The Reso star system haunts Captain Aliyn Flynn's dreams. Sent on a high-risk mission to uncover its secrets, she and the enigmatic Tyr Logan must find the truth before it's too late for the galaxy. *** Across the Milky Way, the Reso system is feared. Its gas giant, Plenare, destroys any ship that ventures too close. After a narrow escape from Reso, Aliyn Flynn and her crew draw the attention of Earth's government---and are thrust into a mission to uncover what lies within it. Complicating everything is Tyr Logan, her newly assigned executive officer-brilliant, guarded, and impossible to ignore. To uncover the truth, they must decipher a secret buried deep in the past---one that could reshape everything they know--and determine the fate of everything they hold dear. [[Word count: 100,000-150,000 words]] Content warning: Violence Watty Winner 2017

"YOU DON'T OWN ME!" I screamed at the top of my lungs, pushing him away. He violent pinned me back against the wall, and whispered in my ear, "If I can't have you, no one can." They all think he's insane, but she knows.. He's not mad. He's in love. 2013 ©

It was hard for Charlotte to let go of her best friend, Dalton, the boy she fell in love since she was nine years old, to make way for her sister, Caroline, who happens to be in love with him too. It was hard for her but in order to make someone happy, even if it meant sacrificing her own, she was willing to let go. It all happened around her senior year, where she let go the only thing that mattered to her and after graduation, she moved away with no intention of going back. Four years later, on her college graduation day, her parents asked rather demanded her to come home with a reason that shocked her senseless.

"The girl is mine" he all but growled, motioning with a tilt of his head towards me. In that moment I knew exactly who he was and what he was talking about. I paled at the realization as my throat went dry and my heart slammed against my chest repeatedly. "Oh my god" I whispered, covering my mouth as I backed away from the two guys in front of me. I was his tether. "The hell she is" Fevah fired back, still not getting it. He was ignored by the stranger as I seemed to have claimed his full attention. He smiled sweetly at me, taking small steps towards me, trying not to frighten me. "It's alright sweetheart, I could never hurt you" he called, his voice soft and melodious. I froze, fear freezing me in my spot as the wind seemed to suddenly pick up and toss my light brown hair in my face. Tears sprang up to my eyes. I didn't want this. I didn't want him. This was the one thing I would never want. My parents would disown me if they found out. I would get kicked out and be left for dead. I can't let them find out; I'll just have to find a way to get rid of him. I knew that wasn't going to be easy. "You've got to be shitting me" Fevah suddenly said, his eyes going from the stranger then back to me. Realization had finally hit him. I was a freaking monsters...or what ever he was, tether. He swallowed loudly before scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "She's my tether" the stranger said offhandedly, his voice soft as he eyed me approvingly.

I guess you could say I was the girl who had it all. The looks. The money. The power. The fame. But it all means nothing. It doesn't repair the shattered pieces of your heart. His engaged. He loves her. Hell, he even left me for her. Yes, it's been years since the last time I saw him but I can't help it if the feelings are still there. Amelia Giovanni and Daniel Maxwell have been together since their high school years. Both coming from similar family backgrounds and him being the older brother of her best friend, Kelly. They were destined to be together. 'A match made in heaven,' even. But everything they had all crashes down for just a girl Daniel barely knew. She couldn't take the pain anymore and decides to leave. What if years later they meet again? And this time she isn't the sweet little girl anymore. But the girl who craves revenge.

** Special Note ** This story will be edited at a later date to fit my current writing style, however, I am leaving this first very rough draft up until then. Highest Ranking -- # 1 in General Fiction - Feb 2015 to April 2015 Twenty-two year old Lea Mason didn't mind living a boring life far from the limelight that her parents enjoyed. In fact, she thrived in the solitude and mundane routines that she surrounded herself with. Carter Stephens, crime boss extraordinaire, enjoyed dishing out pain and punishment to those that dared to cross him. His only rules for life were simple: keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, know their every weakness and use that weakness to destroy them, never leave a witness alive, and never, under absolutely no circumstance, feel. **All rights reserved. No part of 'A Cartel Affair' may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher.** **Please note - All Photos and Media content are owned by their respective photographers and/or artist.