Lost on a lonely road deep in the woods, Isla Monroe never expected her life to change forever. But when a terrifying creature with glowing golden eyes attacks her car, she barely escapes with her life-only to be saved by a mysterious, dangerously attractive man with piercing silver eyes. He appears out of nowhere, his presence both alluring and unsettling. And when he whispers, "You smell... different," she knows something is terribly wrong. Drawn to him against her better judgment, she soon discovers the dark truth: he is no ordinary man-he is a werewolf. More than that, he is an Alpha, a ruler among his kind, bound by ancient laws and a prophecy that warns against falling for a human. But something about her defies all reason. Her scent, her presence-everything about her calls to his wolf in a way that should be impossible. As she tries to escape the growing tension between them, strange things begin to happen. She wakes up with a mysterious mark on her skin, nightmares turn into memories of a past she doesn't remember, and she starts to sense the creatures lurking in the shadows of the town. When she learns that the rival pack sees her as a threat to their survival, she realizes she is caught in a war she never asked for. But the greatest danger isn't the enemy pack. It's him. The more she fights her attraction, the more her body betrays her-pulled toward the Alpha like she was made for him. As dark secrets unravel, she must face the truth: she was never meant to be ordinary. And the mark she bears is not just a symbol of desire... it is a claim. She is his. But will she embrace her fate and the powerful bond that ties them together, or will she resist-knowing that rejecting him could cost her everything?
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Prologue – Something Watches
The forest was too quiet.
No owls hooted. No crickets chirped. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Somewhere in the darkness, hidden between the towering trees, something watched. Its golden eyes gleamed beneath the full moon, locked onto its prey.
It was patient. Hungry. Waiting.
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Scene 1: A Wrong Turn
Lena Carter cursed under her breath, gripping the steering wheel tightly. Her GPS had completely failed, leaving her stranded on a narrow, winding road that wasn't on any map. The last thing she wanted was to be lost in the middle of nowhere-especially at night.
Her car's headlights barely cut through the dense fog creeping over the pavement. Shadows stretched unnaturally across the road, twisting like dark fingers.
"Where the hell am I?" she muttered, glancing at her phone again. No service.
She exhaled sharply. Just her luck.
Then-out of nowhere-a shadow darted across the road.
Her heart slammed against her ribs as she jerked the wheel to the side, narrowly avoiding whatever it was. The tires skidded, and the car swerved violently before coming to a screeching halt.
For a moment, everything was silent.
She swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she scanned the darkness. There was nothing there.
Or at least, that's what she thought-until something heavy slammed into the side of her car.
The impact sent the vehicle rocking. The unmistakable sound of claws scraping against metal sent ice through her veins.
She turned her head slowly toward the window.
Two golden eyes stared back at her.
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Scene 2: The Stranger in the Shadows
Her breath hitched. A massive creature stood outside her car, its dark fur blending into the night. Its growl was low, guttural-almost as if it were laughing at her fear.
She barely had time to react before the thing lunged.
CRACK!
The windshield splintered.
Pure terror shot through her. She didn't think-she acted.
Throwing open the door, she ran.
Branches lashed against her skin as she sprinted into the woods, her lungs burning. Behind her, the heavy pounding of footsteps followed-fast. Too fast.
Then-silence.
She slowed, gasping for breath. Had it stopped chasing her?
That's when she heard it.
A whisper. Low. Inhuman.
"Mine."
Her body went cold.
The hairs on her neck stood on end as she turned ever so slightly-
A figure stood between the trees, just out of reach of the moonlight. Tall. Unmoving. Watching.
Something wasn't right. The golden-eyed beast was gone, yet she still felt hunted.
Then, the figure stepped forward.
He was human. Or at least... he looked like one.
Towering, broad-shouldered, and shirtless despite the cold. His dark, tousled hair barely moved in the wind, and those piercing silver eyes locked onto her like she was prey.
"Are you lost?" His voice was deep, velvety, but laced with something unreadable.
She couldn't speak. Her heart pounded.
Something about him felt off.
He took another step toward her, his gaze never wavering.
"You smell... different."
A shiver ran down her spine.
She should run. Everything in her screamed to run.
But she couldn't move.
She could only stare at the stranger who had appeared from nowhere-right after the monster had vanished.
And for the first time, she wondered...
Had she escaped one predator-only to run into another?
To be continued...
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Iris grew from an orphaned child to the adopted daughter of the Stewart family at age ten, finding warmth in her nominal uncle Vincent's kindness. Seven years later, she became his secret lover. When Vincent's engagement was announced, gossip spread about the notorious playboy CEO finally settling down. But only Iris knew the extent of his cold, two-faced nature. Iris fell for Vincent and, through tears, begged, "Marry me," only to be met with his frosty refusal. Defeated, she accepted a lawyer's proposal, sparking public excitement. Then, on her wedding day, Vincent pleaded desperately, "Don't marry him…"
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."
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."
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.
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.
When Zora was sick during the early days of her pregnancy, Ezrah was with his first love, Piper. When Zora got into an accident and called Ezrah, he said he was busy, when in actual fact, he was buying shoes for Piper. Zora lost her baby because of the accident, and throughout her stay at the hospital, Ezrah never showed up. She already knew that he didn't love her, but that was the last straw for the camel's back, and her fragile heart could not take it anymore. When Ezrah arrived home a few days after Zora was discharged from the hospital, he no longer met the woman who always greeted him with a smile and cared for him. Zora stood at the top of the stairs and yelled with a cold expression, "Good news, Ezrah! Our baby died in a car accident. There is nothing between us anymore, so let's get a divorce." The man who claimed not to have any feelings for Zora, being cold and distant towards her, and having asked her for a divorce twice, instantly panicked.