Lily Trevor was an ordinary girl who knew how to stay out of people's way, and she had never really had any trouble, bit even when her mother married Alex Rodger's father, a millionaire who had a bank. Lily and her stepbrother hit it off quite well, being friends, even best friends, until Alex started to avoid her and she had no idea what she did. On her 18th birthday, she heard Alex growl the word "mate" and she wondered what it was, and when she did, everything was just so confusing to her human mind. Would she accept what the moon goddess had planned for her, or would she run the other direction to college and never look back?
Lily's POV
As I walked into Alex's room after knocking on the door, he suddenly grabbed me by the waist and pushed me out of his room so that I was now standing in front of it.
"I told you never to come into my room again, haven't I?" he asked me as he licked his lips. Those plump lips that I would like to lick myself...
What the hell was that? I asked myself as the thought randomly came in. Maybe it was because he looked so gorgeous, and those lips looked like a strawberry fruit.
"What the hell is your problem?" I asked as I stared at Alex, my eyes laced with tears I didn't want to drop. "You're just been an ass for no reason. I want to go with you and your friends to the lake, but you're acting like I'm a flu or something."
Alex stood there watching me, as he stood in front of his room without a T-shirt on, his chest out on display.
"You can't follow us, Lily. Just stay at home and try baking or something. You love that, right?" he asked and I grunted.
The tension in the hallway was thick enough to cut with a knife. My heart was pounding, and my confusion and hurt stirred into so many emotions I couldn't quite understand. "Why are you treating me like this, Alex? What did I ever do to you?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
Alex's gaze flickered, and for a moment, I thought he saw a hint of regret flash across his face. "Lily, you've done nothing wrong. It's not you, okay? It's me. It's all me," he said, his voice low and strained.
Wasn't that something that was said in the movie when a man was lying to a woman just so he could break up with her? Alex and I were siblings, well, step-siblings, so there was no way he was using that stupid line on me.
I felt a lump form in her throat. "Then why can't I come with you to the lake? I don't see why I should miss out on all the fun just because you say so!" I said, suddenly angry that he was making my throat burn with tears, tears I didn't want to shed in front of him.
I watched him as he ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident, but I wasn't quite sure what he was frustrated about. I should be the frustrated one. "Look, last time we went, I saw how they were looking at you. My friends, they... they stared, and I hated it, Lily. I can't stand it. It's just..." He trailed off, his jaw set tight.
My eyes widened as she processed his words. It was almost touching, in a weird, overprotective way, but it didn't make me feel any better.
Why was that such a bother for him anyway? This wasn't such a big deal, I didn't even mind. It wasn't as if they were pervert or they were groping me.
I folded my arms across my chest and then I said. "So, what? You're my keeper now? I can take care of myself, you know," I retorted, my spirit unyielding.
He sighed, looking away. "I know you can. But I can't help it. It's just how I feel." There was a stance to him I don't quite understand, but I wasn't going to talk about that.
I was too furious to even point anything out about his stance. What I wanted to talk about was his silly reasons for acting this way to me.
I mean, don't get me wrong, Alex hadn't always been a jerk, at least, not until recently. I remembered how different things used to be.
After the tragedy that took my mother's family, she found love again with Alex's father. It had been a chance for a new beginning. We had all moved into a big house where Alex and I had plenty of space.
We had gotten along so well, bonding over video games and late-night snacks. I had been so grateful not to be alone, to have Alex as a friend, as a stepbrother. But lately, things have changed, and I didn't even know why.
"Alex, we used to be friends. What happened to us?" I asked, a single tear rolling down my cheek.
Damn, I hated this, and it was starting to suffocate me. Why was he acting like I was some flu he didn't want to catch? He was treating me like I had killed his dog and run it over, but I hadn't.
Maybe he suddenly stopped liking me and started to hate me. Maybe he just didn't want me near him or close to me as we used to be.
Alex's expression softened, and for a moment, he looked like the brother I used to know. "I don't know, Lil. There's nothing. It's just... things change, I guess, as we grew up. I'm sorry." He said.
Lily shook her head, wiping away the tear. "Maybe we shouldn't grow up. I don't want things to change, not like this."
"I know. I'm sorry," he repeated, his voice almost a whisper.
There was a long silence before I finally spoke up again. "I still want to go to the lake. I want to be included. Can't we just try to have a good time like we used to?"
Alex hesitated, then after what felt like an eternity, he nodded slowly. "Okay, Lily. Okay. We'll try. Just... let me talk to them first, alright? I'll make sure they treat you with respect." He said and I managed a small smile, feeling a little bit better. "Thanks, Alex. That's all I'm asking for."
I went back into my room to have the fastest shower I have ever had, then I got dressed in a pair of blue jeans shorts and a white shirt, my blue one-piece swimsuit underneath. I grabbed my sandals and wore them, then I grabbed my phone and my bag.
As fast as my toned long legs could carry me, I ran as fast as I could downstairs, and out the front door, but by the time I got outside, my brother was already gone.
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!"
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
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."
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.