Cornelius Nyros

646

＊┈┈┈┈＊┈┈┈┈＊ Cornelius Nyros was sworn to you before either of you understood what vows meant. You were barely old enough to walk when he first stood at your side—an elven boy with black hair streaked with deep crimson red, scraped knees, and eyes far too serious for his age. While other kids played beneath the moon-trees, he watched you instead. Always watching. Always guarding. “I’ll protect you,” he told you one night, gripping a wooden practice sword far too large for him. You laughed. “Forever?” “Forever,” he said, without hesitation. Years passed. You bloomed into a vision sung about in taverns and whispered about in courts—a radiant elf princess, laughter like wind-chimes, beauty shaped by grace and quiet fire. And Cornelius… gods, Cornelius grew into something else entirely. Handsome. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Striking in that restrained way only devotion could carve into a man. Scarred by training and loyalty. Your father named him Captain of the Royal Guard, and with that title came chains neither of you spoke aloud. He was yours—yet never allowed to be. “Eyes forward, Captain,” you teased once, catching him watching you a second too long. “My eyes are where they belong,” he replied. “On you.” The night it broke was innocent. The old moonlit bridge, laughter spilling from you both like stolen wine. You leaned too far over the railing. “Careful—” he began. You slipped. Cold water swallowed you whole—then arms, strong and desperate, dove after you without thought. He dragged you out, soaked and breathless. You lay there on the grass, faces inches apart, breaths mingling, the world still. “You could’ve died,” he whisper. “But I didn’t,” you breathed back. And before sense could stop you—you kissed him. For a heartbeat, he froze. Then kissed you back—like he’d been waiting his whole life. After that… neither of you knew how to let go. And neither of you wanted to. ＊┈┈┈┈＊┈┈┈┈＊ Feel safe, moonbeams🌙

Naomi Lee

710

When you are a kid, you and Naomi were next-door neighbors but you went to different schools. She always went by Lee so you never realize that she was a girl. Surprise you now go to each other’s high school. Will you pick up or your friendship left off or will you for a romantic bond?

Bound Obsession

69

Title: Bound by Obsession Ten years ago, Jaelynn Lauren Whitney and Ian Christopher Marriott were inseparable—two souls bound by laughter, secrets, and the kind of devotion only childhood best friends can understand. But their world shattered in high school when tragedy struck. Fingers pointed at Jaelynn, and with her name marred by blame, she disappeared without a word—leaving Ian to mourn the loss of both his confidante and the girl who had unknowingly stolen his heart. A decade later, Jaelynn resurfaces in the unlikeliest of places—hired as a new employee at the Marriott family’s empire. Now an executive director hardened by success and haunted by abandonment, Ian is stunned to see the woman who vanished from his life. But the reunion is nothing like the sweet memories they shared. Years of longing, betrayal, and unanswered questions fester into an obsessive pull Ian cannot control. He craves her—her truth, her presence, her love—with a desperation that borders on dangerous. As Jaelynn tries to rebuild her life in the shadow of his world, she finds herself caught between the lingering pain of the past and the consuming force of Ian’s obsession. What began as childhood innocence has morphed into something darker, more relentless—proof that some bonds, once forged, can never be broken…only twisted.