gritted his teeth. “I would rather have died strapped to this pole than to know that he did you a favor.”“I don’t care about any of that, Shawn,” I protest, but he cuts me off, “I do,” and then growls out a sound that mimics pain.I stuff the spoonful of soup into his mouth, knowing that
A Marriage of Convenience Worried(Chris POV)
Another day, another bottle. Glancing around my apartment, I internally cringe at the mess. Am I fucked up? Is that even a question anymore? I snort at my own thoughts. I’m definitely fucked up. As I go to stand, my head swims with dizziness, sending me hurdling back onto the couch where I’d fallen asleep last night. My back aches like nobody’s business considering I’m six foot four, and around two-hundred twenty pound. Couches aren’t made for men like me. I peer over the back of the couch to my kitchen. The digital numbers on the microwave sway from side to side, two of them merging into one. It’s twelve thirty. Practically another day gone. I’ve been here before. Years ago, I ended up with a short stint in rehab. I’d paid my dues, said all the things I needed to say, convinced the doctors with a good old fashion lie, and boom, I was all better they said. I’d say the jokes on them, but really, the only joke is me. Rosalind was always the star in our household. I didn’t hate
A Marriage of Convenience The letter
“Did she complete the task?” Marina speaks through gritted teeth as James walks me back inside the warehouse blindfolded. He didn’t bother zip tying my wrists, as I was being cooperative. “Flawlessly,” James purred, and I heard a relieved sigh fall from Marina’s lips. “What is with that necklace?” I question now that we’re no longer at the bank. Not only that, but James’ mood tanked after three separate people asked for photographs with him as we left the bank, so I didn’t bother asking on the ride home. “Nothing that concerns you,” Marina snapped, and I heard her step closer, grabbing James and planting a sloppy kiss on his lips. The act was intentional to grate on my nerves, and I wanted to claw her eyes out. I wasn’t jealous any longer, but it still stung having your failures rubbed in your face. “My father thought it concerned me,” I interrupted their make-out fest, causing James to let out a groan, “I don’t remember you talking this much.”“My talking didn’t seem to bother y
A Marriage of Convenience Not the first time I've faked it
James white knuckles the steering wheel. My normally relaxed husband is glancing around every few seconds as if the boogeyman might step out of the shadows at any moment. If only he realized he just needed a mirror. “Are you paranoid?” I wring my hands in my lap. Noticing the raw skin around my wrists, I tugged the sleeves to the cardigan James gave me before we left. Couldn’t have anyone at the bank seeing the marks left behind by my dear husband. Though he told me if anyone noticed, we like it rough in the bedroom. My stomach recoiled at that thought, but I nodded in agreement. The job was simple. Go to the bank, smile, pretend that we’re a loving couple, and get the contents of the lockbox. I’d done this dance with him many times in the past, I just never imagined I’d be back here.“Why would I be paranoid?” he snapped.“You just keep looking around. Checking the rear and sideview mirrors,” I purse my lips, “I doubt anyone is looking for me.”“I’m not taking any chances.” His
