"Tell me you're mine." "And if I don't?" "Then I'll make you say it." Ivy Blackwood thought she had outrun her past. She built a new life, buried the pain, and swore never to let another Alpha break her. But when the ruthless Alpha King, Leo Ashton, sets his sights on her, resisting him becomes impossible. He's dominant, possessive, and everything she should run from-but the way he touches her makes her crave more. Just as she begins to surrender, the mate who once rejected her returns, determined to claim what he threw away. Now, Ivy is trapped between two powerful Alphas-one who shattered her and one who could own her. But Ivy isn't the weak girl they remember. She's done being a prize to be fought over. This time, she'll make the rules.
Aria's POV
The morning sun barely peeked through the small, grimy window of my cramped bedroom-a glorified storage closet, really. I sat up on the thin mattress and rubbed my eyes, the sound of my mother's voice already ringing from downstairs.
"Aria! Are you going to sleep all day?" Her words were laced with annoyance, the familiar edge that made me dread getting up each morning.
"Get down here and start the breakfast. Lila has a busy day, and I won't have her waiting on you."
Taking a steadying breath, I pulled on the faded sweater and jeans I'd worn the day before. They were the only clothes I owned, all hand-me-downs from Lila. Nothing new, nothing truly mine. Everything about my life was a reflection of how little I mattered.
As I entered the kitchen, my mother's eyes flicked over me, a look of disappointment flashing in them, as if even the sight of me was a reminder of something she'd rather forget. I moved to the stove and started scrambling eggs, my hands moving automatically.
Beside me, Lila leaned against the counter, smirking. "Don't burn the eggs, Aria," she said, her voice dripping with mockery. "You know how Mother hates it when you mess up. Again." She grinned, her beauty-something everyone praised her for-seeming sharper, more menacing.
In every way that I was small and plain, Lila was radiant and adored. She had her wolf, her status, and everyone in the pack respected her. I couldn't say the same for myself.
"Maybe she can't help it," my mother said, looking at me with that all-too-familiar sneer. "Wolfless and useless." She sighed heavily. "If only we hadn't lost Oliver..." Her words trailed off, but the implication hung in the air like a dark cloud.
Oliver was my little brother. Thinking about him brought a fresh wave of sadness over me. I couldn't even dare to remember what he looked like, or say his name anymore.
Memories of that fateful night came flooding back and I flinched. I could still picture my hands covered in blood. His blood. I swallowed back the hurt and pain, focusing on stirring the eggs, willing my hands not to shake and tears not to fall.
Soon, the pack house started filling with people-warriors and higher-ranking members preparing for the day.
They barely acknowledged me as I moved around, serving food, refilling drinks, cleaning up.
To them, I was invisible-the wolfless daughter, the girl who couldn't measure up to her sister.
"Move faster, Aria," barked one of the senior warriors as he passed, shoving me aside to grab his drink. "Honestly, you're more of a nuisance than anything."
I forced a nod, biting my lip to hold back a response. It was always like this, from dawn until dusk-orders, insults, scorn. And no matter what I did, I could never escape the shadow Lila had cast over my life. By afternoon, I was cleaning the training room when a group of pack members came in, laughing.
I recognized Orion among them, the Alpha's second son, his piercing gaze raking over the room until he landed on me. He barely ever spoke to me, but whenever our eyes met, I felt a strange, intense connection I didn't understand.
Today, though, his gaze was cold, almost disdainful. "Still here, Aria?" he said with a smirk, his voice carrying a mocking edge that made my stomach twist. "I figured you would have found somewhere else to hide by now."
The others laughed, and I felt my face flush with shame. Orion's words hurt, even more so because a part of me had always wished he'd seen me differently.
I've always had this huge crush on him but my sister made it clear to everyone that I was the failure of the family. No one wanted me. I forced myself to keep scrubbing, ignoring the laughter, pretending I couldn't hear the whispers.
They moved closer, making comments about how I'd probably never shift, how I was a liability to the pack, how I was better off leaving.
The taunts blurred together, each word chipping away at the small pieces of dignity I had left. As the group finally left, I sank onto my knees, my hands trembling, a lump forming in my throat.
This was my life-a constant cycle of humiliation and rejection, of yearning for acceptance that would never come. I wanted to scream, to tell them that I'm human too and I deserve a chance to be happy.
But I knew it would only make things worse. But do I really deserve to be happy after what I did?
By the time I finished cleaning, the sky outside had darkened, and the pack house was quiet. I slowly made my way back to my room, exhaustion weighing me down like a heavy cloak.
My mother crossed my path in the hallway, her lips curling into a disdainful smile. "Done with your duties?" she asked, feigning sweetness, though her eyes were filled with contempt.
"Good. Don't forget-you're only here because of my pity, Aria. The least you could do is show some gratitude."
"Yes, Mother," I murmured, bowing my head.
As she walked away, I felt a surge of anger bubble within me-a raw, simmering anger that I rarely allowed myself to feel.
I clenched my fists, fighting the urge to scream, to hit something, to let them all know the pain they'd buried me under.
But I swallowed it down, forcing myself to stay quiet, to keep the mask of obedience firmly in place.
In the silence of my small room, I lay on my bed, staring up at the ceiling, wondering if there was a place out there where I could be free. A place where I didn't have to live in my sister's shadow, where I wasn't weighed down by guilt for things I hadn't done.
As my eyes drifted shut, I let myself imagine that somewhere, somehow, I'd find a way to escape.
But as reality settled back in, I knew it was just a dream-a fleeting, impossible wish that would never come true.
And with that, I drifted into a restless sleep, dreading the dawn and all it would bring.
"Tell me, Isabella...do you ever think about that night?" Damien's voice was a sinful whisper as his fingers trailed down my neck, igniting a fire that defied every warning in my head. Isabella Barnes never expected to see Damien Voss again after their scorching one-night stand, a night that ended in heartbreak and a secret she's never shared. But on what was supposed to be a relaxing christmas vacation, she's kidnapped by the same dangerously seductive billionaire who left her behind. He mistakes her for the daughter of his greatest rival-and he's willing to use her to settle the score. But as their game of power and passion intensifies, so does the undeniable pull between them. Now Isabella must decide: will she escape the man who ruined her life, or surrender to the desire she's tried so hard to forget?
Rose looked at the reports in her hand and was in shock... The reports said that she was one month pregnant, however, how can she get pregnant when she didn't have any man in her life... "Was it because of that dream? Could I get pregnant because I have sex in my dream?" She thought... She didn't have any mental problems, however, except for this she can't able to think about anything... However, she still didn't get out of her surprise when she met the man in her dream... Kevin Davis looked at the reports in her hand and asked, "Is this child mine?" However, Rose didn't answer but asked... "Was that night not a dream?" Kevin was angry because it was his first time and she thinks it was a dream... Kevin forced her to marry him however, Rose didn't want it... She wanted to abort the child but he didn't let her... In the end... Rose agreed to marry him... She looked at Kevin's blue eyes and said, "I will marry you, however, I had two conditions..." "First, after marriage, you can't control my freedom, I still had the right to do whatever I want. Don't worry I won't harm the child." "Second, if I ever found out that you had cheated behind my back then I will leave with my child and you can't stop me..." Both of them got married... However, after she falls in love with him... She found there are hidden secrets in his past...
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."
"Ahh!" She was in a moaning mess. She did not want to feel anything for this man. She hated him. His hands began to move all over her body. She gasped when he pulled down the back chain of her dress. The chain stopped at her lower waist, so when he zipped it off, her upper back and waist were exposed. "D-Don't touch m-ummm!" His fingers rolled around her bare back, and she pressed her head against the pillow. His touches were giving her goosebumps all over her body. With a deep angry voice, he whispered in her ear, "I am going to make you forget his touches, kisses, and everything. Every time you touch another man, you will only think of me." - - - Ava Adler was a nerdy omega. People bullied her because they thought she was ugly and unattractive. But Ava secretly loved the bad boy, Ian Dawson. He was the future Alpha of the Mystic Shadow Pack. However, he doesn't give a damn about rules and laws, as he only likes to play around with girls. Ava was unaware of Ian's arrogance until her fate intertwined with his. He neglected her and hurt her deeply. What would happen when Ava turned out to be a beautiful girl who could win over any boy, and Ian looked back and regretted his decisions? What if she had a secret identity that she had yet to discover? What if the tables turned and Ian begged her not to leave him?
Rosalynn's marriage to Brian wasn't what she envisioned it to be. Her husband, Brian, barely came home. He avoided her like a plague. Worse still, he was always in the news for dating numerous celebrities. Rosalynn persevered until she couldn't take it anymore. She upped and left after filing for a divorce. Everything changed days later. Brian took interest in a designer that worked for his company anonymously. From her profile, he could tell that she was brilliant and dazzling. He pulled the stops to find out her true identity. Little did he know that he was going to receive the greatest shocker of his life. Brian bit his finger with regret when he recalled his past actions and the woman he foolishly let go.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."