Helena Ballard attended the wedding. She was drunk and then she slept with the groomsman! After a one-night stand, she got pregnant. She wanted to give birth to the child, but that man disagreed. In desperation, Helena was about to leave with the baby in her belly, but she was caught! She was blocked in the corner by the man. "If you want to give birth to the child, marry me. Two years later, we'll divorce. During the two years of time, you're not allowed to touch me, not even hold my hands." However, no one expected that after they married, Bryce Huffman, the eldest young master of the Huffman family, fell in love with Helena crazily. The whole world was waiting for Helena to be abandoned by the Huffman family. Unexpectedly, Helena was spoiled by Bryce! Bryce said with affection, "It is my duty to spoil my wife."
Strike of eleven:
"Try as you might, chipmunk, even your birthday suit wouldn't qualify as sexy for the party," Ethan chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips.
"Isn't your candor just a breath of fresh air?" I shot back, a sharp glare aimed his way. "Remember, honesty is not always the best policy."
He shoved his camera under my nose, distracting me with a taunting grin. "So, are you going to fritter away the night picking out a dress that won't turn heads, or embrace your inner glutton?" He was still smirking, the rascal.
The picture on his camera showed a delectable roast chicken, provocatively nestled among an array of buffet dishes. It was a no-brainer. "All hail the goddess of hunger!" I yelped, snatched the first pink frock that caught my eye, and dashed for the bathroom. Ethan's echoing laughter trailed me.
Hey there, I'm Esther Taylor. The wisecracking fellow you've just met is Ethan, my best mate. I can almost hear you groaning, "Esther and Ethan? Seriously?" Yes, folks, welcome to my world of unimaginative monikers. Born on the same day in the same hospital, our parents became fast friends, thought it'd be a riot to give us rhyming names.
The sweet part? Ethan despises our paired names more than I do, making it a prime source of my amusement. Whenever he tries to charm a girl, I latch onto him and flash a warm smile at her. "You've met Ethan? Hi, I'm Esther, his name twin." His future partner will no doubt appreciate my teasing.
Anyway, back to the day's agenda: Ethan's brother Dennis's 16th birthday bash. Dennis's the hotshot future alpha of our 'Bluewood' pack, and the spotlight of the evening, of course, was his prospective mate. Once Dennis finds her, they'll begin their decade-long training to become the next power duo of our pack. Dennis's intent on being a doctor - a noble ambition his dad, Alpha Blake Wood, wholeheartedly supports.
Do I sense some whiff of envy from you? Well, you're right. Ethan and I are somewhat green-eyed about his royal highness Dennis's smarts and obedience. Ethan, however, pulls the short straw here, having to share a roof with Dennis - who we are convinced was a British aristocrat in a past life.
Bearing platters piled high with chicken, we headed straight for the lawn and found cozy spots, ready to savor the food and the unfolding drama. Dennis and his dad were busy schmoozing with the pack's movers and shakers - a rather yawn-inducing spectacle. Our attention veered towards the 16-and-above 'Luna hopefuls', dressed to the nines. I glanced down at my simple attire and sighed. "Wish I were sixteen."
"So, you could be Dennis's mate?" Ethan sniggered.
"Hilarious," I retorted, fixing him with a glare. "I just want the chance to look stunning in a dress."
Ethan flashed a grin. "You'll outshine them all someday."
"Really?"
"Absolutely. Just slow down on the feasting," he advised, his own mouth full of food, "and stop treating me like a brother."
I shook my head, defiant. "No can do."
"You know, I once asked Dennis what he wanted in a mate. 'Elegant, graceful, kind, someone who will serve our pack alongside me,' he'd said. He even mentioned that he'd like her to be a doctor. For some reason, I thought of you," Ethan turned towards me, a serious look on his face.
"Me?" I gasped, wide-eyed.
"Yes," he affirmed, then quickly added, "But the exact opposite of you," winking at me.
I shot him a glare. "Oh, we'll see. Mr. Uptight won't know what hit him when his 'elegant' mate shows up."
Speaking of Dennis, I wondered if he'd found his mate yet. With him, it's hard to say. He could be grinning like a Cheshire cat or frowning like a bulldog - his expression would remain the same. I often wondered if a book could be one's mate. If so, Dennis would be betrothed to his precious hardcovers.
When he caught me staring, I quickly shifted my gaze to Ethan, waiting until Dennis was distracted.
"Ye gods!" I exhaled, hand on my heart. "That was nerve-wracking."
"What's up?" Ethan asked, looking up from his food.
"Can future Alphas read minds?" I blurted.
Ethan rolled his eyes. "We all have mind links, Esther."
"Not that. I was mentally cursing Dennis, and he glared at me. Think he'll hold that against me when he becomes Alpha?"
Ethan chuckled. "You're always so spooked by him. He never harmed you."
"I've never seen him smile. It's unsettling," I confessed.
"He does smile, just not often. Maybe he doesn't like you," Ethan teased. "Might be your looks."
"Do you think he'll pick on me when he's Alpha?"
"Nah, Dennis's got a big heart. He won't bother you, no matter how unattractive he finds you."
"One of these days, Ethan..."
The party wound down around midnight, Dennis retreating to the pack house with a somber expression.
Guess something marred Mr. Perfect's perfect day?
"Seems he didn't find his mate," Ethan mused.
I grinned, "But we found the heavenly chicken!"
"Hell yeah!"
Half a decade later:
"Could the two of you potentially become mates?" Daisy, the docile and demure daughter of the beta, asked. She was easily the gentlest and most introverted werewolf you could ever encounter.
The night before our 16th birthdays, we all huddled by the lakeside. Ethan, Tyler, Bruce, Aylin, Daisy, and me, we formed an official group when we all experienced our first shift around the same age two years prior. This was a gathering to commemorate our last day of youthful recklessness.
"B.O.R.I.N.G" we chorused, exchanging knowing grins.
"But wouldn't that be incredibly romantic?" Aylin debated. She had a knack for daydreaming about love. "It would be as if the Moon Goddess blessed your union by ensuring that you were always together."
Everyone gave her 'the' look.
"So, what will you do if it happens?" Bruce echoed Daisy's question. They seemed determined to get an answer.
"I'd be dead meat," Ethan grumbled, irritation creeping into his expression. His mood had been swinging wildly in anticipation of his 'mate day' for a few weeks now, which was getting on all our nerves.
"That's right, I'd skin him alive if he turns out to be my mate," I retorted, feigning a growl. "Have you seen the number of girls who have clung to him this past year?"
Puberty had been kind to Ethan. His impressive height and twinkling green eyes naturally drew attention, so the sight of Ethan with a new girl every few days had become quite commonplace.
"We need fresh faces in our lives," Ethan replied, winking at me.
"Someone we can gradually discover. Someone unaware of how clumsy I am so I can act graceful," I pointed at myself, "or how much he's scared of horror movies so he can act brave," I pointed at Ethan.
"Enough said," Ethan interjected.
"Why is the party at Esther's and not yours?" Bruce asked Ethan.
"You are mine." This was what Cindy Lynd said the most to the supercilious and mighty man. Although she was an orphan, a child that no one wanted, she was very lucky to have married the elegant and noble man at the top of the pyramid. She thought that he was her Mr. Right, but when she was pregnant with his child, his Princess Charming appeared. He pushed her away several times for his Princess Charming. After Cindy was hurt again and again, she decided to sign the divorce agreement and leave. Everyone knew that during Cindy's disappearance, Fletcher Lynd had gone crazy and searched for her around the world.
After a painful breakup with her boyfriend of two years who coldly told her to her face that he couldn't keep dating her because she was too uptight--In a moment of anger and defiance, Anna decided to throw caution to the wind for one reckless night. She headed to the wildest club in Texas, determined to lose herself in the chaos. But fate had other plans. To her shock, she ran into her ex-boyfriend at the club. Desperate to save face, she made a split-second decision and approached a stranger, pretending he was her new boyfriend. What she never anticipated was the magnetic pull she would feel towards him or the fact that she'd end up going home with this mystery man. Soon enough, the real surprise hit her--this stranger wasn't just anyone; he was her new boss. What begins as a night of rebellion spirals into a whirlwind of forbidden attraction, societal pressure and hidden affairs. And now there are so many things at stake. Find out how this story unfolds.
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." Darcy stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You're not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She stared at me in the mirror. "You can't even glance at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of gazing at that scar?" Heather Bailey got a surprise from her husband: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. She was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman. After signing the divorce papers, shockwaves caught her up. Her flower shop was burned to the ground. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers from influential families, she started her revenge on Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted, but that was just the beginning.
"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."