Love and Crosses: What The Heart Wants
Joyce Iheanacho · Ongoing · 40.1k Words
Introduction
Meet Riele Grants, a twenty-two-year-old lady, vibrant and cheerful. She works as Kim's assistant. She hated Kim because of his cold personality but when she got closer to him, she found out he was a cold jerk with a warm heart and slowly she found herself falling deeper in love with him. She thought she saw those signs visible in him too not until his first love came and he became a different person.
"I told you several times, I don't have feelings for you anymore," Kim answered her.
She finally got him to talk after pestering him for a long time. How does a person change in such a matter of time? She wondered. "What about everything we shared? The love? The..."
"You were nothing but an obsession to me, Riele." he cuts in.
Riele looked at the lady beside him who was holding his hand as if her life depended on it. "Are you saying all this because of her? If you..." before she got to finish her words, he pulled Jane closer and kissed her.
She got the answer she needed. She was nothing but an obsession he is trying to get rid of. She shouldn't have trusted her heart to handle this situation. She should have used her head instead.
Chapter 1
The feeling of waking up on Monday mornings can be very traumatizing. Riele thought as she got up from bed. Life has decided to cheat on her over everything. Her mom is being hospitalized after the incident that happened a few years ago. All she has now is her younger brother- Harry. A ten-year-old vibrant boy with glowing bronze eyes and shiny black hair that was believed he got from his dad. Riele never really knew who her father was or what he looks like. Her mom-Esmeralda had been the one taking care of them. Anytime Riele brings out the topic of her dad, her mom always dodges the topic and she didn't understand why. But she didn't mind because Esmeralda made sure her children weren't lacking anything at all.
Riele checked her time, it was just seven- forty-five which means she has fifteen minutes to prepare herself for work, or the company bus would go without her. She entered the bathroom, did all she needed to, and for the next ten minutes, she was out. She opened her wardrobe and she scanned through all the clothes she has.
"I do need to go shopping". she said as she took out a blue crop top with black-tummy trousers. "When you work in a modeling industry, you've got to show it". she quickly put her clothes on, brushed her wavy dark brown hair which she packed up in a ponytail, and wore her favorite moon-star-shaped necklace. Glancing one more time at the mirror, she looked good to go. She brought out her blue canvas and wore it.
She was admiring herself when the company horn beeped. Picking up her bag and trying to remember if she isn't forgetting anything, she went out of the house, locked the door, and entered the bus.
"Good morning Mr. Anderson." she greeted the bus driver who returned her greeting with a smile.
Since she was the first on the bus, she took her seat on the second seat by the right close to the window. Riele is someone who loves watching the movement of things when the car is moving.
"How is Esmeralda?". Mr. Anderson asked as he started the engine and drove to the next house.
"Same old story". Riele answered trying not to feel the effect on her mother.
"and Harry?".
"He's having a sleepover at his friend's place should be back by this time next week". She answered.
The bus stopped at different stations as more company workers entered the bus. Riele was the kind of person who kept to herself so she didn't talk to most of them but she has a female bestie who means the world to her.
Checking her phone for any updates, a text came in from Charlotte- Charlotte. Riele opened the message.
Charlotte
Where the heaven are you? Don't tell me you overslept and forgot what day it is.
"Calm your bowels down! I'll be there before you even say the word Abracadabra". Riele pressed the sent icon as she kept her phone aside to enjoy the rest of the ride.
Thirty minutes ride and Riele was almost dozing off even though she slept early yesterday.
"Didn't have much sleep last night?". A guy(Allen) asked as he tapped her shoulder.
"She was probably having a nightmare of being chased by crocodiles". A girl (Madison) said as she waited for Riele to get off the bus.
"Ah ah! Very funny!". Riele said as she got off the bus and waved to the two people she just had a conversation with.
Walking to the company, Riele's countenance fell but she didn't understand why. She became sad all of a sudden. Entering the elevator which she was thankful was empty, she pressed the number 3 button on the elevator keypad since her office was on the third floor.
Waiting patiently for the elevator to make that clicking sound, the elevator door opened and she came out only for her to find her bestie in the whole world right in front of her with her arms folded across her chest.
"Took you long enough". Charlotte said as Riele hugged her which of course she returned gladly. "guess what". Charlotte said.
"You know I suck at that".Riele told her almost whining as she went to her seat. Charlotte dragged her chair closer to Riele who was setting her table.
"Guess who is retiring?". She asked.
Riele stopped what she was doing as she glanced at her friend who seems happy about this whole thing.
"Blow me away". Riele said waiting to be stunned.
"Mr. Owen".
"What?".
Mr. Owen is the CEO of the company but he was a transferee. Talk about a man in his latest fifties who can dress a monkey to look beautiful. This man has that gift.
"Why is he retiring?". Riele asked.
"He is old?". Charlotte said as she pushed her chair back to her desk.
Riele didn't know whether to be sad or happy but if the man is happy about leaving then she should be happy about it too.
"Riele Grants!". A voice called.
"Talk about the devil". Charlotte whispered loud enough for Riele to hear.
"Miss Grants!". He called again making Riele almost jump up from her seat.
"Yes, I'm here". She said raising her hand for identification.
"Good thing you are here". Mr. Owen said as Riele looked at Charlotte who was also looking at her. "I need you in my office". The man said before moving away. As if sensing he wasn't following, he yelled. "Now!". That was enough to get Riele moving.
"Please take your seat". The man gestured as he pointed to a seat in front of him. He sat facing her. "I know you might be wondering why I called you". He started. "The thing is I am an old man and I need to leave this company so that I can rest and have another person who is vibrant take the position".
"But what does that have to do with me?". Riele asked not understanding why his retirement and the new CEO have to involve her.
"That's where you come in as the personal assistant of the new CEO". He announced with a smile on his face expecting to see a happy Riele but her reaction threw him off.
"What?".
"We have checked and cross-checked and it's proven that you're the lady for the job. You will be a Personal Assistant to the world's best model. I also heard that he is a member of a boyband in New York City, what's there not to like?". The man said crossing his arms across his chest as he stared at the shocked Riele.
"Don't I at least have a say on this?".
"No. It's been settled".
"This is so not fair. What if I don't like him? Or what if I don't like the idea of working with him?". she asked almost biting her nails off. It's a sign that she is nervous. "Or what if he doesn't like the idea that I talk too much? Or what if he gets angry because I bite my nails". She argued
"No one likes it when you do that". Mr. Owen said as he handed her a file.
"That's his file". Riele collected it as she flip the pages over.
Mr. Owen stood up and was about to leave when he remembered something. "And you will be picking him up at the airport. Make sure nothing happens to him". Before Riele could complain, the man had already left the office.
Riele sunk to her seat as she went through the file given to her. She will be picking up the new CEO tomorrow around two in the afternoon. "Kim Huxley." She reads as she closed the file, resting her head on the table as she imagined what the future had installed like for her and if she was ready to face it.
Last Chapters
#36 Utter Talks About his Secret Weapon
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#35 Tension Brewing
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#34 Unexpected Encounter
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#33 Chapter 033: The Broken Promise
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#32 Madison's Plan
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#31 Chapter 031: Will You Be My Girlfriend?
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#30 Chapter 030: Charlotte Tells Riele About Utter's Threat
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#29 Chapter 029: Riele Talks To Her Mom
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#28 Chapter 028: Doctor's Report
Last Updated: 1/7/2025#27 Chapter 027: Worried Kim Follows Riele
Last Updated: 1/7/2025
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"Let me go," I whimper, my body trembling with need. "I don't want you touching me."
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Biting his lip, he stalks toward me, his hand going to the seam of his pants and the thickening bulge there.
"Are you sure you don't want me to touch you?" He whispers, untying the knot and slipping a hand inside. "Because I swear to God, that is all I have been wanting to do. Every single day from the moment you stepped in our bar and I smelled your perfect flavor from across the room."
New to the world of shifters, Draven is human on the run. A beautiful girl who no one could protect. Domonic is the cold Alpha of the Red Wolf Pack. A brotherhood of twelve wolves that live by twelve rules. Rules which they vowed could NEVER be broken.
Especially - Rule Number One - No Mates
When Draven meets Domonic, he knows that she is his mate, but Draven has no idea what a mate is, only that she has fallen in love with a shifter. An Alpha that will break her heart to make her leave. Promising herself, she will never forgive him, she disappears.
But she doesn’t know about the child she’s carrying or that the moment she left, Domonic decided rules were made to be broken - and now will he ever find her again? Will she forgive him?
Lita's Love for the Alpha
"WHO did that to her?!" Andres asked again, still staring at the girl.
Her injuries were darkening with the passing of each minute.
Her skin even seemed paler in comparison to the deep browns and purples.
"I called the doctor over. You think it's internal bleeding?"
Stace addressed Alex but looked back to Lita, "She was fine, I mean flustered and bruised but fine, ya know. And then boom, she was passing out. Nothing we did would wake her up..."
"WILL SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME WHO DID THIS TO HER?!"
Cole's eyes shifted deep red, "It's not your fucking concern! Is she YOUR mate now?!"
"See that's what I mean, if she'd had THAT man protecting her, maybe this wouldn't have happened," Stace yelled, tossing her arms into the air.
"Stacey Ramos, you will address your Alpha with his due respect, are we clear?"
Alex growled, icy blue eyes glaring at her.
She nodded quietly.
Andres also lowered his head slightly, showing submission, "Of course she's not my mate Alpha, however..."
"However, what, Delta?!"
"At the moment, you haven't rejected her. That would make her our Luna..."
After her brother's sudden death, Lita picks up her life and moves to Stanford, CA, the last place he lived. She's desperate to cut ties with her toxic family and her toxic ex, who happens to follow her straight to Cali. Consumed with guilt and losing her battle with depression, Lita decides to join the same fight club her brother belonged to. She's looking for an escape but what she finds instead is life-changing when men start turning into wolves. (Mature content & erotica) Follow the writer on Instagram @the_unlikelyoptimist
HIS REJECTED SECOND CHANCE MATE
"What the f*ck, Zara!" Levi bumped into me and growled behind me.
"Sorry," I mumbled, wide-eyed.
"Is that?" Levi mind-linked, and I nodded my head.
"Zara," my father uttered. "I understand that you are familiar with Alpha Noah."
I slowly nodded my head.
"Great," my father said. "Alpha Noah has also informed me that you are his fated mate."
I gave a nod in response.
"Superb, Alpha Noah has requested your hand."
"Is that so?" I found my voice.
Both my father and Alpha Noah nodded.
"Interesting," I said. "Were you told by Alpha Noah that he rejected me more than a year ago?"
My father's smile wavered as Alpha Noah's face turned to ash.
Did Alpha Noah really believe I would just blindly obey an order from my father without a fight?
Zara is a silver wolf descended from one of the most powerful packs on the continent.
A year after he rejects her, her fated mate comes knocking on her door to tell her he is back to claim her.
Zara turns down his proposal, and he goes behind her back and asks her father for her hand. The old Alpha agrees to the arrangement.
Zara is unhappy and decides to handle things on her own. She informs her father that she has taken a chosen mate, her Beta, and her best friend, Levi—only he has a secret.
What will happen when Zara's second chance mate attends her and Levi's mating ceremony?
Will he stop the proceedings and claim her as his mate?
A story about two broken hearts finding each other and getting sucked into a web of lies and prophecies.
Will Zara find the happiness she so deserves?
My Dominant Boss
Mr Sutton and I have had nothing but a working relationship. He bosses me around, and I listen. But all of that is about to change. He needs a date for a family wedding and has chosen me as his target. I could and should have said no, but what else can I do when he threatens my job?
It is agreeing to that one favour that changed my entire life. We spent more time together outside of work, which changed our relationship. I see him in a different light, and he sees me in one.
I know it is wrong to get involved with my boss. I try to fight it but fail. It is only sex. What harm could it do? I couldn’t be more wrong because what starts as only sex changes direction in a way I could never imagine.
My boss isn’t only dominant at work but in all aspects of his life. I have heard about the Dom/subs relationship, but it isn’t something I ever thought much about. As things heat up between Mr Sutton and me, I am asked to become his submissive. How does one even become such a thing with no experience or desire to be one? It will be a challenge for him and me because I don’t do well at being told what to do outside of work.
I never expected the one thing I knew nothing about would be the same thing to open up an incredible brand-new world to me.
Shadows In Durango
But Durango brings its own set of challenges. The first being Vincent Walker: the school's intoxicating bad boy who taunts her relentlessly yet sends mixed signals with his unexpected moments of protection and flirtation. Rumours swirl about his family's deep ties to the criminal underworld, only adding to the mystery that surrounds him and the town.
As Sofia navigates through her new life, she also meets Vincent’s best friend, Daryl— a total sweetheart who offers a stark contrast to Vincent's dangerous allure. Drawn into their world, Sofia's secrets begin to unravel. When Vincent and Daryl discover the truth about her living situation, they demand that she moves in with them, promising her safety and a place to belong.
Torn between the enigmatic Vincent and the endearing Daryl, Sofia finds herself falling for both. But her newfound stability is shattered when her past catches up to her, bringing her toxic ex-boyfriend Ashton back into her life. With his relentless apologies and attempts to win her back, Sofia is thrust into a tumultuous love triangle, all while fearing the return of her father and brother who are determined to take her back home.
Caught between three loves and the ghosts of her past, Sofia must navigate a treacherous path to find where her heart truly belongs. Will she choose the dangerous allure of Vincent, the sweet safety of Daryl, or the familiar yet toxic pull of Ashton? And can she ever truly escape her horrifying past?
A pack of their own
Shattered Girl
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Was that too much?” I could see the worry in his eyes as I took a deep breath.
“I just didn’t want you to see all my scars,” I whispered, feeling ashamed of my marked body.
Emmy Nichols is used to surviving. She survived her abusive father for years until he beat her so severely, she ended up in the hospital, and her father was finally arrested. Now, Emmy is thrown into a life she never expected. Now she has a mother
who doesn't want her, a politically motivated stepfather with ties to the Irish mob, four older stepbrothers, and their best friend who swear to love and protect her. Then, one night, everything shatters, and Emmy feels her only option is to run.
When her stepbrothers and their best friend finally find her, will they pick up the pieces and convince Emmy that they will keep her safe and their love will hold them together?
The Alpha King's Human Mate
“I have waited nine years for you. That’s nearly a decade since I’ve felt this emptiness inside me. Part of me began to wonder if you didn’t exist or you’d already died. And then I found you, right inside my own home.”
He used one of his hands to stroke my cheek and tingles erupted everywhere.
“I’ve spent enough time without you and I will not let anything else keep us apart. Not other wolves, not my drunken father who’s barely holding himself together the past twenty years, not your family – and not even you.”
Clark Bellevue has spent her entire life as the only human in the wolf pack - literally. Eighteen years ago, Clark was the accidental result of a brief affair between one of the most powerful Alphas in the world and a human woman. Despite living with her father and her werewolf half-siblings, Clark has never felt like she really belonged in the werewolf world. But right as Clark plans to leave the werewolf world behind for good, her life gets flipped upside down by her mate: the next Alpha King, Griffin Bardot. Griffin has been waiting years for the chance to meet his mate, and he's not about to let her go anytime soon. It doesn't matter how far Clark tries to run from her destiny or her mate - Griffin intends to keep her, no matter what he has to do or who stands in his way.
The Lycan King and His Mysterious Luna
The smell of sandalwood and lavender invades my senses, and the smell is getting stronger.
I stand up and close my eyes then I feel my body slowly start to follow the scent.
I open my eyes to meet a pair of gorgeous grey eyes staring back into my green/hazel ones.
At the same time the word “Mate” comes out of our mouths,
and he grabs me and kisses me until we must stop for air.
I’ve found my mate already. I can’t believe it.
Wait. How is this possible when I don’t have my wolf yet?
You can’t find your mate until you have your wolf.
This doesn’t make any sense.
My name is Freya Karlotta Cabrera, daughter of Alpha of the Dancing Moonlight pack, I am ready of coming of age, get my wolf and find my mate. My parents and brother constantly push me to be together with our pack’s Beta. But I know he is not my mate. One night, I fall asleep and meet my fated mate in my dream, his name is Alexander, I don’t know which pack he belongs to, maybe this is just a dream and when I wake up, everything will disappear.
But when I wake up in the morning, I somehow know the dream is true, I find my mate before getting my wolf.
I am Alexander, the Alpha Lycan King, and my mate Freya calls me Alex. After a century’s looking, I finally meet my mate, but I have to wait until she turns 18 or gets her wolf(whichever one comes first) before, I can present myself to her in person. The whole thing is because of something my 10x great-grandfather did that offended the Moon Goddess.
I know Freya is very special, maybe she is one of ours, everything will be known on the night of her shift.
Will Freya be able to handle everything?
With her birthday approaching so does the dangers lurking?
Secrets of Us: A Forbidden Love Romance
He’s angry from the conversation last night. I can feel it, I can see it in his dark eyes. It’s only confirmed when he slams into me without preparing me.
I cry out and he soothes me with kisses on my neck and nibbles on my skin. Still he doesn’t slow down. He starts at a quick pace, at a strength that already has my legs trembling.
I grab onto his shoulders, cries leaving my lips every time he slams into me. It turn wet, not from the water, but from how much he makes my pussy happy.
Alina leaves everything she knows behind after she is in a terrible car accident that tears her family apart. A new home, a new school and a fractured relationship with her mother are only the beginning of the things this change will throw her way. Immediately she catches the attention of three men, and she can’t deny what she feels for them, too. Quickly, and much to her demise, she finds out that their lives are much more intertwined than she would have ever hoped for. She had hoped to discover herself in this new place, but everything only tears her apart. Who will she choose between Zaid, the bad boy, Aiden, her sweet jock, and Jake, and older man who can't seem to keep his hands off of her?
I Am His Wolfless Luna
Ethan also kept emitting deep roars in my ear, 'Damn... I'm going to cum... !!!' His impact became more intense and our bodies kept making slapping sounds.
"Please!! Ethan!!"
As the strongest female warrior in my pack, I was betrayed by those I trusted most, my sister and my best friend. I was drugged, raped, and banished from my family and my pack. I lost my wolf, my honor, and became an outcast—carrying a child I never asked for.
Six years of hard-won survival turned me into a professional fighter, fueled by rage and grief. A summons arrives from the formidable Alpha heir, Ethan, asking me to return as a wolfless combat instructor for the very pack that once banished me.
I thought I could ignore their whispers and stares, but when I see Ethan's emerald-green eyes—the same as my son’s—my world tilts.
