Belle is a rare and odd beauty among her pack. Unlike the lycans in her pack who can combine themselves with their wolves when they shift, she can only become a full wolf or a full human. She is different, but that does not mean that she is weak. With her being the newly appointed beta of the pack, the alpha assigned her a mission to infiltrate the hunters and learn their secrets. Their lands are dying, and if they cannot find another way to defeat the hunters, their pack will starve. She was able to enrol as a hunter in the human academy thanks to her unique ability to conceal her lycan features. But the more she learns at the academy, the more she realizes she is siding with the wrong people. More mysteries emerge as she learns that she is not the only lycan who can shift between human and wolf forms. But the more she tries to learn about these werewolves, the more she is hampered by Ajax Finnegan, another hunter in training at the academy who is just as strong as she is. Will Belle continue to side with the lycans, or will she continue her search for answers from these so called werewolves?
Lycans are a race of half human and half werewolf. When they shift, they become rabid and powerful beasts that could easily tear you limb from limb. They stand on their two legs like a human, but their overall appearance is that of a wolf. They are beautiful and magnificent creatures - well, unless you are the recipient of their attack. Their human forms are even more magnificent because it is their human side that prevails.
"Belle," Ingrid, my father, gently pats my shoulder to snap me out of my daydream. My father, unlike me, has auburn hair with a series of white streaks from old age. His right eye is blind, which makes others view him as a weak link in the Lycan pack. He isn't, at least from before he lost one of his eyes.
He was one of the strongest warriors in the Lycan pack, attacking the hunters head on to save the Alpha's son a long time ago. "Are you nervous?"
"Kind of." I answer him. The leather dress that I'm wearing suddenly felt a little cold underneath the ceremonial fur coat that I am wearing. "Not everyone will respect me. Do I even deserve this?" Doubt is starting to cloud my mind. I turn to my father, probably the only man in the pack that I trust the most aside from our alpha.
"Of course, you do. After saving our pack from the hunters, you have proven your worth as the most powerful warrior in the pack. And if they ever try to challenge you, you show them what you can do." He places his hands on my shoulders and smiles. Wrinkles appear on the side of his cheeks from the brewing emotions in his grin. "For what it is worth, I am already proud of you."
A horn blew outside of the tent that we are in, signaling that it is time for me to enter. My father parted the curtains made of snake bones so I could exit. I smile at my father before heading outside.
The soft beating of the ceremonial drums echoes in the secret cave where our pack resides. I walk barefoot on the gravel sand to head to where Alpha Lupert Gastoven stands waiting for me in the circular arena where most of the duels and ceremonies are held. His son, Maxwell, stands beside his father, wearing a fur vest and leather pants that were as fancy as the alpha. His tanned skin only made his silver hair stand out more, and the way that he cut his hair short only made his pointed ear more visible.
One thing about Lycan wolves is that even if they become humans, their race's distinctive characteristics are still visible, from their pointed ears to their brightly glowing predator eyes. Like I said before, they are beautiful, whereas I, who don't have the features of a lycan, look so plain.
So...human.
"Belle Lycansten." When the alpha called for my name, I immediately headed over to kneel before him. "Do you solemnly swear your loyalty to the pack and its people?"
"Yes." I answer without raising my head.
"Do you swear that you would use your position not for personal benefits but for your Alpha and your people?"
"I swear."
"Rise." I got to my feet as he commanded and lifted my head towards my Alpha. He beckoned me to face the crowd, which I did without hesitation. I see all the faces of the other lycans painted in blue and red just for this celebration. "If anyone is opposed to the idea, speak up now. As tradition, anyone is welcome to challenge her for the position."
I already expected that there would be someone who would not be happy with having a round eared girl like me to become their protector and their second in command.
"Me! I would like to challenge her." Alex, Max's best friend, raises his hand. I am not that surprise to see him opposing. He never really liked me and would constantly bully me when I was a kid. I bet seeing the girl that he once picked on to become his Beta probably struck a nerve with him.
When our eyes met, Alex smirked, as if I should be bothered or intimidated by him. I can only give him a blank look. I don't want him to think that I'm scared or bothered by his challenge.
I am not the same weak little girl that he once thought I was. Besides, I think that this might be a pretty good opportunity for me to display my skills.
Alpha Lupert nods in acknowledgement of his challenge and gestures for him to enter the ring.
"A challenger wishes to take over Belle's position as my beta. Belle, do you accept this challenge?"
"Yes, I accept." It's not like I have a choice. If I don't, I automatically forfeit the match. It doesn't matter; this match is just going to be quick. "I'll be putting my position on the line."
"Step on the ring, both of you." The alpha commands.
The drums started to thunder while Alex and I stepped inside the circle drawn on the stage. I remain as calm as I can while Alex is already smiling like he knows that he is going to win.
"The first one to push the other off of the ring or whoever shall forfeit first will be the winner. Understood?" We nod our heads, letting them know that we acknowledge the rules. "Good. You may begin when the horn blows." He says this before exiting the stage.
Alex and I look at each other while waiting for the signal. He takes off his fur vest and throws it to the side before he begins to morph. He starts to grow taller and his chest gets wider. Fur starts to grow all over his body, covering the bare skin that he once has when he is at his human dominant form. His nose elongates into a snout while his teeth and nails turn sharp that would allow him to cut me in half if I am not careful. Soon, a six foot tall lycan werewolf stands before me, howling aggressively in the air, which was soon followed by the others as they cheered for him.
I bet they all can't wait until I am lying lifelessly on the ground at the hands of the werewolf before me.
When the horn started to blow, Alex wasted no time charging for me.
One negative thing about a shifted lycan is their speed. With their added size, it only slows them down, which made it easier for me to jump up and dodge his advances. I avoided his attack by jumping on his shoulder, then going into a sammersault to get behind him. As soon as I landed on the ground, I covered my entire body with my hood before I start to shift.
Unlike Alex's morphed form, I did not stay on my two feet. I began to hunch until my hands and feet were on the ground. White fur emerged from my body and I let out a howl when I developed a snout and claws. I shook off my clothes just as Alex swiped at me. Compared to Alex, my shifted form is smaller, but it is not lacking when it comes to strength and speed-especially when it comes to speed.
I run to the side, my claws extending to stop myself from skidding out of the ring while I plan my next move. Adrenaline is coursing through my entire body while I hunch on the ground to ready myself to strike.
My wolf is not as strong as a lycan, but it is strong enough to take him down.
I did jump on his back and bit his shoulder, yanking hard to pull his muscles and bone. Not only did I make him bleed, but I also managed to dislocate his shoulder.
I heard him howl in pain and moved away immediately before his other hand could reach me. He's already out of balance, so I take that opportunity to bite his achilles tendon, making him fall head first to the ground with a scream of pain.
I know that I was doing it overboard by attacking the tendon, but it is the only way for me to show to everyone that my wolf is not as weak as they thought it would be. Besides, he is a lycan. He should heal in about a month and a half.
He tried to get up and attempted to bite my neck, but I pulled his other leg, making him fall over again with a loud cry. I jump on his back, growling menacingly in his ear as my mouth opens to linger on his head. He begins to whimper and appear to be in a lot of pain, especially when my sharps claws are digging themselves into his skin. I can already smell his blood starting to taint my wolf's white fur.
If I was really planning on killing Alex, I could have done it on the first blow of the horn. But I figured that I should give him that choice. He tried to fight me off and roll, but I stopped him by further digging my claws into his back and putting pressure on his neck with my teeth without breaking the skin.
This guy is making it mark for me to show him mercy!
He knows that it is a warning and that I am giving him a choice. Whatever he does now could either save his life or make me end it. I am just waiting for him to give me a signal.
Alex begins to whimper, I feel him growing smaller as he returns to his human form.
"I-I surrender." He gasped. He could barely make out the words from the pain I inflicted on him. I could even smell a little bit of piss coming from him while the weight of my wolf was crushing him.
When the horn blew once more, signaling the end of the challenge, that's when I got off of his back. Conflicted applause erupted from the crowd while the alpha entered the ring once again to announce the victor of this match.
Despite the bloody ring and the whimpering lycan behind him, the alpha appears to be smiling while he faces the crowd. He gestured for me to stand by his side, and I did, leaving Alex to be carried away by the medics in our pack. As I got to our Alpha's side, I stood tall and proud in my wolf form, letting everyone see my blood coated fur to prove that I am the victor of this challenge.
"The winner of the tournament is... Belle Lycansten! Our pack's new beta!" The alpha was announced and the applause only got stronger. From the crowd, I can see my father cheering and smiling. It appears that he was the only one who is genuinely happy about the news.
This is it. My life is finally going to change. Everyone has seen that I am strong and that the alpha has recognized my strength.
No longer will they laugh behind my back for being small and different. No longer will they think of me as the weak link for being an abnormal wolf - an abnormal beauty, as they used to call me.
I am strong and I am cruel, like a true lycan.
My name is Belle, and starting today, I am the Lycan's new beta.
Second Book of "5 Princes and I" Rosalie Amber Stan's world is now upside down. Not only is she supposed to learn about her dead kingdom but she actually has to learn how to use her powers alongside her familiar, Custard. Adding to her list of problems; the rogue king, King Ferius, will stop at nothing until he gets ahold of Rose's blood. So it is now up to the princes to protect her until she learns how to protect herself. Which could take a while with her refusal to cooperate with them. Will Rose be able to master her powers and learn how to defend herself? Will she be able to learn more about her heritage and revive her dead kingdom?
"You, my dear, will be going to help us to decide that. You will pick a king." "Say what now?" "I'm not going to repeat it since I know that you have heard me." "Fine! You want me to decide?! Nate!" I pointed to prince Nathaniel if I remember correctly. He was slightly taken aback and a confused expression was replaced. "Do you want to be a king?" "I...uh...Yes?" He said. Unsure of his answer. It made me wonder if the expression on my face had forced him to say yes. "Good. Then you'll be the king. "What!? But that's not how you decide it!" PRINCE Ace said. "Fine! You're all kings. In fact, we ALL can be kings!!" **** She's Rosalie Amber Stan. A simple teenage girl, who made a wish to have a more adventurous life, was a victim of abduction by the Fae queen to a different realm. She was brought to a castle with 5 supernatural princes, who are fighting for the throne. The queen gave her a task to be the one to choose the future heir to their kingdom. Little did she know that the queen only wanted one thing from her and the princes: Romance. Between a sparkly wizard, a rude obnoxious elf, a flirty vampire, and a couple of twin trouble-making wolf princes; Is there really a right choice? And why is there a wolf spirit, who suddenly awakened upon sensing her arrival, kept stalking her? A romantic-comedy in 'another world' with a quirky-temperamental female heroine learning the culture of this new fantasy world.
On her wedding night, Natalie's stepmother set her up to marry Jarvis, a disfigured and disabled man. Fortunately, she managed to escape, but little did she know that later she would fall for the man she was betrothed to.Jarvis pretended to be a poor man, but he didn't think that he'd fall head over heels for this woman.Their life went on until one day, Natalie found out her boyfriend's little secret."Huh? How could you have billions of dollars' worth of assets?" she asked in disbelief.Jarvis didn’t know how to respond.Being met with silence, she gritted her teeth angrily. "They said that you couldn't walk, but as far as I can see, you're strong enough to run a marathon."Still, he remained silent.Natalie continued, "They even said that you only have a few years to live. What about now?"Finally, Jarvis opened his mouth to explain. "Honey, this is all just a misunderstanding. Please calm down. Think about the baby.""Jarvis Braxton!"The man knelt down immediately.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
Bailey seems to be never destined to fit in, a little geeky, but under it all, a hidden beauty that so many seem to miss, but still not what her pack Alpha is looking for in a fated mate... so he is determined to reject her and make her life hell. Bailey, knowing her life will likely never be the same focuses on what she can control, her future, and heads off to study; becoming a teacher. Asher is the Beta of Autumn Valley Pack, a neighbouring pack. A broken man having suffered the loss of his mate after a rogue attack, Asher is slowly crumbling. Falling to pieces. A shadow of his former self, and not a man that anyone wants to be around anymore... Until, Autumn Valley Pack require a new teacher, and Bailey finds herself there and pushed together with the Beta. Is there a connection building or is that in their imaginations? And what will happen when Bailey's mate comes back to claim what is his?
Renea was trying the wedding dress, when suddenly the man rushed in the dressing room and held her neck tightly... “Bitch! Are you still trying to pretend innocent!” Jasper said as he tightened his grip on her neck and choked her harder. Then he used his other hand and took out the phone from his suit pocket and played the video of two people having sex in front of Renea… However, what was even more shocking, was that the woman in the video was, Renea Morris, however, the man in the video was not Jasper. Renea struggled to take a phone away from Jasper’s hand and tried to explain, “Jasper, it was not what you think… I… I can…” Jasper looked at Renea with his eyes full of disgust, as he said, “Let’s call of the wedding. I can’t marry a woman like you.” After saying that Jasper walked out of the shop Renea chase after Jasper... But then she sees Jasper passionately kissing her sister Kailey. And she hears everything, that her sleeping with strange men was all a plan of the vipers of the last two days, and that their goal was to get out of this stupid marriage. Even her adopted parents were also involved in this matter... They all do this with her because of the inheritance left by her grandfather... Renea heart was filled with anger and she wanted to expose their true colors to the public... However before she could do anything, Kailey had pushed her in front of the car and she got killed... However, when Renea open her eyes, she found herself sitting in the car with Kailey... She realized that she was reborn and went at the time when everything started... Renea looked at the people who had hurt her in her previous life and her lips curled up in a cold smile... She was back... However, this time... she was back for revenge...
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?"
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.