I thought I knew betrayal. But nothing prepared me for the sting of poison from my own best friend. As Luna of the pack, I was supposed to be untouchable. But I was weak-unable to bear the Alpha's child, and that weakness made me a target. Minaj, my closest friend, used it against me. She seduced my husband, claiming she could give him what I couldn't. And then, with a poisoned drink, she ended my life. Or so she thought. The Moon Goddess had other plans. She gave me a second chance-a new body, a new life, and a fierce, unbreakable spirit. Now, I'm back in the pack, hidden in plain sight, with one goal: to reclaim what was stolen and uncover just how deep this betrayal runs. But as I get closer, secrets emerge, and I start to wonder... was it only Minaj who wanted me gone?
I stared at my desk's flickering candle, the little light quivering as if it felt the same uneasiness as me. My thoughts were interrupted by his calm but tense voice.
"Niki, I need you to talk to me," Cassian continued, his intense stare holding me firm.
"Speak with you? What is it about? With a forced grin that stopped short of my eyes, I asked. "There isn't anything incorrect."
"Yes, there is. I can tell because you don't look at me. His words pierced me even as his voice became softer. "Niki, you can't keep acting like that. We are both aware that a shadow now separates us.
The quiet between us became thicker, and I gasped. That growing gap, that silent but indisputable emptiness that none of us understood how to traverse, was something I could sense as well. Glancing down, I ran my fingertips down the edge of the desk as if the answers were hidden in the weathered wood.
"I... I don't know what you want me to say." I couldn't bring myself to look him in the eyes, so I hardly spoke. He would see the anger and embarrassment that tore at me day and night if I did.
He ran a hand over his jaw and groaned. "Niki, you're my Luna. My friend. We deal with everything collectively, or at least we should. However, you've felt... aloof during the last several months.
"How far away?" I repeated, letting out a sour chuckle before I could control it. "Cassian, I've been here every day. By your side, every evening. I'm not necessarily not here just because I'm silent.
"It's more than that," he said, his voice becoming less abrasive as he approached. "You refuse to allow me in, even when you're in pain. Niki, I feel your anguish as if it were my own. But day after day, you keep me out. Why?
I clenched my hands and stared at the candle, doing everything to escape his intense look. His enquiries weighed heavily on me, eroding the barriers I had up around my humiliation with each one.
"Is it because of..." His voice was no more than a whisper as he drifted off. "Is the child to blame?"
More powerful than any charge, the question lingered between us. A familiar aching began to blossom within me as my chest clenched. With the wordless response stuck in my throat, I closed my eyes.
I eventually managed to say, "Two years, Cassian," in a hoarse whisper. "I still haven't given you a child after two years."
"That's not-" said Niki.
"Don't say it's not important," I cut in, sounding harsher than I meant to. "You are the Alpha. It's an obligation, not simply a desire. The group as a whole anticipates it. They gaze at me as if I'm failing them.
Cassian's hand extended towards me as his gaze became softer. His fingers wrapped around mine, anchoring me in a manner that was both painful and reassuring. I could feel the warmth of his touch. But the sensation of inadequacy that had taken root so firmly inside of me was still eating at my gut.
With a steady warmth that permeated my armour's gaps, he replied, "You're not failing me, Niki." "My Luna is you. The only Luna I will ever need.
I wanted to believe him, to let his words ease the pain that had been ingrained in my body. However, how could I? How could I ignore the pack's silent judgement, the sidelong stares, and the whispers? I could see the question remaining in their eyes whenever they glanced at me, even if they didn't say it out loud. Worse, I sensed it. This inadequacy and emptiness tore at me from the inside out.
"You say that now," I said in a tremulous murmur. However, what would happen if it didn't, Cassian? What if I am unable to conceive for you?
He didn't respond right away. I could sense the battle raging behind his eyes, the strain emanating from him. Despite his strength, loyalty, and Alpha status, Cassian was unable to ignore the pressure that came with his position. An Alpha was supposed to guide, guard, and support the pack in every manner. And I was supposed to support him and carry out my job as his Luna. One that I was gradually starting to believe I would never fulfil.
"Niki," he said in a hushed, almost beseeching voice. "This has nothing to do with a kid. It concerns us. Regarding you. I just ask that you allow me in.
I could feel my defences eroding, the barriers I had erected to keep him out starting to give way under the pressure of his remarks. I knew that he meant good. However, I couldn't stand to face the reality myself, so how could I let him in?
I said, my voice just audible, "I'm trying." "Yes, I am. But Cassian, it's difficult. Each day I feel... less.
I withdrew my hand from his and around myself with my arms as if to protect myself from the pain inside. Cassian had a steady, unblinking stare, but I was unable to meet his gaze. Not while my humiliation was burning so intensely inside of me.
"Less?" he said, his tone tinged with incredulity. "You're my Luna, my partner, Niki. Nothing about you is less.
"So what gives the impression that there is?" I lost my temper and spoke before I could control myself. "What makes me feel inadequate? That I will never be sufficient?
I was forced to gaze at Cassian as his face softened and his hands reached out to cup my face. Although his touch was soft and soothing, it didn't completely relieve the pain that was screaming within me. The guilt simply became more because of the love and passionate protectiveness in his stare.
With a calm but unwavering firmness, he whispered firmly, "Niki, listen to me." "You are more than sufficient. You are everything. I don't give a damn about what other people or the pack think. Nothing can ever alter the fact that you are my mate.
Something within me was roused by his words, a sliver of hope piercing the darkness. However, it was insufficient to silence the voice that echoed at the back of my mind, reminding me of the judgement that pervaded every sidelong look and every hushed discussion.
"That's easy to say now," I said, my voice shaking. However, what happens if you begin to trust them? When do you begin to gaze at me like others do?
As he fought for control, his jaw tightened and his facial muscles tensed. I could see the hopelessness that reflected my own, the frustration in his eyes. However, he held me tightly and grounded me with his hands.
"I won't," he responded in a harsh, uncompromising voice. "Niki, I'll never see you like that. You were my choice. I choose you, for better or worse.
I was moved by the words, which served as a bittersweet reminder of our relationship. Even while his words eased the pain, I couldn't get rid of the worry that kept creeping into the back of my mind: that one day he would see in me what I saw in myself: a Luna who had let her pack, her mate, and herself down.
I said, my voice no more than a whisper, "I want to believe you." "I do. But it may be difficult at times.
He kept me close, his warmth a constant presence against the worries that tore at me, his embrace a wordless comfort. However, even as I lay in his arms, I was unable to ignore the persistent, low voice that reminded me of all the ways I had failed and spoke of my inadequacies.
While the light burned on the desk next to us, creating shadows on the walls, I could feel those shadows seeping into my heart and the doubts seeping beyond the walls I had put up to become a part of me.
Eliza was once the perfect wife to billionaire Noah until ambition tore them apart. Now, divorced and reinventing herself, she's stronger than ever- building her empire and surrounded by men who appreciate her independence. But when Noah realizes what he's lost, he'll stop at nothing to get her back. However, Eliza has grown she's no longer the woman he knew. With three very different men vying for her heart, Eliza must decide who she is now and who she will become.
In a world where the Moon Goddess weaves the threads of fate, Lyra's life is shattered when the man she was destined for, the powerful Alpha of her pack, rejects her for a rival's daughter. Heartbroken and betrayed, she watches as her replacement, the beautiful and cruel Isabella, rises to power, treating her like a mere slave. With each day spent in servitude, Lyra's spirit grows darker, fuelling her desire for revenge. As she uncovers secrets that could tip the balance between the packs, she discovers a strength within herself she never knew existed. But as her quest for vengeance unfolds, will Lyra embrace her fate, or will the shadows of her past consume her?
I stared at the hotel room door, my heart racing with a mix of anger and despair. One week. Just seven days until our wedding, and he had betrayed me in the most devastating way possible. My fiancé, Alex, lay naked in bed with my stepmother's daughter, Emma. She was younger than me, barely out of high school. The image seared into my mind like a branding iron. I spun around, fleeing the room without a word. Tears blurred my vision as I stumbled through the hotel corridors. How could he? Desperation drove me to the hotel bar, where I collapsed onto a stool. The bartender's concerned gaze met mine. "What can I get you?" he asked, his deep voice soothing. "Whiskey," I replied, my voice shaking. "Make it a double." As the liquor burned down my throat, I felt a reprieve from the agony. "Rough night?" the bartender asked, his eyes crinkling at the corners. I nodded, tears welling up again. "You want to talk about it?" His kindness undid me. I poured out my story, the words tumbling forth like a confessional. As the night wore on, the bartender listened attentively, his expression empathetic. "I'm Michael," he said when I finally exhausted my tale. "I'm Abigail," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. In my vulnerable state, Michael's calm demeanour drew me in. His piercing blue eyes seemed to see right through me. As the night blurred into the morning, my inhibitions disappeared. "Michael," I whispered, my voice husky. "I need to sleep with you." Michael's gaze locked onto mine, his expression unreadable. "Are you sure?" I nodded, my heart racing. The next morning, I woke up in Michael's arms, feeling ashamed and vulnerable. Without a word, I grabbed my clothes and fled. Back in my hotel room, I scribbled a check for $5,000 and left it on the nightstand. "Payment for services rendered," I wrote. As I fled the hotel, I couldn't shake the feeling that I'd just made a terrible mistake. Little did I know, my encounter with Michael was only the beginning.
Ralph, a centuries-old vampire, has lost his thirst for life. That is, until he encounters Florence, a fiery werewolf with a secret: she's his mate. "I've walked this earth for over 500 years, but nothing compares to the burn I feel when I'm near you," Ralph whispers, his fangs grazing Florence's neck. "You're a monster," Florence growls, her heart racing. "Perhaps," Ralph replies, "but I'm your monster now." As the full moon rises, their forbidden love becomes the key to unlocking an ancient curse. Will their love be strong enough to overcome the darkness, or will it destroy them both? ("Eternal Moonlight" - Where love bites...hard.)
The day Raina gave birth should have been the happiest of her life. Instead, it became her worst nightmare. Moments after delivering their twins, Alexander shattered her heart-divorcing her and forcing her to sign away custody of their son, Liam. With nothing but betrayal and heartbreak to her name, Raina disappeared, raising their daughter, Ava, on her own.Years later, fate comes knocking when Liam falls gravely ill. Desperate to save his son, Alexander is forced to seek out the one person he once cast aside. Alexander finds himself face to face with the woman he underestimated, pleading for a second chance-not just for himself, but for their son. But Raina is no longer the same broken woman who once loved him.No longer the woman he left behind. She has carved out a new life-one built on strength, wealth, and a long-buried legacy she expected to uncover.Raina has spent years learning to live without him.The question is... Will she risk reopening old wounds to save the son she never got to love? or has Alexander lost her forever?
Marriage was a bed of thorns for Stella. She lived like an overworked and unhappy slave for six years in her matrimonial home. One day, her uncaring husband, Waylon said to her, "Ayla will be back soon. You have to move out tomorrow." "I want a divorce," responded Stella. She left without shedding a tear or trying to change Waylon's stone-cold heart. Days after their divorce, they met again. Stella was in the arms of another man. Waylon's blood boiled at the sight of her looking so happy. "So, you couldn't even wait a while before jumping into another man's arms?" he queried distastefully. "And who are you to question my decision? It's my life, so I call the shots. Stay out of my business!" Stella fired at him before turning to look at her new man with shiny eyes. Waylon immediately lost it.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Madison had always believed that she would marry Colten. She spent her youth admiring him from afar, dreaming of their future life together. But Colten was always indifferent to her, and when he abandoned her at a time when she needed him most, she finally realized that he never loved her. With renewed resolve and a thirst for revenge, Madison left. Endless possibilities lay ahead, but Colten was no longer part of her plans. Colten rushed to her place in a panic. "Madison, please come back to me. I’ll give you everything!" It was his powerful uncle who answered the door. "She's my woman now."
Melanie married Ashton out of gratitude, but she quickly found herself entangled in a web of relentless challenges. Despite these struggles, she stayed true to her commitment to the marriage. In the hospital room, Ashton indifferently attempted to draw her blood, disregarding her discomfort. This callous act was a harsh revelation for Melanie, awakening her to the grim reality of their relationship. Resolved to prioritize her own welfare, she decided to sever ties. With newfound resolve, Melanie filed for divorce. In the process, she unveiled her concealed identities, leaving everyone in shock. Throughout these turbulent times, Melanie realized that Derek, Ashton’s uncle, had been discreetly protecting her all along.
"Love is blind!" Lucinda abandoned her beautiful and comfortable life because of a man. She married him and slaved off for him for three long years. One day, the scales finally fell off her eyes. She realized that all her efforts were in vain. Her husband, Nathaniel still treated her like shit. All he cared about was his lover. "Enough is enough! I quit wasting my years with an ungrateful man!" Lucinda's heart was shattered into many pieces, but she summoned up the courage to ask for a divorce. The news caused a stir online! A filthy rich young woman recently got divorced? She was a good catch! Countless CEOs and handsome young men immediately swarmed to her like bees to honey! Nathaniel couldn't take it anymore. He held a press conference and begged with teary eyes, "I love you, Lucinda. I can't live without you. Please come back to me." Would Lucinda give him a second chance? Read to find out!