quiet strength

My son is gravely ill. His inner wolf is too weak to awaken, and the healer warns that without the Alpha’s blood to strengthen his spirit, he may not last the next full moon. He clutches my hand, his feverish golden eyes dimming. “Mother, can Father take me to the Barnum & Bailey Circus？” But no matter how many times I summon my mate through the pack bond, he does not answer. His presence in the mind-link is an empty void. I can only hold my son as his small body trembles. I whisper stories of wolf warriors and great Alphas, but his breathing grows weaker. When the dawn breaks, his tiny fingers slip from mine. His wolf never wakes. A few days later, the scent of wild roses floods our pack’s sacred grounds. I turn—and there he is. My mate. My Alpha. He strides into the hall with my sister cradled in his arms. Her neck bears his fresh scent mark. His mark. I watch as he presses a lingering kiss to her lips, his hands caressing her like a treasure. Their love is bold, shameless—an unspoken declaration to the entire pack. And only then do I learn the truth. While my son lay fighting for his life, waiting for his father’s touch, longing for his Alpha’s strength… my mate was deep in Rose Valley, tangled in passion with my own blood. I thought my heart had long since gone cold from his neglect, but at that moment, it shatters. I make my decision. I will leave this pack. Yet just as I turn to walk away, the mate who had only ever treated me with indifference suddenly drops to his knees. A broken sob rips from his throat. For the first time, my proud, untouchable Alpha weeps.

He rejected her when she didn't know what he meant to her. He left her when she needed him the most. He left her broken and alone in the claws of this cruel world. But now he’s back to claim what’s his. Will she accept him now? Read story to find out about his REJECTED LOVE…. My mate. So weak. So pathetic. I have a weak and pathetic mate. He thought as he looked at her with disgust and displeasure in his eyes. Just like me, when I was human. She is a human! I don't want a mate. I don't want a weak and pathetic mate! She can't fix me! She's nothing! Screw this! His thoughts were going berserk with the rushing flashes of his past. He tucked his hand roughly through his hair in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the replay of those horrible evocations. He laid her on the small grass patch at the side of the deserted road. She was half-conscious, so she could hear him. "Hey!" He said, jerking her pale face gently. Blood was covering half of her face but she was still looking beautiful in the moonlight. The sparks weren’t going unnoticed as he reminded himself that it was just the mate-bond. He was determined in his decision and he wasn’t going to change it. The girl opened her eyes slightly and with that, he did what he thought was right at that time. "I, Kane Wilson, reject you as my mate!" He said, with all the strength he could have mustered in his miserable state of emotions and with that, he left her there, feeling extreme pain in his heart. But he pushed that pain aside and ran from there at his maximum inhuman speed. Away from her!

"I wonder if I'll ever find love. Maybe so. Maybe not. Someday I'll know." Most supernaturals try to stay out of the spotlight. More so if you're hunted by not just humans, but other supernaturals as well. So 17-year-old Cayce Vance did just that, keep quiet and be invisible. But because of recent events, he moves to a small town near the ocean, away from the hustle and bustle of a metropolis. Here, Cayce hopes to live out his senior year in peace. What he doesn't know is that he's moved right into werewolf territory. And not just any werewolf territory. The werewolf king's territory. The new king of the werewolves, Bennet Fitzroy, has just turned 18, the age when you find your mate if you're a werewolf. He yearns for his mate, whoever it may be. What happens when he learns that his mate is a creature that is half-demon half-angel? And how can Bennet love something that he doesn't know, and how can Cayce love what he fears? A teen romance between a big alpha teddy bear and a tiny cute beastie.

The cold seawater engulfs me, its relentless pull dragging me into the abyss. I kick desperately, my lungs burning, but the surface drifts farther and farther away. "Save me, Kane… save our child…" Pain lances through my body as I clutch my stomach, shielding the fragile life within me. The child I never thought I'd have, the child who was supposed to be our blessing. Through the watery haze, I see Kane Porter standing on the jagged cliffs above the shore. His tall, commanding figure is framed by the moonlight, his golden eyes burning with hatred. The alpha of the Nightfall Pack, the man who once whispered my name with reverence, now looks at me like I'm filth beneath his feet. His voice cuts through the roaring waves, sharp and merciless. "Don't think I don't know what you've done, Selene." The currents tug me deeper. My strength wanes, but his words stab deeper than the water ever could. "You drugged me with a philter, hoping to make me mark you—hoping to force your way into the position of my Luna. Because of your selfishness, Arya is gone. You destroyed her mind, pushed her into madness!" A shadow of despair twists across his face, but it vanishes beneath pure fury. "She fell from that cliff because of you." I shake my head, but I can’t speak. The sea is swallowing my voice. "Do you know what it’s like to wake up every day in torment? To live knowing the woman I loved died because of you?" His eyes glint like a wolf ready to tear out his prey's throat. "I want you to feel every ounce of that pain. I want you and your cursed child to die with her." The waves crash above me, and darkness claws at the edges of my vision. When I open my eyes again, I'm taken back to the day Kane's philter takes effect. He approaches me, his face flushed and his breathing rapid. He's already undone his buttons. "Hang on, Kane. Arya will be here soon!" I back away and open the door behind me. Then, I run off.

When a child mysteriously disappears from a small town and even his mother seems indifferent, it’s time for the new sheriff to step in. Meet Chris Baker, the new sheriff of the quiet Adirondack town of Clifton Heights. As one inexplicable case after another forces him to confront the townsfolk in The Skylark Diner, it’s the furtive Gavin Patchett that hands Chris a collection of not-so-fictional short stories that tumbles him into a world of monsters, ageless demons, and vengeful citizens. As Chris reads through the stories the veil starts to lift, and he soon questions what is real and what’s not, and whether he really wants to know. Nothing will ever be the same again. ©️ Crystal Lake Publishing

My firefighter husband had fallen from a great height during a mission and was rushed into the emergency room, covered in blood. As the only person capable of saving him, I stood just outside the operating room, calm and composed. Reaching for my makeup bag, I began carefully applying my makeup. Another doctor, panic-stricken, rushed toward me and shouted, "Dr. Warhol! The patient's kidney has ruptured! You're the only surgeon in all of Switzerland who can perform this life-saving procedure! If you don’t act now, he’s going to die!" I continued shaping my eyebrows with steady precision, not even glancing in his direction. "Quiet," I said coolly. "If you keep yelling, my brows might end up crooked."

In the shadowed depths of the Lycanthrian Forest, Sophia, a long-lost werewolf princess, discovers her true identity when her pack is attacked by mysterious hybrid creatures. As she stands alongside her loyal companion Alex, a fierce warrior, they fend off the attackers and protect their pack. This battle is only the beginning, revealing a sinister conspiracy that threatens all werewolf communities. Determined to uncover the truth, Sophia and Alex encounter an enigmatic figure who challenges them to retrieve a powerful artifact hidden in a secret temple. This relic holds the key to defeating Nyx, a malevolent force with dark ambitions. Together, they venture into the wilderness, facing a trial that tests their strength, courage, and loyalty. Their journey leads them into a cavern where they confront their deepest fears and fight nightmarish creatures. With their bond growing stronger, Sophia and Alex emerge victorious, claiming the artifact and the power it bestows. As they return to the surface, ready to confront Nyx, they realize the stakes are higher than ever. With time running out and the fate of their world hanging in the balance, Sophia and Alex must rely on their newfound strength and their unbreakable bond. Will they overcome the darkness and restore peace to their kingdom, or will the shadows consume them all? The journey is far from over, and their greatest challenges lie ahead.

Elena, a young girl known as the disgraced wolfless princess, confronts the harsh reality of royal life, discovering that her trusted friends are not as loyal as she thought. Meanwhile, Ryker and his family are bound to a life of servitude to the goddess. They learn fate and love are not always intertwined. Between Ryker’s obsession with young princess, his brother’s dark past, and his sister’s unforeseen destiny, twists and turmoil intertwine them with the royal family, leaving them shattered and their mission to the goddess unfulfilled. Jealousy, betrayal, lust, and love weave a complex tapestry, leading them through unexpected twists. Preview: “You try to belittle me, but it’s not going to work,” I taunted. “Do I look like a little girl?” She straightened, her glare fierce and untamed, canines protruding as she challenged me. “On the outside, you look like a warrior goddess, but I see in your eyes the little girl begging to be played with,” I retorted, trying to get under her skin. “And you look like a sick man with too much power on the outside, but I see the impediment boy whose daddy never really loved him inside you,” her smirk revealed she’d struck a nerve. I couldn't hold back. I stood, pulling her up by her neck and slamming her into the wall, my feral growls echoing. “You’ll be careful how you speak to me. I can sense your strength, but trust me, I will overpower you.” Her claws dug into my wrist, more growls erupted. My canines poised to end her life, but she welcomed the confrontation. “You’ll never control me!” She declared defiantly. “No? You don’t think I can make you submit?” I challenged, my wolf and I ready to teach her a lesson.

Fayalite and Forsterite were the royal twins of the red foxes clan who got separated when their mother cast a spell on Fayalite's lover, Arsen. To break the spell, Fayalite went to the human realm to search for the human vessel of Arsen's soul. She, then, became a CEO's fake wife in order to widen her search and return to the immortal realm as soon as possible. Never did she know that during her absence, Oliviland fell into destruction and left Forsterite as the lone survivor. Using her remaining power, Forsterite transported herself into the human world to escape and find her sister. This depleted most of her strength causing her to lose consciousness. When she woke up, she found herself involved with several troubles that involved the mafia boss, Lansford Briar, who found her when she was unconscious. Due to some circumstances, the two made a deal wherein they would help each other reach their personal goals. But when a misunderstanding between them arouse, Lansford abandoned the fox princess. With the fear of the twins’ identities being revealed to the public and the danger that the Silver Foxes brought about, the princesses were faced with a dilemma that would either let them live or perish.

“You're more exciting than I expected” Alex whispered behind me, his voice sending hot shivers down my spine and I gulped down on my saliva. “W - W - What do you want from me” I stammered while asking him the question, he laughed out before turning me to face him. “I want you, all of you. You will be my new toy” He said, staring deep into my eyes and I could feel my heart beating fast. He did something that I could never forget in my lifetime, something that would make me the target of every girl present in the school. He took a few steps away from me before drawing the attention of everyone present in the cafeteria. “Announcement everyone, starting from today, Katherine is my girl. No one is allowed to go near her or harm her, if you have a problem with that come face me” with that he walked out of the cafeteria left me alone to face the glaring eyes of the ladies. Katherine Thrones is a good girl, has good grades, and is amazing at everything she does, living her life as quietly as possible until one day, she bumps into the shoulder of Alexander Walter, the bad boy, the player, and the troubles maker of the school. The captain of the football team. What happens when Alexander decided to focus his attention on the quiet geek girl Katherine and make her his play toy. Will Katherine fall victim to his trap or will the table be turned around?