Aria has never felt love-not from her distant family or the pack that pushes her away. When the Moon Goddess reveals her mate is the Alpha's son, she dares to hope for happiness. But her joy is crushed when he rejects her in front of everyone, breaking her heart. That same night, the Rogue King, Alpha Ronan, attacks the pack. During the chaos, he claims Aria as his mate, marks her, and takes her to his pack. Afraid but drawn to him, Aria finds herself in a dangerous new world. As she gets to know Ronan, she sees glimpses of the man behind his cold, harsh exterior. She wonders if she can help him change, or if loving him will destroy her.
Sneers followed me as I walked through the crowded party, my head lowered, hoping to blend into the sea of faces. "Daughter of a slut." "Whore." The whispered insults wrapped around me like chains, each word tightening the grip on my already fragile heart. I pretended not to hear them, clutching the sides of my dress as my trembling hands betrayed my nerves.
The room buzzed with laughter and lively conversation, but it felt like I was on the outside looking in. Every step I took felt heavier than the last. My chest tightened, but I kept telling myself, Just a little longer. Stay invisible.
Suddenly, a hard shove came from behind. "Watch out, trash," someone muttered with a snicker.
I stumbled forward, colliding with a server carrying a tray of drinks. "Oh!" The server's startled cry barely registered before the tray tipped. Glasses clattered to the floor, shattering on impact. Ice-cold liquid splashed across my legs, soaking the hem of my dress.
Before I could regain my balance, my foot slipped on the spilled drinks, and I fell hard. My hands hit the ground first, but instead of steadying me, they landed on broken shards of glass. A sharp, burning pain shot through my palms.
I couldn't stop the yelp that escaped me. "Ah!"
The sound seemed to fuel the laughter that erupted around me.
"Look at her," one of the girls jeered. "Can't even stand on her own two feet."
"She's just like her mother," another sneered. "Pathetic."
Their mocking voices cut through the air like knives. My face burned with shame as I fought back tears.
"Are you going to cry now?" one of them taunted, stepping closer.
I gritted my teeth and forced myself to stay silent, swallowing back the lump in my throat. My palms stung, and the blood seeping from the cuts only added to my humiliation.
I tried to push myself up, but the pain in my hands made it difficult. As I struggled to stand, I suddenly heard a word that froze me in place.
"Mate."
My head shot up, my heart pounding in my chest. I scanned the room, searching for the voice. When I found him, my breath caught in my throat. Devon. The Alpha's son. My mate.
For a brief moment, joy filled me. I couldn't believe it. I had finally found him. The one the Moon Goddess had chosen for me. I felt a spark of hope, thinking that maybe sneaking out tonight, disobeying my stepmother's strict orders, wasn't a mistake after all.
But my happiness crumbled the second I saw his expression. His face twisted into a look of disgust. His silver eyes, which I had admired from afar, were filled with contempt as they looked me up and down.
"The Moon Goddess must be cruel," he spat, his voice cold and laced with anger. "Why would she give me an ugly, disgusting mate? A mate whose mother was a whore?"
His words hit me harder than any blow could. My heart, which had been soaring seconds ago, shattered into pieces. Tears stung my eyes, but I blinked them away. I wouldn't let him see me cry.
I forced myself to my feet, ignoring the pain in my hands and the stares of the crowd. I stepped closer to him, my voice shaky but determined.
"But we're mates," I said softly, hoping he would listen, hoping he would feel the bond the way I did.
He didn't.
His hand moved faster than I could react. The slap landed hard against my cheek, the sound echoing in the now-quiet room. The force sent me crashing back onto the floor, the glass cutting into me once more.
I lay there, stunned, my cheek burning and my body aching. The room spun around me, but what hurt most was the look of hatred on his face. I had found my mate, but he didn't want me.
I fell onto the broken glass, and the sharp edges cut into my skin. Blood oozed from the wounds on my palms and arms, staining the floor beneath me. The sting was sharp, but it was nothing compared to the pain that came with his next words.
"I would never mate with a worthless whore like you," Devon spat, his voice cold and full of venom.
Before I could even process the rejection, he began reciting the rejection oath. Each word felt like a knife twisting in my chest. The bond between us, which I had barely begun to feel, tore apart as if someone had ripped my soul in two. I clutched at my chest, gasping as white-hot pain shot through me.
"Please," I begged, my voice cracking. Tears blurred my vision as I crawled toward him, desperate to make him stop. "Please, don't do this."
I reached out to touch him, to make him see me, but he recoiled in disgust.
"Don't touch me!" he shouted, his voice filled with hatred.
Then his foot connected with my side, sending me sprawling back onto the floor. The force knocked the wind out of me, but he didn't stop. Another kick came, this time to my ribs. I curled up into a ball, trying to shield myself from the blows, but it didn't help. Pain radiated through my entire body, and all I could do was sob quietly, praying for it to end.
When he finally stopped, I thought it was over, but I was wrong. He grabbed a fistful of my long black hair and yanked me to my feet. I screamed as he dragged me through the crowd, my bare feet scraping against the floor.
Everyone was watching. No one stopped him. No one helped me.
When we reached the doors, he threw me out of the mate ceremony like I was nothing but garbage. I landed hard on the ground outside, my body aching and bruised. I lay there for a moment, trying to catch my breath, before I forced myself to stand.
My steps were unsteady as I stumbled home, every movement sending waves of pain through my battered body. The small bungalow came into view, and I felt a flicker of relief, hoping I could slip inside unnoticed and tend to my wounds.
But the moment I opened the door, I froze.
My stepmother was sitting in one of the old chairs in the living room, her arms crossed and her face twisted into a furious glare.
"How dare you defy me and go to the mate ceremony?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous.
Her eyes burned with anger, and I shrank back, trembling. I had seen this look before. I knew what it meant.
In her hand, she held a long wooden stick.
I gasped, fear clutching at my throat as I took a step back.
My heart pounded so hard I thought it might burst. I knew what was coming, and I couldn't stop the fear that froze me in place.
I was already hurting from Devon's attack. My body ached, my hands were bleeding from the glass, and my cheek still stung from his slap. But she didn't care.
Before I could explain or defend myself, her hand lashed out, slapping me hard across the face. The force knocked me off balance, and I fell to the floor, hitting the cold tiles with a thud.
"You think you're special?" she hissed, towering over me. "You're nothing but the daughter of a whore!"
Lily believed she had the perfect life-a devoted fiancé, a promising future. But her happiness shatters when her fiancé accuses her of cheating, and her own family throws her out, leaving her abandoned and pregnant... with a child she knows she never conceived. Everything takes an even more bewildering turn when Kai, a dangerously charismatic billionaire, claims to be the father of her baby. Suddenly, Lily is thrust into a marriage of convenience, pulled into Kai's enigmatic and perilous world-only to discover he isn't just a man, but the Alpha of a formidable werewolf pack. As she struggles to adapt to this supernatural reality, Lily faces a daunting choice: can she trust the man who might be both her salvation and her greatest threat?
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
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!
Elodie took a deep breath and knocked, the sound echoing in the quiet corridor. A moment of silence passed, broken only by the pounding of her heart. Finally, the door snicked open, revealing a surprised Dashiell. 'Can't you see the Do Not Disturb sign? We don't want-' His initial frown quickly morphed into confusion at the sight of his wife. 'What are you doing here?' he demanded. 'Your girlfriend invited me,' Elodie replied, her voice laced with icy calm. She tried to peer past him, but his broad frame blocked the view. A saccharine voice chimed in from within the room. 'Elodie? Oh dear, we didn't mean for you to find out this way. It's just that-' Elodie cut her short. 'Oh please, Selene. Spare me the fake apologies. You wouldn't have sent me all those texts if you didn't want me to know.' Dashiell shifted uncomfortably, his face a mask of annoyance. 'What texts?' Elodie stepped past him, taking in the luxurious suite with a sardonic smile. The king-sized bed, the scattered rose petals, the lingering scent of sex – it all painted a vivid picture of their betrayal. She looked up at Dashiell, her gaze unwavering. 'I want a divorce.' ****** Dashiell lived a life of luxury, surrounded by the best things money could buy. But when a car accident left him vulnerable, he met Elodie, a seemingly ordinary woman who nursed him back to health. Mistaking her for just another employee, Dashiell entered into a loveless marriage with her solely for convenience. However, fate had a different script in store. Elodie, the 'ordinary nurse,' held a secret more precious than any diamond: she was the sole heiress to Northstar, a vast and powerful enterprise. Unaware of her true identity, Dashiell cast her aside when his ex-girlfriend returned, leaving Elodie humiliated. But Elodie was not one to be easily broken. She shed the facade of the meek nurse, reclaiming her rightful inheritance and stepping into the role of Northstar's CEO. Now, the woman Dashiell discarded was the one holding the reins of power. As Elodie thrives in her new role, Dashiell is consumed by regret. He finally sees Elodie for the extraordinary woman she truly is, realising the depth of his mistake. But will his remorse be enough to win back the heart he so carelessly discarded?
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
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?"