In the quiet town of Silver Peak, Luna Blackwood, a werewolf is hoping to abandon her life and start a new one altogether but her past quickly catches up to her when a string of murders happen in the town just a few days after her arrival. A local detective named Alex Carter quickly jumps on the case and his path eventually crosses with Luna's own. Two of them are immediately attracted to each other but they have to confront their pasts if they want to have a future together. And for that to happen, Luna has to embrace a side of her that she has been trying to run from while going against an enemy far more ruthless than anything she has ever faced.........
1: First encounter
Luna's POV
"What do you think?" A voice said behind me and I shifted my attention away from the dead body to see an extremely handsome young man dressed in a striped, blue shirt walking towards me. The hands of the shirt were folded halfway and they revealed hairy forearms.
"What do I think?" I asked, wondering what he was talking about. He thrust his hands into his pocket as he came to stand beside me.
He stared at the dead body for a few moments before bringing his eyes up to meet mine. "Of the corpse. Brutal, isn't it?"
"Oh," I said and returned my attention to it. "I don't know. Probably an accident or something."
"You're kidding, right?"
"No. I'm serious," I answered. I could feel his eyes on me and I avoided meeting them.
"We both know this isn't an accident. Doesn't even look close to it. This is something more....." he struggled to find the words, ".......deliberate. And calculated."
"Yeah, I guess," I said, feigning disinterest.
"I don't think I've seen you around here before. You're new to the town, yeah?"
"Yes. I've only been living here for a week now."
He crouched suddenly and with his other hand, he pulled out a pair of gloves from his pocket. "These marks," he said as he wore the gloves, "they don't look normal. Have a look."
"I don't think that would be necessary. The cops are responsible for that, aren't they? And I can tell you are one. I am nothing but a concerned citizen."
"Are you?" He asked as he traced the large slashes across the victim's chest.
"Excuse me?" I said, surprised by his question. I had a very good idea of what caused those slashes but I dare not mention it to anyone. Not if I intended to live a quiet life like I planned to do in the town.
He grunted as he rose to his feet then he removed the gloves from his hand. "This is the second murder in three days and this is also the second time I am seeing you, the first being at the scene of the first murder. I doubt if that is a coincidence."
"What are you accusing me of?" I asked. I was starting to get irritated by him and I felt the need to leave.
He smiled and said, "Relax. I am not accusing you of anything. I am just stating my observations." He held out one slender, well-manicured hand to me. "Alex. Detective Alex Carter."
"Luna Blackwood," I replied as I shook his hand. "If you don't mind, Detective Carter, I have to head back to work."
"Oh. Where do you work? I might have a few questions for you later."
I eyed him skeptically and he chuckled. "Don't worry. I am not trying to hit on you or anything. All I care about is solving these murders and I would stop at nothing to achieve that. If you don't want to tell me where you work, then you can just give me your contact information instead."
He was reaching into his pocket for his phone when I said, "Josie's bookstore. It is-"
"The small bookstore on Glendale," he interrupted. "I am familiar with it. I guess I'll see you later then, Blackwood."
He smiled at me again and I returned a half smile to him before walking away. He seemed very friendly and I wondered if he was like that with everyone or it was just me. As I made my way back to the small flat I lived in, I found myself more and more interested in the detective. He hadn't seemed surprised by the corpse and that made me suspect that he knew more than he was letting on.
The sun was already rising when I got to the bookstore and I checked the time on my watch. It was just a few minutes past eight yet the bookstore was almost filled with people. I made my way to the small area with a desk which served as my workspace and I was just setting in when Josie appeared.
"You're late," she remarked.
"Yeah. Sorry about that. I had to attend to something important," I replied as I turned on the computer on my desk.
"Have you seen Mrs. Winslow? She's been asking for you since she got here."
I jerked my head up to look at her when I heard that. "What for? I already did everything she wanted yesterday."
"If there's one thing you would have learned by now, it is that you can never satisfy that woman. I'm even surprised she hasn't gone bananas on you yet." She turned sideways and her eyes widened in mock surprise. "Uh-oh, here she comes. Goodluck." She winked at me and hurried away.
The old woman appeared before my desk and the look on her face told me that a storm was coming.
"Mrs. Winslow. Good morning," I said in a very polite manner. "What can I do for you today?"
She sized me up with her eyes, ignoring my greeting, then she brought out a small list from her bag which, as it turned out, contained a list of ridiculous books she wanted. I spent the next hour trying to fulfill her request only for her to tell me that she would no longer be needing them and she left before I could even react. I was so furious that I nearly yelled after her as she walked away. Instead, I sighed and returned to my desk to do other things. I had barely been in my chair for two minutes when I noticed someone looming over me.
Looking up, I found myself staring at none other than the handsome detective from the murder scene.
"Hi, Blackwood," he said. He looked very worried and I was about to ask him what happened when he produced his phone and thrust it at me.
I looked at what he was showing me and I found myself staring at something I had never expected to see again in my life
Abigail Winter has always lived a shy, secluded life, until she meets and falls in love with bad boy Lucas Westmore. While hanging out with her best friend, Emily Collins on her twenty-sixth birthday, Abigail is directed to Lucas' path and she soon finds out that there is more to him than there is on the surface. Events quickly roll into one another and they find out that they are connected to each other in various, unexpected ways. As events unfold, Abigail is left with a very hard choice to make, a choice that could possibly change her life forever. But, will it be in a good way or a bad way?
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...
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
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.
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."