In shifter society, Eden isn't the paradise you're used to hearing about in the Bible. It's the place where all girls are housed from birth until their 18th birthday. A war between the humans and shifters left the werewolf population decimated and diseased due to poisonous agents used against the wolves. As a result, birth rates of purebred werewolves declined extraordinarily, while the presence of mutant werewolves rose. To combat their fertility crisis, the Elders invented Eden where young girls were kept locked away from society. Their knowledge of the outside world is very limited and their only purpose is to become breeders after their 18th birthday when they are selected by their mates during the Breeding Selection Ceremony. If the girls don't prove they are purebred wolves or turn into mutants, then they are killed by the Alphas. Imani is shamelessly classified as a Breeder C–the most undesirable amongst the breeders. She hates that the girls are subjected to such barbaric practices and desires to escape from Eden. What she doesn't expect is to run into Alpha Jackson, the man who was tasked to kill her on her 18th birthday if she didn't prove to be a purebred wolf. The Breeding Selection Ceremony commences and Imani is certain she doesn't have a wolf. As her "sisters" are dying around her, Imani is shocked when Alpha Jackson spares her life. Not only does he spare her life, but he selects her as his Breeder! Alpha Jackson only kills when he's 100% certain, but there is something off about Imani and the only way he can get to the bottom of it is if he keeps her close. Imani may have escaped from Eden, but she can't escape the Alpha with the cold blue eyes who makes her heart somersault. Author: Jade Lane Copyright: Ideaink Six Cats
Chapter One
Imani
"36, 24, 36. Delightful," Supervisor Rachel said, grinning from ear to ear as she measured Eliza. "Write that down, Sarah."
Supervisor Sarah snorted as she recorded Eliza's measurements. "You don't have to tell me how to do my job. I've been doing it as long as you."
"This one is Breeder A material," Supervisor Rachel exclaimed, ignoring her partner. I rolled my eyes when Eliza's chest puffed up in pride.
You live a sad existence when being reduced to a walking womb is your greatest achievement.
I couldn't shame Eliza for her excitement because the alternative was downright depressing. Because of her A-status, she'd live a very comfortable life-some would say a life of luxury. She'd be selected by a Judge or a high-ranking military official and give birth to his pups. These pups would be genetically superior to pups carried by Breeder B and Breeder C, who were more susceptible to Deformations and Mutations.
"Eliza, you are Breeder A," Supervisor Rachel declared after she concluded her examination. Please join the others.
"Thank you so much!" Eliza squealed as she joined the other two girls on the platform labeled 'A'. Supervisor Rachel and Sarah's eyes landed on me, and I swallowed around the large lump that formed in my throat. Their eyes screamed, "Bless her heart," because they already knew what platform I was destined for. I knew it, and all the girls I grew up with knew it too.
"Imani...please step up for your examination," Supervisor Rachel instructed.
Supervisor Sarah scoffed, "Why even bother? Put the poor thing out of her misery and send her where she belongs."
Some would say Supervisor Sarah was being cruel, but she was right. Why go through the motions? I was humiliated enough as it was.
"Because we are professionals," Supervisor Rachel admonished. "Come, Imani. We don't have all day." I held my head up high with the last scrap of dignity I had and approached the analytical women. "Step on the scale."
Supervisor Sarah tsked at my weight as she recorded it. I wasn't surprised when my measurements were taken and she did it again.
"I was hoping you were a late bloomer, but with only three days until your 18th birthday...," Supervisor Rachel muttered before trailing off. "Imani...please proceed to Platform C."
"Thank you, Supervisor Rachel," I said with a slight bow. I walked towards the empty platform and ignored the titters and words of condolences from the other girls. I remained silent as the examinations commenced and daydreamed about escaping this place.
Eden was anything but the paradise described in the Human Bible. It was cold and sterile, filled with constant reminders that our only worth was to be reproductive tools to the werewolf society-the society we girls never experienced. Like myself, the girls I grew up with were orphaned from birth, cursed to grow up in Eden, a lab created by the Elders after the Great Human War. According to our history texts, humans and werewolves had always been at odds. They saw us as their enemy-dangerous animals they'd call us; however, we only wanted to co-exist with the humans and live in peace. A century ago, peace relations fell apart, resulting in an all-out war between us. The humans were losing, unable to hold back our forces. Instead of accepting defeat, they unleashed a toxic gas that killed off most of the werewolves. Those that survived suffered from debilitating illnesses, and their offspring were born with Deformations.
Due to the declining werewolf population, the Elders established Eden, where all female werewolves were destined to live out their lives until their 18th birthdays. The male children who were born were sent to The Oasis, a camp where they were trained since childhood to become soldiers that would protect us from the humans.
The boys are the lucky ones. They have a taste of the outside world. I've never seen the sky, breathed fresh air, or felt the Earth beneath my feet.
From birth, there was a countdown hanging over our heads-6,570 days. On day 6,570, the young breeders were released into the care of their chosen mates and forced to carry the next generation of wolves.
Girls who were deemed Breeder A were chosen by high-ranking officials, Breeder B was chosen by middle-class werewolves, such as warriors or nobles, and since I was C, I'd be given to a low-ranking soldier or civilian.
If I make it that far....
I was a Deformation. At the age of 15, we begin to sense our wolves and release pheromones. My wolf had been radio silent, and to my knowledge, I gave off no pheromones. Realistically, I only had three days to live. If my wolf didn't make her appearance on my 18th birthday, I'd be considered a Mutation and put to death by a Judge. A werewolf without a wolf wasn't a wolf; therefore, it couldn't produce purebred wolves and had no place in society.
I need to escape this place. I refuse to let them continue to dictate my life, and I refuse to let some Judge put me to death.
"Are you okay, Imani?" Mary asked, standing in the Breeder B line. I smiled at her ruefully. We'd been close since we could walk. I was happy that my friend's life would be spared.
"I'm okay."
"Everything will be okay," she whispered, trying but failing to be reassuring.
"The examination is now complete. We will be handing you your Breeder Badge. You are to wear these badges at all times."
"I'm sorry," Supervisor Sarah whispered to me as she pinned my badge over my breast. It felt heavy on my chest, crushing it, making it difficult to breathe.
"Now that each of you has your badges, we'll leave the examination room for your next class. We'll leave by rank-Breeder A in the front and Breeder C in the back." A hand flew up. "Yes, Delilah?"
"What is our next class?" the girl asked curiously.
Supervisor Rachel smiled gently. "The most important class you'll take. You'll learn to please your mates. A few males will be joining our lesson."
My mouth dropped in shock.
Men? In Eden? Men aren't allowed at Eden.
"Before we leave, we need to recite the Breeder's Affirmation," Supervisor Sarah announced.
"Thank you for the reminder. Hands on our hearts, ladies."
I opened my mouth and mouthed the words. I refused to recite that bullshit.
"I voluntarily dedicate myself to the future of werewolves, accept all experiments, all orders arranged by the organization, and give birth to multiple offspring for the future of werewolves until I die," the girls around me recited.
I looked over at Eliza and the other Breeder As. They recited the Breeder's Affirmation the loudest. I found them to be spineless and gullible, but could I blame them? They lived and breathed breeding. That was all they knew-all we knew.
"Very good. Let's go, ladies."
I silently followed the line, my eyes straying to various halls and doors. I didn't know where they led because they weren't labeled, but one of them had to lead to the exit. No one had ever escaped from Eden. It was a complex maze that changed. I wanted to escape, but I needed a solid plan.
For now, I just want to ditch this male-pleasing class.
I opened a random door and entered. The room was dark and smelled of antiseptic. My fingers searched along the wall until I felt the switch. I flipped it and heaved a sigh of relief.
The infirmary.
The infirmary was notoriously empty. No girl wanted to visit the infirmary and give the doctors a reason to poke and prod at them. We were already tortured enough with experiments that left us feeling like pin cushions after they were done. If we fell ill, we kept it to ourselves as best we could or risk being sedated and strapped down to a cold metal table. Chances were low that I'd be found.
I yawned as soon as I saw the first available bed. Sleep had been difficult to come by due to the anticipation of Examination Day. The girls who knew they'd be selected as Breeder A slept soundly while the rest of us counted our days instead of counting sheeps.
The beds were empty and inviting–more inviting than the bunks with thin mattresses in the dormitories. I sat on the bed nearest me with a heavy sigh. It was more comfortable than I could've imagined. It almost felt as if I was sitting on a cloud.
"I'll take a nap and join the girls later," I whispered to myself as I unbuttoned the buttons at the collar of my dress. Our dresses were uncomfortable with their high collars, long sleeves that reached your wrists, and long skirts that stopped at our ankles. At times they were suffocating and itchy. It was one of those times.
I barely had my dress around my hips when the curtain ripped back. I gasped when a man in my line of sight. My breasts heaved up and down. I was scared because I'd never seen a man in real life, but I also felt something else.
"Get on your knees."
"Wh-what?" I asked, snapping out of my haze. Tears filled my eyes when he pulled a gun out of his holster and pressed it against my forehead.
"I believe my instructions were very clear. Get...on...your...knees." I attempted to pull my dress back up when he stopped me. "I prefer it off."
I fell to my knees, not minding the pain that shot through them from colliding with the tile. I couldn't take my eyes away from his murderous blue eyes. As cold as they were, they did very little to chill the fire building inside of me. He towered over me with his bulking muscles and authority. I didn't like this feeling inside of me. It felt like submission as if I belonged on my knees in front of him. That was my place and my purpose...serving him.
I whimpered when he pulled the hammer back on the revolver.
"You seem to be lost, little lamb. It is my understanding that you should be attending a class with the other girls on how to please a man, is that right?" I nodded weakly against the cold muzzle of the gun. "Instead, you've stumbled into the wolf's den."
At one point we were both abandoned in the woods. Our meeting started with distrust. His wounds were more than the gnashing scratches of the wilderness, it extended to trash his memories and kept him from truth more than once. Her wounds were more than the bruises of the poisonous wilderness, it extended to crush her security and increased her self doubt. It was an exile that led a prideful yet underestimated prince and an tortured daughter of a successful merchant. Our tale only began when we acknowledged our desires, yet the world around us conspired to thwart our every step. The both of us didn't want to doubt, yet, would our resilience and trust be enough to navigate through the jungle of doubts?
She was wolfless. All her life, Holly Ambrose had been longing for her family to reciprocate the love she had been working hard to get from her father and her sister, Irina. Unfortunately, they only saw her as an embarrassment to the pack and used her instead so that Irina could refuse to marry Alpha Evander Edgerton: the ruthless and cold-blooded Alpha of the Blackwood Pack. Thinking that it was the only way to escape them, Holly accepted the proposal. Alpha Alec, her former mate and her sister’s fiance begged her not to. He confessed he still had feelings for her and wanted her back as his mate. Too late because there was no stopping her from having her freedom. But would Holly be truly free if Irina had no intention to stop destroying her life after Alec left Irina to claim Holly back? Would she stay with Alpha Evander even after she found out that his former mate came back and was pregnant with his child?
His body collapses into mine as my back slams on the wall. “You were touching yourself because of me weren't you” his musky scent suffocating me. My core immediately picks up a heart beat with our proximity as he pins my hands above me on the wall. My bare nipples harden at his touch. I can only think of two words at this moment. Touch me. ***************************************************** Never in Ivy Carter's life did she ever think that she'd fall for a man she couldn't have,especially when the man was not only her professor but also her new step brother. Caden's heart has always been where his pack is, gilded by the pack's legacy but the minute he lays eyes on Ivy Carter his walls come crashing down. But he can't have her even though she's his mate. Their worlds collide with an irresistible force and it's only a matter of time till they cross the line, breaking all restraints with an unholy attraction.
Audrina, a powerless omega, becomes entangled in a web of deception created by her own flesh and blood. Her crafty stepsister sends her into the arms of MistyMoon Pack's Alpha, James, where she meets a guy whose icy demeanor conceals his powerful and fair character. With chiseled features and a stare that could melt steel, James is both hot and gorgeous. Their one-night affair suddenly blossoms into a lifetime commitment with the news of a kid on the way, leaving them divided between desire and danger. But behind the surface of their undeniable mate bond, there lies a hidden identity and buried truths that could ruin the spark that was just beginning to ignite.
Aurora Everley has always been the overlooked daughter, the one that gets shadowed by her sister Margot. She thought that once she turns eighteen and meets her mate, she would have someone whose attention would just be on her. But she is wrong. Because her mate happens to be the one her sister brings home, introduced as her boyfriend and Alpha Heir, Mason Chase. Now, she has to sacrifice herself again. She has to sever their mate bond, even when her heart screams not to do it. But what happens if someone else is waiting at the sidelines for her? Someone who's been watching her every move, desiring her in ways no one ever did before?
Leaving everything Lily had behind, she moved to a far countryside Pack and made sure no one would be able to find her anymore. Her perfect life back then turned upside down raising twin children with her under a small Pack a kind-hearted stranger brings them into. She was determined to live her life being tied and stuck to her poor situation when out of nowhere her ex-boyfriend, Wade, whom she left hanging years ago when she ran away came to visit the Pack she’s currently residing in. The worst part is that he will spend his stay under the same roof with her. Would their interrupted love rejoin this time around? Or the bitterness of the past will prevail.
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?"
My family was on the poverty line and had no way to support me in college. I had to work part-time every day just to make ends meet and afford to get into the university. That was when I met her—the pretty girl in my class that every boy dreamt of asking out. I was well aware she was out of my league. Nevertheless, I mustered all my courage and bravely told her that I had fallen for her. To my surprise, she agreed to be my girlfriend. With the sweetest smile I had ever seen, she told me that she wanted my first gift for her to be the latest and top-of-the-line iPhone. I worked like a dog and even did my classmates’ laundry to save up. My hard work eventually paid off after a month. I finally got to buy what she wanted. But as I was wrapping my gift, I saw her in the dressing room, making out with the captain of the basketball team. She then heartlessly made fun of my inadequacy and made a fool out of me. To make things worse, the guy whom she cheated on me with even punched me in the face. Desperation washed over me, but there was nothing I could do but lie on the floor as they trampled on my feelings. But then, my father called me out of the blue, and my life turned upside down. It turned out that I was a billionaire's son.
In order to fulfill her grandfather's last wish, Stella entered into a hasty marriage with an ordinary man she had never met before. However, even after becoming husband and wife on paper, they each led separate lives, barely crossing paths. A year later, Stella returned to Seamarsh City, hoping to finally meet her mysterious husband. To her astonishment, he sent her a text message, unexpectedly pleading for a divorce without ever having met her in person. Gritting her teeth, Stella replied, "So be it. Let’s get a divorce!" Following that, Stella made a bold move and joined the Prosperity Group, where she became a public relations officer that worked directly for the company’s CEO, Matthew. The handsome and enigmatic CEO was already bound in matrimony, and was known to be unwaveringly devoted to his wife in private. Unbeknownst to Stella, her mysterious husband was actually her boss, in his alternate identity! Determined to focus on her career, Stella deliberately kept her distance from the CEO, although she couldn't help but notice his deliberate attempts to get close to her. As time went on, her elusive husband had a change of heart. He suddenly refused to proceed with the divorce. When would his alternate identity be uncovered? Amidst a tumultuous blend of deception and profound love, what destiny awaited them?
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
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!"
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.