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.
: Stella always knew that her boss, James had his eyes on her and would do anything to get her in his bed. But she refused to give in to his advances and drew the line between their CEO and secretary relationship. However, when James gets involved in a scandal with a famous model, and his mother forces him to get married, he has no choice but to turn to Stella for help to be his fake girlfriend.What started as a fake relationship and sparks of sexual attraction turned into something more when they were forced to get closer. James had secrets that could haunt Stella for the rest of her life and it's up to her to choose between her sanity and her attraction towards her boss.
•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?..
Three years of marriage couldn't melt Theo's frozen heart. When an art gallery collapsed on Lena, he was off romancing another woman—lavishing her with a private jet. Three steel pins held Lena's shoulder together, but her heart remained broken. She filed for divorce and told everyone that he was impotent. Rising from the rubble, Lena blazed onto the design world's A‑list. She expected him to sail off with his true love—until Theo reappeared at her runway, pressing her against the wall. "Impotent, huh? Care to give it a try?"
Trigger warning!!! Intended for mature readers who enjoy morally complex, slow-burn, poseesive, forbidden, dark romance that pushes boundaries. ***EXCERPT*** Blood everywhere. Trembling hands. "No!" My eyes blurred. His lifeless eyes stared back at me, his blood pooling at my feet. The man I loved-dead. Killed by the one person I could never escape - my stepbrother. *** Kasmine's life was never hers to begin with. Kester, her stepbrother, controlled and monitored her every move. At first, it was all sweet and brotherly until it began to turn into an obsession. Kester was the Alpha, and his word was law. No close friends. No boyfriends. No freedom. The only consolation Kasmine had was her twenty-first birthday, which was supposed to change everything. She dreamt of finding her mate, escaping the sickening control of Kester, and finally claiming her own life. But fate had other plans for her. On the night of her birthday, not only was she disappointed that she wasn't mated to the love of her life, but she found out that her mate was none other than him - Her tormentor. Her stepbrother. She'd rather die than be mated to a man whom she had known as her big brother all her life. A man who would do just anything to make sure she was his. But when love turns to obsession, and obsession turns to blood, how far can one girl run before she realizes there is nowhere else to run to?
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
[Cute Baby + Secret Identity + Powerful hero and heroine!] Caroline loved Damian with all her heart for five whole years. She devoted herself to him and lived humbly for his sake. However, when the couple faced a crisis, she hoped that the news of her pregnancy would fix their marriage, but what she got in return was just a divorce agreement. And to make things worse, while she was about to give birth, she had fallen into someone's trap and her life was in danger. After managing to survive such a harrowing experience, she was determined to cut all ties with the man. Five years later, she re-emerged with her head held high, being the CEO of a famous company. Those who used to bully her now got a taste of their own medicine. And the truth about the past gradually surfaced... Dazzled by Caroline's newfound confidence, her ex-husband wanted to get back together with her, but she just turned a blind eye to his advances. Damian pleaded desperately, "Honey, our baby needs both his parents. Please remarry me!"
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.