Blurb In the kingdom of Valtania, Born with golden eyes, Arianna is plunged into the ruthless fate of serving the brutal werewolf king Kael until her 18th birthday, where she will serve as the ultimate sacrifice to unlock his true power. Arianna having accepted this cruel fate forced upon her since she was born lives everyday of her life in expectation of this day to come but as Arianna navigated the treacherous world of werewolf politics the unexpected happens, she develops a romantic bond with the cold and ruthless Kael. Plunged into such an unexpected situation Kael must choose between his duty as the werewolf king and the girl who has ensnared his guarded heart. As enemies draw closer on their kingdom, Arianna and Kael must fight against centuries old tradition. Will their love prove to be strong enough to overcome such treacherous and cruel fate that threatens to tear them apart? Or will they be torn apart by the force of the sacred tradition?
Arianna's POV
I woke up to the scent of freshly baked cupcakes wafting through the air. I snapped my eyes open and flexed my arms, feeling a mix of excitement and dread. Today was my 17th birthday.
I ran a hand through my hair as I sluggishly rose to my feet and dragged my legs towards the bathroom for a quick shower.
As I got dressed, my mind wandered back to the conversation I had with my father five years ago, He had taken me to the old oak tree in the woods, his eyes serious and somber.
"Arianna, you are growing up, and it is high time you knew the truth about your fate," he had said, his voice low and gravelly. "When you turn 18, you will be required to fulfill an ancient prophecy. You will be the key to unlocking the werewolf king's true power."
I remembered feeling like I had been punched in the gut. A sacrifice? Me? I had found it extremely hard to believe that my life would end when I turned 18th. From that day on, I slowly reminded myself each day that my days had been numbered.
I learned to cherish every second, minute or hour that passed by.
My father's words had been etched in my mind like a curse. I could not shake the feeling that my life was predetermined, that I was nothing more than a pawn in a game I did not understand.
As I made my way downstairs, my brother Darius greeted me with a small smile and a tray of cupcakes. "Happy birthday, kiddo. I made your favorite flavor, chocolate."
I forced a smile, feeling like I was living a lie. How could I celebrate my birthday when my fate was already sealed?
"Thanks, I guess." I said, in a bored tone. "It looks amazing, hopefully it tastes just as it looks." I teased him.
As we sang "Happy Birthday" and I blew out the candles, I noticed my father was nowhere around, so I had to ask Darius. "What about dad?" I questioned.
Darius cleared his throat and answered "He was summoned by to the royal palace since morning. He has not been home since then." Darius said.
I sighed heavily. My thoughts went back to my fate. I felt a shiver down my spine. I had a year left before my 18th birthday.
Darius seemed to have noticed the sadness I was feeling. He rushed towards my direction and placed his warm hands on my shoulder. "You are going to be okay Arianna, the Moon goddess knows best. Try not to think too deep about things and enjoy your birthday." He said with a reassuring smile.
It was finally time for breakfast, my father, Orion had finally arrived. I had questions to ask him, but I chose to save them for later.
We gathered around the dining table and my dad spoke with a hand placed on my shoulder. "Happy birthday my dear daughter. I am so proud of you, and I am sure mother feels the same way too. I want you to know that we will face whatever comes next together, as a family."
I nodded, trying to muster up a smile, but it felt forced. Had everything already been sealed? Was that why he was summoned to the royal palace this morning? I needed answers.
Darius, sensing my unease, reached out and took my hand. "Ari, it is going to be okay. We will figure something out. You are not alone in this."
I appreciated their efforts, but it was not enough to erase the feeling of dread that had taken up residence in my stomach. I felt like I was living on borrowed time, like every day brought me closer to the inevitable.
As we finished breakfast, my father handed me a small gift box. "I know it is not much, but I wanted to get you something special for your birthday."
I opened the box, revealing a beautiful silver necklace with a small crystal pendant. It was lovely but how long was I going to wear it? Just for another year?
"Thanks, Dad," I said, trying to sound sincere. "It is really pretty."
My father smiled, but I could see the concern etched on his face. He knew I was struggling, and he did not know how to help me.
After breakfast, I headed back to my room. I laid on my bed drowned myself in my own thoughts. I was starting to enjoy the coolness coming from my room's window and the defeating silence when a sudden bang on the door startled me.
Darius barged into my room with a worried look on his face. He was struggling to catch his breath.
I jerked off my bed at alert and rushed towards Darius with a look of concern plastered on my face. "What is going on Darius?" I asked, my brows furrowed at him in confusion mixed with fear.
Darius wanted to say more but a group of men dressed in Armours barged into my room. Their faces looked strong, and their eyes were darted toward my direction.
I gulped a lump down my throat and staggered backward in shock. "Who are they?" I stuttered, my heart raced extremely fast and the hairs on my skin rose.
"We are from the royal palace, here to take you to the king." One of the guards spoke in a harsh tone.
I shook my head in disagreement. I was not eighteen yet, why were they here to take me then?
"Where is father?" I asked.
Darius shook his head. "I have no idea." He turned to the guards and pleaded. "Please do not take my sister until my father returns."
"It is the command of the King that we take her immediately." Without wasting another minute, the guards rushed towards me and grabbed me by the arm like a prisoner.
I cried and struggled to get out of their grip, but they were too strong for me.
Tears clouded my eyes as I was slowly pulled away from home. This was my last goodbye to my family. It was time to face my fate.
"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?
Rena got into an entanglement with a big shot when she was drunk one night. She needed Waylen's help while he was drawn to her youthful beauty. As such, what was supposed to be a one-night stand progressed into something serious. All was well until Rena discovered that Waylen's heart belonged to another woman. When his first love returned, he stopped coming home, leaving Rena all alone for many nights. She put up with it until she received a check and farewell note one day. Contrary to how Waylen expected her to react, Rena had a smile on her face as she bid him farewell. "It was fun while it lasted, Waylen. May our paths never cross. Have a nice life." But as fate would have it, their paths crossed again. This time, Rena had another man by her side. Waylen's eyes burned with jealousy. He spat, "How the hell did you move on? I thought you loved only me!" "Keyword, loved!" Rena flipped her hair back and retorted, "There are plenty of fish in the sea, Waylen. Besides, you were the one who asked for a breakup. Now, if you want to date me, you have to wait in line." The next day, Rena received a credit alert of billions and a diamond ring. Waylen appeared again, got down on one knee, and uttered, "May I cut in line, Rena? I still want you."
Allison fell in love with Ethan Iversen, the soon-to-be Alpha of the Moonlight Crown pack. She always wanted him to notice her. Meanwhile, Ethan was an arrogant Alpha who thought a weak Omega could not be his companion. Ethan's cousin, Ryan Iversen, who came back from abroad and was the actual heir of the pack, never tried to get the position nor did he show any interest in it. He was a popular playboy Alpha but when he came back to the pack, one thing captured his eyes and that was Allison.
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
There was only one man in Raegan's heart, and it was Mitchel. In the second year of her marriage to him, she got pregnant. Raegan's joy knew no bounds. But before she could break the news to her husband, he served her divorce papers because he wanted to marry his first love. After an accident, Raegan lay in the pool of her own blood and called out to Mitchel for help. Unfortunately, he left with his first love in his arms. Raegan escaped death by the whiskers. Afterward, she decided to get her life back on track. Her name was everywhere years later. Mitchel became very uncomfortable. For some reason, he began to miss her. His heart ached when he saw her all smiles with another man. He crashed her wedding and fell to his knees while she was at the altar. With bloodshot eyes, he queried, "I thought you said your love for me is unbreakable? How come you are getting married to someone else? Come back to me!"
Sawyer, the world's top arms dealer, stunned everyone by falling for Maren—the worthless girl no one respected. People scoffed. Why chase a useless pretty face? But when powerful elites began gathering around her, jaws dropped. "She's not even married to him yet—already cashing in on his power?" they assumed. Curious eyes dug into Maren's past... only to find she was a scientific genius, a world-renowned medical expert, and heiress to a mafia empire. Later, Sawyer posted online. "My wife treats me like the enemy. Any advice?"