Aurora Adaline Volkov Aurora Adaline Volkov is an NYU Psychology Professor, She has an amazing boyfriend and the greatest best friend. At 28 she is accomplished and happy, until she is called back home, to New Orleans, a place she left nine years ago because unlike everyone there, she didn't wolf out or find a mate, even at twenty. Aurora didn't just leave New Orleans, she left someone behind, and she might get to see him. Alexandru Luc Conri A Werewolf, A Lycan, one of the most powerful members of the Blue Moon Pack. Alex was born and raised in the Blue Moon Pack, and he has a strong devotion for family. He is the Beta of the Pack, a Businessman and someone Adaline left behind. Since she left, he has been trying to forget her, to forget that she is his mate. However, she's back, and he knows this is his second chance to make her face who she actually is, and who they can be together, but forces try to tear them apart.
"Certain animals, including snakes and spiders, have killed a lot of people throughout human history. Because doing so would provide them a survival advantage, some experts think that men and women may have evolved to carry this urge. According to some research, it's simpler to make people who don't seem to have any animal phobias dread snakes and spiders than it is to make them fear dogs or other "friendly" animals." I say, staring at the crowd of students.
"Despite the fact that they are not everyone's favorite feelings, fear and anxiety are essential for keeping us secure. If the dog down the street bites you, the terror that follows will help you avoid getting bitten again the next time you see the dog, but what if the reaction is excessive? Instead, if you start to dread all dogs, not just the one who bit you, your behavior could be significantly affected, which would be detrimental rather than helpful." I glance at my wrist watch.
"Shmuel Lissek, PhD, an associate professor of psychology in the Faculty of Liberal Arts, is particularly interested in this phenomenon-where anxiety alters our behavior even when there is no immediate threat. Lissek is the director of the Anxiety Neuroscience Grounded in cross-Species Translation (ANGST) Lab, which investigates how anxiety influences learning, memory, and decision-making in humans. His team's research can give insight on how to treat people with anxiety disorders, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and help identify where psychological states like fear and anxiety "happen" inside our brains (PTSD)."
"Here is what needs to be done. Write a seminar paper, not less than twenty five pages, with adequate referencing on the relationship between Fear and Psychology, tell me if it can be severed. Dazzle me. Class dismissed" I smile, watching as the students leave.
It is very rare to see a Professor, as young as I am. I am grateful for my privileges, but right now, I really can't wait to fall asleep on my big bed. I pack up my laptop, and and books, I mean it's me, I can't go anywhere without a novel. My phone rings and I smile "Hey baby"
At age 28, I'm supposed to be married, according to where I'm from, which is one of the reasons I love New York, I'm free here, I can do whatever I want, within reason. I am successful, accomplished and in love, what more do I want?
"Aurora" Cyprus says, and I feel his smile "Still at work?"
"Just concluded my last class. How about you?" I say, taking my bag as I walk out the hall.
"On my way to the Airport." He says, and I still.
"Where are you going? We have plans tonight." I say, frowning.
"I am sorry, baby. It's Mom, she needs me, her illness is acting up again, and no one is with her. If I leave now, I should get there by midnight." He says, and I hear the fatigue in his voice.
"It's alright, Cyprus. I keep telling you to take her to Los Angeles, let her stay with you, rather than flying to Romania twice a month." I say, getting out my car keys.
"She's stubborn, doesn't want to leave home. Thank you for understanding, Rora, I can't wait for you to meet her." He says, yawning, and I grin.
"I can't wait to meet her too. Let me know how it goes, yeah?"
"Of course. I love you."
"I love you too, bye." and the phone clicks. I feel a tad bit disappointed, but I love that he loves his Mom.
Cyprus and I met five years ago in Italy, I was on vacation and we crashed into eachother, my head was buried in a book, to my defense, It was Chimamanda Ngozi's Zikora, so I was enamored, then I saw Cyprus, it was love at first sight, we've being glued at the hips since then. It took a little while for him to open up to me, it wasn't hard to deduce that he had some unresolved childhood issues and psychological problems, but I helped him, and I was with him every step of the way.
One of the first things that drew me to him was his eyes, it was unnaturally yellow, so beautiful. I met him during my PhD program, I was stressed and depressed that year, so my best friend and I, took a spontaneous trip to Italy, spending all of our savings on expensive hotels, boat cruise and expensive wine, It was a splendid year. I met him on a boat cruise, I was wearing next to nothing, I was impulsive, looking back my, early twentys was filled with self destructive behaviours, but all that changed when I met my best friend, Zoe and Cyprus, even till now, both of them are my lifeline.
We've been dating for almost five years, well 4 years, nine months. Zoe was a bit indifferent to him at first, and he disliked her in return, it took a lot of time to get them to be friends, and now there are close friends, they planned my last surprise birthday, it was a trip to Mali, I met my favourite author there, I wonder what my life will be without them, another thing I wonder is when Cyprus will propose to me, I mean, I'm in no haste to get married and have kids, it just feels right, we've been together for almost half a decade but I'll go at his pace, I still have a lot of things to achieve.
Being a Professor wasn't my first choice of profession, I wanted to be a Artiste, to sing and touch the souls of people with my voice, but everything doesn't go as planned, I still sing, just not as before. I've grown to love being a Psychology Professor, but I'm not stopping, there are still things to achieve, places to go, I'm aiming for the position of the Dean, I've got age and time on my side. In the next ten years, I'm hoping to be married to Cyprus, have two kids, with Cyprus made Partner at his firm and Zoe, the head chef, my life will be complete.
I grin at my reflection in my rearview mirror, perfecting the act of ignoring that void I feel.
____
"Girl, he ordered a breadless bread stick, my mouth was wide open" Zoe says, and I burst into laughter.
Zoe is a chef at a Micheline Star Restaurant in Los Angeles. She graduated from culinary school while I was getting my masters. We met nine years ago in UCLA apartment, I had transferred the year before, and couldn't afford to live alone, so I sought for a roommate and I found her. She looked as lost and homesick as I was the minute I saw her, I guess that's what drew us together, we found strength in each other, She was 23 and I, 20, we became instant friends and she taught me the art of self destructiveness and I thought her how to balance it with the determination to succeed, we once got matching tattoos on our thighss, and read all through the night. She was my Personal Chef, and I, her Critic. I was her Therapist and she, my Patient. We found equilibrium in each other, then Cyprus came along, and I gave both of them my whole heart, they became my world.
"Breadless bread stick!" I say amidst laughter.
"Exactly! Those posh asshole will be faking some boogie shit." She grins, her dark skin dazzling.
"You complain everyday, but you're there every morning." I smile.
"And Cyprus leaves without warning but you still love him. We love what we love." She smiles, and I nod.
"Tell me about Connor, how was the date?" I smile, Zoe has never had a stable boyfriend, I worry she might feel intimidated by I and Cyprus' love, so I take every chance to set her up.
"I tap that ass." She says with her mouth full, and I grin, my mouth equally full of her special Spaghetti.
"He was charming and all. He opened the car door for me, but I told you, B, I'm in love with someone."
I drop my spoon, annoyed "You won't tell me who he is!" I accuse and she shrugs.
"We all have our secrets, he is mine, I'll like to keep it that way."
"Tell me a little about him." I persist, and she smiles, giving in.
"He is the best in bed. He knows my body better than I do. He speaks to me even from miles away. I don't believe in soulmates, I believe in something bigger than soulmates, and he's mine." She says, and I swoon, ignoring the ache in my chest, trying to tell me something.
"That is beaut -- " My ringing phone cuts me off. I stare at the screen, and I frown, dread coursing through my veins. It's my Dad. "Excuse me, my love. I have to take this." I say, walking to my bedroom.
"Daddy." I say picking the call.
"Daughter!" He yells in glee, and I feel relief, my paranoia fading away.
"Hi." I smile, relaxing. I've missed him. "How's Mom?"
"She's here, wants to speak to you." He says, and I wait for her
"Adaline, come home." She says, and I freeze.
"Is something wrong?" I say, but she laughs.
"No, Adaline, It's our Anniversary next Saturday, and this year, I don't want a delivered gift and video call, I want my daughter, my only child." She says, and I sign.
"I miss you Mom, but I haven't being home in almost ten years. I left for a reason."
"I am not asking you to come back fully, just visit your mother, am I not enough reason?"
I roll my eyes "Enough with the guilt trip Mom."
"Excellent. I'll see you on Wednesday, bring me a huge cake, and your daddy wants a baseball hat. Love you, bye." She rushes out and cuts the call.
I groan in frustration. I don't want to go back, I don't want to go home, but it's been eight years, and it's time to return to New Orleans, just for a week.
Kara Martin was known as Miss Perfect. She was a beauty with good personality and successful career. Unfortunately, her life changed at one night. She was accused of adultery, losing her job, and abandoned by her fiance. The arrogant man who slept with her did not want to take responsibility. He even threatened to kill her if they met again. What's worse, Kara was pregnant with twins and she chose to give birth to them. Four and a half years later, Kara returned to work at a large company. As the secretary, she would frequently face their notorious CEO. Kara thought it wouldn't be a problem, but as it turned out ... the CEO was the father of the twins!
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
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!"
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!