"what're you doing?" "it's a pinkie promise" Aloura laughed lightly, grabbing his bruised hand and prying his pinkie from his locked fists. Her heart almost dropping at the sight of a small tattoo on his forearm. Evil incised into his skin, with two horns resting above the words. She stared at it for a moment, before shaking her thoughts away. "Now what?" he raises and eyebrow as his eyes lock with Aloura's. "You wrap it around mine" Aloura's gaze fell back onto their hands. Elias continued to watch her, and Aloura could feel her hands tremble from the nerves. His gaze almost burnt her, but she refused to meet it. "Just like that" she grins, gesturing to their now locked pinkies. "Now the promise is sealed in." Aloura's voice begins to falter. Elias' eyes fall to Aloura's lips. She licks them, and his eyes darken. Although they'd already kissed, Aloura found her knees beginning to weaken, and the oxygen around them no longer enough for two. Aloura's eyes flicker between Elias' and they stay like that for a moment, both too scared to be the first who pulls away. "That's all?" he whispers after a moment. His eyes now remaining on her lips. Aloura swallows, but nods, not trusting her voice to speak. "You can't break it" she whispers after a moment, feeling an overwhelming urge to warn him about the consequences of breaking a pinkie promise. "Or you'll lose your pinkie." A ghost of a smile tugs at his lips as he nods gently, mentally noting to not break the promise. Because who would risk their pinkie. Elias smirked after a moment before gently pressing his lips onto Aloura's slightly ajar ones. "What was that for?" Aloura whispers as he pulls away. Elias grinned, "My way of sealing a promise" Aloura laughed a little. But Aloura doesn't believe in promises. ♡ ♡ ♡ #1 in sad #pp1 in Elias #2 in Young Adult #7 in love #12 in crime #15 in sadstory #16 in romance #25 in death

"It's not what we are but what we do that defines us." Aylin Black has come to believe that she deserves all the misfortunes life throws at her. Yet she refuses to back down. At least not without a fight. But as her past comes knocking at her door she's forced to rethink all her beliefs. And she just might have to give up this losing fight much sooner than she expected.

*Short Story* It is difficult to stay with the people who look down at you like you are some kind of disease. It hurts when they don't want to acknowledge you for the good things you have done. It hurts when your family rejects you only because you are quiet and weak saying you are good for nothing. Annie Ryan was nothing but a quiet, innocent teenager waiting for her mate to save her from the dark hell she was living in. She had only one dream, she wanted to feel loved, she wanted someone to tell her that they care and would love her no matter what happens. But little did she know that she was just another unfortunate soul whose mate had different plans. Caden was an young alpha. He had everything but where everyone was eager to meet their mate, he wasn't. He had already given his position of alpha female to his girlfriend. But after she left him, he turned cold and ruthless. But when he met Annie, his mate, one thing was clear. He wanted nothing to do with her. He asked her to leave but when she declined, he paid her no attention like she never existed. Annie was broken. Her dream was just a dream. Every night she closed her eyes, she realized she was going to die alone with no one to care. She wanted to end her life but not before setting everything right, not before her destined alpha mate finds his happiness. Caden didn't know what he was missing until he lost it. Maybe that's how life works. Maybe that's why it is called cruel.