"Reject me then," I said, taking a step forward to meet his eyes. There was a thick layer of emotions that I couldn't quite decipher behind his brown eyes. "Why would you keep me around if you're just going to take another woman as your mate?" I was taken aback by the confident edge my voice had. "Isabelle," he called out softly, stretching his hand out to reach for me. I pulled away before my skin could come in contact with his, making him flinch. He gritted his teeth, turning his head away from me. "If you want me to reject you so bad then I will, a wolfless female is worth nothing to me." I almost stumbled from the impact of his words but I set my lips in a thin line, blinking away the tears that were threatening to fall. "Look me in the eyes and do it." "I, Luca Morales –" Luca Morales, Alpha of the Blood Moon pack. Three words, Dangerous, Conceited, Sexy. Word has it that he fought his uncle to death for the Alpha position at the age of 14. Isabella meets Luca and the mate pull is undeniable but so is her connection to a strange man that found his way to her. It's clear that Fate has a part in all of this but how?
"Please, please stop, I can't breathe," I pleaded, clawing at the large arm that was crushing my windpipe. It was getting harder to ignore the stabs of pain that shot up my hand from my broken fingers but my vision was getting clouded.
"Look at me," his gruff voice commanded. I looked up at him, struggling to keep my eyes open.
The jagged scar that ran over a closed eyelid looked even scarier from up close. His right eye twinkled with a scary composure that made me shiver. "Take a good, long look because this is the last face you'll ever see, chica bella," he said before digging his claws into my jugular.
I shot up from the bed in a scrambling mess, running my hand up and down my neck.
My brother, Gabriel runs into my room with his face twisted in pain and urgency. "Hey Issy, you're fine. I'm right here, I promise you," he said, pulling me into his arms and running slow but calculated strokes across my hair.
My panting slowed down and I tried to steady my breathing as I eased into him. "Take all the time you need, I'm not going anywhere," he said, kissing the top of my head.
"I'm sorry I disturbed your sleep," I muttered into his shirt before pulling away from him.
A frown creased his forehead, "you couldn't possibly disturb me even if you tried."
GABRIEL TORRES, last child of Beta Torres and my younger brother. Fifteen, huge – at 5"11, he easily towered over my small frame that was a little above 5"7 – with the kindest hazel eyes you would ever come across.
Gabriel and I had this weird connection where we could feel every high emotion the other was feeling. We couldn't feel the degree but they could certainly identify it. It's why Gabriel was the most affected when I was –
"Are you okay? You blanked out for a bit there" he asked, snapping me back to reality. My heart swooned when I saw the raw concern in his eyes. "Should I get Alexander? I don't think he would be sleeping now," he said, making a move to stand up from the bed.
I held his arm to stop him from leaving. "I'm fine Gabriel," I said with a smile. "It was just another night. Same nightmare, nothing more. There's no need to get Alexander, you'll just make him worry for no reason."
He looked at me, scanning my face for any sign to show that I was withholding something from him then let out a defeated sigh when he found none.
"Fine, if you say so," he said, standing up. "I'm right across your room if you need me," he planted his lips on my forehead before turning to leave.
I could almost feel the large cold hand still pressing down my throat. "Uh, Gabriel?" I called out when he was at the door. "If you don't mind, could you stay here a bit? Just until I fall asleep, which I'm sure I'll do soon."
He nodded before turning back to face me. He had on a smile that he thought was encouraging but just looked sad. I hated when my siblings and friends gave me that look but I understood that they couldn't help it sometimes. I shook away the thought and gave him a smile back before laying back in bed.
-
I wasn't surprised to find my elder brother seated at the foot of mum's tombstone when I got there. "Hey Alex," I called out when I was just behind him.
"You and your silent footsteps. I would have been frightened had I not been expecting you." He said, shuffling to make room for me to sit.
I chuckled under my breath before plopping down to sit.
ALEXANDER TORRES, first child of Beta Torres and next in line for the Alpha position. Alex was easily the tallest of the siblings, his fierce and arrogant nature made him just the Alpha that the pack needed. Clad in his signature black cloak, he could easily pass for a supermodel outside of his alpha duties.
"How do you think she is? Being there alone without her mate or her kids must be terribly lonely," I said, voicing out the thought I always have whenever I come here.
"True, it must be lonely. But now she gets to watch us from above like the smothering mother hen she is and we can't say or do anything about it," he said jokingly, nudging my shoulder.
I let out a snort in agreement, placing my head on his shoulder.
"You know, when I was still in there," I started, pausing when I felt his body tense up beside mine. His hand found mine and he squeezed it lightly, giving me a go ahead. "When I was still in there and I thought I was going to die for sure, the only thing that gave me comfort was the thought of being reunited with her, at least that way, she wouldn't be alone anymore," I said, feeling tears welling up in my eyes.
He stayed quiet for what seemed like a long time before finally speaking. "Mum wouldn't have wanted that, you know? I can only imagine how proud she is that you survived it, survived all the things those horrible people did to you. She's content watching you here and I'm sure she wants you to stay here, grow old with your kids and grandkids while she watches over them."
I chuckled nervously at that last bit about kids and grandkids. "Thank you," I said, wrapping my hands around his waist for a hug. I really was so lucky that I saw the kind side of Alexander, he was a huge softie to his siblings.
"Hey you two, sorry I'm late," Gabriel's voice broke off the silence that had fallen between us.
I turned my neck to face him, my eyes lighting up with glee when I looked at his hand. "Come on, it's almost time." I waved him over, scooting closer to Alex to create space for him.
And for the 5th time since she died, we blew out the candles on the strawberry cake together as the sun rose.
"Happy birthday Mum," we said in unison once the fire went out.
"Watch where you're going, don't be so clumsy! This shirt cost more than your entire wardrobe!" This was the point where I should have walked off but the tigress in me had awakened. My initial nervousness turned to defensiveness. "Hey, it was an accident! No need to be rude about it." The man's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing. "Rude? You think you can just spill whatever the fuck that was on me and then mouth off? You're lucky I'm not suing you for damages." My anger flared. "Well, instead of investing in a better shirt, maybe you should consider a better attitude!" Conceited. Dangerous. Sexy. Three words, one man. When single mother and writer Elena Jenson takes a job as a secretary to billionaire and CEO of Ross Globals, Gabriel Ross, she's drawn into a world of luxury, class and desire. As their forbidden attraction grows and he weaves his way into her complicated life, she learns about his past and does something to break his trust. Would they find their way back to each other? How would Lena get him to trust her again?
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
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?
Elin spent twenty years deeply loving her husband, finally marrying him just as she'd always dreamed. But reality shattered her illusions—he wasn't the man she believed. Instead, he callously destroyed her family, crushing her heart beyond repair. At her lowest point, Ruben, equally betrayed that night, approached her steadily. "Marry me, Elin. I'll help you take revenge." Yet, after their wedding, she quickly discovered he was dangerously unpredictable. "I made a mistake. Let's divorce..." Ruben slid his arm possessively around her waist, whispering a chilling promise, "Only in death."
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." Darcy stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You're not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She stared at me in the mirror. "You can't even glance at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of gazing at that scar?" Heather Bailey got a surprise from her husband: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. She was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman. After signing the divorce papers, shockwaves caught her up. Her flower shop was burned to the ground. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers from influential families, she started her revenge on Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted, but that was just the beginning.
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
"Is it considered betrayal to develop feelings for your best friend's boyfriend? What about when fate intervenes, and he turns out to be your destined mate? You might think it's luck and thank the moon goddess for such a twist of fate. That's what I believed until the love of my life uttered those dreaded words: 'I want a divorce!' As I stared at the pregnancy test in my hands, I realized it was better to keep my secret to myself. My name is Violet, and this is my story."