How do you survive when the only life you have known has been stolen from you? At six years old I was branded a murderer,blamed for what I knew nothing of and a slave to my cruel Aunt and Uncle. For fifteen years , I endured their abuse and believe the lies they told me. Until the day I was auctioned to the highest bidder: the arrogant Alpha Lukan. I thought being sold would only bring more misery, but instead it brought me to the powerful and mysterious Alpha of the Nightbane pack. He was ruthless yet kind , cold yet tender and seemed to promise me the love I have never known. But nothing is ever that simple. Why did he choose me? Why does he keep me close yet seem so distant, as if searching for something I can't see. But when the Moon Goddess decides to play chess with your life, you have no option but to move with the game. With every step I take, new secret stepped forward, eager to break the fragile happiness I have found. Now I must decide-am I just another pawn, or can I become the queen in a game I never choose to play.
MERIDA
" Meridaaaaa!!!"
Someone yelled my name from upstairs and I gave a silent groan as my head pounded not from the scream but from lack of sleep and hunger.
" Where is that ostrich called Merida?" The voice said again as I struggled to my feet and my stomach rumbled.
I didn't need a seer to tell me who it was. It was no other person but my Aunt Ophelia. I could hear her loud footsteps coming down the stairs.
Just as I tried to steady myself, I fell back on the box I had been sitting on.
" Goodness me." She gasped." I just hope I'm blind and not seeing you sitting like the mate to a powerful Alpha."she said to me. I opened my mouth to say something and only air poured out and, before I could blink, her hands flew through the air and made slices of slaps on my cheeks, sending me reeling backwards.
"What have you been doing here? You have been busy doing nothing, I guess." She said again to me and I kept mute.
Enough experience had told me that trying to defend myself would only get me into more trouble, so I stood there like a statue staring at her as she yelled at me.
"For the past 3 days I have been drumming this into your silly head that we are having guests, but instead all you, do ever since you woke up was to sit there staring into space."
I bowed my head and let my eyes gaze at my bony feet. It was my way of giving a silent apology.
"Didn't you hear when I said one of our guests is very important? In case you don't know, Alpha Lukan Hades will be here any moment from now and I don't want you to give this family a bad name because of your sluggishness when it comes to cleaning."
I raised my head up slowly.
Alpha Lukan Hades. A powerful and popular Alpha in all of the Western Wolfe Kingdom.
I already knew he was coming, but not this early.
I bent down and gathered the mop and the bucket as Aunt Ophelia ran into the kitchen and came back with a tray of wine flutes and a bottle of expensive wine.
"These are for the guests. You better not drink them," She said, pushing the tray into my hands.
She pushed me into the small room where our guest would be sitting and banged the door shut.
I placed the tray on one of the tables carefully and proceeded with my cleaning.
The room was as clean as anything and was even as sparkling as the sun and, for the umpteenth time, I wondered why I should be cleaning it.
Lying on one of the chairs was a magazine. I reached for it and tossed it away and proceeded with my cleaning thinking I had heard the soft thud of the magazine hitting the floor, but instead I heard someone clearing their throat.
I looked towards the direction and my breath hitched in my throat.
There, sitting at the far end holding a fat cigar in the other hand and sipping from a tumbler, was the most handsome man I had ever seen.
"Don't tell me your eyes were glued to your face for decorations?" He hissed and took another sip.
"I- I'm so sorry." I stuttered in a very small voice which was barely above a whisper.
"Didn't you see me, or you pretended not to?"he questioned, rising to his feet as he puffed out smoke from his lips before butting it.
I tried to speak, but my lips quivered, and my eyes fell down to my feet in fear.
"Answer me!" He roared, and I began to shiver and, instead, I shook my head.
"Then you could have felt my presence or even perceived my scent."
I shook my head numbly." I didn't feel your presence and...and I didn't perceive your scent." I managed to say, forcing the words out.
He cocked an eyebrow and with one long finger he lifted my face and stared at me while I tried to look away fearfully.
"What kind of wolf doesn't perceive a scent or don't you have one?"
"I have a wolf." I struggled to speak. I could feel his eyes roaming around my body and settled on a scar on my upper arm.
"What is this a kind of punishment or what?"
I nodded feebly.
"Speak to me and look at me when I'm talking to you, not at your feet."
I swallowed hard." Yes, it was a punishment to bind my wolf."
I could feel that the discussion was taking another direction. I quickly disengaged from his grasp.
I wanted to be done with everything Aunt Ophelia instructed before she finds me there.
So I turned around and picked up the tray, and I wasn't watching my steps. I felt myself bumping into him and the tray fell off my hands. The wine flute and bottle of wine broke into pieces, shattering the still air.
Just then the door burst open, and Aunt Ophelia stood there like she had seen the ghost of her grandparents.
" Gracious Moon goddess." She gasped, and she raced to slap me when Alpha Lukan's hands tightened on her wrist.
"If I were you I wouldn't do that."
She released her hands from his grasp forcefully and gave a thin smile.
" Go and call your uncle, get another drink and find something to clear this mess." She rattled orders at me.
" Aunt Ophelia asked me to call you, the Alpha is here." I said to Uncle Garrick who was in the living room. He dropped the remote and gave me a deadly look before pushing me out of the way.
I quickly brought another wine flute and a champagne and while I cleared the mess I could feel Alpha Lukan's gaze on me.
" She is your niece, I'm I correct."
" Yes," Aunt Ophelia said immediately.
" So why does she look like your slave?"
Aunt Ophelia and uncle Garrick exchanged shocked glances. This was the first time someone had openly challenged the way they were treating me and from the looks on their faces they hated it.
" She did something terribly wrong," Aunt Ophelia said after a brief moment.
" And what would that possibly be?" Alpha Lukan asked, quite angry.
Aunt Ophelia gave me a brief dirty look before she spoke up again.
"Ask her what happened 15 years ago."
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
"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?"
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
Brenna lived with her adoptive parents for twenty years, enduring their exploitation. When their real daughter appeared, they sent Brenna back to her true parents, thinking they were broke. In reality, her birth parents belonged to a top circle that her adoptive family could never reach. Hoping Brenna would fail, they gasped at her status: a global finance expert, a gifted engineer, the fastest racer... Was there any end to the identities she kept hidden? After her fiancé ended their engagement, Brenna met his twin brother. Unexpectedly, her ex-fiancé showed up, confessing his love...
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."