Quickly, my breath seized in my throat. I hadn't anticipated finding him in his room, let alone finding him like this– NAKED! "Maybe I'll come back later. I'm sorry," I said, tension strangling my voice. "No, please. Stay!" He said in a calm tone. I looked at him hysterically, and, like he had just recognised his own nudity, he smiled confidently. "I'll just put on something if you're uncomfortable." "Uncomfortable?" I scoffed, trying to sound assuring. "No, I'm not uncomfortable. I've seen a lot of naked boys." He shot a glance at me, sending a thrill running down my chest. "Boys?" He asked, closing the distance between us. He grabbed my left hand and placed it on his hard breast, his heart beating steady, a stark contrast to mine, which raced like an antelope running from a predator in a jungle. "Well... I've seen a lot of naked boys, but not a naked man..." I whispered softly, gazing and feeling lost in his starry eyes. ******************* Reina Grayson, the wolf-less Alpha's daughter, harbours a dangerous secret: she possesses a grey wolf. If her Pack discovers this, she'll be killed. When Alpha Van Killian, whom she was forced to marry, rejects her for her step-sister, Reina is poisoned and dies. Gifted a second chance by the Moon Goddess, she is reborn as Narah Smith. On her eighteenth birthday, she uncovers her true identity, but she had lost her wolf. She returns to her hometown, now living among her enemies as a common maid. As she navigates her past, she forms a bond with Alpha Van, who believes she's his second chance mate despite being married to her step-sister. But with a vengeful heart and a determination to uncover the mysteries of her death, Narah must choose: embrace her fated mate or accept Alpha Zander's proposal? Can she seek revenge on those who wronged her, or will she remain forever in the shadows?
REINA'S POV
Six years, I counted. Six long, agonizing years I held this secret from everyone. It was consuming me and now, I had made up my mind to tell.
As I approached my father's office, I saw Beta Daphne, a chubby looking woman with short blonde hair, storming out of his office, her face red with anger.
"Beta Daphne is my father in?" I asked firmly. She looked back at the door with a stern look and hesitated before responding.
Yes, he is," she murmured with her head low, avoiding my gaze before exiting the gloomy hallway.
It probably wasn't a good time to see him, but I couldn't care less. My gaze fell upon the door as my heart raced, contemplating if I should tell him my secret or not. My thoughts were waging a war against me.
"Reina, please don't, they'll hunt us if they know." My wolf, Minsi, begged as I sluggishly approached the door.
Through the years, I had learned to suppress my wolf, allowing me to maintain the charade: the wolf-less Alpha's daughter.
"My father is the Alpha, Minsi," I reminded her, "There's no way he'd let anyone hurt me."
She moaned quietly and grew silent. I strongly doubted my own words too. My father, Alfie Grayson of the Moonlight pack, would probably be the first in line to hang me.
Six years ago, when I first shifted, Minsi had told me to keep her a secret. I couldn't even dare to breathe a word about her to anyone.
Her silver fur that glistened under the moonlight and deep blue eyes that shined brightly in the dark sent my heart pounding out of my chest the first night I saw her reflection in the lake.
Silver wolves were a rare breed bound by an ancient prophecy. I read once in the worn out pages of a book, that they were cursed and brought damnation to their pack. This led to their execution.
How was I to tell my pack that I was a silver wolf? But today, I wagered my life in the name of love, just so I could be with Arthur.
I confidently pushed the creaky door open and the pungent smell of old books and furniture hit me.
My father was sitting quietly, going through his cellphone. He didn't even bother to look at me, just like he never bothered to renovate his office.
"I do not accept giving me away just for a truce," I confronted him, disrupting his quiet. "This isn't the old days. The old ways have been forgotten."
"Reina, you had been forgotten," he raised his head slightly, staring blankly into my eyes. He continued, "Until the truce was formed, you had been forgotten."
I felt a sudden bone-crushing realization hit me; my father didn't love me.
"And this marriage is the only way to unite our Packs?" My voice inquired, almost giving way to violent sobs.
"What better way than marriage?" I heard my father whisper beneath his breath. Suddenly, he dropped his phone and, with his head high, he walked towards me. "You should be grateful you're my daughter, my flesh and blood. Gina would have been a better choice."
Gina. My step sister, Gina. She was every wolf's dream mate, she wasn't my father's blood, but he sure as hell did treat her like one more than he ever treated me.
Most times, I didn't hold him responsible for this preference. Gina was everything I could only ever dreamed of being.
My head full of unremarkable long gray curls could never compare to her long dark mane that fell down to her waist like waterfalls.
Her piercing green eyes captured the hearts of everyone who gazed upon her.
At just sixteen, her red wolf, Ria, had already emerged, while everyone believed I was wolf-less.
"I have something to tell you," I sighed, with tears threatening to pour from my eyes. "I have...I also have a...," I stuttered.
Why couldn't I say it?
I looked up at my father who was now pacing the office agitatedly, waiting to hear what I had to say.
"Don't say it, Reina. It wouldn't change a thing," Minsi panted, and the wrong words spewed from my mouth.
"I am running away with Arthur."
Coward! Threatening my father with that wouldn't make him call off the wedding, but telling him about my wolf just might do the trick.
Arthur was my first love, my chosen mate, and I was willing to risk it all for him. I had given up searching for my fated mate. I believed Arthur was perfect for me.
I heard my father's laughter echo through the room, making my stomach churn and turn. And then he asked, "Arthur?"
I nodded and he frowned instantly.
"Reina, I know you're weak and blind for love, but I didn't know you were foolish as well."
I stood my ground, not wanting to know what he meant by that. If I had revealed my secret wolf, he wouldn't dare call me weak.
I watched as he walked back to his table and opened a drawer. My eyes followed the movements of his hand, trying to read the contents of the papers and the pictures he pulled out.
"There!" He sent the papers flying towards my direction, scattering as they touched the floor. My eyes scanning the pictures and words, I crouched to get a better view.
"No, it can't be right," I muttered and scanned through the rest.
"Arthur wouldn't," I proclaimed and turned to my father angrily. "You're only showing me this because you want me to marry Alpha Van of the Woodwick Pack."
You see, my pack and the Woodwick's have been sworn enemies for decades, with a deep-seated hatred that had been passed down through our generations like an inherited curse.
Growing up, I was constantly reminded of the rivalry between our packs. The very mention of Woodwick would send shivers down the spines of every member of my pack.
I was only seven when my mother died. Rumors had it, it was a rogue. Not just any rogue, but a stinking rogue from Woodwick's that had split my mother open.
Recently, our pack was facing a serious threat. The scouts reported that rogues from Woodwick were attacking our members at the border.
That's when Alpha Van Killian, the ruthless, offered a truce. A marriage for peace and unity of both packs. And my father chose me.
Tears streamed down my face. My father wouldn't lie to me about this. Actually, Minsi had already suspected Arthur's infidelity, and these papers served as crucial evidence.
"If you're going to think about running away with a man like Arthur, and abandoning your duty to your pack as the future Luna, you better think twice," he said bluntly, his voice void of emotion.
I picked myself up and wiped the tears from my eyes, halting the rest as they threatened to pour. My father's gaze fixated on me, he smirked, shaking his head. I knew he was disappointed, the look on his face wasn't pity.
"If Arthur confirms this to be true. Then I'll accept Alpha Van's proposal and end the feud," I offered with a calm tone.
"You say that like you have a choice. Well, knock yourself out."
I quickly left the office, driven by anger and a deep feeling of betrayal. I needed to see Arthur, he had some explaining to do.
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?"
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Rejected by her mate, who had been her long-time crush, Jasmine felt utterly humiliated. Seeking solace, she headed to a party to drown her sorrows. But things took a turn for the worse when her friends issued a cruel dare: kiss a stranger or beg her mate for forgiveness. With no other choice, Jasmine approached a stranger and kissed him, thinking that would be the end of it. However, the stranger unexpectedly wrapped his arms around her waist and whispered in her ear, "You're mine!" He growled, his words sending shivers down her spine. And then, he offered her a solution that would change everything...
For two years, Bryan only saw Eileen as an assistant. She needed money for her mother's treatment, and he thought she'd never leave because of it. To him, it seemed fair to offer her financial help in exchange for sex. However, Bryan didn't expect to fall for her. Eileen confronted him, "You love someone else, yet you always sleep with me? You're despicable!" The moment she slammed the divorce papers down, he realized she was the the mysterious wife he married six years ago. Determined to win her back, Bryan lavished her with affection. When others mocked her origins, he gave her all his wealth, happy to be the supportive husband. Now a celebrated CEO, Eileen had everything, but Bryan found himself lost in another whirlwind...