"I was looking for a man named Zarion, but I ended up here." Most of them gasped when I uttered Zarions' name. "Don't mention that name because it's cursed!" someone hissed. My brows furrowed at her reaction. "Why? "He's the Alpha of this pack. He was banished because he didn't want to take the position. Rumour says that he's out in the woods, looking for his mate, and..." she trailed off. "And?" I swallowed. "Kill her. He wants to kill his mate." *** Alpha Zarion is on a quest to find his mate and kill her because he despises the idea of a mating bond. During a winter storm, he met Cassidy Bentley who saved him from death. He knows he has no time to waste but Zarion was curious about her, deliriously wanting every inch of her skin and touch...until he found out that the girl is mated to his number one rival, Alpha Brandon. Alpha Brandon rejected Cassidy because she's a human-which he greatly despises. She eventually started getting over him, pouring out her love to Alpha Zarion who obsessively wants her. During the night Zarion and Cassidy will mark and mate, the girl's first mate finally comes to his senses and goes to find her. But the first mate already found Cassidy in another man's arm, in his stepbrother's arms, who was just about to mark her...
Cassidy's POV
My grandmother said that I might have mistaken my infatuation and amazement for that wolf-shifting man.
"It's not love, Cassidy!" She once yelled at me. "You're just a curious little girl!"
Well, the only way to find out is go find him, isn't it?
"Zarion!" My throat's dry from bellowing. It's literally winter wonderland around here. Everything is white and colorless. And cold, so cold that it seeps deep in my bones. It whispered in my soul that this coldness will drive me mad until I'm on the brink of death. "Zarion! Zarion!"
But it was no use. Zarion-his name, that's the only thing he revealed about himself. I don't even know what does a wolf-shifting man-a werewolf does aside from, well, shifting into a wolf. I've been walking around the Misty Forest with an almost frozen body; a coat made of sheep's skin made by my Mamita is the only thing between me and this cold while searching for him.
A fool I've been. My Grandmama called me a fool the moment I stepped outside the castle so that I can be with this werewolf I barely know. I don't even know his last name-that is if he has one.
The snow's wildly pouring as if the wicked weather can push me back to the castle. I chuckled at the thought that Mamita could have whipped this harsh winter to never let me leave the mountains.
"Zarion, Please..." I prayed, hopelessly praying. I don't know why I'm uttering his name like an invocation as if he's my God. "I'm so cold," I added, hoping he could hear me with his superpowers or something. Rubbing both of my hands to create pressure and heat, I eventually stopped because it was of no use. Any minute from now, my body will collapse on this frozen icy road.
"Zarion!" I bellowed his name before I felt my knees crushing to the ground. "Where... are you... Zarion?" My body is gravely shaking from the cold; the eyelids of my eyes started fluttering. Still, I forced my eyes open and a familiar big dog was approaching me, ready to bite me. Taken back from my senses, I wrapped my arms around my body, desperate to live.
"No! No! No!" I keep shrieking, even though I wasn't sure if I'll be able to attract anyone.
I didn't know I was more afraid of dogs-wolves-than to be frozen to death.
My grandmother's face flashed as if she was here with me.
I left her. My mind whispered. You left her all alone in the castle in the height of winter.
"Not today." I kicked, thrashing in the snow. "Not today you freaking dog!"
The dog bit my foot and dragged me across a plain of snow. Then before I could draw my next breath, it suddenly transformed into a human. A familiar human. Gasping, I willed my sense of sight to focus, and when I did...I found myself staring at the familiar heated gaze of Zarion, who's now squatting in front of me.
"Was I hallucinating?" Definitely not, answering my own question silently. Zarion is shirtless. Wait, no. My eyes slid from his face down to his torso. He's naked. Completely bare and unclothed and his masculinity is calling to me...
Completely terrified, I tried to get away from him while my jaw still fell open. "How did-"
Zarion shook his head. "That's not important right now."
"W-What?"
"You're cold. You need to be warm, my warmth."
"Why did you turn into a human from being a dog?"
"Dog," he nodded, scoffing. "It's a wolf, kid. I thought you're old enough to know the difference?" A smirk bloomed in that irritatingly handsome face of his. "If my pack hears about this, they're going to hate me more." An unbelievable gorgeous smile replaced the smirk earlier on his brazen face.
I returned his smile.
"I don't understand, Zarion."
Zarion sighed and grabbed my coat and boots. His fingertips stroke the base of my neck, my weak spot. The spot I always want a man to caress when lovemaking, or just even kissing. My body responded to his touch, my head still couldn't properly function after seeing those dreams-daydreams that I am above him and nightmares that he might leave me. Or worse, kill me. Maybe, it was just a hallucination after all.
Earlier, I nearly died from hypothermia. Earlier, I would have been eaten by a wild wolf. Earlier..."I might die too soon."
"You won't. Not yet, at least." Zarion's baritone voice filled my ears. "Come on, Cassidy. You might be a kid but I know you are braver and more rebellious than those other kids of your age." It was at this moment that embarrassment slowly crawled out from my body. I wasn't wearing anything anymore aside from my white plain undergarments. "So, just stay still." My cheeks might as well be as warm as his cock. Too much skin, too much exposure. Yet Zarion didn't seem to notice. Maybe I was the only one who found this awkward all along.
He carried me like a newly-wedded bride, qmy uivering body with his warmth as if we are hugging each other. One moment, my body was shaking from the cold. And in a blink of my eyes, it relaxed when Zarion's presence shrouded to where I was breathing.
"You're so warm..." I whispered, before falling asleep in his arms-which turns out to be the best sleep of my life as Mamita's snoring can no longer interrupt my sweet dreams.
***
It's warm and cozy here, my eyes smiling when they found the fireplace. A piping hot bowl of venison stew beckoned me to sit beside the blazing fireplace.
I ate half of the food for ten minutes. Noticing the lavish royal blue curtain, I scooted away from the fireplace and pushed aside the curtains. I just realized that it served as the door between-
"This place is a village," I breathed, wiping my mouth clean from eating. From just the look of the surroundings, I'm pretty sure this village is in the middle of the forest. And near a lake, the briny scent could never hide the smell of fresh forest rain.
A petite black lady with gorgeous braided curls that reached her shoulders slowly approached me. "You're awake, little sheep."
Seriously, little sheep?! My hand waved awkwardly at her. "H-Hi, you are-"
"I'm Delilah Ferguson. You can call me Delilah."
I faked a smile. "My name is Cassidy. You can call me Cass."
My hands started fidgeting while I stared at the girl with hopeful eyes. "I was looking for a man named Zarion," I paused, swallowing. "But I ended up here, woke up here."
Upon uttering Zarions' name, Delilah gasped, even cursed silently. "Don't you dare mention that cursed name here!"
My brows furrowed at her reaction, she hissed back. "Why?
"He's the Alpha of this pack." Fear now shone in her once-cheerful eyes. "He was banished because he didn't want to take responsibility for his position. Rumors say that he's out in the woods, looking for his mate, and..." she trailed off, leaving silence to sink deeper in my bones.
"And?" I swallowed, braced myself for whatever horrible word her tongue might utter.
"Kill her." Delilah's nose flared. "He wants to kill his mate for he hates the idea of the sacred mating bond."
Sacred? Mate? Mating bond?!
I swallowed, forcing myself not to gape. I must find and talk to Zarion immediately. "Uhm, Delilah?" I curtsied with a smile towards her. She looks nice and friendly. I bet she's going to transform into a wolf too like Zarion, if she'd like. I already know she's one of them the moment I laid my eyes on hers.
"I'm going back now," I cleared my throat, as if I'm not already panicking.
What if they eat me?! I thought. No, they won't. You're with Zarion!
Right, they won't. Zarion is with me, even if he's nowhere of sight. He's probably just smirking under the cloak of darkness, amusement dancing in his eyes as he watches me, his kid, panicking and no longer able to breathe and think properly when cornered by a pack of werewolves.
"To where? Are you from a different pack?" she asked. Carefully. I must be careful with my words, too. And now I am more curious about my existence in this place. I tried to be calm as possible. The inside of my hand is almost bleeding; my scratching made it even worse.
"No," I breathed. "Unfortunately, I don't belong to any pack."
Even though they already know what I am, I still uttered those words that confirmed my real identity. "I'm a human actually."
In a werewolf country cursed to be forever cold, Evadne wished under the full moon for many years to find her mate and escape from her hell of a home where her father, Alpha Marcus of the Moonflame Pack, and Elodie, Evadne's sister, constantly made sure her day won't end without her being bullied or beaten by them. When she finally turned eighteen years old, Evadne find her mate, Alpha Gregor of the Fireheart Pack. She promised him that she would be the best mate and Luna for him. However, Elodie reveals he's her fiance and boyfriend and begs the Alpha to ruthlessly reject her in front of the whole Moonflame Pack at Evadne's very own birthday party. Evadne's heart became even more shattered when her father banished her and ordered her to never return to their lives when she humiliated his favorite daughter, Elodie, on that same night. Alone, she was imprisoned in the dungeons of a pack that thought she was a Rogue-when it was attacked by the Alpha King's forces since the said pack was the only remaining one who refused to bow down to him. As she tried to escape the ensuing chaos, she met him, and never had she thought that the Moon Goddess would let her second-chance mate be Alpha King Kallias himself-the cause of the eternal winter and now the most feared Alpha.
“Where are you taking me?” I whimpered as the huge wolf carried me on his shoulders. After a couple of minutes, he put me down. Before I could blink, the huge white wolf shifted before me. The man who now stood in its place was handsome, muscular… and completely naked. * * * Elaine Rutherford has spent her entire life wishing for an escape from her dysfunctional family. But when her wish is granted in the form of being offered up as a human sacrifice to an elite village of werewolves…it wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Every leap year, Stella’s Soul receives a mortal woman from the neighbouring city of Moonburn, just beyond the wall, to bear children for the chosen werewolf. And it just so happens this year is a leap year. On the next full moon, Elaine is set to be married to the handsome werewolf billionaire, Tyler Jane Moonstorm. Despite her doubts, she still hopes that this will be a better life than she’s used to. At least that’s what she thought…
In the land of Westfall, three packs rule: the Night Storm Pack, whose wolves are gifted with wind and storm abilities; the Shadow Rose Pack, who are masters of shadows and poison; and the Fire Moon Pack, who can wield flames and render themselves immune to fire. But only the luckiest packmembers have those powers, and not all who possess them have wolves. Meet Sasha Forster, a wolfless and helpless Slave of the Fire Moon Pack-until the ruthless Alpha Alain of the Shadow Rose Pack, the one who was cursed by her mother to marry Sasha and have an heir with her, saves her from her pack's tyrannical Alpha. The Fire Moon Pack now whisks Sasha to be the payment to Alpha Alain and Alain is also trying his best to make her his and end the curse. But Sasha's heart has already begun to beat for her childhood friend and her pack's new Alpha, Ansel. Worse, Sasha became more perplexed when she accidentally revealed to the entire Fire Moon Pack that she has fire powers, and all the pack now either envy her or hate her. When her life and heart bombarded her with difficult choices, would she choose her heart over her mind? Or will she choose responsibility over love?
Wisdom Weisz lost her house and ten-month-old daughter in a fire in a single day. And what’s worse is that on the same day, her husband was making love to her best friend in the latter’s apartment without paying any sort of remorse for her. Frustrated, she was left jobless and spent her remaining money in a luxury hotel’s bar. With destiny as unpredictable as ever, she met the billionaire in the bar who she already came across at various moments of her life. The man offered her a job called, “Wife for Hire”, meaning she will be his wife without any emotional attachments. If she accepts, the billionaire will pay her upfront with a hundred thousand dollars in her bank in just a blink of an eye. Wisdom eventually accepts as she deemed this as an opportunity for revenge to her former husband and best friend. As whirlpool of emotions stirred and a web of conflicts weaved, Wisdom will soon find out that this job was not easy as she thought as her heart begins to fall for the man who had employed her to be his hired wife.
Minerva was so close to tying the knot with her long-time boyfriend Derrick when an unexpected accident fatally killed him. With only five months before she’ll give birth, she had look for various jobs that can raise her and her upcoming child until she met Darwin Gray, the CEO of the biggest company in their city and happens to be Derrick’s half-brother. She was skeptical at first to live with him until Darwin revealed that Derrick actually sold her to him in order to finance Derrick’s gambling lifestyle. Minerva was absolutely heartbroken and was left with no choice than to be his Mrs. Gray. But, as the winds of fate change, Minerva will soon realize that one must never judge a book by its cover—that despite Darwin’s ruthless appearance lies a heart that has long been yearning for a one true love.
Rozelyn found out she is a vampire when she turned eighteen. To make matters worse, her stepmom is secretly a vampire as well and Cyrill, her stepmom's adoptive son, is a werewolf behind the shadows. As she live the life of being a vampire, several people had come for her—including the infamous Blood Mistress, a witch who hunts vampires and werewolves. Rozelyn become more fascinated with the vampire life, especially when she found out that sex plays a huge role in a vampire's everyday living and it acts like blood: once they tasted it, they will crave for it even more. Will Rozelyn be able to voice out her secret love to Cyrill without risking the familial relationship they have built for years? Or will she watch her loved ones perish due to her identity as the most powerful vampire to ever live? Amidst all these, only one thing is certain: Blood is thicker than water—either literally or figuratively.
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
Olivia White replaced her sister to be engaged to Vincent Barton. She thought that the one she married would be a disabled man with notorious reputation, while to her surprise, Vincent is actually very handsome with great figure. What’s more, he treats her so well that he tends to satisfy all her requirements with no limits. In front of the public, he is the ruthless heir to the Emperor, while in front of her, he is her clingy husband who only belongs to her.
Maria took her sister’s place and was engaged to Anthony, a disabled man who had lost his status as the family heir. At first, they were just a nominal couple. However, things changed when things about Maria were gradually exposed. It turned out she was a professional hacker, a mysterious composer, and the sole successor to an international jade sculpting master… The more that was revealed about her, the less Anthony could rest easy. A famous singer, an award-winning actor, an heir of a rich family—so many excellent men were chasing after his fiancee, Maria. What should Anthony do?
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.