At 28 Rosalie Summers has still not found her mate, she has all but given up looking. With her brother now Alpha of the pack, Rosalie is free to follow her own path. But when her path takes her to the heart of the rugged English countryside her life changes in more ways than one. Has her mate been hiding in a completely different century? What will she do when she discovers him, return home to her own time and loving family, or give up everything to live in a more rugged and simplistic way.
Some steps need to be taken alone.
It's the only way to figure out where you really need to be.
-Mandy Hale
Prologue
There are often times when I wonder how I got to be where I am in my life right now. At 28, I'm the oldest unmated she-wolf in my pack by at least 5 years.
Its not through lack of trying. For over a decade my parents shipped me off to every ball, picnic and diplomatic meeting that, not just the US, no, the world had to offer. All in the hopes that I would find my mate. I think I can safely boast that there is not one pack that I have not either visited or attended some form of function with. Either my mate died young and I never got the chance to meet him, or has not yet come of age. If it is the latter I might as well shoot myself now because I'm pretty sure that would make me the definition if the word cougar.
No, I'm pretty sure my mate is just not out there. Which makes me the main focus of everyone's sympathy in our pack. I hate it. Even widows and orphaned children don't receive the sad looks, and "are you OK dears" that I receive on a daily basis.
There are often times when I wonder how my life would have been different if I had of met my mate. I watch my brother, now an Alpha ruling over the pack, his Luna by his side and he is happy. The love that shines on his face for his wife and children is the most wonderful thing. My heart aches to feel just a fraction of the happiness he possesses.
On the other hand, I am not bound to anyone or anything. I am free to come and go as I please. I feel blessed to have experienced the world and see things that no one else in our pack would dare to dream about seeing. I have met some amazing wolves along the way, wolves that have become lifelong friends.
So yes, I have a lot to feel sad about, but I have so much more to feel joyous about.
No, I will not meet my mate, but maybe I can still have a chance at feeling love?
It was on my 28th Birthday that I decided that I had spent too much time waiting for my mate to appear. I was going to take life into my own hands.
I know my parents are going to be so upset when I tell them, but I have to do this for me, before I'm too old that no one will want me.
Two summers ago, my parents sent me to a pack in the south of England. The Eclipse Pack. The English packs are much smaller that here in the US, but it was during my stay with them that I met my best friend. Steph Black. We clicked straight away. She was bubbly and bright. Like me she was the oldest daughter to the Alpha and we had so much fun together. She had been widowed several years after finding her mate. She had no children. Just a zest for life that was contagious.
Many wolves who loose their mates, young or old, end up giving up on life. Some even die of a broken heart, half of your soul dies along with your mate, and that must be one of the most difficult things any wolf will have to overcome. Steph never let it get the better of her, her mate told her that if anything ever happened to him, that he wanted her to keep on living. That is exactly what she did.
I think that is why I clicked so well with Steph, she was the complete opposite to everyone in my pack. She wasn't happy to dwell on the past or missed opportunities.
The one thing that did not happen whilst I was with the Eclipse pack, I did not get one single sympathetic look or pat on the shoulder. I was just accepted for who and what I was. Treated like any other member of the pack. I didn't want to leave.
Steph's parents offered me a place in their pack if I ever wanted to come back to them. Richard and Joanne Black were the most down to earth Alpha and Luna I had the pleasure to meet. There whole ethos seemed to differ from the rest of the werewolf community.
To start with, they didn't get hung up on titles. Everyone in the pack knew who they were, and they gave them the respect they deserved because of how amazing they were at leading, not because they demanded it of their pack. They had easy going nature, their home was everyone's home. It was the hub of the community, wolves coming and going. Food was always waiting for the next hungry wolf to walk through the door. It was like one big family.
Some may deem this as a weakness, an easy target ready for the taking. Richard knew how to defend his land. His warriors were ready to charge into battle at a moments notice. Every wolf from the age of 12 was trained to defend themselves. Those that showed an altitude for fighting would go up in the ranks and become a warrior.
My favourite part about the Eclipse Pack was their location. They were nestled right in the middle of the New Forest. Not only were there vast area or woodland, but also rugged heathland that is covered in wild gorse and pines.
The pack settlement was built within the confines as a what would have been a massive castle once upon a time. The castle itself is long gone and was now just a pile of stones that had a tendency to slip down ever so often, but outer walls, moat and drawbridge are still very much intact.
I have never felt a connection to one place like I did to the Eclipse pack.
So on my 28th Birthday, as I blew out the candle on the cake my beautiful niece made for me, I made a promise to myself. That I was going to move away from home, and I was going to forge my own path.
That is what lead me here, to the Alphas office, waiting for my brother to answer the door. I know he would not be happy. I also knew that he would not stop me. His main concern is my happiness.
I truly believe that the Eclipse pack is where I'm meant to be.
Rosalie has crossed over the void of time, and overcome a mountain of obstacles to find her one true mate Alexander Black. She has given up everything she holds dear to be with him. But fate is now beginning to catch up with the Black family. Whilst Alexander is faced with a rival from the past, baying for his crown, Rosalie is dealing with a foe much closer to home... Rosalie is a white wolf, the Goddess' own assassin and protector of the werewolf species. Will Rosalie find the power within to defeat a new dark evil? In order to save the life she has made for herself in the past, she will now have to once more leave everything she loves behind and venture back to the future to defeat what lurks in the shadows..... Landon Coombes has know that Rosalie Summers was his second chance mate the moment that he laid eyes on her. But when she mysteriously disappeared without explanation, he begins to fear that he will be alone forever. That is until Rosalie reappears just as unexpectedly as she left. Landon finds himself doing all that he can to help Rosalie defeat a new dark evil which threatens to destroy the Eclipse pack forever, all in the hopes of proving how much he cares for her. But Rosalie is nursing a broken heart, can Landon be the glue to hold her together once again, or are somethings just too hard to put back together?
The pagan festival of Samhain is upon us. For Melinda Walker, it will be her first festival where she is of age to partake in the ceremonies. But when she is introduced to a dark and seductive warlock, she willing follows him down a path that leads her to trifle with the veil that separates the mortal and spiritual realms. Can she return the natural order of things before the end of all hallows, or will she be stuck in the realm of spirits for all eternity....
Avalon Taylor is one of the best Hunters that has graduated from the academy in a century. But when her past life collides with her new she realises that the world was not so full of darkness as she was lead to believe. Are the true monsters those who have raised her for the last 10 years? Her fate is entwined with another, will she find out the truth of her parents death before the world of creatures is snuffed out forever?
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.
The kiss grew more passionate as he felt her warm supple body pressing against his chest. He couldn't believe how soft she was. He was gentler this time, making love to her with a slow, languorous pace, pausing now and then to check the expression on her face. Kira was. transported. She no longer felt the fabric of the sheets underneath her. One moment, she was floating in the air, cuddled by cotton candy clouds. The next, she'd become one with a dinghy, bobbing up and down with the undulating waves. His scent enveloped her. He was on top of her, using his arms to support his weight and avoid crushing her. She snuggled up closer to him, safe and snug, cocooned in his warmth. Kira had always marvelled at Austyn's stamina, but he outdid himself tonight. In the midst of overwhelming rapture, Kira still had the presence of mind to broach the subject she'd been meaning to bring up. 'My dad's medical bills.' Austyn paused. He frowned as he looked into those beseeching eyes. 'It'll be taken care of by the end of business day tomorrow,' he said with a bit of an edge in his voice. Kira breathed out. ****** She is a 21-year-old college student who dreams of becoming a journalist. He is the heir of the McCarthy family and president of a business empire. She is bright-eyed and vivacious, a glass-half-full kind of gal. When life throws her a curveball, she knocks it out of the park. He is the archetypal alpha male, aggressive and domineering. Endowed with both brains and brawn, he steamrolls over his enemies and rules his company with an iron fist. The two would never have crossed paths if not for a cruel twist of fate. Kira's world was turned upside down when her father was hospitalised after a car accident. The medical bills were astronomical. Austyn McCarthy offered her a way out. The price: becoming his contract wife. At night, he consummated their marriage but called out another woman's name. Who was she? Why did Austyn marry Kira if he was in love with someone else? Kira was his lawful wife, but she had no right to ask these questions. Then one day, the woman showed up in front of her.
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."