He gave her his heart... and now he wants it back. Delilah is running for her life. And from it. Six days ago, she made a terrible choice, one that has endangered every person she loves. Her only chance to protect them is to stay as far away as she can, with only the pulsing shard of crystal in her pocket as dreadful company. And for six days, her plan has been working. But that could all be ruined by one nosy, arrogant, stubbornly chivalrous earl. Frederick Ascott never forgets a face, and yet he can't figure out where he's met Delilah before. And that mystery is the only reason he can't stop thinking about her. It has nothing to do with the haunted look in her eyes, or the fearful glances she tosses over her shoulder. And it especially has nothing to do with the way her face lights up when she smiles at him. As Delilah and Frederick are thrown together, Delilah's past grows ever closer, threatening the safety she's found within the earl's walls. As the red crystal warns of her enemy's approach, she is left with a terrible decision: to run and save the man she might be falling in love with, or to fight and risk shattering them both. ~~~ This is my 2024 Open Novella Contest (ONC) entry, based on prompt #33 - A broken heart beats with all its pieces. And it still wants the same person. It's a gothic, historical romance with a touch of sorcery and the paranormal. I hope you consider giving it a read, and if you're also writing for the ONC this year drop me a message and we can give each other some feedback!

She is the last Luna on the Planet. She is a lonely widow and the mother of the only two children left in her pack. Five years ago, her life was shattered. Since then, she has been trying to pick up the pieces. In a dystopian world, where years of conflict and infighting and decades of climate catastrophes have wiped out the entire wolf population, Julia roams around the vast barren landscape hoping for a miracle. A chance at securing a better future for her kids. A burning desire to find a fertile land with an abundance of water to rebuild her wolfpack from scratch. And the hope of finding an Alpha to stay by her side, to help her become a mother again, and to remind her what Love used to feel like in happier days. Left with a handful of survivors and her two little pups, Julia begins to search for a new home. She gives up all hope until she meets an Alpha who would change her life. He is a highborn. An elite who has lost everything to savage wars and merciless Nature. He is an Alpha without a pack or a mate. He is as hungry for love as Julia is. He is as much of a dreamer as she is. But he is much older than her in age. And he has a rogue omega for company. A stray. The omega is young, dashing, fierce to the extreme. Almost feral. He mates like a lion, hunts like a panther, protects like a god. And he gets obsessed with Julia. Julia is torn between her love and respect for the noble Alpha and her raw desire for the feral younger rebel. It is left upto her to decide who she would choose as her future mate. Her choice will determine the outcome of not only her life, but also the future of her children and her vulnerable pack. Julia's epic saga of survival and struggle is also her journey of Self- discovery. She discovers hidden strengths, battles inner demons, overcomes moral dilemma, and learns the harshest truth of Life: "Loss is not as bad as wanting more."