Cassian smiled wickedly. "When I fuck you, Italia – and make no mistake about it, baby, I will fuck you – the only talking you'll be doing is begging me to let you come. And don't doubt that I'll make you come. Not just the once. You'll come over and over again, until I decide you've had enough. Until I decide that I've had enough." ******** Italia Furrows is a wolf shifter with extraordinary healing skills... and serious problems. First, her father is determined that she mate for life with a shifter named Rayden West, whom the feisty Italia can't stand. Second, she has a wolf who has been so emotionally traumatized, Italia can't shift in fear that her wolf will go feral and hurt someone. Her pack and father think she is latent, but that couldn't be further from the truth. To make matters worse, Italia is kidnapped by Cassian Knight, a dangerous Alpha male from another pack. And as much as she wants to resist Cassian, Italia is incredibly, maddeningly attracted to him. As the pack Alpha, Cassian doesn't have the space or time in his life for a relationship. But when he makes Italia a tempting proposal that will benefit the both of them, the strong-willed healer has to decide whether escaping an unwelcome bond with Rayden is worth the risks of mating with Cassian, no matter how temporary their allegiance is intended to be. With the submissive wolf act to maintain, and an Alpha who is intent on ignoring the intense hunger for the wilful spitfire, what could go wrong?
What in God's name was that smell?
It wasn't a bad smell, mused a slowly waking Italia, whose eyelids were too heavy to fully open. It wasn't a smell that belonged to her bed though, of that she was certain. Her sleep-fogged brain was able to conclude three things. One, the smell was actually a person's scent – the most delicious scent: fresh pine, spring rain, and cedar wood. Two, the alluring scent belonged to a male. And three, the male was a wolf-shifter, just like Italia. But Italia Furrows did not sneak strangers into the pack house, even if they did smell incredible.
Forcing a single tired eye open, she took a peak at her surroundings and was able to confirm that the mystery male had in fact long gone. She turned to glance at her alarm clock, or she would have done if it hadn't done a disappearing act. Along with her wardrobe, bedside table and TV. Oh and these silky sheets beneath her, they were definitely not her sheets.
She sat up and cursed. Nope, this definitely wasn't her room. In fact, she wasn't even in her home. Warily scanning her surroundings, her eyes widened in not only response to the luxury around her, but also the realisation that she was inside what appeared to be a... cave? Not a stone age type of cave though, oh hell no. The light-cream sandstone walls were all perfectly smooth apart from the occasional niche that was being used as a mini shelf.
The floors were covered with plush grey carpets that looked incredibly soft. To the left, there was a very masculine-style triple wardrobe and a large set of draws, both a dark oak that matched the headboard of the platform bed. The bed itself was under a smooth arch that had been moulded into the cave, making it cozy despite the enormity of the bed. Although, it wasn't cozy enough for her to be enjoying this weird ass scenario.
Although her wolf was on high alert, she didn't find herself nervous or anxious. Italia couldn't help but snigger. Her dumb wolf didn't even have the sense to worry or stress that they were in a strange cave with no memory of arriving here.
Italia thought back to her night. Had she gone out with Aria and ended up in a strangers bed? Hmm, that didn't seem right. For one, Italia didn't remember arranging a night out and two, her position as a pack healer meant she was constantly on call, so she could never get ridiculously drunk. Besides, she was fully clothed – in her sweats no less – and there was no smell of sex on her or the bed.
Despite the fogginess in her brain, she could recall going to the animal shelter where she works and starting her shift. But she sure didn't remember leaving. Italia took in a deep breath, deciphering the scents lingering. But she could only smell two individuals, besides herself and the delicious-smelling wolf. Another male and female, both of whom were unfamiliar wolf shifters.
Italia found some peace in the fact that at least she hadn't fallen into the grasp of Rayden, that dick Alpha, who didn't give a crap that she didn't want to be claimed by him. Neither did her father. You know how women were labelled gold-diggers? Well, her father was an alliance-digger. And if meant using his daughter to get one, oh well.
She couldn't even defend him and say it was because he was desperate for an alliance, because he wasn't. Italia's father collected alliances for the sake of it, not because he needed them. Truth be told, he just didn't have time for his daughter anymore. Not since her mother had died and he believed Italia was latent. It was a blow to his pride, an aberration in his bloodline. To her father, being responsible for her conception meant that she was his weakness. And honestly, he certainly wouldn't be putting her photo on flyers if she didn't return from wherever the hell she was.
Her eyes fixated on a set of black curtains and she quickly rose from the bed. Dizziness rushed over her, making her sway and stagger her way to open the curtains with sluggish, ungraceful movements. Jesus, what was with her? Revealing the bay window, one that was unfortunately locked, she noticed it was late afternoon. How long had she been here for exactly?
Her brows creased as she took in the view. Most packs had a massive luxury lodges surrounded by a number of cabins. Some even had cliffs filled with lodges. But this place wasn't on a cliff – it was the cliff. With arched, lighted balconies and smooth stairways leading to different levels, it was like nothing she had seen before. What. The. Fuck?
Below was grass, grass and more grass. A huge forest. So from what Italia could tell, she was in some kind of strange, huge cave system in the middle of no-man's-land. Something told her she was still in Arizona somewhere, but that the taxi ride home was going to hurt her bank account. Good thing her kidnapper was wealthy. Especially since there didn't seem to be any sign of her purse anywhere.
Smoothing out her chocolate-brown locks, she headed for the door on her shaky legs. She might have been cautious about it if she hadn't been so annoyed and confused. Besides, she figured if these wolves intended to hurt her then they would have done it already. And they certainly wouldn't have left her to sleep on such a comfy, extravagant bed.
Tugging on the door handle, to her horror and frustration she found the door to be locked. "Hey!" she called out, knocking loudly. Nothing. "Helloooooooooo!" Still nothing.
So, summing it up, she was in a strange place around strange shifters and she was being confined? Now, her wolf was pissed. "Hello! This is your captive speaking! Open the freaking door!"
A chuckle preceded the turning of a key and then the door slowly swung open. Italia found herself face-to-chest with what she could only describe to be a living mountain. Another wolf. She arched her brow, a cocky, devilish smirk, wondering what could possibly be so amusing.
"You're awake. Good."
"And which avenger might you be?" No, it wasn't the best time to make jokes, but she was a sarcastic bitch and when she was pissed off, well the sarcasm took on a life of its own.
His smirk widened. "The Alpha wants to speak to you."
"And your Alpha is...?"
He winked. "Follow me."
Rolling her eyes at his cocky swagger, Italia followed him through a tunnel that took them further into the mountain. She realised they were in a network of tunnels. Like some kind of giant ant colony. Her wolf was going crazy at the unfamiliar scents, wanting Italia to explore the place. "Mind telling me where I am?"
"All will be revealed soon." He drawled.
"How about how I got here?" she asked irritably.
"The Alpha will explain that to you."
She couldn't contain her growl, but it seemed to amuse the man. Soon they came to a black door, which mystery man held open while she passed through. Now they were in a huge open-plan kitchen that was surprisingly modern and stylish with beige cabinets, black marble countertops, and platinum appliances. In the centre of the large space was a long sandstone dining table which a small number of male shifters hovered, all whose heads turned when she entered the room, giving her a view of who was sat at the table. Her jaw practically hit the floor.
Cassian fucking Knight. Mother fucker.
Being the Princess of both the werewolf world and the faerie kingdom, Midsummer, Belle knew her life would always involve many responsibilities and for the most part, she was fine with that. So when her mother, Queen Serena, decides its time for Belle to take over as the Queen of Midsummer, Belle couldn't have been more excited. Except, this promise came with a catch.. more specifically, a marriage.. the exact situation Belle didn't want. Faerie Prince Layke of the Avalon Realm had no intentions of taking a wife, at least not yet. But when his father, King Eryek, refuses to let Layke claim the throne without the proposed marriage, he quickly comes up with an idea. Despite the pair not being particularly fond of one another, the marriage is the key to binding the two realms and creating a stronger union against an upcoming threat. Layke's proposal to Belle is simple... their parents said they had to get married, but they never said how long for. Layke and Belle would bond the two realms and build up their armies, eliminate whatever threat their parents were so concerned over and then go their separate ways as if they had never even met. Simple enough, right? Or would these enemies end up lovers?
After taking over from her father, Brielle becomes the first female Alpha to exist. Better yet, the pack she takes over is the second largest in the country. To say she already had her work cut out for her would be an understatement. Since the day she was born, she’s planned for this very day and made sure she would be a force to be reckoned with. Despite being one of the most ruthless, strongest warriors to date, many Alphas from other packs believe the Shadow Pack need a man in charge. Brielle must assert her dominance and deter those coming to take her title. She was prepared to put up one hell of a fight and eliminate anyone coming to take what was her birthright. It was about time these men knew who was in charge, anyway. It all seems simple enough, right? Knock a few egos back into place and reject a few marriage proposals from desperate, unmated males. How complicated could it be? Except, it was about to get more complicated than Brielle could ever imagine. In the mist of all the chaos, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack decided to take a shot at taking over from Brielle. Now this was different from the attempts of other Alphas because firstly, the Blood Moon Pack was the only pack larger than the Shadow Pack and secondly, it turns out the Alpha is Brielle’s mate. Will realising Brielle is his mate change the Alpha’s plans to dominant her and eliminate her leadership? Or has the battle for the Alpha title of the Shadow Pack only just begun? If that’s then case, then as Brielle would say; “let the games begin.” And quite literally, might I add. Oh, damn it, I forgot one more thing. Did I say Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack? Sorry, I meant Alphas. More specifically, I meant Alpha River, Alpha Ryker and Alpha Reid. No one told Brielle it would be easy, but she certainly didn’t expect to have 3 mates trying to take away her pack.
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"
Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he never gave a damn about rules and laws, as he only liked to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."
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!"
“Drive this woman out!” "Throw this woman into the sea!” When he doesn’t know Debbie Nelson’s true identity, Carlos Hilton cold-shoulders her. “Mr. Hilton, she is your wife,” Carlos’ secretary reminded him. Hearing that, Carlos gives him a cold stare and complained, “why didn’t you tell me earlier?” From then on, Carlos spoils her rotten. Little did everyone expect that they would get a divorce.
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”