CURSED FROM WITHIN
His Discarded Luna, the Rival's Obsession
"No wolf. No family. Harmless. Useful. The second I am done with her, the Luna title is yours." Eira Crawford heard those words through her husband's office door. For four years, she had been Sebastian Vale's hidden mate. She managed his household, entertained his relatives, cleaned up his messes, and lived on the three thousand dollars he gave her each month like charity. Even buying a new coat required an explanation. But for his first love, he casually prepared three hundred thousand dollars in research funding. To Sebastian, Eira was nothing more than a wolfless Omega from an orphanage. A quiet, obedient wife with no pack, no power, and no value beyond being useful. He had never introduced her publicly as his Luna. His family treated her like a servant. His sweetheart mocked her as a woman who could only survive by clinging to an Alpha. So Eira stopped crying. She recorded the affair, filed for mate dissolution, and placed the divorce papers in front of Sebastian. Even then, he thought she was throwing a tantrum. He signed without hesitation, certain she would come crawling back once she realized no one else would want a discarded, wolfless Omega. He was wrong. The woman he left at home washing dishes was a Stanford-trained electrical engineer. The "useless" wife he ignored was the hidden chief engineer behind a national self-developed chip project. Her movements were classified. Her disappearance could alert the federal authorities. Her name, once revealed, was enough to shake the entire scientific community. And Sebastian knew nothing. After walking out of his house with nothing but her freedom, Eira crossed paths with Killian Sterling, the coldest and most powerful Alpha in the north. He did not know her name yet, but his wolf recognized something in her that everyone else had missed. Meanwhile, Sebastian finally realized that Eira was not bluffing. He searched the entire city like a madman. For the first time in four years, he publicly called her his wife. He demanded she return. He begged for another chance. But by then, Eira was no longer waiting in his house. She was seated at the Sterling Pack's dinner table, dressed with quiet confidence, while the most feared Alpha in North America stood beside her. In front of everyone, Killian Sterling placed his hand at her back and said coldly, "Eira is not anyone's discarded Omega." "She is my Luna."
Chapter 1 Serpent's Coil
The main screen flashed green.
SUCCESS
For one stunned second, the clean room went silent.
Then the lab exploded.
"We got it!"
Cheers broke out across the room. Someone slapped Eira on the shoulder as Professor Davies pushed through the crowd and pulled her into a quick hug.
"Eira, look at those numbers. This is huge. We just changed the game."
A researcher behind him let out a low whistle. "National pride, military contracts, and enough money to make half the country lose its mind. Not bad for one night, Dr. Crawford."
Davies leaned closer so she could hear him over the noise.
"Your husband is Alpha Sebastian Hale, right?"
Eira nodded.
"This could give Hale Pack a serious edge," he said. "If they get access before the other Packs, they'll leave everyone else in the dust."
His words hit harder than she expected.
She pictured Sebastian opening the certification report. His face would go still first. Then his eyes would sharpen. Maybe, just maybe, he would look at her with something close to respect.
She had wanted that look for four years.
"I'll tell him tonight," Eira said.
Davies grinned. "Good. Let him see what you've been up to."
Eira smiled, but her fingers tightened around the folder.
[No, ]she thought.
[I'm giving him the biggest advantage of his life because I'm his wife.]
She cleared three security checkpoints, changed out of her clean-room suit, and collected the final certification documents.
Her name was printed across the first page.
Dr. Eira Crawford.
She ran her thumb over the title.
This time, no one could call her useless. No one could brush her off as a wolfless omega. No one could say she had nothing to offer an Alpha.
She had built something powerful enough to make entire Packs fight for access.
And tonight, she was going to put it in Sebastian Hale's hands.
--
The VIP elevator took her straight to the top floor of Hale Tower an hour later. Alpha Sebastian used the private suite for late business meetings, and sometimes he slept there when he claimed Hale Group's work ran too late. Eira had brought him dinner there more times than she could count.
This time she brought him a future.
She stepped out of the elevator with the folder held against her chest. The hallway was quiet, thick with expensive carpet and soft yellow wall lights. She was twenty feet from his office when her steps slowed.
Her nose knew before her mind did.
Cedar. Sharp, familiar, warm in the way only Alpha Sebastian's scent could be. It was the scent she had fallen asleep beside for four years, even when his side of the bed stayed cold too long.
But under it was something else.
Sweet. Floral. Not hers.
Eira stopped.
The office door was not fully closed. A thin line of light spilled through the gap, and with it came the mixed scents of two people standing too close.
Then Alpha Sebastian spoke.
"Serena, you know I've always loved you. She means nothing."
The folder slipped slightly in Eira's grip. She caught it before it fell.
Serena's voice came next, soft and wet around the edges, but there was a thin blade of amusement underneath. "If you love me, why did you let that Omega orphan become your Luna? Why didn't you come after me when I left?"
Alpha Sebastian gave a low laugh. Eira knew that laugh. He used it when he wanted someone to feel foolish for doubting him. "You're jealous?"
"Shouldn't I be?" Serena asked.
"I chose her because you left," Alpha Sebastian said. His voice softened, but the softness made it worse. "I needed a Luna. The elders wanted the position filled, and Eira was harmless. No family. No wolf. No one to challenge me."
Harmless.
Eira stood outside the door, unable to breathe.
Serena made a small sound of disgust. "And now?"
"Now she's useful." Alpha Sebastian sounded almost bored. "She runs the house, handles Pack accounts, keeps my mother from turning every dinner into a war. Why would I throw away a tool that still works?"
The word sank into Eira slowly.
Tool.
Not wife. Not Luna. Not partner.
Tool.
Serena was silent for a moment. When she spoke again, her voice had lost its tears. "I don't want to stay hidden forever."
"You won't." Fabric shifted inside the room. "When the time is right, the Luna position will be yours."
"And the heir?"
Alpha Sebastian's answer came without hesitation. "My heir will only come from you."
Eira closed her eyes.
For four years, Alpha Sebastian had avoided touching her. He told her she was young. He told her the silver poisoning he suffered years ago might still affect his body. He said he did not want to hurt her. She had believed him because she wanted to believe there was kindness inside the distance. She had thought he respected her. She had thought patience was love wearing a quiet face.
No.
The truth was simple.
She was not Serena.
Through the crack in the door, she saw Alpha Sebastian lower his head to Serena's neck. His nose brushed her skin, and his expression changed in a way Eira had never seen directed at her. Desire made his proud face almost drunk.
"I missed you," he murmured. "Your scent. Your voice."
Serena leaned into him. "Then divorce her."
"Not yet."
"Why?"
Alpha Sebastian's tone cooled, turning into the voice he used in board meetings. "Because she still serves a purpose. Give her a little attention, and she'll do anything for this family. Don't touch the tool before I'm done using it."
Eira's fingers tightened around the folder until the edge bent.
Inside it was a certification that could have changed Hale Pack's future. She had imagined placing it on Alpha Sebastian's desk and watching pride finally dawn in his eyes. She had imagined him saying her name like it mattered.
Instead, she heard the truth.
For a moment, pain emptied her completely. Then something colder moved in.
She took out her phone with steady hands and pressed record. The screen captured the gap in the door, the angle of Alpha Sebastian's face, Serena's hands on his shirt, the kiss that followed, the way he whispered her name like a vow. Eira recorded until her soul felt far away from her body. Five minutes. Enough for any lawyer. Enough for any Council hearing. Enough for any fool who later tried to call her dramatic.
Then she stopped the recording.
She walked back to the elevator without making a sound. The doors closed around her, cutting off cedar and flowers at last.
In the polished steel, her reflection looked calm.
So calm it felt like a stranger was staring back.
***
Outside Hale Tower, the cold air hit Eira's face. She did not cry. Tears felt too small for what had happened.
She called the legal division of the National Research Institute. Susan answered on the third ring.
"Dr. Crawford?"
"I need a formal mate separation agreement. I have proof of my mate's affair. I want the bond ended and my name removed from all Hale Pack records as soon as possible."
"Standard filing or protected status?"
"Full protection. Highest level. Sebastian must not learn about my security clearance."
Susan paused. "That process will cost you."
"I don't care how much it costs." Eira looked up at Hale Tower. "Get his signature before he figures out what he's losing."
She ended the call and walked away without looking back.
CURSED FROM WITHIN
Rhea has a cursed within herself as she is being rejected and thrown away. She will find a way to return with the help of Atlas who needs her blood for his survival.
The French Army From Within
Before proceeding to the consideration of life as lived in the French Army, it would be well to have a clear understanding of the constitution of the Army of France, the parts of which it is composed, and the conditions under which it is organised and controlled. The British Army is a growth of year
BLAZE WITHIN
Falling for the man who is paying you for sex is a dangerous business. Stella Wyatt is running from an abusive past she'd like to forget. She secures a new identity by working at a brothel to stay hidden. When her once knight-in-shining armor boyfriend becomes what she escaped, she feels responsible
From Cursed Child to Trueborn Scion
For years, I lived in the hallowed halls of the Blackwood estate, a shadow. My supposed mother, Agnes, systematically siphoned my spiritual energy, gifting it to her own daughter, Claire, who reveled in every stolen blessing. I was the family's "cursed" child, scarred and suffering, my true, ancient
Cursed Boss: Stay Away From Me!
Valerie's greatest regret was taking up a job to work as Edwin's personal secretary. It turned out that loyalty didn't mean a thing to him. When he got tired of her after everything she had done for him in the past five years, he transferred her to the branch office without batting an eye. It wa
Darkness Within
Alessia Amara, a 28-year-old down to earth woman, was living a luxurious life, and a happy go lucky one. Her Father, a politician who has a great amount of supporters, decided to hired someone to accompany and protect her since the election is approaching, he chose Hunter Levi, a 31-year-old retire
Within the Law: From the Play of Bayard Veiller
Within the Law: From the Play of Bayard Veiller by Marvin Dana
The Transvaal from Within: A Private Record of Public Affairs
The Transvaal from Within: A Private Record of Public Affairs by Percy Fitzpatrick
Cursed
Ben Logan wakes up in a strange bed with a stab wound in his chest, but no memory of how he got there or what happened to him. Still, the strangest part of it all is that he can no longer shift or communicate with the wolf that lives inside him. Haunted by a beautiful woman each night, Ben becomes
Love Within The Shadows
She swore to avenge her parents. He swore he was innocent. But the heart doesn't always follow the rules. After years of searching, Monica finally comes face to face with the man she believes murdered her parents. Gad is everything she imagined; dangerous, inexplicable, and impossible to trust. But
The Wars Within
In a post-apocalyptic world, Amni is a warrior, and in her state, a hero and worshipped for what she has done to save the world. But when she meets the man that she falls in love with, she must choose from still being the hero that everyone looks to and depends on to save the world, or if she has to
The wolf within her
Born into a werewolf family but believing she was ordinary-until her father is framed and exiled for a crime he didn't commit and she is forced to step into the limelight as an alpha for her pack. What ivy doesn't know is that her entire life has been built on lies , from an ancient prophesy tied to
The Berserker Within Me
In a realm of mystery and danger untold, A hero emerges, brave and bold. Through ancient lands and mythical lore, They embark on a quest like never before. With companions loyal and foes that lurk, They seek a treasure hidden in the murk. Through trials and tests, their mettle is tried, As secrets
Finding My Star Within
My twenty-fifth birthday was three weeks away, and if I wasn't married by then, a rare genetic condition would claim my life. My fiancé, Liam, the man I' d loved my whole life, was supposed to be my savior. But then, at a charity auction, Liam publicly awarded Sarah Jenkins-his assistant, whom I ha
WOLVES WITHIN WALLS
Title: WOLVES WITHIN WALLS Genre: WEREWOLF / URBAN CENTERED/ LEGENDS AND MYTHS --- I. Introduction Zara: A quiet but fiercely intelligent woman who just moved into a luxury high-rise on the 23rd floor. She's recovering from a traumatic past and trying to start over. Lucien: Mysterious, charm
The love within
Cassandra had been in a daze all day, the rosy flush on her delicate pale cheeks refusing to fade. Even while handing documents to Tony, she couldn't meet his deep, narrow eyes. The usually assertive woman now carried a softer, more vulnerable air-something Tony found unexpectedly... alluring. How h
The Resilience Within
"The Resilience Within” is an inspiring and captivating tale that follows the life of Anabel, a young woman navigating the hardships and triumphs of her post-university journey. From the challenges she faces after graduation to the torture life puts her through, Anabel's story embodies the resilienc
Taming The Beast Within
Shea Vestine was an orphan who grew up to be an innocent and kind lady in the Riverstone Pack. She was a servant omega who just wanted to find her mate before her eighteenth birthday – hoping that it would be a strong one and could save her weak wolf. However, if not, they will have to move to the S
The Shadow Within
In 16th century Europe, where humans believe wolves are mere folklore, shape-shifters live secretly among them. Ryker Flynn, last surviving member of the Emberclaw Pack, seeks vengeance against the Shadowmoon Pack for massacring his family. But as war rages between wolves and vampires, Ryker must un
