"Damn them!" I scream. I sense my inner wolf and thwart his advances, yet he continually emerges. Jon is just another prick who dared to approach him with that blasted needle. Ophelia has left. I start to crawl into the dirt, letting my wolf come out and my shift take over. I bolt. Behind me, a hundred paws are striking the ground. I experience bursts of fire and anguish, yet everything is consumed by wrath. I awakened to see the light rising over the hills ahead of me. I blearily eye the orange disk. Is it dawning on you? I haven't let my wolf get to me since I was eighteen. "Alpha," croaks Jon's voice. Sticking to his bare, perspiring flesh are the filthy muck and forest debris. His lower face is covered in stubble, with dark circles under his eyes from weariness. He appears just as bad as I do. Ophelia. She's gone from me.
Ophelia
The air is simmering with the pungent tang of beer and barbecue. Running around, pups attempt to trap fireflies in jars. The identical game was played not too long ago, as I recall. The teens mix among themselves at the fringes of the crowd, out of sight of the watchful elders crammed into the benches and tables around the grandstand, close to the buffet tables.
Gideon is in the middle, surrounded by adoring pack members who are staring at him with pride in their eyes. They turn toward him, rejoicing in their hero. The TrueBorn Alpha Gideon Black of the Black Fur is the blessing of the Goddess on Earth.
I turn my head to see the puppies, and, as my shoulderblades chafe on the cotton of my dress, I just almost choke back a hiss. I just attempt to stay upright despite the pain I'm in while the rest of the pack celebrates. With my pale complexion and shadows under my eyes, I appear like a corpse wearing a stark white dress as I stand in the grand house's courtyard. I am alone and afraid that everyone is seeing me; I am standing in the middle of everything. Though I know logically that the dress covers up the bruises down my ribcage, I can't help but feel that everyone else is aware of them.
Would anyone be concerned? I take a quick look around. I experience invisibleness. I am by no means invited to join the clique that Gideon is making jokes about with his friends. He does nothing to stop his mistress, Lavinia, from stroking his arm and chest. It's not unfamiliar to feel the searing sensation in my belly with each touch. My heart is hurting too. To him and them, I am nothing more than their silly little Luna.
My wolf has also become tamed, accepting that her partner is an adulterous. Her feelings seeped into mine; the sense of betrayal was almost unbearable. Gideon looks up, undoubtedly looking for me, so I quickly control my emotions. Almost running over the big wolf standing behind me, I spin around to avoid his penetrating look.
"Whoa! "Be careful there," the blonde man says with a smile. "Are you drinking, Luna?" he asks in a lighthearted, playful manner.
I'm grinning broadly. "Hello, Sammy Quinton! You haven't been in my life."
"A minimum of a year! It's nice to see you again, damn. You've been missed.
I have also missed them. My pals are young, inexperienced wolves my age who continue to attend classes. Those wolves, content to live their lives, prowled in the shadows at the fringe of the celebration. Perhaps a few of them are going back to school. I know they would have had prom a month ago. One additional item that I was deprived of.
"I missed you all, too, so much," I respond. I sound so wistful that I almost wince. I hear the warning in my mind, "Ophelia, don't flirt." Avoid inciting him to rage.
"Are you all right, Luna Ophelia?" he asks, his smile fading.
I give a brief nod and try to make a grin. "I'm fine, thank you," I blurt out. With a playful tone, I add, "I'm not drunk, either!" "I'm only eighteen!"
"Old enough!" he smiles back, taunting her. "You were always more mature than us idiots, anyway."
I chuckle in his direction. I lack maturity. Not sufficient. Never quite enough. Insignificant.
He gives me a warm smile. "All right, how about I give you a delicious apple cider? preferred non-alcoholic beverage."
Notwithstanding the alarm bells in my mind, I find myself unwinding at his amiable demeanor. I want to drink. "Yes, I appreciate that. That would be really nice.
He fills one of the blue silo cups as we make our way to the refreshment table.
"Milady," he adds, holding out the cup with pride.
"Thank you, good sir!" I chuckled in return. "Seeing you again has been so pleasant. I appreciate the drink. Thank you." I know I should end this talk now, but this is a valuable moment. I feel nearly normal once more.
"Luna, the pleasure is entirely mine. Enjoy your fantastic evening." His eyes darken as his smile fades.
"Sammy?"
A sheepish look appears on his face as he shrugs. Holding my breath, I hoped he wasn't going to ask me to beg Gideon for a favor. The goddess is aware that I have no power over my partner.
"Oh... It was nice to see you again, Luna. "He stammers a little as he speaks.
"Are you OK?" Worried, I ask him.
"I guess," he shrugs once again. He murmurs, "Have a great night, Luna."
"You too, Sammy."
I wander off, hoping to get away from Gideon before he sees me chatting up another man. I am no longer able to see him. I slip back to the house since Sammy's attitude is making me uncomfortable and my ribs hurt.
With a sigh, I slide onto the bed and gingerly bend slightly to remove my shoes.
"Ophelia." I can feel my blood freeze at his angry voice. My fingers hesitate on the shoe straps. He sounds like he's furious. "You have the whiff of a cheap whore. You smell like that dude all over you," he growls.
I rise unsteadily to my feet and meet his molten gold eyes. "Gideon, I was only talking to..."
"Shut up!" My hair is tangled by a firm hand that pulls at the mass, launching pins throughout the room. He pushes my body onto the floor, sending my head bouncing hard on the wood, and I can't contain my yell of pain. For what seems like an hour but is probably only a few minutes, I see stars and am totally confused. He's already undoing his pants and pulling down my pants when I come.
"A bitch. He growls as he slams into my unprepared body, "You fucking slut." He repeatedly crashes into me, causing me to cry out in agony. His fist hits my aching ribs. "Shut up!"
I press my tongue so firmly that I can taste blood. I'm struggling to breathe after taking another blow to the opposite side of my rib cage. In addition to the existing bruises, the pain is unbearable, to the point where I can feel my head becoming fainter and fainter. With a yell of satisfaction, he climbs off me and finishes, only to turn me over and rip my dress off. I begin pleading as soon as I hear the belt whooshing.
"Please say no! Please, Gideon!" He slaps me across the back while I cry.
Ophelia, you're pathetic. Simply a cheap whore. "My friend," he spits, "the feeble, foolish, awkward Luna from Black Fur. "You are a source of shame! You're a slut; everyone knows that. A foolish, useless whore. Another flick of the belt punctuates each syllable.
The agony intensifies until it finally reaches the wonderful darkness.
The following morning, I was hardly able to move. My back is sticky from the ointment, lying on my stomach in bed. I can feel the delicate cotton underwear's elastic band. He dressed me entirely in it. On the bedside table are two painkillers and a glass of water. Gideon has vanished; he most likely left to sleep with one of his lovers after tidying me up. I am not sure if he is with someone else because I am experiencing pain throughout my body; however, I can feel the occasional twinge in my abdomen.
I hobbled over to the restroom. I take a few pills, hoping they will take effect quickly. I slide into the shower, turn on the water, and let it pound down my injured back and over my head. I can't smell like ointment around all the other wolves, even when it stings like hell. There are too many inquiries.
By the time I finish, I'm whimpering in agony. I try my best to clean my wounds. My back is mostly just bruised, with the exception of one lengthy scratch that is no longer bleeding. I'm almost out of first aid supplies; thank the goddess.
At least I've had time to get dressed and change the bed linens when there's a tap on the door. I yell to whoever is at the door, "I want to be left alone today."
"Luna? If you plan to help clean up after the celebration, Alpha wants to know."
"No."
At that very time, a powerful impulse to locate Ian and deliver my strongest blow to him struck me at three hundred miles per hour. Despite not knowing the answer myself, I lifted my little finger and wrapped it around Theo's, saying, "Pinky promise." "Silly," he chuckles. "That's supposed to be my line, you fucker," I say. "You and your beautiful, wide range of vocabulary," he continues. I inhale another of his sweet laughs, which fills the whole space. His laugh is so infectious that I can't help but chuckle too. I was well aware that it would be our final meal together until this wretched week was finally over.
"You ever brave enough to ask Emily out, wimp." I said back to Ivan. Mom clearly did not know about Ivan's liking toward Emily. She glared at Ivan and said "we'll talk about this later." "Good luck, she's angry you didn't tell her." I whispered to Ivan. He slightly pushed me, I laughed at him because his cheeks looked like a tomato. We reached the front of the Pack House. Everyone was lined up Alphabetically of their family name. Kat was still uneasy, she's been the most uneasy ever since I stepped out of the car. I still don't know what it is. Maybe She feels like danger is about to happen. How could any danger happen, we were a strong Pack. The Royal family was coming so that meant that we'd get help from them if a attack were to happen. Maybe I just really need to go on a run.
The werewolves had gained control of the earth long ago, and we humans had been reduced to their status as followers in the once-leading civilization. Although I was raised in this hierarchy, I still enjoy reading about the earlier eras when people were unaware of the species that now coexist peacefully with mankind. It seemed like a much better period to me and my father, who had inspired me to read. We humans were divided into packs at this point. My family was a member of the Crescent Moon pack for many generations, and just like the other humans, we were ranked lowest among the wolves in the group. entirely under the control of wolves. A similar set of laws was established by the government, although each pack had subtle variations based on the Alpha, the leader. Although it was claimed that we lacked a president or monarch to guide us all together, in a roundabout way, we did. The guy in charge of us all is none other than Alaricus Knight, also known as The Beast. Because of his immense power, no one would ever dare attempt to rebel against him. He was a recluse and was seldom seen. In my brief 17 years, I had never seen him myself. Even though the majority of people had never seen him, he had destroyed our lives because he had established a rule that could alter our course in life permanently. Werewolves have mates-soul mates, if you will-who they genuinely fall in love with at first sight or scent. Regardless of their relationship status, it is stated that a human can never deny a wolf their partner because a wolf cannot exist without their mate. It was said that the beast was close to 400 years old and had never had a partner. Nevertheless, he had destroyed everyone's life for something he had never even experienced. It was stated that he would never be able to have a partner since he was just too nasty and evil, and maybe that was true. Whoever could love the beast, after all?
Bianca's life takes a drastic turn when she's forced to work as a maid to the captivating mafia boss, Leonardo De Luca, to pay off her father's debt. As she navigates the intricate web of Leonardo's world, she's drawn into a complex dance of power, passion, and deception. Between serving coffee, attending college, and fighting off Leonardo's advances, Bianca must confront her own feelings and the reality of her situation. But as she becomes more entwined in the mafia's world, she realizes her heart is totally captivated. Will she find a way out, or forever be bound to the mafia?
What will occur after that, then? Not just one Alpha will follow me. Let me have two. I scream. I guess these individuals like to play poker with my life a lot. Alex said, "No one will come after you, Ava," and I slumped against the marble. Also, why is that? I queried. My eyebrows furrow as I gaze from Alex to Isadora and back to Alex. "Because once you do your job properly, there won't be any more Alphas," I say. I do, however, rely on Isadora to make things plain. "What does he mean?" I inquired about her. When she continues, "Once you deliver us the blue moonstone, we will harvest its power to immortalize Alex, and once that is done, we will destroy the stone, thereby destroying every Alpha in existence," her eyes turn silver and gleam forever.
For Amanda, a 24-year-old college student, it's only a one-night affair. Her mother is determined to use her infant father to improve their precarious situation after she sees him on the cover of a magazine labeled as a billionaire and a Casanova. A 26-year-old billionaire named Derek has had strong sexual desires ever since his encounter with Amanda. Having a baby is not at all important to him, and he has no interest in keeping a woman. He first denies knowing about Amanda's pregnancy until Amanda's mother threatens to ruin his reputation. Will Derek consent to the union? Will Amanda continue to be pregnant despite being rejected? Will she be able to handle it when he calls her names and tells her that he doesn't want her?
Julia and Evan were the perfect couple-or so she thought. But everything changed when Evan abruptly ended their relationship, leaving her heartbroken and unable to tell him she was carrying his child. Years later, Julia has built a life for herself and her son, Andy, while Evan has risen to unimaginable wealth and success. Their paths cross again at a chance meeting, but Julia soon discovers Evan has moved on with someone else. Julia is done with the pain. She's fought battles alone, raising a son who deserves the truth about his father, even if Evan doesn't deserve her forgiveness. When Julia told Evan years ago she had something to say, he didn't listen. Now, it's time for him to listen. But is it too late to reclaim what he lost? "We should break up," he'd said, the words cutting through her like glass. The pregnancy test in her pocket stayed hidden, just like the child they would never share. Now, it's Evan's turn to hear the truth-and to face his deepest regret.
After two years of marriage, Kristian dropped a bombshell. "She's back. Let's get divorced. Name your price." Freya didn't argue. She just smiled and made her demands. "I want your most expensive supercar." "Okay." "The villa on the outskirts." "Sure." "And half of the billions we made together." Kristian froze. "Come again?" He thought she was ordinary—but Freya was the genius behind their fortune. And now that she'd gone, he'd do anything to win her back.
Kaelyn devoted three years tending to her husband after a terrible accident. But once he was fully recovered, he cast her aside and brought his first love back from abroad. Devastated, Kaelyn decided on a divorce as people mocked her for being discarded. She went on to reinvent herself, becoming a highly sought-after doctor, a champion racer, and an internationally renowned architectural designer. Even then, the traitors sneered in disdain, believing Kaelyn would never find someone. But then the ex-husband’s uncle, a powerful warlord, returned with his army to ask for Kaelyn’s hand in marriage.
June Rivera was divorced by her husband after three years of marriage because he wanted to be with her sister who was pregnant for him. Kicked to the curb with a divorce and rejected by her parents,she struggles to make ends meet and get a job until she saves Luis Ambrose from an accident - the only child of Rafael Ambrose, a widowed man and the CEO of Ambrose Corporation. When little Luis asks to have her as a nanny, and Rafael's mother pressures him to get married, they draw a contract. To be Luis's nanny and his fake wife for one year in exchange for 50 million dollars!
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."
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.