I was only 7 years old when I saw my entire family massacred. I was just a child, but those yellow fangs still tore the throats of everyone I loved, and those eyes, so similar to the red of the blood that flowed from my family - stared at me while the king spoke. "Take her away. This child must be kept in the dungeon with the rats and forgotten by humanity," he said those words and then left. He left me in a dark, cold place, in complete emptiness, and I never knew why all the happiness abandoned me, at least... not until those bars opened and a man smiled at me with his hand extended. "Do you want to avenge the king?" Amon asked me. "Then come with me, and I promise you that old man's head is all yours." He promised me, and that same night, I discovered that Amon Lykaios always keeps his promises, even when they involve killing his father.
I still remember perfectly the night my life was destroyed.
My parents were laughing, they were talking about my school presentation and how amazing I looked in that little pink tutu that made me look like a real ballerina. (And that was one of their good lies).
Yes. I wanted to be a ballerina, I wanted that when I was seven years – and when I could still dream, but that same night the door of our house was knocked down and a wolf with reddish fur and ruby eyes invaded.
He sank his fangs into my father's arm, who, with all his strength, tried to stop him from approaching, he tore his throat so quickly that I barely had time to cry, and his yellow teeth had already torn my mother in half. Jared – my little sweet 3-year-old brother, was like an appetizer, I saw him torn apart, devoured.
My body didn't move, and my eyes wouldn't allow me to cry, but that monster made me watch – he was staring at me -, static against the wall while everyone I loved was brutally and sadistically killed.
I was a child, a sweet child, and it was on that night of October 31st that my innocence and my life – were stolen from me.
"Take her, this child must be kept in the dungeon with the rats and must be forgotten by humanity," he ordered, still in his wolf form and as good soldiers, two wolves became men in front of my eyes – and dragged me out of there.
I was thrown into darkness and left to my fate in a dungeon that smelled of feces, decomposing bodies, and dead rats. There was no food, no bed, not even a human voice to comfort me – I was alone.
In the first week inside that place, I thought I would go crazy.
In the second week, hunger made my stomach churn, and the pain was so strong that I wondered if death wouldn't be a good option, if in the end..., he hadn't been merciful with my parents and my little brother.
In the third week, I cried.
The pain was not as strong as it had been before, and thirst seemed much harder to deal with. At that time, I didn't even know that a human being was unable to survive more than five days without water.
It was only in the fourth week –, that a guard descended to the dungeon, and I remember hearing his footsteps as he threw something into the cells. It was..., "Food."
I don't remember thinking twice before shoving that disgust into my mouth, before forcing it down my throat and trying to convince my body that it was the best option. It was..., "Food."
I got used to the delay, I got used to hunger, pain, and the company of rats that sometimes tried to bite me or steal my "food." I got used to the guards' steps and started to identify them, gave them a name, and maybe this was one more attempt not to go crazy – but none of this made a difference, after all... time passed outside, and all I hoped for was the moment my body would give up, and my end would come – as it had come for my parents, but to my total misfortune, an order from the Lycan king was practically immutable, and his order for me was not death but... forgetting.
After 10 years, the world had already forgotten me.
I had already forgotten, and the child I had been..., seemed too distant, and it was on a night – like the one my life was destroyed – that the bars of my cell were opened, and I saw a human face for the first time in 10 long years.
"Hello, sweet," a male voice, both sweet and masculine, called to me. "I can't believe that old man did it," he said, but in his eyes, I could see a slight glimmer of... happiness.
My mouth opened, but the truth was, I didn't even remember how to speak.
"Who...?"
That was all I could manage to murmur, my throat screaming from the effort it took to get that one word out in a hoarse, guttural tone.
"Who am I?" The man laughed, a low, lively laugh, a sound I hadn't heard in over ten years. "If names matter so much to you, you can call me Amon."
He took a step into my cell, and his eyes sparkled like two rubies in the moonlight. It was a familiar glow, one that made my entire body shiver and freeze, but unlike the threats and blood I received on the night my life was destroyed, now - Amon extended his hand to me like a knight lost in time or a historical book, but on his lips was a mischievous smile that rose from the corner of his mouth.
"Don't you want to take revenge on the king?" Amon asked me, his tone seductive, like the serpent that tempted Lilith in paradise. "Then come with me, and I promise you, that old man's head is all yours," he promised me, and although an unknown voice in my mind screamed that it could all be a trap... the thirst for blood that rose in my throat was much stronger than it.
"Revenge..." I said as I held Amon's hand and let him pull me up, closer.
"Great," he said with a huge smile. "I'll give you your revenge, sweet... and in return, I'll only ask you for a favor."
"A favor," resonated in my mind. So... there was a price, something to be charged.
"Revenge... for a... favor..." I forced myself to say as if I was asking him if he understood, and Amon smiled.
"Exactly," he purred. "Let's say you'll have the blood, and I'll have the gold."
I wish I could say that I considered not accepting, that I questioned or even hesitated to answer, but the truth was that my lips arched in a way that I didn't even remember how to make them rise in a smile that didn't seem like mine.
I just... accepted, because blood was all I wanted.
The blood of that damned Lycan king.
Vincent made vows of love to me, promised to always be by my side, but when I realized it, he was smiling while he thought he had killed me. My own husband had planned my death. "Don't worry, dear. I don't make vows of love, but I guarantee that I can destroy anyone you wish, and besides..." - Matthew smiled as his hand went up my hip - "I can fuck you like no one ever has before." That man was dangerous, and I knew it in every inch of my body, but I couldn't help feeling safe and tempted by him. Matthew Ricci was my biggest weapon for the revenge I had planned and also my biggest desire at that moment.
Amy Blanchard needed a fresh start while running away from her past and to do so, she agreed to work with Andrea Valentin. A man who was feared not only in high society, but also in the underworld. "Your responsibility and only priority has to be my son," he said to the girl as soon as she set foot in his house, but unlike his rude words and even the expected, Andrea showed himself every day, more gentle and attentive - which awakened in Amy, new feelings, but for Amy to live her new life and forget her past completely, she would have to masterfully avoid Andrea's twin brother, Alessin, a man who was not used to refusals and much less to something he could not have.
She has fallen in love with a character from a book she has read a thousand times and after an incident, has awakened in her arms, but who knew that one's opinion could change so much upon seeing the actions of such a being up close. Even though she no longer sees him romantically, she wants to save him and his little son, she wants to give everyone a happy ending, but... what if they are right in the middle of THEIR happy ending? It should be okay, right? After all... This was never a story about King Callisto.
When they met again, Jason cast aside his paranoia and pride, warmly embracing Chelsey. "Please, come back to me?" For three years, she had been his secretary by day and his companion by night. Chelsey had always complied with his requests, like an obedient pet. However, when Jason declared his plans to marry another, she chose to stop loving him and to let go. But life took unexpected turns. His unyielding pursuit, her pregnancy, and her mother's greed gradually pushed her to the brink. Eventually, she endured tremendous suffering. Five years later, when she returned, she was no longer the woman she once was. Yet he had spiraled into five years of chaos.
Due to her father's untimely death, Elara Harrington, 24, was named CEO of Harrington Industries. She had no idea that the business was experiencing financial problems, which led to Ashford Industries, her rival, acquiring Harrington Industries. Sebastian Ashford, the CEO of Ashford Industries a 26-year-old playboy billionaire, is a self-centered, wicked person who believes that everything revolves around him. He is left to clean up Harrington Industries' mess and baggage after his company acquired the corporation. Elara used to be the CEO of her own company, but now she is a secretary to the most selfish and egotistical billionaire. Elara eventually starts to see the true him as they become closer and barriers fall away. Will she be able to get past the billionaire's secret once his dark secret is revealed, or will the damage be too great to undo? *18+ *Includes mature content, slightly graphic scenes, and cursing*
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
Bethany, a stunning woman burdened by financial woes, wrestled with her future prospects in the city after fleeing her manipulative former lover. At the same time, a bold and unyielding man began to pursue her with relentless passion. The word on the street was that the aloof Mr. Swanson had taken under his wing a woman of striking beauty, allegedly snatched from his best friend. He showered her with lavish gifts and was captivated by her every word. They said she was not merely a beautiful woman, but a unique treasure that demanded constant dedication and attention.
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...
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