Qing He

My Coming of Age ceremony was supposed to be a coronation. Instead, it was a funeral for my heart. I stood shivering as Catalina, the woman trying to steal my place, pushed me into the stone pool. My heavy silk dress pulled me down like an anchor. I waited for Jax, the Alpha Heir and my Fated Mate, to save me. He did dive in—but not for me. He scooped up Catalina, who was standing in waist-deep water, treating her like a porcelain doll while I choked on the water. His voice exploded in my head, not with concern, but with disgust. "Stop embarrassing me, Eliana. You look pathetic." Things only got worse. When I confronted them later, Catalina shoved me down the grand staircase. My knee—my dancer’s knee—snapped with a sickening sound. Jax didn't call a doctor. He used the Alpha Command to force me to drag my broken body out of the room so I wouldn't "upset" his mistress. I thought he was just blinded by love, until I overheard him laughing with his Beta. He admitted he didn't love Catalina. He was just using her to break my spirit, to "tame" me into a submissive pet before finally marking me. He thought I was weak. He thought I would stay in the mud forever. He was wrong. I took a silver knife and scraped our carved initials off the Sacred Oak until my skin sizzled. I packed my bags for New York, severing the pack link that bound us. "Sleep well, Jax. Because when I come back, I won't be the girl you broke. I will be the nightmare you created."

For my entire life, I was the secret architect of my stepbrother Hector' s perfect world. As the CEO of our family's empire, I funded his every whim, letting him play the prince while I quietly ran the kingdom. That all ended the night his girlfriend-a bar manager I once hired-had me beaten in the cellar of my own hotel. She called me a charity case, a pathetic leech trying to mooch off his money. Then she and her guards cracked three of my ribs and demanded half a million dollars to let me go. All while Hector, the brother I had sacrificed everything for, ignored my desperate calls. He was too busy partying in the penthouse I paid for. When he finally learned what happened, he took her side. He called me a bitter old hag, a monster trying to ruin his happiness. The physical pain was nothing compared to the chilling realization that the man I had protected for decades was a parasite. Lying on that cold concrete floor, I understood. I wasn't just going to cut him off. I was going to burn his entire world to the ground, starting with the thirty-year-old secret of his birth that I had sworn to protect.

The video that destroyed my career was leaked by the man I loved, Adrian Hoffman. He did it so his childhood sweetheart, Ashley, could steal the promotion I had earned. But the betrayal was far more twisted than I could have imagined. I discovered that for three years, the man in my bed wasn't Adrian. It was his identical twin brother, Dean, playing a sick, cruel game. Their plot didn't stop there. They framed me for plagiarism, then held me down on a surgical table to forcibly harvest my skin for Ashley after she disfigured herself to set me up. They even had me thrown in a military prison on false charges. My career, my body, my freedom-all sacrificed for another woman's ambition. I was nothing but a pawn. So I vanished. I cut off all contact and fled to a war zone in Syria, vowing to never return.

The memory was seared into my brain. The stale air of the abandoned warehouse, the terrified breathing of the hostage, and the shrill, righteous voice of rookie Emily Davis. That was my first life, a life that ended in disgrace because of her. Emily insisted she could calm the kidnapper, disregarding my direct order to stay put. She broke formation, stepped into the open, and a single gunshot echoed. Chris Walker, a college kid with his whole life ahead of him, slumped to the floor. Then, Emily started to cry, loud, gut-wrenching wails, as if she were the biggest victim. Our colleagues rushed to her side, offering sympathy while I stared at the cooling body of Chris Walker. My rage, cold and hard, filled my chest. "You wanted to help? You got him killed. You broke every rule in the book." Emily looked up, her face a mask of tear-streaked innocence. "Why are you so mean, Sarah? I was just trying to save a life." She theatrically banged her head against the wall, whimpering, "It should have been me!" Lieutenant Miller, my superior, cradled her like a child, then turned his cold eyes on me. "Jenkins, what the hell is wrong with you? Can't you see she's suffering?" The department needed a scapegoat. The media was having a field day, and it was easier to blame the cold, no-nonsense veteran, Sarah Jenkins, than the sweet, innocent rookie who "just wanted to help." They threw me to the wolves. My career was ruined, my name was mud. I died with that weight on my soul. Until I opened my eyes. The same stale air. The same sense of dread. I was back in the warehouse, moments before everything went wrong. Emily Davis was repeating the exact same words, getting ready to make the same fatal mistake. But not this time.

My life with Mark was a fairy tale, or so I thought. We built a tech empire together, and he swore I was his destiny, strong enough to defy any pre-written fate. Then, one night, a fire broke out at our office. I was trapped, bleeding and broken, reaching out for him. He looked at me, his eyes met mine for a fleeting second, then he ran right past me. He scooped up Emily, our intern, who was barely in danger, and carried her to safety. He left me there, on the burning floor. I woke up in the hospital, my body shattered. Mark wasn't by my side. He was with Emily, in the VIP suite, making sure his "destined love" was comfortable. He sent his assistant to tell me I was being "dramatic" for even thinking of a divorce. Then Emily herself showed up, gloating, admitting she set the fire, and demanding my wedding ring. My heart didn't just break; it solidified into ice. How could the man who swore to protect me abandon me so completely? How could he believe such an obvious lie? And why did I let myself be fooled by a script I knew by heart? The pain was nothing compared to the rage that coursed through me. I looked at Jessica, my best friend, and told her to get my lawyer on the phone. I was done being the victim in their story. It was time to write my own ending, and it started with burning everything down.

The antiseptic smell stung my nose, and a dull ache pulsed behind my eyes as I woke up in a hospital bed. A sharp voice cut through the quiet: "She\'s awake. After all that drama, she finally decides to wake up." It was my adoptive mother, Helen, with my father, David, and then Liam, my husband, walked in. They weren\'t there for me; they were worried sick about Scarlett, my stepsister, who lay pale and fragile just a few rooms away. "You almost died trying to get Liam\'s attention again, " Helen sneered. "Are you happy now?" Liam, meanwhile, looked at me with chilling indifference before grabbing my arm and dragging me to donate blood for Scarlett. The nurses whispered about my supposed obsession, but their words meant nothing; the pain, the desperation, it was all gone. My amnesia had wiped the slate clean, and for the first time, I saw the truth: I was a burden, a wife Liam didn\'t want, an obligation they resented. And for the first time, I felt clarity, not sorrow. I picked up my phone, found a number, and then said, "I want a divorce. And I want to sever all ties with my adoptive parents, the Hayes family."

I woke to my mother' s voice, sharp with familiar anxiety, planning my twin sister Gabrielle' s future, a future she always expected to be hers. My phone confirmed an impossible truth: I was back. Back to the exact day it all went wrong. In my last life, this morning conversation led to a fight, my mother' s slap, and then a mysterious car crash that left me a ghost in a coma for years. While I lay dying, Gabrielle lived my life, taking my fellowship, marrying my intended, and becoming Congresswoman Johns. But this time, I wouldn't scream. I wouldn't beg for their love. Their casual betrayal, planning to steal my future right in front of me, solidified a cold resolve. Why did fate bring me back, only to relive this agonizing betrayal from my own family? What power could I possibly have against their ruthless ambition? I wouldn't let them steal my life again. The game had just begun, and this time, I was ready to play.

On our third wedding anniversary, I came home expecting celebration, not devastation. I found my husband, Anthony, in our bed with another woman, his young intern, Tiffany. He didn' t flinch, didn't apologize, but mocked me, offering an "open marriage" as if adultery was a new trend. As I walked away, their laughter followed, hammering nails into the coffin of my foolish dreams. But that was just the beginning of the nightmare; outside my family home, I overheard my father. He conspired with my stepmother, admitting he had "sold" me to Anthony, using my innocent high school diary entries to manipulate me into the marriage for his own financial gain. Then, my mother's precious heirlooms, pawned to pay my father's medical bills, were lost forever when the shop mysteriously burned down, a fire orchestrated by Anthony himself. When I nearly died from an allergic reaction, deliberately triggered by Tiffany, Anthony, witnessing my collapse, simply wrapped his arm around her and walked away. My world shattered, piece by agonizing piece, leaving me with nothing but betrayal and ashes. How could the man I loved, and my own father, be so utterly devoid of humanity? This wasn't just a breakup; it was a reckoning. And I was about to turn my brokenness into an unstoppable force.

He was my Liam, my childhood sweetheart, the one who knew every detail about me, including my life-threatening nut allergy. We were the town' s golden couple, our future an unspoken fact. Then Chloe arrived, his "new girl," and he threw her a lavish party at his family's lake house. The heavy scent of roasted almonds and pecan pie filled the air-a deliberate choice, it seemed, from the caterer specializing in nut-based dishes. When I started to feel sick, he was too busy showing off his new obsession. Later, as I fumbled for my EpiPen, collapsing from a severe allergic reaction triggered by a pistachio macaron Chloe "innocently" offered, Liam chose to prioritize her comfort over my life, sending Chloe home first while I was rushed to the emergency room. I woke up to my grandmother's furious whisper: "He left you for her." Sixteen years of an unspoken promise, shattered by blatant negligence and utter disregard. So when my grandmother, with steel in her voice, proposed a marriage of convenience to Julian Vance, a man I barely knew, I saw only one path forward. "Okay," I heard myself say. "Set it up." This time, I' d choose my own destiny.

I woke up to sunlight, a normal morning, but my heart hammered. Today was the day my little brother Sam died on the football field. I' d lived through this nightmare once before, watched my family crumble, and been blamed for everything. Then, the crack of impact, Sam falling, not getting up. Just like before. This time, instead of running to his side, I turned and walked away. A wave of nausea hit me, but also a desperate hope: I wouldn' t be the scapegoat again. The blame started instantly. My mother, Dr. Eleanor Vance, chief of surgery, was furious. Not because Sam was dying, but because I hadn't called her immediately. Her priority? A Napa wine tasting with Chloe, who, as always, was whispering poison in her ear. While Sam fought for his life, Mom and Chloe sent photos of clinking wine glasses and luxury shopping. How could a mother choose a spa day over her dying son? How could Chloe, the "hero" whose parents supposedly died saving Sam, be so cruel? This wasn't just neglect; something was deeply, horribly wrong. Sam died. And this time, my father saw it all. He pointed at my mother, his voice raw with agony and rage: "You killed our son." With that truth laid bare, the lies of my family began to unravel. I had to expose the dark secrets behind Sam's death, no matter who stood in my way.

My annual ski trip to Aspen, a much-anticipated escape with my CEO wife, Sophia, was perfectly planned. Then her voice, tight and unfamiliar, claimed a critical server had fried, grounding her to save our flagship game, 'Odyssey,' demanding my understanding and sacrifice. But a shaky Instagram video from Caleb, our eager intern, instantly shattered her fabricated crisis: Sophia, ridiculous in a VR headset, was actually flailing joyfully in Montana, her "work crisis" a lie to promote his personal outreach project. My sarcastic online comment about her "professional" immersive experience ignited instant chaos in the studio Slack, culminating in Sophia’s furious call and a scathing lecture about my "privilege" and "embarrassing" her "initiative-taking" intern from a "poor family." As her parents later openly admired the smug Caleb, who brazenly flaunted my cherished Porsche – a symbol of *my* hard-won success she’d gifted *him* – a profound, chilling realization settled: I had been the oblivious architect of a life built entirely on her deceit, a convenient pawn in her meticulously crafted public image. Every belittling remark, every false praise, every personal sacrifice I made for "our" company now twisted into a bitter, humiliating mockery, fueling a quiet, venomous rage. How could she so easily abandon our shared dreams, manipulate my trust so callously, and replace me with such an unqualified, arrogant charlatan, while demanding *I* clean up *his* mess? With a final, defiant "No" echoing in the tense silence, I severed the call, blocked her number, and decided that the abandoned Thanksgiving turkey could rot for all I cared: it was time to ignite a new chapter, free from her destructive shadow.

Cecilia contracted with Shaw, the arrogant CEO, to earn the money her mother’s operation needed. She was asked to do nothing but be his girlfriend in the public. However, he wanted her to be his real beloved, in every aspect. In front of her rival in love and stepmother, he officially introduced her as his honey. To be with her, he changed his domineering and indifferent temperament. As long as she was with him, she would always feel at ease. He spoiled her like a treasure and loved her to the bone.

For eight years, Cecilia Moore was the perfect Luna, loyal, and unmarked. Until the day she found her Alpha mate with a younger, purebred she-wolf in his bed. In a world ruled by bloodlines and mating bonds, Cecilia was always the outsider. But now, she's done playing by wolf rules. She smiles as she hands Xavier the quarterly financials-divorce papers clipped neatly beneath the final page. "You're angry?" he growls. "Angry enough to commit murder," she replies, voice cold as frost. A silent war brews under the roof they once called home. Xavier thinks he still holds the power-but Cecilia has already begun her quiet rebellion. With every cold glance and calculated step, she's preparing to disappear from his world-as the mate he never deserved. And when he finally understands the strength of the heart he broke... It may be far too late to win it back.

Narine never expected to survive. Not after what was done to her body, mind, and soul. But fate had other plans. Rescued by Supreme Alpha Sargis, the kingdom's most feared ruler, she finds herself under the protection of a man she doesn't know... and a bond she doesn't understand. Sargis is no stranger to sacrifice. Ruthless, ambitious, and loyal to the sacred matebond, he's spent years searching for the soul fate promised him, never imagining she would come to him broken, on the brink of death, and afraid of her own shadow. He never meant to fall for her... but he does. Hard and fast. And he'll burn the world before letting anyone hurt her again. What begins in silence between two fractured souls slowly grows into something intimate and real. But healing is never linear. With the court whispering, the past clawing at their heels, and the future hanging by a thread, their bond is tested again and again. Because falling in love is one thing. Surviving it? That's a war of its own. Narine must decide, can she survive being loved by a man who burns like fire, when all she's ever known is how not to feel? Will she shrink for the sake of peace, or rise as Queen for the sake of his soul? For readers who believe even the most fractured souls can be whole again, and that true love doesn't save you. It stands beside you while you save yourself.

Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.

Silvia lost everything in one night-her parents,her trust,and her mate. Coming home from their funeral,she found her "fated"partner,Zack,tangled with another she-wolf. "You'll always be my Luna... even if I need variety,"he said,smirking. Heartbroken but fierce,she rejected him-and turned to someone far more dangerous. "I need help,"she whispered. Sherman leaned closer,his voice like silk over steel. "I offer more than help,little wolf. I offer everything he couldn't give you." Now married to Zack's powerful half-brother,Silvia plays a deadly game of loyalty,vengeance,and survival. But Sherman Carter doesn't help for free-and as their bond deepens,truths unravel. Is Silvia just a pawn in Sherman's war? Or is she becoming the Queen who'll burn the whole pack down? When love,betrayal,and bloodlines collide,how far will one omega go to save her family-and destroy the mate who broke her soul?

My Luna became an alpha after I rejected her : she was my Luna. I rejected her. Now she's stronger than ever and she has my son. Amelia's world shattered the day her daughter died-and her mate, Alpha Aiden of the Red Moon Pack, divorced her to reunite with his ex-girlfriend. Cast out, disgraced, and accused of poisoning her own child, Amelia was stripped of her title and driven from her pack. The next morning, her lifeless body was found at the border.They all believed she was dead.But she wasn't. Far from the ashes of betrayal, Amelia rebuilt herself-rising from rejection and ruin to become the first female Alpha of Velaris, the most powerful and respected pack in the realm. She also carried a secret Aiden never discovered:She was pregnant-with his son.Years later, fate brings them face to face once more. A deadly disease is spreading through the packs, and the only one who can stop it is the renowned doctor they thought had died. When Aiden sees the boy at her side-his eyes, his blood-he realizes the truth.He didn't just lose his Luna. He destroyed the mother of his child.And now, she's everything he's not-stronger, wiser, untouchable. Will she heal the pack that betrayed her?Will she ever let him near her heart again?Or is his punishment simply living with the consequences?

I gave him three years of silent devotion behind a mask I never wanted to wear. I made a wager for our bond-he paid me off like a mistress. "Chloe's back," Zane said coldly. "It's over." I laughed, poured wine on his face, and walked away from the only love I'd ever known. "What now?" my best friend asked. I smiled. "The real me returns." But fate wasn't finished yet. That same night, Caesar Conrad-the Alpha every wolf feared-opened his car door and whispered, "Get in." Our gazes collided. The bond awakened. No games. No pretending. Just raw, unstoppable power. "Don't regret this," he warned, lips brushing mine. But I didn't. Because the mate I'd been chasing never saw me. And the one who did? He's ready to burn the world for me.

Life was a bed of roses for Debra, the daughter of Alpha. That was until she had a one-night stand with Caleb. She was sure he was her mate as determined by Moon Goddess. But this hateful man refused to accept her. Weeks passed before Debra discovered that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy brought shame to her and everyone she loved. Not only was she driven out, but her father was also hunted down by usurpers. Fortunately, she survived with the help of the mysterious Thorn Edge Pack. Five years passed and Debra didn't hear anything from Caleb. One day, their paths crossed again. They were both on the same mission-carrying out secret investigations in the dangerous Roz Town for the safety and posterity of their respective packs. Caleb was still cold toward her. But as time went on, he fell head over heels in love with her. He tried to make up for abandoning her, but Debra wasn't having any of it. She was hell-bent on hiding her daughter from him and also making a clean break. What did the future hold for the two as they journeyed in Roz Town? What kind of secrets would they find? Would Caleb win Debra's heart and get to know his lovely daughter? Find out!

Luna has tried her best to make her forced marriage to Xen work for the sake of their child. But with Riley and Sophia- Xen's ex-girlfriend and her son in the picture. She fights a losing battle. Ollie, Xen's son is neglected by his father for a very long time and he is also suffering from a mysterious sickness that's draining his life force. When his last wish to have his dad come to his 5th birthday party is dashed by his failure to show up, Ollie dies in an accident after seeing his father celebrate Riley's birthday with Sophia and it's displayed on the big advertising boards that fill the city. Ollie dies and Luna follows after, unable to bear the grief, dying in her mate's hands cursing him and begging for a second chance to save her son. Luna gets the opportunity and is woken up in the past, exactly one year to the day Sophia and Riley show up. But this time around, Luna is willing to get rid of everyone and anyone even her mate if he steps in her way to save her son.

Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...

They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."