The Wildlands are in chaos: a mysterious and destructive force is spreading terror among the werewolf packs. The Ancients, guardians of the balance, force an unlikely alliance between three rival Alphas to confront this threat. But this forced union awakens buried conflicts and old wounds. The three Alphas must not only fight this force, but also overcome their own distrust, secrets, and conflicting desires. Their survival-and that of their packs-will depend on their ability to cooperate, but at what cost? Will alliances break? Will budding feelings disrupt their mission? And above all, can they face a shocking truth that could change everything: what if the threat comes from one of their own?
The Wildlands breathed a deceptive serenity. The wind crept between the ancient trees, whispering forgotten stories, while the shadows of dusk devoured the remaining light. However, in this fragile balance, an unimaginable disaster had just occurred. The Silver Moon pack, one of the most respected and powerful in the region, had been reduced to nothing.
The first to discover the horror was a young scout from the neighboring pack. As he approached the clearing where the wolves' cabins stood, he smelled ashes and blood. His heart accelerated, and he hesitated to take the last few meters. But his duty required him to continue. When he entered the camp, the scale of the massacre took his breath away. Bodies, inert, littered the ground. Men, women, children... All had perished. There was no sign of struggle, no scream etched in the air, as if death had fallen silently, implacably.
He knelt in front of the corpse of a young boy, his face frozen in an expression of fear. A strange mark, black and pulsing, adorned his neck, like burnt tree roots embedded in flesh.
The message was brought to the Elders as soon as night fell. The latter, guardians of tradition and balance, had seen centuries pass before their eyes, but never anything like this.
In a room smoked by flickering torches, the Elders gathered, murmuring in low voices, their serious faces lit by the flickering glow of the flames. Silence reigned, punctuated only by the creaking of wood beneath their feet. Finally, the oldest of them, a man bent by the weight of age but whose eyes still shone with lively intelligence, spoke.
- This is not the work of an enemy pack, he whispered. No claw marks, no bites. This is beyond anything we know.
A murmur ran through the assembly.
- So what is ? asked a female voice.
Another Elder, younger but just as worried, replied:
- An ancient, forgotten force. A shadow that we have neglected.
The decision was taken immediately. An urgent summons was sent to all Alphas in the Wildlands. The emergency was clear, and the danger omnipresent.
***
Kael was the first to answer the call. The Alpha with the sharp gaze and imposing posture entered the room, his boots hitting the stone floor with authority. His pack, located east of the Wildlands, had not yet been affected, but he knew the danger was universal.
- What is the meaning of this meeting ? he said, without preamble.
The Elders exchanged cautious glances before responding.
- An unknown threat arises. An entire pack was wiped out. We must join forces to confront it.
Kael frowned, his tone becoming sharp.
- An alliance ? With whom ?
The door opened again, revealing a slender but determined figure. Selene, the lone Alpha, stepped forward with calculated grace. His icy gaze swept the room before settling on Kael.
- With me, apparently, she said matter-of-factly.
Kael did not mask his contempt.
- An Alpha who never needed anyone ? Why should I trust you ?
Selene didn't answer, but a glint of irritation flashed in her eyes. Before she could retort, a third figure entered the room.
- Enough ! a deep voice growled.
It was Alaric, a massive Alpha whose reputation for brutality was well established. He looked at Kael and Selene before turning to the Elders.
- Explain yourself, he ordered.
The eldest Elder, still calm, raised a soothing hand.
- We understand your reluctance, but this threat goes beyond your quarrels. If you remain divided, your packs will perish, one by one.
Kael, with his arms crossed, replied defiantly:
- And what guarantees us that this is not a ploy ? Maybe this threat is exaggerated to manipulate us.
Selene nodded, but before she could say anything else, Alaric slammed his fist on the table.
- What if it's real ? Are we ready to take this risk ?
A heavy silence settled in, broken only by the crackling of torches. The Elder continued:
- You must put aside your differences. If we want to survive, an alliance is our only option.
Thunder rumbled in the distance, and an icy breeze seeped through a half-open window. Selene finally breaks the silence.
- Alright. But know this: if one of you puts my pack in danger, I will not hesitate to take action.
Kael gave an ironic smile.
- A threat ? Charming. It starts well.
Alaric growled, visibly irritated.
- Enough useless words. We have an enemy to defeat. Let's find it.
The Elders nodded, but a palpable tension hung in the air. The three Alphas had just reached a fragile agreement, but each knew that their mutual distrust would be as great an obstacle as the threat itself.
***
Beyond the Hall of Elders, the night seemed heavier, darker. A distant howl echoed, a cry of despair that made even the most hardened hearts shudder. From the shadows of the trees, an indistinct figure watched, its eyes glowing with a reddish glow.
The Wildlands would experience much darker times.
Under the gaze of a fallen mafia, Elvie, a young woman with a troubled past and victim of a brutal ex, seeks to rebuild her life. Working as an assistant in the villa of the Corleone, an influential crime family, she tries to avoid conflict with the three Corleone brothers, all as dangerous as each other. But everything changes when Adriano, the eldest brother and heir, breaks his arranged engagement to embrace the war between enemy families and must quickly remarry. Cold and calculating, he sees Elvie as a simple piece in his game. For her, he is just another nightmare to flee. But as they interact, appearances crumble and unexpected bonds are forged. As her ex resurfaces, Elvie will have to choose between her new life, her secrets and the growing violence that threatens everything she has rebuilt.
Alice's life has been devastated by the betrayal of those she believed to be her allies. Five years ago, her fiancé, in the grip of a professional failure, convinced her to sacrifice her dreams to help him get back on his feet. But her best friend, hungry for glory and power, made a decision that would change their friendship forever, by secretly becoming a surrogate mother. When Alice's fiancé, now at the top of his career, left her, claiming that she no longer met his expectations, Alice, broken, accepted the proposal of the mysterious billionaire, Gabriel Hartman. Known for his coldness and indifference, Gabriel seemed to offer Alice an escape. What she didn't know was that he was the one who had orchestrated her best friend's request for maternity... But what if everything she thought she knew was just a decoy? What if, deep down, the price of her redemption is much higher than she imagined? Can the truth really mend broken hearts, or will secrets destroy everything in their path?
Zoe's dreams of marriage are shattered when she catches her fiance in a compromising situation with his best friend. Devastated, she seeks to recover what she has lost. That's when an enigmatic man, a warm billionaire named Maxime Delacroix, offers her an unexpected solution: a loveless marriage, a contractual alliance with the aim of destroying his ex's career. Although reluctant, Zoe accepts, ready to do anything to get revenge. But as their relationship grows, Zoe realizes that the stakes are more complex than she imagined. Between revenge and a budding passion for this distant man, she finds herself torn between her desire for justice and her budding feelings. How far will she be willing to go to get revenge without losing everything in the process?
Lily thought she had a simple life, surrounded by her adoptive parents in a small town. But everything changed the day she learned that her real parents were industrial tycoons and that she had a twin brother, heir to a family empire. Welcomed into a world of luxury, she found herself facing a reality very different from the one she knew. Her brother, a cold and ambitious man, had always hated her. "You're just an intruder, Lily," he told her. But another secret resurfaced: a mysterious businessman claimed that Lily was the rightful heir to a huge hidden fortune. "It's time you knew the truth," he told her. Between betrayals and revelations, Lily must choose between wealth and family loyalty.
Lara Sanders and Ethan Cole had been together for five years, but Lara had never been his priority. Ethan, obsessed with his work, did not see the soul of the woman he had married. Lara had tried to rekindle the flame, but in vain. She had had enough. One day, she left everything: the house, the promises, and Ethan. Years later, Lara reappears. She has become a successful entrepreneur, an icon of the business world, and no one recognizes her anymore as the fragile young woman she once was. Far from the shy and discreet Lara, she is now a queen of industry, admired and respected. At a public event, a journalist asks her: "Lara, you are the most influential businesswoman of the moment. What is the key to your success?" Lara, with a mysterious smile, answers: "Never let a man define you. Take charge of your life. » The next day, to everyone's surprise, Ethan appears at Lara's door. The man she thought had been forgotten, who had let her go without a glance, returns with a surprising proposition: "Lara, I made a mistake. Can we start all over again... Together?"
Luca Moretti, an influential businessman, is forced to marry Amélie Lefevre, a woman he considers a simple family obligation. Already in love with another, he vows to make Amélie's life hell so that she will ask for a divorce. However, he does not know that Amélie is hiding a secret that could change his life forever. Behind her calm facade, Amélie is much more determined and intelligent than he thinks. What will happen when Luca finds himself caught in his own game? Will he succeed in breaking their union or will he succumb to the hidden truth?
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Chandler Su who had cheated by her boyfriend then got drunk at a bar. To take revenge, she grabbed a man randomly and took him to the room. After a crazy night, Chandler found the strange man was a super handsome guy the next morning. Shy and shocked Chandler run away after leaving 150 RMB and scorning the man of his poor bed skills. However, she never thought the story would become so dramatic as the next day, she found out that the new coming president of her company was exactly the man she slept the last night! Worse than that, this new boss seemed very narrow-minded as he asked Chandler to come to his office on the first day.
"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?"
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.
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."
"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?"