"I, Alec Tawr of Lunar Crest pack, reject you, Elara Wildewood, of Lunar Crest pack," he utters, his voice cutting through the silence. The words sear into my soul, and my heart shatters, broken pieces scattering within me. The pain consumes me, wrapping its icy tendrils around my spirit. "Why?" I ask, letting out a painful cry as my knees give away and I collapse to the floor. Does he think that I agreed to marry Prince Magnus willingly? That I don't wish to be with him? "Why?" I repeat. He blinks and I see him shiver as he clenches his jaw. "Just accept the rejection, El. Make it stop," he says, his voice sharp and hard. I allow myself to cry, letting the tears cascade down my cheeks until I'm a sobbing mess. "I can't. I want you." He clutches his chest and I hate to see him hurting. "It's not possible. Please accept the reception." And so I do it. "I, Elara Wildewood of Lunar Crest pack, accept your rejection." ---- Elara Wildewood knows her life is doomed when she is forced to step in as the substitute bride for Magnus Blackwell, the disabled and cruel Prince of Caelondor. After she is rejected by her mate, she has no choice but to accept her fate. However, after she's wed, she finds out that the truth is not as it seems and the grand palace of Caelondor holds a lot more intrigue and secrecy than she anticipated earlier. Trapped in a web or lies and deception, Elara decides to take control of her life and trains to become stronger. As she gains the admiration of her court, she also attracts the Prince attention's who will stop at nothing to keep her safe.
The wind whispers through the open window, carrying a faint scent of jasmine that mingles with the pounding of my heart.
"Alina can't marry him, Alpha. She's weak," my father begins, his trembling voice resounding in the pack's courtroom.
Beta Collis smirks at him from where he stands beside Alpha Zander before he comments, "A weakling for a weakling. What can be a better match for the twisted Prince of Caelondor?"
I grit my teeth, suppressing a curse. Beta Collis has never been kind towards my family but his remark was unnecessary.
"Alpha Zander," my father continues, ignoring his fellow Beta's words. His shoulders are slumped and he looks older than his years. "The pack healer says she might not live long."
My stepmother stifles a sob as she clutches the sides of her robe.
A rush of whispers arise from the pack members bearing witness to this meeting.
I nervously glance around and hear people talk sympathetically about my stepsister, Alina. It's unfortunate what happened to her. She was always healthy and happy but recently she fell sick and now she stands at the door of death.
Alpha Zander stands from his regal chair and the whispers die in an instant. "I agree with you, Beta Reginald. We can't let Alina marry Prince Magnus anymore. King Eldric won't like it. We don't want to mock him more than the world already does. I want to make myself clear : this alliance is important to me. So we need to find a substitute."
A moment of silence lingers as the Alpha looks around-likely searching for potential candidates-before his eyes finally settle on me.
"Elara Wildewood," he begins, my name clear in his voice. My heart stops beating for a moment. "You'll marry Prince Magnus Blackwell in place of your stepsister, Alina. That is my command. I understand that you'll not disobey me."
'But I already have a mate!' I want to scream at him, but I'm kept down by the Alpha's power over me. I'm forced to oblige his command being a beta, even though my heart is already starting to break. All I manage to mumble is, "Yes, Alpha."
***
Elara Wildewood, that's who I am. My carefree and headstrong life is about to be shattered as I am forced to step into the role of the substitute bride for my stepsister, Alina, to appease our pack and promise our fealty to King Eldric of Caelondor.
It all started with a fateful meeting beneath the silver moonlight. I met him, my mate, within the dense forest that surrounds our pack territory. I had sneaked out of the packhouse on one of my explorations, and that's when my wolf, Lila, had sniffed him out. She called him 'our mate'. The air sparked with an electric connection and an unbreakable bond formed between us. His eyes are the most magnificent things I have ever held. His name is Alec, a powerful beta werewolf just like me, and a member of our pack. Together, we dreamed of a life filled with love and endless possibilities.
We took the blessings of my father and stepmother and were soon to be married...
But fate, cruel and unyielding, has other plans.
Alina's health deteriorated recently, rendering her unfit to fulfill her duty as the chosen bride. The responsibility, like an anchor weighing heavy on my shoulders, fell upon me.
The alpha of our pack, Alpha Zander, couldn't bear the thought of losing this alliance. He needed to prove to the king that he had the support and loyalty of our pack. So, he demanded that I marry Magnus Blackwell, the infamous werewolf Prince of Caelondor. His reputation is tarnished by rumors of his wickedness. Despite my protests, and my pleas for an alternative, the pack saw no other option but to offer me as the substitute.
Since then, the news of it has spread like wildfire through our territory. I'm offered condolences by some as I'm to spend the rest of my life with a disabled, wicked man-they pity me, giving me sympathetic glances. And the others offer me congratulations as I'm to become a part of royalty. All of this is happening while my stepsister toils in the other room, fighting against death.
All I want to do is tell them off, but my stepmother would love to use that as an excuse to strike me. So I don't give her the chance.
The thought of running away with Alec crosses my mind. If we succeed to get past the border, we can make a life together, away from the responsibilities of our pack. We will become rogues, but with Alec by my side, I believe I can be happy regardless.
But he's an honorable man. He will never go against the Alpha's choices. And it will be treason. If we're caught, we'll be shamed and executed.
And I? How can I betray my father? He has loved me and cared for me all my life. And this is the only thing he has asked for in return. Cruel as it may seem, he asked me to give up Alec and marry the Prince.
I denied. I pleaded. I argued. That's when Celeste, my stepmother, struck me. A tight slap across my cheek for denying to give up my love. My father scolded her but she did not apologize. Instead, she said, "Do your duty to your pack."
Ever since that day, I cry myself to sleep every night. Even now, the tears fall down as I look at my reflection helplessly.
A sudden knock on the door startles me. I get to my feet and mumble, "Come inside."
My stepmother enters, draped in a long turquoise gown, her favorite color. Her dark hair is tousled down her back and she has a habit of running her fingers through it repeatedly. A maid is by her side, a frightened look plastered on her face. "Your lover is here to meet you," she tells me.
I scowl at the bitterness in her voice, but my voice is composed when I reply, "Let him inside."
She fixes a stern look on me and then crossing the distance between us, she holds my face in her hand, her fingernails digging in my cheeks. "Don't even try anything foolish, girl. I have all of my eyes and ears on you."
"Yes, Mother," I speak through gritted teeth, bearing the pain of her tortuous grip. She lets go of me and I growl, creating distance between us.
"I pity you. Everyone wants to marry a prince. But a weak and deformed one? How unfortunate you are," she mocks me, a sinister smile growing on her pale face.
With that she leaves me, the maid trails behind her but not before giving me another sympathetic look.
I hold my breath as the door opens again and my wolf, Lila picks my mate's scent. She gets excited, ignoring the misery I feel upon seeing him again.
Alec stands before me, his gaze distant and devoid of the warmth that had once consumed his eyes. I want to wrap my arms around him and drown myself in the familiar warmth of his body. I want to pull him into a mind numbing kiss so I can forget the truth for at least some time. I move closer to touch his face, but with every step I take toward him, he takes one back until he's at the door. Before I can say a word, he speaks, his words are unexpected and disastrous.
"I, Alec Tawr of Lunar Crest pack, reject you, Elara Wildewood, of Lunar Crest pack," he utters, his voice cutting through the silence. The words sear into my soul, and my heart shatters, broken pieces scattering within me.
"No!" I yell. How could he reject me? The one he claimed to love, the one we believed to be inseparable. The pain consumes me, wrapping its icy tendrils around my spirit. "Why?" I ask, letting out a painful cry as my knees give away and I collapse to the floor.
Does he think that I agreed to marry Prince Magnus willingly? That I don't wish to be with him? I know he can read my thoughts or at least he could before he rejected me.
"Why?" I repeat, groaning due to the pain of the broken mate bond.
He blinks and I see him shiver as he clenches his jaw. I watch him struggle to stand still. "Just accept the rejection, El. Make it stop," he says, his voice sharp and hard.
I allow myself to cry, letting the tears cascade down my cheeks until I'm a sobbing mess. "I can't. I want you."
He clutches his chest and I hate to see him hurting. "It's not possible. Please accept the rejection. It hurts. Make it stop."
And so I do it. "I, Elara Wildewood of Lunar Crest pack, accept your rejection."
Something is sucked out of me and I'm convinced it's my soul because once the words are out, I feel empty. Absolutely and utterly hollow on the inside.
Alec takes in a shaky breath and stumbles right where he's standing. He's likely feeling the same. His eyes are lowered to the ground as he says in a whisper dismissively, "It was good knowing you, El. Thank you for loving me."
Caden Miller is Willowbrook High School's notorious rebel, known for his devil-may-care attitude, grey hoodies, and a reputation that precedes him. Ruby Norman, on the other hand, is Willowbrook's epitome of sweetness and innocence. She excels academically, volunteers at the local shelter, and dreams of a life beyond the confines of her small town. When their paths cross, sparks fly, igniting a rollercoaster of emotions that neither Caden nor Ruby saw coming. Underneath their heated exchanges and antagonistic banter, a deep-rooted attraction simmers. The more they try to deny it, the stronger their feelings become. Drawn to each other like magnets, they embark on a forbidden romance that challenges societal norms and tests their own personal boundaries.
The island of Bellpond is a welcoming place for tourists—and a home to werewolves. Vanessa Martin, a member of the Silver Crescent pack knows that Jordan Hale is the forbidden fruit—someone off limits. He belongs to the rival pack. And yet, she's attracted to him in ways she cannot explain. When a tragedy befalls him, Nessa wants to be there in some way to comfort him. She goes out of her way, ignoring all words of advice and warnings from her peers and her grandma and soon, a friendship blossoms between them. The smooth wheel rolling down breaks when they find a body washed up on the shore, and soon a couple more follow, piling up. Nessa and Jordan pair up, vowing to get to the bottom of this, but as they investigate more, they realise the matter is more sinister than they expected. Will they stop and expose those involved in these gruesome murders or fall down the rabbit hole trying to uncover the mystery?
The day Lilah found out that she was pregnant, she caught her fiancé cheating on her. Her remorseless fiancé and his mistress almost killed her. Lilah fled for her dear life. When she returned to her hometown five years later, she happened to save a little boy's life. The boy's father turned out to be the world's richest man. Everything changed for Lilah from that moment. The man didn't let her experience any inconvenience. When her ex-fiancé bullied her, he crushed the scumbag's family and also rented out an entire island just to give Lilah a break from all the drama. He also taught Lilah's hateful father a lesson. He crushed all her enemies before she even asked. When Lilah's vile sister threw herself at him, he showed her a marriage certificate and said, "I'm happily married and my wife is much more beautiful than you are!" Lilah was shocked. "When did we ever get married? Last I checked, I was still single." With a wicked smile, he said, "Honey, we've been married for five years. Isn't it about time we had another child together?" Lilah's jaw dropped to the floor. What the hell was he talking about?
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.
Marrying her best friend was a dream come true for Kelly, but everything truly has a limitation. Pierce is Kelly’s first love, but as his best friend, she knew well there was always another woman deep in his heart. Lexi Gilbert. The woman Pierce could never forget even if he had already been arranged to marry Kelly. *** Kelly finally realized their happy marriage of the last three years was just a beautiful dream when Pierce asked for a divorce just because Lexi returned. She could only be his best friend even if she was carrying his baby. *** Since their friendship had become a cage, Kelly chose to set him free, as well as the miserable herself. But why then, it was Pierce who became the one who refused to move on? To make matters worse, her devil stepbrother also domineeringly stepped in at the same time, asking her to be his. *** Her Prince Charming vs. Her Devil Stepbrother? How could Kelly save her heart in this battle of love and hate?
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
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."