Raine has always known she was different. The nightmares, the glowing red eyes, the unexplainable strength-they were warnings. Clues to something buried deep inside her. But she never had time to figure it out. Not when supernatural hunters have spent her whole life trying to kill her. On the run once again, she crashes into Lucian Volkov-ruthless Mafia King and Alpha of the most feared werewolf pack in Russia. He's cold, merciless... and far too dangerous. But the second their eyes meet, his golden gaze darkens with something raw, possessive, and terrifyingly familiar. Because Lucian knows exactly what she is. And worse-she belongs to him. She's the last of a powerful bloodline. The key to a prophecy that could save or destroy them all. Every enemy wants her dead, but Lucian? He wants her in his bed, in his pack, and in his control. > "Run all you want, Raine... but you'll never escape me."
Pain.
That was all Raine knew.
Her body ached with exhaustion, her skin burned from the deep gashes along her arms, and her vision blurred as she stumbled through the rain-soaked streets. The freezing wind bit into her flesh, but it was nothing compared to the cold inside her.
She had nothing. No one.
Blood dripped from her lip where she'd been struck-another reminder that she was hunted like an animal.
The hunger clawed at her ribs.
Her hands trembled from weakness.
Her breath came in ragged gasps.
And yet, she couldn't stop running.
She had spent her entire life trying to survive, but now? She wasn't sure if she even wanted to anymore.
Maybe if they caught her, it would all finally be over.
Maybe-
A brutal yank on her hair sent her crashing onto the cold, wet pavement.
Raine let out a sharp gasp, her cheek slamming into the ground. A heavy boot pressed down on her back, forcing the air from her lungs.
"Got you, freak."
Her stomach twisted. No. Not again.
The hunters surrounded her, their faces hidden by the rain and shadows, but she didn't need to see them to know what they were. Monsters in human skin.
She had escaped them once. But they had found her again.
"Still running, huh?" One of them laughed, nudging her side with his boot. "You made this way harder than it needed to be."
"Should we kill her now?" Another voice, colder, more detached.
Raine's body trembled, her fingers curling against the wet pavement. She didn't want to die.
But what choice did she have?
She was too weak to fight.
Too broken to run.
Too lost to hope.
A hand grabbed her by the throat, yanking her up. Raine gasped as her feet left the ground, her vision going black at the edges.
"Let's see those pretty little eyes before we finish this."
The man's grip tightened, cutting off her air. Raine's pulse pounded, her lungs screamed-
And then-
A gunshot.
The hunter's grip went slack. His eyes widened in shock before blood spilled from his lips.
His body dropped.
The others spun around, guns raised-
But it was already too late.
A dark figure moved through the alley like a phantom. Fast. Deadly. Unstoppable.
One second, there were three hunters.
The next? There were none.
The scent of blood filled the air.
Raine barely registered what happened before she collapsed onto her hands and knees, gasping for breath.
A heavy silence settled over the alley.
And then-boots stopped in front of her.
A deep, slow breath.
Then-a voice like smoke and steel.
"Pathetic."
Raine's body tensed. That voice. Low. Rough. Unforgiving.
A boot nudged her chin up, forcing her to look.
And when she did-her blood ran cold.
Lucian Volkov.
She had never met him before, but she knew who he was.
Mafia King. Alpha. Killer.
His emerald-green eyes burned into her, sharp and calculating, like he could see straight through her soul.
Raine should have been terrified.
Instead, something inside her stirred.
Lucian crouched before her, gripping her chin with his gloved hand. His touch was firm, his gaze merciless.
"You're a mess," he muttered. "And yet... still alive."
His grip tightened.
"Tell me, little wolf-what are you?"
Raine's lips parted, but she had no answer. She didn't know.
Lucian exhaled sharply, his gaze darkening as his thumb traced along the cut on her lip.
"Whoever they were," he murmured, glancing at the dead hunters, "they wanted you bad." His eyes flicked back to hers. "That makes you valuable."
A slow, dangerous smirk.
"And I don't let valuable things go."
Raine shook her head weakly. "No... I don't belong to anyone."
Lucian's smile widened-dangerous, possessive.
"You do now."
And just like that-her world ended.
Or maybe-it had just begun.
The scent of blood clung to the air, thick and suffocating. The alleyway was silent now-except for the rain softly pattering against the ground and the slow, deliberate steps of the man who had just slaughtered her pursuers.
Raine's breath came in sharp, uneven gasps. Her body screamed at her to run.
But she couldn't move.
Her ice-blue eyes darted to the bodies scattered on the cold pavement-limbs twisted at unnatural angles, faces frozen in expressions of sheer terror.
Lucian Volkov had killed them all.
And he had done it without hesitation.
Her gaze lifted to him-the golden-eyed predator standing among the dead.
Lucian didn't look remotely fazed. His black coat was dusted with crimson, his knuckles still stained from the fight, yet his expression remained calm, unreadable. He wiped his blade clean with a handkerchief, then tucked it away with an air of casual indifference.
Then, he turned those piercing golden eyes on her.
Raine's heart pounded.
There was something otherworldly about him. Something dangerous.
And yet, she felt it again-that same pull.
That same feeling she'd been trying to ignore all her life.
Her instincts screamed that she was not human.
But if she wasn't human, then what the hell was she?
Lucian took a step closer, his boots barely making a sound against the wet pavement. She flinched.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Scared, little wolf?" His voice was deep, laced with dark amusement.
Raine's stomach twisted. Little wolf.
That word sent a cold shiver through her spine.
She forced herself to hold his gaze, even as her body screamed at her to run.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said, her voice hoarse.
Lucian studied her for a moment, his golden eyes gleaming under the dim streetlight.
Then, he reached out-fast.
Raine barely had time to react before his fingers wrapped around her wrist.
The moment his skin touched hers-
A sharp, searing pain shot through her entire body.
Raine gasped, stumbling back. Her vision blurred for a split second, and then-
A glow.
A faint, silvery light bloomed from beneath her sleeve.
Lucian's eyes darkened. He yanked her closer, pulling her arm up so the sleeve slid back-
Revealing the crescent moon symbol burned into her skin.
Raine's breath hitched.
She had seen that mark before. It had appeared when she was a child, only to vanish just as quickly. But now, under his touch, it was glowing again.
Lucian's grip tightened slightly. His expression shifted.
Amusement was gone.
Now, he looked at her like she was something precious. Something he had just found after years of searching.
"You're not just any wolf," he murmured.
His voice was different this time. Lower. Hungrier.
Raine trembled.
Lucian's gaze lifted to meet hers, and when he spoke again-
It wasn't a question. It was a declaration.
"You're mine."
-
Elara never expected her life to become a battlefield. Offered as a peace offering to the ruthless and mysterious alpha, Aleksandr Volkov, she finds herself trapped in a dangerous world of power and magic. But when their fiery attraction ignites, it threatens to consume them both. Just as Elara begins to unravel Aleksandr's dark secrets - and her own hidden powers - Kaelen returns. Her childhood friend and a powerful sorcerer, Kaelen is determined to protect her, even if it means standing against the alpha she's bound to. Torn between two powerful men and hunted by enemies who crave her magic, Elara must decide where her heart and loyalty lie. But with war looming and betrayal at every turn, the wrong choice could destroy everything - including the love that could set her free.
Elena, once a pampered heiress, suddenly lost everything when the real daughter framed her, her fiancé ridiculed her, and her adoptive parents threw her out. They all wanted to see her fall. But Elena unveiled her true identity: the heiress of a massive fortune, famed hacker, top jewelry designer, secret author, and gifted doctor. Horrified by her glorious comeback, her adoptive parents demanded half her newfound wealth. Elena exposed their cruelty and refused. Her ex pleaded for a second chance, but she scoffed, “Do you think you deserve it?” Then a powerful magnate gently proposed, “Marry me?”
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."
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."
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.
Corinne devoted three years of her life to her boyfriend, only for it to all go to waste. He saw her as nothing more than a country bumpkin and left her at the altar to be with his true love. After getting jilted, Corinne reclaimed her identity as the granddaughter of the town’s richest man, inherited a billion-dollar fortune, and ultimately rose to the top. But her success attracted the envy of others, and people constantly tried to bring her down. As she dealt with these troublemakers one by one, Mr. Hopkins, notorious for his ruthlessness, stood by and cheered her on. “Way to go, honey!”
My name is Katia, and I am just trying to survive until my fated mate arrives. Which may be easier said than done. Rejectection is the last straw. Whispering my acceptance of his rejection. I run through the pack house, out across the manicured lawn into the forest. "I'm sorry, my sweet girl," I say to my wolf. I'm sorry you have been stuck with me and have had to suffer everything I have. She whispers," it's not your fault, Katia. We came to a cliff with a waterfall. The hurt keeps pounding at me. I need it to stop. My sweet girl, and I just want peace, I keep running and leap off the cliff. Spreading my arms wide, with tears streaming down my face, I fall, not making a sound, waiting for sweet oblivion where we feel nothing ever again. "I love you, my sweet girl! Until we meet again, "My wolf replied just before we hit the water, "I love you too, Katia. I have never regretted a moment with you." The Snow Moon pack is having their last barbecue of the summer next to the waterfall on their land. The adults are laughing and joking while watching the pups play. The alpha, beta, and gamma are swimming with some of the older children and playing a game of Marco Polo. Someone yells, "Oh my goddess, someone just jumped over the waterfall!" Everyone is frozen as they watch what looks to be a child falling arms spread wide, no one makes a sound. The small body hits the water like a plane crashing into the side of a mountain. The alpha, beta, and gamma, spring into action, swimming towards the area the person went under. The alpha is screaming his wolf is going crazy repeating, "Find her. Find her...find her!" They dive and the beta surfaces with a small person in his arms. Alpha takes the girl from his beta, laying her on the ground. The men are shocked by what they see. She is covered in scars and injuries. Her body is twisted and broken. The Beta asks, "Who could have done this to someone so defenseless?" Alpha drops to his knees, repeating, "MATE...MATE...MATE!"