Princess Layana's birth was a mystery and her heritage a secret. Despite the luxurious life of a royal, she simply wished for a life away from the cage-like palace. Declan of House Storm was the sole survivor of a massacred clan, an event that gave birth to the darkness within him. Fuelled by hate, rage and betrayal he wants nothing but to get revenge on the royals that slaughtered his family. What will happen when the shielded princess with a heart as pure as the first ray of dawn meets the heir whose soul is shrouded in a blanket of darkness. Will he set her free from her shackles? Will she be able to lead him to the light before it's too late? When the first whispers of darkness spread from the borders, they are brought together to protect the kingdom.Beware the prophecy decreed a long time passed for it may hold their world in its balance. -------- "It seems Lord Declan holds more ignorance than he is aware, we are women with emotions, wishes and hopes that we put behind us for the betterment of the kingdom," Layana said her eyes flashing "Do enlighten me, what exactly can the precious jewels of the kingdom do for its people?" Declan mocked arrogantly. "Jewels? You compare us to items devoid of emotions, but yes, like jewels, we will be given away to the highest bidder. So before assuming princesses are simply there to play dress up and have tea parties, remember our lives are not simply fun and games!"
The scorching heat of the sun burned down upon the green fields, the sweltering haze clear to the naked eye. The grass was long, reaching high towards the blazing sun, and the soft yet scarce breeze danced across the meadows like a soothing rhythm, a rhythm that was a stark contrast to the agonising screams of a woman in childbirth, for there was a small hut in the middle of these fields where a woman lay on a wooden bed. Her eyes stung with tears of pain.
"You are almost there," the elderly woman assisting with the labour encouraged her soothingly. Her eyes flitted to the sun in the sky.
"I must hurry before the eclipse..." The woman on the bed cried in pain, her light blond hair sticky with sweat.
"We cannot control the hands of time nor the cards of destiny, place your faith in God," the elder woman said, looking towards the handsome young man who stood in the corner. A rich navy cloak over his shoulders was the only thing giving away his wealth, but, despite that, he held an aura of importance around him. His sharp grey eyes held pride as they gazed at the woman who lay on the bed before shifting his gaze to the elder woman.
"Catherina... how much longer?" He asked quietly.
"My King, there is no timer on these things, but I believe when the blood eclipse graces our lands, the princess will be born," Catherina replied gravely. The younger woman looked at her defiantly, her red irises holding denial and refusal.
"It may be a boy," she said firmly.
Catherina simply smiled gently. The fate of this child was preordained, but she said nothing, not wanting to overwhelm the woman any more than she already was.
The skies darkened as a red glow blanketed the lands; minutes had passed, but it felt like hours. The rare blood moon blocked out the light of the sun, and everything seemed to be still as if awaiting something special...
The king held the woman's hand, kissing it gently as a scream tore through her body. Moments later, a blinding light emitted around the entire hut as a soft cry filled the air.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty, it is a girl," Catherina announced, clipping the cord and wrapping the child in a woven blanket. She turned towards the king, who stood still.
A storm of emotions swirled inside him; relief, happiness, and the sheer weight of the child his love had given birth to was not ordinary. The woman on the bed closed her eyes, turning her face away from the child and man and tugging her hand free as the king reached for the child. He took the bundle carefully. Looking back at him were two blazing eyes of red and gold, brighter than the sun, and the king was forced to look away from their intensity.
Catherina left the room, giving the parents of the child privacy. After all, even they did not know how special the child was, and she could not tell them, for the time was not right.
"Do you not wish to carry her?" The king asked the woman, cradling the child in his arm. She closed her eyes, sitting up, her back towards him.
"No. Take her and leave," she said quietly. Her heart broke into a thousand pieces, and she knew no matter how hard she tried, once something was broken, it could never be whole again. The moment her child was determined to be a female, she knew she had to let her go.
The young king looked at the back of the woman he loved with all his heart. Could they not flee? Live together as a family?
"Things do not need to be this way," he said quietly, looking down at the cooing baby in his arms. He felt his heart fill with warmth. How could you love something you had just laid eyes on?
"There is no other option," she replied coldly, her voice sounding icy.
If she had known his identity to begin with, she would have avoided this, but it was too late.
"Do you... have a name for her?" He asked softly. He knew the weight of their decision and the sacrifice they had to make for the safety of their child and the future of the kingdom.
"Layana," the woman answered as she gazed out the window.
Her trembling hands clutched the bed tightly. Her pale blond hair looked almost white in the sunshine that was now slowly returning to normal. Her voice did not betray the pain in her eyes, those red eyes spoke a thousand words, but she dared not turn to look into the eyes of her beloved.
She heard the sound of a door and turned to let out a strangled sob, her hand clamping over her mouth as she saw the room was now empty. He had taken her and left. The pain overcame her, and she began rocking her body as she cried tears of anguish.
The king closed his eyes, hearing the painful cries of a woman who had lost the man she loved and her child. Taking a deep breath, he strapped the child to himself and mounted his horse. There was no other option...
-----
TWO YEARS LATER
Fear. Death. Blood.
The three mixed together, tainting the very air one needed to breathe. The taste of fear lingered in one's mouth, while death and blood, illuminated by the setting sun, filled the horizon.
A young boy, barely five years of age, walked through the streets he once called home, where once the streets were lit by glowing lamps and filled with bustling crowds as they bent over merchandise from a variety of vendors. A place where men should have been gathered, drinking and joking, and women gossiping as they hurried home. The smell of fresh home-cooked meals should have filled the air.
There was now nothing but dead bodies. The bodies of those he called uncle, aunt, and friends littered the streets, discarded like a child would discard a ragdoll. Each one was covered in nightmarish wounds as they were cut down in whatever they were doing.
He saw a young girl, who had been playing with her teapot and cups, bent over the small table, her head hanging on to her neck by a sliver of her skin.
An elderly man who used to sneak the young boy sweets was sat in his rocking chair, staring ahead, eyes wide in horror. A large gash that was still leaking blood ran down his torso.
The little boy's lips trembled in fear. His father had told him to not come home today, commanding him to stay in a cave away from the clan territory, but it was getting dark, and he had been scared.
To the little boy, this was worse than a nightmare. No child should see this, suffer this, or experience the horror that he was.
He broke into a run, his young mind telling him to find his parents. After all, he would be safe there. His father and brothers were strong. He ran as fast as his little legs could carry him. Adrenaline fuelled him, his heart pounding, and the sound rang in his ears, too loud in this town that had become as silent as a graveyard.
Hundreds of bodies covered the ground. Blood covered the ground like buckets of spilt paint, creating a river of blood through streets that were once grand and beautiful.
He had just made it to the large grey stone castle that he called home when he heard the sound of thundering hooves.
"Make sure none are left alive!" A man called out.
The little boy froze in fear. His dark grey eyes, full of innocence, stared up at the approaching horses that thundered to a stop as their riders pulled the reins. The neighing of the horses was loud in the air.
"A survivor? Kill him!"
The boy's eyes widened in horror. Was this a punishment for disobeying his father's order?
In the confusion of his small mind, he stared at another body that lay on the ground not far from him. The arm had been cut off, and a sword was stuck in the young boy's chest - a boy who was barely thirteen. The little boy's eyes welled with tears as he recognised the body of his brother.
As a soldier jumped from his horse, raising his knife, the boy screamed. His fear and horror were replaced with anguish and rage, and his entire body filled with an immense aura. The sky above them crackled with lightning, followed by the raging roar of thunder. Lightning struck the earth, creating large cracks, and threw the men from their horses.
"Get him!"
"He's too... I can't get close!"
"Shoot him!"
The child didn't move. His dark eyes were now crackling with a light as bright as the lightning that circled him, spreading from his entire body and striking the men down, killing them instantly. Silence fell, and the little boy fell to his knees, staring at the burnt bodies of his attackers. Their grey cloaks bore the royal crest, a crest that sat high upon their castles and flags. A royal crest that House Storm had promised to serve.
Tears spilt down the boy's cheeks as he ran towards the castle. He did not stop until he saw the bodies of his parents and seven-year-old brother, covered in blood as they lay there dead.
"Mama?" He called, his voice shaking in fear. Though soft, it echoed in the large hall. There was no answer. The little boy ran to his mother, tugging at her once pink dress, now soaked with her own blood and that of her husband and son. "Mama no! I need you, Mama! Don't leave me, I'll protect you," his tiny voice sobbed.
He closed his eyes and cuddled against his mother's body, lifting her heavy arm and draping it over himself as he heard shouting. His heart pounded in fear and sadness. He only wanted her warmth, her love, and her soft whispers telling him it was going to be okay. Even though something deep in his mind told him she was never going to wake up, he still clung to her tightly.
When the men came to do a final sweep of the rooms, none noticed the little boy who was alive as he clung to the body of his mother, never to feel her warmth or love again.
He did not notice when the men began to pour oil over the grounds. Only when the burning flames grew stronger, the heat and smell clouding his senses, did the boy realise what had happened.
Fearing that his parents would get burned, he grabbed his mother's legs, trying to drag her away from the fire. He stumbled, falling back, and sobbed but got up and tried again. However, his efforts were futile. The flames were growing and spreading fast. He let out a frustrated whimper as he saw his brother's body catch flames. The smell of burning flesh stung his nose, and the boy knew that he needed to leave. His father's final words echoed in his mind,
"Stay away from home tonight, Declan. And no matter what happens, survive. Survive and avenge us, and tell no one the truth of your powers."
The boy's fear-filled eyes hardened with determination. Despite the tremble in his tiny hands, and the thumping of his heart, he raised his head and nodded.
"I will, Papa... I will..."
They say there is a fine line between love and hate, but where does one end and the other begin? When does something so pure become something so toxic that even you yourself cannot fathom when things changed? This story starts on the day that my parents were killed. That was the day that I felt like my entire life had ended. If only I knew then that it was only the beginning of the storm I would be made to endure. Struggling to grasp onto the threads of my unravelling life, I found comfort in the arms of someone I didn’t truly know. His dangerously handsome looks and his lethal allure consumed me, and, despite my every instinct, I fell. He became my world, the very air I needed to breathe, the only one that I thought I could rely on... but then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed. When the truth of my very existence and reality was revealed, he cast me aside and lit my world ablaze, leaving me to burn in the flames of his hatred. Even then, we were still intertwined together by one fate. My name is Yileyna De'Lacor, and this is my story.
"This is wrong..." She whimpered pleasure consuming her. “You want me just as much as I want you, give in to your desires sweetheart and I’ll make you feel so good, that you won't ever want another man to touch you.” He whispered huskily making her core throb. That was what she was afraid of, that when he was done with her, she would be left broken… ------ Scarlett Malone was a feisty headstrong young she-wolf, blessed by the moon goddess as the first Alpha Female. Moving to a new town with her mother to start afresh, they were welcomed into a new pack and a new family. Things became complicated when she begins to feel attracted to her smart and cocky stepbrother, the future Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. Will she be able to overcome the illicit thoughts that consume her mind and awaken a pleasure deep within her? or would she push even her own boundaries and explore the forbidden feelings that burned within her? Elijah Westwood, the most popular boy around, and one every girl wished to have a taste of. A player who didn’t believe in love, nor mates. He was twenty-one and was in no rush to find his fated one, enjoying life as he was, with no shortages of women to. What happens when he returns home only to find that he’s begun to see his step-sister in a new light? Knowing that when the mating ceremony came, she would find her mate. Will he fight against everything for her, or would he let her go?
“You need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
I ran after I died. The moon goddess gave me another chance to live. Married to a ruthless Lycan that was rumored to be cursed by the moon goddess herself. But I was killed by his minion... behind the bars of her torment... A new story began and he battled with his demons, in a world where truth was far fetched. I was his pawn, his toy, his game...until I discovered one night, when I was soaked in blood that I regretted the day I met him. I'd given up the Lycan beast, to marry a monster. I fled from the Alpha of Bloodmoon Park, the gruesome Lycan that every person feared, to be with this man that seemed soft at first glance. It made me wonder, what if I had stayed? The gruesome Lycan might be fearsome but I never heard him pierce a woman's heart with his claw. In a world where wolves howled at the moon and the lines between man and beast are blurred, danger lurked through the shadows, after the day I married the beast that visited my bed every night. Caught in a web of betrayal and deceit, the man I had fallen in love with had become the monster I wished I could flee from. A deadly threat to my life especially when I realized he was getting married to my step sister, the same girl that made my life hell when I was an omega. I wished I could get my revenge, but how could I, when I was lying in a pool of my own blood, dead? Will the goddess grant me another chance?
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
Belinda thought after divorce, they would part ways for good - he could live his life on his own terms, while she could indulge in the rest of hers. However, fate had other plans in store. "My darling, I was wrong. Would you please come back to me?" The man, whom she once loved deeply, lowered his once proud head humbly. "I beg you to return to me." Belinda coldly pushed away the bouquet of flowers he had offered her and coolly replied, "It's too late. The bridge has been burned, and the ashes have long since scattered to the wind!"
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?"