"I, Gabriel Foster of the Nightfall Pack, hereby announce that my fated mate Raine will be joining our pack. I hope that everyone will treat both Raine and Luna Elena with equal respect in the future." My husband Gabriel had announced in front of all of our pack members on our third wedding anniversary that he had found his fated mate. I stared blankly at the two figures cuddled up in the center of the hall as a wave of numbness washed over me and I listened to all of the members of the pack congratulating them wholeheartedly. Gabriel's so-called Fated Mate, Raine, feigning innocence and vulnerability, handed me a glass of wine. But that glass of wine took my life! Yet, the Moon Goddess decided my story wasn't over. She granted me a second chance. This time, I am determined to peel back the mask of that bitch and make Gabriel experience a regret so profound it will be his living torment!
Elena's POV
"Members of the pack, I, Gabriel Foster of the Nightfall Pack, hereby announce that my fated mate Raine will be joining our pack. I hope that everyone will treat both Raine and Luna Elena with equal respect in the future."
Silence lingered in the air for a moment before the hall erupted into jubilant cheers.
"Congratulations Alpha Gabriel! Long live the Nightfall Pack!"
"Congratulations!"
I stared blankly at the two figures cuddled up in the center of the hall as a wave of numbness washed over me and I listened to all of the members of the pack congratulating them wholeheartedly. My mind was completely empty and in that moment, I couldn't even find the words to object.
My mate Gabriel had announced in front of all of our pack members on our third wedding anniversary that he had found his fated mate.
The only problem with that was that his fated mate was another woman. To make matters worse, instead of being shocked by this news, they accepted it without a second thought and gave their blessings almost instantly.
Anger and humiliation surged through me uncontrollably as my wolf Chloe growled inside my head.
"Elena... what the fuck is going on?!" she demanded, the hackles on her neck standing on end in her fury, clearly ready to rip this she-wolf's throat out.
"Chloe, calm down," I said, trying desperately to placate her and suppress my own anger whilst trying to prevent Chloe from forcing a shift due to her uncontrollable rage.
As Luna of the Nightfall Pack and daughter of the Alpha of the Ironclad Pack, I couldn't afford to lose control in front of so many people, especially not at such an important occasion...
"Fuck controlling yourself Elena, what is wrong with you? I don't give a shit what people think, I want to tear them apart!! Both of them! The smug little bastards, just look at them!" Chloe raged, practically foaming at the mouth as she refused to calm down.
"How could he do this to us?! For three years we've been married and I've managed his pack affairs perfectly whilst always remembering my duty as Luna..."
It was all I could do to maintain a false facade of composure. I was positively seething at this unexpected revelation.
"Don't just sit here like a weakling, Elena! Go and ask him just what the fuck he thinks he's playing at! Right now!" Chloe roared furiously in my head.
My body didn't seem to want to obey me as I forced my numb hands to lift my skirt as gracefully as I could manage and made my way toward Gabriel's side. It took everything that I had left in me not to shed the tears of anger and betrayal that threatened to fall.
The many eyes watching me as I made my way over were a constant reminder to me of my duty as their Luna and it helped me to keep my composure as I strode forward with a false confidence. I managed to keep Chloe in check as I walked, although I'm sure her fury radiated brightly from my eyes for those that looked closely enough.
I leaned down as I reached him, a tight smile in place as I spoke quietly to him, in the hopes that none of the assembled pack members could hear our exchange.
"Gabriel, what the hell do you think you're doing? Are you sure you want to do this to me on our wedding anniversary? Could this not have waited?"
"Elena, I'm sorry. I love you, but Raine... she's my fated mate after all... I can't deny her..." Gabriel said weakly as he looked up at me with a guilty expression written all over his face.
He didn't have the decency to let go of that woman though, he held onto her tightly without any intention of letting go.
He was nothing but a disgusting, cheating, hypocrite. I had no words that were pleasant enough to describe the woman sat next to him, smirking smugly up at me as I stood there, without an ounce of remorse in her eyes.
This had always promised to be the biggest obstacle between us. Gabriel and I fell in love when we were just 16 years old and had promised each other that we would be together for life. We had hoped desperately that the Moon Goddess would make us each other's fated mates when we turned 18 and shifted into wolves, but, much to our dismay, it didn't happen.
Even back then Gabriel had told me passionately: "Elena, I love you. Even though we are not fated mates, my pack members will never accept anyone else, you are the only person that they would ever accept as Luna! There will never be anyone else, I swear it!"
The man who had firmly chosen me back then and promised me the world, now stood before me holding another girl tightly in his arms. Despite my rage, the memories of the past few years kept flashing through my mind as I stood before them, trembling with barely suppressed anger and the unshed tears blurring my vision. I held onto my skirt tightly as I tried desperately to distract myself from the pain of my heart breaking and willed myself not to give into the grief and let these traitorous tears fall from my eyes.
I wouldn't give either of them the satisfaction.
"Elena, my love, you know what finding a fated mate means for an Alpha. Raine is just a poor girl whose pack recently suffered a catastrophe, I can't leave her alone. If I reject her, she will have nowhere else to go." Gabriel pleaded unrepentatnly.
He could see that I hadn't spoken for a long time but he insisted on reaching for me, and holding onto my hand like he usually did, all the while looking unashamedly at Raine with pity and affection in his eyes.
"Of course I know what being a fated mate means! But I'll warn you now Gabriel, you had better remember who your Luna is!" I hissed furiously in a low tone, so that only the three of us would be able to hear it, as I shook off his hand and stared boldly into Gabriel's eyes.
"Elena, my love, I can't help it, you know what the bond is like, all the times we wished that it was real between us so that we would feel that irresistible pull... ever since I laid eyes on Raine for the first time, my wolf has been going crazy, he's only satisfied when she's by his side. You know as well as I do, that a true Mate will only serve to enhance my strength as an Alpha. Elena, please forgive me, I really can't send her away..." Gabriel pleaded as he finally let go of the girl in his arms and tried to embrace me as he whispered into my ear, "Raine is a good girl; she can help you with the pack affairs."
I looked at Raine, who had big eyes and a petite figure. She was looking at me shyly while holding onto Gabriel's clothes tightly, appearing every inch the pitiful girl that Gabriel wanted me to believe that she was.
I snorted coldly at them both and Raine seemed startled by it before quickly picking up a glass of red wine from the nearby table and carefully handing it to me.
"Respected Luna, please allow me to stay here. I don't want to ruin your banquet, I promise! Gabriel has saved me out of the kindness of his heart and it really wasn't my intention to cause such a problem between you both!" Raine's pretty face was full of anxiety as her big watery eyes looked at me pleadingly.
"Do you want to know what I think?" I said as I looked down on her condescendingly.
Raine was taken aback and stood there holding the wine glass uncertainly, without knowing what to do next. Gabriel stepped forward protectively shielding her behind him before speaking.
"Elena, you need to calm down."
"You're the one who needs to calm down!" I hissed furiously, "You aren't content with your chosen mate and now you bring another woman into our home? Fated or not Gabriel, you made a promise..."
My argument with Gabriel was clearly beginning to make Raine panic as the girl suddenly knelt down before me, holding up her glass of red wine and crying as she said to me,
"I beg you, as long as I have a place to stay I won't interfere in anything, Luna! I can do laundry, cook for you and take care of your daily life! As long as you let me stay!"
"Oh, this poor girl looks so pitiful." a choked voice came from somewhere amongst the assembled pack members, closely followed by another.
"At least she is Alpha Gabriel's fated mate, she has a reason to be here. Luna Elena really shouldn't be so harsh on her..."
Some of the murmurs that reached my ears felt like knives stabbing straight into my heart. I turned to look at Gabriel but saw that he was looking at Raine with tenderness and love in his eyes. I closed my eyes and suddenly felt overwhelmed by confusion. This six-year-long love story that had blossomed since high school now seemed like nothing more than a joke.
"Fuck these arseholes!" Chloe growled lowly as she fought for control, wanting desperately to rush out and tear apart the couple in front of us.
But, I couldn't let her do that.
"It's not time for anger yet. At least for now I am still the Luna of this Pack." I replied calmly, forcing her to settle down.
"I don't agree with you in the slightest. You should be addressing this now, and publicly!" Chloe retorted sullenly as she slunk to the back of my mind.
"After the banquet ends, we will settle the score with them properly. I won't do this in front of so many people Chloe."
I took a deep breath and grabbed Raine's wine glass before drinking it all in one gulp. Then I reached forward, grabbing her tightly around the arm and pulling her upright forcing her to stand. With a disdainful sneer I pushed her towards Gabriel.
"Gabriel, my admiration and love for you ends here. You've made your choice, and now I make mine. After the banquet ends, we'll settle things properly." I announced coldly.
Gabriel opened his mouth seemingly wanting to say something more but I didn't want to listen anymore. Instead, I sat down on the seat that traditionally belonged to the Luna whilst waiting dutifully for Chloe to return after she had taken a breather.
"Chloe, it's time," I coaxed as I approached the forest edge. It was our favourite spot for letting loose when things became too stressful and we had spent countless hours running and exploring in the shady depths of the towering trees.
But something strange was happening. It didn't matter how many times I called to her, she didn't appear. I heard no response from her at all for the first time since we had found each other at 18 years old.
I felt distinctly unsettled about this and was just about to use the pack's mind link to ask the Pack's private doctor what was going on when suddenly, my heart seemed to burst, the severe pain radiating outwards and along my limbs, my body contorting in agony before I fell to the ground.
What the hell was happening to me?
"Respected Luna, did you enjoy the wine earlier?" A mocking voice sounded from somewhere above me.
I struggled on the ground, my body refusing to respond to my attempts to move as I tried desperately to lift my head, but all I could see was the solitary figure of a petite woman.
"Fuck, Raine!"
"I, Alpha Miller, hereby reject you, Isla Higgins, as my mate and Luna of the Pembroke pack," he said with a smirk as his beta pinned me against the wall. My heart shattered into a thousand pieces, and I felt a physical ache in my body as pain penetrated through me. “There is no competition here.” Mora, the girl who had made my life hell since childhood, wrapped herself around my fated mate, and he pulled her into his chest, kissing her with passion and lust. I glared at her in frustration and wished I could punch her fake image. Isla decides to leave the pack after the humiliating rejection and the betrayal. Five years later, she returns to her old pack after her mother falls ill. As she comes to terms with the past and becomes a respected warrior in the Eclipse Moon Pack, secrets and lies are revealed. Isla must decide whether to give her ex-mate a second chance or realize her worth without him.
"If you keep biting your lip like that I won't be able to contain myself." I could feel the warmth of his breath fan over my lips, making me hungry to feel them against me. I bit my lip again as my way of permitting him. He gave me a sexy smirk before he crashed his lips against mine. His hands gripped my hips, lifting me and placing me on the kitchen island. I parted my legs allowing his torso between them as he grabbed my bottom while parting my lips with his tongue. I let him explore my mouth with a soft moan. His hands left my rear, traveling up my thighs, pushing my dress up along the way. He ran his finger over my dampening slit, through my underwear. "You're so wet for me already." He smirked against my lip before biting it lightly. I moaned again at the pleasure his touches and words were bringing me. "I want to know what you taste like, Rose." **** Olive came home one day to find her only long-term boyfriend balls deep inside her roommate. With her heart crushed, her fighting spirit from hell, and her best friend at her side, she sets out to prove a point. She can be with anyone if she wants to be. She finds the hottest guy at the nightclub and has her one-night stand with a stranger. Only it becomes more than just a one-night stand as she runs into him again next weekend while out with Lucas' best friend, Leo. Of course, she wasn't aware of the relationship between Leo and Lucas. Lucas is determined to make her his, but so is Leo. How will these best friends handle fighting for the same girl? Read on to discover how Olive deals with these two new men along with her college studies and family drama. Did I forget to mention these guys are rich beyond reason? Warning:there are plenty of hot and steamy scenes in this book
My birth brought death to my mother, and my father grew to hate me for it, leaving me vulnerable to the abuse of my stepmother and stepsister. My mere appearance served as a constant reminder to my stepmother of the woman my father once loved the most - my mother. Consumed by jealousy, she relentlessly sought to destroy my life, but will she succeed? "Sign this contract, become my Luna, and after the contract term ends, you will receive generous rewards and freedom." "What do I need to do during the contract? Sleep with you?" "You just need to play the role of my Luna. We will only pretend to be a couple in public, and there's no need for marking each other," "It seems arrogance is indeed a common trait among every Alpha," "What?" "Alpha Logan, what makes you think I would readily accept your proposal?" I continued, my voice now laced with a mix of anger and defiance. "Just because I'm a wolf-less unwanted daughter? Or do you think you're so noble and handsome that I should be grateful and accept your offer for a large sum of money?" "I didn't mean it like that," he stumbled. I once thought the man who saved me was just an insignificant nobody, but little did I know he was the most ruthless Alpha on the entire continent, responsible for killing his own Mate. What stunned me was that he wanted me to become his Luna?!
I yearned to be acknowledged as a deserving Luna, even though the entire pack never addressed me as such. Nevertheless, I persevered, striving for their respect. Within each pack, leaders must earn the pack's allegiance rather than coerce it. Hence, I continued to push myself beyond the limits I had never before explored. Yet, despite my relentless efforts, I was deceived and betrayed. My so-called mate, Brett, and my supposed best friend, Jennifer, shattered my trust. We grew up without parents, but I cared for Jennifer as a sister would. Nevertheless, she plunged a metaphorical knife into my back. Now and future, never again will I allow anyone to exploit my vulnerability, I will reclaim my standing.
"I was the first to kiss her," Bryce brags. "I call her virginity," Ace yells out loudly. "She will love me first," Chris responds angrily. Erica rolls her eyes and stomps her foot. "I hate you! All of you!!" Erica finds herself homeless and without a family after her parents are banished from the West Pack. She is forced to take the only option that is laid out before her. To go to the North Pack and live with the Alpha, Luna, and their Triplet sons. Being no stranger to the North Pack, Erica is aware of just how cruel Ace, Bryce, and Chris can be. But what she doesn't expect is to be stripped of her Beta status and considered a Rogue within the Pack. Shamed and tormented Erica becomes nothing more than a shell of the woman that she used to be. That is until the fateful night that she finds her mate. Will she accept the bond that has been given to her by the Moon Goddess or will she run as far away as she can get?
"Mason, I want to cut all ties with you. No marriage and no bond. We're done," "You want a rejection?" "I know that you have never loved me, Mason... It would be better that we were both free to pursue our own interests." "Freedom? Willow, freedom is a privilege that only good and innocent people have the luxury of. You are neither of those things so what makes you think that I should let you go free?" He sneered. "What do you mean?" I said as my brows creased in confusion. "Isn't it fucking obvious?" Mason mocked as he cracked his knuckles in his hands, "Your parent's hands are stained with the blood of my parents, you don't deserve to be free whilst you atone for their sins?" *** Throughout my year of marriage, I have constantly suffered from the pain of Mate Bond. My mate would sleep with various she-wolves but never spare me a glance. He would allow his lovers to mock and insult me, his wife, his Luna, and he did it all just to inflict pain on me. I couldn't bear it any longer, so I asked to end the relationship, but he refused. Just when I felt pain and confusion, a powerful Lycan King appeared...
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...
"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!
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.
After a passionate night, Verena left some money and wanted to leave, but was held by her companion. "Isn't it your turn to make me happy?" Verena, always disguising herself as ugly, slept with her fiance's uncle, Darren, in order to escape her engagement with her unfaithful fiance. Darren had respect and admiration. Word of his romantic escapades circulated, some saying they saw him kissing a lady against a wall and others calling it gossip. Who could ever tame Darren's heart? Then, shockingly, Darren was caught bending down to help Verena with her shoes, all to score a kiss from her!
"The entire wealthy circle in Seattle knew how much Stella Carlson loved Aaron Malone. People watched the childhood sweethearts grow from inexperience to maturity, finally getting married in a grand wedding ceremony. On the day of the wedding, despite the alliance between the Carlson and Malone families, the groom ran away. Stella knew that Aaron had rushed to L.A. to take care of his ex-girlfriend, who had attempted suicide. Unwilling to become the laughingstock of all Seattle, she gritted her teeth and dialed the number of her adversary, her tone almost commanding, "Ethan, come and marry me now. This is your only chance for revenge." On the other end, Ethan Powers raised an eyebrow as he gripped his phone, staring at the floor littered with cigarette butts. "Did the groom run away?" he asked. "My darling."
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.