My eyes burned as I watched the scene in front of me. My unrequited love for five years slipped a diamond ring onto my twin sister's finger on our birthday. Or should I say her birthday, because I was never acknowledged. Left in the corner, I stood there, as if I were invisible. Before I could finish, his hands slammed around my throat, crushing any air left in my lungs. My body jerked, and I clawed at his wrists, desperately trying to loosen his grip. That was the night everything went wrong. Aurora was blamed, beaten, tortured, and banished to death, nearly losing her life. Now, with the Ravenclaw pack on the brink of ruin, only she can save them. Will she risk her heart again for the man she once loved, or let them all feel the pain they meted out to her?
"Smile, Aurora," my best friend, Chloe whispered into my ears, squeezing my hand to calm me down. But it felt as if she was squeezing my heart instead. I was trying so hard to hold in my tears as they were threatening to escape my eyes.
I knew this day was coming; I had been preparing for it, but it seemed too soon. The scene in front of me is the most hurtful thing that I have ever witnessed.
The man I was secretly in love with had found his mate, and she wasn't just anyone. She was my sister. My twin sister, Elara. And of all days, he chose our birthday to announce Elara as his mate, in front of the whole freaking pack. Our birthday, but she was the only one being celebrated while I sat here in the crowd, looking almost invisible.
As if announcing her as his mate and future Luna wasn't enough, my breath caught in my throat as I watched them share the most intense kiss ever. The pack members cheered and clapped for them.
I should be used to this. This isn't my first time seeing them kiss or make out, but every time, the pain is fresh. Ever since our family moved to the Ravenclaw pack five years ago, I have had the biggest crush on Alpha Orion Nightshade.
I prayed to the moon goddess day and night that Orion would be my mate. I tried so hard to get his attention, but he never noticed me. Instead, he went after my twin sister. With her stunning smile and revealing dresses, she easily captures everyone's attention. Meanwhile, I was stuck behind my thick glasses, struggling just to get a look from him or from anyone, at least. I felt invisible, watching from the sidelines as she effortlessly stole the spotlight.
"If someone sees you like this, they are going to think you don't wish well for your twin and the Alpha, they'll take it as a bad sign," Chloe whispered to me again.
She makes it sound so easy. The Alpha in question is her older brother. Chloe has been my best friend since we moved to their pack. "It hurts like hell," I muttered, taking off my glasses to clean off the tears that were threatening to escape.
"It's just a crush, Aurora, I'm sure you'll be over it in no time." I have had a crush on Orion for five years since the day I set my eyes on him; the crush developed into one-sided, unrequited love.
"Come, let's go congratulate them." Without waiting for me to answer, she dragged me by the hand until we were standing beside the couple, my parents and every important member of the pack.
Orion's eyes were glued to Elara, a look of pure adoration on his face. His hand cradled her waist like she was made of glass, there was a softness in his gaze, the kind you see when someone is lost in love.
I stood there, feeling every inch of my heartache, watching as he treated her like she was the most precious thing in his world. It was the way he looked at her, as if no one else existed, as if she was all he could see.
Chloe had blended in perfectly with the crowd, smiling and laughing. She belonged there. Me? I was on the outside, always the outsider. My parents didn't even notice I was gone. They never did. I needed an escape.
I walked out of the party and into the mansion, clutching my chest, feeling a sharp pain in my chest. What used to be jealousy had turned into something far worse, like a knife twisting in my heart with every step I took. My vision blurred, but I forced myself forward, desperate for air, for space, anything to ease the crushing weight that was suffocating me.
I reached the pack house, my breath ragged as I leaned against the doorframe.
Just as I managed to steady my breathing, I heard a voice behind me.
"Aurora, are you okay?"
It was my twin. Of course, she found me, even here. I wasn't sure if I was relieved or if it made the pain worse.
I forced a smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just needed some water."
She looked at me weirdly, "You know you didn't have to come in here to get water." That was true. How do I tell her that I ran away because I couldn't endure the pain of watching her and Orion together, loving themselves? The thought of it made me feel like I was a witch.
"You are happy for me right?" She asked and I suddenly felt guilty. She is my twin; for goodness sake, I should be happy for her and not run away from our party.
More like her party because she was the only celebrant. They brought in one cake with only her name on it. Everyone I love was only looking at her, giving her all the attention. Chloe was the only one who wished me a happy birthday. To others, I was an invisible mutt, always have been, and probably always will be.
"Of course, I'm happy for you. You finally found your mate."
"I know, right? Who would have thought that Alpha Orion of the Ravenclaw Pack would end up being my second chance mate." She was sounding too ecstatic. Elara's mate died when she was sixteen. According to her, she felt something snap in her heart, and she knew he was dead. She never got to meet him. I never found my mate, and my parents think that there's something wrong with me.
I could only imagine the feeling; Orion was five years older than us, and today was our twentieth birthday. He was the most powerful Alpha in North America and he was feared by many. Let's not talk about how he looks like a god. Being his mate was something every female wolf dreamed of.
I adjusted my glasses. "I'm really happy for you sis." I was truly happy for her but I was hurting.
When I saw Orion for the very first time, I instantly developed feelings for him. The first person I told about it was Elara and she told me to take my eyes off him because I wasn't his type and he was way above our league. I was surprised when, two years ago, on our eighteenth birthday, they declared they were in love.
"Come, let's get you something to drink."
"I don't drink and you know that," I protested.
"Nonsense. There is always a first time for everything." An Omega approached us with a wine tray. Elara gave me a glass of wine, and I took a sip. It didn't taste as bad as I imagined. I took another sip and another until I finished the content in my glass. She took my empty glass and shoved another one in my hand, I downed the content in one gulp. My head was starting to feel light but I didn't mind. Anything to numb and forget the pain in my heart.
A maid called on her attention, whispering something in her ears and she handed me the other glass. "Please, can you give this drink to Orion in his room? I want to get something outside, I'll be right back." She walked out with the maid.
I shook my head as my vision suddenly became blurry. I dropped my empty glass on an empty table, holding the filled glass tightly as I climbed the stairs. I adjusted my glasses to see better, but it didn't help; I felt different.
I knocked on Orion's door, my hand shaking so badly I could barely keep it steady. When the door swung open, I found myself face to face with him, his eyes a little unfocused, like he'd had too much to drink. My body trembled as he grabbed my waist, pulling me inside the room with a firm grip. My heart pounded so hard I could feel it in my throat, I had never been this close to him before. The room was dim and I could barely make out his handsome face.
He took the glass from me, drinking the entire content and flinging the glass away as it shattered on the floor. "I fucking missed you," he slurred, before crashing his lips against mine, the kiss blowing my senses apart. Every thought, every sound, vanished as his lips devoured mine, leaving nothing but the wild heat between us.
"Orion."
"You are fucking perfect." His hand fondled my body as he took off my clothes. I tried to stop him but my body felt too weak.
Everything felt so wrong and I felt trapped.
Once upon a time, there were two kingdoms once at peace. The kingdom of Salem and the kingdom of Mombana... Until the day, the king of Mombana passed away and a new monarch took over, Prince Cone. Prince Cone, has always been hungry for more power and more and more. After his coronation, he attacked Salem. The attack was so unexpected, Salem never prepared for it. They were caught off guard. The king and Queen was killed, the prince was taken into slavery. The people of Salem that survived the war was enslaved, their land taken from them. Their women were made sex slaves. They lost everything, including their land. Evil befall the land of Salem in form of Prince Cone, and the prince of Salem in his slavery was filled with so much rage. The prince of Salem, Prince Lucien swore revenge. 🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳🌳 Ten years later, thirty-years old Lucien and his people raided a coup and escaped slavery. They went into hiding and recuperated. They trained day and night under the leadership of the fearless and cold Lucien who was driven with everything in him to get back their land, and take Mombana land too. It took them five years before they ambushed and attacked Mombana. They killed Prince Cone and reclaimed everything. As they screamed out their victory, Lucien's eyes found and pinned the proud princess of Mombana. Princess Danika. The daughter of Prince Cone. As Lucien stared at her with the coldest eyes anyone can ever possess, he felt victory for the first time. He walked to the princess with the slave collar he'd won for ten years rattling in his hand as he walked. He reached close to her and with a swift movement, he collared her neck. Then, he tilted her chin up, staring into the bluest eyes and the most beautiful face ever created, he gave her a cold smile. "You are my acquisition. My slave. My sex slave. My property. I will pay you in spades, everything you and your father ever did to me and my people." He stated curtly. Pure hatred, coldness and victory was the only emotion on his face. .
She was a world-renowned divine doctor, the CEO of a publicly traded company, the most formidable female mercenary, and a top-tier tech genius. Marissa, a titan with a plethora of secret identities, had hidden her true stature to marry a seemingly impoverished young man. However, on the eve of their wedding, her fiance, who was actually the lost heir to a wealthy dynasty, called off the engagement and subjected her to degradation and mockery. Upon the revelation of her concealed identities, her ex-fiance was left stunned and desperately pleaded for her forgiveness. Standing protectively before Marissa, an incredibly influential and fearsome magnate declared, "This is my wife. Who would dare try to claim her?"
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
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."
It was supposed to be a marriage of convenience, but Carrie made the mistake of falling in love with Kristopher. When the time came that she needed him the most, her husband was in the company of another woman. Enough was enough. Carrie chose to divorce Kristopher and move on with her life. Only when she left did Kristopher realize how important she was to him. In the face of his ex-wife’s countless admirers, Kristopher offered her 20 million dollars and proposed a new deal. “Let’s get married again.”