Zane and I were together for ten years. When he had no one, I stayed by his side, supporting his hockey career while believing at the end of all our struggles, I'll be his wife and the only one at his side. But after six years of dating, and four years of being his fiancée, not only did he leave me, but seven months later I receive an invitation... to his wedding! If that isn't bad enough, the month long wedding cruise is for couples only and requires a plus one. If Zane thinks breaking my heart left me too miserable to move on, he thought wrong! Not only did it make me stronger.. it made me strong enough to move on with his favourite bad boy hockey player, Liam Calloway.
I devoted ten years of my life to the only man I've ever loved, my ex-fiancé, Zane Whitmoore.
Since our eighth grade in middle school, I was always by his side. I shaped myself into the perfect woman for him.
I kept my black curls cut short, just the way he liked. I never wore makeup. I dressed in outfits he approved of because he didn't like when other men looked at me.
For ten years, I did everything he wanted. I was going to be his wife. Everyone knew we were meant to be.
So it made no sense when, six months ago, he threw it all away.
"What did you say?" My voice was barely above a whisper.
Zane stared at me across the restaurant table, his expression unreadable. I had made this reservation months ago for our ten-year anniversary.
"I think we should break up," he said.
I blinked. My heart pounded in my chest. "Zane, is this supposed to be a joke? Because it's not funny, babe."
"I'm not joking, Emilia."
"No, you have to be joking!" My voice rose slightly, and I glanced around. People were staring. I took a deep breath and reached for his hands across the table. My engagement ring still sat on my finger. I had never wanted to take it off. Not even now.
"We just started planning the wedding," I said, keeping my voice steady. "I know it's stressful, but that's why I've been doing most of the work."
He didn't respond.
"If it's too much, we can push it back," I added, even though the words felt like poison. We had already delayed it for years. But if that's what it took to keep us together, I would do it in a heartbeat. "I don't want you to feel pressured."
Zane exhaled sharply. "Then you don't want me to marry you? Because that's something I don't want to do, Emilia."
His words hit like a slap. My chest tightened. "You don't mean that."
"But I do." His voice was firm. Cold. Nothing like the man I fell in love with. "I don't love you anymore. I haven't for years."
I stopped breathing.
"I stayed because I know how much I owe you," he admitted. "But I can't put you over my happiness anymore."
"Relationships go through tough times. We just have to work-"
Zane pulled his hand from mine and ran it through his hair. He had always been handsome. He had light brown hair, golden-brown eyes, and a smile that could make anyone melt. I knew I was lucky to have him.
He could have had any girl.
But he chose me.
That had to mean something. People don't just throw ten years away.
But he wasn't smiling at me now. He was scowling. He stood, dusting his hand on his thigh like my touch was something dirty.
"I don't want to work on anything. Not with you." His voice was flat. "It's been ten years, Emmy. If we were meant to be, wouldn't we have gotten married by now?"
The nickname stung. I stared down at my plate. "The only reason we're not married yet is because you had to focus on your career-"
"No." His tone was sharp. "It's because I never saw you as someone I could marry."
The words hit like a punch to the stomach.
"You might be someone's cup of tea, but not mine, Emilia. And besides, most NHL athletes don't get married. But you wouldn't understand that."
I did understand. I didn't want to go my whole life without being someone's wife. But for him, I would have tried.
"Don't cause a scene, Zane. There might be reporters here."
He chuckled. "You've always been a pushover, haven't you?" He leaned in slightly. "But I did love you when we were younger. Because of that, you can keep the engagement ring. I don't want it back."
He turned to leave, then glanced over his shoulder. "Oh, and we can't live together anymore. You get that, right? I'm a free man now. I should be able to bring my hookups to my own fucking house."
He smirked. "Leave the key in the flower pot."
Then he walked away.
And just like that, he took my life with him.
"Come with me," he whispered, "be my Luna. At my side, no one would dare challenge you. No one would ever harm you again." Selene went still. The madness of it. He'd just killed Lyria. Slaughtered her Pack. Burned everything she had ever known to the ground. And he thought she would be his Luna? Selene's breath shuddered out. "And if I refuse?" Darius's grip loosened. "Then you die here," he said simply. The world around her had gone silent. No more screams. No more battle. Just this. Her choices, laid before her like an open grave. She wanted to avenge Lyria, rip him to shreds to have him beg for mercy. Fall to her knees and beg him to bring her back her best friend, her Pack, her home. But she couldn't and he couldn't. Her voice was quiet, but steady. "I'd rather die." ----- Selene Nocturne Draeven was never meant to survive. Half-werewolf, half-vampire, she has spent her life fighting what she is but found safety in Nightveil-a pack of outcasts where her secret is embraced. But war has come to Moonwort, and Nightveil is caught in the crossfire. Darius Volkhar, the ruthless Alpha of Stormclaw, destroys everything in one night. His wolves tear through her pack. His infection rots them from the inside out. Selene watches her best friend die, her home burn, and then he gives her a choice: become his Luna or die. She chooses neither. Instead, she throws herself off a cliff. She wakes up in enemy hands-captured and taken to Blackthorn Pack as where she comes faces Killian Veldrake, the cold, calculating Alpha of Blackthorn, who she should hate but can't seem to resist. If that isn't bad enough, Darius is hunting her, and he refuses to let her go.
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.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
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.
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?"
Yelena discovered that she wasn't her parents' biological child. After seeing through their ploy to trade her as a pawn in a business deal, she was sent away to her barren birthplace. There, she stumbled upon her true origins—a lineage of historic opulence. Her real family showered her with love and adoration. In the face of her so-called sister's envy, Yelena conquered every adversity and took her revenge, all while showcasing her talents. She soon caught the attention of the city's most eligible bachelor. He cornered Yelena and pinned her against the wall. “It's time to reveal your true identity, darling.”
She thought she was the love of his life, and he became the love of her life that fateful day she had seen him at the pack's party. Selene Grace was only a replica of Alpha Leo's real mate, and when he spotted her, Leo immediately claimed her as his Luna in order to suppress the rumors of him being mateless. Being unable to conceive turns Selene's marriage into a nightmare, and as if that wasn't enough, Alpha Leo finally reunites with his long time lover and mate, rejecting a pregnant Selene as a result. 5 years later, Selene, a now successful doctor, receives an invitation to the moon shadow pack in order to rid the pack of a deadly disease which has struck it. Will Selene return back to the pack which had caused her so much pain, and what would she do when she realizes that she is mated to the Alpha who had betrayed her in the past?