BLURB:I had hate in my heart when I died. The Moon Goddess herself linked me to a guy who was meant to adore me, but he betrayed me. I was alive and complete five years ago when I opened my eyes once again. I vowed that this time would be different. My so-called fated mate, Darius Blackthorn, would never be allowed to come near me close enough to ruin me once again. Before he could attack, I would forge my own route, guard my heart, and discover the truth about his treachery. However, it seems that destiny is difficult to change. Killian Draven comes in. Perilous, enraged, and all too alluring, he makes me an offer: if I act like his mate, he would shield me from Darius. I shouldn't play that game since it would only lead to heartache. But the longer I'm in Killian's embrace, the more I question if my fate isn't bound to him. Darius then comes after me and says I've been duped and that the betrayal I believed I saw wasn't what it seemed to be. He is battling not just for me but also for our pack's future. And I am really shaken by the facts he exposes. Because if Darius wasn't the one who betrayed me, then who was it? And why does it seem like I could lose more than my heart in this second chance?
CHAPTER 1: The Dead and Reborn
"You were never meant to survive."
The words reverberated in my brain like a sharp, icy sword twisting once again. My eyes sprang wide as I gasped. Suffocating darkness closed in. Heavy, palpable blackness, not the gentle, unending darkness of death. My limbs were heavy and ungainly as I struggled. Where had I gone?
My lungs were screaming for oxygen, and my chest was burning. I felt as if I had been pulled out from the bottom of an ice lake, drowning. My hands found familiar, silky sheets as I forced myself to stand. My sleeping quarters? However, that was not feasible.
With my bare feet striking the chilly hardwood floor, I staggered out of bed. Although the room was dark, the familiar furniture was painted in silver color by the moonlight that flowed through the window. My heart was hammering frantically against my ribs as I walked up to the mirror.
The younger, smoother face was looking back at me. The shadows of treachery, the lines of sorrow and suffering, were gone. I raised a quivering hand and traced the contour of my face with my fingertips. I didn't recall myself, yet it was me.
I looked down at my neck. Normally, my skin was disfigured by a jagged scar that served as a continual reminder of Darius's rejection. Now, however, there was simply a thin, almost undetectable mark that glowed dimly in the moonlight. Mark, my friend.
I was hit by a rush of nausea. Five years. I had been dead for five years. Dead, deceived, and now resurrected?
I recalled Darius's golden eyes turning to ice, the knife, and the icy steel gliding between my ribs. "You were never meant to survive." Like he was swatting a fly, he had stated it so nonchalantly.
I tried to ignore the recollection by squeezing my eyes tight, but it was like a splinter, deeply lodged and festering.
I had sacrificed everything for him. My soul, my devotion, my heart. And he had stabbed me in the back as payback.
"This time will be different," I said in a raspy voice.
I refused to allow him to get close to me. I would erect walls so high and dense that he would never be able to get to me again. I would go off on my own, free from destiny and unaffected by his deception.
My thoughts were racing as I paced the room. How could this have happened? Why had the Moon Goddess given me a second chance? Or was she? As I passed away, I recalled cursing her name.
I was startled out of my reverie by a gentle rustling. My senses sharpened as I froze. There was a person outside my window.
I slipped over to the window and looked through the drapes. In the darkness, a person stood with their face hidden by the shadows. However, there was something familiar about the way they carried themselves, the way they posed.
"Who's there?" My voice was no more than a whisper when I shouted out.
The person remained silent. I was left alone with my terror as they just turned and vanished into the night.
With my heart thumping in my ears, I slammed the window shut. I couldn't get rid of the sensation that I was being watched and that someone was hiding in the shadows, waiting for me.
I had to leave this place. I needed to find out what was occurring and why I was back.
After grabbing a jacket, I crept out of my room and made my way through the house without making any noise. Tension permeated the air, and the only sound to break the stillness was my own heart's desperate pounding.
When I arrived at the front door, I opened it and stepped outside into the refreshing night air. Long, unsettling shadows were thrown over the yard by the moon, which was high in the sky.
In an attempt to quiet my racing anxieties, I inhaled deeply. I had to think straight. I had to decide what I should do.
Suddenly, a voice burst through the hush.
"Aria?"
My heart sprang into my throat as I whirled around. Darius's golden eyes gleamed in the darkness as he stood in the shadows. He seemed older and changed, yet his eyes still had the same icy quality I recalled.
"What are you doing here?" With a quivering voice, I demanded.
He moved in closer, staring into my eyes. "We need to talk."
I said, "There's nothing to talk about," and stepped back. "You killed me."
"I know it looks that way," he added quietly, "but you must trust me." I didn't choose it.
"Then whose was it?" With hatred in my voice, I questioned.
He paused, turning his head away. "That's what I need to tell you."
I could see the agony in his eyes as he stepped closer. It was a suffering I was all too acquainted with.
He replied, "Someone is trying to kill you again, Aria," in a frantic tone. "And this time, I won't let them."
A man with a face obscured by the shadows behind him appeared before I could reply. Gleaming silver in the moonlight, they surged toward Darius.
Darius's physique shifted in a second, revealing his wolf. He met the attacker's assault with a growl that tore through the darkness.
As the brawl played out in front of me, I remained still. Fast and nimble, the attacker's actions were lethal. They were a tornado of fangs and claws, a flurry of movement.
Desperate to keep me safe, Darius battled with a fierceness I had never seen before, his wolf a seething beast. However, the assailant persisted, delivering strong, accurate blows.
Darius fell to the ground as the assailant suddenly delivered a punch. He closed his eyes and lay still.
With their face still obscured by the darkness, the assailant turned to confront me. Through the darkness came the sound of a familiar, icy voice.
"You were never meant to survive, Aria."
The face of the person emerged into the moonlight. My throat tightened each breath.
Selena was the one. My sister.
The guy I vowed to love till the end deceived me, and I died once. The Moon Goddess, however, wasn't finished with me. She brought me back to life, reincarnating me as a rogue with no identity or memories, just the burning pain of a past I can't quite recall and a blood-thirsty need for revenge. Then I got to know him. Marcus John. The vicious Nightfang Pack's Alpha. Chilly. Without mercy. Dangerously addictive. I despise him. Nevertheless, my wolf awakens when he is close as if she has discovered something she has long since lost. His touch has a quality that seems to be both a blessing and a curse. I'm not sure whether I'm falling for him or if the connection that is bringing us together is what will break me. Because my recollections grow clearer the closer I go to him. And I'll have to choose between kissing him and killing him when I eventually realize who he is.
SYNOPSIS:I thought meeting my mate would be the start of my happily ever after. For a moment, it was. Jacob Jude, the powerful heir of the Golden Claw Pack, ignited a fire in me that I'd never known. Then, in one cruel twist, he shattered my world. With my sight newly restored, I opened my eyes to betrayal-false accusations, heartbreak, and the lifeless body of my twin sister. Losing them both on the same day nearly destroyed me. But someone pulled me back from the edge. Four years later, I'm no longer the fragile, blind girl who was cast aside. I've rebuilt myself, stronger and sharper than ever. Returning to the Golden Claw Pack wasn't in my plans, but fate has a cruel sense of humor. Because standing at the altar is the man who broke me... and the sister I buried. Now, I have one question-will love or vengeance claim me first?
BLURB:I never imagined that everything might change in a single night. However, I didn't anticipate that Alexander Stone, the mysterious millionaire with the wicked grin, would be the one to haunt both my life and my dreams. We intended for our night together to be a one-time event, a little getaway. I never would have thought that it would result in a secret that would haunt me for five years. My life now involves striking a cautious balance between parenting my daughter, Mia, by myself and apart from a guy who is unaware that he is a father. But I have to deal with him once again once his business purchases my art gallery. All of the memories from that evening flood back as our eyes contact, along with the unmistakable chemistry. I can feel him getting beyond my barriers as he gets closer, but I can't tell him the truth. Not right now. Not when everything I've fought so hard to achieve is in jeopardy. However, when Alexander gives me that resolute look, I understand that I may not be able to maintain my secret for very long. Then he asks me the one thing I'm afraid to respond to: Lena, what happened to you and me? If I told him the truth, would I lose him forever? Or is this my second-our second-chance at a love that can destroy all I've worked so hard to keep safe?
BLURB: I believed that I had moved on from my past. I resolved to keep my children safe at all means after spending a careless night with a stranger wearing a mask five years ago. I established a peaceful life in a new city, raising my triplets and their younger sister. However, my world starts to fall apart when my sons come back from the bathroom talking about a guy who has a tattoo of a wolf-the same tattoo I will always remember. The next day, destiny puts me face to face with him: the vicious CEO who doesn't know who I am but seems to be strangely attracted to my kids. I lie and deny everything out of a desperate attempt to protect my family. However, secrets tend to sneak through gaps, and his intense stare makes me question if he's already piecing things together. I'm stuck now, working for him, battling my emotions, and avoiding adversaries who seem out to bring me down. But nothing scares me more than the reality: what will he do if he finds out the children I vowed to safeguard are really his?
BLURB:I came to Moonshadow chasing folklore and found a mystery far greater than I bargained for. One night with Ethan Blackwood-a man as dangerous as he is alluring-was supposed to be a fleeting indulgence. But when he turned his back on me, cold and distant, I vowed to forget him. I failed. Now, I'm back in Moonshadow with secrets of my own-two growing lives tied to the man who rejected me. But something sinister stalks the shadows of this town, and my investigation is drawing me into a world I never believed existed. Ethan is hiding something, and no matter how hard he tries to keep me away, fate keeps pulling us closer. His icy facade cracks when the danger circles too near, and I discover his truth-a truth that explains everything. Ethan Blackwood isn't just a man. He's a beast bound by laws older than the moon. And now, those laws threaten to destroy us both. When the rogue wolf finally reveals its true target, I'll have to decide: can I trust Ethan to save me and the children he doesn't even know he's fighting for? Or has he already doomed us all?
BLURB: I believed that I had moved on from my past. I resolved to keep my children safe at all means after spending a careless night with a stranger wearing a mask five years ago. I established a peaceful life in a new city, raising my triplets and their younger sister. However, my world starts to fall apart when my sons come back from the bathroom talking about a guy who has a tattoo of a wolf-the same tattoo I will always remember. The next day, destiny puts me face to face with him: the vicious CEO who doesn't know who I am but seems to be strangely attracted to my kids. I lie and deny everything out of a desperate attempt to protect my family. However, secrets tend to sneak through gaps, and his intense stare makes me question if he's already piecing things together. I'm stuck now, working for him, battling my emotions, and avoiding adversaries who seem out to bring me down. But nothing scares me more than the reality: what will he do if he finds out the children I vowed to safeguard are really his?
"You're my wife in name only, on paper only. My heart and love will never be yours." Edward made it clear to Daisy that she was nothing to him. They were both victims of family greed -- the marriage was arranged for them. Six years passed. She remained quiet, gaining a reputation in the army as a tough-as-nails colonel. When she walked into his life again, Edward fell in love with this woman, unlike any he had known. She surprised and delighted him. But will Daisy take him back? Can their son keep them together? Can the rift between them be healed? Pick this one up and find out!
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?
Marriage was a bed of thorns for Stella. She lived like an overworked and unhappy slave for six years in her matrimonial home. One day, her uncaring husband, Waylon said to her, "Ayla will be back soon. You have to move out tomorrow." "I want a divorce," responded Stella. She left without shedding a tear or trying to change Waylon's stone-cold heart. Days after their divorce, they met again. Stella was in the arms of another man. Waylon's blood boiled at the sight of her looking so happy. "So, you couldn't even wait a while before jumping into another man's arms?" he queried distastefully. "And who are you to question my decision? It's my life, so I call the shots. Stay out of my business!" Stella fired at him before turning to look at her new man with shiny eyes. Waylon immediately lost it.
Three years ago, Cecilia was left battered and alone by the man she loved most, Alston, yet she bravely completed the wedding ceremony while pregnant. Three years later, although they were married, they grew apart over time. Cecilia focused on her career, no longer foolishly believing in love. But her transformation instantly threw Alston into a panic... And what is the secret from 11 years ago that Cecilia has always been reluctant to reveal? *** "She went to a law firm, met with a lawyer..." A lawyer? Is Cecilia suing someone? Who? Is there any recent litigation against the company? Alston suddenly chuckled coldly, "Who could she sue? I'm the CEO of this company. How come such a matter doesn't come to me first?" The assistant swallowed nervously, speaking softly, "Sir, there's no litigation against the company. She met with... a divorce lawyer."
Sandra Hill, the long-lost real heiress of the Hill family, was shunned by her own kin. Instead of embracing her, they bestowed their affection upon an impostor. They even arranged her to marry a vegetative man in place of her so-called “sister”. Sandra sneered, refusing to put up with this humiliation, cut off ties with the Hill family immediately and ran into the flash marriage with Wesley Cooper, her unconscious billionaire husband. With her incredible medical skills, she defied the odds and revived him. Little did she expect that her husband spoiled her with all his love... A medical genius, a computer prodigy, a national treasure in painting, and a racing legend... Her husband revealed her various identities, leaving the Hill family regretful. Her father came pleading, "It's Dad's fault. Please come back." Her mother wept, "Mom will protect you from now on. Please come back." Even her five brothers knelt before he, begging for forgiveness. Yet, Sandra's smile held a hint of mockery as she vowed, “Never!”
Desperate to handle her grandmother's towering medical bills, Gianna agreed to a contract marriage with Tristan, the enigmatic man she'd once shared a one-night stand with. She assumed they'd fulfill each other's needs and dissolve the arrangement once the terms expired. Unbeknownst to Gianna, this marriage was a dream Tristan had clung to for ten relentless years. Certain she was just filling someone else's role, Gianna prepared to leave when that other woman returned. But Tristan, his eyes burning with unspoken emotion, seized her trembling hand and declared, "You’re mine. Now and always."