In the remote Arctic, where the nights stretch for months and air crackles with ancient magic, werewolf packs emerge breathing life into the cursed cold. With time, humans migrate, sharing an uneasy harmony with the pack. Fiona Ashford grows up with soon-to-be alpha Jason Frostwood and is ready to stand beside him to usher in the new era and bind the two powerful packs. Two nights before the wedding, she learns of his infatuation with Lena, a human girl. She is too late to intervene and it culminates in a public rejection that shatters her world. While Jason faces the wrath of his pack and the terrifying possibility of losing everything for a love that society deems forbidden, Fiona must navigate her shattered heart while wrestling with the idea of punishing Lena for Jason's betrayal.
Chapter 1: Jason's POV
They seemed frozen.
We watched silently, waiting for some movement, but there was nothing. The puny humans were too dumb to do anything with what they had found.
I glanced at Fiona, the lady beside me-the only other person on this mission with me. The look lasted longer than it was supposed to, as my eyes settled on her breasts, full and soon to be mine, but hardly heaving. Clearly, she was holding her breath for more stealth.
I looked away, back at our targets, once again considering the possibility that they were frozen by the snow. After all, humans generally needed our help to survive in this climate in the first place.
"Let's go," a man said suddenly.
I tensed up a bit as I watched from above, hoping the crew would take the chest with them and leave us with no choice but to kill them altogether. That'd make things interesting.
We had no weapons-only our hands, though they could become dangerous claws if the need arose. I was already imagining tearing them apart when I spasmed in response to a short tap on my arm.
Her hand was so cold...
"They're gone. We didn't have to do anything," she said, jumping down from the ledge in the icy cave. I followed suit, glad to be out of the rather uncomfortable position.
She hugged me suddenly, tightly, endearingly...
I felt a heat rising within me at the contact of her skin with mine. I could never get used to these kinds of actions from her, and at the same time, I could never get enough.
It's more exciting, as I've known her since childhood and had been in love with her since the day I could talk. We'd been taking liberties since then, morally aided by our betrothal, but never anything more. The wedding was just two weeks away...
"You weren't paying attention; we could have missed it," she whispered.
Her warm breath on my neck added a new layer of excitement to what I was already feeling. I would have taken her there and then if not for my strong discipline and composure-just as strong as my physical strength. The rules were the rules...
I kissed her neck, savoring the taste for the moment it lasted before pulling away. "We should take it with us," I said.
Her sweet smile of agreement was like a rainbow on a difficult day, making everything right again. She's just 18, the flower of youth! She stood just an inch shorter than me, with delicate, highly defined features-high cheekbones, a perfectly sculpted nose, and those lips I could kiss all day if she let me. Her bright blue eyes glistened with a curiosity and kindness, humility and confidence. If she was not the prettiest lady in both the Frostwood and Ashford packs, she was not too far from it.
I forced my eyes off her to look at the chest. The contents were unknown, but the symbol carved into it indicated its origin. It's from the Frostwood pack and definitely contains something of historical value. It wasn't something that humans could mess around with.
Without a word, I hoisted it onto my shoulder, balancing it to handle the weight efficiently. We trudged through the snow, slowly talking about a lot of unimportant things. The wedding didn't come up, but it hung in the air between us. It was the one thing on our minds: the joining together in the flesh of two young people, best friends and lovers since childhood.
We didn't really have a choice. Our betrothal made it inevitable. Had it been any other people, it would have been a problem, but in our case, the pressure made it even better. Now, the wedding is rushed to happen a month after her birthday-two weeks from now-but I can hardly wait. I yearned for it, wished it would be over so I could have her and satisfy the raging desires within me now, so wild it was almost suffocating to be around her without being able to do much. It's lucky that we've known each other for a good 17 years; otherwise, I wouldn't be able to have a smooth, natural conversation with her at this point.
I jolted back to reality to find her tapping my arm. What was it with me zoning out these days?
"Daydreaming again, huh?"
Her voice was a warm, sweet breeze bringing me a certain calm that everything would be alright and anchoring me to the present.
"You do the same," I accused, holding her gaze. She didn't deny it but instead changed the topic.
"We'll be parting now," she said, making me take a sweeping glance and find that we were at the border. There wasn't any problem with her crossing into the Frostwood pack; she was welcome any day. But with her saying to leave, I reckoned she had something to do, in which case, I wouldn't hold her back.
I looked to the horizon, to the Ashford pack. It was more beautiful than mine, but soon to be mine anyway. They'd be more like merged after the wedding, unity within our peoples being the point. It's not done yet, but I could feel the responsibility weighing down on me already, like the crate had been before I dropped it.
She pecked me on my cheek-a sisterly kiss-but that was the last straw! I eliminated the distance between us, invading her space and holding her tight as I seized her lips in a passionate kiss. She responded immediately with a fervency that indicated she wanted me as much as I did her. It was a wonder why she held back, how she managed it. A sisterly kiss? The nerve!
After pulling away reluctantly, I offered to escort her.
"No, thanks," she said, a rejection that would cost us both. If she knew of the consequence, she would jump at the offer. If I knew, I would have insisted. It happened that letting her go now might as well be letting her go forever. I was about to meet someone-someone who would change the course of my life forever...
P-please, I beg you. Come let's go tell Christian I had no hand in whatever happened, p-please." I clutched the lapel of his jacket desperately. "Let's go. You need to tell my husband you were paid." "Young lady, you're harassing me." His tone was cold and his stare granite. But I could care less. "You harassed me first! You had sex with me without my consent, my husband knows and now I'm pregnant with this child he doesn't want. You ruined my marriage! I-I hate you!" ************************************ Caught by her husband with another man on their matrimonial bed the morning after her birthday, Hailey Codza could not defend herself. As though it's not enough, she gets pregnant. Her enraged husband decides to pay her back for her infidelity by having an affair with his ex-girlfriend - Denise Kellers, the family Hailey never knew she had. Losing her family's wealth and company to her husband and his ex (now girlfriend), she is devastated, homeless and penniless as all her credit cards are blocked by her husband. She sees the man who is responsible for her pregnancy. The man she has no idea how he'd found his way to her matrimonial bed - Jared Johnson. Jared is annoyed when this strange woman disrupts his meeting and accuses him of ruining her life, marriage and impregnating her. It affects his business deals and having no choice, he marries her to calm the public whilst engaged to someone else. But he loathes her and allows his family treats her badly. Hailey who has fallen in love with Jared is broken when she can no longer take the humiliation. She signs the divorce papers and leaves, only to arrive six years later to the country as a self-made, secret billionaire and a mother of twins. Now her two ex-husbands are begging to have her back...
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Sheila had her back against the wall when her family tried to force her to marry an awful old man. In a fit of rage, she hired a gigolo to act as her husband. She thought the gigolo needed money and did this for a living. Little did she know that he was nothing like that. One day, he pulled off his mask and revealed himself to be the world's top magnate. This marked the beginning of their love. He showered her with everything she could ever want. They were happy. However, unexpected circumstances soon posed a threat to their love. Would Sheila and her husband make it through the storm? Find out!
"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!