I don't remember my name anymore, I'm simply Number 42. Locked away, Starved, Tortured, Alone. With only my inner voice to keep me company. Had my torturer finally driven me to insanity? As soon as the chance to escape appeared, I took it, my inner voice guiding the way and showing me a world I didn't know existed. How do I navigate a world that refuses to accept me for who I am? I am Nate, Alpha of the Wandering Hearts Pack. Our world is brutal and unforgiving, and the weak will not survive long. With the arrival of my fated mate, and I decide to make her Luna. But the Alpha King has voiced his objections, and the rest of our world will fall behind him. My mate's wolf is formidable but her human form is fragile. Yet, I know inside her lies something intangible that hints at greater power. It's my duty as her mate to support her as she faces this world and her past. Will she be strong enough to overcome it all?
Number 42's POV
I don't have a name. At least if I do, I don't remember it. I do have a number, though.?
That's how they refer to me. Number 42. I don't even know how old I am, or how much time has passed since I was taken.
All I know is that it was my 13th birthday when they took me. It's the only vague memory that I have left of my life before this....existence.
I don't even remember the faces of my childhood, their features lost to the haze of time. Faceless blurs that dance soullessly in my mind.
This isn't living, it's existing. If I could end it some way, then I would. If it wasn't for the voice inside me that claims it's my true heart, I would have found a way long ago.
Every day is the same, trapped in this darkness, day in, day out.?
The heavy collar around my neck and the chains that bind me to the wall prevent me from moving too much.?
The manacles around my wrists and ankles chafe endlessly and I can feel the wetness of the open sores they have caused crust over in the damp, fetid air that surrounds me, before breaking open again with each movement.
I sit day in and day out, staring blankly into the surrounding darkness, my hair matted and plastered to my face with the sweat from the humidity of this prison. The floor beneath me filthy and soiled from the years of neglect.?
There's no cleaning in these cells, we aren't afforded that privilege. All I can do is sit and wait for my number to be called. To experience the next humiliation that the psychotic bitch has lined up for me.
I was grateful for the voice inside. When things became too much, she took over, pushing me to the back of my mind and bearing the brunt of the assaults in my stead.
I would feel nothing during these times, only the pain and soreness afterwards as she retreated, whimpering to some dark recess inside of me.
It apologised for not being stronger, for not being able to set us free, and I soothed it as best I could.?
Perhaps my time here had turned my mind against me.
Perhaps I was insane.
I laughed to myself at the thought.
'You are not insane. If we ever manage to break free, I will show you who you truly are. I should be stronger than this. I don't know why I can't reveal myself to you.'
I nodded sympathetically. I didn't blame the voice. We weren't at fault. No one who was called by numbers was at fault.
?I wondered if the people who were my family had ever looked for me. If they had ever tried to find me. Or had they willingly let me go for some unknown reason.
'I can assure you that they would never have given us away willingly! Our blood is sacred!'
"So you say. But I can think of no other reason that this torture would be visited upon us without intervention."
The voice didn't reply, but I felt its whimper at my dismissal of its assurances.?
I leant my head back against the coarse grain of the crumbling brick walls, the collar around my neck digging into the base of my skull and exhaled heavily, closing my eyes as the tortured screams of some other poor soul drifted down the corridor outside my cell.
It hadn't been too long since I had last been hauled before the woman that took great delight in turning your worst nightmares into reality.?
As the haze of sleep descended I prayed to the gods above that I would be forgotten for a while, and left alone to sleep.
Fuck, Ada..." "Brad...oh, fuck... deeper... harder!" Ada's shrill voice begged between breathy moans. The banging of the headboard against the wall intensified as Ann froze. No... it couldn't be! Ann took a deep breath and nudged the door a little more. Her chest felt like it would explode as she held her breath whilst the crack widened. When it revealed her sister lying underneath her husband-to-be, her hands flew to her mouth to stifle the gasp of horror as her heart shattered instantly. As Brad roared his release inside her sister, Ada turned her head towards the door with a smirk. An icy chill descended over Ann as if a bucket of ice water had been thrown over her and she stood and stared, her eyes wide and mouth slightly open in disbelief. Ada lifted her hand and waved in Ada's direction with a smug smile plastered on her face as Brad collapsed on top of her, kissing her neck tenderly. Is there anything you can do if your mate had sex with your sister?
"Lucien, let's get a divorce," I said in a peremptory tone that was long overdue, the most decisive farewell to this absurd marriage. We had been married for exactly three years-three years that, for me, were filled with nothing but endless loneliness and torment. For three years, the husband who should have stood by my side through every storm, Lucien Sullivan, had completely disappeared from my life as if he had never existed. He vanished without a trace, leaving me alone to endure this empty, desolate marriage. Today, I finally received his message: "I'm back. Come pick me up at the airport." When I read his words, my heart leapt with joy, and I raced to the airport, thinking that he finally understood my love and was coming back to me. But his cruelty was far worse than I could have ever imagined-he was accompanied by a pregnant woman, and that woman was Carla, my closest and most trusted friend. In that moment, all of my previous excitement, all my hope, and all of our shared laughter and tears turned into the sharpest of daggers, stabbing into my heart and leaving me gasping for air. Now, all I want is to escape from this place that has left me so broken-to lick my wounds in solitude. Even if these wounds will remain with me for the rest of my life, I refuse to have anything to do with him ever again. He should know that it was his own hand that trampled our love underfoot, that his coldness and betrayal created this irreparable situation. But when he heard those words, he desperately clung to this broken, crumbling marriage, unwilling to let it end-almost as though doing so could rewind time and return everything to how it used to be. "Aurora, come back. I regret everything!" Regret? Those simple words stirred no emotion in me-only endless sadness and fury. My heart let out a frantic, desperate scream: It's too late for any of this!
"Listen, Gadreel Ødegaar," she looked at him, not hesitating this time. "It's my anniversary present for you. Let's divorce." *** Ivory Remington had sacrificed five years to look after her husband Gadreel who was in a vegetative state after an accident and a few months ago, he finally awakened like a miracle. She thought it was the start of their happy life but Gadreel still had no heart for her. On their anniversary and her birthday, she received a cheating video of her dear husband and her stepsister. Heartbroken, Ivory chose to quit this stupid game. She decided to set him free but the reason she left on the divorce agreement pierced Gadreel's noble pride. *** "Impotent? Are you serious?" He gripped her wrist and a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes. "I'm a woman, Gadreel. I'm tired of being in a sexless marriage. Let's end it once and for all." "Sexless, huh?" he chuckled lowly and without warning grabbed her chin in between his hands, pulling her face closer. "Turns out my wife was so eager to get a man between her legs? "
She thought he was the villain. He was only trying to save his soul. Rena lives in a world of sunshine, sweets, and simple dreams. Until one reckless decision drops her into a dark realm of secrets, curses and werewolves. Kidnapped, heartbroken. She doesn't know who to trust anymore especially not Logan, the arrogant, cruel Alpha who's keeping her as a hostage. Until she discovers his dark secret. He's been hearing her thoughts all along. Now the walls between them are crumbling. And when feelings grow where hatred once lived, a curse demands that blood becomes a love that demands sacrifice. But how can she give her heart to the one who might need it to die?
Kallie, a mute who had been ignored by her husband for five years since their wedding, also suffered the loss of her pregnancy due to her cruel mother-in-law. After the divorce, she learned that her ex-husband had quickly gotten engaged to the woman he truly loved. Holding her slightly rounded belly, she realized that he had never really cared for her. Determined, she left him behind, treating him as a stranger. Yet, after she left, he scoured the globe in search of her. When their paths crossed once more, Kallie had already found new happiness. For the first time, he pleaded humbly, "Please don't leave me..." But Kallie's response was firm and dismissive, cutting through any lingering ties. "Get lost!"
When they were kids, Derek saved Norah's life. Years later, after Derek ended up in a vegetative state from a car crash, Norah married him without a second thought and even used her medical knowledge to heal him. For two years, Norah was devoted, seeking his affection and looking to settle her life-saving debt. But when Derek's first love returned, Norah, faced with divorce, didn't hesitate to sign. Despite being labeled as forsaken, few knew of her true talents. She was a race car driver, a famed designer, a genius hacker, and a renowned doctor. Regretting his decision, Derek begged for her forgiveness. Just then, a charming CEO intervened, embracing Norah and declaring, "Back off! She's my wife!" Taken aback, Norah blurted out, "What did you say?"
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"