In a world where humans are enslaved to werewolves, a young slave called Baka struggles to survive. When her mother discovers a truth that could potentially cost them their lives, Baka decides to plan their escape. But her life takes an unexpected turn when she captures the attention of the Alpha King, Tatum. Carrying a dangerous secret of his own, Alpha Tatum soon discovers that Baka is the answer. But he must choose a Luna Queen before his seat is challenged, and a love union between an Alpha king and a human is forbidden. As their bond begins to grow deeper, so does the danger at every corner. Baka and Tatum must decide if their love is worth it all.
The cool night breeze carried a cold whisper into the late evening, and a stronger chill was left in its wake.
Inside the small congested room, Baka could hardly feel the cold.
Yet she knew something was wrong before she heard the howls.
Loud, desperate howls, piercing the silence of the night.
Goosebumps ran down the length of her arms with rapid precision and the hair on the back of her neck stood up.
She sat up for what seemed like the fifth time that night. Her roommates were snoring loudly, seemingly deaf to the terrifying howls. Even despite the cold breeze, the room was as hot as ever because it was poorly ventilated. About twenty people occupied their small room. Baka could barely stretch her legs.
She stared down at her roommates as they slept on either side of her on the matted floor. Nothing but fatigue would have them sleeping under all that howling. The work they performed every hour of every day could make one sleep through a stampede.
But try as she might, she couldn't summon sleep. The sinking feeling in her gut didn't ease her plight and racing thoughts.
She heard the soft sound of footsteps approaching and crawled her way through the mass of bodies around her towards their dilapidated door.
Baka's shoulders relaxed a little when she spotted her mother, but one look at her face made her tense up just as quickly.
Pushing the damaged door open ever so carefully to avoid making noise, she whispered, "What has happened, Mother?"
Her mother looked up at her in surprise. "Hush, Child. Help me with my things," she spoke softly, gesturing to her bloodied apron and equipment.
Baka did as she was told with efficiency. It was clear her mother knew exactly what was going on. She was a midwife- the only midwife in their community.
When Baka had safely deposited her mother's things in a small corner, she returned and found her mother sitting solemnly on the only chair in their room.
Baka sat on the ground beside her and gently touched her thigh. "Mother..."
No response. Baka got up and crawled back through the mass of bodies. She took a sandwich she had kept and crawled back, offering it to her mother.
"Here, I saved some for you."
Her mother raised her eyes at her. "Thanks, Child. But I don't have an appetite. Have you eaten?"
She nodded. But the look in her Mother's face told her she detected the lie.
"What am I always saying? You cannot give what you don't have. Help yourself first."
Baka nodded again, even though she disagreed. Her mother's views always seemed to be the opposite of what anyone would ever advise. Weren't you supposed to be selfless and help others before you help yourself?
"Eat," her mother encouraged. She did as she was told.
"How has everyone been?"
"Bessia was punished by Luna Amie again," Baka replied between bites. "Eight lashes. It took a while for her to sleep today. She kept crying."
Her mother sighed slowly. "What about the boys?"
"All is as it always is. "
"Be careful with your tone, Child. The only reason we're still alive is because we obey the rules."
"To what end?" Baka retorted. "They gave us and the boys separate rooms and told us never to go to each other's residence without a guard. Why do you think they said that? Because they don't want us to reproduce. They don't want us growing in number. We're probably the last living humans, scattered and dying."
The howls grew louder, and Baka could swear they sounded sorrowful. What was going on? Not knowing made her sick to her stomach.
Her mother had a forlorn look on her face and spoke a tone lower. "The Alpha King's Luna is dead."
Baka spoke without thinking. "What?"
Her mother's eyes sharpened as she looked her straight in the eye. "Don't ask a question with "what", Child. Do you want to end up like Bessia?"
"No, Mother," Baka mentally chastised herself. Here in Khadom city, humans got killed over the most minute things. "I meant... Sorry?"
Her mother nodded in approval. "She died during childbirth. The baby didn't make it either."
"That's not possible."
Werewolves couldn't die in childbirth-certainly not the Luna Queen. Besides the fact that she was a powerful, beastly creature, she was also a Trinitarian-the strongest pack in their territory.
"Indeed. The baby's skin..." Her mother whispered silently.
Baka sensed that something greatly troubled her. Something her mother was hesitant to divulge.
"What about the baby's skin, Mother?"
Her mother blinked. "What are you talking about, Child?"
Baka studied her mom openly. She was never one to withhold anything from her. She had often said that keeping secrets brought nothing but death. Baka had come to realise that her mother was right.
She had been right when Baka's brother had foolishly snuck away from their camp to rescue his captured girlfriend during the werewolves final attack on their hometown and died in the process.
She had been right when one of their team members betrayed them by giving away their hideout location which had led to their ambush and capture. Eleven of them, including her dad, were now dead because they hadn't known Aksana was a two-timing greedy snitch.
Baka, her mom, and four others were captured that day and made slaves of the werewolf monarchy. They were nothing but bed warmers to them, a sport, a tool to put to work.
"To be in the know could very well save your life," Baka said, repeating her mother's words to her, word for word.
Her mother smiled sadly. "Yes, Child. You're right. But not this time."
"What does that mean?"
"What I know, I cannot tell you."
"Why not?"
"Because it would make you a target."
"A target to whom?"
"The monarchy."
She blinked, glancing around them to ensure everyone was still asleep. All seemed normal.
Baka faced her mother again. "Mother, if what you're saying is true then it's too late. You're my mother. I've already been made a target by association."
"But they don't know that. And your heat signature will save you."
She froze as it suddenly dawned on her.
Werewolves could tell when someone was lying by their heartbeat. Those monsters were literal walking lie detectors. This could mean they already knew Mother suspected something.
"Mother, you have to hide!"
Her mother's sad smile broadened. "Hide where? We're locked in, Child. There's nowhere to run. But all is not yet lost."
"How can you say that?" She asked in between sobs.
"I'm still alive, aren't I? And I haven't been questioned. Besides, they will do nothing now because of the Selection Festival."
Baka had forgotten about that.
The Alpha King had to find a new mate. An Alpha without his Luna was just that-an Alpha. His seat could be challenged. But with his Luna Queen, he was made more powerful. He was made true. Even better if they had children, no one would dare challenge him.
The last Selection Festival had been the coronation ceremony of the old alpha-Alpha King Triton of Trinity pack. That was when werewolves had finally overcome the human race.
Very soon, one female in each of the four packs from the ages of seventeen to twenty-one would have to report in. They would line up in front of the Alpha King on selection day and he would choose his new Luna Queen.
"Get some herbs from Healer Freya tomorrow for Bessia's wounds."
Baka nodded as her mother crawled over the sleeping bodies to a small corner and curled herself into a ball. Baka followed shortly after.
Several hours later, she still couldn't sleep. She had seen real fear in her mother's eyes. Something she hardly ever saw in her mother.
Baka couldn't shake the gnawing feeling that had taken root in her belly.
Whatever her mother was hiding was disastrous. It could cost her her life. Her mother was the only living relative she had. Baka refused to lose her too.
She didn't know how yet but she was going to find a way to get them all out of this wretched place.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
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!