"I reject you Marian Storm!" Those were the words she could never have dreamed to hear from the Alpha heir to her father's pack. And certainly not at the New Year's Moon celebration, in front of the whole pack. Leaving the pack compound that had been her prison for three years, Marian was heartbroken and determined never to return. But she knew she would, she must. After her rejection, the only desire left in her life was to kill the Alpha who had taken over her father's pack, failing that, she would leave the pack and become a rouge wolf. She returns home for Christmas to attend her fallen family's memorial service. On Christmas Eve, during the pack's mistletoe ceremony, she receives a gift she never expected, a gift no one wanted – Reyland, the biological son of the Alpha she has sworn to kill. Would this gift given to her by the moon goddess help Marian fulfill her desire to reclaim her pack, or would it stir up new passions within her broken heart and consume her instead?
It was that time of the year again. The time of the year Marian hated the most – Christmas.
Away from her pack for almost a year after her self-imposed exile, she had returned to fulfill her duties as the only surviving child and sibling of her late mother and brother.
Goddess, how I hate this place, she mused as she strode toward the pack hall, her hips swaying as she walked purposefully toward the hall in her gold dress and strappy gold heels, all five feet eleven inches of her, as a light breeze pulled on her waist length dark brown hair and silk gown.
Marian had the lean, athletic build of a warrior she-wolf, and she moved like the alpha wolf that she was – long, determined strides, her green eyes fixed on her destination, her back and head straight and upright.
"Why do I have to come back here?"
"All these people...! This place...! It's exactly the same," Marian said haughtily, speaking to her wolf, Dinka, in their mind space.
At the beginning of this very year, Marian had been rejected by the current pack Alpha's adopted son and chosen heir to the pack, Dorien, at the New Year Moon party, in full view of the whole pack.
She could still hear the words now as she headed toward the large pack house.
"I, Dorien Aldon, reject you, Marian Storm, as my mate!"
With those words from him, her heart had felt like it was going to explode, and till today, she did not know how she had managed it, but she had fled from the same pack hall she was now striding toward.
She straightened her shoulders at the thought, pushing the memory back where it belonged – down and out of her mind – as she continued her approach.
"You know why," Dinka replied steadily as she watched the other wolves around, sniffing at some and keeping her distance from others.
"Yeah," Marian replied lazily.
Marian had left the pack compound after the rejection and would have stayed away permanently, if not for the memorial service she needed to attend for her mother and brother.
She sniffed the air, and her wolf, Dinka, purred.
Dinka had missed the pack life. Marian had not.
"Let's go to him!" Dinka urged in the mind space she shared with her human.
"Sure, D. Let's find him," Marina replied as she arrived at the hall where the pack's Christmas Eve ceremony was in full swing.
This was a party held every year, on Christmas Eve, to usher the pack into Christmas Day; fondly referred to as the mistletoe drop party by young wolves.
Christmas had always been a main celebration in her pack, and this had not changed after the war four years ago – the war in which she had lost her mother and younger brother.
The war in which she and her father, the erstwhile Alpha, had lost and were taken prisoner by the victor of the bloody battle – Dax Garrant, the current pack Alpha and a man Marcia had called uncle for most of her life, right up to that deadly fight.
The pack compound was a sight to behold.
Marian entered the hall and strolled around the grandly decorated room. Lights were everywhere, wonderful Christmas decorations adorned the ceiling and the walls, and there was more than enough food and drink going around.
Everyone was dressed in their finest wear.
Is that her?
Yeah!
Wow!
Don't look...
She seems...different...
Shh!
The words flitted through the air in the hall, and Marian knew they were talking or gossiping about her, but she did not care.
She was dressed in a gold gown her father had prepared for her. A dress that was both alluring and an official statement.
A statement that she was back and that she would not be cowed.
She did not notice the heads that turned or the eyes that stared. She was not here for them.
She glanced around the full hall, searching for her father.
To usher in the big day, this year's party was livelier than the last one. Various wolf clans had been invited, and even a few rogue wolves who dwelled around the perimeter of their pack lands were in attendance on this day.
There was chatting, laughing, and some side games going on in the hall.
Marian waded deeper into the room. Some wolves nodded to her, others gawked and whispered, and still others looked away, pretending not to have noticed her.
But Marian did not care for any of them, some had been allies of her father's during the war, others had been on Dax's side.
After the battle, some had been part of the group who had abused her, used her as a punching bag during training, or treated her lower than a slave – when her father was not near – or had been part of the group who looked away when she was being mistreated.
It did not matter now. Not anymore. After the rejection, after she had been allowed to leave, she had freed herself of this place and these people in ways they would never understand.
She was not their prisoner anymore, not in her heart or in her mind. She was only back for one reason, and once her duty was fulfilled, she would leave.
"Where is he..." Marian said irritably to Dinka as she glanced around.
There were too many smells in the room, and something was also interfering with her nasal cavity.
"It's almost time, they must have started releasing the gas," Dinka said in a low growl.
"Yeah, it should be time soon," Marian confirmed.
"I can't wait to get out of here," she continued, complaining to her wolf.
Marian had returned to the pack to attend the memorial service that was held every year, for the past three years, to commemorate the war she and her father had lost and Dax had won.
The whole pack attended. It was a grave day for everyone. Almost everyone in the pack had lost someone on that day. It was not a service for only her lost loved ones, it was for the pack's lost loved ones.
"Use the link," Dinka urged.
Marian did not respond.
Her green eyes narrowed as she spun around and waded deeper into the hall.
She did not want to be here, and she was not wanted here; most especially by Alpha Dax.
They shared a deep hatred that could never be mended. Not only had he, with his own hands, killed her family, he had taken the only family she had left, away from her.
And kept him at his side like a prize on permanent display.
She hated him, and Dax could not care less about her.
Not Castian! Anyone but him! Why is the moon goddess punishing me?! Chrystal thought. An enemy to her father and their kingdom, one banished from her own pack, the moon goddess chose the one person who should never have anything to do with her – the rogue alpha, Castian Rhodes! Will Chystal be able to return to the life she has always known, or will she be forced to embrace a new life with the exiled rogue wolf with whom she has nothing in common except a bond neither of them wants? As masks fall on all sides, which of her mates will she choose, the Noble Alpha, Darius, her lover and betrothed, or the rogue alpha, Castian Rhodes?
Chrystal, the young Luna-to-be, has long waited to be bonded with her childhood betrothed, Darius. On the night her world was to be made complete, it is completely shattered by the moon goddess' decree! Her mate is the vicious killer and rogue wolf, Castian, and now, thanks to the bond, so is she! Marked as a traitor by her own pack, Chrystal is forced to flee the only home she has ever known, or face death. Trapped by a wolf and a bond she does not deserve, Chrystal must choose between running for her life or facing the growing connection she starts to feel with a man she should fear. Will she fight her fate? Or embrace a love that could destroy them both?
Fate! Chance! A terrible accident changes the course of Karen's life. Thrown into the world of enigmatic billionaires Taylor Grey and his father Marshal Grey, she must find her way out of the cage presented to her by their family. Karen thought Taylor Grey was offering a helping hand after causing the accident that took away her livelihood, but she soon discovered that his father had other plans for her that she could never have imagined. Forced to play a role she never wanted, can she escape before it's too late for her to return to her own life? Torn between two very different men, who will she turn to for the freedom she desperately seeks? Will Karen find redemption or stay trapped by a family that will do anything to have their way?
Marcia and Jullian were inseparable in college; they were like two halves of one whole. Everyone thought they were a forever couple. On the day of their graduation, Jullian vanished without a trace, and Marcia's world came crashing down. Five years later, after rebuilding her life abroad, Marcia is back home, fully focused on her new company, the new love of her life. Just as things are falling into place, Jullian suddenly reappears, still as captivating as ever. His reason for coming back? To "help" Marcia and to "correct" his past mistakes. Jullian has a proposal – one that feels more like a challenge – sell your company to me and let me take care of you the way I should have years ago. What follows is a battle of wills. Will Marcia hold on to the independence she fought so hard to achieve, or will Jullian's return and his offer of security be too much to resist? It's a showdown between the woman who craves freedom and the one who once let her go.
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
In her previous life, Kimberly endured the betrayal of her husband, the cruel machinations of an evil woman, and the endless tyranny of her in-laws. It culminated in the bankruptcy of her family, and ultimately, her death. After being reborn, she resolved to seek retribution against those who had wronged her, and ensure her family's prosperity. To her shock, the most unattainable man from her past suddenly set his sights on her. "You may have overlooked me before, but I shall capture your heart this time around."
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
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."
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.