Circle Forward

During Christmas dinner, my mother-in-law hinted for the umpteenth time that she wanted a grandchild. However, my husband, Zachary Cole, who had insisted on staying child-free in the past decade, only smiled and filled her plate. After dinner, he slipped onto the balcony. "There, there. Daddy will come see you on New Year's Day," he whispered. I stood in the corner of the living room with a glass of water in my hand, feeling cold as the words sank in. I stepped forward and forced a playful tone. "I just heard you say 'Daddy.' Got a secret kid stashed somewhere?" He rubbed his nose, his voice stiff. "You must've misheard. That's… just a friend's kid." My heart sank. I'd been married to him for a decade, so I knew exactly what he looked like when he was lying.

In the southern land of Clandestine Empire lies the city of lawlessness where the thirteen-year-old Dio is satisfied with his life. A warm home despite the chaotic city, a loving grandfather, and a humble living are all he needs in his life. However, everything changed when his grandfather died in a fire. He lost everything-- his family, his purpose, and his will to live. At a young age, he was lost with no hope for the future. “How about I help you find meaning in your life again?” It was an offer that he doesn’t even need to consider but because he wants to uphold his grandfather’s dying wish, Dio held the hand that was offered to him. It wasn’t salvation, just a temporary solution to push him to move forward. Little did he know that the hand that he took would lead him to know the reason why his grandfather had to die and how it was all connected to him. Will he be able to continue moving forward and face the future or give up on life and focus on revenge?

"No," I protested, my voice shaking. "I won't go." Derrick's eyes sparkled with amusement. "Oh, but you will," he said. "In fact, you leave in two days." "You can't make me," I said, my voice trembling. Even if I was bound, I would never give in to his request. I would not be another one of the long line of concubines of the devil himself. Derrick leaned forward, his eyes blazing with intensity. "Oh, but I can," he whispered. "And I will." Ariana's life is shattered when her father is brutally murdered and she's forced into a betrothal with the ruthless Alpha King Ryker, a man cursed to kill any woman who bears his child. But as they work through their unfamiliar bond, secrets and lies threaten to destroy them. Can Ariana uncover the truth behind her father's death and Ryker's curse before it's too late, or will their love become the very thing that destroys them?

My husband, Landon Hart, lost a truth-or-dare round, so he carries out the punishment by making out passionately with his secretary, Amelia Colton, in my car. They've gone so far as to leave stains of their coupling on my son's booster seat. After Amelia sends me the video clip of them making out, I forward it to Landon right away. "Are you about to file for bankruptcy, Mr. Hart? What, are you only capable of cheating on me in my car?" Landon sends me an audio message. His tone carries a hint of satisfaction—clearly, he's done having his fun. "This is just a business alliance between us. Do you seriously think I'm your actual husband? It's just a dare! What, are you too prim and proper for games now?" I just chortle coldly in return. Well then, I'll make Landon understand that he should pay the price for doing something he's not supposed to do.

WARNING: Things heat up from chapter 9… proceed only if you can handle ALL THREE. *** They each stepped forward, hungry for me to choose, but I let them burn a little longer. My eyes roam over all of them, slow and wicked. A smirk curved my lips. “I don’t want one,” I purred. “I want all of you. Every single one. All at once.” *** Calla thought she could escape the past. But the moment she steps into her stepfather’s mansion, the powerful Alpha, she comes face-to-face with the three most dangerous, irresistible, and infuriating men she’s ever known. They are rich, cunning, and deadly handsome. They are her stepbrothers, triplets and her mates. Bound by a bond she never consented to, torn between desire and taboo, Calla must navigate lust, betrayal, and secrets that could destroy them all. In a world where power, passion, and obsession collide, the question remains: who will survive the Sin… and who will surrender?

Everyone hates Liana Waters. Since she was born, her life had been nothing but a series of unfortunate events. Her parents abused her, her pack hated her and her mate rejected her for her sister. To make matters worse she was now a murderer. She thought running away would be easy but it wasn't, she was brought back to the prison and almost beaten to death. Tired, devoid of hope, she wished the Luna goddess could take it all. That was until she found an opening. While her sister was plotting to end her life, Liana went on a suicide mission. She put her best leg forward and offered herself as a potential bride to the cursed Lycan King, Alaric during his mating ball. A king who has no joy. But when her ex mate came running back, Alaric broke his fingers and threatened, “She is my Luna, my wife, near her again and you would be losing way more than a few fingers.”

At the very moment Phoebe Stanton miscarries, her husband, Connor Russell, is celebrating the return of his first love. To him, her three years of devotion and companionship mean nothing more than being a live-in maid and cook. Phoebe gives up on him and decides to divorce. Everyone in their circle knows that Phoebe is clingy and impossible to shake off. "I bet she'll come crawling in a day." Connor sneers. "A day? That's too long—half a day at most." But the moment Phoebe signs the divorce papers, she decides never to look back. She throws herself into a new life. She revives her career, which she once abandoned, builds new connections, and meets new people. As time goes on, Connor no longer sees even a trace of Phoebe at home. He begins to panic. At an industry summit, he finally spots her, surrounded by admirers. Desperate, he pushes forward. "Phoebe, haven't you had enough of this tantrum?" But Gideon Blackwood suddenly steps in front of her, shoving Connor aside, his very demeanor chilling the air. "Don't touch my woman." Connor has never loved Phoebe. But now that he does, it's already too late. There's no longer a place for him in her world.

When Adrian and I broke up, he knelt outside my door all night. When I finally agreed to get back together, he lit a bonfire in the main hall, invited the elders to witness it, and swore I would become his Luna. Then, right at the finish line of a racetrack, he hauled a trembling, sobbing blonde girl out of the “trophy,” draped his jacket over her shoulders, and turned gentle like he’d become a different man. He looked back at me and said, “Ann, don’t make a scene. She ended up like this because of us.” The next day, he said I should atone by pack law, kneel inside a vow circle drawn with salt and silver powder, and endure my wolf soul’s backlash under the moonlight. Later, he threw me into the basement she used to live in, forced me to survive the way she did, forced me to lower my head and apologize. What he didn’t know was that there was a little pup in my belly. And I wasn’t going to tell him. I’d wait until he was most off guard, slide the divorce papers in front of him, let him sign them with his own hand, then vanish cleanly and absolutely, with my child.

When a DNA test reveals her husband isn’t her daughter’s father, Arabella Hart discovers that the billionaire who just saved her child’s life is and that the fertility clinic "mistake" that created her family was no accident. Arabella Hart thought she had it all: a thriving inheritance, a loving fiancé, and the promise of a family. But everything she believed was a lie. Her marriage was a con, her pregnancy was manipulated without her consent, and the man she trusted most had betrayed her. The only way forward is to reclaim her life, protect her child, and uncover the conspiracy that nearly destroyed her future. Adrian Palmer never expected to become a father or to be drawn back into the life of the woman whose child unknowingly carries his blood. As secrets unravel and enemies manipulate every move, their lives collide in a storm of deception, passion, and a love neither of them can deny. In a world where betrayal runs deep and trust is rare, Arabella and Adrian must fight for what truly matters: family, love, and justice.

Ever since I started at the Brooklyn Enquirer as a journalist, I've been reporting on stories nobody cares about. But the other day, I found a story that I was sure the audience would sink their teeth into. One that was front-page worthy and would make our newspaper infamous. Except it centers around a mafia boss and his bloodthirsty brothers.  It won't be easy to get it, but I'm determined to prove my worth. And it starts with Darick Dawson. My heart fluttered as we gazed into each other's eyes. At the same time, we leaned forward, and our lips touched. I wrapped my arms around his neck as he stroked his fingers through my hair, pulling at the roots softly, earning a moan from me. He traced his finger around my lips when suddenly, I opened my eyes and noticed the red in his irises getting darker. My Bloodthirsty Mafia Man is written by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author