Left with no choice, I gave in to the enemy's demand. I agreed to dance with the alpha's daughter from Midwinter's pack on the night of my mating ceremony. I swayed with her. Spin her gracefully around the dance floor. The horrified eyes of my entire pack burn on me, demanding an explanation. I didn't just break the sacred rule we held on to for generations. I also ripped my mate's heart apart. Not giving her the honor of that last dance could mean one thing – it's over between us. .
"Alpha, the Midwinter warriors had installed the garnet rings last night."
My eyes dart wide at Beta Jess while my entire body stiffens. And it takes some time before my body relaxes, only to feel the fine tremors rocking every fiber in my system.
"The Spessartine Garnet Rings are facing on the north and south borders. The Pyrope Garnets on the east and south."
Damn it!
I know that no amount of ammunition or talisman can go against the power of these cursed garnet stones. Folklores have it that these garnet rings hold the moon goddess's anger that has accumulated over a millennium. Already flammable in its normal state, it is expected to dissolve an entire city of 355 square miles in its cursed nature.
I close my eyes, imagining the goddess spreading her right arms in the air. She then aims her hands towards the gigantic Spessartine, and Pyrope Garnet rings. Tendrils of golden light then emanate from the tips of her fingers, setting the gemstones into a blazing fire. But how do these destructive rings go into the hands of my greatest enemy?
"What are we going to do, Alpha?" My beta's scared look is never better than mine.
Before I can think of an answer, my head patroller mind links me. "Alpha, a messenger from Midwinter's pack requests to see you."
During the pack meetings, we agree to spare pack messengers. They carry out essential tasks, and that is mainly to negotiate or to announce.
"Let him in, Warrior Roman."
"He wants to hear your declaration, Alpha."
I pull out my phone, but it vibrates before entering the password. Warrior Roman's code then dances on the screen.
"Speak, Alpha," he says, and I bite my lower lip in defeat. They are already here indeed, about to announce their warning.
"I, Alpha Alex of the Pink Moon's Pack, swear before the moon goddess's name that I and my subordinates shall let the Midwinter Pack's messenger come and leave our territory unharmed."
I haven't even blinked twice yet, but the messenger in his wolf form has already sprung before us. He bows in respect before handing over a white envelope. The gesture catches my attention. How can someone from a rival pack do that?
I pull out the envelope from his hand while my eyes remain plastered on him. I am known for my massive wolf size, but this one before me threatens my superiority. My intuition told me I should be careful despite the interpack rule for messengers. All because there will always be traitors.
I tear the envelope and pull out the white sheet of paper. I don't understand, but my heartbeats instantly do rapid somersaults at the familiar handwriting. I stare at the neat and beautiful strokes, thinking about where I had seen them in the past. However, I can't figure it out.
Dear Alpha Alex,
I have been patient about your cruel attacks on my pack. But since you have my cup filled up to the brim, even taking my father down in his helpless state, I am sorry to tell you this. I can't let your cruelty harm any of my people anymore.
As you see, the garnet rings have enclosed your territory already. One signal from us, and it can burn your entire pack into ashes. You know that very well, don't you? However, I'm offering you the last chance at redemption – take it or leave it.
Before you hang my father in front of your entire pack tonight and proceed to your mating ceremony, grant me this request. Let me have the last dance with you.
Respectfully yours,
Sue, the Future Alpha of Midwinter Pack
Waves of shivers run up and down my spine. Cold drops of sweat start trickling down the sides of my face. The Midwinter Pack is finally making a move. They are here to avenge their alpha! My pack will never shy away from brutal fights, but we have nothing against the power of the garnet rings.
This request may save my entire pack from doom, but not my chosen mate. A few hours from now will be our mating ceremony, an event to present her formally to the pack. And there will be the last dance – entitled only to her, as the coming Luna of the pack. But I don't know what will happen after that. The enemy knows where to paralyze not only my people but my heart.
Perhaps reading my conflicted emotion, Beta Jess moves to my side. I hand him the letter, but my mind flies back to Sue. I feel my nerves tingle all over as my muscle flinch in anger. Now acting as the alpha of her pack, she leaves my people and me helpless against these garnet rings.
That's maybe why they have been silent on our surprise attacks on their packs. We may not be successful as there were no casualties, but we have captured the highest rank holder of their pack – their alpha, who stood undefeated before.
"Alpha, our Luna, and the entire pack will understand. I know you want to stand by your word and abide by the pack's rules, but this situation is already about our people's life and death."
I look into the distance and see the moon rising from the horizon. Her radiance fills the entire stretch of land and forest that my eyes can see. Her brightness should have been something to celebrate because this signals the big night, the end of my singleness. A few hours later, I will be mating with Vrianna through a ceremony that a hundred members of my pack will witness.
"Tell Sue that her wish is granted."
I walk away without looking at my beta's reaction. I didn't even watch how the messenger fled from my presence. My mind is now on Vrianna and how I will explain it to her. She believes that she will be my first choice whatever happens, even if it costs the safety of my entire pack.
Most of all, she believes that I can always find the solution to any problem that comes our way. That is how she and my people know me. Even the sound of my name on anybody's lips is their source of strength. Sadly, not anymore tonight. The most-feared alpha of the Pink Moon Pack will soon submit to the enemy's demand.
Racing to the pack's house in my tailored suit, I demand to see my chosen mate. The pack elders who attend to her attempt to refuse, but seeing the scowl on my face has them moving to the side.
"What's wrong, Alpha?"
"Not seeing her now also means the ceremony's cancellation! Our enemy already surrounds us, and they are ready to strike any moment from now."
"I have heard about the installation of the cursed Spessartine and Pyrope Garnet Rings," one of the elders echoes my fear, her lips quivering.
I nod sadly. Those gemstones are supposedly the source of healing and good vibes, but they are now more dangerous than atomic bombs in their cursed state.
"Alex, what shall we do?" I look up to the sweet sound of Vrianna's voice piercing into my ear.
"I will have the last dance with Midwinter Alpha's daughter."
My heart drops down in pity as I watch the color leave her face. She runs away, but I still hear her muffled cry. She knows that depriving her of that last dance can mean she's no longer my mate.
We're both heartbroken. Ella lost a fiancé, and I lost a wife. Our paths crossed when I was trying to move on, and she in her denial stage. I thought we could help each other heal our broken hearts, so I tried to remove the guards I had been trying to secure around myself. And before I knew who she really was, I found myself falling in love again. However, fate always slaps me with its irony. Because I found out that all along, she was the secret enemy that had set out to destroy me. All because I was the one who caused her heartaches — the one who killed her fiancé.
Yen found out that she had been into a traumatic incident five years ago that caused her to forget a huge part of her past. And that past included her marriage to Kim, the CEO of the company she was working for. She may not have recognized him right away, but there was something about Kim that drew her emotionally to him. But having already married Zed, an almost perfect husband to her except for his sexual flaw, Yen found it hard to let him go. She tried to convince her boss to move on and let her live in peace with Zed, but Kim wasn't the kind to concede. What would happen then? Who would win the fight? And who would she choose in the end?
Indebted to Jim who accepted and loved her unconditionally despite her dark past, Jia vowed to forever give her life to him. She had no reason not to; Jim loved her and her son like his own. She thought she was over with Anthon, the man who caused her so much pain. Yet one day, their paths crossed again, and her heart began beating for him again. Torn between the sense of indebtedness and her own heart's desire, choosing then became so complicated. As both men were fighting for her love, who would she choose? Would she listen to her heart's desire, or would she keep her gratitude?
I stepped out of the prison doors towards the road of freedom. I should be happy because I had been here for five wretched years. All the pieces of evidence that my fiancee's lover set up to drive me out of her life pointed to me as the murderer. Little did I know that behind those bars inside the cell, my heart remained trapped. I stopped and turned to take a final glimpse of the building that had been my home for a long time. My lips twisted into a bitter smile, mocking at life's irony. All because of the truth that I no longer wanted to be free.
After marrying Zed, Yen soon realized that her perfect life was not what she expected. Zed harbored a dark flaw, a disorder that impacted their lives, creating insecurities and emotional turmoil. Committed to her marriage, Yen set about trying to solve their issues but this was soon challenged when she found herself having recurring dreams about another man. This man in her dreams was her boss but to Yen, they seemed more like memories than actual dreams, causing her to question her life and her very marriage to Zed. Did Yen have a forgotten past with her boss? If she were to search for answers, could they cause conflict or could it lead to happiness?
I learned about his secret, and my revenge began. I didn't care anymore about the consequences of my decision; I was too blinded by all the lies. I thought I'd laugh hard to see him crawling on the ground, but to my surprise, I didn't. Perhaps because the truth prevailed that this stubborn heart of mine still loved this man that I now despised. I lied to myself, denying this feeling for him. All because of my stupid revenge. Just when I thought I couldn't fool myself anymore, I realized I was too late. And I just couldn't cry hard enough.
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?
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
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.
I pressed my lips against his and stole his sweet, savory taste, not ready to end the sweet moment. I licked my lips seductively and whispered. "Despite your age, I love you." Sarah was obsessed with the man of her dreams, despite knowing that their love was forbidden and would be disapproved by her father and others. She held onto the many beautiful dreams she had of being with him, wishing for them to come true. She found herself in love with her father's best friend, a very handsome man who had been rejected by his wife. Her desire was to show him what true love really meant. When her father received a job transfer,Sarah saw it as a perfect opportunity to be with him. The situation improved even more when she realized they would be living under the same roof.
Leanna's life had been full of hardships until her Uncle Nate, who wasn't related to her, offered her a home. She fell deeply in love with Nate, but as he was about to get married, he ruthlessly sent her abroad. In response, Leanna immersed herself in the study of andrology. When she came back, she was renowned for her work on solving problems like impotence, premature ejaculation, and infertility. One day, Nate trapped her in her bedroom. "Seeing various men every day, huh? Why don't you check me out and see if I have any problems?" Leanna laughed slyly and quickly unbuckled his belt. "Is that why you're engaged but not married? Having trouble in the bedroom?" "Wanna try it out for yourself?" "No thanks. I’m not interested in experimenting with you."