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It is against the bro code to nurture feelings about one's friend's sister, but in the case of Josh, was that really it? For years, Lina has nurtured feelings for her brother's best friend, ones that she knew she had to keep at bay, but with them being in senior high, and with her feelings raging out, she found herself doing everything possible to get his attention, but would she be able to, when she suddenly found herself with a love interest? Josh had his well tucked in, tried so hard not to break bro code but all of his rationality seemed to have flown out the window when he found a pest lurking around Lina, and wanting to claim her as his. He had done everything to keep the pests away, but it seemed he hadn't done enough. With his obsession, and crave for her skyrocketing over the top, he finds not just his friendship with her brother threatened but his pack as well. What had held him back was a thin line threatening to snap at any time, but would he let it? What decision would he take? When odds are against him?
Lina's POV
I sauntered down the stairs, humming a song when my eyes twitched at the crowd pulled close to my locker, cheering and chanting.
My feet halted as I glanced up, my eyes melting into his when our gaze locked, warmth pooled underneath his, the gentle thud of my heart against my rib cage as it pounded had me running a hand over my chest.
He tore his gaze off, peering at whoever he was standing with, I was lost in my thoughts when a hand hook itself around me, pulling me with her.
" Are you just going to stand here? Aren't you going to watch the biggest proposal of all history?" Emma, my best friend asked.
She pulled me alongside her, dragging me feets ahead as I watched.
Josh stood, eyes on Emily, the cheerleader as she handed him a paper, before chewing on her lips nervously, while twirling a strand of her hair.
My eyes watered as I took in what was happening, Josh was my brother's best friend and my secret crush, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him about it.
He had told me severally that he saw me as his sister and nothing more when I had jokingly brought up the topic.
"Say yes, say yes, say yes..." the crowd cheered as hands jammed together.
I pivoted my gaze around, dread tore through me because I knew it was going to be the same as always, he was always going to give in.
My wolf writhed in pain as I forced myself out, I had my feet stuck at the door when he spoke up.
" I have someone I love, Emily" he uttered, cheers ran down with voices whispering about.
I flipped my head around, glancing at him when a hand ruffled my hair, stealing my attention.
" Is there a reason why you are doing this?" I questioned Max who wrapped a hand around my shoulders, taking in my appearance.
" You look like shit, you left your breakfast untouched, is there a reason why?"
I chewed on my lips, trying to hide the makeshift card I had made. I had finally decided to place it in Josh's locker today, damn it all and let it all go, but I bet it was all gone now.
My hands jabbed him on the arm.
" Your friend would need you, can you tell him to stop doing this all the time? This is a school for Selena's sake, and not his pack, some of us actually want to learn"
"I asked you a question, Lina, why did you leave your food untouched? Mum and dad are worried, your barely sleep, barely go outing anymore, and you are a shadow of yourself"
I let out a sigh, wondering what exactly was keeping Josh still.
"How about we get to know ourselves better first?" His velvety smooth voice rumbled across the hall at me.
"A date or two and who knows?" He leaned against her ear, whispering words into it while locking gaze with me.
I broke it off, pushing against the crowd before breaking into a race, my wolf purred as I did but I couldn't stop, wasn't able to.
" Where the hell do you think you are going?" My brother Max voice thundered behind me as I sprinted, not giving a fuck about whatever it was he was going to say.
The tears slipped down, in torrents as my feet crushed the leaves underneath my feet, plopping on the bench. I dragged in gasps of breath, tapping on my chest at how futile it was.
If I had a chance, I would have torn my heart and clamp down this feeling that had grown in me, it wasn't like I hadn't tried, I had, especially when I knew he didn't like me as well, I had tried to kill mine, but I just couldn't.
It kept aggravating.
My hands ran across my eyes, pushing off the streak of tears when I noticed a shadow lurking around me.
"Lina.." a voice drawled, flickering my gaze at him, I tried to put a name to the face.
His hands weaved through his dark hair, one that glimmered against the ray that filtered down.
" It's Darren"
" Darren?"
" We took a class together, and I thought you would recognize me,I..." his eyes went gloomy at me.
" Didn't know you wouldn't"
I pushed myself up, glancing at him. He had dark hair that fell slightly over his shoulders, nose that went as high as anyone could imagine and orbs honey brown just a shade darker than Josh's.
" Oh, I don't really have..."
My words caught in my throat when he shoved a box in my arms, before chewing on his chapped lips nervously.
"I don't really know if this is the right time to do this but..." he let out a peal of rustic cackle.
" I would love to take you on a date, anywhere you want is fine by me, and..."
"Fuck off" a hand shoved him aside, pushing him against the barricaded wall.
"What exactly do you think you are doing?" Josh roared as he asked. His breath ran off as his gaze roamed off from Darren to me.
"Why should I be the one fucking off?" Darren pushed himself off the wall, his steps drawing closer until he had his eyes on Josh.
" Excuse me?"
He scoffed. " Why should I be the one to fuck off? The last I checked,you have no right to say words like that especially when you aren't related to her and..."
Josh had his fist clenched as he demanded. " Repeat what you just said," he dared.
That was it. I had to do something before this went off the wrong way.
" Stop!" I summoned up the strength in me as I tried to utter.
" Please stop" my eyes hovered between them as I let out a plea.
" Darren, I will take you up on that date, and Josh, what exactly are you here for?"
Josh's eyes grew stormy as he uttered. "You won't"
Darren's lips curled into a smile as he bobbed his head before his footstep receded.
"What exactly do you think you are doing? A date? With him?"
I let out a cackle at his words, why was he acting this way when he didn't even care? Why was he here in the first place?
" What do you want! Why are you here!"
He let out a breather, weaving his hands through his hair.
" Max tried to find you after you broke off in a race, he said you aren't eating, you haven't been talking and you have been blank, what exactly is wrong with you?"
" Why do you care?"
I knew what it was going to be, I was his best friend's sister and so, it was his right to look after me, make sure I wasn't hurt, but why couldn't he see? Why couldn't he see what it was that I wanted?
"Lina...Max..."
I exhaled, chewing on my lips.
" Can you just let me be? I am tired of you lurking around me, I want to think, I want to feel...I want to..." I bit down the train of words that attempted to sneak out.
" Stop pursuing every one who wants me away, stop trying to make it look like no one is worthy of me, I am sick of it"
" I am trying to protect you, they don't deserve you, not him..." his hands poked into the direction Darren had walked off in.
" No one does"
" I am going to go on that date, and you aren't going to tell me what to do!"
I gazed at his eyes, those honey brown orbs that always had me short of words to say, before sauntering off, I had barely taken steps when he said;
" Then let's do it" my feet halted, as I flipped my head around.
" Do what?"
" Fake dating, this experience you want, let's do it"
" Don't say anymore word than you already have, don't..." I stuck a finger out at him, sauntering away on my heels when a hand wrapped itself around my arm. Breathlessly he whispered, "You know that I do love you and...fine, what exactly was I supposed to do?" "Protect me and stand up for me. That is what you do for someone who you claim you love!" ************ Out to spite her ex-boyfriend after he had broken up with her on her birthday, Daphne slept with a stranger who turned out to be his uncle while trying to rebuff his words that she was unwanted by others. Was she ready for the wild chase that followed when he found out years later that she had been pregnant with his heirs and that she had been hiding the truth all this while? Faced with the ruthless CEO, known as the beast, who wasn't ready to back down, Daphne does everything possible to make sure her kids wouldn't be taken from her, but what happens when love gets in the mix of it all? Would she be able to conquer these weird feelings and give in her all amidst her scars? And with how deadly he turned out to be? And faced with her ex who still wants her back, what choice is she going to make?
Sequel to chasing my estranged wife; I want you back. ******** " You promised me!'' I screamed. "You promised that you wouldn't hurt me, you made the vows that you would stand beside me, Ryan, and what did you do? You broke me into smithereens. I don't want anything to do with you anymore. When I said we were done. I meant it!" Falling in love with him had come in a whirlwind, she couldn't account for how exactly it had happened but what she knew was that she didn't want to let go once she was in. For Ryan, when he made a vow, he had meant it, but nothing had told him about marriage, that it wasn't just a bed of roses, but it had thorns in it as well. When secrets piled up between them and vows broken, they had no choice but to let go of each other, but years later, he wanted her back. Like the air he breathed, he chased after her, but she was gone. Left with the remnants of his actions, he is torn between getting her back and damning all consequences or letting go of her and his children, which would it be?
"We have nothing together, Richard, the moment I signed that paper, I made sure to cut all of our ties" I reminded him, a smile creeping on my face He chuckled, running his tongue on his lower lips, a glint in his eyes, "You will always be mine, Reina, because I am going to ruin any other relationship you intend on going in" *************** On a day meant to be the most important day of her life, Reina is left heartbroken when she is slammed with a divorce by her husband, left with no choice but to give in, she flees with her unborn children, going off to live a new life, all seems to be going well until he showed up years later, wanting her and his kids back, How was she supposed to know that her mischievous kids were going to side with their father? Thrown into a new world, they are forced to make things work, but would they be able to? With the arrival of her childhood lover? And how broken he had left her?
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
"You're pathetic!" Brenden sneered, each word cutting deep into Corinna's heart. Years of emotional wounds had drained every ounce of love she once held. "I've wasted enough time on you. If there's a next life, I hope we never meet again." Her words severed the bond between them like a blade. From that moment on, Brenden was haunted by her absence—unable to sleep, longing for the warmth he took for granted.