Claire was happy with Ralph Rutherford. He was the man she had been dreaming of all her life. A perfect husband she wanted to stay with forever. But her world turned upside-down when the Bloody Moon appeared, and it was time for the Alpha to choose his mate. She was certain that it would be impossible for her to get chosen because her heart was already bound to love Lyndon. And yet, the unexpected happened in the blink of an eye when she got imprinted with Edison Tyrell, the ruthless and unforgiving Alpha of their pack. Now, she has to deal with the domineering and cruel Alpha to make their bond work. She was forced to play the role she never wanted, to get into a relationship she never dreamed of, and to serve a man who treated her like an object. She couldn't even deal with a ruthless Alpha, and there came Jonas Leonhart, an Elder Vampire who grew an obsession with her. But there was more to Ralph that she never thought would lead her to a more catastrophic event in her life.
[Claire's Point-of-View]
"Get out of the way! "
A loud, angry yell almost made me throw the basket I held.
"Get out of the way! King Alpha is coming! "
Marie rolled her eyes in exasperation and stuck her tongue out as if mocking the one who was yelling. She mimicked him with a silly voice.
"Stop it; they might see you," I warned her. I patted her hand when she attempted to pick one more apple to buy. "No, Marie. We already have enough supply for a week."
"I'm sorry, I get hungry when I hear that irritating horn sound every time the King Alpha takes this path towards the House of Sacrifice." Marie winced when I spanked her shoulder, a warning to keep her voice down, but she kept talking. "Many people are famished in this part of his territory, yet he sat on his expensive chair. Poor men are forced to bring their finest lamb to the House of Sacrifice to burn to a crisp."
"Shhh, shut your mouth, silly girl. Do you want your tongue to be cut? That lamb is required as a sacrifice for a successful hunt this season!"
My best friend Marie grimaced, disagreeing with me, and continued looking at the succulent fruits displayed. It was a typical day in the market, and we were in charge of buying the supplies needed in preparation for the coming Bloody Moon and the event we called 'The Choosing'.
The head maidservant, Marina Foller, was a strict but loving mother-like figure to me. She adopted me. She worked under the care of the Rutherford family, the Royal Blooded Werewolf Race.
After the War of the Claw and Fang Pack, a gang of rogue werewolves attacked villages ten years ago. Both of my parents were slain in front of me, and I was lucky enough to hide under the floor, inside a secret small bunker that my stepfather made as storage for our winter supplies.
When he found out the gang attacked our small village, he quickly hid me under it and sat on top of the bunker just so the assailants wouldn't notice the space between the floors. I could still remember how my parents' blood flowed down the bunker, bathing me with it. The memory was still fresh in my head like it just happened yesterday. And every time it emerged in my mind, my body couldn't stop trembling with fear.
We were both working as maidservants in the household of the great landlord of this part of the pack's territory. My landlord's name was Ralph Rutherford, the very handsome, kind, and sweet Beta and ally of the Alpha King, Edison Tyrell. Although Alpha King Edison was known as a barbaric, heartless, and cold Alpha, Ralph was his total opposite.
Master Ralph was loved by his people and was respected by many. He was intelligent and had never failed his people, even in this poorest part of the pack. He visits the elders and the orphans and supports their needs. He was a generous, kind-hearted official, ready to serve his people. Thinking about him made me smile already.
I didn't know how to explain this, but I assumed Master Ralph had feelings for me. Especially every time he looked me in the eyes. I saw how his eyes grew bright when we met in the corridors, and he was kind enough to help me whenever there was something for me to carry. Tonight, we'll see each other again in the center of the maze in his garden. He told me there was something he wanted to say to me about something. Whatever it was, I believed it was something important, and I couldn't wait to see him.
"You're smiling like an idiot, Claire. You're scaring me." Marie narrowed her eyes on me as if thinking hard about what made me smile from ear to ear. She took a large bite of the apple she was holding.
"It's nothing. I just remembered something important," I said to her, taking the apple from her hand. She gave me a sharp look when I took a huge bite too.
The day was busy as usual: attending to the needs of the higher members of the household, cleaning, helping in the kitchen, and tending to and feeding the horses, pigs, and goats. Helping with the laundry and keeping Lord Ralph's bedroom clean. I had to make sure that the pillowcases and bed sheets were spotless and fresh. I always put yellow chrysanthemum flowers on his bedside table.
I gaze at the king-sized bed in front of me, imagining myself on top of it with Lord Ralph's arms around me. The idea suddenly made me feel nervous and fuzzy, and I felt that strange tickling sensation between my thighs. It was inappropriate that I couldn't help imagining myself as his. His face was the first thing I would see when I opened my eyes in the morning.
Blushing and embarrassed, I sat at the side of the bed, smoothing it with my small hands. I daydreamed about him a lot, and I couldn't hide the fact that I had been in love with him since we were just kids. I was seven when his father bought me from slave traders and trained me to do the housework in the mansion. I remembered the first time we met-the way he smiled at me while he offered me his favorite toys.
It was a small wooden horse that I still kept in the drawer of my room. It was the only treasure I possessed from the person I loved. He was such a good kid back then. He never treated me differently and always asked me to play with him. I was always scolded by Miss Marina not to get too close to him, though. She used to remind me I was a servant and not a playmate to the young master, but Lord Ralph always defended me, saying I was his favorite playmate.
There was a loud creak on the door that was opened in haste. I almost jumped when I saw Marina, her forehead full of creases as she frowned when she found me sitting on the Lord's bed.
"What are you doing, you fool? Go and help in the kitchen!" She scolded me and waved her hand toward the outside of the door furiously, wanting me to go out.
"I'm sorry, I am just having a short rest," I explained, intimidated by her upset look. I scurried across the room and quickly went outside to run again, heading to the kitchen.
I thought about looking back if old maid Marina was still glaring at me, and I was startled when I bumped into someone, squeezing myself against the impact.
Raising my head to someone I accidentally ran into, my eyes widened with terror as I stared at the last person I ever wanted to meet.
"What are you looking at? " The King Alpha's brows were in a deep frown, looking down at me as if I were just a rat in his eyes.
"Goddess, I am so dead." I gasped in a whisper.
Giselle had to protect her dreams. For years, Giselle Sidney had been in love with Alpha Caden Einsworth, who she knew would never fall for her. As she came of age, she found out that he was her mate. But he was in love with her older sister, Greta who was already engaged to one of her father’s business partners and a huge competition to Caden’s underground businesses. On the night of Greta’s engagement, Giselle found Caden so drunk that she decided to help him get back to his condo. Caden and Gisselle were so heartbroken that night that they found comfort in each other until their emotions brought them to a situation that wasn’t supposed to happen. They shared one, passionate night and that changed Giselle’s life forever. To hide the huge scandal from her family, Giselle decided to leave the Grimfur pack and became a Rogue to raise her pup alone. But after a month of his disappearance, Alpha Caden came back to take full responsibility for the child. Giselle never wanted to force him into a situation when she knew he was still in love with her sister. She couldn’t bear to be with a cold-hearted werewolf whose heart belonged to another girl. Will fate find a way to make their bond stronger? Will Giselle’s pride stop her from accepting Alpha Caden when he starts to slowly fall for her? Or will she run away like she always does?
For three years, Jessica endured a loveless marriage while her husband pretended to be impotent. His lies unraveled when a pregnant mistress surfaced. After six months of secretly collecting proof, Jessica threw him out and built her own billion-dollar empire. After the divorce, she transformed into an irresistible figure, attracting admirers. As she left her office one day, she met Kevan, her ex-husband's brother. He stepped in, confronting her. "Was I just a tool to you?" Jessica's lips curled into a calm smile. "How much compensation do you want?" Kevan's voice softened. "All I want is you."
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
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.
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."
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
I received a pornographic video. "Do you like this?" The man speaking in the video is my husband, Mark, whom I haven't seen for several months. He is naked, his shirt and pants scattered on the ground, thrusting forcefully on a woman whose face I can't see, her plump and round breasts bouncing vigorously. I can clearly hear the slapping sounds in the video, mixed with lustful moans and grunts. "Yes, yes, fuck me hard, baby," the woman screams ecstatically in response. "You naughty girl!" Mark stands up and flips her over, slapping her buttocks as he speaks. "Stick your ass up!" The woman giggles, turns around, sways her buttocks, and kneels on the bed. I feel like someone has poured a bucket of ice water on my head. It's bad enough that my husband is having an affair, but what's worse is that the other woman is my own sister, Bella. ************************************************************************************************************************ “I want to get a divorce, Mark,” I repeated myself in case he didn't hear me the first time—even though I knew he'd heard me clearly. He stared at me with a frown before answering coldly, "It's not up to you! I'm very busy, don't waste my time with such boring topics, or try to attract my attention!" The last thing I was going to do was argue or bicker with him. "I will have the lawyer send you the divorce agreement," was all I said, as calmly as I could muster. He didn't even say another word after that and just went through the door he'd been standing in front of, slamming it harshly behind him. My eyes lingered on the knob of the door a bit absentmindedly before I pulled the wedding ring off my finger and placed it on the table. I grabbed my suitcase, which I'd already had my things packed in and headed out of the house.