Arianna Bellamy was never supposed to live a life of magic and mystery. But one fateful night, her path crossed with mighty Alpha Liam Alaric, and everything she held as the truth shattered. Attacked by renegade wolves and saved by Liam, Ariana is thrown deep into the perilous world of werewolves-only to find herself linked to an ancient prophecy. Her powers ignite when Ariana discovers she has a bloodline that is cursed. She's much more than Liam's destined mate-she holds the key to ending a lethal curse that's been tormenting his pack for generations. But with Liam's treacherous stepbrother and a dark Alpha spirit manipulating events from behind the scenes, trust is a fragile thing. Tangled between betrayal at every turn and an expiring date for intervention, Ariana and Liam are tasked with knitting their strengths together to avert a war between wolves and humans. But the biggest fight lies within-whether Ariana will take up her destiny or the curse will kill them both.
Ariana Bellamy always liked the quiet of night. It was just that type of stillness that set her free from the noise of her life: law books, deadlines, and the eternal circle of routine. But tonight, the stillness felt wrong, unnatural. The air was thick with an energy she couldn't explain, a sense of being watched, which raised the hairs on the back of her neck.
She stopped in the middle of the dark sidewalk, drawing her jacket closer to her as the wind began to whip around her. The quiet streets of Ravenwood-her somnambulant town-had never felt uncomfortable. It wasn't the cold seeping into her bones but something else-something pulling at her instincts.
Ariana turned on the shoulder to look back. Of course, there was nothing but the stretching shadows of a deserted street. A soft hum of a far-off streetlamp danced, casting an eerie glow over the cobblestones. Her house wasn't that far anymore-just a few more blocks ahead. She had been at the small bookstore in town, picking up a few things her grandmother needed.
Her grandmother-the thought of her-might have made Ariana smile despite the creeping unease. The old woman had been all she had left when her parents died when she was young. She had raised Ariana here in this quiet town, far away from the life they once knew, and had always been a firm believer in old legends and folklore. Ariana had never paid much attention to them. Until tonight.
It had started hours ago, right after she had left the bookshop. At that time, though, it had been quite easy to dismiss that feeling-her imagination playing games with her, most probably. But now, as the echo of her footsteps reverberated against the pavement bereft of all life, that prickling sensation was a bit difficult to suppress. Something wasn't quite right.
She quickened her pace, and the only sound that broke the stillness was the distant rustling of the trees. But just as she reached the corner of Cedar Street, there was-the quiet coldly iced-a low growl, barely audible, unmistakably there. Her blood went cold.
Ariana froze in mid-step. Her breath caught in her throat as she slowly turned her head, eyes scanning the shadows for any sign of movement. For one moment, there was nothing; the wind and the distant hum of the streetlamp.
Then, she saw it.
A pair of glowing yellow eyes stared back at her from the darkened alley just ahead.
Her heart slammed against her chest as she tumbled backward, her mind racing down what lay before her: wolves. There shouldn't be wolves in this part of the country, not anywhere near a town like this.
But the eyes in the shadows belonged to no ordinary wolf. It was huge-too large for a normal animal-and in the way that it moved, slow and predatory, sent chills down her spine.
She began to back away, her breath catching in short gasps, her mind screaming at her to run. But her legs would not move, fixed to one spot as the creature stepped into the dull light.
Its fur was deep, silvery gray, almost shimmering in the faint light of the streetlamp. He stalked toward her, eyes only for hers, shining with a strange intelligence, coursing through her veins the icy fingers of fear. It wasn't just an animal. It was something more. Something darker.
He growled again, much louder this time, baring his teeth as if a rumble of thunder emerged from his core to the air. She took a few steps back, her legs finally giving her the strength to do anything, but it was too late. With a great amount of energy, the creature leaped toward her-with incredibly fearsome speed.
Just as she steeled herself for the impact, another growl-louder, more menacing-filled the air. A second wolf, even bigger than the first, slammed into the gray wolf with bone-crushing force, sending it sprawling across the pavement. The two creatures clashed in a frenzy of snarls and snapping jaws, their bodies a blur of fur and fangs.
Ariana jumped up in a whirl of questions that now raced in her mind. What was going on, she didn't know, but one thing she knew: she had to get out of there-now.
She ran-legs carrying her down the street, feet pounding pavement-while muffled sounds of the fight came from behind her. She did not dare look back. All that was on her mind was to reach her house, get inside, and lock the door.
Fear and confusion roiled her mind, but deep underneath, something seethed. Something elemental. Something she couldn't explain. The second wolf, which had saved her, hadn't felt like some random act of violence. There was something almost deliberate about it-as if it had been protecting her. But why?
Ariana didn't have time to register that. She saw her house come into view and practically threw herself up the porch steps as her hands shook, feeling for keys. The howling of the wolves was a distant echo - the fight growing fainter with every passing second - as she jammed the key into the lock and pushed the door open.
She slammed the door shut behind her, leaning against the door, her chest heaving with ragged breaths. The safety of the house enveloped her like a blanket, but her heart refused to stop racing.
What the hell had just happened?
Her grandmother's voice was less than soft when called from the living room, drawing her out of her panicked thoughts. "Ari? Is that you?"
Ariana swallowed hard, the shaking of her voice. "Yeah... I'm... I'm home.
Did you get what I asked for?" Her grandmother was so light, oblivious to the chaos that Ariana had just escaped from.
"Yeah," she said, barely above a whisper, catching her breath. "I got it.
She leaned against the door a moment, the feeling of something shifting refusing to be shaken. The quiet of the night had returned, but the unease which followed her home lay thick and heavy.
Deep inside, Ariana knew that this was only the beginning, that whatever happened tonight, it wasn't the end of it by a long shot.
Warning: This book has erotica content Rejected by her mate. Betrayed by her pack. Left to die in the wild. Alina swore she'd return stronger and destroy the ones who shattered her life. But when a brutal attack leaves her scarred and broken, salvation comes in the form of Kennedy - the enigmatic and feared Alpha of the North. He calls her his mate. She would not believe him. Love once burned her, and she would not let that happen again. But Kennedy isn't one to back away from a fight, and as he chips away at the walls around her, Alina starts to wonder if her shattered heart could ever be whole again. Wracked by vengeance in her soul and bound with a mate she is terrified to trust, Alina is torn between the past that haunts her and the future that might just save her. Some bonds destroy. Others are strong enough to heal.
Jill Alexander, an ordinary police officer, experiences a life-altering nightmare where the world is plunged into chaos as scientists are mysteriously murdered. When he awakens, he discovers a futuristic system implanted in his body-an advanced AI codenamed SEA-Z. Now tasked with a mission of global importance, Jill must protect the world's leading scientists, who hold the key to humanity's survival. With SEA-Z's guidance, his once simple life turns into a high-stakes battle as he tracks down a network of spies determined to unleash destruction. Jill races against time to uncover the truth and neutralize the threat before it's too late.
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.”
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
Lindsey's fiancé was the devil's first son. Not only did he lie to her but he also slept with her stepmother, conspired to take away her family fortune, and then set her up to have sex with a total stranger. To get her lick back, Lindsey decided to find a man to disrupt her engagement party and humiliate the cheating bastard. Never did she imagine that she would bump into a strikingly handsome stranger who was all that she was currently looking for. At the engagement party, he boldly declared that she was his woman. Lindsey thought he was just a broke man who wanted to leech off her. But once they began their fake relationship, she realized that good luck kept coming her way. She thought they would part ways after the engagement party, but this man kept to her side. "We gotta stick together, Lindsey. Remember, I'm now your fiancé. " "Domenic, you're with me because of my money, aren't you?" Lindsey asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Domenic was taken aback by that accusation. How could he, the heir of the Walsh family and CEO of Vitality Group, be with her for money? He controlled more than half of the city's economy. Money wasn't a problem for him! The two got closer and closer. One day, Lindsey finally realized that Domenic was actually the stranger she had slept with months ago. Would this realization change things between them? For the better or worse?
In the previous life, Maggie Johnson was so cowardly, gullible and stupid that she was coaxed by her fiance and stepsister and then broke her legs and lost everything including her fortune, love and even life. However, she was so lucky that she was reborn in the year before everything happened. Since her life restarted, how could she repeat a previous tragedy? Therefore, in this life, she took the opportunity to improve herself and take revenge on the ones who had ever insulted her. Facing the people who had humiliated her previously, she became smart and experienced to break their frames and tricks that had caused her to hurt in the previous life. Finally, no one could stop her pace to amaze the world any more.
"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?"