a lesson in thorns

Mature Content! "Do you want to divorce your useless husband and be with me instead?" Ang baritonong boses na iyon mula sa kaniyang likuran ay nagpatinding ng kaniyang balahibo. Tila muling nabuhay ang katawang lupa ni Adeline nang marinig muli ang boses na iyon. Pumikit siya, dinama ang init ng hininga ng estranghero hanggang sa nahagip ng kaniyang tingin sa pamilyar na tattoo sa ilalim ng pulsuhan nito. Takot ang lumukob sa kaniyang pagkatao, natabunan ang init na nararamdaman. Mabilis siyang humiwalay sa lalaki habang tinatambol ng kaba ang kaniyang dibdib. Hindi niya maipaliwanag ang nararamdaman habang nakatitig sa itim na mga mata ng lalaking tila lalamunin siya ng buhay. "I-Ikaw?" Ngumisi ang mapula nitong mga labi, "Hello, my beautiful wife. Fancy seeing you here." *** Sa ngalan ng paghihiganti, nagpakasal si Adeline sa isang lalaking nakaratay. Ang tanging gusto niya lamang ay mabigyan ng hustisya ang dinanas niya sa kamay ng dating asawa at stepsister. Maayos sana ang lahat kung hindi lamang siya ginugulo ng isang misteryosong lalaki na nakasiping niya sa gabi ng kaniyang kasal. Dumagdag pa ang gulo nang biglang magising ang kaniyang asawa. Adeline was so confused but she knew she would choose the right path. Ang tama ang pipiliin niya pero isang sikreto ang biglang sumabog sa kaniyang harapan na nagpagulantang sa kaniyang buong pagkatao.

Labing isang taong gulang si Andrea nang maghiwalay ang kanyang mga magulang. Sa paghihiwalay ng mga ito, naghiwalay din ang landas nila ng kanyang kakambal na si Althea. Napunta siya sa kanyang ina kung saan nakaranas sila ng labis na paghihirap na kanilang pinagdaanan. Pero mukhang habulin si Andrea ng malas, natanggal siya sa kanyang pinagtatrabahuhan na kompanya kung saan nagde-design siya ng mga damit. At sa pagkakataong iyon, doon naman nagbukas ang oportunidad sa kanya nang makilala niya ang lalaking si Matthew nang minsang magpunta siya sa bar at yakapin siya nito. Dahil may sarili itong designing company, nagtrabaho siya rito. Hanggang sa nakilala niya ito at tuluyang nahulog ang loob nila sa isa't isa. Inalok siya ng kasal ni Matthew at pumayag siya dahil mahal na nga niya ito. Nagsimula ang masayang relasyon nila na akala niya'y magtatagal. Hanggang sa isang araw, bumalik ang kakambal niyang si Althea. Ano'ng dalang pasabog ni Althea sa kaniya? Babalik pa ba sa dati ang kanilang relasyon bilang kambal o ito ang sisira sa masaya niyang buhay kasama si Matthew?

***This is the sequel to Once Upon An Alpha; please read it first.*** Once Upon a Luna continues to follow Rose, Orion, their friends, and their pack a year and a half after the Fallen Moon battle. Now that Hodges, Kroll, and Greta are dead, it's time for the Black Moon pack to move forward. Has Rose figured out her other gift? Where will her gifts lead her this time? What will Rose's premonitions show her next?

Lu Yao, a poor young man suffering from congenital heart disease, happened to have a heart transplant after saving a girl. When he woke up again, he found that his body had changed a lot. It turned out that in this magical heart lived an immortal. With the help of the immortal, Lu Yao successfully changed his destiny and became a cultivator. As he fought against bullies and killed demons, more and more people walked into his life. Follow Lu Yao along his exciting journey filled with unprecedented adventures.

After my father's Beta killed him, I ran away and lived my life as a human. It wasn't much, but my life was my own and I liked it that way. Until one night, when I decide to take a shortcut through wolf territory and I'm captured. Expecting to go to the dungeon, the Alpha presents me as a potential mate to the mysterious and reportedly cruel Lycan King, Bowden. He takes me from my home and brings me to his kingdom where I'm expected to live as his mate. A mate he doesn't even want. I didn't sign up for this life. I don't want any of it. Least of all to be some king's dutiful and submissive mate. I'm just waiting, biding my time, until I can run away and join the human world again. ** "You know what…I'm done. I'm leaving Bowden's eyebrows pull up in amusement. "Are you now?” "Yes. Try to stop me.” He stands aside. "I won't stop you. Go. Goddess knows, I could use a little peace and quiet." I start to leave, but before I even reach the door he calls out. "Oswald!” The guard opens the door without any delay. "See the queen to her room and lock her in for the night," Bowden orders. "I thought you said you wouldn't stop me." I spin around and glare at Bowden, furious with him for changing his mind. "I won't…but Oswald made no such promises." The king nods at the guard who simply steps outside and closes the door behind him again. "Don't play games with me, little wild child. I am far more experienced than you'll ever be, and this is a game you'll never win. You are mine, and you are going nowhere.”

Book One in De Niro Series but can be read as standalone. After being thrown into a hell by her family where vultures in men's skin were waiting for her to reach at a ripe age, Destiny Carter somehow escaped the hell she had been living for over a decade only to be chased and recaptured by those monsters but her destiny was with her in the night when she was saved by Him. Her knight in shining armour: Stefano De Niro,whom the whole country feared. He is ruthless, cruel and human form of Satan as his prey describes him.He is known to leave people in fear by only giving a look upon them and when his eyes landed on the most innocent and pure soul lying unconscious in his arms,he knew that he was never going to let her go. What happens when she find herself in his empire? All about him screams danger to her, then how she is ever going to let him come near her and show her the side of him that no one has ever see? Stefano,the mafia heir to the De Niro clan, wants a scared and hopeless yet full of light Destiny Carter all for himself as after years she awakened his hibernated heart that started beating...for her!

...........From personal assistant to fake fiancée.......... To get his hands on his family's wine company which his sister wants to indefinitely displace him from. Leonardo pulls the biggest trick ever coming home with a fake fiancée to prove to his family he was finally becoming the responsible man they wanted him to be. But there was one tiny flaw in his little put together plan, he was starting to fall for his fake fiancée, a petite blond with a certain real boyfriend who poses as a nuisance for him. Can Leonardo sway her head with other man lurking in the background? And what happens when there is a baby in the mix? *********** Kissing Paige in the garden was unplanned, it had affected him so greatly Leo wanted to see where this would lead. If it was just a physical pleasure or if it was more. Of course, he needn't tell her that. He trusts himself not to cross the line. Only if she would stop running away from him, then he wouldn't have to pretend he was into one-night stands just to cover up how broken he was. The things he yearned for and wanted. If it was what he suspected, then maybe he can finally let go of the past and focus on the future. However, one thing was certain: he likes this girl, and he intend to keep her. He stared at the girl's parted lips, pink, full, and in a natural pout and a fire leaked into his heart, revealing itself in his warm brown eyes. Impulsively he wanted to ignore the consequences and just kiss her awake but he quelled down that emotion and instead leaned closer to her, one hand holding her gently and brushed his lips over hers.

Isa lang ang gusto ni Aryen Romero sa buhay niya at iyon ay ang makapagtapos ng pag-aaral. Ulilang lubos mula pagkabata at nakuntento sa puder ng mapanglait at mapanakit niyang tiya. Papasok siya bilang isang katulong sa isa sa pinakamayamang pamilya sa Laveda. Sa sobrang yaman ng mga ito ay kahit sino sa bayan nila ay nangangarap na mapabilang sa pamilya Lizares, at isa na ang Tita niya. Her Aunt's thirst for wealth awakened when she knew about her work. Inutusan siya nitong akitin ang tagapagmana ng mga Lizares at kung hindi niya iyon gagawin ay palalayasin siya ito at hahayaang tumira sa kalsada. Hindi totoo ang mga diyos sa mitolohiya pero mukhang naisasabuhay ito ni Armiel Frederick Lizares. At talaga nga namang sobrang imposible na maaakit niya ito dahil sa kasamaan ng ugali na parang ang tingin sa lahat ng mga mahihirap ay mukhang pera. But as she know him well, she discovered something deep in him behind his rich face, and lifestyle. Sa sandaling panahon ay nagawa niyang ibigay ang lahat-lahat sa binata. Pero hindi kailanman pabor sa kanya ang tadhana. Nalaman ni Armiel ang plano ng Tita niya at lubos itong nagalit na pinagtabuyan siya na nagpadurog sa kanya ng husto. Nang lumayo siya sa binata ay nalaman niyang dinadala niya ang bunga ng isang gabing mainit nilang pinagsaluhan. At kahit anong hirap ang hinarap niya dahil doon ay determinado siyang huwag ipaalam dito ang tungkol sa anak. Pero talagang mapaglaro ang tadhana. Gaano man niya itago ang anak ay lalabas at lalabas pa rin ang katotohanan. Paano niya haharapin ang galit nito sa ginawa niyang pagtago sa anak nila? Will he believe that she's not after his wealth? Will the chain of love between them could hold them two together again—or not?

Atticus has been on the run almost his whole life, forced to leave his home so young and thrown into a world of the unknown, never allowed to let anyone see his other half. He hides that side of him, the beast that wants to come out and stretch his limbs. Everyone he knows is gone, dead. Life has been hard, the world has hardened his heart. That is until one day he runs into a small pack with no home and no Alpha, desperate for someone to lead them. This little pack quickly finds their way into his heart, melting that cold heart, and giving him a reason to live again. Atticus hopes one day he will be able to find a place for this little pack to call home, and not have to be on the run any longer. .... Alpha Harris, after 5 years of his pack being merged with another, waiting for Harris to become of age and graduate Alpha training, Alpha Harris finally returns home to claim his title and move his pack home. Alpha Harris falls into his role as Alpha, and in no time has his pack up and running again. The thought of finding his Luna doesn't cross his mind as he dives into the busy life of the Alpha of a bustling pack. Finding a luna is the furthest thing from his mind as he works on rebuilding his father's pack. Which is why he was surprised when he finally finds him, and is shocked by his rank. Unable to deny his mate, Alpha Harris quickly falls deep in love with his mate and everything seems perfect, until it's not. A mate would never betray their mate, would they? They would never betray the bond, a blessing from the Moon Goddess, would they?

My husband's childhood sweetheart is a fake heiress. She and I are abducted at the same time. But when my husband, a doctor, arrives at the scene of the abduction with a medical team, he chooses to save her first. My legs have been broken, and I struggle to stay afloat in the ocean. I'm on the brink of death, and I beg him to save me and the child in my belly. He merely looks at me. Before leaving, he almost generously helps me call 911. Then, he says, "It's disgusting that you're lying about being pregnant just to save yourself. I've repaid you for saving my life—come to the hospital later today to sign the divorce papers." After listening to his words, I remove the hearing aid from my right ear with a trembling hand.