Ivy's world shatters when she uncovers her mate's betrayal. But when he is accused of a horrific crime and abandons her to face the consequences, Ivy takes the ultimate step to protect her pack-she turns herself in to the infamous Lycan King. King Cassian is a ruler known for his unforgiving nature and ruthless rule. Yet when their paths cross, Ivy feels an undeniable pull toward him, only to discover that he is her fated mate. Can she find compassion in the heart of the merciless king, or will she be condemned by his unrelenting judgment?
Ivy POV
I stood frozen, the truth of my mate's betrayal sinking into my bones like a deadly poison. My breath came in short, shallow gasps, but I couldn't tear my eyes away from the scene unfolding before me.
There he was- Dorian, my mate- locked in an embrace with another woman. His lips were pressed to hers with a hunger that I had once thought belonged to me. His hands caressed her body with a tenderness I had only ever known in the privacy of our shared moments. The woman, with her long dark hair cascading down her back, seemed to melt into his touch as if they had always belonged together.
The sharp pang in my chest mirrored the sting of betrayal. My mate. The man I had trusted. The man I had given my heart to without question, without hesitation. But this... this was unforgivable.
I stumbled backward, my heart hammering in my chest as my legs threatened to give way beneath me. How long had it been going on? How long had he been lying to me?
"Ivy," a voice called from behind me, pulling me from my thoughts.
I didn't need to turn around to know who it was. My closest friend, Serena, had been with me from the beginning. Her presence, a steady comfort, should have made me feel safer. Instead, it only deepened the ache inside me.
She moved quickly to my side, concern etched into her features as she studied me. "You saw, didn't you?"
I nodded, not trusting my voice. My emotions swirled in a chaotic whirlwind. Anger, betrayal, hurt-all of them mingling together to form a storm I wasn't sure I could control.
"We need to go," Serena said, her voice low and urgent. "Before anyone notices you here."
But I didn't move. I couldn't. Every part of me was paralyzed by the shock of it all. The man I had once believed would protect me had shattered that illusion in the most painful way imaginable. How could I have been so blind?
"I never thought he would do this..." My voice was barely above a whisper, the weight of my words pressing heavily on my chest. "He was my mate."
Serena placed a hand on my shoulder, her touch grounding me as the reality of what had just happened settled in. "I know, Ivy. I know."
The images of Dorian with her-touching her, kissing her-flashed in my mind again. The betrayal cut deeper with every second that passed.
But then, something shifted. A presence. A coldness that seeped into the air like a tangible force. My heart skipped a beat, and I turned to find the source of that unnerving energy.
Standing at the edge of the clearing, his eyes locked on me with an intensity that made my breath catch, was King Cassian.
The Lycan King.
His presence alone seemed to freeze the world around us. The very air seemed to grow heavier, as if the forest itself was holding its breath.
Ivy.
His deep voice rang in my mind like a warning, sharp and commanding, yet oddly familiar. My heart skipped again, but this time, it wasn't from fear. It was something else-something darker.
"Your presence is required," he said, his tone unwavering, his gaze never leaving mine.
Serena stiffened beside me. "We need to leave, Ivy. The king..." She trailed off, uncertainty filling her voice.
The king took a step forward, his gaze unwavering. He was the embodiment of power, the ruler of all Lycans, and he could destroy me with a mere word.
I turned toward Serena, my voice barely a whisper. "I have to go."
Before she could protest, I began walking toward him. The distance between us felt like an eternity, but every step was drawn by an invisible pull, one I couldn't resist.
King Cassian stood tall, his dark, regal cloak sweeping behind him like a shadow. His piercing gaze remained fixed on me as if he were waiting for something, his expression unreadable. I couldn't tell if he was here to judge me or to offer mercy.
"Your mate's actions have caught the attention of many," he said, his voice cutting through the night air like a blade. "You'll need to come with me, Ivy."
I hesitated, my feet rooted to the ground. A thousand thoughts raced through my mind. Why was he here? Why now? And why was he looking at me like that?
Serena's voice broke through my swirling thoughts. "Ivy, you don't have to go with him. We can fight this."
But I knew better. The Lycan King was not a man who could be defied without consequences. And if Dorian's betrayal had already drawn the king's ire, then there was little hope for me.
"I'll go," I said softly, my voice trembling with the weight of my decision.
Serena's eyes widened in shock. "No, Ivy! Don't-"
"I have to," I interrupted, my heart heavy with the responsibility of it all. "I have to protect the pack."
And with that, I turned and followed King Cassian into the shadows, unsure of what awaited me, but knowing I had no other choice.
---
King Cassian's POV
The forest was quiet, the only sounds the soft rustle of the leaves in the wind and the distant calls of nocturnal creatures. Yet even amidst this serenity, I could feel the weight of the situation pressing in. Ivy, the woman I had been sent for, stood before me. Her heart, already torn by betrayal, was now caught in a whirlwind of confusion and fear.
It was no surprise that she would come willingly. I had seen it in her eyes when she looked at me. The bond. The undeniable pull of the mate bond that connected us across distance and time. She might not have known it yet, but she was mine. And I would make sure she understood that soon enough.
"I did not come to harm you," I said, my voice softer than I intended. The last thing I wanted was to make her think I was like the others who ruled with fear and cruelty. "But you are in danger. There are forces at work beyond your understanding, Ivy."
Her gaze flickered to me, hesitant, but there was something else in her eyes too-curiosity, perhaps, or a quiet resignation. I wasn't sure yet.
"You'll have to trust me," I continued. "Your mate's betrayal has set off a chain of events that cannot be undone. You are no longer safe here."
She clenched her fists at her sides, her expression a mix of anger and disbelief. "I don't need your protection," she spat, her voice trembling with emotion. "I need answers. What do you want from me, King Cassian?"
I could feel the power of her emotions as they surged through the bond. She was strong-stronger than she realized. That much, I could sense. But she was also broken, and I would be the one to either fix her or shatter her further.
"I don't want anything from you," I said, my voice firm. "I'm here to ensure that you survive this. That's all."
She eyed me, clearly skeptical. I could see her weighing her options, weighing the truth of my words against the chaos in her heart.
On the night of the Blood Moon, Nikky Lumpo thought she'd finally find her place-bound by fate to the Alpha she had always loved. But when Alpha Tobias Mattheus rejects her in front of the entire pack, branding her as weak and unworthy, her world shatters. Left broken and cast out, Nikky flees into the forbidden woods, where an ancient, cursed power stirs. There, she encounters Julio Irving, a monstrous, exiled Lycan who has spent centuries in the shadows. But instead of killing her, he does the unthinkable-he claims her as his mate. Bound by a force stronger than fate itself, Nikky finds herself torn between the mate who cast her aside and the beast who sees her true worth. As war looms between packs and long-buried secrets come to light, Nikky must make a choice-embrace the darkness and claim her power, or risk losing herself to a love that was never meant to be.
For years, Adele Kenneth has been a ghost in her own pack-an omega orphan with no place, no power, and no future. But everything changes the night she shifts for the first time... and her wolf calls to the most feared Alpha in the realm. Drake Anders is known as the Shadow Alpha, a ruthless leader with a past stained in blood. He doesn't believe in fated mates-until the moment he lays eyes on Adele. But claiming her would ignite a war, for she belongs to the very pack that slaughtered his family. Torn between vengeance and an undeniable bond, Drake must decide: will he defy fate and let Adele go, or will he risk everything to keep her by his side? With enemies lurking in the shadows and secrets threatening to destroy them both, their love may be the only thing powerful enough to rewrite destiny-or doom them forever.
Raine Carter has spent her life on the run, hiding a deadly secret-she is the last descendant of a bloodline powerful enough to challenge the rule of the ruthless Alpha King, Kade Voss. When fate forces her back into the heart of the Shadowfang Pack, she comes face-to-face with the one wolf she never expected-her fated mate. Kade has ruled with an iron fist, never expecting the Moon Goddess to grant him a mate. Yet, when he scents Raine, everything changes. She is his, and nothing will stop him from claiming her. But Raine refuses to bow, carrying secrets that could shatter his world. As passion ignites and dark forces rise, Raine must decide-surrender to the mate bond or fight for her freedom. But when an ancient enemy emerges, threatening to destroy them both, Kade and Raine must unite or risk losing everything, including their hearts.
Self-made businesswoman Aria Lawson unexpectedly lands a high-profile job as the personal assistant to the reclusive billionaire Nicolas Vaughn, she quickly learns that nothing about him is as it seems. Behind his cold demeanor and untouchable reputation lies a man struggling with his past and a deep, dark secret. As Aria and Nicolas's professional relationship turns personal, their undeniable chemistry leads them down a dangerous path of forbidden desire. But with the shadows of his secrets threatening to tear them apart, will Aria be able to forgive Nicolas's past in exchange for a future together, or will his lies destroy everything they've built?
When Cynthia Brown, a struggling artist, finds herself stranded in a small coastal town after a car breakdown, the last thing she expects is to cross paths with the town's most elusive resident- Arnaut Peterson, a reclusive billionaire with a past he refuses to face. Arnaut, once a celebrated architect, has buried himself in solitude after a devastating betrayal. But Cynthia's fiery spirit and stubborn optimism chip away at the walls he's built around his heart. As she paints murals on the town's forgotten buildings, she unknowingly brings color back into Arnaut's world. With each passing day, their connection deepens, but ghosts of their pasts threaten to pull them apart. Cynthia is running from a love that nearly destroyed her, and Arnaut fears letting someone in again. When the past finally catches up, they must decide- are they willing to risk everything for a love they never saw coming?
Lena, a girl with a troubled past, lands a servant job in a foreign country, hoping to escape her hardships. Her life takes an unexpected twist when she loses her virginity to a wealthy, heartbroken man, Max Kingston, who recently discovered his girlfriend's betrayal. Max falls deeply for Lena, but his world shatters when she narrowly escapes a murder attempt, and he vows to track down the one responsible for hurting the woman he loves. Lena's life spirals further when she finds out she's pregnant with Max's child, but a dangerous shootout leaves Max with partial memory loss, and he forgets everything about her. As Lena faces wrongful accusations and a potential jail sentence for a crime framed by the Baxter brothers back home, she feels crushed. Will Max remember the woman he loves in time to save her from this nightmare? Or will Lena be deported and imprisoned for a crime she never committed?
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?"
"I've warned you from the beginning. Don't marry him, but you won't listen." She stood close to me and smiled with concern. "You are not a woman worthy of a man as handsome, rich, smart, and virile as Blaze." My whole body trembled at her words. "Have you no shame?" I asked in a quivering voice. "Take a good look at yourself, Heather." She looked at me in the mirror. "You can't even look at your ugly face. Do you think Blaze can endure a lifetime of looking at that face?" Heather Bailey had a surprise from her husband that night: a divorce agreement. After a year of marriage and facing ups and downs, she couldn't believe Blaze intended to divorce her. But she was devastated when she saw him gazing lovingly at another woman because that person was closest to her. Shortly after she put her signature on their divorce papers, shock waves caught her up. Her flower shop was severely burnt, beyond repair. Her father's company collapsed, and her parents blamed her. She struggled to rebuild her life from the ground up and became more successful than ever. Having many customers who came from influential families, she started her action against Blaze. She won the very thing he wanted. But that was just the beginning.
6 years ago, Lydia suffered a brutal betrayal orchestrated by her own husband and step-sister, who drugged her and framed her. In a twist of fate, she ended up having a one-night stand with a stranger. Don't even remember what he looked like. Later, in the throes of death, she discovered the truth about her mother's death all those years ago. In the blink of an eye, she lost everything. 6 years later, Lydia returned with her genius son, vowing to exact revenge on all her enemies! Little did she know, she encountered an incredibly familiar man at the airport! *** The man was briskly pushing open the door to the restroom, heading to the urinal. Even with such a mundane action, he did it with unparalleled elegance and grace. Lydia, following him in a daze, saw his fierce lower body and suddenly snapped back to reality. She let out a high-pitched scream, instinctively covering her eyes with her hands, her cheeks flushed, and stood there stiffly, unsure of what to do. Lambert furrowed his brows slightly but remained calm as he continued to relieve himself. The sound of water hitting the urinal made Lydia's face even redder. She angrily shouted, "You pervert!" Little did Lydia know that Lambert, seeing her in this state, had a flicker of recognition in his eyes. Memories from many years ago flashed through his mind, and his heart couldn't help but stir. It was her!
On her wedding day, Khloe’s sister connived with her groom, framing her for a crime she didn’t commit. She was sentenced to three years in prison, where she endured much suffering. When Khloe was finally released, her evil sister used their mother to coerce Khloe into an indecent liaison with an elderly man. As fate would have it, Khloe crossed paths with Henrik, the dashing yet ruthless mobster who sought to alter the course of her life. Despite Henrik’s cold exterior, he cherished Khloe like no other. He helped her take retribution from her tormentors and kept her from being bullied again.
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."
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."