From the far-flung future of Chapter 12...

Once they had reached the courthouse, the biggest obstacle was simply the waiting. Christina informed the Beta sitting at the front desk of her intent to submit an application for a Dissolution, and was handed a clipboard full of paperwork to fill out.

The three of them took a seat in the lobby and she began working her way through the forms. Raf looked around curiously.

“There sure are a lot of interesting people here,” he observed.

“Says the giant Alpha who looks like he just wandered in out of a street brawl,” Dante retorted, though he had to admit that Raf had a point. The lobby was filled with people of all genders, ages, ethnicities, and income levels. Raf wasn’t even the only one sporting injuries, so he honestly didn’t look that out of place.

“Pipe down, you two, I’m trying to concentrate over here,” Christina grumbled. Dante glanced over at the form she was currently filling out. Abuse & Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) Assessment Screen. Ah.

“I’m going to go over to the vending machines to grab something to drink,” he announced loudly. “Raf, why don’t you come with me?”

“Hm? Oh, I’m good here--ouch!” He winced as Dante swiftly kicked him in the shin. Dante glared at him and tilted his head to indicate Christina’s clipboard. Raf followed his gaze, and his eyes widened. He glanced up at Dante and mercifully seemed to take the hint. “I mean, sure, let’s go. Christina, do you want anything?”

She didn’t bother to look up. “No, I’m good.”

“Okay.” Raf stood and followed Dante over to the vending area.

Heh, my newest written chapter is so far in advance, this is from chapter 45 and so far I have 19 published I managed to find a scene that isn't too spoiler-y.

Shyba lets out another irritated huff like earlier and turns to me with a sweet smile. “Excuse me.” Next thing I know he takes off after them with eyes of steel. “You cannot run from me!”

They scream and I watch as they run around the car, onto the grass of the park. Shyba follows them and in a few swift movements has them both in a headlock.

“Oh no, someone help! He’s a danger to society!” Nicky yells between cackles.

“I’m terrified!” Jeremiah laughs.

I start laughing, unable to stop, tears in my eyes. Shyba stares dryly, before laughing. I catch Nicky and Jeremiah grinning, before they reach back and lift him up by the legs to toss him over. He is surprised at first, but corrects himself quickly, flipping back and landing on his feet. Then with a movement almost too fast for me to see he sweeps their legs out from under them and they fall to the ground with an audible thud.

He grins. “Good try.”

They sit up and all look at each other. Then we all start laughing again. After what feels like ages, we finally manage to settle down. As they get back to their feet, they all play punch each other in the arm.

“Why were you waiting?” Shyba asks.

“Well, we were actually going to leave you alone, but we figured you might need this,” Nicky says, pulling Shyba’s wallet out of his pocket and handing it to him.

Shyba’s eyes widen. “Ehh? I did not know it was gone,” he says and pockets it. “Thank you.”

“Yeah, it was on the floor by your chair. It must have fell out when you jumped the railing,” Jeremiah says.

I gasp, turning to Shyba. “You jumped off the balcony?!”

He grins sheepishly. “Yes?”

“You could have broken your legs! That’s terrifying!” I say.

“I did it all the time in Tokyo from higher places,” he says. He glances around at all our shocked faces, seeming confused. “That is not normal?”

“Not really,” Nicky says.

Shyba glances downward. “Oh,” he mutters. “I guess with all the training I had to do it is easy for me.”

Jeremiah gasps. “Ohhhh, that’s why you were so quick getting on and off the roof at Hank’s! I thought I was going crazy!”

//CW: Cursing & Violence

From the novel, "The Cataclysm"...

The skies had been clear for the last couple of days and nights, and the snow was gone as it was just now brown grass and dead leaves pattering the ground. The moon lit across the sky waning its way to a new cycle. The campfire was burning against the night as the group slept in content. The bushes rustled with no wind and the horses neighed with anxiety.

"Now," the man grunted and whispered harshly. Out of the bushes came several men and women, "Get her!"

One of the men grabbed a little girl and she instantly started screaming. "Shut up!" the man growled, picking her up, and retreating into the forest. As he retreated, he heard screaming of pure terror. Looking back, he saw his friends were being stabbed and pierced by an arrow. "Shit!"

The girl continued screaming and sobbing, "Put me down! Let me go!"

He didn’t let her go at all knowing that she was his next meal. Looking back to his allies he saw that there was no help saving them, "Fuck it, I'm just going to leave 'em. More for me!"

After an hour of trekking through the thick forest did they reach the encampment. The man put the little girl inside of the cage and locked it. Only for the little girl to push the cage around in anger and fear.

From Star Seeders

Suddenly, Rigil stood over me with an excited smile. “Here we are,” he said.

Startled, I looked up. Rigil had delivered my attire. It was another barb in my spirit that I had to dress for the occasion. Rigil placed the crown and mantle on the table and shook out the white robe of father’s authority. I stood absently while Rigil pulled the robe over my white shirt and trousers. He took it up in the back with a stout tug that brought me out of myself. A gold sash was tied around my waist.

“The very image,” said Rigil, merrily. “Here.”

He turned me, folded the red mantle across my left shoulder, and attached front and back to the sash. I recalled seeing father in his mantle. That I stood there wearing it, seemed surreal.

“Wake up,” Rigil called, and I struggled to rise from recollections. He pressed the crown into my hands, leaned close, and spoke reassuringly. “You can do this, Jeez.”

I looked at my father’s crown. I recalled seeing my father wear the crown only three times. In the center was an eight-pointed flare that wrapped back across the skull. To each side was a smaller flare. The gold crown did not circle the head. Instead, it braced itself behind the ears. I placed it on my head, and Rigil smiled.

“The very image,” he repeated.

Oobulublay hurried up to me with a speech he had written. He said, “It is only two pages,” and he put them in my hand. “All you need do is stand under the light and read. Show no emotion. The press will write on your face the emotion they require.”

“Is that your feelings talking or your brain?” Marsha cut in sharply.

Thomas bit down on his lip and spun away. He stomped out of the living room, his heavy footsteps muffled by the booties around his shoes. Before he could climb the stairs, a hand clapped onto his shoulder, twisting him around.

Marsha’s stern face glared up at him. She hissed, “I’m warning you, Thomas.”

It was hard to find a portion that didn't contain spoilers!

From Vigilante

“Eli, we both know that’s a bunch of bullshit,” Matthew said once he’d recovered from his little fit. “And we both know I’m not going to do anything to you. You could go to the cops whenever you wanted and there wouldn’t be much I could do. Hell, you could poison my coffee and I’d probably thank you for the drink and chug it down.”

Well, that last part was true, at least. Matthew did have an unhealthy dependency on caffeine. And Eli supposed Matthew wasn’t nearly as terrifying as he’d first thought. Especially when he was sitting across from him, messy haired and with ketchup on his cheek.

Yeah, definitely not the kinda guy who’d murder him in his sleep.

Lol yeah! It's hard when the whole scene is a murder investigation.

It's a flashback, so it's not a spoiler.
I have been waiting to release this chapter like, since I uploaded the book. It's the best writing in the novel IMO. It's set during a military campaign in the 1730s, so I did a grip of research for it.

Francois earned a reputation for his uncanny aim. He was usually contracted to operate as a specialist musketeer, covering the line of charge from an elevated position. Francois would choose a location with a view of the whole battle, set up his kit, and camp there until the conflict ended. Classing places up was one of his specialties. Francois once turned a hillside ditch into a boho-chic outdoor cocktail lounge. Klaus made camp there while they sieged the fortified chateau of Milan. It was the classiest siege ever. They took themselves to the opera during breaks. But that was months ago.

From chapter 35:

Luka put his stuffs on the sofa before following Ohini back out. Ohini jumped into the right front seat of the red Mazda CX-5, subtly ordering Luka to drive. Not long after, they hit the road downtown to the nearest supermarket.

The second-year student pulled out a full page of a new grocery list after Dimsum and Chili were fighting over which brand of rice they must buy. He was just laughing at their hilarious banter earlier when he noticed that he's laughing alone.

A blue glowing face of a barn owl's head with tree branches as horns, antelope-like body and moth wings popped from the passenger seat.

"He's not feeling well, O," she said as she probed into Luka. "I sense an emotional distress."

Ohini activated his aura reading ability. Glimmer of pale orange and blurry indigo with streaks of murky pink flowed all around Luka. There had always been hints of these colors on him before, but they had never taken over his whole aura like this.

"Hey, man," Ohini turned his body toward him. "If there's anything bad going on with you, you know you can always talk to me."

Luka glanced at him for a second. "Oh, no, I'm... I'm okay. Everything's going on... well."

"Dude, you can't lie to me about your physical and emotional condition. Like, literally."

Unedited and not the full version.

That afternoon, the phenomenon that I wrote about Inamorata for Zinnia’s birth happened. The scent of zinnia flowers swept the whole capital attracting flocks of birds to Emilich House. Strong wind blew past and the unbeatable bell of Agri Centre rang twice. The Agri Bell had been still for ages and has not been banged for half a century due to its rope detangling from the unreachable bell.

When the night came, just like how the story went, a messenger from Emilich Duchy came rushing to Father’s palace to announce that the Duchess of Emilich gave birth to a daughter – the future Flower of Society who would enamor four powerful suitors including one of my brothers.

It’s time. I couldn’t afford to putter around anymore because sooner or later, the plot would start to unfold. The main character, after all, had been born.

If she had to burn the whole city down to get revenge, then so be it. Let the beauty melt away and reveal the stinking coal beneath.
As for her first step in finding her girlfriend...

Extremely out of context portion of a book that won't be out for many months, let alone this chapter.

A bright blue sky greeted Alexei as he exited the florist shop. A sizable line leading to the door had formed in the short time he was in there. His years of working retail gave him a pang of empathy toward the poor florists and bakers working today. In late winter, the people of Prism Falls celebrate the Feast of Lovers. A holiday that started with the tragic death of a couple and somehow devolved into a day of trinkets and shallow romance. Still, he was happy with his bouquet of roses, one in each color they had.

The soles of his pointed boots slicked slightly on slush patches of melting snow. He made a mental note to change shoes before heading out. Maybe Ely would wear inadequate footwear tonight. Maybe she would slip and fall into him the way she did at the ice rink. Maybe she would wrap her arms around his waist and desperately cling to him with her face buried in his chest again. He wouldn’t mind that.

Before he got too ahead of himself, he turned his focus to the road. They had been in Prism Falls for nearly three weeks and he still needed detailed directions to find his way to the shopping district. The bordertown was founded as refuge to all races of otherkin. The various cultures reflected in the architecture of the city. The only unifying feature is that every building was painted in a bright candy colored hue. He wondered what would happen if he chose to settle here and paint his house monochrome black.

Alexei rounded the corner with the red and yellow tailor’s shop. These eyesore buildings did make it easier to navigate his way back to Torgrim’s house. It was unseasonably warm that day. Many people had their windows open or took the opportunity to do everything outside. A giggling couple passed him walking arm in arm. Both were elves, neither gave the vampire a second glance. If there was any future for him and Ely, it would have to be here.