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 need a bride, I need a groom. Why don’t we get married?” Both abandoned at the altar, Elyse decided to tie the knot with the disabled stranger from the venue next door. Pitying his state, she vowed to spoil him once they were married. Little did she know that he was actually a powerful tycoon. Jayden thought Elyse only married him for his money, and planned to divorce her when she was no longer of use to him. But after becoming her husband, he was faced with a new dilemma. “She keeps asking for a divorce, but I don’t want that! What should I do?”
Anabel found out she was pregnant and dialed her husband's number to share the good news to him. They have been married for two years without a child. Desmond's mother had been accusing her of being barren and unproductive. When the call was picked, she was flabbergasted and broken. She was hearing a loud moan of feminine voice. "Ohh! Yeah! Don't stop fucking me! Fuck me harder baby!" accompanied with sound of skins slapping against the other. She went home to confront her husband and end up receiving a divorce paper. Desmond divorced him for a lady his mother was rooting. Few months later when he found out that his ex-wife is a billionaire heiress and she is pregnant with twins, he went crazy!
"Never let anyone treat you like shit!" I learned that the hard way. For three years, I lived with my in-laws. They didn't treat me as their son-in-law but as a slave. I put up with everything because of my wife, Yolanda Lambert. She was the light of my life. Unfortunately, my whole world came crashing down the day I caught my wife cheating on me. I have never been so heartbroken. To have my revenge, I revealed my true identity. I was none other than Liam Hoffman—the heir of a family with trillions of dollars in assets! The Lamberts were utterly shocked after the big reveal. They realized what fools they had been for treating me like trash. My wife even knelt down and begged for my forgiveness. What do you think I did? Did I take her back or made her suffer? Find out!
After three years of loveless marriage, Kira was slapped with divorce papers. She has shown him her unrequited love throughout her entire marriage with him, but he decided to turn blind eyes all because of his lover. Distraught and heartbroken, Kira choose to sign the divorce papers with bitter heart. But then and there, she promised herself that when she's back, he will come crawling to her, but she will make him pay for hurting her. Join Kira as she transform to a wealthy heiress and soared as the CEO of a multi-billion-dollar empire, a remarkable healer and make her ex-husband pay!
Due to the plight of her family, Phoebe had no choice but to embark on the path of selling herself. In an accident, she had a tangled night with Alexander. Everything began to derail, and even if she fled to the ends of the earth, she would still be found by him and entangled... *** Phoebe screamed in frustration, "What do you want from me?" What was this supposed to be? He raised an eyebrow wickedly. "What do I want? You'll find out soon enough." With that, he hoisted her up and carried her back into the office. The door slammed shut with a kick, and he cleared the desk with a sweep of his arm before laying her down on it, his body pinning hers in place, completely trapping her in his grasp. Every cell in his body was telling him he wanted her. He wanted to claim her again. This time, there would be no escape for her-he wouldn't let her slip away. Never again. If he had suffered for five years, then this woman wouldn't get off easily either!
"You're a creepy bastard." His eyes smolder me and his answering grin is nothing short of beautiful. Deadly. "Yet you hunger for me. Tell me, this appetite of yours, does it always tend toward 'creepy bastards'?" **** Widower and ex-boss to the Mafia, Zefiro Della Rocca, has an unhealthy fixation on the woman nextdoor. It began as a coincidence, growing into mere curiosity, and soon, it was an itch he couldn't ignore, like a quick fix of crack for an addict. He didn't know her name, but he knew every inch of her skin, how it flushed when she climaxed, her favourite novel and that every night she contemplated suicide. He didn't want to care, despising his rapt fascination of the woman. She was in love with her abusive husband. She was married, bound by a contract to the Bratva's hitman. She was off-limits. But when Zefiro wanted something, it was with an intensity that bordered on madness. He obsessed, possessed, owned. There'd be bloodshed if he touched her, but the sight of blood always did fascinate him. * When Susanna flees from her husband, she stumbles right into the arms of her devilishly handsome neighbour with a brooding glare. He couldn't stand her, but she needed him, if she was ever going to escape her husband who now wanted her dead. Better the devil you know than the angel you don't. She should have recalled that before hopping into Zefiro's car and letting him whisk her away to Italy. Maybe then, she wouldn't have started an affair with him. He was the only man who touched her right, and the crazy man took no small pains in ensuring he would be the last.