With the world crumbling apart during another war, Eliana is tasked to bring two nations together through marriage. Plans change drastically when her caravan is attacked by assassins and she is forced to go on the run. While fleeing assassins, Eliana will meet Jasper, a young werebear searching for the love of his mate. As Eliana discovers that her lineage holds a dangerous secret, she will be faced with the magnetic attraction she feels for Jasper, a member of the race responsible for killing her mother. The Princess and Her Werebear is created by Sierra Christenson, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
The night is quiet, a small breeze blowing through the land, upturning loose gravel and russet grass.
The stories have been coming in daily. The death toll and the numbers of enemy soldiers crossing their border only continues to increase excessively.
This is what Eliana ponders on as she sits on her balcony, watching the wisps of clouds shift over the harvest moon. The bright hue washes over the sky and paints her father's dark castle maroon.
The small tower in which her quarters reside, are scorched along the outer walls. The worn-down palace is surrounded by a barren wasteland that expands for miles outside the small village at its base. Eliana remembers when it was once lush and bountiful. When she would pick berries with her mother all day. Now the grass lay in clumps, the bushes burned or dried up. A majority of the trees are chopped down and the fields that the farmers once plowed are now unfertile.
"Princess Eliana, you should really come inside."
She turns, her wavy, golden hair slipping from her shoulder and swaying across her back. She smiles softly toward her elderly handmaiden.
"Selma, it is a nice night tonight. I have not been able to enjoy such an evening in quite a long time." She moves over to Selma, her pale blue dress swaying around her. "This war has taken so much from not only us, but the whole country."
The handmaid softens her dark gaze, lowering her shoulders. "My Lady, you are secure within these walls."
A rough knock echoes throughout the bedchamber and Selma shuffles over to answer. A young, burly man clad in armor barely fits in her doorframe.
"My Lady, the king requests your presence."
"Thank you," a small smile crosses her lips.
The soldier bows and disappears into the shadows of the corridor.
Eliana finds her father in his study. This is where he is for the majority of his day. His shoulders are sagging and his once perfectly dark mane is now greying.
This war will take Eliana's lineage from her if they do not find a way to counter King Krite and his sons.
"Father," she announces as she moves to his side.
King Daniel Georgian glances up from the parchment spread out in front of him. They consist of maps and old battle plans etched into the crumpled material. There are two soldiers, high ranking generals, that stand next to her father. They bow before quietly leaving.
He stretches his back, wincing, "I have important news to tell you."
Normally Eliana is invited to the planning for the battles. Being the highest regarded confidant of the King gives her the opportunity to have a say in almost all matters. "What is it father?"
"This war has taken a lot out of me. Krite has already destroyed half of our country." Her father's voice is rough and gravelly. This carnage has lasted for years. Since her mother passed.
Eliana places a hand gently on the King's arm. "Drein is strong. We will overcome this, father, I know it."
"The country of Climont that Krite rules might be smaller, but their soldiers are trained from a young age, specifically for war. There is no room for weakness. If I allow this war to go on much longer, all of our citizens will be out of a home, or massacred." His hands are tight against the table, his brow furrowed.
Eliana ponders for a moment. "What are we to do?"
The King straightens and folds his large arms. He refuses to look his daughter in the eye as he speaks. "Prince Drake, the third son of King Krite, has offered a solution. It has not even been mentioned to Krite yet. It is a chance to overcome this genocide."
Tension builds in Eliana's stomach. She knows this will not be good. "What is it?"
Her father all but whispers, "An arranged marriage."
Heart in her feet, Eliana sways as her mind grows hazy. "Father, what have you done?" A shiver of dread creeps up her spine.
Now he peers down on the princess, his eyes steady. "With your hands bound in matrimony, Prince Drake will honor the agreement and halt all attacks on Drein. He will help our country regrow."
Eliana wants to laugh. To scream. To grab the King by the shoulders and shake him. How could he make such a deal? Especially without consulting her. He has never done such an action before. "Father, do you honestly believe that Prince Drake will help us rebuild? He will most likely only wish to take over, and me as his wife, you will be forced to submit." Eliana's jaw is clenched as she stares at the ground. She bites her words; what is she to do? She cannot defy orders. In the end, her father has the last word.
Her mother forced her father to promise never to marry her off to a stranger. She wanted true love for Eliana. For her to be happy. It was her only wish, at least the only one she was able to make before she was murdered.
"Without his help, we will die. Most of our people have already fled, losing their faith in our power," he says softly. His dark hair is unruly and his pallor greying. "Our happiness does not matter in the eyes of the kingdom."
"We, ourselves, have lost faith in our abilities. We do not hold the strength to continue like we have done."
"Eliana, please, just listen to me. This one time." Her father reaches for her, but she steps away, wrapping her arms around her sides to protect herself.
She sighs, not bringing up the point that she always listens to him and does what he asks. "If you truly believe that it is for the best of our kingdom, I shall commit to it." She hides her fists in the folds of her dress. She presses her nails into her palms, so much so that the pain dries her eyes.
"Thank you, my dear." The King's expression relaxes, and he leans against the table. "Drake has been pressuring me for an answer, so I am glad that you have given it. We shall send word immediately and explain that you will arrive as soon as possible."
Eliana closes her eyes and fights the bubbling tears. She tries to give him a reassuring smile but did not know if she succeeded.
He gently lays his hands on her shoulders, "You know that I love you, right?"
"Of course, father, and I you as well." The tears glisten in her eyes but she miraculously keeps them from overflowing.
One of the generals from earlier rushes in, his armor echoing in the small study, "My Lord, we have news from Pyrion."
Clearing her throat, Eliana composes herself, "I shall take my leave."
The King only slightly acknowledges her comment as he turns to his soldier for the debrief.
Eliana is in a daze. She is to be married. To a stranger. To their enemy.
She once relished the idea that she would have a choice. To be free to love. It is common for all social classes to have the parent choose their child's partner. It was unique that her mother had decided against it. Why, Eliana will never know, but it had made her happy.
Now none of that matters. She is going to marry Drake. The devil himself. Is she going to even survive this?
Pressing her lips together, the Princess quickly wipes a stray tear from her cheek. Whatever lies ahead of her, she will play her role for the future of their kingdom. For their people. If this is her fate, then so be it.
When small town librarian Maryanne learns that she is the temporary guardian of her best friend’s toddler, she is ready to take on the responsibility of parenthood. However, when she discovers that she must co-parent Riley with Max, the charming billionaire playboy who broke her heart all those years ago, she is horrified. They have one year to decide who will be the better guardian; Max has one year to prove his love to Maryanne. As Max and Maryanne work side by side to create a loving home, Maryanne will see a new side of Max and realize just how badly she wants to change the past. Her Billionaire and Her Baby is created by Sierra Christenson, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.
Warning: This book has high sexual assault displays, but does not support any form of rape. I, Alpha Edward Parker, swear that I will keep you tied to me until I make you pay for what you did to my mate," he swore, gripping my chin in a bruising hold. "Not only will you wish for death, but you will beg for it, and it will be too far from you." I could feel the eyes of the whole pack on us. They probably came to experience a normal wedding, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I was being married off to a groom because he wanted revenge. Tears welled, and I wanted to scream, "I am your mate; I'm the one who saved you, not her." But I knew no one would believe me. I was his mate, how could he not recognize me? Four years ago, Amanda happened to save a total stranger, but due to a string of misunderstandings, her sister took her place. The stranger then promised a vow of betrothal to his savior. Not seeing any use in correcting the error, Amanda allowed it. That was her biggest mistake because the stranger ended up being her own mate. Caught in a web of lies and confusion, she decides to set herself free by speaking the truth. But her plans are thwarted when her sister turns up dead, and she is pinned as the main suspect. A mate out to seek revenge for another, a forced marriage, an underlying plot, a web of lies, and many dark secrets. How can Amanda navigate all these without losing sight of herself? How will she speak the truth when she has already lost her voice and has been destroyed by her own mate?
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
Eliza's life was destroyed by them: her boyfriend and her best friend. Five years ago, her boyfriend's career was at its lowest point and Eliza sacrificed everything to support him. However, her best friend fooled Eliza to be a surrogate mother. When her boyfriend led a successful career, he dumped Eliza because she had lost her virginity and had babies. It was just an excuse for the affair between the shameless couple. Losing all interest in life, she agreed to marry Mr. Valentine, a disfigured billionaire who likes to torture women in bed. It was said that his two exes died horribly in bed. Eliza didn't know that Mr. Valentine was the man she used to carry babies for. In this way, she got a handsome husband and a pair of adorable twins... """