Zaina thought she could run from her secrets, but they have finally caught up to her. She's willing to risk her life for those she loves, but even that might not be enough to stop what's coming. Einar has finally let down his guard, but when the woman he trusts takes off in the middle of the night with his people's only hope for a cure, he realizes what a mistake that was. They have been living under the shadow of the same monster for longer than either of them realize. But it's up to them to decide whether that makes them enemies or allies. You've heard it asked, who could ever learn to love a beast? But this time, the question is, could a beast ever learn to love?
Zaina
I never intended to plan my own death.
But then, so much of my life has been beyond my control that it seems only fitting that at least I will have some choice in this.
My eyes flit to a shadow hovering just outside the outer wall of the castle-one I might have missed entirely had I not known he would be waiting for me.
Damian.
The detached boy had turned into a sadistic man, one who had the nerve to call himself my brother just because we were both taken and raised by the same monster. I can't help but be happy that the world will be rid of him soon.
Still, I wouldn't have chosen to meet my end at his side if there were any other way.
I hadn't found one yet, though.
"Do you have the rose?" Damian's voice is barely above a whisper, only audible because he has pressed his head close enough to mine for his dark locks to brush my forehead.
I shudder in revulsion, backing away as I pull the flower out of my pocket.
It is impossible to discern his expression in the shadows of the towering pines, but I can imagine he is glaring at me for my show of disgust. He says nothing, though, he only runs his fingers over the rose in an intentionally suggestive manner, but I know what he is doing.
Aside from taunting me, he is checking it for authenticity, ensuring it isn't the artificial replica he gave me yesterday.
"If you're finished fondling the flower, we should get going." I pluck the rose neatly from his hand, grateful that I took the time to procure the real thing.
"We weren't going anywhere," he says, making a grab for the rose.
"We are," I counter, placing it safely in my cloak pocket. "Unless you'd like to walk to the alchemist's house from here. The only heart that will go unmissed is mine, and he only listens to me. "
Damian can sniff out a lie an ocean away, so I stick closely to the truth.
"I'm sure I'll manage." His tone is as neutral as ever, but I sense impatience brimming under the surface. "You'll be missed."
"My heart is fast." I carefully avoid commenting on his last statement; I avoid thinking about it at all.
Because I certainly will be missed, and so will this rose. I made sure of that when I left a very clear trail of clues, alerting Einar that the one I left behind was a fake.
My thumb absently rubs at the place where my wedding ring has rested for nearly two months. A small indentation remains, serving as a reminder of a life and a marriage that was never truly mine.
When Einar discovers my deception, so soon after our single night together, he will be furious. devastated. But he and his people will be safe, and so will my sisters.
"There is too much at stake for me to entrust this mission to you, Damian, not when you so often let your baser instincts get the better of you." I give him another reason.
"I would never jeopardize Mother's plans," he says with a deadly calm that sends shivers creeping up my spine.
"Then you'll quit wasting time." I stalk off toward the trees, hoping that he will follow me. This is the crux of my plan: that Damian will relent and allow me to come along.
Half a heartbeat later, his footsteps crunch through the snow behind me, and I fight not to sigh audibly with relief. My spirited hestrin' Gideon is tied to a trunk only a few paces away. His handler is the only person who might suspect I am leaving tonight, but I trust Sarah Agnes to keep her silence.
I have no choice.
I heave myself onto Gideon, who is easily twice as tall as the average pony, and Damian slithers in behind me. Gideon shuffles his feet, and I wonder at Damian's acquiescence to my plan until he speaks.
"I can't wait to see what this little rebellion costs you." His voice is a hiss in my ear, Gideon's lumbering steps giving him the excuse he needs to press up against me. "I wonder if it will be as exciting as the last one."
At his words, I see my younger sister lying in a pool of her own blood. I saw Damian's smirk as her last breath left her chest.
Back with the king… for one desert night! Twelve years after Sheikh Tahir almost lost his throne, the woman who betrayed him arrives at his palace gates. Lauren’s request to help her brother is Tahir's chance to—at last—make sense of her betrayal. On one condition: they spend twenty-four hours in the desert…alone. A night at Tahir’s command is more than Lauren bargained for. Any trust left between them is fragile. Yet with every passing hour, the inescapable intimacy empowers Lauren to lay bare the scandalous truth of their past—and her still burning desire for Tahir…
The King (2019), directed by David Michod, is a historical drama following the life of King Henry V of England during the 15th century. The character Hal, portrayed by Timothee Chalamet, began his journey as a drunk, rejecting his role as a royal while dismissing his father completely
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
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!"
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?
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
"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? "