After the disappearance of the one true God, the three realms were thrown into disorder.

As the demons rose up from the underworld, angels descended from their holy city and the never-ending war began.

This war was fought in the human realm, a world separating heavens and hell. Mortals, who had no ability to retaliate against the divine, were decimated to a only fraction of their former glory.

Four hundred years later, the everlasting dispute has fallen into a deadlock. Until a human entered the game...

A man competes on a deadly game show to win money for the ransom of his brother, who is being held by the yakuza, but immediately after, things take an extremely dark turn.

Six children, while shopping at Target in Greensboro, stumbled upon a mysterious ouija board. After buying the game, they soon come to realize the true horror that awaits in the haunted board.

******

While in Greensboro, six children: Abby, Lincoln, Sarah, Ted, Franklin, and Lori were spending their time in Target to find games that they enjoy playing. One of the kids, Abby, decided to buy an old ouija board known as "The Watchful Eyes" so that they can all play it at her apartment. After buying the game, they started to play the game in it's full glory. However, as the game becomes intense, they soon notice terrifying occurrences that are happening inside the home.

The Watchful Eyes is my second short creepypasta next to Paralysis. Its story revolves around a group of children who gets tormented by a malevolent demon after they purchased a haunted ouija board.

Age Rating: 18+ (graphic violence and terror

For the sake of an intergalactic chess game, I was created. but I'm only one piece on the board... I'm the Queen.

Terry was rather confused because he had come to the penthouse several times to meet his new guardian's family and he had not seen their annoying daughter, who had forced him to come to the Continental Hotel, but he did not dare ask where the girl was.
He had decided to join Finland's family because he realized that Jean was too busy to be his guardian, even though Jean was kind enough to offer to take care of him.
Terry could not imagine if Jean had to move to Singapore to live with him, leaving a successful career in Hollywood behind for several years.
The next consideration was, of course, he would then have three 'little siblings" who would make him feel no longer lonely. After living for fifteen years as an only child, Terry very much want to know what it felt like to have siblings.
Jean accompanied him at his home in Singapore while he completed his exam and took care of his various needs before he could move out of Singapore to join Finland's family.
To avoid people from freaking out, Jean hid his face with a hat and sunglasses every time he took Terry to school. Only the principal knew who he was when they came to his office.
Terry was showered with words of condolences for the death of his parents that week and his schoolmates were sad to learn that he would move out of Singapore. He was one of the popular kids and was well liked in school, so news about his departure made many friends feel at a loss.
"I just need a new atmosphere," Terry said to some of his friends as they were getting ready to go home, "Later I will return to study in Singapore."
"Really? I'm glad to hear that. It's not fun without you around," commented his friend who was of Korean descent.
Terry nodded surely. Singapore, after all, was his home. He would definitely come back here after he was old enough to live by himself. "Hmm... I'll arrange for a farewell party at my house. You can come this Saturday, right?"
"I can. We will come."
"Thank you." Terry received a call from Jean, who must have arrived at the school gate to pick him up. "I need to go now. See you later."
He walked quickly to the gate and found Jean waiting for him behind the steering wheel of a BMW. He went inside and both of them immediately drove away. They were heading to the penthouse for lunch with the Schneiders.
"On Saturday I want to hold a farewell party with my friends... After that, I could join the Schneider family..." Terry said on the way to the hotel. "When will we leave Singapore?"
Jean sighed. He didn't want to answer this question. They agreed that they would not discuss Aleksis in front of Terry for fear that he would blame himself for the kidnapping of Aleksis.
No one knew when they would leave Singapore. Of course, they had to wait until Aleksis was found. It's been almost a week and there had been no news.
Even Caspar, who had extraordinary access, couldn't find his own daughter. This made everyone feel very uneasy and worried that something had happened with the girl.
Because Jean didn't immediately reply, Terry suddenly had a bad feeling. He then asked more specifically. "Did something happen? I haven't seen Aleksis for a week..."
Jean only glanced at him and shook his head, "We don't know."
***
Because it was raining two days in a row, Aleksis and her savior did not go to Harbourfront to sail. They spent their time at home; the young man worked and Aleksis read a book.
After two days, Aleksis began to feel bored. She then decided to go around the library to see if there was anything interesting there.
"Hey... You have a Go game board. Can you play? Do you want to play a set with me?" Aleksis asked suddenly when she saw a set of Go game equipment neatly stored on a shelf. The young man, who was busy with his laptop, looked up in surprise.
"You can play Go game?" the young man asked Aleksis.
Aleksis shrugged. "I can. I learnt it when I was little."
"You're still little NOW..." said the young man, laughing. "Hmm... okay. We'll see how well you play."
Aleksis excitedly placed the Go board on the table and the two of them immediately got busy pawning their respective pieces and started the game.
Aleksis used the white piece and the man used the black piece. For a moment, the two of them were lost in the strategy game, and began to arrange step by step to fill the board.
Two hours passed so quickly, and both of them had filled almost half of the board. The steps that had to be taken became increasingly difficult and calculating. The young man glanced at Aleksis admiringly many times. He did not expect this 12-year-old girl to be very good at playing Go game.
Inwardly he began to guess who this child really was. She seemed to come from a wealthy family, she was also very beautiful and very smart, and judging from her stories about her adventures with her uncle, she seemed to lead such an unusual life.
"You are very clever..." said the young man after he finally admitted to losing to Aleksis when the game ended.
Aleksis frowned. "I shouldn't have won. Earlier you deliberately lost two steps back. Why did you do that?"
The young man was stunned for a moment and then laughed softly, "Ah ... so you know. I can't possibly let myself win against a girl. Besides, I'm older, and I have trained longer. If you're my age, you will definitely be able to defeat me easily."
"Does winning from a girl mean nothing to you?" Aleksis protested. "Am I meaningless in your eyes?"
"Wow... you are very competitive, Little girl. Well, I admit that I was wrong. I gave in a little bit because I don't like hurting girls, but if you want to compete seriously, we can do it later when you grow up. I have a principle that I should never fight with a child in any way. How old are you now?"
"I'm 12 years old," answered Aleksis.
"Hm... we will compete seriously at Go game when you are 20 years old. Within 8 years of course your abilities will be much better. We will become equal as opponents." The man ruffled Aleksis' hair cheerfully, "If we compete seriously now, you won't win anyway."
Aleksis pursed her lips in protest, but she realized that she could not force this man to compete with her. Finally, she could only agree.
"Alright... I'll come back in 8 years... We will compete in a Go match, and I will beat you for real," she finally relented.
"All right. I like your spirit." The young man tidied up their Go equipment and put it back on the shelf.


[COMPLETED]

Volume 1: CASPAR THE ALCHEMIST
The Alchemist clan leader was a 438-year-old womanizer who was never in love, until one day he met the only woman who was not impressed by his good looks and massive wealth. 

Fueled by rejection, he decided that he must have this woman no matter what. And for once in his life, he had to woo a woman. It was no easy feat because this woman only cared about working hard and making money.

Volume 2
HE WAS THE MAN WITH THE DRAGON TATTOO
What happened when an immortal didn't know that he was an immortal? He was born during WWII and after his 40th birthday, he realized that he still looked like he was in his twenties. Then, 60th, 80th, and 90th birthday came and he still looked like in his twenties...? 
So he thought, maybe... maybe he was a freak, a victim of some crazy human experimentation during Hitler time...
He was a broken man who grew up hating humans. All he wanted to do was rule the world and decide who got to live.

SHE WAS THE PRECIOUS DAUGHTER OF THE IMMORTAL ALCHEMIST CLAN LEADER.
She was always in danger. Twice she was saved by a handsome young man with a scary dragon tattoo on his right chest. Years after the second rescue, she swore to find the man and make him marry her even though he was just a regular human! 
(Ssshh.... she didn't know he was not a regular human)

What will happen when two immortals met and fell in love, each thinking that the other was a regular human? When one wanted to rule the world and destroy humankind, while the other was taught to be kind?

THIS BOOK HAS 4 DIFFERENT STORIES. They are connected, but you can read them as standalone.

1. Caspar The Alchemist (chapter 1-252)
2. Aleksis & Prince Siegfried (chapter 253-579)
3. Secret Identity (chapter 580-856)
4. Side stories (chapter 857 - present)

Volume 1 has fluffy romance, Volume 2 has action/adventure, Volume 3 has comedy

READ MY OTHER BOOKS:
- The Cursed Prince - ONGOING
- The Cursed King - ONGOING
- Finding Stardust - COMPLETED
- The Prince Who Cannot Fall In Love - COMPLETED
- Till Death Do Us Part - COMPLETED

I DON'T DO SLOW BURNS. My stories NEVER have rape or overbearing/scummy male leads, so rest assured you won't find them here. They're all doting husbands who would either give you dog food every day.. or diabetes for being too sweet.

BUY ME COFFEE? https://ko-fi.com/missrealitybites
Discord server: bit.ly/missrealitybites

After a few more words, Jeremy left and I went back inside the room. Zeke was sitting up the whole time until I entered the room and closed the door behind me. I lightly walked to my side of the bed I shared with Noah and placed the bat against the wall. 
The next morning, Noah woke me up to ask about the sudden appearance of the bat. After explaining where it came from, he frowned. 
"I didn't...get you anything." He rubbed the back of his neck like he was stressed. 
I shrugged. "I don't need anything."

"Jake's too easy to please." Rhys laughed as he put his socks and shoes on. "Besides, birthdays aren't about the gifts. It's just a celebration."

I smiled. "Yesterday was the best birthday I ever had."

Noah wasn't convinced. "I have until Thursday to come up with something."

"What's happening Thursday?" Rhys asked. 
Noah explained. "Our friend Alisha is throwing a Halloween party, which will now be a party for Jake's birthday. Do you want to come?"

Rhys laughed. "Uh. I think it's a little inappropriate for me to show up to a high school party. I'll pass, thanks."

Noah looked at him, skeptical. "You came to my party though..."

"We have plans to go to a teammate's party on Halloween." Zeke spoke up. He looked at me. "Did you want us there?"

"Nah!" Noah answered. "You guys live your college life."

Zeke didn't pay him any attention and continued to look at me. 
I answered him. "It's okay." I'll know a lot of people there, plus with Noah around, I was never alone. 
Mom came knocking at our door to announce that we were going to go sightseeing before the game tonight. She had to rent a SUV for all of us to fit comfortably and made Dad the designated driver while she gave him the directions. 
It never occurred to me how much there was to see and do in the nation's capital. Every stop we made, Mom took pictures of all of us until our cheeks hurt. There were a few stops that we could only see from the car due to limited time. All of us were worn out before we even got to the stadium for game four. 
It was a great game though and I'm glad we made it. Conner and Parker got along with Zeke and Rhys. Noah gave commentary about the game, telling me what was done well and what could have been done instead. I didn't know if it was because my lack of knowledge, but sometimes I felt like he could be a coach already. The A's beat down the Nationals 8-1, tying up the series. Jeremy and Maberry were both hot, getting multiple hits and accounting for most of the runs scored and driven in. 
Unfortunately, after such a long day, I fell asleep before Jeremy made it to the hotel. I woke up to a surprise he left though: another bat. 
"Is he just going to give you a bat a day?" Noah laughed, looking at one of the bats. "This one is also used so it must be from last night's game."

"I think...he gave this one because it means something to him." I took the bat back and placed it with my bag. "These are bats that were used by Jeremy in the World Series. From games where he played well. And I got to see it too."

I guarded the bats the entire way back to the airport, only giving them up to Dad when it came time to board the plane. 
"I don't know if it's a good thing or bad thing that the game five will be over by the time we land." Noah grumbled as we waited to board. 
"It'll be like ripping off a bandaid." Dave sighed. "Some suspense though. Will they take the lead in the series? Or give it up?"

Noah pursed his lips. "At least they have to go to game six. No shut out here."

The trip back went much smoother. Noah had the headphones already plugged into my phone and we waited to board last. I kept my eyes closed until falling asleep. Dad woke me up as we started the descent. 
Noah was turning on his phone to check the score just as we touched down on the runway. Dad gave him a look but it was no use. Noah's attention was all on the A's. He grinned immediately. "They won! We have the lead in the series! One more to go!" He pumped his fist. 
The A's had another blowout win, 7-1. Maberry and Jeremy did it again. They're a good combo. Plus, the pitching has really stepped up this past weekend, holding the Nationals to one run a game. The A's potentially winning the World Series is all the boys could talk about on our way back home. 
We dropped Rhys and Zeke off first, sending them straight to their dormitory a couple hours before dinner. The goodbyes were getting easier knowing that we would probably see them again soon. 
By the time we got home, it was time for dinner. Dad drove us through a drive-thru and we ordered freely. Mom didn't even say anything when Noah put in an order for some chocolate chip cookies. We got back to the house, took everything inside, then settled at the dining room table. 
Halfway through dinner, Mom disappeared to the kitchen, then came back with a small circular cake in hand. Fifteen candles were lit after she placed it in front of me. Dad turned off the lights and the singing started. I was incredibly shy as the family of four sung 'happy birthday'. 
"Make a wish!" Noah yelled after they finished singing. 
I stared at the small flames. A wish...I didn't have any wishes in mind. This was everything I ever wanted. I glanced at Noah, helpless. 
"Wish for the A's to win the World Series." He whispered. 
Dad slapped the back of his head lightly. "Don't tell Jake what to wish for." He smiled at me. "Make a wish for you."

I thought about it before blowing out the candles. 
"What did you choose?" Noah asked. 
Dave snorted. "If he says, then it won't come true."

I laughed as they argued over the legitimacy of birthday wishes. I wouldn't tell them just in case, but I wished for things to stay like this. A happy family. A warm home. Food on the table every day. There's nothing else I need. 
The A's traveled back to Oakland Sunday night. I only knew this because Jeremy called me before his plane took off. Even though they had Monday off, they wanted to be back to look over film and prepare for Tuesday's game six. Jeremy also told me that he had another bat for me. 
I laughed. "At this rate, you really are going to give me a bat every game."

He chuckled. "Only for the World Series games. At most, there should be four. For four wins. Enough to win the series. I don't want to give you any bats that have lost a game."

I rolled my eyes and shook my head. "You're as baseball crazy as Noah."

He laughed. "You're heading there too. Its addicting, isn't it?"

I thought it over. "Yea...it is."


After a near death experience thanks to his own mother, Jake Hollander has an adverse reaction to people, baseball, and family. His feeling of abandonment is slowly lost thanks to his foster family, The Atkins. They take him in and change his mind about everything. He becomes more open, better at baseball, and craves for family. Slowly all wishes are granted. 

Instagram: @writerhalf_empty

https://www.patreon.com/half_empty ~~The Last Curve can be found there, a short story about Rhys. Updates every Sunday

Please read on Webnovel!

**Names, faces, and places aren’t real. A work of fiction. Nonetheless, it is my work of fiction so please don’t post it without permission. *I have used school names that do exist though, but I would like everyone to know that I have no affiliation with them. Nor do my views reflect their views. 

**Also, I bought the royalty-free license for my cover. Which means I can use it without having to pay royalties. If you have any questions, comment on my latest chapter or reach me on discord.

[Sunday Night Football Program]

"As is well known, today at dusk, the Arcadia Football Club played its last game of the season, drawing against the Gray Whales team, with this draw the team has managed to get a total of 6 wins, 14 draws and 18 defeats, the team finishes in the seventeenth position of the league, with a total of 32 points. "

At a discussion table there were five people talking about the end of the 98th League, in special the performance of the Arcadia Football Club.

The person in the center was the program's host, sports journalist George Fernandez, 68 years old, with 43 years of experience as a sports journalist.

"The Arcadia Team, for the third time in a row, is in the seventeenth place. It's another tournament that the team disappoints. Mario Di Stefano, Antonio Alvarez, Hugo Almeyda and Roberto Fitch are with us today."

Presenter George introduced each of the analysts who were in today's program.

Mario Di Stefano former football, that now has work as analyst for the program of Sunday Night Football for three years. He was a man with experience in the field of play, going through teams like the National and Villa.

Antonio Alvarez, a sports journalist and presenter of the morning program of How Great is Football. A man of only 32 years, the youngest of all the analysts of the program today.

Hugo Almeyda, an ex-coach who managed to give the Silver Club its fifth league title in 2010.

Roberto Fitch is a very famous sports commentator who has already narrated six world cups, being one of the two most important commentators of Western Channel, one of the five most important sport channels of the Kingdom of Tlan.

Each of them had a lot of the knowledge about Football, specially of the Football in the Kingdom of Tlan.

"Mario, what do you think about the bad run that Arcadia has had, which is still called the nation's Big Soccer Team?" George asked Mario his opinion.

"I think it's a shame, it's a mockery for such a big team with as much history as Arcadia, not only not winning a title in fifteen years, but having already been on the verge of relegation for five years." Mario was direct with your opinion

"I feel that the Arcadia directive will have to propose well who will replace Mr. Herrera's position as the new Team Manager. The team must make a complete change if they do not want to descend the next season. "I finish by saying Mario.

"Antonio, tell me, for football in Tlan, which would mean the descent of Arcadia to the second division?" George now asked Alvarez his opinion on the subject about the possible descent of Arcadia next season.

"It's a huge blow not only for national football, but for the continent and the world, to see how a team with such a vast history of championships and achievements, falls out of the nation's main league, and cannot compete for a placed in the most important international competitions. "

Antonio continued to give his opinion.

"In addition, we must remember that Arcadia is along with the National and the Red Lions, to be the only three teams that have never descended. Therefore, Arcadia's board of directors must make serious decisions in this period. "

"Roberto, who do you think Arcadia directive hire as manager?" George now turned to Roberto.

"Goodnight everyone. You see George, the directors of Arcadia are clear, the team needs a change urgently, have spent dozens of millions of dollars in recent years with hiring players and renowned coaches, but have not given the performance or expected results. "

Roberto went on to say that.

"The Arcadia has suffered a lot because its staff has always been a pure national player, they do not hire foreign players, and that in the new existing soccer market where many foreigners come to the nation's soccer, has given a strong blow to the team of the Blue Wolves. "

That's right, the Arcadia only had players born in Tlan in his squad.

"And as to what new manager will come, there are currently many rumors, and there has been no information with certainty to tell us who is the new commander of the team." I finish by saying Roberto.

"Hugo, you're the only one who has been a manager at this table, tell me, if you were the new manager of the Arcadia team, that would be the changes you would implement."

"Good evening, comrades, about that, I would start by trying to change some players that I feel have not contributed anything to the team and are only to serve as marketing. It would improve the defense and seek to obtain a striker who really does his job, which is to score goals. "

Hugo began to say with confidence.

"It is an absolute shame that the best scorer of a team like Arcadia only does 8 goals a season at most, and, in the end, he would choose better midfielders who mobilize more football in the middle of the court, who create plays and recover balls."

"I agree with Hugo that Arcadia must get a striker that really works, but with the current market, and the level in which Arcadia is, it is very difficult for the team to successfully sign a star striker, in special with the much smaller market that Arcadia owns, which only focuses on players from the nation. "Antonio said.

"Let's look at the screen of the tournaments that Arcadia has won every 25 years since the beginning of the league." George said, and suddenly that picture was shown on the TV screen.

Arcadia Football Club. Table of League Championships.

Period Championships Sub championships
1918-42         13                           6
1943-67          6                            3
1968-92          3                            4
1993-2015      2                            2
* Last Championship in the Year 2000.

"As you can see, the team has been downgrading their titles every quarter of a century, but in the second and third quarter of the century, Arcadia always stayed in the top five places, being also a cup and super cup champion regularly." George said that it was shown in a small box on the screen.

"But since the 2000 league championship, the team has not won a single title. This has been the worst period of drought for the club of Arcadia, and not only that, but it has reached levels so low that the 'Most Winning Team of the League' is on the verge of descent. "Finally, the screen with the board of championships was removed.

"It's a shame." George said looking at the camera.

[The TV turns off]

In the middle of the living room, a middle-aged man was looking over his desk, where a contract was, next to him was his wife.

"Will you accept?" She asked.

"The contract is very good, and you know we need the money," he said.

"Hm ... you know you have my support always." She said as she took her husband's hand and caressed it gently.

"I know my love, I know," he said as he smiled at his wife. "You know, it will be good for the children to see where I was born."

"Then it's time to pack our bags?" She asked.

"Yes, we're going to the city of Arcadia." He answered firmly as he saw a picture of a soccer team with a championship.

"It's time to go home ..."

And so, he signed the contract, thus making official his position as the team's head coach.

El Equipo de Futbol más ganador de la liga, esta en declive, y camino a descender por primera vez en su historia a la segunda división.

Después de decadas de gloria en la cima de la liga, siendo el llamado "Equipo Grande" de la liga, el equipo se encuentra ahora en una sequía de títulos y malos resultados como nunca le ha sucedido.

La llegada de un nuevo entrenador quien fue una vez un jugador clave de la última victoria de la liga viene a traer consigo cambios enormes para el equipo.

Con amor por el club, él hará todo lo posible por evitar que el equipo que lo formo como una estrella descienda a la segunda división.

Pero los problemas a los que se enfrentará serán más grandes de los que él pensaba, podrá él acaso llevar de nuevo al equipo a la gloria, y, poder ganar un título.

O el gigante dormido sucumbira finalmente.

*Un capítulo al menos por día.

Author: The Wind Jaeger.
Editor: The Wind Jaeger.


Jaya jerked against his hold and then cried out sharply when pain streaked through her scalp. She twisted sideways and swung her fist toward his face. Ivan caught her hand easily, grabbed her around the middle and yanked her into his lap. She had less than a second to struggle when she found herself swung forward. She screamed as the table rushed at her head, the image of the dead servant flashing through her brain, but Ivan swiftly turned her to the side so she was simply restrained with her back to his chest and her arms locked behind her back. Her hair was tangled in his fist so her head was forced back against his chest. She was held completely immobile, but unhurt.
Frightened, breathing heavily, Jaya kept her mouth shut, knowing if she angered him further she could very well be risking her life. Though she was panting, her breaths bursting from her mouth in wild gasps, Ivan wasn't even remotely winded. He simply leaned against her, mastering her until she calmed down, as though he were breaking a wild animal. After a few moments she gradually began to relax in his hold, her breathing evening out. The heat from his chest seeped into her back, warming her- and somehow reassuring her that he wasn't going to brutally murder her. At least not yet.
He shifted her against his chest, his grip on her arms loosening ever so slightly. Then he moved a swath of hair from her face and neck, smoothing it back. She tensed but didn't fight him as he petted her hair. Finally, he leaned down and said in her ear, "Are you ready to finish our game?"
She nodded quickly. "Yes, Ivan."
He ran his thumb behind her ear, pressing it gently into the hollow just underneath. Shivers coursed right down her neck and through her spine. She lifted her shoulder in reflex to shrug him away, but he simply cupped her arm and ran his thumb across the bare skin of her shoulder blade.
"So tempting to make you call me master, to see you force that word past those stubborn lips," he said, his voice back to its cool cadence. "But I do so enjoy hearing my name come from those pretty lips. I wonder what it will sound like when you scream it?"
And Jaya wondered if she would be screaming his name in a bed or a torture chamber, because with Ivan she suspected it could go either way. "Please, Ivan, I'll be good," she begged. "Can you let me up?"
Her shoulders were beginning to cramp and she despised the intimacy he was creating between them. The faster they finished this farce of a chess game the faster she could go back to her dungeon and try to plan an escape. 
"You will sit quietly on my lap and play the game?" he asked. "No more outbursts."
"I'll be good," she said, trying to sound as if she meant it.
He eased her off the table, untangling his hand from her hair and gentling his grip. Jaya shook her head a little, amazed that she was unhurt. His hold had been tight, but he hadn't ripped any of her hair or even bruised her arms. In fact, he'd been incredibly careful, skillfully taking her down without so much as disturbing their chess game, despite her struggles. Though the thought had occurred to her before, it became starkly apparent now, that this man could do absolutely anything to her, quickly, ruthlessly and she would be helpless to defend herself.
"Sit, Jaya," he said, resuming his own seat and pulling the chair back to the table. 
Gripping the edge of the table she lowered herself gingerly onto his lap. He took her hips in his large hands and moved her until she was settled with her back against his shoulder. Then he pulled the table closer so they could both reach the chess pieces. Jaya expected to feel uncomfortable, and part of her hated the way he held her trapped between him and the table, her legs between his. But she wasn't exactly uncomfortable. His thigh was hard and muscular, but not rigid against her ass.
"Your move," he whispered, his breath touching her shoulder, making her hyper-aware of their proximity. 
She glanced at the board, uncaring of the outcome of the game so long as it ended soon. She reached for a pawn, but his voice stopped her. "If you throw the game, then we'll play another and another until I'm satisfied I conquered you in a fair game. I want to see you fight for your life, Jaya."
She gritted her teeth, closed her eyes for a second and moved her hand from the pawn to her queen, changing her original move. Ivan was always several steps ahead of her, picking through her thoughts, blocking her strategies. When she set the queen down, trapping his rook in a corner, he splayed his hand across her belly, running his thumb over the bare skin.
"Good girl," he murmured. "The win will be so much more satisfying for the fight."
Sick fuck, she thought to herself, trying to keep the words from bursting forth. She shifted in his lap, trying to find a better position. His body stiffened for a second, his hand tightening on her stomach. A vibration seemed to go right through him, like a small jolt. The tension released slowly and he reached for the board without studying his move the way he'd done when she was sitting across from him. Her mouth nearly fell open when he moved his rook out of the path of her queen- and into the path of her castle. She raised an eyebrow and held her breath, wondering if he would notice his mistake. He pulled his hand back from the board and settled it on his thigh, right next to her knee.
Keeping her face averted, Jaya smirked. Perhaps she should be courting his attentions, apparently the distraction made him careless. She swept his rook aside with a flourish. He said nothing but continued to play as though he hadn't lost an important piece. Jaya continued to shift in his lap, occasionally brushing her arm against his or tossing her hair back against his shoulder. She could tell by the gradual stiffening of his body that she was affecting him.
Within minutes she had the upper hand. Several of his pieces, including both of his castles and a knight were in her possession. In fact, she was a little disappointed. Ivan had shown better strategizing than this in every aspect of his life. How was it possible that she could dominate him on the chess board? Finally, she was setting his queen up for a fall, when he murmured, "Watch your back, sweetheart."
Taking him literally, Jaya looked at him over her shoulder, frowning. He reached over her and took her white queen out with his pawn. Her mouth fell open. She'd been so busy trying to maneuver him into a corner she stopped paying attention to one of his least important pieces. She should've known better. Once her queen was gone, he systematically took out each one of her pieces before she could recover from the loss, then he pushed her king into a corner. It was a hard-fought game, but she suspected the conclusion had always been foregone. Ivan didn't lose and he didn't get distracted, not even by his captive.
"I am not so much of an amateur as to be taken in by a beautiful face and curvy body," Ivan said coldly, taking her king, though the move was unnecessary as the game was already over. He'd done it to prove a point, to show her she was truly beaten. His arm tightened ruthlessly around her stomach and he pulled her back against his chest, speaking rapidly in her ear, his accent more pronounced than ever. "Every move I make is a calculated step to force your hand, to force you to show me what you're made of, Jaya. I'm learning everything I can about you, and you are making it so easy with your childish plays."
"Ivan," she gasped, her voice barely a whisper. "I can't breathe!" She gripped his arm in both hands and pulled, trying to get him to stop squeezing. Despite the cold delivery to his message, he was rattled. Something about her shook him up.  
He released her, moving his arms so abruptly that she nearly fell off his lap. She reached for the table, gripping it and sucking in deep breaths of air. She turned her head to look at him, her dark hair spilling across her back and arm, the sun beating down on top of them. Tears of anger sparkled in her eyes. "You may be a manipulative asshole who's learning everything you can about me using disgusting, degrading methods," she snarled. "But I'm learning about you too, Ivan."
"You think so, little girl," he said, his voice cutting like ice. She knew he was close to the edge, knew she shouldn't be pushing him.
"Oh yes," she said, her desire to strike back making her reckless. "Your accent tells me you're probably of Balkan descent, not from Switzerland, where you like people to think you were born." His face grew stony and if she had an ounce of self-preservation she probably should have quit speaking right then. "Given your age and shitty attitude, I would say late 70's, Bosnia. I'm guessing, given the style of the times, you were likely somehow involved in uprisings, rebellions, mass killings, all that good stuff. But what side were you on, Ivan? Did you fight for independence, for your country's right to be free or did you help hand it over on a platter? Is that what turned you into this cold, unfeeling monster?"
She would have said more, but Ivan exploded out from underneath her, shoving her against the table. She turned and brought her arms up to defend herself, positive he was about to murder her, but Ivan was striding rapidly away, leaving her and the scattered chess pieces for his man to deal with. Staring after his departing back she realized that Ivan just gave away more than he ever had before. Without words, he confirmed her guess.




Hi, my name is Nikita Slater and I'm the International Bestselling author of The Queens series, Fire & Vice series, The Sanctuary series, Driven Hearts series and several standalone novels. I've loved the written word my entire life and am an avid reader, as well as a writer. I live, eat and breathe books and I'm always working on something new!
​
I live on the beautiful Canadian prairies with my son and crazy awesome dog. I have an unholy affinity for books (especially dark romance), wine, pets and anything chocolate. Despite some of the darker themes in my books (which are pure fun and fantasy), I am a staunch feminist and advocate of equal rights for all races, genders and non-gender specific persons. When I'm not writing, dreaming about writing or talking about writing, I love to help others discover a love of reading and writing through literacy and social work.


Trapped, taken and caged by a cruel captor.
Her solitary existence as a world class hacker changes in the blink of an eye when she's kidnapped by an international arms dealer. Everything she knows, everything she understands has shifted. Ivan Vogel insists that she is now his slave. He plays terrible mind games while torturing her senses. He keeps her locked up, away from all her toys.
But once she is free, once she can fly again, she will reign hatred down on her enemy. She will use everything she knows against him, everything she has been taught until she is victorious.
She will rip out the heart he insists beats only for her. His obsession will be his downfall. His caged bird will make sure of it.
This book is standalone. Guaranteed HEA, NO cheating, NO cliffhanger. Sizzling dark mafia romance. Read at your own risk!


descent board game novel

Board

DESCENT

Descent into Madness

Board Deity

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Not Me!

The Alchemists

The Hitting Zone

Glory Forever

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