Then We Held Hands Novels & Stories

“Like we both know… you’re my tool, I am the handyman, and I’ll use you as I wish…” He growled glowering down at me as his hand gripped my waist. “You’re not human Hardy” I shook my head letting the tears fall. “We’ll see about that,” He said as his entire mouth aggressively covered mine. Joanne McCaine’s night suddenly went from normal to Bizarre, after being taken against her will the night of her best friend’s birthday, and to a villa owned by Hardy, a Ruthless billionaire who lived a secretive but yet mercurial life. Not knowing why she was suddenly kidnapped, Joanne soon learned that her best friend, Bailey and her father were in Hardy’s debt and Bailey had written Joanne off as payment in her place. Now wrongfully held as Hardy’s hostage, Joanne became not only his tool for revenge but also the center of attention of pleasure for Hardy after shaking his world- - .*

The train to Centraford was about to depart. That was the ride we'd spent our entire life savings—30 thousand bucks—to get a ticket for. I was gripping my mate, Byron Reynolds's, hand tightly, trying to pull him onto the last train to Centraford. This was the chance I'd waited three long years for. Once we entered Centraford, we could rise from being low-tier civilian werewolves to official Silvren Talons workers—registered, salaried, and numbered. If we missed this train, we'd be stuck forever in Sidersville, a chaotic melting pot, never able to enter the heart of the werewolf city-state. But Byron held us back, refusing to leave without Lisa Peters, who was still down by the river, washing her face. In the very last second before the train took off, I had our friends forcibly drag Byron aboard. We made it to Centraford and became Silvren Talons workers. But Lisa missed her chance. She was left behind in Sidersville and became a rogue, a plaything passed around by countless men. A few years later, she was tortured to death. Byron looked fine on the surface. But on the day of our marking ceremony, he drove a silver blade into my stomach, killing the pup growing inside me, and tore out my heart. His eyes burned red as he growled through clenched teeth, "This is all your fault. You're the reason Lisa never made it to Centraford. "She suffered so much before she died. Why do you get to be happy?" After killing me, he chopped my body up and fed it to the stray dogs. Then I opened my eyes—and found myself right back at the train station, before it departed. This time, I'd wait with him for the woman he loved so much. And I'd make him pay for everything he did to me and my pup.

"Don't move!" Coming home late from work, I was sneaking a shower in the shared bathroom of my rental when a warm body suddenly pressed up against me. His rough palm clamped over my mouth, pinning me against the cold tile. He held me there against the damp wall, his skin burning hot against my back as he let out a low, gravelly threat. "My guys are right outside. Just try and scream." Instead of panicking, I leaned back into him, shifting slightly. I tilted my head back and breathed softly into his ear. “So… you want everyone hear? I don't mind… we can give it a try.”

I was born with a weak heart. When I was nineteen, I got a heart transplant that allowed me to survive. Soon after, I met my wife-to-be, Vivian Cosby. Three years after we got married, I found a note in her phone that was not deleted. The date was marked as the day we met. The text simply read, [I found him. His name is Quinn Waverly. The heart is with him.] When I looked through the notes further, I saw a man’s photo, captioned with a name. [Randall] There was another line of text in her notes. It read, [Randall, through your heart in his chest, I will show you the world.] I finally understood. The first time we met, she had not been taken aback because it was love at first sight, it was simply shock. The tears she shed when she proposed were not because of me. In the night, she would always lay her head on my chest. However, she was not listening for my heartbeat, but his. Tonight, she came home very late. As usual, she held me tightly and buried her face in my chest. “Your heartbeat always makes me calm.” I did not open my eyes, nor did I ask about Randall. This was the first time I realized that one could hear a heart beat so loudly that it echoed, even through so many layers of skin and muscle.

At the auction, Victor raised his paddle and won the twenty-three-carat rough pink diamond. He waved a casual hand. "It's for Lillian." Sitting beside him, I went still, a tremor running through me so faint no one noticed. Only then did he seem to remember me. "Use the leftovers for a pair of earrings," he added, almost as an afterthought. "Give them to Claudia." Later, I followed the family's orders and married him. I became the Donna of the Medici Family. We spent a steady, loveless lifetime together. On my deathbed, Victor held my hand and asked if I had any last wishes. I looked at my jewelry box. The top tray was filled with pieces made from his scraps, the leftovers from every gift he'd ever given Lillian. I drew my last breath without answering. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment the two Families were competing for the Medici Donna's seat. In my previous life, I'd held the Smith & Wesson, fired ten shots, and hit ten bullseyes. The old Don had named me the future Donna of his Family on the spot. This time, I let out a slow breath and pulled the trigger. I missed on purpose.

I kept on running with Kay as we manoeuvred our way through the messy crowd. Kay pulled me through and we finally got out of the club. We couldn't take the main entrance because Yoshim's men were there. We were running through the dark alley, panting and gasping for air. Relief washed over me when I realised that I finally left that hell hole. We kept on running when I heard a gunshot. I immediately halted and felt a warm liquid trickling down my arm. I looked around and saw no wound, I glanced at Kay and my eyes widened. I immediately brought my hand to my mouth trying to suppress the scream that wanted to come out. Kay held his arm as he bled profusely, he groaned in pain and fell on his knees. “Oh my God, Kay are you alright? Ugh, what am I going to do.” I said while hyperventilating. I heard footsteps and looked up only to be met by those same devilish eyes. He wore a grin on his face. And to his left was Gail who clung to him like a barnacle. How did he even know I escaped? “Haha, I overheard your little conversation with the guard, so I told Yoshim.” She smiled while talking. “Gail, what the is wrong with you?” I said with anger and tears in my eyes. She shrugged her shoulders and her mouth curved into a smile. I pressed my hand on Kay's wound to stop the bleeding, he groaned in pain and I couldn't stop my tears. “I should've gotten rid of you a long time ago.” Yoshim said while pointing a gun to my head. I closed my eyes and waited for him to pull the trigger.

"We shouldn't be doing this" Grover murmured reluctantly as he closed his eyes, taking in the feel of her warm hands on his naked skin. He opened his eyes to see a pair of violet ones staring back at him with desire on full display. "Why not?" she purred and tiptoed to place a kiss on his neck but he stopped her midway with both hands on her hips. They stared at each other,both mirroring the naked want in their eyes but unable to make another move. What happens when a rebel alpha with 'daddy issues ' and a genuine dislike for weakness, finds her mate in a human? Grover Denzel comes off to Roe Wilde as any other weak human but she knows that it's only a matter of time before she actually falls for her brother's newest friend. Can Grover tame this troubled alpha? Can he give her a reason to be with him till the end?

“Jim,” she moaned. “Please don’t go…” “No way, baby.” He held her face in both of his hands, his thumbs tracing the curve of her perfect lips. “I’m not going anywhere.” He spun her now, pushed her up against the wall next to the door. His arms were raised above her, his hands flat on the wall, and he lowered his head to kiss her, slow and hot. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and he almost groaned to feel those hands on him. “Kat,” he said against her mouth, his voice hoarse with want. “I need you.” **** Katherine Lawrence has built her life around disappearing. No records. No roots. A packed suitcase by the door. New hair every two weeks. No past, no attachments, and no reason to stay. When she’s finally forced to spill her secrets to a group of ex–Rangers and an ex-sniper, Jim Alden is assigned one job: keep Kat alive… and keep her from running. Jim is as guarded and dangerous as she is infuriating. He wants to shake her for her distrust – and kiss her until she forgets how to flee. When Kat’s past finally claws into the light, Jim makes her a promise she doesn’t believe anyone can keep: safety, honesty, and a place to stand still. But the past never stops hunting. As old enemies close in and lives hang in the balance, Kat is ready to vanish again, alone, afraid, and free. Unless Jim can convince her that staying is worth the risk… and that this time, she won’t have to run.

On the day of my mate bond ceremony with Harry, his first love, Teresa, suddenly appeared. She tried to stop Harry and me. But Stephen, the Alpha of our pack, ordered the servants to block her outside. At the final step of the ceremony, when Harry and I were on a power stone at the bottom of a sacred cliff, Teresa fell from the sky. When we approached, she was already dead. Harry held back his tears and proceeded to complete the mate bond ceremony with me. In the following years, Harry hated me and Stephen deeply. As the Beta, he should have been Stephen’s most powerful supporter in the pack, but he took over the Alpha’s position and expelled Stephen from our pack. Stephan became a bankrupt and wandering werewolf. Harry brought different she-wolves home every night, and even took other werewolves to our bedroom while I was asleep. Until one day, Harry kidnapped Stephen and me. He brought us back to the same cliff. “Teresa jumped from here. Only one of you will live. Let’s see who will push the other down.” To his surprise, we both jumped. When I opened my eyes, I was back to the day of the mate bond ceremony. I saw Teresa was still alive and about to break into our ceremony. Stephen was standing beside me. We quickly changed looks. I shouted, “Wait a minute! Let her in.”

“You’re just like a sister to me.” Those were the actual words that broke the camel’s back. Not after what just happened. Not after the hot, breathless, soul-shaking night we spent tangled in each other’s arms. I knew from the beginning that Tristan Hayes was a line I shouldn’t cross. He wasn’t just anyone, he was my brother’s best friend. The man I spent years secretly wanting. But that night… we were broken. We had just buried our parents. And the grief was too heavy, too real.... so I begged him to touch me. To make me forget. To fill the silence that death left behind. And he did. He held me like I was something fragile. Kissed me like I was the only thing he needed to breathe. Then left me bleeding with six words that burned deeper than rejection ever could. So, I ran. Away from everything that cost me pain. Now, five years later, I’m back. Fresh from rejecting the mate who abused me. Still carrying the scars of a pup I never got to hold. And the man waiting for me at the airport isn’t my brother. It’s Tristan. And he's not the guy I left behind. He's a biker. An Alpha. And when he looked at me, I knew there was no where else to run to.