What happens when fate makes two monsters cross paths? Is there a limit to the damage they can cause together? Well, Mal has always been dangerous and unpredictable like a predator. She's always known what she was and has gotten used to being on her own. The same can be said about Vikram - a brilliant, yet cold scientist on a personal quest for revenge. Both of them have blood on their hands, and neither has ever allowed anyone too close who wasn't useful or expendable in their plans. Based on their personality, their paths crossing should have been violent and brutal. But with the heavy tension and curiosity continuously rising between them, the line between wanting to know and wanting to have one another begins to blur. So much, they cannot even tell whether they've met their match or their demise.
Something feels wrong.
And it had been feeling that way since the moment Mal woke up earlier that night - just a couple of hours before her assignment was due. Yet she can't pinpoint what exactly is bothering her.
The feeling itself is much like an itch at the centre of her brain. The kind of small thing capable of making a person crawl up the walls because of their inability to scratch that exact spot. So, annoying.
On a good day, Mal would chalk it all up to paranoia or instincts - not that it mattered; it really didn't.
Too bad it isn't a good day. The annoying feeling is putting her on edge.
You need to stay calm, says the main voice in her head. Stay calm. Quiet.
I am, Mal replies impatiently. After all, she truly is. Her breathing is silent and her body remains immobile; hidden in the shadows of a corner, where she awaits her current prey.
Mal, stay calm, they say again.
And the young woman sighs softly - still completely quiet - before repeating, I am.
Although this time she doesn't feel so sure, Mal doesn't have the time to dwell on it. The steps approaching from further down the alley are getting louder and the man's mind is whispering pleas for help. He doesn't want to die yet.
He doesn't want to die.
Pity, Mal thinks unimpressed and gets ready. It will happen anyway. His steps are already faltering. She hears his breathing, ragged and weak. It's only a matter of time. She has him.
They have him.
Now, orders the one in her head. Do it now!
Not yet, Mal tries to reason, but it is no use. Her body springs into action on its own; her hand pulling a knife out of the leather belt on her left thigh. She takes a deep breath, focuses, and throws the blade at the limping figure with one swift movement of her arm.
Two seconds later, there's a thud as the body hits the pavement and a rush of adrenaline invades her senses - triggered by the sound of flesh being cut and the aborted scream that left his lips before he fell.
Now they have him.
We got him, snickers the voice in her head. They sound so pleased with themselves.
Mal chooses a small noncommittal hum as her only reply and calmly makes her way towards the fallen man.
With her target dead, her work is almost done for the night. All that's left is to gather proof of her job done and then get rid of the body. So she takes a few pictures of the man where he lays - throws in a couple of photos of his face for good measure - then takes her sweet time hauling the corpse into one of the dumpsters before setting it on fire; to speed up the process of destroying the evidence.
Mal does all this with a familiar sense of disconnect. She's used to how peaceful she feels after a kill.
Just another day in her life, she always thinks to herself. In a way, she finds it kind of beautiful; how life can be so vibrant in one moment only to become a flatline in another. And she often finds herself amused by the fact it's never as romantic as serial-killer movies make it out to be. The rest of the world never really turns silent to gaze upon a kill like that, as if it's some big loss to society. Instead, everyone really just keeps on moving; the world keeps on turning and all the meaningless rustle is more than enough to keep any possible witness deaf to the event.
It's actually one of the reasons Mal notices something is wrong.
Usually, the white noise of the city keeps going while she cleans up after herself. But this time everything around her is still; quiet and unassuming. And it only lasts a moment.
There's a small prickle on her thigh and then there are so many new thoughts ringing in her head she can't even focus on her own.
That's not... what I signed up for...
The subject is ready for extraction.
Guess that's who we are now, huh?
I wonder why they always have to be dangerous.
Mal cringes and staggers. She suddenly feels dizzy, so she closes her eyes and reaches up for her temple. Her shoulder collides harshly with the now flaming dumpster and she falls to her knees.
We need to get out of here, pipes the voice in her head. Move, Mal.
I'm...trying..., she snaps back, using all her remaining energy into a pathetic attempt at crawling out of the alley.
Something pricks at the back of her neck, and then at her side. Something is wrong with us.
When Mal feebly reaches behind her neck to inspect the cause of her sudden dizziness, she finds a tranquillizer dart.
Mal feels strong hands pull her up and drag her into a car. All faces are blurred. But she hears someone on the phone:
"The subject has been secured," says the man sitting closest to her. Mal is vaguely aware the vehicle is already moving. She's being taken.
"Perfect," the person on the other side of the line responds. Their voice is familiar; it's her contract. "We've just sent you the coordinates for dropoff."
Looks like you've been set up, taunts the voice in her head. Again.
It's true. And Mal can almost laugh. Unfortunately, she's so sedated she only manages a quiet snort. Later, should anyone ask, she will say she's surprised at being deceived. It will be a complete lie, but that will surely be her answer.
This could be like a playdate, the voice in her head suggests.
Hmm, Mal is unable to keep her head straight and eyes open but is aware of the fact she has been handcuffed. It's been a while since we last played like this.
And if it really turns out to be like the other times, this can mean the end of the line for her.
Or for them.
Ally Griever used to be positive and full of smiles, but three years locked into a small cage while being tortured changed that cheerful personality into one much more cautious. After escaping from her captors with the help of a mysterious young boy, Ally finds herself running against time to find her way back to her pack. She's been cursed and knows she doesn't have much time left. All she wished for was to find a safe place to leave the little boy who saved her, and the last thing she needed was to find her mate waiting for her. Gabriel Walters is tired of listening to the Elders telling him how an alpha king is supposed to find his Luna within the first four years after his coming of age. He’s 28 now, which means not only is he three years late to find his mate, but his wolf is also starting to become weak. The werewolf king’s oldest son is ready - and willing - to give up his position as next in line to the throne if it means he can keep searching for his other half. But when a situation forces him and his warriors to take refuge in one of his family’s allies’ pack, the soon-to-be king is met with a shocking surprise: not only is his mate a half-breed, she has a child and looks as weak as the weakest Omega in his own pack.
"I'm sorry," Lenna tilted her head. She was pretty sure the rush from being carried bridal-style had messed up her ears; somehow. "Could you please repeat that?" "Marry me, miss Kuts" Mr Lenoir wore his best business face as he said it. "I'm in need of a wife, and you are the perfect candidate." Lenna felt a cold shiver run down her spine as she thought, I'm done for. Keane Lenoir can have anything or anyone he wants. And he hates that. Having had his heart and trust broken one too many times, Keane swore off love and vowed never to get into another relationship again. However, as he turned 30 his parents began pestering him into settling down and starting his own family. Put in a difficult position when his father threatens to give the Chairperson position of the family company to his sister if he doesn't marry in a year, Keane finds a perfect opportunity to please his parents and keep his treacherous ex away, in a sweet accounting assistant. Lenna Kuts is just a girl who wishes for nothing but a happy life. Despite her tragic past and difficult teenage years, she’s managed to remain full of dreams. However, after a particularly traumatic event when she was younger, Lenna has been unable to say no to people - a condition that often get her exploited and put in difficult situations. Of course, no situation could come close to the one introduced by her boss.
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.
Ivy Rosalia Jones, a young and beautiful doctor working at a suburban hospital, is determined to marry a man she met through a blind date, even though he is paralyzed. Actually, the marriage was meant to be symbolic, with both of them intending not to interfere in each other's affairs after the wedding. However, Ivy never expected that she would end up marrying the most influential man in the world. Shawn Dyxon Tate, Ivy's husband, has no intention of letting his beautiful wife go. Once she entered his life, he made a decision to spoil her and gave her the world she never had.
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
Everyone thought Lorenzo truly loved Gracie, until the day of their daughter’s heart surgery. To Gracie’s utter shock, Lorenzo gave the precious organ needed by their child to another woman. Devastated, Gracie opted for a divorce. Fueled by her need for revenge, Gracie joined hands with Lorenzo’s uncle, Waylon, and orchestrated Lorenzo’s downfall. In the end, Lorenzo was left with nothing and consumed by remorse. He pleaded for a reconciliation. Gracie thought she was free to move on with her life, but Waylon held her back in a death grip. “Did you think you can just walk out on me?”
"Then let's get a divorce!" With courage, Leora left her husband's house, after being accused of poisoning his mistress. Her in-laws and sister-in-law had planned various ways to kick her out of Peter's house and in the end Leora gave in. However, no one expected that things would turn 180 degrees after the divorce. When everyone who had hurt her was happy with each other's lies, Leora returned. This time, she was no longer the poor orphan girl from the orphanage. She has changed and not only that, she also carries a big secret that will make everyone turn to worship her feet.
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!"