Claire Fanie believed she and Jona Harrow were soulmates, destined to be together as the Luna and alpha of their pack. They represented hope and unity, meant to lead people towards strength and harmony. Everything changes in a moment. Then Jona rejects her love and breaks her forever, destroying Claire's world to pieces. Claire has been betrayed by the one she loved, and her best friend, Laura Jossie, and now finds herself in the wild, where she must battle her greatest fears alone. Free from her identity, by night and day she must wrestle with the darkness that threatens to swallow her spirit; she'll survive the brutal elements for eleven days. Wild beasts and the haunting echoes of her past test her resilience every day. The girl who had once so desperately wanted to be accepted becomes a fierce survivor. When she returns to the village, Claire isn't who she used to be, not just in appearance, but in the way she acts. She's been hardened by the trials in the wild and hardened her - scars visible and hidden. The home she returns to, however, is no longer welcoming. People hear whispers about her and rumors, and they poison the minds of those who used to be her family. Claire thinks she might get away, but it soon begins to unravel the truth and there are lies and betrayal at the core of it all. As she confronts the reality of her shattered relationships, she faces a pivotal question: will the weight of her past devour her completely, or will she regain her fate and the love she once believed to be set in her past? This is the story of Claire in a kingdom besieged by doubt, lies, and love across these lines. The lines between friend and foe are blurred, and she must learn how to truly become a Luna again. To do so, she must embrace the strength inside her first and face the darkness that lies ahead. Claire's story is all about her fascinating journey of self-discovery, love, and redemption, and every choice she makes could be for salvation or destruction.
CHAPTER 1: FESTIVAL OF HOPE
All the villagers gathered in the village square around the grand bonfire, walking in the night air, which was exciting. The Festival of Hope had made him forget all about the last twelve months of life's ups and downs; it was a time to celebrate, to speak of dreams aloud, and to make promises. Smiles, glittering eyes, and the laughter of children playing danced in the lights of torches and echoed for miles through the cool evening air. Every corner of the village was covered in anticipation and joy, and everywhere, people were wearing their finest clothes. In the center of it all, hovering in the star-filled sky, sat Claire. Her heart was racing with hope.
As Jona the Alpha made his way through the crowd, Claire turned not a single glance from him and watched. He was dressed in his ceremonial robes, appearing taller than ever, more vital than ever, more powerful than ever. He took every step majestically, and the villagers watched him with respect and admiration and stood in awe. Her cheeks heated with the thought of how long she had waited to be seen by him to be claimed as his Luna, his mate. Jona raised a hand to quiet the crowd, and she clutched her hands together in front of her as she held her breath.
"As we all gathered tonight, Jona started, his deep voice reaching over the square..." "Tonight is a night to celebrate unity, strength, and bonds that keep that strength."
Claire's heart fluttered. That she could taste the promise of love in the night. She'd imagined this moment so many times, imagined Jona taking her hand, pulling her close, and telling everyone that she was his chosen mate. During all the trials, she had been by his side; she had shown him so much loyalty too many times to count. She both knew he could feel their connection, and she thought it. The night she would become his Luna would come tonight.
Jona took a flicked look at the crowd; for a moment, his eyes clashed with Claire's. She thought she saw a soft look in his expression, and her heart leaped. The hope in her chest built; the pulse in her chest was racing. This was it.
Jona's voice changed then, growing solemn. "Look, I am Alpha and in charge of all of you and have a responsibility to protect you all," he carried on, staring out past her. "Sacrifice is sometimes the duty of the caregiver."
A tiny sliver of doubt betrayed through Claire's brow. She tried to push the thought away as a nervous trick. Her eyes hadn't left Jona as she spoke, watching his every movement, listening to his every word.
For that reason," he said, his voice steady, "I cannot put the safety of anyone, particularly those closest to me."
Claire didn't know whether the words were echoing her thoughts like a storm cloud in her mind. The flicker of confusion passed over her, and her fingers tightened into fists. What was he saying?
His eyes hardened, almost as if Jona was trying to force him to ignore her with indifference as he turned to face her directly. He said, 'Claire,' and she shivered, not in the way she'd hoped when she heard her name on his lips. "For the good of the pack... I couldn't be your mate," I must reject you."
The sounds of laughter and cheers ceased to exist, and the world seemed as though it had stopped. The words stabbed like hooks into her, more profound than the last. She gaped at him; she couldn't believe what she had just heard.
Reject her? This can't be true, no, never after all that she'd done together and with him. She struggled to gain a sense of it. She now could see others, some with pity, others with shock, watching her. The crowd began to whisper like wildfire.
Claire's voice only cracked through over the sound of the crackling of the bonfire: "Jona, please." Her legs were lead, and her whole body was sinking into the ground beneath her like it was made of lead. "You don't mean that..."
Jona's jaw was set, and his gaze flickered with something...regret, pain, or perhaps nothing at all. She couldn't tell anymore. His voice was low and almost cold, he said. "I have to. As Alpha, I am not going to risk anyone's life because of my personal feelings. 'It's my job to protect this pack.'"
The more he spoke, the more his words weighed on her chest and heartbreak, and she wanted to snap him out of it with one blow. She had trusted he would be there, trusted he could be trusted. Now, all she could feel was the gargantuan emptiness that filled in his wake.
She tried again, "Jona," telling herself not to move, not to stop staring at him, though everything in her wanted to turn away. "I... I was sure that we were supposed to be."
For just a second, Jona's face softened, and she thought she saw a glint of the man she had fallen in love with. But where it had been, it was gone, the stony mask he wore as alpha. "For whatever we are doing, this is how it has to be, Claire." I'm sorry."
She had to work to keep from taking the apology as a slap, as if he was slapping the pain he was inflicting on her. But it only made it worse. Claire's eyes watered. She wiped her cheeks and realized that they were wet with tears, which she didn't even realize were falling. She didn't want to cry here, in front of everyone. The hurt was too much, too raw to keep on.
She just stumbled away from the festival, turning on her heel, scarcely aware of the sympathetic glances, the whispers she summoned. Her back was against the eyes of the village, judging her, laying blame on her. There was no rhythm, just every step feeling heavier than before, dragging her down deeper into her chest.
Into the night birds' distant call and the soft rustle of leaves, she stepped, the sound of the festival fading as a director of nursing stepped her way down the winding path leading out of the village. Silence was almost comfortable, but it didn't make that pain go away. In that one moment, her love for Jona and her dreams all seemed to dissolve.
She walked until she thought she couldn't, then collapsed at the very edge of a minor, clear stream that wound its way through the forest. On looking into the water, she recognized almost nothing but the girl who looked back. She looked pale, her eyes red, and she didn't feel like her, no matter how hard she tried.
Crying into the dark, her voice caught in her throat, she whispered, "What did I do wrong?" "Why wasn't I enough?"
The air was filled with questions that were not answered, which made her feel more alone than ever before. All the time, she had backed him, stood by his side, and believed in him. She had given everything she could so she would be worthy of him and so that he would see her as his equal. But it has never been enough. Now, she was empty.
She closed her eyes and let the cool air that brushed past her tear-streaked cheeks stir the trees around the surrounding trees. The breeze was gentle. Where would she be now, still something, making something, or just something?
The darkness pressed in around her, the forest seeming to close in and turn against her. The anchor Claire had always counted on-lost-she had never been entirely so lost before. The rejection depressed her, not only affecting her self-belief but also her beliefs about Jona and love.
The faint glow of the stars barely pierced the darkness of the night; she looked up. She thought their dreams had always been so far away, so unreachable, and wondered if her dreams had always been as distant as she was from materializing.
•BLURB• My sole intention was to sabotage my arranged marriage by sparking a scandal. I slept with someone to make this work, expecting no consequences. However, fate had other plans.. I realized I was pregnant after we already parted ways. Years later, just when I resigned myself to solo parenthood, my paths crossed with his again but this time, he had no memories of me nor that night.. The twist? He's the lover my ruthless female boss has always been talking about. What's this crack in my heart?.. These butterflies in my belly whenever we meet?.. I have his baby, but he's getting married soon! Can love's complexity surpass this?..
The world of Kae Thompson shattered when Lucas Ross, who was supposed to be her true mate and future Alpha, rejected her on her 21st birthday. Kae was devastated, making decisions to leave the pack and build a new life in the city. Five years later, Kae thrives as a freelance journalist, but her werewolf nature remains dormant. Lucas, the alpha of the BloodMoon pack, appears with a revealing shocking truth. Lucas's rejection was forced by his father's dying wish, protecting her from an ancient prophecy: "The Alpha's Mate" will bring destruction or salvation". As Kae and Lucas navigate their growing feelings for each other they must confront the true meaning of the prophecy. Will Kae forgive Luca's past rejections and accept her destiny? And what secrets lie hidden in the prophecy? Will Kae's werewolf nature be her salvation or downfall? And what were the Alpha's mistakes?
In New Haven, emotions aren't just felt-they're controlled and sold. Kira, one of the city's top emotion engineers, makes her living by creating emotions for others, but her own heart feels empty. Everything changes when she crosses paths with Aether, a rebel who's determined to destroy the system that took everything from him.At first, their connection is full of hate. Kira sees Aether as a threat, and Aether blames people like Kira for turning emotions into a tool for control. But as they're forced to work together, their hatred starts to turn into something much deeper.However, in a world where feelings are manipulated, love is a dangerous thing. Kira's rival, Selene, will do anything to keep them apart, while the mysterious Puppet Master-the one pulling the strings behind New Haven's emotion trade-won't let anyone disrupt his control.Now, Kira and Aether must decide if their love can survive in a world where every emotion has a price, or if it will be shattered by the very forces they're fighting against.
JUST ONE RECORDED NIGHTSTAND WITH A STRANGER.. was all Adeline intended in using as a scandal for her arranged wedding to be called off.. However, fate had other plans.. She ended up getting pregnant for the stranger whom she already parted ways with.. Years later,Just when she resigned herself to solo parenthood, she meets her baby's father who now has no memories of her nor the nightstand.. But that's not the worst of it.. He turned out to be the lover her ruthless female boss was always talking about.. Passion re-ignites.. Secrets explode.. Rivalry intensifies.. Hatred darkens and Adeline's tangled emotions mirror the chaos.. Can love's complexity surpass this?..
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"
My boyfriend called, "Baby!" as he jumped out of bed and scrambled to pull his pants off the ground. "Please, I can explain my love." Shutting my eyes, I inhaled deeply and tried not to cry when I realized that my dream of the man not being my boyfriend had been dashed. "What?" I asked, "What do you want to explain?" How did you lie about having a business meeting while you were in bed enjoying yourself with my best friend, even though I told you I was in serious pain, is that it?" I stood there, my heart pounding, and tears streaming down my face...
The dream of everyone with regards to marriage is to be able to find that special someone and settle down with them. Even arranged marriages grant you an opportunity to meet your partner briefly before the wedding. How will you feel about waking up in the morning with someone sleeping next to you who is not just anyone but your legally married partner yet with no memory of how that had happened in just a few hours of going out the previous day? This is the story of Jason Haward and Julia Harrison, two strangers trapped in a marriage they never planned. The quest to find out why led to the unfolding of a mystery which made them realize they are both living a lie. To find out more, read this amazing story of love, betrayal, revenge and murder.
For three years, Shane and Yvonne were wed, sharing heated nights, while his devotion clung to his ex. Yvonne strove to be a dutiful wife, yet their marriage felt hollow, built on desire rather than real warmth. All changed when she became pregnant, only for Shane to thrust her onto the operating table, warning, “Either you or the baby survives!” Broken by his cruelty, she vanished in grief and later returned, radiantly accomplished, leaving everyone awestruck. Haunted by remorse, Shane begged for another chance, but Yvonne only smiled and replied, “I’m sorry, men no longer interest me.”
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."