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.
Katie was forced to marry Dillan, a notorious ruffian. Her younger sister mocked her, "You're just an adopted daughter. Count your blessings for marrying him!" The world anticipated Katie's tribulations, but her married life unfurled with unexpected serenity. She even snagged a lavish mansion in a raffle! Katie jumped into Dillan's arms, credited him as her lucky charm. "No, Katie, it's you who brings me all this luck," Dillan replied. Then, one fateful day, Dillan's childhood friend came to her. "You're not worthy of him. Take this 50 million and leave him!" Katie finally grasped Dillan's true stature—the wealthiest man on the planet. That night, trembling with trepidation, she broached the subject of divorce with Dillan. However, with a domineering embrace, he told her, "I'd give you everything I have. Divorce is off the table!"
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
"I'm going to tell you what I have in mind," he murmured. "First you're going to strip down until you're completely naked," he whispered against her ear. "Then I'm going to tie you up so you're completely powerless and subject to my every whim." "Mmm, sounds good so far," she murmured. "Then I'm going to insert a plug to prepare you for me. After that I'm going to spank that sweet ass of yours until it's rosy with my marks." She shivered uncontrollably, her mind exploding with the images he evoked. She let out a small whimper as he sucked the lobe of her ear into his mouth. God, she could cum with just his words. She was already aching with need. Her nipples tingled and hardened to painful points. Her clit pulsed and twitched between her legs until she clamped her thighs together to alleviate the burn. "And then I'm going to f**k your mouth. But I won't cum. Not yet. When I'm close, I'll flog you again until your ass is burning and you're on fire with the need for relief. And then I'm going to f**k that ass. I'm going to take you hard and rough, to the very limits of what you can withstand. I won't be gentle. Not tonight. I'm going to take you as roughly as you can stand. And then I'm going to cum all over your ass. Are you ready to be completely and utterly dominated?"
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!
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.