loki is innocent fanfiction Audiobooks

“Papa explains the war like this: ‘When the elephants dance, the chickens must be careful.’ The great beasts, as they circle one another, shaking the trees and trumpeting loudly, are the Amerikanos and the Japanese as they fight. And our Philippine Islands? We are the small chickens.” Once in a great while comes a storyteller who can illuminate worlds large and small, magical and true to life. When the Elephants Dance introduces us to the incandescent voice of Tess Uriza Holthe, who sets her remarkable first novel in the waning days of World War II, as the Japanese and the Americans engage in a fierce battle for possession of the Philippine Islands. The Karangalan family and their neighbors huddle for survival in the cellar of a house a few miles from Manila. Outside the safety of their little refuge the war rages on—fiery bombs torch the beautiful Filipino countryside, Japanese soldiers round up and interrogate innocent people, and from the hills guerillas wage a desperate campaign against the enemy. Inside the cellar, these men, women, and children put their hopes and dreams on hold as they wait out the war, only emerging to look for food, water, and medicine. Through the eyes of three narrators, thirteen-year-old Alejandro Karangalan, his spirited older sister Isabelle, and Domingo, a passionate guerilla commander, we see how ordinary people must learn to live in the midst of extraordinary uncertainty, how they must find hope for survival where none seems to exist. They find this hope in the dramatic history of the Philippine Islands and the passion and bravery of its people. Crowded together in the cellar, the Karangalans and their friends and neighbors tell magical stories to one another based on Filipino myth and legend to fuel their courage, pass the time, and teach important lessons.

Bestselling author and renowned Zen teacher Steve Hagen penetrates the most essential and enduring questions at the heart of the Buddha's teachings: How can we see the world in each moment, rather than merely as what we think, hope, or fear it is? How can we base our actions on reality, rather than on the longing and loathing of our hearts and minds? How can we live lives that are wise, compassionate, and in tune with reality? And how can we separate the wisdom of Buddhism from the cultural trappings and misconceptions that have come to be associated with it? Drawing on down-to-earth examples from everyday life and stories from Buddhist teachers past and present, Hagen tackles these fundamental inquiries with his trademark lucid, straightforward prose. The newcomer to Buddhism will be inspired by this accessible and provocative introduction, and those more familiar with Buddhism will welcome this much needed hands-on guide to understanding what it truly means to be awake. By being challenged to question what we take for granted, we come to see the world as it truly is. Buddhism Is Not What You Think offers a profound and clear path to a life of joy and freedom.

Timely, compelling, and certain to be controversial—a deeply researched study that reveals how companies and policy makers are hindering innovation-led growth Conventional wisdom holds that Western economies are on the threshold of fast-and-furious technological development. Fredrik Erixon and Bjorn Weigel refute this idea, bringing together a vast array of data and case studies to tell a very different story. With expertise spanning academia and the business world, Erixon and Weigel illustrate how innovation is being hampered by existing government regulations and corporate practices. Capitalism, they argue, has lost its mojo. Assessing the experiences of global companies, including Nokia, Uber, IBM, and Apple, the authors explore three key themes: declining economic dynamism in Western economies; growing corporate reluctance to contest markets and innovate; and excessive regulation limiting the diffusion of innovation. At a time of low growth, high unemployment, and increasing income inequality, innovation-led growth is more necessary than ever. This book unequivocally details the obstacles hindering our future prosperity.

Before their marriage, he said, “Our marriage is just an agreement on a piece of paper. Privately, we have nothing to do with each other.” After their marriage, whenever she ran into trouble, he would help her. When she was bullied, he would protect her. She obeyed the agreement and hid the fact that they were married but he announced to the world that she was his wife. When he secretly slipped into bed again, Susan got agitated. “What do you actually want?” He wore an innocent look as he begged, “Please hug me. Please kiss me. Please…” Facing the rogue CEO, Susan could only admit defeat. It was only many years later that she realized that he had loved her for a very long time.

"You are playing with fire, doll," he warned, eyes dark and dangerous. "A very deadly fire." I looked at the chains on the bed again and pictured them clamped on my wrists, my tits and pussy in full display... Maybe deadly will do for now... *. *. *. *.*Harbouring feelings for someone older than me seems deadly especially when the said person is my uncle. Despite knowing this, the thirst for a drop from his hot-as-hell river of sexiness can't be quenched. Fantasies turned into cravings which in turn spurred the implementation of my devious plans to get him all to myself. Will this blood barrier push him away from acknowledging this mutual feeling of lust, or will his fuel be poured on my burning coals?

"Good morning, Mr. Smith."The principal shook hand12332123 with him. "Morning, Principal Dawson." He smiled. "So, Lauren here is a new student of this prestigious school, and she is a student in this grade.""Good morning, Mr. Smith."The principal shook hand with him. "Morning, Principal Dawson." He smiled. "So, Lauren here is a new student of this prestigious school, and she is a student in this grade.""Good morning, Mr. Smith." The principal shook hand with him. "Morning, Principal Dawson." He smiled. "So, Lauren here is a new student of this prestigious school, and she is a student in this grade."

Her brother stole away his intended bride. Amidst the chaos, she seized the moment and declared, "Let the wedding proceed. I'll marry you."He was the man of her dreams, and their journey after the wedding marks her pursuit of her newfound husband.Through countless trials and tribulations, she realized that she couldn't thaw the icy exterior of this man. Eventually, it was her turn to take a stand. The one who had always been subservient to him finally uttered one day, "I want a divorce."He asked, "What's the matter?""Loving someone is so draining," she replied."And what about being loved by someone?""I don't know. You've never loved me," she retorted, her voice tinged with sorrow."Then, from tomorrow, I will love you."Unbeknownst to her, everyone knew he treated her like a precious gem. He just never said the words 'I love you' out loud.

"You are mine, Princess. For the next two months, I own this body and you will not give it out to any other man. I own every fucking inch of this body." Dante trailed her boob with the flogger. * Mireille had been a good girl all her life, sheltered by her protective brother until he goes on a three months travel. Mireille has to stay with his best friend whom she last saw in highschool. Mireille thinks she would finally be free from her brother's protectiveness but she turns out to be wrong as her brother's best friend is a worse version of her brother... Protective and possessive. Mireille wants to hate him but it seems to be impossible to hate a man as hot as Dante Romano. Hot, sexy and a billionaire mafia boss, Dante wants to make Mireille nothing more than his best friend's sister but it seems impossible with the heat that runs through their bodies with their every contact. She is his innocent princess and she is supposed to remain so but when lust pulls her close, she becomes his woman, his possession, the Bad Boy's Princess. But there are many more secrets lurking around, secrets insistent on pulling Mireille out of her innocent lifestyle. Note: This book contains mature scenes including violent scenes and plenty of explicit sexual scenes.

My name is Zoe and I have committed Sins of the Flesh. But it’s not my fault—none of it would have happened if they hadn’t kidnapped me that fateful day... They took me and my mother and forced us to become part of their Pack. I didn’t even know I had Were blood until they took us. But then my body started changing—developing in ways it never had before. I started having cravings…longings. But I wasn’t allowed to look at any of the Alphas. My cruel new stepfather had plans for me—I would marry another Pack Master—a ugly, evil man, old enough to be my grandfather. And until then, my stepbrothers, Christopher and Gabriel were supposed to watch over me. I felt a tingle when they held me between them, but my stepbrothers weren’t supposed to touch me—their whole job was to keep me innocent and pure. I was supposed to be a virgin on my wedding night. They were sent to deliver me to my new husband—but we were forced off the road and taken as prisoners. The cartel leader who took us holds a grudge against my stepfather. At first he wanted to execute us all…but when he saw the three of us together, he got other ideas. He wanted to us to put on a private show, just for him and to do things…things a girl should never do with her stepbrothers. Can the three of us escape the clutches of the cartel and the vengeance of the Pack to find true love together? You’ll have to read our story in this Dark Ménage Romance, Sins of the Flesh, to find out. *Author's Note--please see trigger warnings in my Author's note inside the book. This is a DARK Romance so please read responsibly.