Leindra always found the town of Lunarius too simple for her tastes. She hoped that by going to the big city she would explore more of life. But fate had other plans, because after five years away she finds herself back in the same town that she despised. Only things aren't quite as they seem. What Leindra doesn't realize is that her old hometown is now also home to werewolves and she finds herself entangled in their world via the mysterious Darius Lunar.
LEINDRA'S POV.
When people go home, it is expected that there should be a feeling of nostalgia, a feeling of childhood wonder at being back where you grew up. For me, it was the direct opposite. My skin crawled as I took in the familiar streets and I wanted nothing more than to run as far as I could but I had nowhere to go.
A few years ago I ran. I packed my bags and I ran to the city. I wanted nothing to do with the life of Lunarius. It was your typical small town where everyone knew everyone and you were expected to be mated to your best friend and have children who grow up and never leave. I wanted more from life and more to life but my plans brought me right back.
I needed gas so I stopped directly in front of a diner I used to visit as a child. They used to have the best burgers in the entire town and they were always available.
A part of me hoped it wasn't there anymore. That way, I could have felt like the town had changed a little but it stood there in all its faded and broken window glory. The town was exactly as I left it: small, dirty roads, quiet people, unchanged and so tiny that I felt like I was being suffocated.
I left when I was eighteen. I was eager to see the world, but now, at twenty-three, I could say that the world was filled with nothing but disappointment. When I left, I was an optimistic child hoping that I would make some money and live in a lavish mansion. I ended up working as a waitress being paid meager peanuts and I lived in an apartment that resembled a shoe box but was pricier than a designer bag.
My landlady kicked me out and I knew I had nowhere else to go. I hadn't paid rent in five months and I could barely feed myself. I had lost my job and I knew that as stubborn as I was, I would rather live in Lunarius than starve out in the city. I shoved my pride down and used the last money I had to buy gas and drive myself back.
I looked around the town hoping to see something or someone different but everyone was the same. Suddenly, I noticed a group of men inside the diner. They were sitting by a booth against the wall and if it wasn't for the broken window then I wouldn't have been able to see them.
They were clad in all black with bandanas as if it was a uniform and they were whispering to each other in hushed breaths. I could tell that they weren't from Lunarius because no one here would have dressed that boldly. People were staring at them but they didn't seem to care. It was like they were oblivious to the stares they were receiving from people.
I wondered who they were but then I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand. I knew I was being watched so I discreetly looked around to find the source of the stare and I saw him. He was standing at the front door of the diner and he was watching me through dark shades.
He was very tall and that said a lot because I wasn't a short person myself. He had a five o'clock shadow and his dark hair hung in curls around his shoulders. He looked at me like I knew him and there was an air of familiarity around him but I was sure I had never met him because if I met someone like him, there was no way I would have forgotten.
He looked like an Adonis carved straight from marble and the way he stared at me sent shivers down my body and dried out my mouth. My heart felt like someone had taken an electrical current to it. I felt a light sheen of sweat on my brow as if I had run a marathon and I couldn't explain why I felt that way. I subconsciously checked myself in the mirror to make sure I looked okay.
I was wearing ripped jeans and a corset top. My long blond hair was in a ponytail at the back of my head and my light blue eyes looked tired and worn out.
I felt the pump jerk in my hand and I remembered what I was doing. I quickly placed the pump back in place and closed up my car. I could still feel the man's eyes on me as I walked around to get into the car. Even though his shades were still on, I could tell he was tracking me and it took everything in me to get into my car and not stare at him.
As I drove off, I couldn't help but watch through the rearview mirror. As if he knew I was watching him, I saw the corner of his lips quirk up and I quickly looked away briefly. I turned back to the mirror just in time to see him become a speck of dust in my peripheral.
Even though I couldn't see him anymore, he was still ever present in my mind.
I drove a few more minutes before I got to my destination. The house was just as I remembered, with brick walls and a zinc roof. Daisies still littered the front lawn and the same purple bicycle with the broken handlebar sat in front of the house. I stared up at my childhood home trying to conjure up the strength to get out of the car.
I could see the tail end of my brother's black car peeking out from the garage so I knew he was home. I hadn't seen him in five years and I was unsure of how he was going to react to me. Would he be happy or would he be upset that I left in the middle of the night without a goodbye?
I got out of the car and took the worn-out and faded box that held all my belongings. I dragged it up the porch and up the front steps and I stopped in front of the door. I exhaled deeply and pushed the doorbell.
I heard a little commotion inside before the door was finally pulled open. Shock filled my family's features as they took me in and I smiled softly.
"Hi," I said. "Can I come in?"
Lorenzo is the heir of the DeLucia family and he has never cared about anything or anyone until she came in. Isabella was supposed to be a business deal but she turned his life around in more ways than he could imagine until she disappeared. Eight years pass and the next time he hears from her is when a little boy comes on his doorstep claiming to be their child. Lost feelings are reignited and Lorenzo will do anything to find the love of his life and figure out what really happened during those eight years. What he doesn't realize is that there are powers at play that are much greater than he is and there are truths lurking beyond the surface that might just make or break his mission.
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
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?"
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."
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."
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"