Althea nodded her head at that. "It's not easy to obtain love for a goddess, Althea." "I'll take my chances." Althea replied. This was going to be her sacrifice that she was willing to make to be with the one she loved. The goddess raised higher, her feet off the ground, her hands raised up on either side as she looked up to the sky that crackled with lightnings. The wind howled across the field as it screamed at Althea to stop. Only it knew of the sufferings that awaited her arrival in the land of living because if he were to reject her again, it will not only torture her, but it will break her soul and taint it forever. And this time, it might end up turning her into a goddess of darkness. A dark and ferocious goddess. "Let the game against destiny begin."' She is back but she is very different. Will Aries know that it's her? Book 2 of Althea series (Strongly recommend that you read the first book to understand) Author: Mila Publisher: EasyReading
Prologue
A month had gone by since Althea returned to heaven to where she truly belonged. But her heart was still on earth where her rejected mate still lived. She longed for him just as much as he did her.
Time passed slower in heaven than the land of living, making the pain in her heart still raw and fresh as if it all happened yesterday.
But a year had passed on the earth. So much had changed yet everything was still the same. Aries tried to live the life Althea had laid out for him by returning his brother. He was thankful to her. But he lived in regrets for ever rejecting her.
He knew that he could never love another like he loved her. Even though Althea had blessed him with love again, his heart desired no one but her. So, he hid his pain behind those smiles and lived his life for Noah. For his pack. For the peaceful world that Althea had left behind.
The goddess silently watched them both as they hid their feelings, their want for one another. They had forgotten, she was a goddess, and nothing could be hidden from her. She could see through everything. Even those fake smiles meant nothing to her, for she understood their soul.
As usual Althea sat by the pond in the green field, lightly decorated with tall grass and beautiful tulips stretched beyond. She was once again watching him through the mirage that she had created, a sad smile plastered on her face as tears continuously fell down her face.
The goddess couldn't see her daughters pain any longer, so she decided to come out of her hiding by the huge willow tree that sat behind her daughter. She came beside Althea and sat down next to her. She too looked at mirage while Althea sat there still unaware of her mother's presence. For she was deeply enchanted by Aries' smiling face as she watched him chase after Noah. How she wished to be with them. How much she longed to be with him.
The goddess let out a deep breath, making Althea break free of his enchantment. She quickly wiped her tears as she smiled at her mother. Once again, she tried to hide. The goddess slowly turned to look at her daughter with a sad smile on her face as she reaches out a hand to cup her face.
"My sweet daughter, I know that you are hurting inside." The goddess watches her daughter as she tries to act clueless. "I don't know what you are talking about, mother." She slowly takes her mother's hand off her face as she tries to laugh it off but stops herself as she looks at her mother's now stern face.
Althea looks back down at the pond as yet another tear flows down her cheek. "I miss him so much, mother." Then she looks back at her mother. "Why do I miss him so much? I accepted his rejection. He rejected me. I shouldn't be feeling this way. So, tell me mother, despite all that why does my heart still want him? Why do my heart still long for his?"
Althea starts to sob quietly in front of her mother unable to bear her pain now. The goddess had a knowing look on her face as she takes Althea's hands in between hers and gently pats them.
"Because you love him."
She looks at her mother with confusion laced on her face as she tilts her head sideways. "Although you have broken your bond with him and freed him to love another, you still love him. The bond is just a string to connect the two bodies together, but the heart is what counts. If it desires someone, it will want it, regardless of the bond, my dear daughter."
This made Althea's heart break even more. "What do I do now, mother?" Her sobs echoes the field as the wind blows gently. "It's too late. I let him go. I freed his heart of me. He doesn't want me anymore."
"Oh, my na?ve daughter, love has made you so blind that you cannot even tell his heart apart. Look at him." The goddess turns her head back to the pond. Aries now sat on his dark office as he looked at a piece of paper. Unable to understand, Althea turned to face her mother once again. "Look closer, my dear."
When Althea looked again, she saw it too. It wasn't just any piece of paper that he was holding, it was a photograph.
Of her.
More tears left her eyes as she bought her hand to cover her face. "What have I done, mother?" Her hands muffled her voice, but it was clear as a day to her mother's ears.
With another sigh, the goddess gently forced Althea's hands off her face and made her look into her eyes. "Althea, would you, ever be, able to truly let him go?"
Now the only sound that surrounded the field was the air blowing swiftly as if sways the tall grass and the long silver hair of Althea. She was taken aback by her mother's forwardness but now she too questioned herself. Would she ever be able to let him go? Even though she blessed him to find a new love, would she ever, bear to watch him love another and just wonder what it would have been, if, only if it was her?
Her thoughts haunted her as she took her bottom lip in between her teeth and bite it hard to stop her lips from trembling. It broke her to think of another woman in his life. With him.
Then she finally got her answers as she looked deep into her mother's eyes. She knew then that her mother knew her answer too. But she said it out loud regardless.
"No."
The wind carried her response across the field for heaven to listen. Aries was Althea's and no one shall have him but her.
The goddess looked at her daughter firmly as she let out a deep breath. "You know that you have blessed him with a second chance at love. And being a goddess, you must grant him this blessing."
Regret filled her heart as she remembered her last words for him.
"May love find you once more."
Tears poured out of her eyes as her own words screamed back at her like a curse, she placed upon herself. Althea knew that as a goddess she had to grant it to him.
Another love. Another woman.
It hurt her heart as she lowered her gaze to her hands that was tightly clenched together on her lap. All this confession, for what? She couldn't have him anyways, Althea though. What had she done?
"But I shall play a game with the destiny this time." The goddess spoke breaking Althea from her own misery of self-pity, and she turned her head up to look at her mother's face with confusion. "I will make you his mate again."
The wind gently blew Althea's silver hair across her face as she tried to digest her mother's declaration. Was it possible? She thought to herself.
"But" Althea looked back at her mother's stern face which held a very serious look on it. "Always remember that love is not a play. He may get a second chance with you as a mate but not without a trial. For if he passes, he will be mated to the goddess herself."
The goddess slowly got up and stood in front of Althea, looking down at her with her own silver pair of eyes that glowed bright now. "I'm willing to give him a chance. I'm willing to give you a chance. At love again."
"For you are a daughter of a goddess. My daughter." Her eyes soften for a while before it turned hard again. "All my life, I have blessed my werewolf children with their compatible other half. Their mate. I created a path for them to find their other half. To their destiny."
"But this time, I'll go against destiny herself. For you, my daughter, were not meant to be with him. You were never destined to be his."
Althea's tears now made the pond overflow as it formed a stream across the green field. Her heart thanked her mother for what she was about to do. For her. For her chance at love again. "Listen, my daughter."
"Although, I will return you back to the land of living, I have a condition."
Althea was now sitting on her knees, looking up at her mother. At the goddess. Pleading her to grant her only wish. "I'll do anything to be with him, mother." She was as desperate as she sounded.
"You shall return as a human. You will have an entirely different appearance. A whole new body. You will not have a single memory, not only of your previous live but also of who you truly are. You will only be a weak, feeble human."
Althea didn't care much about her appearance as long as she got to be with him but if she was to not have any memory, how will she know who he is? "How will he know, who I am?" This time she thought out loud.
The goddess smiled sadly down at her. "That will be his trial. A second chance for him to have a goddess as a mate."
"I will return you to him, but he must look beyond your appearance and accept you as you are. He must recognise your soul. He needs to find it in him to love you again, in whatever form you may be in. Even one without a wolf. A human. Only then I will deem him worthy of you. Of a goddess. Only then I will truly return you to him."
The goddess looked at her daughter with sympathy in her silver eyes. "Love doesn't come easy, Althea. But love can conquer anything. Even though you are my daughter, you shall suffer equal amount of hardship and pain. Maybe even more so than the rest."
She paused as she clenched her jaws. "Since you were not destined to be with him. So, my sweet daughter, I ask you this again. Would you leave everything behind just for a chance to see if he truly loves you? Accepts you? The life of suffering that awaits you in the land of living, would you accept it?"
There was no hesitation in Althea's voice as she replied without wasting another second.
"Yes"
The wind blew her word across the field as it now echoed the heaven. The goddess sighed as she fisted her hands tightly. "But know this Althea, if he doesn't accept you as you are, he will never have you and you shall never be with him ever again."
Althea nodded her head at that. "It's not easy to obtain love for a goddess, Althea."
"I'll take my chances." Althea replied. This was going to be her sacrifice that she was willing to make to be with the one she loved.
The goddess raised higher, her feet off the ground, her hands raised up on either side as she looked up to the sky that crackled with lightnings.
The wind howled across the field as it screamed at Althea to stop. Only it knew of the sufferings that awaited her arrival in the land of living because if he were to reject her again, it will not only torture her, but it will break her soul and taint it forever. And this time, it might end up turning her into a goddess of darkness. A dark and ferocious goddess.
"Let the game against destiny begin."
"Nobody leaves" Althea's voice boomed, stopping everyone in their track. Matt and Tray were shocked by the dominance her voice held. It was strange, she was a rogue but where was all the power coming from? they thought. "Nobody dares defy my command" Aries spat out each word, his voice too held dominance. He shouted each word at her. "And nobody dares disrespects me" Althea spat back the words at him. Aries too furious, slammed the table and broke it into half. He was too blinded by his anger that he forgot who he was talking to. His mate. His other half. "The rogues have started to think I have gone soft. They think so because I have taken in a rogue" he spat the words at her, looking right in her eyes.' All she was looking for was answers, but what happens when she finds her mate in the process? One that was equally dominant, an Alpha, ruthless and unforgiving. Book 1 of Althea series Author: Mila Publisher: EasyReading
"I cannot feel this way. You clearly don't feel-" "I do though." He interrupts me. I finally look up to meet his eyes. It holds so much sadness. "Believe it or not but it hurts me every time I see tears in your eyes." His hands reach for my face, one more time and gently wipes the tears off my face. No matter what, the tears keep flowing down. "Please don't cry." He whispers. "You have someone out there just for you. Waiting for you." I whisper softly. A sad smile forms on my face that is now saltier than the ocean bed itself. I try to tug his hand off my face, but his hold is firm. He leans his head down and places it against mine. "I know." His whisper equally soft. "You need to let go. Just as I am." I close my eyes and take in the breeze of the ocean that surrounds him and now me. I hear a deep growl just as his hold tighten on my face but it's still gentle.' For the little Raven that was born out the woods, life was only about the survival of fittest. Hunt or be hunted. Until Aya came along and showed her that there was more to life. They became family, sisters and promised to stay together forever. But what happens when one of them finds their mate? Read along to find out the story of Amara Raven on her journey to find a place she belongs. Author: Mila Publisher: EasyReading
"He was bigger than most Lycan and more muscular. Intimidating even. But I noticed the bags underneath his eyes with dark circles that was slightly visible on his tan complexion. Tiredness filled those brown orbs and hurt very clear on them. My eyes starts to sting once again as tears forms in them. Was I the reason behind his tired eyes? Was I the reason behind the hurt in those eyes? Dear goddess, please show me a path. I promised to live a life of suffering if you returned her back to us. After all that happened decades ago, how can I go back to living as I used to? But now that I have seen this Lycan who was standing right in front of me, how do I ever go back to living without him? Will I ever deserve this Lycan as my mate?" The continuation of The Raven but Eliana's story Author: Mila Publisher: EasyReading
"Nobody leaves" Althea's voice boomed, stopping everyone in their track. Matt and Tray were shocked by the dominance her voice held. It was strange, she was a rogue but where was all the power coming from? they thought. "Nobody dares defy my command" Aries spat out each word, his voice too held dominance. He shouted each word at her. "And nobody dares disrespects me" Althea spat back the words at him. Aries too furious, slammed the table and broke it into half. He was too blinded by his anger that he forgot who he was talking to. His mate. His other half. "The rogues have started to think I have gone soft. They think so because I have taken in a rogue" he spat the words at her, looking right in her eyes.' All she was looking for was answers, but what happens when she finds her mate in the process? One that was equally dominant, an Alpha, ruthless and unforgiving. Let's see how their story begins and ends. Author: Mila Publisher: EasyReading
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
A sudden twist of fate connected Helena to a prominent and influential person. To onlookers, she appeared as a naive bimbo. In truth, she was a top-tier specialist, shrouded in layers of hidden identities. Charlie declared, “She’s quite delicate and easily hurt. Cross her, and you’re crossing me.” The elite families, outwitted by Helena's prowess, kept these truths from him. Helena eventually broke free from Charlie, sending him on a frenzied worldwide hunt. To him, she was a bird with dazzling wings, and his goal was to help her reach new heights.
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
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?"
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!
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."