Maria believed escaping her past meant true freedom, but fate had a different path in mind. As the daughter of the woman who cursed an entire kingdom, she never anticipated her future would be bound to its most powerful leader-the Alpha. Cruel, vengeful, and, worse yet, her destined mate, the Alpha made her life unbearable. After enduring unimaginable suffering, Maria ran, determined to start over, far beyond his reach. But when he hunts her down, insisting that she's the only one capable of breaking the curse, Maria faces an agonizing decision: aid the man who broke her or allow the kingdom to perish. Driven by vengeance, Maria schemes her every move, but the clock is ticking. The Alpha wants her back, and he'll stop at nothing to reclaim her-no matter the cost. Will Maria sacrifice her freedom, or will she choose to end the Alpha's reign once and for all?
Noleen's POV
"Please..." she whispered, her voice wavering and pleading, eyes wide with fear.
The silence shattered as the door swung open. I spun around, anger bubbling up, but the sight of Adel standing there stalled my reaction.
I clenched my jaw, stepping back from Shivani, who stumbled forward with palpable relief, clutching her clothes as she struggled to her feet.
"Hah!" she gasped, breaths uneven as she scrambled to cover herself. Without a second look, she fled, her hurried footsteps echoing down the hall.
I pulled on my trousers, anger simmering beneath the surface.
"Next time, knock, Adel," I snapped, pouring a drink, ice clinking as it hit the glass. "You know I don't tolerate interruptions."
Adel stepped in, shutting the door behind him.
"You almost killed her," he noted, his voice calm but with a quiet undertone of judgment, his steady gaze unfazed by my glare.
"None of your business adel." I drained the whiskey in one go, feeling its burn settle, though it did little to ease the irritation gnawing inside me, one I didn't care to understand.
Adel's calmness bordered on insolence. He was the only one who could speak to me like this and live.
Anyone else wouldn't be so lucky. But he knew how to push just enough - a trait I admired, occasionally.
"Are you aware," he began, his tone steady, "that your pack was attacked last night? Two of your betas are missing."
I didn't react. "Of course I know." My voice came out harsher than intended, but I forced a smirk, deflecting the tension gnawing beneath the surface. "I'm already handling it."
Adel remained unmoved. "It's Melinda again. She won't stop, Noleen. Her mission is to see you fall."
"She's been trying for years," I muttered, a cold smile tugging at my lips. "Let her try. I've prepared a surprise for her."
Adel raised an eyebrow, intrigued but smart enough not to ask further. We both understood there were things he'd rather not know. He paused, then crossed his arms.
"I'm actually here for another reason today."
I raised an eyebrow, waiting. He rarely wasted time, but something was different, something he was holding back.
"Time's running out, Noleen," he said quietly. "You need an heir. Someone to continue the line after you're gone."
The absurdity of it almost made me laugh. An heir? I'd avoided that idea for years, yet now it was staring me down, heavy with inevitability.
"You think I don't know that?" My voice dropped, tinged with bitterness. "What do you suggest? You know none of the she-wolves here can give birth. The curse made sure of that."
Adel met my gaze, unwavering.
"That's why we need to go somewhere else. A place where the curse doesn't touch the women. A bride."
The word felt foreign, even absurd, yet... something in it held a strange allure, though I resisted the pull.
"A bride," I echoed sarcastically, turning away as I finished my whiskey. The idea of letting anyone that close - of sharing my life, even temporarily - was something I'd cast aside long ago. But if it meant an heir...
"And where exactly would I find this bride?"
"There's a place," he replied, his tone calm, but his gaze held a warning, daring me to dismiss it.
"The Brothel Hotel. The women there aren't bound by our curse."
I froze, the name jarring me, disdain flickering across my face.
"A brothel?" I repeated incredulously.
"Yes Alpha." He said
"You think I'd father a child with a prostitute?"
He met my gaze, unshaken.
"You nearly killed one tonight," Adel replied, steady, his jaw clenched and his words tight..
He wasn't just my friend right now; he was challenging me, something no one dared to do.
But the truth of it struck harder than I wanted to admit.
"Adel," I warned, voice low and dangerous.
He didn't flinch, but inclined his head slightly.
"Apologies, Alpha." A pause hung between us, acknowledging the line he'd crossed, yet he held his ground.
"But consider it. You don't have to keep her. Just long enough to secure an heir. After that, you're free to do as you please."
The silence that followed his words dared me to deny the practicality of it.
I tightened my grip on the glass, envisioning it - bringing someone in just long enough to serve my purpose, then letting her go once she'd fulfilled her role. No ties. No vulnerabilities. Just a body, a vessel.
I'd never intended to share my life with anyone, but if this could mean the survival of my pack, one less weakness for Melinda to exploit... maybe Adel's plan had some merit.
"I'll be leaving for Australia tomorrow," Adel continued, his voice now calm, his usual edge absent. "We can stop by the hotel first thing in the morning."
I let the silence linger, the whiskey's burn still on my tongue. My mind raced. A bride. An heir. The pack's future. It all balanced on this, demanding something I'd sworn never to give.
Finally, I nodded slowly, a cold smile curving my lips. "Fine. We leave in the morning."
Adel inclined his head, perhaps relieved, before he turned toward the door. Just before leaving, he glanced back, something lingering in his eyes - a silent understanding, maybe even pity.
I met his gaze, unflinching.
"Be ready." And with that, he left.
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
Part B
Melinda's POV
"We've located her, Alpha," he announced, voice low and reverberating off the high stone walls.
Joshua entered, head down, shoulders slouched, a hint of fear rippling through him - a reaction I savored.
I felt a spark of excitement. "Then bring her here," I replied, a grin tugging at my lips, though I kept my tone measured.
He hesitated, his gaze flickering as he remained bowed. "Alpha Noleen is already on his way to claim her."
A surge of anger flared up, and I was on my feet before he could react. My fury must have been evident because he stumbled back, nearly tripping.
"Are you dense, Joshua?" I growled, my voice low but forceful enough to make him flinch. "If Noleen takes her, you're as good as dead. Understand?"
He swallowed hard, Adam's apple bobbing. "I won't fail you, Alpha. I swear-"
"Save it." I cut him off, dismissing him with a wave. "Now go. And don't come back without her."
He bolted, the door slamming shut behind him, but silence didn't last long.
Morris burst in, breathing heavily, his face pale and streaked with dried blood. He dropped to his knees, urgency clear in his movements.
"Alpha... It's Landon," he said, voice strained, body hunched under the weight of his words. "He's dead."
A coldness settled over me, freezing me in place. "What did you just say?" My voice was a venomous whisper.
"Landon is dead," he repeated, voice trembling.
Landon. Loyal, skilled, my best warrior. Gone. The finality of it crashed over me like a wave, and under the grief, anger simmered, growing hotter with each moment. I narrowed my gaze, seeking answers in Morris's eyes.
"Who did this?" My tone was icy, deliberate, brimming with barely restrained fury.
"The rogues - they ambushed us on the training grounds. They attacked ruthlessly, but we managed to capture one," Morris said, desperation clear in his face. His shoulders shook, barely upheld by the pride he once wore like armor.
I narrowed my eyes, calculating, anticipating.
My hands clenched into fists.
"Take me to him."
Aurora Sterndale is heartbroken and heartbroken when her lover abandons her at the altar of her best friend. In a desperate attempt to save face and get revenge, he kills his worst enemy, Brandon Blackwood on the spot. Brandon, who has always hated Aurora and abandoned her in the past, has his own mysterious reasons for agreeing to the quick union. As Aurora grapples with her new reality, she must navigate a marriage filled with tension, power struggles, and an unresolved relationship with Brandon. The question remains: Can Aurora really trust Brandon, especially since he has a secret child of a woman he had one night stand with at the club? On what should be the happiest day of her life, Aurora Sterndale's life comes crashing down when her boyfriend leaves her for her best friend. In a dramatic attempt to regain her pride, she married her sworn enemy, Brandon Blackwood, who she had been estranged from for two years, accusing her of being immature, on the spot. But what does Brandon really want? And can Aurora trust him, even with her ex-lover still around? It's a story of intrigue, revenge, and unexpected alliances as Aurora fights to regain control of her life.
Five years ago, he upped and left his wife without informing her. He had always felt unworthy. As a result, he decided to go and become a better man. It took him five whole years of daily hard work. When he was satisfied, he returned as a powerful and honorable man. He intended to start a family with his wife. But he got back to meet the greatest shocker of his life. He actually had a daughter!
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
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?
My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done. Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection. I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you." The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo. Someone yells, "Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, "Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?" Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!"
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?"