Celeste lived in the shadow of her mate, Alpha Kieran. The man she was destined for but never truly wanted. Manipulated by his pack, he turned against her, allowing cruelty and torment to shape her days. But when Celeste finally reaches her breaking point, she does what no Luna has dared before. She rejects her Alpha. Cast aside and broken, she vanishes, only to rise stronger than anyone could have imagined. A powerful second-chance mate awaits her, an Alpha who sees her worth, not her weakness. But as she steps into her true power, rival packs seek to claim her, fearing the legend she is becoming. And when Kieran realizes his greatest mistake, he fights to win back the mate he never deserved. Too bad for him, Celeste is done being anyone's to claim. Now, feared and untouchable, she will decide her own fate.
The night air carried the scent of pine and damp earth, a familiar comfort Celeste had always loved. Yet, as she stood near the edge of the packhouse courtyard, that comfort felt distant, slipping through her fingers like sand. Laughter echoed from within, a celebration she should have been a part of. Instead, she lingered in the shadows, her presence unnoticed. Or ignored.
She wasn't sure which hurt more.
"Celeste."
She turned at the sound of Kieran's voice. Her mate. Her Alpha. His dark eyes met hers, but there was something missing-a warmth that had once been undeniable.
"You shouldn't stand out here alone," he said, but his voice lacked the concern it once held.
"I was just getting some air."
He hesitated. A beat too long. Then, with a nod, he turned back toward the packhouse without inviting her inside.
The door shut behind him, sealing her out.
Something was changing. She could feel it like the first crack in an ice-covered lake. Barely there, but deep enough to warn of the cold waters below.
And she had no idea how to stop it.
Celeste exhaled slowly, forcing herself to stay still as the cold night pressed against her skin. She wasn't fragile. She wasn't weak. But the sting of Kieran's indifference cut deeper than she wanted to admit.
She turned toward the tree line, her wolf restless beneath her skin. Run, it whispered, but she ignored it. Running wouldn't change anything. Running wouldn't fix the way Kieran had stopped looking at her like she was his.
The door to the packhouse swung open again, spilling golden light onto the courtyard. Voices carried-excited, unguarded.
"She's not strong enough to be our Luna."
Celeste stiffened.
Another voice, lower but no less cruel, responded, "Kieran will see it soon enough. A weak mate makes a weak Alpha."
A sharp laugh followed, and the door shut before she could hear more.
Her fingers curled into fists. It wasn't the first time she had heard the whispers, the doubts. At first, she had told herself it was nothing. That the pack would warm to her, that they would see her worth. But now, even Kieran seemed to be slipping away, caught in the tide of their opinions.
The tension had started small-an unspoken shift in how the pack regarded her. Fewer nods of respect, more lingering glances of skepticism. Then, Kieran had begun pulling away, missing their shared training sessions, speaking to her less, standing a little farther away during meetings.
Now, it was like she was an outsider in her own home.
A rustle in the trees made her snap her head up, her senses sharpening.
"Still hiding out here?"
Celeste turned to see Rowan, Kieran's Beta and one of the few wolves who hadn't treated her differently. His dark brown hair was tousled, and he studied her with quiet concern.
"I'm not hiding," she murmured, but the words felt hollow.
Rowan leaned against the fence beside her. "You heard them, didn't you?"
Celeste swallowed. "It doesn't matter."
"It does." His jaw tightened. "They're testing him, Celeste. They know he listens to them more than he should."
Her throat ached at the truth of it. "He's my mate. He's supposed to stand by me."
Rowan hesitated, then said carefully, "An Alpha is only as strong as his pack, and Kieran...he's not fighting them the way he should."
A cold weight settled in her stomach.
"He's letting them turn him against me," she whispered.
Rowan didn't confirm it, but he didn't deny it either.
The truth had never felt so sharp.
Celeste exhaled, steadying herself against the weight of Rowan's words. She wanted to believe Kieran would never turn against her. That the mate bond, the connection they had shared for years, would be enough to hold him to her. But doubt curled around her ribs, tightening like a vice.
Rowan shifted beside her, arms crossed. "You need to be careful."
"Careful?" she echoed, her voice barely above a whisper.
"The pack is watching. Waiting. If they sense weakness, they'll push harder. And Kieran..." He hesitated. "He's already slipping."
Celeste bit the inside of her cheek. She had known for a while that something was wrong, but hearing it spoken aloud made it feel more real, more irreversible.
A gust of wind swept through the courtyard, rustling the trees. Somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted, a lonely sound in the otherwise silent night.
Celeste turned her gaze toward the packhouse, its windows glowing warmly against the darkness. Inside, Kieran was surrounded by his pack, by wolves who questioned her strength, who whispered doubts into his ears.
Would he listen?
Had he already?
A familiar ache spread through her chest.
She had fought so hard to be a Luna worthy of him, of this pack. She had trained beside the warriors, studied the history of their laws, dedicated herself to proving she belonged.
And yet, it still wasn't enough.
Rowan's voice softened. "You don't have to fight this alone."
Celeste looked at him, at the genuine concern in his eyes. But what could he do? He was Kieran's Beta. His loyalty belonged to the Alpha, not to her.
"I can handle it," she said, forcing strength into her voice.
Rowan held her gaze for a long moment before sighing. "Just...don't let them break you, Celeste."
She swallowed hard. "They won't."
But as she stood there, watching the warm light of the packhouse flicker against the night, she wasn't sure she believed it.
Because something told her the worst was yet to come.
Selene never wanted a mate, especially not him. Born an outcast, she had spent her life hiding her true identity, surviving as a rogue, and staying far away from the pack politics that had once destroyed her family. But fate had other plans. She finds herself bound to the ruthless Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, Killian Wolfe. Killian was a monster feared by all. Bound to a prophecy that doomed him to darkness, he had rejected every mate chosen by the Moon Goddess, knowing that anyone bonded to him would share his curse. But when Selene crashes into his territory, carrying secrets that could break or complete his fate, he finds himself unable to let her go. She belonged to him. Even if claiming her meant his own destruction.
Life was a bed of roses for Debra, the daughter of Alpha. That was until she had a one-night stand with Caleb. She was sure he was her mate as determined by Moon Goddess. But this hateful man refused to accept her. Weeks passed before Debra discovered that she was pregnant. Her pregnancy brought shame to her and everyone she loved. Not only was she driven out, but her father was also hunted down by usurpers. Fortunately, she survived with the help of the mysterious Thorn Edge Pack. Five years passed and Debra didn't hear anything from Caleb. One day, their paths crossed again. They were both on the same mission—carrying out secret investigations in the dangerous Roz Town for the safety and posterity of their respective packs. Caleb was still cold toward her. But as time went on, he fell head over heels in love with her. He tried to make up for abandoning her, but Debra wasn't having any of it. She was hell-bent on hiding her daughter from him and also making a clean break. What did the future hold for the two as they journeyed in Roz Town? What kind of secrets would they find? Would Caleb win Debra's heart and get to know his lovely daughter? Find out!
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?”
They don't know I'm a girl. They all look at me and see a boy. A prince. Their kind purchase humans like me for their lustful desires. And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too. The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance. How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom? I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy. But then, the most important person in their savage land-their ruthless beast king-took an interest in the "pretty little prince." How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy? And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave? . AUTHOR'S NOTE. This is a dark romance-dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+ Expect triggers, expect hardcore. If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in! . From the author of the international bestselling book: "The Alpha King's Hated Slave."
Veronica is an eighteen-year-old omega who falls into an emotional breakdown when her Mate, who was soon to be the Alpha of the Sun crest pack, turns against her, hurls hurtful words at her, and rejects her on the night of the full moon festival because he and everyone in the pack, including her, thinks she is an omega. As if the pain of rejection, helplessness, and worthlessness wasn't enough, she lost her best and only friend to the cold hands of death when rogue wolves attacked their pack. Right in the presence of her mate, she was tagged as someone who always attracted problems and calamities anywhere she went and he turned a blind eye and watched as she was banished from the pack. With hatred for her life, she runs deep into the woods that were off-limits and jumps off to end her life, but in a turn of events, something else happens. What would her mate do when he finds out that Veronica is not who he thinks she is? Will she be able to forgive him? What fate lies ahead for them?
On the day of their wedding anniversary, Joshua's mistress drugged Alicia, and she ended up in a stranger's bed. In one night, Alicia lost her innocence, while Joshua's mistress carried his child in her womb. Heartbroken and humiliated, Alicia demanded a divorce, but Joshua saw it as yet another tantrum. When they finally parted ways, she went on to become a renowned artist, sought out and admired by everyone. Consumed by regret, Joshua darkened her doorstep in hopes of reconciliation, only to find her in the arms of a powerful tycoon. "Say hello to your sister-in-law."
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?"