Ivy's world shatters when she uncovers her mate's betrayal. But when he is accused of a horrific crime and abandons her to face the consequences, Ivy takes the ultimate step to protect her pack-she turns herself in to the infamous Lycan King. King Cassian is a ruler known for his unforgiving nature and ruthless rule. Yet when their paths cross, Ivy feels an undeniable pull toward him, only to discover that he is her fated mate. Can she find compassion in the heart of the merciless king, or will she be condemned by his unrelenting judgment?
Ivy POV
I stood frozen, the truth of my mate's betrayal sinking into my bones like a deadly poison. My breath came in short, shallow gasps, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene unfolding before me.
There he was- Dorian, my mate- locked in an embrace with another woman. His lips were pressed to hers with a hunger that I had once thought belonged to me. His hands caressed her body with a tenderness I had only ever known in the privacy of our shared moments. The woman, with her long dark hair cascading down her back, seemed to melt into his touch as if they had always belonged together.
The sharp pang in my chest mirrored the sting of betrayal. My mate. The man I had trusted. The man I had given my heart to without question, without hesitation. But this... this was unforgivable.
I stumbled backward, my heart hammering in my chest as my legs threatened to give way beneath me. How long had it been going on? How long had he been lying to me?
"Ivy," a voice called from behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. My closest friend, Serena, had been with me from the beginning. Her presence, a steady comfort, should have made me feel safer. Instead, it only deepened the ache inside me.
She moved quickly to my side, concern etched into her features as she studied me. "You saw, didn't you?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice. My emotions swirled in a chaotic whirlwind. Anger, betrayal, hurt-all of them mingling together to form a storm I wasn't sure I could control.
"We need to go," Serena said, her voice low and urgent. "Before anyone notices you here."
But I didn't move. I couldn't. Every part of me was paralyzed by the shock of it all. The man I had once believed would protect me had shattered that illusion in the most painful way imaginable. How could I have been so blind?
"I never thought he would do this..." My voice was barely above a whisper, the weight of my words pressing heavily on my chest. "He was my mate."
Serena placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch grounding me as the reality of what had just happened settled in. "I know, Ivy. I know."
The images of Dorian with her-touching her, kissing her-flashed in my mind again. The betrayal cut deeper with every second that passed.
But then, something shifted. A presence. A coldness that seeped into the air like a tangible force. My heart skipped a beat, and I turned to find the source of that unnerving energy.
Standing at the edge of the clearing, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my breath catch, was King Cassian.
The Lycan King.
His presence alone seemed to freeze the world around us. The very air seemed to grow heavier, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
Ivy.
His deep voice rang in my mind like a warning, sharp and commanding, yet oddly familiar. My heart skipped again, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was something else-something darker.
"Your presence is required," he said, his tone unwavering, his gaze never leaving mine.
Serena stiffened beside me. "We need to leave, Ivy. The king..." She trailed off, uncertainty filling her voice.
The king took a step forward, his gaze unwavering. He was the embodiment of power, the ruler of all Lycans, and he could destroy me with a mere word.
I turned toward Serena, my voice barely a whisper. "I have to go."
Before she could protest, I began walking toward him. The distance between us felt like an eternity, but every step was drawn by an invisible pull, one I couldn't resist.
King Cassian stood tall, his dark, regal cloak sweeping behind him like a shadow. His piercing gaze remained fixed on me as if he were waiting for something, his expression unreadable. I couldn't tell if he was here to judge me or to offer mercy.
"Your mate's actions have caught the attention of many," he said, his voice cutting through the night air like a blade. "You'll need to come with me, Ivy."
I hesitated, my feet rooted to the ground. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind. Why was he here? Why now? And why was he looking at me like that?
Serena's voice broke through my swirling thoughts. "Ivy, you don't have to go with him. We can fight this."
But I knew better. The Lycan King was not a man who could be defied without consequences. And if Dorian's betrayal had already drawn the king's ire, then there was little hope for me.
"I'll go," I said softly, my voice trembling with the weight of my decision.
Serena's eyes widened in shock. "No, Ivy! Don't-"
"I have to," I interrupted, my heart heavy with the responsibility of it all. "I have to protect the pack."
And with that, I turned and followed King Cassian into the shadows, unsure of what awaited me, but knowing I had no other choice.
---
King Cassian's POV
The forest was quiet, the only sounds the soft rustle of the leaves in the wind and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures. Yet even amidst this serenity, I could feel the weight of the situation pressing in. Ivy, the woman I had been sent for, stood before me. Her heart, already torn by betrayal, was now caught in a whirlwind of confusion and fear.
It was no surprise that she would come willingly. I had seen it in her eyes when she looked at me. The bond. The undeniable pull of the mate bond that connected us across distance and time. She might not have known it yet, but she was mine. And I would make sure she understood that soon enough.
"I did not come to harm you," I said, my voice softer than I intended. The last thing I wanted was to make her think I was like the others who ruled with fear and cruelty. "But you are in danger. There are forces at work beyond your understanding, Ivy."
Her gaze flickered to me, hesitant, but there was something else in her eyes too-curiosity, perhaps, or a quiet resignation. I wasn't sure yet.
"You'll have to trust me," I continued. "Your mate's betrayal has set off a chain of events that cannot be undone. You are no longer safe here."
She clenched her fists at her sides, her expression a mix of anger and disbelief. "I don't need your protection," she spat, her voice trembling with emotion. "I need answers. What do you want from me, King Cassian?"
I could feel the power of her emotions as they surged through the bond. She was strong-stronger than she realized. That much, I could sense. But she was also broken, and I would be the one to either fix her or shatter her further.
"I don't want anything from you," I said, my voice firm. "I'm here to ensure that you survive this. That's all."
She eyed me, clearly skeptical. I could see her weighing her options, weighing the truth of my words against the chaos in her heart.
On the night of the Blood Moon, Nikky Lumpo thought she'd finally find her place-bound by fate to the Alpha she had always loved. But when Alpha Tobias Mattheus rejects her in front of the entire pack, branding her as weak and unworthy, her world shatters. Left broken and cast out, Nikky flees into the forbidden woods, where an ancient, cursed power stirs. There, she encounters Julio Irving, a monstrous, exiled Lycan who has spent centuries in the shadows. But instead of killing her, he does the unthinkable-he claims her as his mate. Bound by a force stronger than fate itself, Nikky finds herself torn between the mate who cast her aside and the beast who sees her true worth. As war looms between packs and long-buried secrets come to light, Nikky must make a choice-embrace the darkness and claim her power, or risk losing herself to a love that was never meant to be.
For years, Adele Kenneth has been a ghost in her own pack-an omega orphan with no place, no power, and no future. But everything changes the night she shifts for the first time... and her wolf calls to the most feared Alpha in the realm. Drake Anders is known as the Shadow Alpha, a ruthless leader with a past stained in blood. He doesn't believe in fated mates-until the moment he lays eyes on Adele. But claiming her would ignite a war, for she belongs to the very pack that slaughtered his family. Torn between vengeance and an undeniable bond, Drake must decide: will he defy fate and let Adele go, or will he risk everything to keep her by his side? With enemies lurking in the shadows and secrets threatening to destroy them both, their love may be the only thing powerful enough to rewrite destiny-or doom them forever.
Raine Carter has spent her life on the run, hiding a deadly secret-she is the last descendant of a bloodline powerful enough to challenge the rule of the ruthless Alpha King, Kade Voss. When fate forces her back into the heart of the Shadowfang Pack, she comes face-to-face with the one wolf she never expected-her fated mate. Kade has ruled with an iron fist, never expecting the Moon Goddess to grant him a mate. Yet, when he scents Raine, everything changes. She is his, and nothing will stop him from claiming her. But Raine refuses to bow, carrying secrets that could shatter his world. As passion ignites and dark forces rise, Raine must decide-surrender to the mate bond or fight for her freedom. But when an ancient enemy emerges, threatening to destroy them both, Kade and Raine must unite or risk losing everything, including their hearts.
Self-made businesswoman Aria Lawson unexpectedly lands a high-profile job as the personal assistant to the reclusive billionaire Nicolas Vaughn, she quickly learns that nothing about him is as it seems. Behind his cold demeanor and untouchable reputation lies a man struggling with his past and a deep, dark secret. As Aria and Nicolas's professional relationship turns personal, their undeniable chemistry leads them down a dangerous path of forbidden desire. But with the shadows of his secrets threatening to tear them apart, will Aria be able to forgive Nicolas's past in exchange for a future together, or will his lies destroy everything they've built?
When Cynthia Brown, a struggling artist, finds herself stranded in a small coastal town after a car breakdown, the last thing she expects is to cross paths with the town's most elusive resident- Arnaut Peterson, a reclusive billionaire with a past he refuses to face. Arnaut, once a celebrated architect, has buried himself in solitude after a devastating betrayal. But Cynthia's fiery spirit and stubborn optimism chip away at the walls he's built around his heart. As she paints murals on the town's forgotten buildings, she unknowingly brings color back into Arnaut's world. With each passing day, their connection deepens, but ghosts of their pasts threaten to pull them apart. Cynthia is running from a love that nearly destroyed her, and Arnaut fears letting someone in again. When the past finally catches up, they must decide- are they willing to risk everything for a love they never saw coming?
Lena, a girl with a troubled past, lands a servant job in a foreign country, hoping to escape her hardships. Her life takes an unexpected twist when she loses her virginity to a wealthy, heartbroken man, Max Kingston, who recently discovered his girlfriend's betrayal. Max falls deeply for Lena, but his world shatters when she narrowly escapes a murder attempt, and he vows to track down the one responsible for hurting the woman he loves. Lena's life spirals further when she finds out she's pregnant with Max's child, but a dangerous shootout leaves Max with partial memory loss, and he forgets everything about her. As Lena faces wrongful accusations and a potential jail sentence for a crime framed by the Baxter brothers back home, she feels crushed. Will Max remember the woman he loves in time to save her from this nightmare? Or will Lena be deported and imprisoned for a crime she never committed?
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
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.
“Drive this woman out!” "Throw this woman into the sea!” When he doesn’t know Debbie Nelson’s true identity, Carlos Hilton cold-shoulders her. “Mr. Hilton, she is your wife,” Carlos’ secretary reminded him. Hearing that, Carlos gives him a cold stare and complained, “why didn’t you tell me earlier?” From then on, Carlos spoils her rotten. Little did everyone expect that they would get a divorce.
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
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...