On her 18th birthday, Tessa thought everything would change. She was in love with Alpha Jaxon, hoping he'd finally see her. Instead, he cruelly rejects her, leaving her shattered and humiliated. Just when she thinks things can't get worse, two mysterious brothers, Rafe and Dante, step into her life. They're dangerous, seductive, and hiding secrets, but Tessa can't help being drawn to them. Torn between the twins' pull and the heartache Jaxon left behind, Tessa's world spirals even more when her father forces her into a marriage she doesn't want. Now, she has to choose-fight for love or protect herself. Either way, no one's walking away unscathed.
Sharp as a knife the cold was clawing at my skin as I sat by the stream with my knees hauled in tight to my chest. The earth beneath me was wet, and my dress saturated, but I couldn't care less. The tears were coming hard now, burning hot down my face, each heave ripped from my chest like it had been there too long. I hated how it made me feel weak. I hated that I couldn't lock it all away and be strong like everyone seemed to expect.
The hissing of waters filled in the silence, almost drowning out the thoughts spinning inside my head. I squeezed my arms tighter around myself, holding everything in, but the ache in my chest grew only heavier. His words. They echoed in my mind. "You'll never be enough.".
I was strangling on the boulder of my throat, forcing myself to breathe past it. How could I have been so dumb? How could I have convinced myself tonight was different? He would look at me, see me, and everything would change. I had been living in a fantasy. and now reality had hit me in the gut like a fist.
It was so still, that the only sounds were made by the water and the rattling of the leaves in the breeze. It seemed all the world had decided to give up on me, to let me be sad here, alone, to wallow in my misery. I wanted to disappear, sink into the earth and never come back again. At least that would be easier than facing the pack again. facing him. They'd all seen it. the way he had rebuffed me like a discarded thing.
A twig snapped behind me, and my entire body locked up. I smoothed at my face, scrubbing furiously at the tears as if I could somehow obliterate what had just happened, though I knew it was a pointless gesture. My eyes were probably red, my cheeks blotchy, my hands still shaking.
Footsteps crunched through the fallen leaves, slow and careful. I didn't turn around. Whoever it was, they should have just kept walking. I didn't need anyone to see me like this.
"Tessa.".
Mara's voice was soft, almost tentative, and I closed my eyes for a moment before turning finally. She stood there, hands stuck in her jacket pockets, a look of soft concern on her face. Of course, it was her. She never left me alone, not when I really wanted her to.
"Go away," I muttered, turning back to the water, my voice hoarse and shaking.
I could hear the leaves crunch again as she stepped closer. Then she sat down beside me close enough that her arm rubbed mine, though I wished she wouldn't do that either. We sat there a long while without saying a word. The stream kept going, and I concentrated on it, the steady rhythm of it letting it distract me from the tight knot of shame twisting in my stomach.
"I saw what happened," she whispered softly after what felt like forever. Her voice was soft, as though she was afraid one wrong word would break me completely.
My throat cramped all over again. I didn't want to talk about it, didn't want to say the words out loud. But there was no avoiding it. Everyone had seen. Everyone knew.
"He rebuffed me," I whispered, my voice stumbling over the words. "In public."
Mara didn't say a word. She just let the silence hang between us, as if she knew I needed that space to let it out.
"I said tonight would be different," I choked out, feeling the tears start to spill over again. "I said. maybe. he'd notice me. But he didn't. He never does."
I knew Mara was watching, but she said nothing. Instead, she reached over and clasped my hand in hers, the warmth of her touch against my chilled skin should have been comforting, but all it did was serve as a reminder of how really alone I was.
"You didn't deserve that, Tessa," she said after a while. "Not from him. Not from anyone."
I let out a harsh laugh, shaking my head. "He's right, though. I'm an Omega. There will never be enough of me for a guy like him."
"You're more than that," she said hotly, squeezing my hand tight. "You're stronger than any of them are giving you credit for. You just don't see it yet.".
Still, those words floated through the air, never quite settling into my skin. Not really. There was some kind of wall around me that just wasn't letting any of it in that didn't feel right. I knew she'd meant it. She always did. But nothing changed what had happened. or how badly it had broken me.
I don't know how to face them again," I said, my voice barely above a whisper. "How do I go back after that? How do I even look at him knowing. knowing that he thinks I'm nothing?
Mara said nothing for a long time. Then she turned to me, voice low but steady. "You keep your head up. You walk back in there, and you show them that Jaxon does not get to decide your worth. You do.".
I blinked, unsure of what to say. Part of me wanted to believe her. wanted to believe that I had the strength to do what she was saying. But the other part-that part crushed by Jaxon's rejection-wasn't sure at all.
"I don't know if I can," I said, barely audible.
You can," she insisted. "And you will. Because if you don't, he wins. And I know you, Tessa. You're not some-one who lets anyone win that easy.".
She was trying to pull me out of this shit, reminding me who I was. or at least who I was supposed to be. And still really hurt so damn much. Even if I wanted to fight back, I wasn't even sure I had it in me.
She rose up and stretched out her hand towards me. I stared at it a moment, then reached out to take it, letting her hoist me up onto my feet. My legs were wobbly, but Mara's hand was firm, steadying me.
"Come on," she said softly. "Let's get out of here. You don't need to face them now. Not yet.".
I just nodded, not up to arguing. We started walking through the woods, crunching leaves beneath our boots, the wind picking up around us. The cold air cut much sharper now and bit into my flesh, but still, I welcomed it. Better than suffocating warmth in the pack house.
We walked in silence. The wind rustled through the trees and their branches creaked like whispers in the night. The path we had taken was one I knew well, but tonight it felt different as if the forest sensed something. The moon peered out through the branches, casting a pale light across the ground. Everything looked silver, still.
And then, suddenly, we emerged into a glade, and the trees fell back to let us see the sky ablaze with stars. I paused, looking up. The breath caught inside me for a moment. There was something about the stars, the way they seemed so high and so far off, as if nothing could reach them and all this wreckage down below. For a moment, the ache in my chest loosened a little.
Mara moved up alongside of me, speaking barely above a whisper. "Isn't it just gorgeous?"
I nodded wordlessly, unable to tear my eyes from the sky. "Yeah. it is.".
We just stood there, staring up into the stars for what might have been an eternity. Each of us was too caught up in our own worlds to say a word. The wind whipped around us, jerking at my hair, but I didn't even care. Something peaceful about this moment made everything feel just that little bit less crushing.
When the cold started to creep too deep into my bones, Mara pushed me gently. "Let's head back," she said and, looking back at my pack for the first time that day, I nodded, knowing it was time.
So we moved slow, taking our time. And as we moved through the woods, I knew maybe Mara was right, and that maybe I could find a way through this. Maybe I didn't have to know yet exactly how. but the stars above us reminded me that the world was bigger than this pain.
And maybe that was enough for now.
Afflicted by a rare and life-threatening illness, I've spent a significant portion of my existence confined within the advanced treatment facility of the Taren Wilson Corporation. Resolute and obedient, I dutifully comply with every instruction from the doctors, fervently hoping for the day when I can triumphantly depart, fully restored to robust health. Yet, when that long-awaited day finally arrives, it materializes in a manner far from my idyllic imaginings. Instead of a blissful release, it unfolds amidst a storm of gunfire, introducing me to four remarkably attractive men who claim they are here to rescue me. Thrust into a tumultuous escape with these enigmatic individuals, relentlessly pursued by those I had once believed were my caretakers, I gradually begin to comprehend the deceptive nature of my reality. As it turns out, my sickness is nothing more than an elaborate fabrication. Furthermore, I discover that my identity transcends the boundaries of mere humanity... For a fleeting moment, even amidst the chaos, a glimmer of happiness graces my existence. Alas, Taren once again seeks to ensnare me within their clutches. Now, my newfound life teeters precariously on the precipice of uncertainty. Dr. Gandor, not content with the results of his twisted experiment, yearns to reclaim me, ensuring my survival. However, as the relentless Taren hunters tear me away from the solace I fought so valiantly to attain, something within me snaps. And when my inner wolf finally emerges, her primal power unleashes a maelstrom of upheaval in every facet of my existence, profoundly impacting my relationships with the four shifter men who hold an irreplaceable place in my heart. A voracious monster lurks deep within me. And she holds the power to either deliver me salvation or seal my destruction.
I was loved by my pack. Given the honor of mating our greatest hunter. When we found out who I really was, he rejected me. Now my own alpha, pack, and mate are hunting me. They will never stop. They blame me for what is wrong with our world. And no matter how far I run, I feel the alpha mate bond calling. I crave him as much as I hate him When I meet an arrogant rogue wolf and a mysterious hybrid like me, something starts to change. Every time they touch me, I feel free from my bond. Now, I’ll never let my alpha mate capture me. I finally have the power to destroy him.
Ivy Rosalia Jones, a young and beautiful doctor working at a suburban hospital, is determined to marry a man she met through a blind date, even though he is paralyzed. Actually, the marriage was meant to be symbolic, with both of them intending not to interfere in each other's affairs after the wedding. However, Ivy never expected that she would end up marrying the most influential man in the world. Shawn Dyxon Tate, Ivy's husband, has no intention of letting his beautiful wife go. Once she entered his life, he made a decision to spoil her and gave her the world she never had.
Three years ago, the Moore family opposed Charles Moore's choice to marry his beloved woman and selected Scarlett Riley as his bride. Charles didn't love her. In fact, he hated her. Not long after they got married, Scarlett received an offer from her dream university and jumped on it. Three years later, Charles's beloved woman fell terribly ill. In order to fulfill her last wish, he called Scarlett back and presented her with a divorce agreement. Scarlett was deeply hurt by Charles's abrupt decision, but she chose to let him go and agreed to sign the divorce papers. However, Charles seemed to delay the process deliberately, leaving Scarlett confused and frustrated. Now, Scarlett was trapped between the consequences of Charles's indecision. Would she be able to break free from him? Would Charles eventually come to his senses and face his true feelings?
" Don't say anymore word than you already have, don't..." I stuck a finger out at him, sauntering away on my heels when a hand wrapped itself around my arm. Breathlessly he whispered, "You know that I do love you and...fine, what exactly was I supposed to do?" "Protect me and stand up for me. That is what you do for someone who you claim you love!" ************ Out to spite her ex-boyfriend after he had broken up with her on her birthday, Daphne slept with a stranger who turned out to be his uncle while trying to rebuff his words that she was unwanted by others. Was she ready for the wild chase that followed when he found out years later that she had been pregnant with his heirs and that she had been hiding the truth all this while? Faced with the ruthless CEO, known as the beast, who wasn't ready to back down, Daphne does everything possible to make sure her kids wouldn't be taken from her, but what happens when love gets in the mix of it all? Would she be able to conquer these weird feelings and give in her all amidst her scars? And with how deadly he turned out to be? And faced with her ex who still wants her back, what choice is she going to make?
Scarlett was left betrayed and broken beyond repair when her best friend Megan set her up with the male escort who stole her virginity...Or at least, that's what she thought he was. There was something odd about the strong and strikingly beautiful man that she spent a night with. Despite the pure hatred she felt for him, the deals he ended up offering wasn't one she could refuse. Scarlett always thought she'd marry her soulmate but turns out, that won't be the case for her. But could her mysterious husband make his way through her broken heart and fix it? It's hard to imagine but love has funny ways to manifest in places where it's least expected....
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.
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why? Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her. When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife. She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did. She rejected an Alpha. "I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue. A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding. Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country. She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them. What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue. The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying. How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year? What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill? "To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon. Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems?