softly synonym

"I regret meeting you," Alpha Elijah whispered, his voice trembling as tears filled my eyes and my head rested on his shoulder. "I regret falling for you," I replied softly, our eyes glistening with the pain of separation. In that moment, we shared one last kiss—a bittersweet exchange of sorrow and longing. Elijah's lips lingered on mine, his tongue exploring as if to savor every fleeting second. Dive into the gripping tale of Alpha Elijah, his destined mate Violet, and his forbidden love, Emma. What twists and turns await in this tangled web of love, revenge, and heartbreak?

A week after I gave birth via C-section, Mark Whitman invited his friends over to celebrate the birth of our son. The crowd was boisterous—more than a dozen people. Not one of them bothered to remove their dirty shoes. The wooden floor was soon covered in muddy footprints. Mark came into the room and, without a hint of concern, ordered me out of bed. "Everyone's waiting outside. Don't just hide here and rest—you're embarrassing me in front of our guests." I had no choice but to push through the pain, forcing my body to prepare a huge meal for the large crowd, all on my own. When I carried the final bowl of steaming soup to the table, Lily Hoyte—whether intentionally or not—jabbed her hand against the wound on my abdomen. My hand trembled from the sudden pain, and the bowl slipped slightly, spilling the hot soup onto Lily's shoes. Mark's face darkened instantly. "What the heck did you do, Cammy? Lily rushed here right after her plane landed from overseas to see our son, and this is how you treat her?" The crowd quickly chimed in. "Come on, Cammy, no need to be so petty." "Mark and Lily grew up together. If there was really something between them, do you think you'd even be here now?" "Do you even know how much those shoes cost? They're limited edition—easily over ten thousand dollars. And you just ruined them." Lily stood up awkwardly, her eyes misting with tears. "If Cammy doesn't like me," she said softly, "then I'll leave. I don't want to be a bother." But Mark grabbed her hand in an exaggerated display of protection, his voice harsh as he turned to me. "Wipe Lily's shoes clean. Right now." His partiality for Lily made something sharp twist in my chest. My lips quivered as I fought back tears. "The wound on my stomach hasn't healed yet. I can't bend over." At that, his expression grew colder. "Don't use childbirth as an excuse. If you can't bend over, then kneel and wipe them. And if you won't, get out of my house!"

I stared at Stefano lying on the floor. "Hey, this may hurt a little," I spoke, trying my best to adopt a professional tone. Stefano groaned softly, his lips curving into a faint, almost bitter smirk as he muttered, "Wouldn’t be the first time you’ve hurt me, Bella." ** Forced to clear her sick father's debt to the italian Mafia and pay her father hospital bills, the 23-year-old nurse is forced to accept risky jobs like treating criminals in the dead of the night. On the day Bella Smith learns of the shocking news that her bedridden boyfriend, Robin, has been transferred to another hospital outside the country, she is heartbroken and decides to go for a drink. But when Bella is asked to treat a handsome stranger at the hotel room, she finds out the stranger is her ex-boyfriend from high school and now he wouldn't let her go. Stefano Carlo gets everything he wants, now he wants to make Bella suffer from leaving him in the past, but as they navigate a contract marriage, they find themselves rekindling old feelings and threading through the dark underworld of the mafia.

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

"Who the hell are you?!" yelled Rachel Clarke (28) when she woke up in the morning to find herself all naked with a man snoring softly beside her. "I'm your future husband, have you forgotten what happened last night?" said the man beside her with his eyes half-closed. Since that day, Rachel's life has changed 180 degrees. Suddenly she had to marry a young, self-made billionaire named Nicholas Anthony just because of a ridiculous agreement she signed when she was drunk.

My best friend and I had been abducted by the Pendragon brothers—a duo consisting of a religious CEO and a top-billed movie star. We became their secret lovers against our will. "I'm pregnant, Lilith," my best friend said, tears glistening in her eyes. "Me too, Lindsay," I replied softly, caressing my belly. "But I won't go through with it." The brothers heard us. Their control tightened. They watched us during mealtimes, while we slept, and even during our bathroom breaks. We could not endure it any longer, so we fought back. In their anger, the brothers kept mistresses who resembled us. We thought we were free until one day, they found us. They called us homewreckers and hurled insults at us. They broke into our house, scarred our faces, broke our legs, and kicked us until we miscarried. It did not matter how much we tried to explain ourselves. They removed our clothes and paraded us in the street. Finally, the Pendragons arrived. They raised their marriage certificates and declared, "Lilith and Lindsay are our wives!"

She moaned softly beneath him, her body arching, craving his touch, even as her mind screamed that this was wrong. “Please, stop. I don’t want this,” she whispered, her voice trembling with desperation. Aurora, eldest daughter of the Alpha of North Pack, was in the one place she should never be—entangled with her sworn enemy, Alpha Hunter, the ruthless Alpha of the Dark blood pack. She tried to rise, her instincts screaming for escape, but Hunter pinned her down with ease. His dark, piercing eyes locked onto hers as he growled, “Did I say you could leave?” His gaze was as dangerous as it was captivating, and his hands roamed over her body, igniting sensations she couldn’t control. Her body betrayed her, writhing under his touch. Hunter leaned closer, his lips hovering just a breath away. Aurora turned her head sharply, refusing him, her heart pounding in defiance. He caught her chin with a firm grip, forcing her to face him. “I’m warning you,” he hissed, his voice low and menacing. “Don’t you dare defy me.” His strong arms enveloped her as she struggled against him, her voice rising in desperation. “This is wrong! Stop it! We can’t do this. You’re my enemy—my pack’s enemy!” A dark chuckle escaped his lips, his breath warm against her ear as he whispered arrogantly, “Oh, my sweet little Aurora. Have you forgotten? You’re my mate.” His laughter echoed through the room, a mix of menace and triumph. Aurora’s breath hitched as his words sank in, each one more impossible than the last. What will happen when enemies turned into destined mates and rejection is not an option?

" What about her?" His inquire came out softly and lazy. Ayla's eyes suddenly contracted fiercely and rolled to her brain! She thought she might collapse any moment from now! No! She can't be known! Her identity can't be revealed! The senior nun must not reveal my identity! " Errr......that's Ayla, the wolfslayer's daughter." Damn! The atmosphere dropped to a freezing point and Alpha Darius felt his lips twitched for a second. He looked back at the senior nun, snapping his brows coldly and back at Ayla, whose legs was already trembling violently. " You mean Morgan and Arnold's daughter?" He hissed, finding it hard to believe. " Yes." The senior nun replied. " We found her not too long when her father was set ablaze." Darius unexpectedly chuckled dryly, and his eyes lowered. " The slayer's daughter hun?" He approached Ayla even closer, gazing at her keenly like she was his prey and he lifted her chin, allowing her nervous dim eyes to met his. " Then, I guess my bride is in front of me." ****** A war was coming and it is predicted there might be no survivors. With this, Darius, a heartless, dangerous and crazy Alpha king of the Crimson moon, who was feared by all, set to get a bride who would give him an heir. Their pack was cursed, making it impossible. This led them to a downtown church, where ladies are sold like slaves and nuns, to seek bride. However, he encountered the least person he thought! The daughter of the wolves slayer's? This was going to be fun! But would something change between Ayla's hatred for the wolves and Darius vengeance on Ayla? What would fate write for them?

I, Alpha Vincenzo Anderson, reject you, warrior Ashley Miller, as my mate and Luna. You are banished from my Enchanted Gardens Pack!” ****** Five years ago, her Alpha mate's rejection cast Ashley into exile. She was forced to survive among rogues enduring heartache, betrayal, and endless torment. But nothing prepared her for the cruelty of the rogue King, who punished her with a slave’s brand for refusing his lecherous advances, humiliating her in public. She was withering in pain when Alpha Vincenzo attacked the rogue pack and saved her life, bringing her back home. Consumed by rage and hatred, Ashley wanted nothing to do with the mate who once abandoned her. However, fate had other plans. A mysterious illness tied to the severed bond threatened her life, and the only cure was to reconnect with the only man she swore to loathe, the one whose touch still ignited her blood. Now living under Vincenzo’s roof as a maid, resisting the heat that simmered between them was impossible for Ashley. And Vincenzo, he intended on proving with every stolen breath and breathless stare that she was still his. Ashley wanted to abhor her ex. But whenever he touched her, murmured her name softly, claiming that she felt the same desire burning within him. Ashley knew the truth! She was never free of him! And he’d never let her go again …

"I am the one in charge, baby; I can do whatever I want," he said softly to Xianna, lightly biting her ears. She closed her eyes and remembered that the sexy male dancer she bought a year ago from that exclusive gay bar was the same guy who bought her from the Mafia, where her mother sold her. The man resembles her deceased boyfriend.