Lireal's life was shattered when a tragic fire claimed her parents, leaving her an orphan. Forced to move in with her cold-hearted aunt and uncle, she soon realized the people of the Silvermoon pack treated her like an outcast, a piece of trash unworthy of their respect. The final blow came when her supposed mate, Calix, publicly rejected her in front of their entire school, humiliating her beyond measure. Broken and alone, Lireal made a desperate plea to her aunt to attend a boarding school far away. Her aunt agreed, offering Lireal an escape from the cruelty she endured. Four long years passed as Lireal found her strength, her voice, hardening herself against the injustices of her past. Now, having returned to the Silvermoon pack, Lireal is a force to be reckoned with - strong-tongued and headstrong. But her uncle has different plans, forcing her into an arranged marriage with Asher Blackwell, the virile alpha of the pack. To Lireal's shock, Asher turns out to be her new fated mate. How will this fiery she-wolf handle being bound to the most powerful man in the territory that once shunned her?
Darkness surrounded her, suffocating and thick. Flames danced in the shadows, casting eerie light on the walls and floor. The scent of burning wood and despair filled the air. 14-year-old Lireal stumbled through the smoke-choked corridors, her heart pounding in terror.
"Run, Lireal! Run!" Her mother's voice echoed through the smoke-filled hallway, the words barely audible above the roar of the flames. Lireal's heart raced as she struggled to keep up with the burning heat that seared her lungs with every breath. The pain in her legs was unbearable, her bare feet feeling like they were on fire themselves. She could feel the sweat dripping down her face, stinging her eyes, and blurring her vision.
The chilling realization clung to her – her home was crumbling, her parents were trapped inside. She tried to call out to them, but her voice was lost in the inferno. A sudden gust of heat blasted her from behind, forcing her to stumble forward. Through the haze, she saw a doorway leading outside. With renewed determination, she lunged towards it, barely able to breathe the cleaner air as she tumbled out into the cold night.
Through tear-blurred eyes, she turned around and saw the figures of her parents. Their faces were full of pain, their voices screaming "Escape, Lireal! Don't look back!"
A pack of werewolf firefighters approached Lireal, their muscles glistening in the moonlight as they sprinted toward her. They reached her in an instant, their strong hands grasping her shoulders and arms, steadying her. She struggled against their grip, her heart racing with panic and desperation.
"No! My parents are still in there!" she cried out, her voice desperate and hoarse.
"It is not safe!" emphasized one of the werewolf firefighters, their eyes reflecting the urgency of the situation.
Time seemed to stop as Lireal stared at her once glorious home. Everything she had loved was now reduced to ashes. It took a few hours for the fire to be completely extinguished. The werewolf firefighters were able to save some of the neighboring houses, but her family's home was a total loss. As the smoke lingered in the air, she noticed the chief firefighter approaching.
"Where are my parents?" she demanded, her eyes searching desperately for any sign of hope. The chief firefighter knelt down to meet her gaze. His eyes were filled with sorrow and understanding.
The werewolf firefighters exchanged glances before the chief spoke up. "I'm sorry, Lireal. Your parents... they didn't make it out." His voice was soft, almost gentle, but the weight of his words was crushing. Lireal felt her heart sink, her vision blurring with fresh tears. She wanted to scream, to rage at the unfairness of it all, but she couldn't find the strength. The firefighters had done everything they could, but it wasn't enough.
Lireal's eyes snapped open, her body drenched in sweat and trembling. She stared at the digital clock on her nightstand, the bright red numbers glaring back at her accusingly: 7:00 AM. Her heart pounded in her chest as the images from the nightmare faded slowly from her mind. It was the same dream she'd been having every night since the fire, reliving the horror of losing her parents over and over again. She swallowed hard, struggling to steady her breathing.
After her parent's death, Lireal was taken in by her aunt and uncle, Nova and Richard, and her cousin Willow. Lireal had to leave her original pack, the Starcrest pack, after her parent's death, and she had to join her aunt and uncle's pack, the Silvermoon pack.
The Silvermoon pack was powerful and respected, but Lireal felt like an outsider. In their small town, everyone knew the girl who lost her parents in a fire two years ago. Now at 17, she had gotten used to being ignored and treated badly.
While her aunt was kind and compassionate, the same couldn't be said for her cousin and uncle. Willow, was the same age as Lireal, and they were supposed to be friends, but instead, she was cruel and vindictive, always finding ways to make Lireal's life miserable. As for her uncle Richard, he was cold and treated Lireal like a maid. Lireal attended the same high school as Willow, tolerating bullying from both her classmates and her cousin. She was bullied for being wolfless, powerless and mateless...
Rubbing her eyes, she got out of bed and walked into the bathroom. Looking at herself in the mirror, she felt ugly and disheveled. Lireal was skinny, her dark hair always messy, and her brown eyes tired. She took a shower, trying to wash away the nightmare, but it lingered in her mind.
After drying off, she slipped on her jeans and a top with a fluffy sweater, her hair in a ponytail. She grabbed her backpack and headed downstairs. When she entered the kitchen, she saw her aunt Nova and Willow. Willow, with her black hair, brown eyes, and tan skin, was sitting on a stool, her back straight as an arrow. She was on her phone, barely touching her breakfast. Her aunt Nova was at the stove, her blonde hair pulled back into a messy bun, humming as she flipped pancakes.
"Good morning, Lireal!" Aunt Nova greeted her warmly. "I trust you slept well?"
Lireal forced a weak smile. "Um, hi Aunt Nova. Yeah, I guess so." She took a seat at the breakfast bar, her hands trembling slightly as she reached for her plate. "Thanks for making breakfast."
Lireal glanced at Willow, who paid no attention to her, still lost in whatever she was doing on her phone. As she watched her cousin, she couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. Willow had everything: popularity, beauty, and the respect of everyone in the pack. In contrast, Lireal felt like an outsider, constantly overlooked and ignored.
Uncle Richard must be at work, Lireal thought as she ate her breakfast.
"I'm off!" Willow announced suddenly, leaving her breakfast unfinished. She grabbed her handbag as she exited the kitchen. As she reached the door, Aunt Nova called out.
"You and Lireal should go to school together, since you drive!" Aunt Nova suggested.
Willow rolled her eyes "Mom, you always say this!" She complained. "And I'll say this again! There is no way in hell she can enter my car!" With that, Willow slammed the front door and left.
Aunt Nova sighed. "It's okay, I'll walk. It's not a far walk," Lireal assured her.
"Are you sure?" Aunt Nova inquired. "I can always drive you, or you can just take the bus."
Lireal shook her head. "No, it's fine. I'll walk!" She insisted, not wanting her aunt to worry. After finishing her breakfast, she gathered her belongings and put on her jacket. She hugged her aunt, and left the house, prepared for the day ahead.
The walk to school was quiet and lonely, as it usually was. Lireal tried to avoid looking at people, knowing that they would only make fun of her or ignore her. She wished she had friends, someone to talk to, to confide in. But she had learned long ago that wishing for such things was futile.
Lireal walked into school, her eyes fixed on the ground, feeling the weight of judgment and disgust in the air. She made her way through the crowded hallways. She felt judgmental gazes pierce through her as she walked past, her shoulders hunched inward. Her steps slowed as she neared her first class, History. With a deep breath, she forced herself to lift her head and look around, despite the urge to keep it down. The familiar faces of her classmates filled the room, but they seemed to avoid making eye contact with her.
Serenity, trapped in a loveless marriage with the abusive Cole, finds her world shattered when she discovers his infidelity. Her heart is torn apart, not just by his betrayal, but by the realization that his mistress is someone she never expected. As if that wasn't enough, Cole and his mistress hatch a sinister plan to destroy Serenity's life, leaving her fighting for her survival. Will Serenity find the strength to overcome adversity and exact her revenge, or will she succumb to the darkness that threatens to consume her?
Louise is a captivating novel that follows the story of Louise, a young girl who finds herself caught between her love for an aristocrat and the expectations of society. "You swore we would always be together, that you would protect me," Louise wept, her slender frame trembling. "How could you do this to me?" Lucy tossed her lustrous brown hair over one shoulder and scoffed. "I am your superior now in every way. We may share blood, but that slave woman who birthed us was never a mother to me." But when fate flings Louise into unexpected romance with Sebastian, can their star-crossed love shatter rules denying whites and blacks alike? He cupped her face in his hands, his thumbs gently wiping away her tears. "I understand, my love," he said, his voice tender. "I will give you time, as much as you need, to come to terms with our feelings. But know this: my love for you is not something I can simply turn off or ignore. It has become the very beat of my heart, the air that I breathe."
Abeni's world turns upside down when her father can't repay his debt to NYC's most dangerous man - Dmitry Kuznetsov. With her freedom on the line, Abeni gets sucked into Dmitry's glamorous yet treacherous domain. Though Dmitry commands her obedience, Abeni feels an irresistible spark with the magnetic crime lord. As the stakes climb higher, she faces an impossible choice - submit to Dmitry's demands or put her family at risk. Torn between loyalty and desire, Abeni engages in a high-stakes game with the cunning kingpin. But Dmitry never loses control - he wants Abeni, and he intends to own her in every way. Will Abeni give in to Dmitry to protect those she loves? Or will she defy the Russian Devil to save herself?
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
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.
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
In their three years of marriage, Chelsea had been a dutiful wife to Edmund. She used to think that her love and care would someday melt Edmund's cold heart, but she was wrong. Finally, she couldn't take the disappointment any longer and chose to end the marriage. Edmund had always thought that his wife was just boring and dull. So it was shocking when Chelsea suddenly threw divorce papers at his face in front of everyone at the Nelson Group's anniversary party. How humiliating! After that, everyone thought that the formerly-married couple would never see each other again, even Chelsea. Once again, she thought wrong. Sometime later, at an award ceremony, Chelsea went onstage to accept the award for best screenplay. Her ex-husband, Edmund, was the one presenting the award to her. As he handed her the trophy, he suddenly reached for her hand and pleaded humbly in front of the audience, "Chelsea, I'm sorry I didn't cherish you before. Could you please give me another chance?" Chelsea looked at him indifferently. "I'm sorry, Mr. Nelson. My only concern now is my business." Edmund's heart was shattered into a million pieces. "Chelsea, I really can't live without you." But his ex-wife just walked away. Wasn't it better for her to just concentrate on her career? Men would only distract her—especially her ex-husband.
"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?"
Loraine was a dutiful wife to Marco since they got married three years ago. However, he treated her like trash. Nothing she did softened his heart. One day, Loraine got fed up with it all. She asked him for a divorce and left him to enjoy with his mistress. The elites looked at her like she was deranged. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you so willing to divorce him?" "It's because I need to return home to get a billion-dollar fortune. Besides, I don't love him anymore," Loraine replied with a smile. They all laughed at her. Some believed that the divorce affected her mentally. It wasn't until the next day that they realized she wasn't fibbing. A woman was suddenly declared the world's youngest female billionaire. It turned out to be Loraine! Marco was shocked to the bone. When he met his ex-wife again, she was a changed person. A group of handsome young men surrounded her. She was smiling at them all. The sight made Marco's heart ache severely. Putting his pride aside, he tried to win her back. "Hello, love. I see that you are a billionaire now. You shouldn't be with suckers who just want your money. How about you come back to me? I'm a billionaire too. Together, we can build a strong empire. What do you say?" Loraine squinted at her ex-husband with her lips curled in disgust.