Carla thought finding her mate was the end of her life's journey. It turned out it was the beginning of her misery. Just because she couldn't bear a son, an heir, Ian Houston mistreated her and her daughter. She ran away only to fall into another Alpha's arms. Zurin Abrams, Alpha of Wild Fire Pack, lost his first mate on a Rogue attack. Five years later, he accidentally smelled Carla as her second mate. Thus, he determined to protect her from whatever chased her. Unfortunately, things never went easy on them. Ian was back and wanted to reclaim Carla. The war broke out, which led Carla to choose between two males. Zurin or Ian?
CARLA
"Mommy, will I have a mate when I grow up?"
My head snapped up to look at beautiful grey eyes which mirrored mine. Not only that. Almost all her features were similar to mine, just in a smaller version.
She was Cherry Houston, my beloved daughter. "Yes, honey. Goddess will send one to you." I answered, giving her the warmest smile. She was almost four and on the stage of having a lot of curiosity about everything. This made me prepare myself for her next question.
"I don't want one."
Her reply slightly took me aback. Girls were usually excited when talking about finding their future mates. At least, it was what I felt when the little me imagined my man in the white horse. "Why?"
"Because Daddy hurt and always makes you cry. I don't want to cry every day, Mommy."
I swallowed hard. Cherry's words were like a giant stone was thrown at me. It was like a realization that my misery had affected her deeply.
I stood up, making the screeching sound of the chair from an abrupt movement. But I didn't care, even if it fell on the ground. My daughter was more important as I rushed and sat beside her.
I extended my hand to stroke her cheek. "You won't, honey. You will get a very kind person who will treat you like a queen. He will love you and protect you with his life." I consoled her.
I always wished for her to get a different fate than mine. Having a happy life and family and no sorrow cry-something I didn't have or used to have.
Cherry stretched her little arm, mirroring what I was doing by touching my face. "Does it hurt?" She asked. Her cute finger landed on my bruise, carefully pointing it. Her eyes flitted with sadness as if she also felt the pain I got from her father.
Yes. It was my husband, my mate doing this to me.
"No, baby. It's healing now." I lied, or maybe not. All the pain was like disappearing in front of her.
"I hope Daddy won't come back so you won't get hurt anymore."
My husband, Ian Huston, an Alpha of the Lake Pack, was on a business trip to another pack. He said it was only for three days. But it was day four, and he was still nowhere in the pack house, though it relieved me because there was no beating, shouting, or crying during his absence.
My life actually didn't suck at first. Ian was kind and treated me well in the first stage of our relationship. We met at a mating party like other mates' stories. We fell in love and decided to get married there months later although, in fact, we had been living together since day one. It was just a ceremony because Ian was an Alpha, automatically making me a Luna.
Then I was pregnant, and it completed our happy life. I had all I wished for-a lovely mate and, soon, a pup.
However, everything turned upside down the moment I gave birth to Cherry-a daughter, not a son. Soon, I learned the dark side of the Hustons. They were rarely blessed with a son-Ian's mother had born to two daughters before Ian came to her, and after him, it was another daughter. So when I couldn't give the Hustons a son, an heir, my mate began to insult and humiliate me. Then one day, he started landing a punch on me, which worsened as the days passed.
His family pushed me to give him a son as soon as possible. But I couldn't do it because my body was weak due to constant abuse. I hurt physically and mentally.
Then why was I still staying after all the pain he caused me?
I wasn't. I once tried to free myself from this agony.
I offered a divorce or a rejection, but he refused right away. His ego wouldn't let him do that, as he didn't want to be the first Alpha to cut the mate bond. It would put him in nasty gossip.
I was angry, only to find myself being imprisoned in this house and becoming a punching bag whenever he vented out of his anger.
Those had been my life for the past three and a half years.
I wiped tears forming in the corner of my eyes. I couldn't let my daughter see me crying. "Mommy is fine, sweetheart," I reassured her one last time before suddenly the smell reached my nose.
Ian was back.
And I must move fast.
"You're done with your dinner, right?" I asked her while putting down the napkin tucked on her neck, though I knew her spaghetti was still half-eaten. But I couldn't wait any longer and forced her to stand up. I was in a hurry, or Ian would see us. "Let's go to your room. It's bedtime."
I carried her in my arms and ran up the stairs to reach her room faster.
"Now, close your eyes and-"
"Don't make a noise." Cherry finished my words while clutching the blanket. She blinked a few times, but her eyes still flashed with a nonstop worry. "Is Daddy home?"
I smiled despite my anxiety about my fate for the next few minutes. "Yes, and you know what to do."
"Always stay in my room and pretend to be asleep."
"Yes." I pinched her nose lightly. "You're such a clever girl."
But my compliment seemed couldn't wash her worry away. "Can you stay with me?" She was pleading with her eyes and voice.
"No, honey. But I promise I'll be here when you wake up."
She merely looked at me before I heard her little voice again. "Promise?" She extended her hand and showed me her pinkie.
I did the same and entwined our fingers. "Promise."
I stayed a minute longer, saying goodnight and sharing hugs and kisses before deciding it was time to leave her and face my fate which Goddess threw at me.
"You're drunk." I pointed as I entered our room, and the smell of alcohol swirled around. But I frowned my forehead when another scent hit me.
I smelled a female, and it was definitely not me.
I closed the door and walked to the bed as if nothing had happened. Wasn't I jealous?
Of course. But it was long ago.
I had spotted him coming home like this many times until I felt numb. In fact, I already closed my heart the moment he refused his own daughter's presence.
"It's none of your business." He chuckled in a disgusting way, which made me want to spit out. But I only swallowed it because speaking with him in such a condition was useless.
Thus, I kept walking without looking at him.
Unfortunately, it didn't sit well with him as I heard rushed steps in my direction. And before I realized the situation, he had already turned my body around, so we faced each other. His breath was fanning my face, and I wanted to vomit, inhaling it.
"That's it? You only said I'm drunk?" He gritted. Anger radiated on his face.
"What were you expecting?" I asked him back. I usually didn't respond to him, as I knew how it would end. He would beat me no matter what I said, even when I begged him to stop.
But he suddenly changed his expression and looked at me up and down while licking his lips. "You're stripping off."
I rolled my eyes annoyingly. How could Ian demand sex when he already had one with whom I didn't know?
"You're drunk." I turned around. However, it was the wrong move because I felt a pull on my arm, and a second later, I saw the anger on his face was back.
"That's not how you answer your mate. You must follow my every word."
Just as he said it, I heard a ripping sound. My eyes widened before they fell down, and I found a big hole in the front of my shirt. It caused my bra to be half visible.
Then he grasped my chin, forcing me to look at him. Without notice, he moved forward, crushing his lips onto mine. He was kissing me bruisingly hard, biting my lip when I refused to kiss him back until I tasted my own blood.
I fought back. I tried to push Ian away, but he managed to lock my hands while he continued to assault my lips. He secured my position by caging my body tightly, leaving no room for me to free myself.
My eyes watered from his actions, especially when he began rubbing his calloused palm under my dress.
No.
I had let go of myself.
So I bit his lip hard and used all my energy to push him away.
He was staggering after the link was broken. He licked his lips, and soon, his eyes became black as he realized he was bleeding from what I did.
Oh, Goddess! This wasn't going well!
I rushed to the door. My plan was, undoubtedly, to escape his wrath.
However, I had never been faster than an Alpha. He grabbed my hair, tugged it, and then slapped my face, which caused me to knock the edge of the nightstand and fall to the ground.
"How dare you fight me!" He stood before me as if guarding me so I couldn't run away while his hand started unbuckling his pants.
I blazed a glare. "Fuck you, Ian!" I shouted back but regretted it as soon as my gaze landed on something far behind him. The door opened slightly, and I saw glowing greys in the darkness.
Cherry!
I was stunned in place even when he, again, ripped my dress. And when he forced himself on top of me, the door was wide open.
"Mommy!"
The call brought back my sense. I looked at Ian, now staring at our daughter with his eyes black and rage rising from his body. He clearly hated being interrupted.
"No, Cherry! Don't come here! Go back to your room!"
Hannah used to be a happy Luna. She lived her wonderful life with her destined mate, Eliot, the Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. But everything turned upside down when Eliot framed her for cheating on him and sleeping with a man. But she had never been unfaithful to her mate. Still, he insisted and forced her to abort their baby. Her misfortune didn't stop there. Her best friend betrayed her. She killed her to take her position as a new Luna of the Blood Moon Pack. Was it the end of her life? Hell, no! The goddess gave Hannah a second chance to right her fate. She would take revenge on everyone, which caused her life to be miserable. She promised they would pay for that!
Real love stories are not as beautiful as fairy tales. But that doesn't mean it will go wrong. It all depends on how people choose to live with it. Like Anna, an ordinary woman living an everyday life amidst the glittering life of Los Angeles was forced to bury her fairy tale wedding dream as the marriage order came. Moreover, she married the most desirable, handsome, young CEO, the successor to the Byrne business empire, David Byrne. A small mistake that totally changed their life. Could they live with that? Especially when one problem after another shook their loveless marriage.
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.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
Life was a bed of roses for Debra, the daughter of Alpha. That was until she had a one-night stand with Caleb. She was sure he was her mate as determined by Moon Goddess. But this hateful man refused to accept her. Weeks passed before Debra discovered that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy brought shame to her and everyone she loved. Not only was she driven out, but her father was also hunted down by usurpers. Fortunately, she survived with the help of the mysterious Thorn Edge Pack. Five years passed and Debra didn't hear anything from Caleb. One day, their paths crossed again. They were both on the same mission—carrying out secret investigations in the dangerous Roz Town for the safety and posterity of their respective packs. Caleb was still cold toward her. But as time went on, he fell head over heels in love with her. He tried to make up for abandoning her, but Debra wasn't having any of it. She was hell-bent on hiding her daughter from him and also making a clean break. What did the future hold for the two as they journeyed in Roz Town? What kind of secrets would they find? Would Caleb win Debra's heart and get to know his lovely daughter? Find out!
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
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?"