"I reject you Marian Storm!" Those were the words she could never have dreamed to hear from the Alpha heir to her father's pack. And certainly not at the New Year's Moon celebration, in front of the whole pack. Leaving the pack compound that had been her prison for three years, Marian was heartbroken and determined never to return. But she knew she would, she must. After her rejection, the only desire left in her life was to kill the Alpha who had taken over her father's pack, failing that, she would leave the pack and become a rouge wolf. She returns home for Christmas to attend her fallen family's memorial service. On Christmas Eve, during the pack's mistletoe ceremony, she receives a gift she never expected, a gift no one wanted – Reyland, the biological son of the Alpha she has sworn to kill. Would this gift given to her by the moon goddess help Marian fulfill her desire to reclaim her pack, or would it stir up new passions within her broken heart and consume her instead?
It was that time of the year again. The time of the year Marian hated the most – Christmas.
Away from her pack for almost a year after her self-imposed exile, she had returned to fulfill her duties as the only surviving child and sibling of her late mother and brother.
Goddess, how I hate this place, she mused as she strode toward the pack hall, her hips swaying as she walked purposefully toward the hall in her gold dress and strappy gold heels, all five feet eleven inches of her, as a light breeze pulled on her waist length dark brown hair and silk gown.
Marian had the lean, athletic build of a warrior she-wolf, and she moved like the alpha wolf that she was – long, determined strides, her green eyes fixed on her destination, her back and head straight and upright.
"Why do I have to come back here?"
"All these people...! This place...! It's exactly the same," Marian said haughtily, speaking to her wolf, Dinka, in their mind space.
At the beginning of this very year, Marian had been rejected by the current pack Alpha's adopted son and chosen heir to the pack, Dorien, at the New Year Moon party, in full view of the whole pack.
She could still hear the words now as she headed toward the large pack house.
"I, Dorien Aldon, reject you, Marian Storm, as my mate!"
With those words from him, her heart had felt like it was going to explode, and till today, she did not know how she had managed it, but she had fled from the same pack hall she was now striding toward.
She straightened her shoulders at the thought, pushing the memory back where it belonged – down and out of her mind – as she continued her approach.
"You know why," Dinka replied steadily as she watched the other wolves around, sniffing at some and keeping her distance from others.
"Yeah," Marian replied lazily.
Marian had left the pack compound after the rejection and would have stayed away permanently, if not for the memorial service she needed to attend for her mother and brother.
She sniffed the air, and her wolf, Dinka, purred.
Dinka had missed the pack life. Marian had not.
"Let's go to him!" Dinka urged in the mind space she shared with her human.
"Sure, D. Let's find him," Marina replied as she arrived at the hall where the pack's Christmas Eve ceremony was in full swing.
This was a party held every year, on Christmas Eve, to usher the pack into Christmas Day; fondly referred to as the mistletoe drop party by young wolves.
Christmas had always been a main celebration in her pack, and this had not changed after the war four years ago – the war in which she had lost her mother and younger brother.
The war in which she and her father, the erstwhile Alpha, had lost and were taken prisoner by the victor of the bloody battle – Dax Garrant, the current pack Alpha and a man Marcia had called uncle for most of her life, right up to that deadly fight.
The pack compound was a sight to behold.
Marian entered the hall and strolled around the grandly decorated room. Lights were everywhere, wonderful Christmas decorations adorned the ceiling and the walls, and there was more than enough food and drink going around.
Everyone was dressed in their finest wear.
Is that her?
Yeah!
Wow!
Don't look...
She seems...different...
Shh!
The words flitted through the air in the hall, and Marian knew they were talking or gossiping about her, but she did not care.
She was dressed in a gold gown her father had prepared for her. A dress that was both alluring and an official statement.
A statement that she was back and that she would not be cowed.
She did not notice the heads that turned or the eyes that stared. She was not here for them.
She glanced around the full hall, searching for her father.
To usher in the big day, this year's party was livelier than the last one. Various wolf clans had been invited, and even a few rogue wolves who dwelled around the perimeter of their pack lands were in attendance on this day.
There was chatting, laughing, and some side games going on in the hall.
Marian waded deeper into the room. Some wolves nodded to her, others gawked and whispered, and still others looked away, pretending not to have noticed her.
But Marian did not care for any of them, some had been allies of her father's during the war, others had been on Dax's side.
After the battle, some had been part of the group who had abused her, used her as a punching bag during training, or treated her lower than a slave – when her father was not near – or had been part of the group who looked away when she was being mistreated.
It did not matter now. Not anymore. After the rejection, after she had been allowed to leave, she had freed herself of this place and these people in ways they would never understand.
She was not their prisoner anymore, not in her heart or in her mind. She was only back for one reason, and once her duty was fulfilled, she would leave.
"Where is he..." Marian said irritably to Dinka as she glanced around.
There were too many smells in the room, and something was also interfering with her nasal cavity.
"It's almost time, they must have started releasing the gas," Dinka said in a low growl.
"Yeah, it should be time soon," Marian confirmed.
"I can't wait to get out of here," she continued, complaining to her wolf.
Marian had returned to the pack to attend the memorial service that was held every year, for the past three years, to commemorate the war she and her father had lost and Dax had won.
The whole pack attended. It was a grave day for everyone. Almost everyone in the pack had lost someone on that day. It was not a service for only her lost loved ones, it was for the pack's lost loved ones.
"Use the link," Dinka urged.
Marian did not respond.
Her green eyes narrowed as she spun around and waded deeper into the hall.
She did not want to be here, and she was not wanted here; most especially by Alpha Dax.
They shared a deep hatred that could never be mended. Not only had he, with his own hands, killed her family, he had taken the only family she had left, away from her.
And kept him at his side like a prize on permanent display.
She hated him, and Dax could not care less about her.
Chrystal, the young Luna-to-be, has long waited to be bonded with her childhood betrothed, Darius. On the night her world was to be made complete, it is completely shattered by the moon goddess' decree! Her mate is the vicious killer and rogue wolf, Castian, and now, thanks to the bond, so is she! Marked as a traitor by her own pack, Chrystal is forced to flee the only home she has ever known, or face death. Trapped by a wolf and a bond she does not deserve, Chrystal must choose between running for her life or facing the growing connection she starts to feel with a man she should fear. Will she fight her fate? Or embrace a love that could destroy them both?
Fate! Chance! A terrible accident changes the course of Karen's life. Thrown into the world of enigmatic billionaires Taylor Grey and his father Marshal Grey, she must find her way out of the cage presented to her by their family. Karen thought Taylor Grey was offering a helping hand after causing the accident that took away her livelihood, but she soon discovered that his father had other plans for her that she could never have imagined. Forced to play a role she never wanted, can she escape before it's too late for her to return to her own life? Torn between two very different men, who will she turn to for the freedom she desperately seeks? Will Karen find redemption or stay trapped by a family that will do anything to have their way?
Marcia and Jullian were inseparable in college; they were like two halves of one whole. Everyone thought they were a forever couple. On the day of their graduation, Jullian vanished without a trace, and Marcia's world came crashing down. Five years later, after rebuilding her life abroad, Marcia is back home, fully focused on her new company, the new love of her life. Just as things are falling into place, Jullian suddenly reappears, still as captivating as ever. His reason for coming back? To "help" Marcia and to "correct" his past mistakes. Jullian has a proposal – one that feels more like a challenge – sell your company to me and let me take care of you the way I should have years ago. What follows is a battle of wills. Will Marcia hold on to the independence she fought so hard to achieve, or will Jullian's return and his offer of security be too much to resist? It's a showdown between the woman who craves freedom and the one who once let her go.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
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."
For as long as Emily can remember, she has wanted to overcome her shyness and explore her sexuality. Still, everything changes when she receives an invitation to visit one of the town's most prestigious BDSM clubs, DESIRE'S DEN. On the day she chose to peruse the club, she noticed three men, all dressed in suits, standing on the upper level, near the railing. Despite her limited vision, she persisted in fixating on them. Their towering statues belied the toned bodies concealed by their sharply tailored suits-or so she could tell. The hair of two of them was short and dark, and the third had light brown-possibly blond-hair that reached the shoulders. The dark, crimson background incised their figures, exuding an air of mystery and strength. They stood in stark contrast to the unfiltered, primal energy that pulsed through the club. Shocked by the desires these men aroused in her, she was disappointed to learn that they were masters seeking a slave to divide and conquer. She couldn't afford the fee, and she also realized that they were outside her league. Emily hurriedly left the club, feeling disappointed and depressed, unaware that she had also caught the group's attention. A world of wicked pleasure, three handsome men. Over the years, they have lived a life of decadence, their lavish lair serving as a stage for their most sinister desires. But despite the unending parade of willing subjects, one woman sticks out. A mysterious stranger with white porcelain skin and a killer body, a slave, a name with no address, the first lady to attract their eye and they will go to any length to obtain her no matter the consequences.
Rachel used to think that her devotion would win Brian over one day, but she was proven wrong when his true love returned. Rachel had endured it all—from standing alone at the altar to dragging herself to the hospital for an emergency treatment. Everyone thought she was crazy to give up so much of herself for someone who didn’t return her feelings. But when Brian received news of Rachel’s terminal illness and realized she didn’t have long to live, he completely broke down. "I forbid you to die!" Rachel just smiled. She no longer needed him. "I will finally be free."
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.
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?"