Haisley Jefferson, daughter of the Alpha of The Ashen Crescent Pack, finds her life far from fulfilling. She yearns to meet her mate so she can finally escape the hellhole she once called home. Instead of meeting her mate and escaping, fate takes an unexpected turn on her 21st birthday. Rather than a mate, she's given a husband – Hades Stone, the future Alpha of The DuskBane Pack, and a man she has secretly loved for years. The only problem is he has his eyes set on Alice, her adopted sister. In the face of this dilemma, Haisley rejects the marriage, but destiny seems to have its own plans beyond her control. Haisley finds herself at a crossroads. While she wishes for her mate to rescue her, she's also entangled in a deep affection for Hades. A forced marriage to him was not her desire, but it seems destiny has other plans.
The soft glow of my room lights reflects off my peach asymmetrical one-shoulder evening dress, casting a warm sheen across my small but cozy bedroom. I stand before the full-length mirror propped against the wall, admiring how the fabric drapes elegantly over my frame. A smile tugs at my lips as I twirl once, watching the dress flutter around me. I couldn't help but feel a momentary pride in my choice. I had spent days picking my dress just for tonight, and I couldn't be happier with how it turned out.
My eyes drift to the clock on my nightstand, its gentle ticking a reminder of the approaching party. Between the success of my dress and The DuskBane Pack hosting the event, everything is turning out perfectly. Anticipation courses through me as I smooth down the fabric; these gatherings are prime opportunities to meet one's mate. Even though I'm not yet twenty-one, by midnight tomorrow-my birthday-my mate will be revealed to Kelly, my wolf. A delighted squeak escapes me-I can hardly contain my excitement.
My heart soars at the possibility that the one I've come to adore might actually be my fated mate. Yet, beneath the surface, a sobering reality casts a shadow. Even if he is revealed as my mate, a gnawing worry tugs at my heart-he may not accept me. In our werewolf world, the Moon Goddess chooses our mates at birth, but we remain oblivious to their identities until the moment of revelation on our twenty-first birthday. He and his brother already had their eyes set on her as their Luna, and they were just waiting for midnight for the universe to give her to them.
I force a smile, attempting to push aside the disquieting thoughts. A silent prayer escapes my lips, hoping against the odds that my mate is someone else-someone who will cherish and rescue me from this emotional abyss. It pains me to label my home as a hellhole, but ever since she entered this house, everything changed. It transformed from a place of joy and happiness into one of sadness.
If only my brother hadn't... No, I can't bear to finish that thought. The shame holds me back from openly wishing harm on someone. I wished she never arrived, yet a conflicting part of me hesitates to wish for her demise.
I give myself a final once-over in the mirror. The doe brown eyes that once sparkled seem dimmer now, and my pitch-black hair is pulled up into a high ponytail. Rosy lips are adorned with just a touch of lip gloss. I take a deep breath, mustering the strength to face the night ahead. With my purse in hand, I step out of my room and into the softly lit hallway, ready to step into the evening.
As I descend the stairs, the familiar voices of my parents and hers reach my ears. Mentally preparing myself, I join them at the foot of the stairs.
"Finally!" Mom exclaims upon seeing me. She, a poised woman with auburn curls cascading gracefully down her shoulders, is dressed in a beautiful black gown. Her makeup is subtle yet elegant, accentuating her features with a touch of sophistication. A hint of annoyance lingers in her tone, something I choose to ignore.
"Hi, Mom," I greet with a smile, attempting to overlook the undertone of irritation.
"You should learn to be more like your sister. She didn't keep us waiting," Dad remarks, adjusting his cufflinks, visibly annoyed. Dad is the Alpha of our pack, The Ashen Crescent Pack. He stands tall with black hair framing a strong, chiseled face and brown eyes. As one of the many Pack Alphas across the country, he answers only to the regional Alphas and, ultimately, the Alpha King himself.
My tongue dares to remind him that Alice, my adopted sister, with her piercing gray eyes and cascading blonde hair, has also just arrived, but I wisely hold back. "It won't happen again," I assure.
"It's okay, Dad, we can get going," Alice says, adjusting his tie. She hadn't seen me as her back was facing me.
"Hello, Alice," I say, and she finally turns around. Her gray eyes widened, and a flicker of anger crossed her face before being replaced by a fake smile.
"Oh, my goddess, Haisley, your dress..." She fakes a gasp, running toward me. I take a step back, narrowing my eyes at her. "It's so beautiful." Her eyes sparkle as she admires it.
"Thank you," I reply cautiously. Her compliments are unusual, and I sense something more behind them.
"Don't you think it would look great on me, Dad?" she asks, batting her eyes at him.
I should've seen it coming.
"It would, dear. Anything you wore would look beautiful on you," he responds, and a pang hits my heart. He didn't compliment me upon arrival, but the same dress would be beautiful on Alice.
What about me, your real daughter? Doesn't the dress look beautiful on me? I wish to shout, but I keep my feelings bottled up as always.
"Too bad Haisley is wearing it. I would have loved to." She pouts.
"If you wish to wear it, Haisley should give it to you. You're her sister," Mom adds, shocking me with her words.
"Yes, Haisley, give the dress to your sister," Dad chimes in, and my shock intensifies. Are they serious right now?
I stare at them, lost for words. They didn't compliment my dress upon my arrival but scolded me, and now they want me to hand over my dress to Alice just because she wants it-no valid reason given.
Closing my eyes, I exhale. I shouldn't even be surprised; I should be used to it by now. But how could I? These two people were my parents, the ones who created me and loved me until she came along. Tears filled my eyes.
"No problem. I will head upstairs and change." I turn away from them as the tears drop.
I rush up the winding staircase, my heart pounding as I burst into my room. With trembling hands, I hastily pull off the delicate dress I spent countless hours picking. The soft fabric slips through my fingers as I hand it to a wide-eyed omega servant who had followed me upstairs.
"Give this to Alice," I instruct, my voice barely above a whisper. The servant nods silently and hurries away, leaving me alone with my tumultuous thoughts.
Kelly's angry voice echoes through our mind link, her frustration palpable even in the confines of my own head. "You shouldn't have given that bitch your dress. You spent hours picking it out for tonight!"
I sink onto my plush bed. "And what else could I have done?" I reply through our link. "Said no and made Dad and Mom hate me even more because of her?"
"No!" Kelly retorts. "But you should've lied or done something. That bitch doesn't even like the dress. She probably just wanted to wear it because it looks so breathtakingly beautiful on you."
I close my eyes, picturing how the dress hugged my curves perfectly. "I know," I admit softly.
"Fuck!" Kelly's frustration radiates through our mental link. "Sometimes I really wish your brother never brought her home."
A lump forms in my throat as I think of my beloved brother. "Too bad he did, and I lost him in the process too."
"You know if he was here, this wouldn't be happening, right?" Kelly's tone softens slightly.
I nod, even though she can't see me. "Yeah, I do."
Kelly sighs, her anger fading to resignation. "Let's just pray tonight your mate ends up being someone amazing who takes us far away from her. Then we'll never have to worry about that bitch again."
I gaze out the window at the darkening sky, watching as the first stars begin to twinkle. "Hopefully," I whisper, allowing myself a small glimmer of hope for the future.
Reluctantly, I cut off my connection with Kelly and finish putting on my second dress-a simpler gown in muted tones that pales in comparison to my original choice. With a heavy heart, I head outside to join my family.
As we settle into the car, Alice slides into the backseat beside me, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. She's wearing my dress, the delicate fabric shimmering in the fading light. I plaster on a smile, but beneath the surface, I'm boiling with resentment. Alice doesn't need to utter a word; her self-satisfied smirk says it all-she's reveling in the fact that she's wearing the dress I coveted.
Kelly growls in my head, but I maintain my facade all the way to the venue. The weight of anticipation settles in my stomach as I silently count down the hours. Once midnight strikes, I won't have to put up with Alice's machinations anymore. I can't wait for the moment when everything would change, hoping against hope.
"I, Amelia Anderson, reject Nickolas Adams II as my mate." I've had enough. I don't know why I didn't reject him the moment I arrived here. What the heck was I stalling for? Nickolas and I don't have a single chance in heaven of being together. It's better to feel immense pain now than keep enduring little bits every time we run into each other. The muscles in his back tighten, but he doesn't turn back and says, "Accepting your rejection would be doing you a favor, and that's the last thing I would ever do for you." He walks away after that. ***** Nickolas, the Lycan king, had lost hope of ever finding his mate, resigned to the belief that he was destined to spend the rest of his days on Earth without her. However, fate takes an unexpected turn when he embarks on a journey to the werewolf kingdom. In a twist of destiny, Nickolas discovers his mate-a werewolf, and not just any werewolf, but the princess and daughter of his father's murderer, Amelia Anderson. Despite her royal status, Amelia's life is far from the fairy tale one might expect. A unique aspect of her identity brings difficulty, and being the sole individual among her peers without a mate intensifies her sense of isolation. The trajectory of her seemingly mundane life takes an unforeseen turn the day she encounters her mate. Suddenly, she is thrust into a reality she never imagined, and Amelia finds herself paying a steep price for a lifetime of sins she didn't commit.
“I need to teach you a lesson for defying me,” Beau says, and in an instant, my leg drops down. He puts his other hand on my waist and lifts me off my chair. Landing perfectly on him, my eyes widen once I feel him against me. “Yes, darlin’, you are the reason for it. And tonight, you are going to satisfy it.” He holds me down, hunger in his eyes. “I’ll do no such thing,” I say, resisting the urge to grind my hips against him. My already wet pussy is pressed against his hard length, and I find myself wanting to pull it out so he can fill me up to the hilt and make all my dreams a reality. “Oh, you will, and you are going to enjoy it.” Beau buries his head in my neck and places a kiss on my shoulder. My eyes close as he begins to grind against me. A moan escapes my lips, but Beau spanks my ass hard the second it does. “Don’t moan out, darlin’,” he says, putting his hand under my dress and caressing my stinging ass. “You don’t want anyone to hear us, do you?” he asks, kissing my neck before burying his head in my chest. I shake my head as pleasure surges through my body. “Good girl.” **** Delilah Stephen is a young architect trying to make it independently without Daddy’s help. She is so close to achieving her goal when something unexpected happens. The investor meant to make her dreams a reality turns out to be someone Delilah wishes never to see again, Beau Williams. He is a handsome billionaire with a dangerous family. He broke Delilah’s heart seven years ago and is now back to win her. Delilah passionately hates Beau, so he has his work cut out for him. She refuses to forget the past, but Beau doesn’t give up. He will stop at nothing to make Delilah feel something for him after so many years. But for how long can he keep trying, and will he ever succeed?
“Why can’t I fucking hit you?” Thomas yells, smacking the belt close to her feet. “Why,” he smacks it on the door above her head. “Why, fucking why” to the right and left sides of her body. Melina trembles against the door with her eyes closed and head tucked between her knees. She jumps, sniffing Thomas’ cologne, and tries to hide more. He’s probably bending down. “I want to hurt you, Melina, but I fucking can’t. Tell me why I fucking can’t. Tell me why,” she bites her lips to muffle her sobs as she fears they will exacerbate her situation. “Fucking look at me when I am talking to you,” Thomas says, grabbing her hair and pulling her head up. “I am- so-r-r-r-y,” she says as she turns to face him with her tear-stained face and bloodshot eyes. “Did you think it would work? Did you actually think you could get me arrested and then flee? Are you that dumb, Melina?” he tightens his grip on her hair, and it starts to hurt. Melina can’t believe this is what he thinks. How will she prove that it was never her intention to have him arrested? ******** Melina Davis was born with the face and body of a goddess. Her heart was as beautiful as her, but it never did her any good. Melina was the most unlucky woman in this world when it came to love. Her first love was an abusive con artist who made sure to exploit Melina's kindness. The second one who Melina felt was genuinely worthy of owing her heart was far more dangerous than her first. His name is Thomas Costanzo. He is the second in command of the Costanzo mafia. He was highly feared in the mafia world. Some even feared him more than the don of the Costanzo mafia. Melina didn't know she shouldn't cross him, and she did. She broke the heart of one of the most feared men on this earth, and now, he is out searching for her. Once he finds her, Melina will wish she never crossed paths with him.
Ana was like every young she-wolf out there. She couldn’t wait to meet her mate. She didn’t expect the way things would go the day she finally met him or the way he would treat her once they met. Ana’s mate wants nothing to do with her but won’t let her go. Ana feels like a prisoner to her mate. Her mind is torn on what to do. She wishes her mate would love her, but he shows no hope of that happening. She wants to try and build something with him, but he makes things difficult for her. He treats her horribly, and Ana doesn’t know why. Ana wishes he would reject or let her go, but he won’t. She feels like he is determined to make her his prisoner forever. Read and find out how Ana survives being a prisoner to her.
"Yes, we have, but I still want you to stay.” "Stefano, we just finished arguing, and you did not give me a single reason why I should stay, so I am leaving.” “No, you are not,” He says, dangerously coming close to me “Excuse me,” I say, backing up the wall “You heard me; I won’t let you leave me,” He says as his breath fans my face with every word that comes out of his mouth. “Then give me a reason to stay,” I say, looking down on the ground due to our proximity. I feel shy to look at him with how close we are. *********************************************** Andrea Lopez is a beautiful woman with a wonderful life. Any woman would wish to have her life, but you can't be sure her life is great. Andrea has everything but the one thing she desires most, Love. All she has ever received from Love is pain in return. There is no love in her life, but everything changes when she takes a trip to Italy. She reunites with her first Love, Stefano Costanzo, a cold, ruthless man who hates Love. He would rather pull his heart out of his body than feel Love, but for how long will he hate Love? Will the cold, ruthless man allow himself to love again, or will our Andrea never find Love?
"What!" Ethan says in his all too familiar deep rude voice. "You hit me, which caused my coffee to spill all over me," I say, pointing out the obvious. "So, what do you want me to do about it," He speaks like he has done nothing wrong "You are supposed to say sorry," I say in a duh tone "And why should I." "Because that is what people with manners do." "I know that, but you don't deserve sorry from me." "Wow, really, and why is that." "Because black bitches like you don't deserve it." "I have told you times without number to stop calling me that," I say getting angry with his insults "Make me," Ethan says, taking a dangerous step closer to me. I don't say anything, but hiss and walk past him. I don't know why I even expected him to say anything better. It is Ethan, after all. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- This is a story about two people who knew how to express the word hate more than anything else to one another. Ethan hates Adina more than anything in the world and would give anything to see her perish into thin air. While on the other hand Adina could careless about Ethan other than the fact that she won't let him walk all over her with his arrogant character. What happens when a big incident changes all that. How do these two different people deal with a feeling that is supposed to be forbidden to feel for the each other. Read to find out how the person you hate the most is the one person you can love the most.
The night before her engagement, Valerie was tricked by her boyfriend and stepsister into spending the night with a stranger. After the night together, the man vanished. Later, her boyfriend accused her of cheating, revealing his affair with her stepsister. Pressured by her father, Valerie married an unconscious man in place of her stepsister. Valerie exposed the scheme, sabotaged her father’s ambitions, and transformed herself. When her husband woke and chased her to the airport, she calmly refused him, saying, "It's over between us." He held her firmly. "You married me, so you must commit."
"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?"
After being kicked out of her home, Harlee learned she wasn't the biological daughter of her family. Rumors had it that her impoverished biological family favored sons and planned to profit from her return. Unexpectedly, her real father was a zillionaire, catapulting her into immense wealth and making her the most cherished member of the family. While they anticipated her disgrace, Harlee secretly held design patents worth billions. Celebrated for her brilliance, she was invited to mentor in a national astronomy group, drew interest from wealthy suitors, and caught the eye of a mysterious figure, ascending to legendary status.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.