Category: Werewolf Romance Books

  • Rejected by the Prince, Claimed by the Alpha King novel by Yana _ Shadow

    Rejected by the Prince, Claimed by the Alpha King novel by Yana _ Shadow

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    My fiancé, Prince Damian, cast me aside to marry Clarissa for her family’s political backing.

    At their grand royal wedding, I was expected to smile and quietly accept my humiliation.

    Instead, I drank a potent herbal concoction I brewed myself and stumbled into the private chambers of his father, Alpha King Aldric.

    When the Queen and my ex-fiancé finally broke down the heavy oak door, they found me weeping on the floor, my dress torn, holding a silver dagger to my own heart.

    “My honor… it’s ruined,” I sobbed.

    Damian fell to his knees in front of the entire court, begging his father to let him take me as a second mate, completely humiliating his new bride.

    The King roared in fury at the scandal. To “protect” me from his son’s obsession, he decreed I be exiled to Vargan’s Reach, the freezing, barbarian-infested North.

    The Queen smirked, thinking she had finally disposed of me. Damian cried, thinking he had lost his true love forever. The King watched me leave with deep guilt in his eyes, thinking I was a fragile, ruined Omega who almost died from shame.

    But as my carriage rolled out of the capital, I wiped away my fake tears and smiled.

    They didn’t know the North was my family’s loyal stronghold, and I had orchestrated this entire disaster myself.

    My revenge had just begun.

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    Rejected by the Prince, Claimed by the Alpha King Chapter 1

    Seraphina Beaumont POV:
    I leaned against the cold stone of the corridor, the sound of cheers from the banquet hall a physical blow. Damian and his new bride, Clarissa, were accepting the court’s blessings. Each wave of applause felt like a needle pricking my eardrums.
    Clarissa wasn’t content with taking Damian from me—she wanted to destroy me completely.
    Before the ceremony began, she handed me a glass of wine, claiming she sought my blessing. The moment I caught the scent of that drink, I knew something was wrong. But I said nothing. I only pretended to drink it. She had no idea that the blade she handed me would be turned against herself.
    From a hidden pocket in my gown, I pulled a small silver flask, intricately carved with my family’s crest. My fingers trembled from excitement.
    I uncorked the stopper.
    A strange scent, a mix of moonpetal and bitter wormwood, escaped. It was a potent herbal concoction I had spent months brewing, using knowledge from the oldest texts in my family’s library.
    Its purpose wasn’t arousal. It was designed to amplify emotion and sensory input, to make the drinker appear utterly vulnerable, a state of distress so profound it could deceive even the most powerful Alpha.
    An image of Damian’s handsome, treacherous face flashed in my mind. He had sworn I was his only moonlight, yet he cast me aside for the support of the Montgomery family without a second thought.
    I brought the flask to my lips and drank the deep purple liquid in one go.
    The spicy, herbal taste burned my throat. A wave of heat shot through my limbs, and my vision began to blur at the edges. This was it.
    Stumbling, I braced myself against the wall and moved deeper into the corridor. My destination was the royal family’s private wing, where my true target was waiting: Alpha King Aldric.
    I deliberately tore at the hem of my dress, pulling it into disarray. I loosened my silver hair, letting strands cling to my cheeks, which were already flushed from the potion.
    My inner wolf, the white wolf of my bloodline, howled in protest at this self-inflicted weakness. I crushed its dissent with the force of my will. To appear as a helpless Omega was the first step of my plan.
    Finally, I reached a massive oak door carved with the lion and wolf of the Carlisle royal crest. I knew the King was inside.
    I didn’t knock.
    Instead, I threw my body against the door with all the feigned weakness I could muster. The dull thud was followed by the sound of my body sliding to the floor.
    Silence.
    The lack of response from within made my heart skip a beat. This was an unexpected obstacle.
    Gritting my teeth, I raised a hand and slapped it weakly against the wood, letting out a soft whimper that was a perfect blend of pain and confusion.
    The door clicked open.
    A pair of black, military-style boots entered my blurry field of vision.
    My eyes traveled up the long, powerful legs to the towering figure that now loomed over me, casting me in shadow.
    He was Alpha King Aldric Carlisle, a living legend, the ruler of our kingdom with Lycan blood in his veins.
    I forced my potion-widened eyes to focus, my violet pupils reflecting his face. His eyes were the color of ice-gray steel, and just as cold.
    “Who are you?” he asked. His voice was a low, chilling rumble, like ice cracking over a deep lake.
    I opened my mouth, but only a broken gasp escaped. My body began to tremble, a perfect performance of a weak Omega overwhelmed by a dominant Alpha’s presence.
    His scent, a powerful and mix of cedar and obsidian, flooded my senses, making my feigned reaction feel terrifyingly real.
    I tried to scramble to my feet, but my legs felt like water. I collapsed back onto the cold floor, tears welling in my eyes.
    A flicker of annoyance crossed Aldric’s brow. He was already losing patience with this intrusion.
    Just as I thought he would call the guards to drag me away, I took my final chance. I reached out a trembling hand and grasped the hem of his trousers.
    “Help… me…” I forced out the words, my voice raspy and desperate.
    His gaze sharpened, boring into me as if trying to see my soul. He crouched down, his powerful Alpha pheromones washing over me like a tidal wave.
    He didn’t help me up.
    Instead, he grabbed my arm, his grip rough and devoid of pity, and hauled me to my feet.
    My body slammed against his chest. It was like hitting a wall of solid muscle, and the impact made my head spin.
    He bent his head, his cold nose almost touching the side of my neck, the most vulnerable spot for a wolf. He was scenting me.
    I could feel the exact moment his body went rigid. He must have smelled it—the scent I had created. The pure lily of my natural scent, now mixed with the overwhelming stench of an Omega’s terror, all thanks to the herbs.
    I closed my eyes, a single tear finally escaping and tracing a path down my cheek. I let my body go limp in his arms, giving up the “fight.”
    The instant I collapsed, his arm tightened around me, a purely instinctual move to keep me from falling. That subconscious, protective gesture told me everything.
    My first step was a success.
    He swept me up into his arms, his stride long and powerful as he carried me back into the room. The door slammed shut behind us, kicked closed by his heel.
    I was not placed gently on a bed. I was tossed onto the plush rug in the center of the room.
    He stood over me, his expression unreadable as he studied me like a hunter examining its captured prey.
    I knew I was getting closer to victory, but my face was still a mask of carefully crafted fear.
    He moved closer, his shadow swallowing me whole. “Tell me,” his voice was laced with unquestionable authority, “who sent you?”

    Rejected by the Prince, Claimed by the Alpha King Chapter 2

    Genevieve Montgomery POV:
    I held my crystal goblet with practiced elegance, a perfect smile fixed on my face as I accepted congratulations from the visiting Pack Alphas. I was the Luna Queen, and I played my part flawlessly.
    Across the grand hall, my son, Damian, the heir to the kingdom, stood with his new bride, Clarissa. They were about to receive the Elder’s blessing.
    Clarissa was my niece, and this union would solidify our Montgomery family’s position at the heart of the kingdom. It was a masterpiece of political maneuvering.
    My gaze swept the assembled guests, searching for a flash of silver hair. Seraphina Beaumont. She was absent.
    A sliver of unease worked its way into my heart. The Beaumont girl was always impeccably polite. Her absence from an event of this magnitude was highly unusual.
    I caught the eye of my personal handmaiden, Agnes, and gave a subtle nod. She understood immediately and slipped away into the crowd to find out what had happened to Seraphina.
    The ceremony began. The Elder’s deep voice echoed through the hall, but I saw Damian’s eyes dart towards the entrance. He was looking for her.
    I let out a silent, cold scoff. My son was still foolishly obsessed with that woman. It only strengthened my resolve to remove Seraphina Beaumont as a potential problem. Permanently.
    Just as Damian was about to place the ceremonial mating necklace around Clarissa’s neck, a young servant girl burst into the hall, her face pale with panic.
    She was a wolfless, I noted with disdain. No inner wolf, no ability to use the mind-link. She had to deliver her news in the most primitive, disruptive way possible. It was why they were kept to menial tasks, away from important functions.
    Guards moved to intercept her, but she shrieked, “Your Majesty! Something has happened!”
    Every head in the hall turned. The ceremony ground to a halt. A low murmur of whispers spread through the guests like a disease.
    My face hardened into a mask of cold fury. Whatever this was, interrupting the royal wedding ceremony was an unforgivable insult to the crown.
    “Let her pass,” I commanded, my voice like ice. I would deal with this quickly and brutally. “What is so important that you would dare to cause such a scene?”
    The girl, whose name I believed was Daisy, fell to her knees, trembling. “The Sunstone Chamber… Your Majesty, in the King’s own chambers… there are… there are a woman’s cries!”
    My heart stopped. The Sunstone Chamber was Aldric’s private sanctuary. No woman, other than myself, was ever permitted to enter.
    I saw Damian’s face drain of all color. He swayed on his feet, his body trembling as if he’d been struck.
    Clarissa froze, her hand flying to her mouth as she grabbed Damian’s arm for support, her eyes wide with fear.
    “What kind of cries?” I demanded, forcing myself to remain calm, to control the narrative.
    Daisy’s face was now bright red. “C-crying…” she stammered. “And… and begging…”
    The hall exploded.
    The whispers became a roar of speculation. The King, forcing a woman in his private chambers? On the night of his son’s wedding? The scandal was unthinkable. It was a stain on our family, on my son.
    I had to crush this immediately.
    “Nonsense!” I snapped, my voice sharp and cruel. “A wolfless servant girl, spreading vicious lies! Take her away! Cut out her tongue!”
    My order quieted some of the noise, but the faces of the guests were filled with a hungry, vicious curiosity.
    As the guards moved to drag Daisy away, Damian cried out, “Mother! Wait!”
    He rushed to my side, his blue eyes bloodshot with worry. “Seraphina is missing. I’m worried that… what if it’s Seraphina?”
    My heart clenched again. If it was her, this was far more complicated than a simple bit of palace gossip.
    I looked at my son’s panicked face, then at Clarissa, who was on the verge of tears. Fury burned in my chest.
    “Be quiet,” I hissed, my voice low and dangerous. “Do you want everyone here to know you are still pining for that woman? Do you want to turn your own wedding into a joke?”
    Damian fell silent, but the desperate worry in his eyes remained.
    Just then, Agnes reappeared at my side, her face grim. “Your Majesty,” she whispered, “Lady Beaumont is indeed missing. Her maid said she felt unwell and left the feast early.”
    My heart sank into a pit of ice. Seraphina. Aldric. It couldn’t be.
    I had to see for myself. I would not let this scandal destroy everything I had built for my son.
    “The ceremony is paused,” I announced to the stunned crowd. “I will return shortly.”
    Without another word, I gathered my skirts and, with a contingent of my personal guard, swept out of the hall, my path set for the Sunstone Chamber.

    Rejected by the Prince, Claimed by the Alpha King Chapter 3

    Seraphina Beaumont POV:
    I knelt on the rug, the sheer force of the Alpha King’s presence pressing down on me, making it hard to breathe.
    “Who sent you?” Aldric’s voice echoed in the silent room, a command wrapped in cold steel.
    I shook my head, feeling tears blur my vision. “No… no one,” I whispered, my voice breaking. “I was… I was lost…”
    The excuse sounded flimsy, but I knew the potion coursing through my veins made my fear, my helplessness, so authentic that it would cloak the lie in a shroud of truth.
    Aldric let out a cold, humorless laugh. “Lost? You got lost and ended up in my private chambers?”
    He crouched down, his fingers gripping my chin, forcing my head up so I had to meet his gaze. “Look at me, little thing. My patience is wearing thin.”
    It was then that I heard it. The muffled sound of footsteps and hushed, angry voices from outside the door. Queen Genevieve. She was faster than I’d anticipated.
    The opportunity had come. I had to make the situation… irreversible… before she came in.
    A spark of calculated madness ignited within me. I wrenched my chin from his grasp and scrambled away, launching myself toward a decorative stone pillar in the corner of the room.
    I never intended to hit it, of course. The gesture was all that mattered—the act of a desperate, honorable maiden choosing death over shame.
    Aldric’s reaction was faster than I could have dreamed. With a low growl, he moved like a black bolt of lightning, closing the distance in a heartbeat.
    His powerful arm wrapped around my waist, yanking me back against his unyielding chest. “You want to die?” he roared, his hot breath fanning across my ear, sending an involuntary shiver down my spine.
    This was the moment. I began to struggle violently in his arms, letting out a piercing scream that was a perfect symphony of terror and violation.
    The sound was sharp enough to cut through the thick oak door, a clear message to everyone waiting outside.
    From beyond the door, Genevieve’s voice came, tight with suppressed fury. “Your Majesty! It is I, Genevieve! Open this door!”
    I felt Aldric’s body tense. He clearly hadn’t expected his queen to arrive with an audience.
    I took my cue and cried out louder, my voice filled with pathetic sobs, “Let me go! Please… let me go…”
    My performance made everything before them appear all the more real.
    Aldric’s face was a mask of thunder. He shoved me away from him. “Be quiet!” he snarled.
    Outside, Genevieve, hearing no reply, gave the order, “Break down the door!”
    A flash of pure irritation crossed Aldric’s face. He smoothed his tunic, strode to the door, and wrenched it open.
    There stood the Queen, flanked by her guards. Behind her, a pale and trembling Clarissa. When Clarissa saw me, looking every bit the victim, she gasped and covered her mouth. She had certainly wished to see me like this, but not here.
    Genevieve’s eyes, sharp as daggers, raked over my pathetic form before landing on Aldric. “Aldric,” she said, her voice shaking with rage, “you will give me an explanation!”
    The guards behind her stared at the floor, refusing to witness the high drama unfolding.
    With everyone now present, I seized the moment and spoke weakly, “The wine… I drank a glass of wine and started feeling strange…”
    Before I could even utter Clarissa’s name, she looked like she was about to faint. “No… it wasn’t me… I don’t know…” she stammered, her panicked eyes giving away the lie.
    Genevieve understood at once. Her own foolish niece had orchestrated this disaster.
    The Queen’s body trembled with fury. She forced a semblance of calm and turned back to Aldric. “Your Majesty, this is all a misunderstanding. Clarissa is young and foolish, I will handle…”
    She was trying to frame it as a petty squabble between women, a mess she could clean up by quietly disposing of me.
    But she had misjudged the King. An Alpha King’s pride, especially when his authority was questioned in his own territory, was a dangerous thing.
    Before Genevieve could finish, Aldric cut her off, his voice dropping to a lethal calm. “Enough. All of you, get out.”
    The command stunned everyone into silence, including the Queen.
    After Clarissa tearfully confessed to using a rare herb, the furious Queen slapped her across the face, the sound echoing in the tense hallway. The bond between aunt and niece was visibly fractured.
    Aldric slammed the door shut, plunging the room back into a heavy silence.
    He turned to face me, his ice-gray eyes filled with a complex, unreadable expression.

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  • The Defiant Omega: Rejecting My Cheating Alpha novel by Mohamed Mohamed

    The Defiant Omega: Rejecting My Cheating Alpha novel by Mohamed Mohamed

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    I woke up from a suffocating void, my twenty-eight years of experience as a top-tier operative merging with the tragic life of a weak Omega named Adeline Cobb.

    Today was supposed to be my sacred Marking ceremony with my fated mate, Alpha Prince Angelo.

    Instead, I woke up paralyzed by a chemical lethargy my wicked stepmother had slipped me, only to find my fiancé bare-chested in my bed, entangled with my illegitimate half-sister, Ainsley.

    When she saw me awake, Ainsley didn’t panic. She just snuggled deeper into his arms with a triumphant, provocative smirk.

    Angelo didn’t even sit up. He looked at me with high-handed contempt.

    “Since you’re awake, just stay quiet. Don’t disturb me.”

    When I called them out on their disgusting betrayal, his face turned furious. He crashed his powerful Alpha pheromones over me to force my submission.

    He even threatened to publicly initiate The Rejection right then and there, aiming to completely destroy my reputation and subject me to the soul-deep agony of a severed mate-bond.

    A man who cheats on his fated mate has no right to invoke the Moon Goddess. I felt the original Adeline’s heartbreak, but beneath it burned the absolute, cold hatred of my past life.

    How dare a prince with no honor and a shameless bastard think they could step all over me?

    They expected me to cry, to beg, to have a hysterical breakdown.

    Instead, I looked at him with icy detachment.

    “This rejection will happen. But it will be me who initiates it.”

    After fighting my way out of the manor and extorting my late mother’s massive dowry back from my abusive father, I returned to the Prince’s estate.

    This time, I’m going to make him the first Alpha in history to be publicly dumped by his Omega, and I will take back everything that belongs to me.

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    The Defiant Omega: Rejecting My Cheating Alpha Chapter 1

    Adeline Cobb POV:
    “Oh, sister, you’re awake,” a voice said, so sweet it was sickening. “You look so pale. Are you unwell?”
    My sister Aisili, disheveled, leaned against my fiancé, Prince Angelo Hamilton. Seeing me awake, she actually added provocation to her eyes and, without a care for anyone else, kissed the completely naked man still in his beast-eared state.
    I forced my eyes open and realized I had been drugged with something that made me groggy. What met my eyes was the dim light of the bedroom and layer upon layer of gauze curtains.
    Then, previous memories surged crazily into my mind. I saw myself drugged by my stepmother Lady Ginny, saw myself full of heart and hope, putting on the expensive white wedding dress, wanting to marry my fated mate, the Alpha Prince. I imagined marriage would be my salvation, helping me escape the shackles of the Wallace family, and from then on, the sky would be high and the sea wide, and we would stay together until our hair turned white, never apart. But it was all false.
    On the wedding night, my fiancé had sex with my sister. This was supposed to be the wedding bed belonging to me and Angelo, but now I could only watch as Angelo cheated and betrayed me. The primal, soul-deep pain of the violated mate bond tore me apart. The dream that had begun in my girlhood shattered. As much as I had once wanted to marry him, that was how much I now hated him.
    I let out a mocking snort. What a pair of shameless lovers. Mother was absolutely right. Not a single man is reliable. I remembered her words before she died: “Before you are strong enough, you must endure and lie low. Don’t let others know who you are.”
    Since childhood, I had received secret training from my mother: combat, tactics, weapon design, herbology. Before she died, my mother passed on to me all her lifelong knowledge and the secrets of the family legacy. Over the years, I had tried my best to disguise myself as a weak omega. I knew that once I was exposed, being eliminated by my father and stepmother was only a matter of time. A marriage with the royal family was unreliable. In the end, I still had to rely on myself.
    Angelo finally moved his gaze away from Aisili. His amber eyes, when they met mine, held no guilt at all. There was only the displeasure of being interrupted and a kind of arrogant contempt.
    In the air, the pheromones of the three of us intertwined: lily, wood, and that nauseating peach blossom scent.
    Angelo lazily draped an outer robe over himself, released the oppressive aura belonging to an Alpha, leaned lazily against the headboard, and put away his beast ears. “Since you’re awake, stay quiet and don’t disturb my fun.”
    I forced myself to stay conscious. Out of habit I wanted to find a knife to defend myself, and I subconsciously touched the callus on the web of my hand. Realizing I was still wearing a wedding dress and had no handy tool, I pinched my palm hard until it bled, forcing myself to stay calm. I coldly shifted my gaze to them, like a predator observing two stupid, trapped prey, unwavering.
    My silence made them uneasy. Aisili’s smile froze. Angelo’s brows furrowed slightly.
    “Disturb?” I finally spoke. My voice was hoarse from the drug, but every word was like a shard of ice. “I think you’ve made a mistake.”
    My gaze swept over them. Thinking of how their bodies had been tangled together earlier, my disgust almost solidified in the air. “This room was prepared for my marking ceremony. This bed is mine. This man… was once mine.”
    I paused, watching the color drain from Aisili’s face. “But I’ve never been very interested in used things. Especially not this kind of secondhand goods.”
    Angelo’s face flushed dark red, furious. His powerful Alpha pheromones were no longer simply released but came straight at me, trying to force me to submit. “Adeline! Watch your tone!”
    I ignored that pressure. Years of secret training had made me nearly immune to such oppressive force. I turned my gaze to Aisili. “And you, my dear sister.”
    I said each word slowly and deliberately. “A bastard daughter who doesn’t even have the right to appear at court actually climbed into the prince’s bed through such means. And you’re not even my stepmother’s child—you’re just the illegitimate daughter of my ‘good father’ and his mistress. Not a drop of legitimate blood in you. No family behind you. Nothing. And you think this is a victory?”
    “You…” Aisili trembled with rage, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. She turned to Angelo and used her usual “damsel in distress” act. “Your Highness, look at her… Sister is really speaking so unpleasantly today…”
    But I didn’t give her more time to perform. I propped up my weak body and swung my legs off the bed.
    Step by step, I walked slowly toward them. Each step was like a heavy hammer striking at their fragile dignity.
    I stopped beside the bed and looked down at them. “A prince without honor, and a bastard daughter without shame. The two of you are truly a match made in heaven.”
    I smoothed the wrinkles on my wedding dress and announced the final verdict in a flat voice. “I have no interest in taking part in this farce. Please continue.”
    Aisili’s eyes rolled upward, so angry she looked as if she might faint at any moment.
    Actually, when I walked over, I had wanted to kick each of them once, but unfortunately I didn’t have much strength left and could only say harsh words. I realized that I first had to reclaim my rightful status as heir, plan step by step, and only then could I truly complete my revenge. Since we had already torn off all pretense, there was no need for me to keep pretending.
    For the first time, a flicker of shock, even panic, crossed Angelo’s face. He had clearly expected tears, pleas, hysteria, not this cold, detached indifference.
    Aisili lunged at me, trying to grab my hair. I couldn’t even be bothered to lift my foot. I just dodged lightly to the side and watched as my sister, who had thrown herself straight off the bed, fell flat on her back with her limbs sprawled.
    I didn’t look at them again. I turned and walked toward the door, my back straight and my head held high.
    My hand had just touched the cold bronze handle of the door. The wolf head carved on the beast-shaped ornament was lifelike.
    Angelo’s furious voice roared from behind me, echoing through the luxurious palace chamber.
    “Adeline Cobb! If you walk out that door, I will reject you publicly this instant and turn you into a disgrace to the kingdom!”
    I didn’t look back. I paused for only a moment and responded with one final, contemptuous scoff.
    “Suit yourself.”
    Then, without hesitation, I pulled the door open, walked out, and shut it tightly behind me, leaving the filth, shock, and fury shut inside.

    The Defiant Omega: Rejecting My Cheating Alpha Chapter 2

    Adeline Cobb POV:
    I walked into the corridor, the wedding gown dragging across the cold stone floor, heavy and pure white, far too conspicuous in a palace full of guards.
    I had to get rid of this dress.
    I slipped into a servant’s alcove tucked between two marble pillars. After a moment of fumbling, the buttons finally gave way, my fingers still clumsy from the drug, and the gown slid from my shoulders, pooling at my feet. I changed into the simple riding clothes hanging nearby: a dark grey set that would let me move freely. My hand brushed against something cold in the pocket, a silver needle, thin and sharp. It was already there, tucked into the riding coat. I had no idea who left it, and I didn’t care. Now it was the only weapon I had.
    I quickened my pace, counting guard posts and memorizing exits. The palace sprawled like a maze, but I knew every corner. I had spent months here, preparing for a wedding that had become a joke, memorizing the layout in my idle hours. My legs remained weak, but I could still move. I pressed my palm against the wall for a moment, steadying myself, biting the inside of my cheek until I tasted the metallic tang of blood. The pain sharpened my mind.
    Then I heard running footsteps.
    “Adeline Cobb!”
    A hand grabbed my shoulder and spun me around. My back slammed into the cold stone wall, his body boxing me in, one forearm pressed against the marble beside my head. Angelo had only managed to throw on the dark silk robe from before, hastily, the front still hanging open, revealing his bare chest and the traces of the night’s debauchery.
    His amber eyes burned with fury. His Alpha pheromones crashed over me like a tidal wave, the kind of force that would make any normal Omega’s knees buckle and head bow in submission.
    My knees trembled. The drug made it worse, a dull ache spreading through my legs. But I looked up at him, my face a mask of ice.
    “I told you to stop. You can’t leave,” he growled, his voice low and dangerous.
    “I heard you,” I said flatly. “I just don’t care.”
    Something flickered in his eyes, shock, confusion, a crack in his certainty. Perhaps he had expected the timid, obedient Adeline of the past, the one who let him push her around. He simply couldn’t understand why the Adeline from before had changed.
    Then hurried footsteps came from the end of the corridor. Ainsley stumbled into view, her hair a tangled mess, her silk robe slipping off one shoulder, breathless, her cheeks flushed.
    “Your Highness!” she gasped, rushing to Angelo’s side. “Sister, please don’t do this. You’re only making things worse for yourself.”
    “Shut up,” I said, my gaze slicing toward her like a blade. “Does a mistress have the right to speak here?”
    Ainsley flinched, pressing herself against Angelo like a wounded animal.
    Angelo’s grip on my wrist tightened, almost enough to crush bone. “Adeline Cobb! Who do you think you are? You’re just an Omega your family sent to me! I give you face, and only then are you a prince’s fiancée!”
    I laughed. A dry, humorless sound. “So, I should thank you for the ‘face’ you’ve given me by performing a live show with my dear sister on my bed?”
    His face flushed an ugly, deep red. He gritted his teeth. “Don’t you forget, we are mates designated by the Moon Goddess! To disrespect me is to defy the will of the Goddess herself!”
    A cold sneer formed in my mind. A man who betrays his own mate has no right to invoke the name of the Goddess. In this world, the mate bond was sacred, and betraying it was the gravest of sins.
    “Respect is earned, Your Highness,” I said calmly. “The moment you decided to let another woman into your bed, you forfeited your right to my respect.”
    Angelo was speechless, choked by my audacity. He had expected the timid, obedient Adeline of the past, not this stranger who dared to speak treason.
    He took a deep breath, a cruel smile twisting his lips as he played his trump card. “Fine. You want to leave? Do you believe that I can, right here, right now, initiate The Rejection in front of everyone?”
    The Rejection. The formal, public severing of a mate bond. It was an act that inflicted immense spiritual and mental pain, a profound humiliation, especially for the one being rejected.
    At the mention of it, Ainsley’s eyes lit up with feverish excitement. This was the outcome she had dreamed of.
    Angelo watched my face, savoring what he believed was my impending breakdown. He was waiting for my fear, for my begging.
    But I just looked at him, my expression unreadable. Then, slowly and clearly, I uttered a single word.
    “Okay.”
    His smile froze. “What did you say?”
    Ainsley’s expression hardened into disbelief.
    “I said, okay,” I repeated, my voice steady. “Initiate the rejection now. I’ll accept it immediately. It will save us both a lot of time.”
    I even took a step closer to him, my presence a challenge. “Go on, Your Highness. Let’s see if you truly have the courage to reject your fated mate on your Marking night, all because you were caught in the act of cheating.”
    I pressed my advantage. “When this story gets out, what will they say about you? A prince who can’t even control his own lust? Or a petty man who throws a tantrum after being caught by his mate?”
    Angelo’s face cycled through shades of red, white, and a sickly green. He knew he couldn’t do it. It would be the biggest scandal of his political career, a permanent stain on his reputation.
    He glared at me, his eyes promising murder, but he was trapped. I had him cornered.
    Ainsley, seeing the tables turn, rushed to his side, tugging at his arm. “Your Highness, let it go. Sister is just speaking out of anger. Let’s not stoop to her level.”
    I wrenched my wrist from Angelo’s grasp. This time, with his mind in turmoil, I succeeded.
    I took a step back, putting space between us. “I am not speaking out of anger.”
    I held his gaze for a long, silent moment. The air between us crackled with unspoken war.
    My gaze swept over them both, finally landing on his stunned face. My voice was as cold and hard as diamond. “Listen closely, Alpha Angelo Hamilton.”
    “This rejection, this divorce… it is inevitable.”
    “But the one who initiates it will be me, Adeline Cobb.”
    The last shred of color drained from his face.
    “I will make you the first Alpha prince in the history of this kingdom to be publicly rejected by his own Omega mate.”
    Without giving them a moment to process my words, I turned and strode down the long, empty corridor.
    “Remember, don’t follow me again. You two are annoying.” I glanced back one last time.

    The Defiant Omega: Rejecting My Cheating Alpha Chapter 3

    Adeline Cobb POV:
    I was almost at the main gates of the palace when I heard the sound I least wanted to hear.
    Running footsteps. Again.
    I didn’t even need to turn around to know who it was. The sickening scent of peach blossom reached me before she did.
    “Oh, for fuck’s sake,” I muttered under my breath. “You again? Do you have nothing better to do than chase me around like a lost puppy?”
    I turned slowly, my expression a mixture of annoyance and utter contempt.
    Ainsley stood there, flanked by two tall guards, her hair still a mess, her silk robe hastily rearranged. The mask of gentleness was gone, replaced by a face twisted with venom and triumph.
    “Sister,” she said, her voice dripping with fake concern. “The Prince told you to stay. Where do you think you’re going?”
    “Out,” I said flatly. “Somewhere you’re not. Get out of my way.”
    “His Highness is furious right now. Running around like this will only make him angrier,” Ainsley said, her false sincerity grating on my nerves. “As your sister, I can’t watch you make such a mistake. Please, come back to the room and calm down.”
    I stared at her for a long moment. Then I let out a short, sharp laugh.
    “You can’t watch me make a mistake?” I repeated, my voice dripping with disbelief. “You spread your legs for my fiancé on my wedding night, and now you’re pretending to care about my well-being? That’s rich.”
    Color flooded her cheeks, but she recovered quickly. She gave a subtle nod to the guards. They stepped forward, flanking me, their sheer size a silent threat.
    I glanced at them. They were the Prince’s personal guards, Gamma-level warriors. A drugged Omega would normally be helpless against them.
    But I wasn’t a normal Omega.
    Years of secret training from my mother had taught me one thing: size didn’t matter. Angles, momentum, and precision did. These Gamma guards were used to overwhelming opponents with raw strength. They weren’t used to someone who knew exactly where to strike.
    Ainsley’s smirk widened, mistaking my silence for fear. “Be a good girl, sister. Come back with me. Maybe His Highness will even find it in his heart to forgive you.”
    I laughed. A sharp, cold sound. “Ainsley, do you know what your biggest problem is?”
    She blinked, caught off guard.
    “You fail to recognize your own station,” I said slowly. “You think you can speak for the Prince, but what are you? You’re nothing.”
    I stepped closer, lowering my voice to a venomous whisper only she could hear. “You are a bastard, Ainsley Wallace. A whelp who was only granted a surname out of my mother’s pity.”
    The blood drained from her face. It was her deepest, most shameful secret. While many knew, no one had ever dared to say it to her face.
    “You!” she shrieked, her facade shattering completely. “Seize her! Drag her back to the room!”
    The two guards reached for me.
    I didn’t wait for them to touch me. My hand slipped into the pocket of my riding coat and closed around a thin, cold object. A silver needle. Standard operative issue. I had palmed it the moment I changed out of the wedding gown.
    The first guard lunged for my arm. I dropped low, pivoting on my heel, driving my elbow into his solar plexus with every ounce of force I had. He folded like a piece of paper, gasping for air.
    The second guard barely had time to react. I stepped into his reach, grabbed the front of his tunic, and slammed my forehead into the bridge of his nose. Cartilage crunched under the impact. He staggered back, blood spurting down his face.
    Ainsley’s eyes went wide. Her jaw dropped. She had expected a helpless Omega, not a woman who moved like a predator.
    I didn’t give her time to scream. I closed the distance between us in two strides and slashed the silver needle across her cheek.
    She never saw it coming. A short, sharp scream was all she could manage.
    The needle carved a thin, red line across her skin. It wasn’t deep, but it was enough. It would scar.
    Pain and shock made her stagger back, her hand flying to her wounded face.
    “One more word,” I said, my voice quiet and lethal, “and the next one goes into your eye.”
    She clamped her mouth shut, trembling.
    I turned and walked toward the gate, my back straight, my steps steady.
    Behind me, I heard Ainsley’s enraged, tear-filled scream. “Get her! Don’t let her escape!”
    The guards were in no shape to chase anyone. I didn’t bother looking back.
    But I could hear them stumbling to their feet, regaining their balance, and coming after me. Their footsteps pounded against the stone floor, and I knew I was running out of time.
    I pushed through the palace gates and into the corridor beyond. The drug was still a weight in my veins, my legs threatening to buckle with every step. I couldn’t outrun them in this state.
    Then I saw it. A decorative suit of armor standing in an alcove, gleaming in the dim light.
    I threw my shoulder against it with every last ounce of strength I had.
    With a deafening crash, the heavy metal suit toppled over, blocking the narrow corridor. Plates of steel scattered across the floor, creating a wall of tangled metal that would take the guards precious seconds to climb over.
    I glanced back. The guards stumbled into the debris, cursing as they fought through the mess. In the distance, Ainsley stood clutching her face, her eyes filled with pure hatred.
    I mouthed two words at her.
    “Idiot.”
    Then I turned and disappeared into the shadows of the garden. I had to get to a place Angelo would never think to look.
    Before leaving the grounds of the Prince’s palace completely, I cast one last look at the brightly lit building. A single thought burned in my mind: Angelo. Ainsley. We’ll meet again soon. And next time, I’ll take back everything that belongs to me.

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • His Defiant Omega: The Cursed King’s Second Chance novel by Lively

    His Defiant Omega: The Cursed King's Second Chance novel by Lively

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    I trusted my fiancé, the Alpha of our Pack, and my sweet stepsister with my life.

    But when Rogue wolves surrounded me and my three-year-old daughter in the woods, my fiancé emerged not to save us, but holding my stepsister’s hand.

    He coldly declared my Omega blood was too weak to be his Luna.

    Worse, he revealed they had drugged me years ago to ruin my reputation, claiming my daughter wasn’t even his.

    Then, my stepsister smiled a triumphant smile and shot an arrow straight through my little girl’s chest.

    “Shut up, you little mongrel,” she sneered as my baby’s body went limp.

    As I held my daughter’s cooling body, my fiancé plunged a silver dagger into my heart.

    He laughed, boasting about how they had lured me here to draw my parents’ guards away, and how they would take over my family’s Pack once I was dead.

    My entire life was a cruel lie.

    The two people I loved most had orchestrated my ruin and murdered my innocent child just for power.

    I cursed them to the moon with my dying breath, swearing to tear them to shreds.

    Opening my eyes again, I was back in the past, right before my family was supposed to send me off to an arranged marriage.

    This time, I won’t play the weak Omega.

    I will gladly accept my fated mate, the terrifying Alpha King, and use him as my sword to make my betrayers pay in blood.

    👉 READ NOW

    His Defiant Omega: The Cursed King’s Second Chance Chapter 1

    Alyssa POV:
    I held my three-year-old daughter Hope against my chest, so tight I thought my arms would break. Her small body shook, pressed with me behind the trunk of an oak so wide two men couldn’t wrap it.
    The forest reeked of Rogue wolves. Their eyes, dozens of them, glowed gold in the twilight like a ring of fire closing in.
    “Mommy,” Hope whispered, her golden curls matted with mud, “is Daddy coming to save us?”
    Darrion. My fiancé. The Alpha of the Lott Pack. A spark of warmth caught in the ice of my chest.
    “He’ll come,” I told her, and I believed it with every scarred inch of my heart. “Daddy always comes.”
    Footsteps. Darrion’s tall frame broke through the ring of Rogues. The relief hit me so hard I almost sobbed.
    Then I saw who walked beside him.
    Corliss. My stepsister. In a white dress so spotless it was a slap against the mud and blood of the woods. A smile played on her red lips.
    The alarm that shrieked through me was animal, primal. Wrong. This is all wrong.
    Darrion raised one hand. The Rogues—the ones I thought were our enemy—bowed their heads and parted like a sea, clearing a path straight to me.
    He walked toward me. His eyes, once soft with adoration, were now two chips of ice. He looked at me the way a man looks at a stain he’s about to scrub out.
    “Alyssa,” he said. Flat. “Give me the child.”
    The world tilted sideways. “Darrion, what—these wolves—you brought them?”
    Corliss slid up beside him, winding her arm through his, pressing against him with an intimacy that made my stomach turn. “Oh, my dear sister,” she cooed. “Still so naive.”
    My brain shorted out. Them. Together. My fiancé and my sister.
    Hope began to cry, her tiny fists twisting in my dress. “Mommy, I’m scared…”
    Corliss looked down at Hope and her face twisted with a jealousy so poisonous it was almost a physical thing. “Shut up, you little mongrel.”
    And then Darrion said the words that ended my world.
    “I’ve had enough of you, Alyssa. Your weak Omega blood was never fit to be my Luna.”
    My whole life cracked down the middle. “And this child,” he went on, “she isn’t even mine. Did you truly think I never knew about your little indiscretion?”
    Hope… wasn’t his? Then that night… who…
    Corliss leaned in, savoring it. “We checked. You were drugged that night, you have no idea whose bed you were in. Darrion only claimed the brat to save the Lott Pack’s face—swallowing his disgust the whole time.”
    I clutched Hope. The ground spun. My entire life was a stage built by the two people I trusted most, and I had played the fool on it for years.
    “Why?” The scream tore out of me. “My parents—the Alpha and Luna of the Clay Pack—they’ll tear you apart for this!”
    Darrion and Corliss traded a look of pure mockery. “Them?” Corliss said. “They have their own problems tonight. We led you here precisely to draw their guards away.”
    A Rogue pressed a dagger into Darrion’s hand. It glinted with a sickly white light.
    Silver. Fatal to our kind.
    Darrion stalked toward me. “Once you’re dead, the Clay Pack falls into chaos. And then… everything becomes mine.”
    I scrabbled backward until my spine slammed the oak. Nowhere left to run.
    I looked down at Hope’s terrified blue eyes—my eyes. No. I could not let her die.
    I shoved her behind me, shielding her with my own body. “Please, Darrion! Let her go! She’s only a child!”
    His eyes held nothing. He lunged. The silver blade buried itself in my stomach.
    Pain, blinding white, ripped through me. My life force drained like sand through fingers, but I refused to fall. I kept my eyes locked on his.
    Then a second hiss sliced the air behind me. An arrow. Not aimed at me.
    Aimed at Hope.
    I couldn’t even turn. I heard a tiny, choked gasp—and her little body went limp in my arms.
    I looked down. The shaft stood out of her chest, the fletching a cruel splash of color against her little dress. Blood soaked through, warm, and then cold.
    At the edge of the clearing, Corliss lowered a bow, her face a grotesque mask of victory.
    Time stopped. My soul ripped into a million pieces as I held my daughter’s cooling body.
    I lifted my face to the moon and spent my last breath on a curse.
    “I, Alyssa Clay, swear upon the moon! If I am given another life, I will hunt you down—Darrion Lott, Corliss Ramsey! I will tear you to shreds and make sure your souls never, ever find peace!”
    Enraged, Darrion wrenched the dagger from my stomach and drove it into my heart.
    Darkness swallowed me. And in the last flicker of consciousness, I heard it—a sigh, ancient and sorrowful, a woman’s voice from the void itself.
    “Poor child. I will give you another chance. Use it well.”

    His Defiant Omega: The Cursed King’s Second Chance Chapter 2

    Constantine POV:
    I stood at the edge of my territory, one hand resting on the silver head of my cane. The evening wind carried the scent of the neighboring Clay Pack—and something else, faint, that made my blood hum.
    A dull ache throbbed in my leg, a permanent reminder of the cowards who’d ambushed me with silver and left me the “crippled Alpha King” of every whispered joke in the werewolf world.
    My Beta, Nash, waited two paces behind me. He knew better than to speak when I was in this mood.
    Then the scent hit me.
    Jasmine in full bloom, tangled with rain on fresh grass. Sweet. And mine.
    My inner wolf lunged against the cage of my control, a roar rolling through my chest. Hers! Ours!
    Mate.
    The word landed like a curse. Was the Moon Goddess mocking me? Granting a broken, silver-poisoned Alpha his fated partner at the edge of his own land?
    I crushed the wolf’s excitement under cold logic. “Nash,” I said, “go see what’s trespassing.”
    He returned fast, his face strange. “Alpha… it’s a girl. I think it’s Miss Alyssa Clay.”
    Alyssa Clay. The Omega everyone said I was meant to marry in some political farce. I frowned and moved toward him.
    She lay in the moonlight, blonde hair fanned on the grass. She was soaked in blood—but it looked old, phantom, like a stain that had soaked through another life.
    Then she jackknifed upright, gasping, blue eyes blown wide with terror. “No… don’t kill me… Hope…”
    Another performance. I snorted coldly. So she’d resort to this—a damsel act to wriggle out of a betrothal to a cripple? How tedious.
    My wolf howled in my skull, screaming at me to gather her up, to shield her, to kill whatever had frightened her. I strangled the instinct with ice. I did not show weakness to a woman who could be a spy.
    I closed the distance and loomed over her. “Alyssa Clay,” I said, voice dripping. “Your performance is clumsy.”
    She didn’t seem to hear me. Her hands flew to her face, her neck, her stomach. No wounds. Her body was whole.
    And then the terror in her eyes cracked open and poured out something else—a wild, disbelieving joy.
    “I’m alive… I’m really alive!” Tears of happiness streaked her face. She ignored me entirely.
    The feeling of being dismissed burned. I, the Alpha King of the Blackwood Pack, ignored by an Omega.
    I seized her chin and forced her face up. “Look at me, Omega. Do you think playing games on my land will free you from your fate?”
    Her skin was silk. The contact sent a jolt of fire up my arm. My wolf purred in satisfaction. Damn it all.
    I snatched my hand back as if burned.
    Alyssa finally focused on me. And the look she gave me was not fear. It was appraisal. Cool. Knowing. As if she could see straight through to a wound I kept hidden from the entire world.
    Her gaze slid to my cane, then to my stiff leg.
    My jaw locked. I hated that. It was the mark of my shame, carved into my pride.
    But there was no mockery in her eyes. No pity. Only something I couldn’t name.
    She rose, swaying once before she steadied. Then she looked into my eyes, and it was like stars igniting in her blue irises.
    “Constantine Witt,” she said, tasting my name like it already belonged to her.
    The sound of it in her mouth did something to my chest.
    She took a slow breath, as if deciding the rest of her life.
    She did not cry. She did not beg. She did not simper.
    She simply watched me, as if confirming a truth only she could see.
    And through the invisible thread of the mate-bond, I felt her. Steady as a blade. And already mine.

    His Defiant Omega: The Cursed King’s Second Chance Chapter 3

    Alyssa POV:
    Constantine Witt. The Alpha King of the Blackwood Pack. Taller than the rumors, and a hundred times more dangerous.
    His dark gray eyes were a storm front. The cane in his grip didn’t shrink him—it sharpened him, adding a layer of coiled violence to the air.
    And I felt it, pulling from the deepest part of my soul. Cedar and winter wind. My Mate.
    Fate was a cruel comedian. In my last life I was murdered on the eve of being delivered to this man.
    But I was not that naive girl anymore. I had died once. I knew—because I had heard the stories, lived through the aftermath—that this man, for all his ferocity, was the only one who could protect me. The only sword sharp enough to help me take my revenge.
    His coldness and mockery were nothing but the growl of a wounded beast. I knew his weakness. I was born to be his cure.
    I crushed my grief and hatred into a single, burning point. My goal was simple: secure him.
    I straightened my spine and met his gaze head-on. For an Omega to meet an Alpha’s eyes was a challenge. I no longer cared for such rules.
    A flicker of surprise crossed his face before the ice closed over it again.
    “Constantine Witt,” I said, clear and firm. “I know I am your fated Mate.”
    Behind him, his Beta—Nash Mills, if memory served—sucked in a sharp breath.
    Constantine’s lips pressed thin. He didn’t confirm. He didn’t deny.
    I stepped forward, closing the space until I could smell the cedar and, beneath it, a burning desire he was trying very hard to hide.
    I tilted my head back, looked him dead in the eye, and said each word like an oath.
    “I, Alyssa Clay, accept this bond. I accept you, Constantine Witt, as my one and only Alpha, my Mate.”
    The words dropped into the silence like a stone into still water. Nash’s jaw nearly hit the forest floor.
    Constantine’s pupils constricted. He had not expected this. Not the directness. Not the initiative.
    The knuckles on his cane went white. He was fighting it.
    His wolf was celebrating. His mind was resisting. The war twisted his handsome face.
    “Are you insane?” he ground out. “Do you know what you’re saying? Do you know who I am? A cripple whose temper is as broken as his ability to shift—or so the rumors go.”
    He hurled the words like stones, testing me, mocking himself.
    I did not flinch. I took another step, so close my body nearly brushed his chest. “I know,” I said softly. “But I also know you are my Mate. And that is enough.”
    I reached out, slow and deliberate, and laid my fingers over the back of his hand where it gripped the cane.
    Lightning. It arced between us, and we both shuddered.
    His wolf let out a satisfied rumble I could almost hear through our half-formed bond. Ours! Finally!
    Constantine tore his hand away—but his eyes betrayed him. Shock. Conflict. And a flame I had just lit.
    I smiled, faint. My first objective was complete. The seed was planted.
    He stared at me for a long, hard moment, as if trying to see the shape of my soul.
    “You’re bold, Omega,” he said at last.
    “I just know what I want,” I answered.
    Revenge. And a new life. With him.
    He gave a cold snort and turned. “Nash. Bring her. It seems the Clay Pack has sent me an interesting toy.”
    A front. He had agreed.
    Nash made a respectful “this way” gesture, awe and curiosity warring in his eyes.
    I followed Constantine’s back. Straight. Proud. Even leaning on the cane.
    My Alpha King. This time, our fates are bound. You will be my sword, and I will be your cure.

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • When The Alpha Chooses A Human novel by IlianaH

    When The Alpha Chooses A Human novel by IlianaH

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    Maya left her hometown with her grandmother, leaving behind her first love and the only life she’d ever known. Before long, she sensed that this new place hided a dark and unsettling secret-a pack of werewolves.

    Upon her arrival, she met Isla, a bubbly and welcoming neighbor, as well as Blake, Isla’s brother-a young man who was arrogant, unpredictable, and inexplicably magnetic to her.

    Her life took a dramatic turn when she was chosen by Blake, who turned out to be an Alpha.

    Their bond was instant but fragile. Despite her love for him, Maya questioned her place by his side-especially in the face of the pack’s dismissive attitude toward her, all because she was just an ordinary human.

    Would she be able to fight her way into the world of werewolves, or would she end up heartbroken?

    👉 READ NOW

    When The Alpha Chooses A Human novel Chapter 1

    I was already mourning what I was about to lose. The endless sunsets, the hot, heavy nights, the sand just steps from our front door.

    All of it was fading before my eyes as I stood chewing the inside of my cheek, staring at the sign hammered into the lawn. One word, printed in bold red: SOLD.

    Florida was the only place I’d ever known, my only anchor.

    Since the day I was born, it had just been my grandma and me.

    My mother died in childbirth, and my father… I knew nothing about him. His name, his face, his very existence—they were just blank spaces in my story. We never talked about him.

    “Still staring at that sign, I see,” my grandma said, coming up beside me.

    In a few hours, this chapter of our lives would be over. We were leaving everything behind for Texas.

    She assured me it was for the best, that the change would do us good. But I had no desire to start over somewhere I didn’t know.

    I had my friends here. And I had Tommy.

    At eighteen, my life wasn’t perfect, but it was mine, and it fit. School was going well. I had a part-time job and a tight group of friends I could always count on.

    I knew she’d heard my protests, but they hadn’t changed a thing. The decision was final.

    “Maya, you’ll meet other people. You’ll make new friends. Maybe even find a new boyfriend. This is necessary, honey. Change is good.”

    Her words slid right off me. I didn’t want new faces, let alone a new boy.

    Tommy was my first love. Sure, he was three years older, but he had these clear blue eyes that could disarm me in a second and a kindness that meant more than anything.

    My grandma, though, had never approved. She always said something about him felt off, that her instincts told her to be wary. But to me, he was different.

    I knew I’d adapt eventually, that I’d meet other people, but that wasn’t what haunted me. What I feared most was severing the invisible thread that still connected me to my mother.

    “She’s here,” I whispered, more to myself than to my grandma.

    “Of course she is,” my grandma said softly, placing a hand over my heart. “Wherever you go, she’s always right here with you.”

    I knew she was right, but this house, these walls, the sound of the waves crashing on the shore—it all made me feel like she was still close.

    “How about we go make some hot cocoa? We could watch the sun disappear together,” she offered.

    “I’ll grab a blanket,” I answered immediately.

    It was our ritual, our special moment: watching the sunset over the ocean. For me, the beach was more than just a view. It was a refuge.

    I kicked off my shoes and spread the blanket over the still-warm sand before sitting down. The sky was streaked with shades of pink and orange, and the steady rhythm of the waves filled my ears.

    A sigh escaped my lips. I knew I would never see this again. There were beaches in Texas, sure, but not this one. Not this light, not this familiar horizon.

    “It’s beautiful,” I murmured.

    “Maya?”

    I jumped. When I turned, I saw Tommy walking toward me. I shot to my feet. He shouldn’t have been here. We’d already said our goodbyes. His presence just made everything harder.

    My eyes instinctively flicked to my grandma. She didn’t like him, and she never tried to hide it.

    “I can’t let you leave like this,” he said, pulling me into his arms. “The thought of never seeing you again… it’s unbearable.”

    Tears pricked my eyes, and I fought to hold them back. I was going to miss him so much. These last few months, we’d been nearly inseparable.

    “You shouldn’t be here,” I whispered against his chest. “This just makes it harder.”

    “I know, I’m sorry,” he replied, his arms tightening around me. “But I love you, Maya. I love you more than anything.”

    A discreet cough cut through the moment. My grandma was coming back.

    “We’ll see each other again, I promise,” he murmured, pressing a tender kiss to my lips before turning and walking away, his figure quickly swallowed by the growing darkness.

    I looked down at my finger. The ring he’d given me shimmered faintly in the twilight. A promise he’d made six months into our relationship. A promise we might not have time to keep.

    A sob shook my entire body.

    “Maya?” my grandma called out.

    “I’m fine,” I answered, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.

    Thinking about his absence was like a physical ache in my chest, but I had no choice. The move was tomorrow.

    “I need to finish packing.”

    Goodbye, Florida. Hello, Texas.

    We could have taken a direct flight, but no. My grandma wanted to drive, to “make an adventure out of it,” she’d said.

    Twenty hours later, I was utterly exhausted. Between the gas stops and the fast-food meals we’d scarfed down, my legs and back were screaming. All I wanted was a bed.

    “See? Texas isn’t so bad,” she remarked with a smile. “We’re about half an hour out. Go get yourself a coffee.”

    I looked around. Maybe it wasn’t so bad, but it wasn’t home. And I doubted it ever would be.

    As soon as I stepped inside the gas station, I made a beeline for the coffee machine. I couldn’t function without caffeine.

    As I was preparing two steaming cups, the bell over the door chimed. An instantaneous shiver ran down my spine.

    A strange sensation washed over me, a dizzying mix of alarm and excitement. My heart hammered against my ribs, and my palms grew damp.

    I froze. After taking a deep breath, I whirled around.

    No one.

    I remained frozen, my breath caught in my throat. But the feeling lingered: a powerful sense that someone was there.

    Maybe the exhaustion was just playing tricks on me. Sighing, I snapped the lids onto the cups and headed for the register.

    “Large or regular?” the cashier asked with a bright smile.

    I forced a smile in return. “Regular. And… this, too.”

    I grabbed a bag of candy and tore it open immediately, unable to resist.

    “Sorry. I have a serious sugar craving,” I said with an awkward little laugh, handing over the cash.

    “No worries. I’m Isla, by the way.”

    “Maya,” I replied, taking my change.

    “You new here?”

    I bit my lip. “Is it that obvious?”

    She nodded, a look of amusement on her face. “You have the look of a city girl.”

    “Florida,” I said simply.

    Just then, the sensation returned, ten times stronger. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. A wave of heat washed over me, far too intense for the air-conditioned store. A dull restlessness thrummed under my skin. The feeling of being watched became oppressive, suffocating. Maybe I was coming down with something.

    “You’ll see, you’ll like it here,” Isla said with a wink. “You’ll fit right in.”

    I just shrugged. Maybe she was right.

    But deep down, I already knew something was wrong. I’d felt that strangeness from the moment I walked through the door.

    I bit into a piece of candy and shook my head, trying to clear it. “I don’t know how you eat that stuff and don’t get cavities,” she said, laughing.

    I smiled, but inside, a quiet dread had taken root and refused to let go.

    When The Alpha Chooses A Human novel Chapter 2

    I snapped the car door shut, a smile tugging at my lips.

    My grandmother knew my weakness for sugar all too well; it was a running joke between us.

    As I handed her the coffee cup, I gave her a look that was half conspiracy, half irony. She laughed, as if this were the most natural thing in the world.

    “I love candy,” I said, popping another Twizzler into my mouth.

    “You won’t be so glad when your teeth start falling out,” she replied, pressing the accelerator. “We’ll see about that in a month.”

    I didn’t answer. I didn’t want to upset her. Not now. She went on, as if she had guessed what I was thinking.

    “I know this isn’t easy for you. You weren’t thrilled about moving, but I’m convinced you’ll end up loving this place. All I want is for you to try.”

    I took a slow breath. Yes, I was going to try. I was going to pretend I believed her, to give her that chance. But that didn’t mean it would be easy. Changing your life, changing your habits—it was like jumping into an abyss.

    “I’ll try,” I said finally. “But promise me you won’t push me.”

    As the car slowed, I leaned forward to look out the window. The landscape had dissolved into a stretch of dense greenery. Trees as far as the eye could see. Nothing else.

    “Are we moving into a forest?” I said flatly.

    My grandmother laughed softly and placed a reassuring hand on my knee. “No, it’s just the road,” she said. “Wait for it.”

    Sure enough, a few minutes later, buildings began to appear, scattered along a narrow street.

    I thought of the guys we’d seen at the gas station on the way here. Four of them, staring at our car like they owned the road. The memory of their intense stares lingered, leaving a vague unease in its wake.

    “So, tell me,” my grandmother said, keeping her eyes on the road. “How do you really feel, deep down, about all of this?”

    I bit my lip. I knew she was hoping for a sincere answer.

    The truth was, I hated the idea of starting over from scratch, but I also wanted to show her I was making an effort. “I think this is what’s best for us,” I said finally. “So I’ll try to get used to it.”

    The neighborhood unfolding before us did have a quiet charm. I tried to focus on that. Texas had its advantages, that much was undeniable. The people seemed open, and I wanted to believe we could fit in. But the thought of starting over from nothing was still a crushing weight.

    “Great, we live in the middle of nowhere,” I muttered. Not having a car would make it even worse. How was I supposed to get around? Were there even any buses that came through this remote part of town?

    The car stopped in front of a large, old house. I ran a hand over my face and finally looked up at it. In spite of myself, a smile stretched my lips. The facade had charm—a little worn, sure—but one window opened onto a small balcony. Just like my room in Florida.

    My eyes were glued to it.

    From the outside, the house looked great, even if it seemed like it had been abandoned for years. With a little care and work, it could be beautiful again. Maybe living here wouldn’t be so terrible after all.

    “It needs some repairs,” my grandmother admitted, “but I already fell in love with it. I couldn’t resist.”

    Inside, my excitement dropped a notch. The worn carpets, the dated furniture, the musty smell—the whole place felt like it was stuck in a bygone era.

    “Workers will come in a few days,” she explained quickly, reading my grimace. “And look at the garden. With a little attention, it’ll be gorgeous. We can decorate it however we want, make this place a real home.”

    I let her talk. She had every right to be happy, and who was I to take that away from her? My mood could wait. What mattered was seeing her smile.

    “Quiet neighborhood, huh?” I added after a pause. “Hey, how far is the nearest beach?”

    She laughed. “Already feeling nostalgic?”

    “Always,” I answered with a shrug. “But I can wait. Do you want me to start unloading the car?”

    She nodded. My job was to get the essentials out; the rest would follow. As for where she was getting the money for all of this, I didn’t dare ask.

    “Yes, and I’m going to check if the heat works,” she said.

    The heat? That didn’t sound good.

    I rolled my eyes and headed back outside. It couldn’t get any worse, right? Just as I was leaning into the car, a voice behind me made me jump.

    “Need a hand?”

    I straightened up so fast my head spun. My heart hammered against my ribs.

    “Isla?”

    She strolled over, the picture of nonchalance. “So you’re the one moving in here? This is your house?”

    A knot formed in my stomach. Her tone was light, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Closing the car door with a kick, I stared at her in silence. This girl had a strange energy I couldn’t quite place.

    “Is there a problem?” I demanded abruptly.

    “Not at all,” she answered with a smile. “The house has been empty for a long time, that’s all. I live a little farther down, but I mostly spend my time at my brother’s.”

    “Why didn’t anyone buy it before?”

    She shrugged. “No idea. Want me to help you?”

    Without waiting for my answer, she grabbed a box from the trunk and headed up the driveway.

    I wasn’t sure I wanted to be her friend. Something about her put me on guard.

    “Maya, can you bring me—” My grandmother stepped out, stopping short. “Oh, who’s this?” She took the box from Isla’s hands.

    “Isla. She lives down the street,” I explained. “She says the house has been empty for a long time. Are you sure this was a good idea?” I didn’t want her to waste her money on a lost cause.

    “Maya,” my grandmother said firmly.

    That was enough to make me shut up. Once she made a decision, there was no point in arguing.

    “Go finish unloading,” she said, her tone softening. “I’m making us hot chocolate.”

    “She’s sweet,” Isla whispered with a smile before picking up another box.

    Yes, my grandmother was sweet, but that was deceptive. She could be immovable when she needed to be.

    “Thanks, I’ve got it,” I said, taking the box from her. I couldn’t figure this girl out. Was she genuinely nice, or was she after something?

    “It doesn’t bother me,” she said with a shrug. “Anyway, I’d rather be here. My brother has friends over and I don’t feel like hanging out with them.”

    “How old is your brother?” I asked, intrigued.

    “Twenty-four, but he acts like he’s fifty,” she answered with a smile. “And sometimes he’s insufferable.”

    “Insufferable how?”

    “You’ll see when you meet him. What about you, do you have any brothers or sisters?”

    “No, only child,” I replied.

    I walked up the driveway, a box in my arms. But my foot caught on a loose stone and I lost my balance. The box tumbled from my grasp, and I fell hard, my knees scraping against the gravel.

    “Shit!” I groaned, rolling up my jeans to dig a sharp little stone out of my skin.

    “Are you okay?” Isla asked, leaning toward me.

    When The Alpha Chooses A Human novel Chapter 3

    Voices pulled me from my thoughts, a sudden reminder that I wasn’t alone.

    My hands were scraped raw and smeared with drying blood, my knee throbbing from the fall, but it wasn’t the end of the world. The embarrassment burned hot in my cheeks, but night had fallen. At least no one had been around to watch me trip. I wiped my bloody fingers on my jeans, a useless gesture against the shame.

    “Need a hand, short stuff?” a raspy voice murmured through the cold air.

    Short stuff? The words hit like a flick to the ear, and I winced.

    “Blake,” Isla’s voice cut in sharply.

    When I looked up, a gasp escaped me. Who was this man? Where had he come from? And why on earth wasn’t he wearing a shirt? Was this some absurd joke, or was my exhausted brain finally playing tricks on me?

    I couldn’t tear my eyes away, mesmerized. He met my stare for a long moment before his gaze slid away, and a wave of embarrassment washed over me.

    Four guys stood in front of the house, all of them shirtless in the freezing night, looking like they’d stepped out of another world.

    The air bit at my exposed skin, and their collective stillness gave the scene a strange, predatory intensity. For a second, I felt so disoriented it was as if I’d hit my head getting out of the car. Reality wavered.

    I pushed myself to my feet, my hands still sticky, and began gathering the belongings that had spilled across the driveway. My clothes and possessions were scattered in a messy heap. “Blake, please, just go,” Isla urged.

    He remained planted where he was, his eyes fixed on me. The discomfort simmering inside me swelled, then sharpened into alarm when I saw what he was holding.

    My blanket.

    My mother’s.

    It was old, frayed, and clumsily repaired by hand—the kind of treasure you cling to because it holds the last traces of someone you loved.

    I treated it like a fragile relic. No one was ever allowed to treat it like a rag. And yet, this boy held it at arm’s length, dangling it like a worthless scrap of cloth.

    “Blake,” Isla hissed.

    I couldn’t even find the strength to ask for it back. The words were lodged in my throat.

    Just then, my grandmother emerged from the house, her posture rigid, her voice radiating authority.

    “Maya, what’s going on here?” she asked, positioning herself beside me. Her gaze landed instantly on the blanket. “Young man, I believe what you’re holding doesn’t belong to you. Give it back.”

    The steel in her voice was a balm to my frayed nerves. It was like an anchor; I felt my racing heart begin to settle.

    But I was still too dazed to move with any confidence. I reached out, snatched the blanket from his grasp, and clutched it to my chest, burying my face in the worn fabric. I didn’t care if they thought I was hugging a scrap of cloth. It was the only piece of my mother I had left.

    “Come inside,” my grandmother said, not waiting for an answer. “The rest can wait until tomorrow.” She then turned to Isla. “Isla, you’re welcome to join us. Come on in.”

    The invitation was an order wrapped in politeness. Isla didn’t need to be told twice.

    “Sit down, girls. I’m going to make hot chocolate,” my grandmother announced, her tone almost cheerful.

    I nodded, my head still swimming with blurry images. Isla mentioned she’d left her phone in the car, an excuse to either ensure privacy or project a bit of independence.

    I opened the glove box, grabbed my own phone, and double-checked that the car was locked. Then, with a knot of unease tightening in my stomach, I walked back toward the house with the last of the boxes under my arm.

    As I turned, a hand shot out and clamped around my wrist, the force anything but innocent. He yanked me back toward him, and I froze, every muscle locking in place.

    “Short stuff,” he growled, his voice a low, brutal thing right beside my ear.

    His fingers dug into my wrist, and the pressure hurt. I tried to draw a breath, but the air felt thin, stolen. I didn’t dare struggle. My body went rigid, every fiber screaming for me to run, but a strange confusion crept through the fear. I was terrified, yes, but there was also a bizarre, unwelcome thrill at being noticed, at being held.

    “Please let me go,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.

    He didn’t move. Instead, he buried his face in the curve of my neck and took a long, deep inhale, as if searching for a specific scent.

    “Fuck, baby, you’re pure ocean,” he breathed, his voice thick, almost drunk.

    A violent tremor shot through me. Who sniffed someone like that? Who pressed their face against the neck of a girl they just met in a driveway?

    I felt cold and sick, yet some stupid, ashamed part of me felt a flicker of guilty curiosity at the warmth of his breath, the solid press of his head against my skin. It was utterly repellent and, somehow, attractive.

    Then, as quickly as he’d appeared, he let go. He simply vanished back into the night without another word, without a sound.

    The sudden emptiness he left behind cranked my anxiety to a new high. He could walk away, but he was still out there. He had gotten close, breathed me in, and retreated, leaving me feeling invaded.

    I stumbled inside, took the mug my grandmother handed me, and sank onto the couch. The hot chocolate burned my fingers, but I took a sip anyway. The warmth was more comforting than the taste.

    My thoughts kept circling back to him: the rough gentleness of his grip, his face in my neck, and that impossible scent of salt and sea he claimed to have found on me.

    “Maya, sweetheart, are you there?” my grandmother called, her soft laugh chasing away the ghosts in the room. “Isla was just telling me she’s going to the same school you’re enrolled in.”

    I had almost forgotten about school. The information pulled me back to a more ordinary reality—classes to attend, people to meet, a life to rebuild. I tried to cling to it.

    “Great, school,” I breathed, rolling my eyes. “Only six more months. After that, we’ll see.”

    Isla stood up to leave, a friendly smile on her face as she held out her hand. “Thanks for having me. I should get going. By the way, here’s my number, if you need anything.”

    She took my hand and gave it a light squeeze. I managed a small smile in return. Despite everything, she was the only person I knew here, and that alone was reassuring.

    When the door clicked shut behind her, I looked at my grandmother, waiting for the verdict.

    “She seems nice,” she said with a kind smile. “Maybe your first friend here. Her brother, on the other hand, is a real piece of work.”

    I burst out laughing despite myself. Hearing my grandmother talk like that always surprised me; she wasn’t one for crude language. But her comment was wrapped in a warm, protective tone that did me a world of good.

    “But what a gorgeous asshole,” she added with an amused glint in her eye.

    I had to admit, there was something magnetic about him. Still, I shook my head.

    “I think he’s already noticed you,” my grandmother said, winking as she took my empty mug. “He couldn’t take his eyes off you.”

    “Grandma,” I groaned, a blush creeping up my neck. She was only twenty when she had my mom; people often mistook her for my mother, and she certainly acted like it sometimes.

    “I’m just saying,” she said with a grin. “Try to get some sleep now.” She gestured to the couch. “It’s not perfect, but you’ll have a proper bed tomorrow.”

    “I love you, Grandma,” I murmured.

    “I love you too, sweetheart,” she replied, and her words fell over my trembling shoulders like the warmest blanket.

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • I Reject You: The Broken Luna’s Royal Destiny novel by Superstition

    I Reject You: The Broken Luna's Royal Destiny novel by Superstition

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    I was the fated mate of Brannon Hoffman, the powerful Alpha heir, devoting five years of my life to him.

    But he coldly demanded I voluntarily renounce my claim, insisting his lover, Elenore, was dying of Moon Sickness and needed his bond to survive.

    In my past life, I was completely shattered.

    Elenore put on a sickening show of pity, while Brannon threw me away without even a formal rejection ritual, sparing himself the pain of the bond snapping.

    He trapped me with Pack Law-a loophole only the elders could unlock-so I could never leave, never be free, never stop being the “pending” nothing he’d made me.

    Worst of all, he used his Alpha command to drag away my dying grandmother’s only doctor, all to treat Elenore’s faked, blood-stained cough.

    They left my grandmother to die in agony, then paraded their “true love” at a high-society charity gala.

    I died in dark isolation, my heart broken and my family utterly destroyed.

    Opening my eyes again, I was back in Brannon’s study, breathing in the scent of cedar right as he asked me to step down.

    This time, I didn’t weep. I didn’t beg. I named my own terms.

    “I won’t voluntarily renounce you.”

    I looked at his arrogant face and smiled coldly.

    “I will formally reject you-on the full moon, before every elder and every wolf in the Pack.”

    But I knew his games wouldn’t end there. So I walked into the palace of the crown itself, seeking a power he could never command.

    And there, the crippled, “short-lived” Prince Gideon-the man the whole kingdom had written off as a ghost-looked at me and offered a way out no one saw coming.

    A royal mate bond. A prince’s protection. A throne’s shadow.

    I accepted his hand.

    Because this time, I’m not running from the game.

    I’m the one setting the rules.

    👉 READ NOW

    I Reject You: The Broken Luna’s Royal Destiny novel Chapter 1

    Alanna’s POV:
    “Renounce your claim as my mate.”
    Brannon Hoffman’s Alpha aura crashed over me like a wave, dominance meant to drive any Omega to her knees. My legs shook, but I lifted my chin and answered, “And if I refuse?”
    The study went still. The air was thick with the scent of old books, leather, and the sharp, clean smell of cedar that clung to him. It was the scent I had breathed in for five years in my past life, the scent that had followed me to my death.
    He sat behind a massive mahogany desk like a judge about to pass sentence. His handsome face was a mask of cold impatience, his tailored black uniform screaming his status as the heir to the Hoffman Pack.
    “You know about Elenore’s condition,” he continued, his tone void of any warmth. Elenore Gay—the daughter of a minor Pack’s Beta, a woman of no rank or mate-bond to her name—had somehow become the center of my husband’s world. “The Moon Sickness is consuming her. The doctors say she needs the bond of a powerful Alpha to have any chance of survival.”
    I listened silently. There was no storm in my chest, no frantic pounding of my heart. The Alanna of my past would have been shattered by these words, her world crumbling. But the woman standing here now only felt a bitter irony. Moon Sickness? A lie so flimsy even a third-rate Pack healer could see through it.
    He saw my silence as the same old submission. His tone softened, laced with a condescending superiority. “I know this is unfair to you. But as an Alpha, I have a duty to protect my Pack, and the people most important to me. I need you… to voluntarily renounce your claim as my official mate.”
    He paused, delivering what he thought was a merciful blow. “You can still remain in the Pack as my second. I’ll ensure you and your family are cared for.”
    I lifted my head, truly seeing him for the first time without the fog of love. He was handsome, powerful, and profoundly selfish. His brown eyes held no guilt, only a fanatical devotion to Elenore and a self-righteous satisfaction in his own “great sacrifice.”
    My hands didn’t tremble. My breath didn’t catch. I ran my thumb over the small, faint scar on my right index finger, a relic from my work restoring ancient artifacts. It was my only comfort in my last life, and the source of my strength in this one.
    “No,” I said. The word was soft, but it cut through the heavy air.
    Brannon’s brow furrowed. Surprise, then annoyance, flickered across his face. “What did you say?” His voice turned to ice, the oppressive weight of his Alpha aura pressing down on me.
    My legs trembled; a cold sweat broke across my back. Every wolf’s instinct should have bowed me, but I had no inner wolf to obey, and that hollow emptiness—the very flaw he so despised—was what kept my spine straight.
    I met his gaze, my own clear and steady. “I said, no. I will not voluntarily renounce my claim, and I will certainly not be your second.”
    His cold impatience cracked, a flicker of disbelief crossing his features before it hardened into raw fury. “Alanna Cruz! Don’t be a fool! You’re a wolfless Omega. Without me, you are nothing!” His roar echoed in the room, making my ears ring.
    Wolfless. No inner wolf, no mind-link. It was my greatest “flaw” as an Omega, the reason he had always looked down on me. The old me had shrunk into nothingness under that word.
    But I knew now that this “flaw” was also my shield. It insulated me from his emotional manipulation, allowing me to think with perfect clarity.
    I took a deep breath, the words I had practiced a thousand times ready on my tongue. “I won’t ‘voluntarily renounce’ you, Brannon. I will ‘formally reject’ you.”
    The air in the room froze. The anger on his face solidified into pure disbelief.
    “According to Pack Law, Article Seven, the dissolution of a mate bond requires a formal Rejection,” I stated, my voice as calm as if I were reciting a recipe. “‘I, Alanna Cruz, reject you, Brannon Hoffman, as my mate.’ Then, you must respond, ‘I, Brannon Hoffman, accept your rejection.’ Only then is the ceremony complete.”
    “Are you insane?” he finally snarled, finding his voice. “Do you know what that means? The severing of the bond! The pain will be ten times worse for you! Your Omega body won’t survive it!”
    Yes, I knew. In my past life, Elenore had pretended to plead for me, and Brannon had simply cast me aside, letting me wither away in isolation without the formal ritual. He had spared himself the discomfort of the bond-snap.
    “I’m well aware,” I said, a small, cold smile touching my lips for the first time since my rebirth. “But I don’t care. I have only one condition.”
    He watched me, wary now, as if seeing a stranger. “What condition?”
    “The ceremony must take place on the full moon, ten days from now, in front of all the Pack elders and members.”
    I leaned forward slightly, my voice dropping but gaining weight. “And until that ceremony is complete, Elenore Gay is not to set foot in this main house, nor is she to be presented under any title of a ‘future Luna’.”
    I had thrown the problem back at him. If he wanted to legitimize his relationship with Elenore, he had to endure the public humiliation of being rejected by me.
    Brannon’s chest heaved, his Alpha rage threatening to crack the very ceiling. He stared at me, his eyes burning holes into my soul. He thought he held all the cards, but he didn’t know that from the moment I woke up in this life, I was the one setting the rules of the game.
    A suffocating silence stretched between us. I could feel the war inside him—the fury, the confusion, and the sting of a challenged ego.
    Finally, he ground out the words through his teeth. “Are you sure you want to do this?”
    “I am absolutely certain, Mr. Alpha,” I replied with a slight nod, my quiet tone holding an unshakeable force.
    He slammed his fist on the desk. The sharp crack echoed through the study. A silver inkwell jumped, rolling off the edge. He flinched back from it—a small, instinctive recoil, the way every wolf shrinks from silver, even an Alpha—and the dark ink bled across the rich carpet.
    “Fine! Alanna, you asked for this!” he roared, rising to his full, intimidating height. “Ten days. I hope you don’t regret it!”

    I Reject You: The Broken Luna’s Royal Destiny novel Chapter 2

    Alanna’s POV:
    I shut the door to my chambers, the solid wood a welcome barrier against the curious stares of the servants in the hallway. In my past life, this room was a cage of tears and despair. Now, it was my war room.
    My personal maid, Livia, rushed in with a glass of warm milk. She was a gift from my mother, loyal to the core. Her eyes were red-rimmed. “My lady, I heard… How could he do this to you!”
    I took the glass, the warmth seeping into my cold fingers. I patted her hand. “Livia, don’t worry. Everything will be alright.”
    “But…” she started, her voice trembling.
    I cut her off gently. “Go and get me the Pack codex. The full version, the one that hasn’t been edited.”
    Livia looked confused but nodded immediately. She knew that while I appeared soft, my decisions were final.
    Soon, a heavy, leather-bound book sat on my desk. I opened it, the pages smelling of dust and time, and turned directly to the section on mate bonds. I had never paid attention to these laws before. Now, every word could be the key to my survival.
    The next day, Brannon sent his attendant, Milo, to deliver his “agreement.” Milo strutted in with the swagger of a beta grown drunk on his Alpha’s favor, sneering down his nose at the wolfless Omega he had been ordered to serve.
    The man’s tone was arrogant, as if he were bestowing a great favor upon me.
    He handed me a formal notice for the rejection ceremony. I took the parchment and read it carefully.
    It stated the time and place, and it agreed to my condition that Elenore would not enter the main house before the ritual. Everything seemed to be as I had demanded.
    But I knew Brannon. He was an Alpha obsessed with control. He would never allow an Omega to lead him by the nose.
    My eyes scanned every word, every punctuation mark. Livia stood beside me, holding her breath.
    Then I found it. At the very bottom of the notice, in tiny, almost unnoticeable script, was a reference to a supplementary clause of the codex.
    I immediately flipped to the corresponding article in the heavy book. “Supplementary Clause 3.1.5: To protect the stability of the Pack, any change in the mate bond of an Alpha heir requires the ‘blessing’ of at least two elders from different families before the ceremony, to certify that it is in the Pack’s long-term interest.”
    A cold dread washed over me. It was a trap. It was a snare, and I was the wolf who had walked into it. The elders of the Hoffman Pack were gray-muzzled old wolves who had bowed their necks to Brannon’s father for so long they had forgotten how to straighten them. They would never “bless” a ceremony that brought public shame upon the heir.
    Brannon had agreed to the public ceremony on the surface, but in reality, he could control the elders and ensure the ritual was never legally permitted to happen.
    He could delay it forever, using the excuse that “the elders have not yet consented.” I would be trapped indefinitely in this humiliating status of “pending rejection,” unable to leave, unable to start a new life.
    What a vicious, brilliant move. I almost had to applaud his cruelty.
    Livia saw the color drain from my face. “My lady, what is it?”
    “It’s nothing,” I said, folding the document. My gaze hardened. “He wants to play with the rules. So, I’ll just have to leave his game board entirely.”
    I knew then that I could not win this war from inside the Hoffman Pack. I needed an outside force.
    A few names flickered through my mind, but I dismissed them one by one. They were either too close to the Hoffmans or not powerful enough to challenge a major Alpha Pack.
    I needed someone of high enough status, with no ties to the Hoffmans, and… with a reason to help me.
    I stood and walked to the window. The perfectly manicured gardens of the Hoffman estate spread out below, a beautiful prison. I couldn’t be trapped here any longer.
    “Livia, prepare a simple dress for me, and a discreet carriage.”
    “My lady, where are you going?” she asked, her voice filled with alarm.
    “To visit my family,” I lied. In my past life, my brother had been framed and killed in the wilderness for trying to defend my honor against Brannon. In this life, he was dead too, gone before I could save him, leaving only his five-year-old son, Leo, in my grandmother’s care. This time, I would not drag what was left of them into my fight.
    I would protect it. But “visiting my family” was the perfect excuse, a reasonable and sentimental reason that no one could deny.
    I needed to get out of here. I needed to go to the capital.
    To see the one person who could break this stalemate.
    I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My face was still pale, but my eyes were different. The girl in the mirror was no longer Alanna Cruz, the lamb for slaughter. But to win this war, I had to continue playing the part of one.
    Brannon, you think you can trap me with your rules? You will soon learn that a person with nothing left to lose but a thirst for revenge follows no rules at all.

    I Reject You: The Broken Luna’s Royal Destiny novel Chapter 3

    Alanna’s POV:
    The day before I was set to leave, an unexpected event disrupted my plans. Elenore Gay sent “gifts.”
    Her personal maid, Rose, a woman with the same smug eyes as every bully I’d ever known, arrived at my door with several servants carrying large chests.
    The estate’s housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, followed close behind. She had always been a staunch supporter of Elenore, and her face was alight with malicious glee.
    “Miss Cruz,” Rose said, her voice dripping with false sweetness as she gave a mocking curtsy. “Our Lady Elenore sends these. She says thank you for your ‘generous’ sacrifice of the Alpha’s love. This is a small token of her appreciation.”
    The servants opened the chests. Inside were all the personal items I had made for Brannon over the years.
    A combat tunic with the Pack emblem I had spent nights embroidering. A pair of wolf-shaped cufflinks I had saved for months to buy. Even the calming balm I had personally blended to soothe his Alpha temper.
    Every single item was a monument to my past life’s foolish devotion. Now, Elenore was returning them to me like garbage.
    It was the ultimate humiliation. She was telling me that everything I had cherished was worthless to Brannon.
    Livia trembled with rage, ready to lunge forward, but I stopped her with a look.
    I stared at the items, my heart a frozen lake. The old me would have shattered. The new me found it laughable.
    I walked to the chests and picked up the combat tunic, my fingers tracing the emblem I had stitched with so much love.
    Rose and Mrs. Gable exchanged a smirk, thinking I was lost in sentimental memories.
    I looked up at Rose and smiled faintly. “Please thank Lady Elenore for me.”
    “However,” I continued, my smile vanishing as my eyes turned to ice, “it seems she has made a mistake.”
    I turned to Mrs. Gable. She was slightly taller than me and always looked down on me.
    “Mrs. Gable,” I began, my voice quiet but carrying an authority that silenced the corridor. “Please tell me, according to Pack law, what is my official status until the rejection ceremony is complete?”
    Mrs. Gable froze, clearly not expecting this question. “You… you are still the Alpha’s mate, Miss Cruz,” she stammered.
    “Good.” I nodded, my gaze sweeping over the assembled servants. “Which means I am still the future lady of this estate. The future Luna of the Hoffman Pack. Is that correct?”
    No one dared to answer, but their silence was an affirmation.
    “Then, what is the punishment for an outsider who disposes of the future Luna’s personal property, and has it delivered by a servant’s servant as an insult?” My voice rose, sharp and commanding.
    Mrs. Gable’s face turned white. She finally realized her grave error.
    I ignored her and turned to the stunned Rose. “And you, a mistress’s maid, dare to be insolent to the future Luna. Who gave you the audacity?”
    I raised my hand and, without a flicker of hesitation, slapped her hard across the face.
    The sharp crack echoed down the hall. Everyone, including Livia, stared in shock. They had never seen me like this.
    Rose clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. “You… you hit me?”
    “Hit you? Mrs. Gable, tell her. According to the rules, what is the punishment for insubordination?” I asked coldly, my eyes fixed on the trembling housekeeper.
    Mrs. Gable’s lips quivered. “Twenty… twenty lashes, and banishment from the estate.”
    “Did you hear that?” I said to Rose, who had crumpled to the floor in fear. “I’m in a good mood today, so I will spare you the whip. Now get out. Go back and tell your mistress that I have received her ‘gratitude.’ And remind her that as long as I am Brannon Hoffman’s mate, she has no right to throw her weight around in this house!”
    I turned to Livia. “Take everything in these chests and burn it. Leave nothing.” These things were my foolish past. I needed to be rid of them completely.
    The servants scrambled to haul the chests away, and Rose was dragged off. Mrs. Gable stood frozen, her face ashen, unable to meet my eyes.
    This little drama only strengthened my resolve. I wasn’t just going to leave. I was going to a place where I could gain enough power to protect myself and my family.
    The capital city. Princess Theodora’s palace. It was my only choice.

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  • Reborn As The Cold Alpha’s Secret Mate novel by Liz Nozic

    Reborn As The Cold Alpha's Secret Mate novel by Liz Nozic

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    My fiancé, Caleb Tucker, told me it was the last thing I could do for him.

    Then, he sold me to a cruel, greedy old man just to curry favor for his own political ambitions.

    I was branded like livestock, treated as nothing more than a vessel and a broodmare for a man I despised.

    When I desperately tried to resist this horrifying fate, I was beaten and left to bleed out in the biting cold.

    “Seraphina, it’s the last thing you can do for me.”

    His words were colder than the winter air as my life drained into the pristine white snow, his handsome face twisted with false regret.

    I died a miserable, invisible Omega servant, my blood staining the freezing ice while he secured his future.

    Until my last breath, I couldn’t understand how the man I loved could trade my life for a little bit of status, leaving me to die like a discarded piece of trash.

    Opening my eyes again, the searing pain of the branding iron was just a ghost on my unbroken skin.

    I was back in my cramped servant’s cell in Silvermoon Keep, right on the morning the Matriarch was choosing a breeder for the Alpha heir.

    This time, I wouldn’t run. I would willingly offer myself to Gideon Carlisle, the most powerful and cold-hearted Alpha of them all, and use him to secure my survival.

    👉 READ NOW

    Reborn As The Cold Alpha’s Secret Mate novel Chapter 1

    SERAPHINA’S POV:
    “Take off your dress.”
    My fingertips trembled slightly, and a flush crept up my neck. Obeying the Matriarch’s command, I untied the rough sash at my waist. The coarse linen pooled at my feet, leaving me in nothing but a thin, white undergarment that barely covered my body.
    As I shifted my weight, the fabric rode up, exposing the pale curve of my waist. In the dim morning light, my skin looked like fine porcelain.
    Yet, Isadora Carlisle, the Pack’s Matriarch, and her stern lady-in-waiting, Agatha, didn’t even glance at my waist. Their sharp eyes were fixed entirely on my hips, which were noticeably fuller than those of the other Omega servants. Suddenly, their eyes lit up.
    “Matriarch, I believe Seraphina is a fine choice,” Agatha said, a calculating smile on her lips. “She has the wide hips of a strong breeder, perfect for bearing pups. Moreover, she’s been trained in your quarters for years. She knows her place and won’t try to bewitch the Alpha heir.”
    “Indeed, your eyes are as sharp as ever, Agatha,” Isadora said, a satisfied smile appearing on her well-preserved face. “Seraphina, prepare yourself. You will serve the Alpha heir tonight.”
    I was one of her personal servant girls, and the more she looked at me, the more satisfied she seemed. She had made her decision.
    I knelt obediently on the cold stone floor, but as I heard her words, a wave of dizziness washed over me.
    In my past life, I had knelt in this exact spot. Except then, I was fully dressed. When the Matriarch ordered me to undress for the breeding inspection, I had refused without hesitation. “I already have a mate chosen, Caleb Tucker. I beg for your mercy, Matriarch.”
    The Pack usually treated their servants decently. Though displeased, Isadora had granted my release and handed me my freedom papers. I thought I could take my saved coins, return to Caleb, and live a simple life. But instead, Caleb and my family broke my leg and sold me to Jedediah Hicks, a cruel, eighty-year-old merchant, just to curry favor.
    And then… the biting snow, the blood, the agonizing death. Just thinking about it made my chest tight with suffocating pain.
    My eyelashes fluttered. I quickly pressed my forehead to the floor, forcing my voice to tremble with overwhelming gratitude. “Thank you, Matriarch, for this immense honor!”
    Seeing that I didn’t show the desperate, ambitious greed of other foolish Omegas, Isadora’s approval deepened.
    “Seraphina, the Alpha heir has been mated for three years but remains childless,” Isadora said, her voice dropping. “If you can give birth to a strong Alpha male pup, he will be the next heir of Silvermoon Keep.”
    She paused, watching me. I made sure to widen my eyes just a fraction, projecting the perfect blend of reverence and naive yearning. She nodded, completely satisfied. This was what she wanted: an Omega who would dedicate her life to serving the heir and continuing the Carlisle bloodline.
    “You are a maid from my own courtyard. Even the Luna will not dare to look down on you,” Isadora continued, sliding a heavy silver moonstone bracelet from her wrist and placing it onto my arm.
    I looked at her with tear-filled eyes. “Thank you for your grace, Matriarch. I swear to serve the Alpha heir with my life and ease your burdens.”
    After I bowed one last time, she dismissed me.
    Once I stepped out of her quarters, the feigned reverence vanished from my eyes, replaced by a bone-chilling coldness. I caught the envious glares of the other Omega servants in the corridor, and a mocking smile touched my lips.
    If I had a choice, I would gladly trade places with them. I had absolutely no desire to be a lowly breeder. I just wanted to survive until I was old enough to leave the Keep and live in peace.
    Gideon had been mated for three years. Neither his Luna nor his two chosen females had produced a pup. Either there was something wrong with the Alpha himself, or there was a deadly game of sabotage being played among his mates. Having a pup in that environment would be practically impossible.
    Even if I did miraculously get pregnant, given Isadora’s ruthless nature, it was highly likely she would take the pup and dispose of the mother. I could lose my life anyway. If I wasn’t driven into a corner by my past, I would never willingly become a breeder.
    But right now, I needed to use Gideon Carlisle’s formidable power as a shield to destroy Caleb and those greedy bastards from my past. To do that, I had to play the long game. And the first hurdle was surviving tonight.
    Gideon was a man of strict discipline. If he refused to touch me tonight, I would become the laughingstock of the Keep by morning, and Isadora might just throw me out. Remembering Caleb and the old merchant waiting outside these walls, I took a deep breath. No matter what methods I had to use, I had to make the Alpha heir claim me tonight.
    Late into the night, I was led to the Heir’s Quarters. Bathed and dressed in a sheer, whisper-thin silk nightgown, I knelt quietly by the edge of the massive bed.

    Reborn As The Cold Alpha’s Secret Mate novel Chapter 2

    SERAPHINA’S POV:
    The gossamer fabric clung to my curves, and my pale skin glowed faintly in the candlelight. With my naturally cold and timid demeanor, I looked like a fallen moon spirit—a sight meant to entice.
    The guards had said the Alpha Heir was still working in his study. I waited for a full two hours before heavy footsteps echoed outside.
    The doors swung open. Gideon Carlisle stepped into the room. Earlier today, his mother, Matriarch Isadora, had mentioned sending a servant to his bed, but he clearly hadn’t expected to find me already waiting in his private chambers. His dark brows furrowed slightly.
    I looked up at exactly the right moment. My violet eyes were shimmering, carrying a perfect balance of shyness and submission, meeting his gaze directly.
    But Gideon just stood there. He looked at me with the same calm indifference one might use to appraise a piece of furniture. There was no lust, no surprise in his eyes—only a cold, almost detached scrutiny.
    His oppressive Alpha aura made my chest tighten. Biting my lip, I forced myself to stand. “Alpha Heir… please allow me to help you out of your clothes.”
    As I approached him, a flush warming my cheeks, Gideon actually took a step back.
    Everyone in the Pack knew he was a man who lived by rules. He visited his Luna, Eleanor, during the full moon, and his other females on strictly scheduled days. I knew that if he accepted me, a breeder Omega, it would mean adding another exhausting obligation to his routine.
    Rutting without purpose drained energy, and Gideon was clearly unwilling. Just as he opened his mouth, undoubtedly to dismiss me, a knock came at the door.
    Agatha’s voice filtered through. “Alpha Heir, the Matriarch ordered me to bring you the Elk-Blood and Moon-Herb elixir.”
    It was a potent Alpha stamina brew. It was Isadora’s way of forcing his hand.
    Gideon let out a quiet sigh. It was no secret how obsessed his mother was with getting a grandson, especially since his younger half-brother already had two pups, parading them around the Keep daily to flaunt in front of the Matriarch.
    “Leave the elixir, Agatha. Tell my mother I understand,” Gideon replied, his voice deep and resigned.
    Agatha’s receding footsteps sounded almost cheerful; she clearly knew her master would never outright defy his mother’s wishes regarding the Pack’s lineage.
    Once she was gone, Gideon turned his cold gaze back to me. “Let’s get to bed, then.”
    He raised his arms, waiting for me to undress him.
    Having served in the Matriarch’s quarters, I was used to this. I stepped forward, my hands moving deftly to remove his heavy outer coat, secretly studying him as I did.
    In my past life, I had never dared to look at him. The other maids always whispered about his god-like beauty. Seeing him up close now, the rumors were true. Sharp jawline, eyes like midnight, a physique carved from granite. If I had to endure this to change my fate, at least the man I was serving was breathtaking.
    After removing his shirt, I gently untied my own sheer outer robe. It slipped to the floor, leaving me in nothing but a crimson silk camisole embroidered with delicate lace.
    The vibrant red contrasted sharply with my milky skin. My chest heaved slightly, the delicate curves of my body fully exposed—a living, breathing painting of temptation.
    Any other male in the Pack would have lost their minds and tackled me to the rugs. But Gideon wasn’t a normal man. He barely spared my body a glance, his eyes quickly returning to their icy calm.
    Just as I was frantically wondering what my next move should be, he reached out, grabbed my wrist, and pulled me under the heavy furs of the bed.
    Under the heavy velvet canopy, I threw my arms around Gideon, pulling him close.
    I was actually quite pleased at this moment. Secretly, I slipped a small, specially treated piece of white cloth under the pillows—my proof of the night. Even though, as a designated breeder Omega, I wasn’t strictly required to present proof of consummation to the Matriarch or his official mate, my past life had taught me to always leave a backup plan. Even when serving the Alpha Heir, I couldn’t afford to leave any loopholes for my enemies.

    Reborn As The Cold Alpha’s Secret Mate novel Chapter 3

    SERAPHINA’S POV:
    Gideon didn’t say anything as he positioned himself over me. My smile was still plastered on my face, but a second later, it completely vanished.
    His posture was rigid, almost more textbook than a medical manual. Those glacial blue eyes held absolutely zero lust or emotion. It made my entire body stiffen.
    Wait… do his mates not require any tenderness at all?
    I’ve been given a second chance at life. Is it too much to ask to enjoy this at least a little bit?
    With that thought in mind, I put on my most affectionate gaze and reached out to grasp Gideon’s large hands.
    This was clearly the first time the Alpha Heir had ever been interrupted during his “duty.” He stopped immediately, looking down at me with a mixture of confusion and growing impatience.
    “Alpha Heir,” I forced my voice into a syrupy, sweet register—so high and cloying my throat practically burned. “You work so hard for the Pack all day. Let your servant take care of you tonight. I want to… do it myself. Please, indulge me just this once?”
    He stared at me without a word, his dark, stormy eyes making it impossible to guess what he was thinking.
    Did I piss him off?
    Not daring to delay any further, I gave him a seductive smile of thanks and boldly looped my arms around his neck.
    He had clearly never seen such aggressive initiative from an Omega before. He froze for a split second, allowing me to slip into his guard. I could almost hear him thinking: What kind of unruly Omega did the Matriarch send me?
    He reached out, pinning my shoulders down to stop my movements, his face darkening as he growled softly, “Insolent!”
    A flicker of Alpha satisfaction crossed his face as he saw the mist of tears welling up in my eyes.
    I let out a tiny, exaggerated shudder at his bark, stopping my movements instantly and staring up at him like a frightened little deer. But a second later, I brazenly grabbed his hand again.
    “What are you doing?” he snapped.
    I looked up at him innocently, laughing inwardly. Sure enough, a man’s fingers are always sensitive, and this Alpha Heir is no exception.
    I immediately swapped my expression to one of absolute, starry-eyed worship, cooing in my most delicate, breathy voice, “Alpha Heir, the outsiders always say you rely on the Matriarch’s power for your status. But feeling the thick calluses on your knuckles and fingertips… I know you earned all your glory through your own blood, sweat, and battles!”
    Being looked at with such sheer adoration clearly stroked his ego. I could see the subtle shift in his demeanor—he felt validated, yet he kept his face stern and scolded, “Speak properly. Do not try to curry favor.”
    “Yes~” I purred, dragging the word out with enough twists and turns to make an Alpha’s bones itch.
    Looking into my wide, innocent eyes, Gideon seemed to know damn well I was doing it on purpose. Annoyed, but undeniably aroused, he crashed his lips down to silence my mouth.
    Seeing that my tactic worked, I immediately took the initiative. I have to admit, the experience turned out much better than I had initially expected.
    When it was over, I lay on the massive bed with a hidden look of disgust. If I sleep on this overly ornate, stiff bed all night, I’ll wake up with a sore back. I’m just here to do a job, not to play true love with the Alpha Heir. Whoever wants to suffer this bed can have it.
    Thinking of this, I dutifully crawled out from under the covers, dressed myself quickly, and grabbed my proof of the night. I gave Gideon a flawless, respectful bow. “Alpha Heir, I will not disturb your rest any longer. I shall take my leave.”
    Without waiting for his response, I turned and walked out.
    My swift departure seemed to catch Gideon completely off guard. As I walked away, I knew I had likely shattered whatever preconceived notions he had about me. He probably thought I was just another well-trained Omega sent by his mother, expecting me to be like those ambitious females who always begged to stay the night after the act, or worse, ignored his exhaustion to demand a second round just to secure favor. By leaving gracefully, I had spared him that annoyance, perhaps even earning his silent forgiveness for my earlier “unruly” behavior.
    Honestly, I didn’t care at all about Gideon’s attitude toward me. The mission was accomplished, and I just wanted a good night’s sleep.
    I hurried back to the modest servant’s quarters assigned to me, scrubbed myself clean with warm water, and collapsed onto my own bed, limbs spread wide like a starfish.
    I calculated in my head: With this, I won’t have to worry about failing the Matriarch’s inspection tomorrow. My position in the Pack is secure for now.
    I let out a long sigh, my tense nerves finally relaxing, and fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.
    That was, until the early hours of the morning, when a maid named Daisy frantically shook me awake.
    “Seraphina, wake up! It’s time to go to the main estate and pay your respects to the Luna!”

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • Sold to the Devil’s Empire novel by Judith C-Tagoe

    Sold to the Devil's Empire novel by Judith C-Tagoe

    👉 READ NOW

    Born minutes apart, raised in the same house, yet Delphina Moore was always the outsider. The unwanted twin.

    So when she tries to leave, her family makes sure she never gets the chance.

    They sell her to Evander Thorne.

    A man whispered about in fear. A man no one escapes.

    Delphina is supposed to disappear like the others.

    But she doesn’t.

    Instead, she survives… and forms a bond that was never meant to exist.

    A bond that ties her to Evander in ways neither of them can control.

    And worse, it awakens a secret buried long before she was born.

    A secret powerful enough to destroy everything or remake it entirely.

    👉 READ NOW

    Sold to the Devil’s Empire novel Chapter 1

    Delphina’s POV
    In our house, innocence meant nothing, only who cried first. And Ceilia always cried first.
    “Mummy!”
    Ceilia’s scream tore through the house.
    I froze.
    She stood in the centre of the bedroom, clutching her finger as blood welled from a neat crescent bite. Her bite. She had bitten her finger right in front of me.
    “I’m bleeding!” she wailed.
    My feet would not move. There was nowhere to hide anyway. The wardrobe door had no lock. The bathroom lock never worked. The window had iron bars.
    I heard footsteps approaching, and my heart raced in my chest.
    “What happened?”
    Mum appeared at the doorway, holding a spatula still in her hand from the kitchen. Oil glistened on its surface. Her eyes moved from Ceilia’s tears to the blood, then slowly to me.
    “Delphina hurt my finger,” Ceilia sobbed.
    I opened my mouth, but nothing came out.
    Mum took Ceilia’s hand gently, inspecting it as if she were examining a crystal in her shop. She cooed softly. Wiped the blood with the edge of her apron.
    Then her arm swung. The spatula struck my shoulder before I could brace myself.
    “How dare you hurt her?” she shouted.
    “Mummy, I didn’t…”
    The second blow landed across my arm. The third on my back.
    The spatula made a flat, cracking sound each time it connected with my skin. She was holding my hand and repeatedly hitting me with the spatula.
    Ceilia’s crying softened.
    “Mummy, please,” I begged, while my attempt to free myself proved futile. “I didn’t do it.”
    Like always, my voice did not exist.
    She beat me until her breathing grew heavy and satisfied. When she finally stopped, I was shaking. My skin marked with red patches, and injuries resulting from the beating, but she didn’t care.
    She had never cared.
    “As your punishment, you will stay locked in the basement,” she said, seizing my wrist.
    I was only six years old.
    I stumbled as she dragged me down the narrow staircase. The basement door creaked open. Damp air rose to meet us.
    While she shoved me inside, I turned.
    Ceilia stood at the top of the stairs.
    She stuck her tongue out teasingly.
    The door slammed, and the lock clicked before I could get to it.
    I pressed my back against the wood and slid down slowly. My arms burned. My legs stung. My skin would become redder by nightfall.
    This was how it had always been.
    Ceilia is my twin.
    We shared a birthday, not a face. She had black hair and warm brown eyes that made people smile. I had brunette hair and green eyes that made people whisper.
    From the day we were born, she had been the miracle, and I, the mistake.
    I learned very early that one word was forbidden in Ceilia’s world. No.
    I had a storybook. Kevin from next door had given it to me. He said it was his favourite and that I was clever enough to understand it.
    Ceilia wanted it.
    “No,” I said.
    And that was it. She bit her own finger.
    And here I was, beaten and locked up in a basement.
    Father never questioned anything. He worked, ate, and slept. Mum owned a boutique where rich women shopped for imported silk and perfume.
    We were not poor. Yet I delivered newspapers before dawn.
    Ceilia went to school in polished shoes and pleated skirts. I scrubbed floors that were already clean. In the afternoons, I cooked, washed, ironed, and dusted until every surface shone like glass.
    Yes, I started cooking for the family at the age of six.
    The only good thing they did for me was buy the groceries and provide me with cooking books. That started when they discovered I had learned to read and write on my own.
    “If there is dust, you do not eat,” Mum would say.
    We shared a room once. Ceilia slept on the queen-sized bed. I slept on the floor.
    “It will be easier when Ceilia needs something,” Mum had explained.
    By the time I was thirteen years old, even that small space was taken from me. The servants who cleaned the compound were dismissed one by one. I replaced them all.
    “You are old enough to earn your keep.”
    I moved into the kitchen storage room. It smelled of flour and detergent.
    “It will help you wake early,” Mum said.
    It helped me understand what I was.
    Staff.
    Kevin was the only soft thing in my world.
    Over weekends, he would teach me what he learned at school. Algebra frightened me. History fascinated me. He said I asked questions like someone meant for more.
    When I turned fifteen, he told me his father had now taken over from his grandfather to manage the Wilson’s Group. They were moving.
    “Delphina, take this.” He pressed a cheap plastic ring into my palm. Blue stone. Too large for my finger.
    “I’ll come back for you when I’m older,” he said with a grin he believed in.
    I hugged him tightly.
    That was the last time I saw him.
    I slid a thread through the ring and wore it around my neck for years. I wore high-neck tops, so it was easy to hide it from my family.
    Hope is a stubborn thing, but it was the only thing that kept me going.
    One day, I will be free.
    I always encouraged myself with those words.
    It will not be like this forever.
    By twenty, hope had turned into something sharper.
    Enough.
    I had counted the days quietly. Planned silently. I kept my thoughts in a diary hidden under the kitchen shelf behind the sacks of rice.
    I did not know where I would go, but I knew I would leave.
    That morning, I woke at four as usual.
    “After today, I’ll be free,” I whispered as I folded my thin blanket.
    I cleaned with a lightness I had never felt before. Washed dishes carefully. Polished the bannister. Prepared breakfast.
    At seven, they would leave.
    Father to work, mum to her shop, and Ceilia to her friends, who never visited our house because she did not like them seeing me.
    I would pack my small bag, walk out that door, never to return.
    I cleared the breakfast table, humming under my breath.
    “Delphina.”
    My stomach tightened.
    I hurried to the sitting room.
    If she called twice, I would be struck.
    “Mummy, you called?” I bowed slightly.
    Father sat stiffly on the sofa. Ceilia lounged beside him, scrolling through her phone.
    “Delphina, you are twenty,” Father said.
    I blinked. They remembered.
    “We have decided it is time you settle down.”
    The room tilted slightly.
    “Settle down?” I repeated.
    “Do not interrupt,” Mum snapped.
    “Sorry.”
    “Mr Evander Thorne has made us an offer,” Father continued. “In return, he requires something to seal the arrangement.”
    Understanding crawled over me slowly.
    “You offered me,” I said quietly.
    “I said be silent!” Mum’s hand struck my cheek.
    The sting blossomed.
    “No,” I said, and the word surprised even me. “I will not be silent. What have I done to deserve this? Am I even your child?”
    Another slap.
    “You should be grateful,” Mum hissed. “A man of his stature is willing to take you.”
    “Then let Ceilia marry him,” I said. “If he is so wealthy, surely that suits her.”
    The third slap sent me sideways.
    “How dare you compare yourself to Ceilia?” Mum barked. “Our angel already has a proposal from someone far superior.”
    Ceilia smirked.
    Evander Thorne.
    Everyone knew the rumours. Ruthless. Cold. Untouchable. Hates women. A man whose name alone could make businessmen tremble.
    And I was to be the price of some bargain.
    I swallowed.
    Fine.
    They would not find me here when they returned tonight.
    A knock sounded at the door.
    “See who it is,” Mum ordered.
    I stepped out of the balcony corridor and descended to the front entrance.
    Two men in black suits stood outside. Their expressions were blank, professional.
    “Yes?”
    “Is Mr Moore home?” one asked.
    “Yes.”
    Heavy footsteps approached behind me.
    “She is ready,” Father said.
    My blood turned to ice.
    “She?”
    Before I could move, the men seized my arms.
    “No!” I struggled, but their grip tightened.
    “Mummy, Daddy, please!” The words tore out of me, though I knew better than to expect mercy.
    Ceilia watched from the staircase, behind mum and dad.
    Holding a book.
    She deliberately held it up so I could see.
    My diary.
    The ribbon I used as a bookmark dangled from her fingers. And on her pinkie was the plastic ring Kevin gave me. My hand flew to my neck. It was gone.
    She knew of my plans. And she planned her own.
    She smiled, looking pleased.
    They dragged me outside. A sleek black car waited at the gate. One of the men opened the back door and shoved me inside.
    I clawed at the handle.
    Something cold pressed against my nose.
    A sharp chemical scent filled my lungs, and the world blurred.
    My last thought before darkness swallowed me was simple and devastating.
    I had tried to run.
    But freedom had never been mine to claim.

    Sold to the Devil’s Empire novel Chapter 2

    Evander’s POV
    “Sir, it is the final day. Mr Moore has still not paid what he owes.”
    Marcus’s voice carried across the balcony, steady as ever.
    I did not turn immediately. Below me, Draevik City pulsed in disciplined silence. Glass towers reflected the late afternoon sun. Traffic moved like blood through veins I owned.
    I tightened my grip on the railing until the cold metal bit into my palm.
    “Where is he?” I asked.
    “In the basement.”
    “Good.”
    I walked past Marcus without another word. He fell into step behind me.
    The lift descended smoothly. Stainless steel. No mirrors. I disliked reflections.
    The basement air was colder. Thicker. Concrete and iron. A single overhead light cast sharp shadows against the walls.
    A chair was placed at the centre of the room. I sat. My face mask in place.
    Seth Moore knelt between two guards. Sweat clung to his thinning hair. His expensive suit was wrinkled now, stained at the collar.
    “Seth Moore,” I said quietly, “I despise promise breakers.”
    “Mr Thorne, have mercy,” he begged, voice cracking.
    “Why should I?”
    “Dead men are useless to you,” he stammered.
    I leaned forward slightly. “What makes you think I care whether you are dead or alive?”
    He swallowed hard. “I will pay. I just need time.”
    “You are out of time.”
    He began rambling about former positions, future appointments, and companies that might still hire him as CEO. Words spilling like coins from a torn purse.
    “That ship has sailed,” I said.
    His breathing quickened. Panic sharpened his eyes.
    Then he said it.
    “I will give you my daughter. She will serve you. Do with her as you please.”
    The guards shifted slightly. Marcus did not move.
    “Human trafficking,” I said evenly.
    “No, no. Not trafficking. Service. She will work for you without pay while I raise the money. When I settle my debt, I will take her back.”
    I looked at him for a long moment.
    “Cut his finger,” I instructed.
    One of my men stepped forward.
    “Wait! Please!” Seth cried, fumbling inside his jacket. “Look at her first. Please. Look.”
    He held up a photograph with trembling fingers.
    I was not interested at first, but something about the image caught my attention.
    I raised my hand, and the guard paused.
    The image was slightly creased. Taken in poor light. A young woman stood stiffly in what looked like a kitchen doorway.
    Her hair was brunette, falling past her shoulders, down to her waist. Her eyes, green, sharp even in print, did not carry the softness of someone loved.
    Something was unsettling about the picture. I stared longer than necessary.
    She was not smiling, but she was not afraid either.
    She looked… resigned.
    And that disturbed me more than fear would have, but I still wanted to see this girl. This strange girl with green eyes.
    I lowered my hand slowly.
    “I accept your offer,” I said.
    Relief flooded Seth’s face so quickly it disgusted me.
    “Three days,” he pleaded. “Allow me to prepare her.”
    “Three days,” I agreed, and stood.
    As I walked towards the door, I gave Marcus a brief glance, and he understood.
    The first crack of the whip split the air just as I exited. Seth’s scream followed, muffled once the steel door shut behind me.
    I believe pain, when properly administered, is educational.
    “Sir,” Marcus said once we reached my home office level, “please tell me you are not truly considering this arrangement.”
    I removed my cufflinks slowly.
    “Are you questioning my judgement?”
    “No, my Lord. But she will be the only woman within these walls. Curiosity breeds speculation.”
    Women did not enter my space. They never had, and I had my reasons.
    “Are you saying security will fail?” I asked.
    “No.”
    “Then there is no problem.”
    He hesitated, which meant he was thinking beyond logistics.
    Only Marcus would dare.
    “She could expose…” He paused carefully. “Certain truths.”
    My gaze sharpened.
    “Are you incompetent, Marcus?”
    His jaw tightened. “Never.”
    “Then ensure she does not become a liability.”
    “Yes, my Lord.”
    As he turned to leave, I added, “I want everything about her. Every detail. And I want to know why her father offered her so easily.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    When the door closed, silence settled.
    My phone vibrated against the desk.
    “Father.”
    “The meeting is this weekend,” he said without greeting. “No excuses.”
    “Very well.”
    The line went dead.
    The Wilson alliance.
    A strategic merger disguised as marriage, to save their empire, which was bleeding quietly. Ours was not.
    Marissa Wilson.
    A woman I had seen from a distance once and only met once. She was well polished, educated, and impeccable.
    She had tried to get close upon meeting me for the first time. I quickly stepped back, keeping a distance between us, while keeping my father in the middle.
    Her perfume had been too sweet.
    Women unsettled me.
    Aside from my personal reason, at five years old, I learned that affection could be performance. My mother’s smile was reserved for rooms where my father stood watching. In private, her gaze was colder than any basement I owned.
    At six, I learned worse watching the woman I called my mother.
    That memory remained locked.
    Marcus was the only living person aware of my reaction towards women.
    I did not allow women close to me. I did not touch or entertain them. The idea of physical intimacy did not stir hunger in me.
    It stirred caution.
    In this world, control had been my solution.
    Marcus returned within the hour and placed a file on my desk.
    “Preliminary report on Delphina Moore. Also, the President has requested an audience.”
    So, that is her name. I thought.
    “I am not receiving him today.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    He left.
    I opened the file.
    Delphina Moore.
    Twenty years old.
    No formal education.
    Paper delivery.
    Domestic labour within her own household.
    No criminal record.
    No social footprint.
    Invisible.
    Her photograph, paper clipped to the front, was clearer than the one her father had shown me.
    In this image, she was younger. Perhaps eighteen. Standing slightly behind another girl, identical in age but not in physical appearance.
    Twin.
    The resemblance was biological, not emotional.
    One shone.
    One endured.
    “Interesting,” I murmured.
    Seth Moore had not offered his daughter.
    He had offered the spare.
    That detail lodged somewhere uncomfortable.
    In the Republic of Vaelorin, power had layers.
    Averelle City held the politicians. Marble buildings. Press conferences. Diplomacy rehearsed for cameras.
    The President signed documents.
    I decided which ones reached his desk.
    Draevik City held the money. Stock exchanges. Corporate towers. Conglomerates stitched together by invisible agreements.
    They all answered to someone.
    Me.
    Velmire Port City held what was never spoken aloud. Private docks. Restricted zones. Shipping manifests that changed before customs officers saw them.
    Officially, I was a businessman.
    Unofficially, I was the spine.
    Very few had seen my face.
    But they knew my name.
    And they feared it.
    I closed the file slowly.
    Why did her image unsettle me?
    It was not an attraction.
    I did not experience desire the way other men described it. I had listened to enough conversations in boardrooms and private clubs to understand that.
    Men spoke of women like acquisitions.
    I did not understand the impulse.
    But when I looked at Delphina Moore’s photograph, something shifted.
    Not hunger.
    Recognition.
    She looked like someone who had been managed. Contained. Silenced.
    I understood containment.
    Three days later, I sent my men.
    Marcus stood by my desk that afternoon.
    “Sir, are you certain?”
    “Is the second floor prepared?”
    “Yes.”
    The second floor of my private residence was a self-contained apartment. Two bedrooms. Kitchen. Security access limited.
    No woman had ever occupied that space.
    “She will remain there,” I instructed. “She may access the third floor only under supervision. Cleaning. Cooking. Nothing more.”
    “Yes, sir.”
    “And Marcus?”
    He paused.
    “She does not wander.”
    “Understood.”
    By mid-afternoon, I had completed two virtual negotiations and rejected a government proposal.
    “Sir,” Marcus announced, “she has arrived. She is sedated.”
    I looked up.
    A strange tension settled beneath my ribs.
    Good, I told myself.
    I stood.
    Marcus hesitated, as though considering speaking. He did not.
    We walked down the corridor.
    The second-floor door unlocked with a soft electronic click.
    The apartment was quiet.
    I stepped into the bedroom.
    She lay on the bed, unconscious. Brunette hair spread across the pillow like silk brushed with warm earth tones. Her hands rested loosely at her sides.
    She looked smaller than in the photograph.
    Less resigned.
    More fragile.
    The faint scent of antiseptic lingered in the air from the sedative.
    I stood at the foot of the bed.
    For a fraction of a second, warmth flickered beneath my skin, but gone before I could identify it.
    This was new.
    I had stood in rooms where governments negotiated their survival. I had ordered sanctions, dismantled companies, broken men.
    My heart had never altered its rhythm.
    Now it did.
    I moved closer despite myself.
    Her eyelashes trembled slightly in sleep. There was a faint bruise near her cheekbone.
    My jaw tightened.
    I wanted to reach out.
    The thought alone startled me.
    I do not touch.
    I do not reach.
    Experience had taught me that proximity often came with consequences.
    My hand lifted a fraction before I forced it back to my side.
    This is illogical, I told myself.
    She is leverage. Nothing more.
    Yet something about her stillness made the room feel unfamiliar.
    Uncontrolled.
    “Sir?” Marcus’s voice came from behind me, careful.
    I stepped back immediately.
    “Let’s go,” I said.
    I left the room as though it were the source of heat and I had stood too close to the flame.
    Once the door shut, I exhaled slowly.
    For the first time in years, I felt something dangerously close to fear.
    Not of her.
    Of myself.
    I had faced nations without flinching.
    Yet a sleeping girl had unsettled the architecture of my control.

    Sold to the Devil’s Empire novel Chapter 3

    Delphina’s POV
    I opened my eyes, and the first thing I saw was a ceiling I did not recognise.
    For a moment, I did not move. I simply stared. Pale. Smooth. No crack. Nothing like the storage room I spent countless nights in. The fruit fragrance of the room hit me next. My heart jolted, and I pushed myself upright too quickly.
    My body quickly recognised the softness of the bed. The mattress dipped beneath me. My balance faltered, and I scrambled backwards, tangling in unfamiliar sheets before tumbling off the bed entirely, and ending up on the floor.
    The floor was smooth hardwood, cool against my palms.
    I looked up.
    The room was clean.
    Very clean.
    Cream walls. White sheets pulled tight and unwrinkled. My nose picked up the fruit scent, lemon and coconut, it lingered in the air, subtle but deliberate. Nothing like the damp storage room I had slept in for years, where mildew clung to the corners, and the only scent was dust and old wood.
    My breathing grew shallow.
    Is this Evander Thorne’s house? Or did someone rescue me?
    I stood to my feet and took a good look at the room. The bed stood neatly at the centre, dressed in white sheets, so crisp it almost glowed in the filtered daylight. A wardrobe stood against the far wall. Closed. Polished.
    There were no bars on the windows, only a beautiful white and grey drape decorated them.
    No visible restraints.
    This did not look like a prison.
    If it was, this was one hell of a comfortable prison.
    The door opened before I could steady myself.
    I froze.
    An average-height man stepped inside. Dark hair, precisely groomed. Suit pressed without a crease. He carried himself with quiet authority, not hurried, not uncertain.
    Is that him?
    I stayed half-crouched beside the bed, painfully aware of the state of my clothes. Faded. Worn. I looked like dirt that had been dropped into a showroom.
    “Delphina Moore,” he said evenly. “Good. You are awake.”
    His voice was controlled, measured.
    “Please,” I blurted, scrambling to my feet. “I can’t stay here. Please let me go.”
    “I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” He placed a file neatly on the bed. “I am here to assign your duties.”
    Duties. He can’t be Evander Thorne.
    “For your sake, I hope you can read,” he added calmly. “Ensure you understand everything on the paper. Your work begins at six a.m. tomorrow.”
    “My work?” I echoed.
    But he was already turning away.
    The door shut with a soft mechanical click.
    Locked.
    The quiet that followed was heavier than the words.
    The rumours about Evander Thorne echoed in my mind.
    Ruthless. Untouchable. Dangerous. Hates women. A man who could erase a life without consequence.
    I approached the bed slowly and picked up the file.
    Household duties.
    Every task listed with military precision. Start time. Finish time. Allocated minutes for each task, and each room meant to be cleaned.
    Six a.m. to six p.m each day.
    “I was brought here to be a housekeeper?” I whispered.
    The word felt too simple for the transaction that had delivered me here.
    I moved to the wardrobe and opened it.
    Uniforms.
    Black dresses with white collars. Crisp aprons. Identical. Lined up in silent expectation.
    On the other side were five sets of pyjamas.
    All my size.
    My fingers tightened around the paper.
    He knew.
    My father had not spoken blindly. This had been arranged.
    I shut the wardrobe and pushed open the inner door.
    A bathroom.
    My own.
    White tiles. A glass shower. Clean towels folded with symmetry.
    At home, I bathed outside behind the kitchen window, beneath the standing pipe. My parents had their bedroom with a bathroom. Ceilia had hers.
    I was not permitted in the bathrooms designated for families.
    And yet here, in the house of the most feared man in the country, I had a private one.
    Mr Thorne might be a terrible man, but he provided well for his servants.
    Servant.
    The word settled in my chest.
    I returned to the bedroom just as the door unlocked again.
    The same man stepped inside.
    “I require your thumbprint on several documents,” he said, approaching.
    I instinctively stepped back.
    “Delphina,” he said quietly, and there was warning beneath the calm. “Do not make this difficult.”
    He took my right hand firmly but not roughly, pressed my thumb onto an ink pad, then opened the file.
    Oath of Secrecy.
    The bold heading burned into my vision before he flipped to the final page.
    He reached for my hand again. I pulled it back.
    “Delphina.”
    My name in his mouth felt less like a call and more like a command. He took my thumb and pressed it onto the signature line.
    “There,” he said.
    “What is this?” I asked, my voice thinner than I intended.
    “It is an Oath of Secrecy,” he replied. “This is Lord Evander Thorne’s empire. Nothing you see or hear leaves this building.”
    He held my gaze.
    “If information becomes public, the agreed punishment will be carried out.”
    He paused.
    “Death.”
    The word did not rise in volume. It did not need to. Cold spread through my limbs. My breath shortened.
    “I, I don’t know how to clean properly,” I managed, looking at how clean the environment was and recalling how my mum constantly tells me I suck at cleaning. “There must be someone better suited.”
    “Your father has already collected payment for your service.”
    Payment.
    He left before I could speak again.
    The door locked.
    My knees gave way.
    Payment.
    Was I sold? Or I am working, and they are collecting the payment?
    I pressed my hand against my mouth to stop the sound that threatened to escape.
    My diary.
    Ceilia was holding it. She told them about my plan to leave.
    My father would rather sell me to the country’s most feared man than allow me freedom.
    I forced myself upright.
    “No. I will get out of here,” I whispered.
    I just needed time. Study the environment, and I can plan my escape.
    But then another thought struck.
    If I leave, he will find me. If he cannot find me, he will find them.
    I lowered my lashes in defeat. They may have treated me like an inconvenience, but they were still my family.
    I exhaled slowly, steadying myself.
    Fine.
    I will work. I will learn the terms. I will complete whatever period is required.
    And then I will leave properly.
    My father has said that this was to seal a deal. The man who just left said I was here to render service. It must be temporary.
    The door unlocked again.
    Another man entered with a tray and placed it silently on a desk near the window. Only then did I notice the subtle extension of the room, a small dining nook tucked behind heavy curtains.
    He was dressed differently. Nothing like the man who had come in earlier.
    “Thank you,” I said instinctively.
    He did not respond.
    The bowl revealed a chicken Caesar salad. Fresh. Crisp. Real food.
    I ate without hesitation.
    Afterwards, I showered. The hot water stunned my skin. I stood beneath it longer than necessary, letting it wash years of cold baths from memory.
    I changed into one of the pyjamas and slid into the bed.
    The sheets were impossibly soft and comfortable.
    I closed my eyes, and sleep took over.
    When the shock of cold water hit my face, I gasped and shot upright. The same man stood over me, holding an empty glass.
    “You were to be ready at five fifty,” he said. “It is now six.”
    My heart pounded.
    “You have five minutes.”
    He left.
    I wiped water from my face, breathing unevenly.
    Comfort had made me careless.
    I dressed quickly, pulling on the uniform. The black dress fit perfectly. The white collar lay sharp against my throat. I tied my hair into a tight ponytail and approached the door.
    Locked.
    The moment I stepped back, it clicked open.
    He was waiting.
    “Follow me,” he said.
    We walked through a corridor lined with neutral walls. We entered a lift and ascended.
    The third floor opened into something that felt less like a home and more like a luxury hotel lobby. Polished floors. Controlled lighting. Everything arranged with intention.
    He knocked on the door before opening it.
    “Wait.”
    He disappeared briefly and returned with cleaning supplies.
    Broom. Mop. Cloths. Dusters. Bucket.
    “I expect every room to be immaculate. You have thirty minutes.”
    He turned to leave, then paused.
    “Do not go to the top floor.”
    He did not explain, but I nodded.
    I began cleaning.
    The rooms were expansive, far larger than necessary. Bedrooms with private sitting areas. Bathrooms bigger than entire sections of my former home. I was able to enter all rooms except one. It was locked.
    Half an hour was not enough. I worked quickly, pulse steadying as routine replaced panic.
    Then I saw the staircase.
    It curved upwards discreetly, almost hidden.
    The top floor.
    He had said not to go there.
    I hesitated only a second before climbing out of curiosity.
    The air felt cooler.
    I reached the landing and stopped.
    Through a glass partition, I saw a man.
    Shirtless.
    The waistband of dark training trousers rested low against his narrow waist. His skin was pale but defined, lean muscle etched with quiet precision.
    He held a weighted bar attached to a chain, pulling it down towards his waist in controlled repetition.
    The muscles in his back tightened and released with each measured pull.
    There was nothing frantic in the movement.
    No aggression.
    No display.
    He did not look like a man who needed to prove his strength.
    He looked like one who measured it.
    My breath caught, not from attraction, but from awareness.
    Was that him?
    I continued to stare.
    This was a man of discipline.
    Of calculation.
    He paused mid-repetition, head tilting slightly.
    As though he sensed something.
    “Breaking rules on your first day?”
    The voice came from behind me.
    I jolted, spinning so quickly my shoulder struck the wall. My hand flew to my chest.
    The man from earlier stood on the staircase, watching me.
    “Marcus,” he said evenly, as though offering a courtesy. “I suggest you remember that name.”
    I swallowed.
    “I, I’m sorry.”
    When I glanced back through the glass, the room was empty.
    He was gone.
    And somehow that was worse.

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • The Defective Mate’s Hidden Royal Bloodline novel by Superstition

    The Defective Mate's Hidden Royal Bloodline novel by Superstition

    👉 READ NOW

    For years, I endured the mockery of being a “wolfless” outcast, acting as the perfectly devoted mate to Alpha Julian.

    But just weeks before his Mating ceremony with the noble Isabella, I overheard him call me a mere “placeholder” and a temporary “bed warmer.”

    He didn’t just break my heart; he crushed my dignity. He forced me to iron Isabella’s wedding gowns. When Isabella faked an allergic reaction to a cake I baked, Julian didn’t even investigate.

    “Something made with such vile intentions belongs in the garbage, just like you!”

    He roared, throwing my cake into the trash and demanding I apologize to the woman who was parading around with my stolen family heirloom.

    Looking at his cold, judgmental eyes, the lingering illusion of our bond evaporated into a vast, silent wasteland. How could I have been so foolish to love a man so utterly blind?

    I didn’t shed a single tear.

    “Consider this my apology.”

    I smiled, picking up a glass of ice water and throwing it directly into Isabella’s perfectly made-up face.

    Locked away in the Ancestral Hall as punishment, I didn’t panic. Instead, I calmly began plotting with his rival cousin, setting a trap for Isabella’s powerful family. I no longer wanted his love; I wanted my absolute freedom.

    👉 READ NOW

    The Defective Mate’s Hidden Royal Bloodline novel Chapter 1

    Nora POV:

    “Part your thighs for me, Nora. I’m going to take you hard tonight, mark you deep, and make you truly mine.”

    Julian’s husky, lust-filled voice vibrated against the sensitive skin of my neck, his hot, sour, alcohol-laced breath making my stomach churn violently.

    He had me pinned against the cold, unyielding wall of my small, dimly lit room, his heavy, muscular body pressing aggressively into mine. His hands, rough and demanding, gripped my waist, his fingers digging into my flesh as he pulled me tighter into his stifling, inescapable embrace. The overwhelming scent of his Alpha pheromones, which used to make my knees weak with desire, now felt like a toxic cloud suffocating my very soul.

    Instead of melting into my mate’s touch like an obedient Omega, my entire body went rigid. I felt nothing but a suffocating wave of disgust and intense, clawing resistance. I used to be a proud aristocratic lady, the cherished daughter of the prestigious Hayes Pack, before my family tragically fell from grace. I was raised to be a noble Luna, not a secret, shameful plaything.

    Mark me? Make me his?

    “Isabella’s position is completely untouchable. She has the backing of the powerful Sinclair Pack. As for Nora, she’s just a fallen aristocrat. A criminal’s daughter. A convenient hole to warm your bed.”

    His cruel words from the other night echoed in my mind, perfectly overlapping with the heavy, animalistic pants of the man currently grinding his hips against me. A violent shudder of pure revulsion rolled through my spine, freezing my blood.

    “You smell so incredibly sweet,” he mumbled, his wet, eager lips trailing down my collarbone, biting and sucking at my skin, completely oblivious to my freezing demeanor. “Don’t be shy, Nora. You know how much I crave this body.”

    Shy? My heart was bleeding out on the floor, yet he was completely blind to it. The affectionate touch I had craved for years now felt like crawling, venomous insects on my skin. I squeezed my eyes shut as my agonizing heartbreak over the man who once loved me rapidly rotted into a chilling, horrifying unfamiliarity. This man pressing against me was no longer my devoted lover. He was a ruthless, calculating heir who would do absolutely anything for power and status. I had to protect my remaining pride. I had to escape this golden cage.

    We had been engaged since childhood, a match made in heaven. But when I was eight, my family was framed for treason, and all the men in my clan were exiled to the barren wastelands. My mother died of severe depression shortly after. I only survived the purge because of my grandfather’s desperate, last-minute interventions.

    I thought our engagement would be immediately canceled, but Julian fought everyone to keep me. Yet, right after our private mating ceremony, his mother declared my family guilty and my status utterly unworthy. I was strictly forbidden to be his Luna. I was stripped of my dignity and became his hidden, shameful mistress.

    “You know I have to marry Isabella for the sake of the Pack’s future,” he had promised back then, stroking my tear-stained cheek with false tenderness. “An Alpha of my high status will naturally have many women, but don’t be jealous, my sweet Nora. You are the only one who truly has my heart. Just be a good girl, stay in my bed, and I will always take care of you.”

    I had been foolish enough to believe him. I had stayed by his side in the shadows for four long years, nameless, hidden, and utterly devoted.

    And now, knowing he was officially going to marry Isabella Sinclair next month, his eager, wandering hands on my body felt like the ultimate insult. He didn’t want a true, equal mate; he just wanted an obedient, pathetic bed warmer who would never say no.

    “No!” I gasped, finding a sudden, desperate surge of strength to shove his heavy chest away. My hands shook violently as I wrapped my arms around myself, creating a physical barrier between us. “Please, Julian. You are drunk. You should go back to your own room and get some proper rest.”

    Julian stumbled back a step, his dark eyes flashing with a dark, impatient anger. He wasn’t used to me rejecting him. “What are you afraid of? We are going to be husband and wife in every way that matters sooner or later. Stop acting like such a prude!” he grumbled, his Alpha aura flaring in a pathetic, domineering attempt to submit me to his will.

    But my inner wolf wasn’t there to cower anymore, and my human heart was already entirely dead to him.

    Husband and wife? He had never fulfilled a single sweet promise he made to me.

    “I’m not feeling well,” I lied, keeping my head down so he wouldn’t see the intense hatred brewing in my stormy gray eyes. “My stomach hurts terribly. If you force me now, you’ll only end up cleaning sick off your expensive Italian leather shoes.”

    He stared at me, his jaw clenched so tight a muscle ticked in his cheek. The rejection clearly bruised his fragile, inflated Alpha ego. He scoffed, running a frustrated hand through his messy brown hair, completely turned off by my uncooperative words.

    “Fine. Suit yourself, you ungrateful bitch,” he spat coldly, turning his broad back toward the door. But before he stepped out into the hallway, he paused and looked back at me over his shoulder, his gaze completely devoid of the warmth he once showed me.

    “Come to my study tomorrow morning. There is something important I need to tell you about your new arrangements.”

    The heavy oak door slammed shut, leaving me completely alone in the deafening, oppressive silence of the room.

    I stood frozen for a long moment, listening to his heavy, fading footsteps echoing down the hall. Slowly, I lowered my trembling arms and walked over to the vintage dressing table.

    I looked at the pathetic, broken girl in the mirror. My dress was wrinkled, my hair a messy tangle, but my gray eyes were completely dry and hard.

    I thought I would cry a river for my lost love, but I didn’t. The hollow, agonizing ache in my chest was rapidly being replaced by a hardening, impenetrable ice.

    Eleonora Hayes, you are a complete and utter fool, I told my reflection.

    Hope was dead. Love was dead. He had made his cruel choice, and now, I would make mine.

    I wiped away a single, stray tear that had managed to escape my iron control. From this night on, I would not shed another tear for Julian Montgomery. I would live only for myself. But just as I made this silent, unbreakable vow, a sharp, urgent knock on my door shattered the silence, bringing a visitor I completely did not expect at this late hour.

    The Defective Mate’s Hidden Royal Bloodline novel Chapter 2

    Nora POV:

    The next morning, I walked into Julian’s study just as he had ordered the night before.

    He was standing behind his heavy mahogany desk, as handsome as ever. His short brown hair was perfectly styled, and the powerful scent of his Alpha pheromones rolled off him in waves. The scent that once made me weak now only made me feel suffocated.

    He stepped around the desk and closed the distance between us, his gaze sweeping over my pale face with chilling indifference.

    “You look terrible,” he stated, his voice completely devoid of concern. He spoke as if inspecting a tarnished piece of property, not even bothering to ask why I was exhausted. “But your feelings don’t matter right now. Just listen. There are some new arrangements regarding your placement that I need to make clear.”

    I stood silently, my hands folded in front of me. It was the submissive posture I had perfected over the years. Today, for the first time, I was consciously performing it.

    Julian reached out, his strong fingers gripping my chin, tilting my head side to side as if evaluating an object. His thumb rubbed my lower lip in a possessive, degrading manner. “At the full moon next month, I will be holding the Mating ceremony with Isabella Sinclair.”

    He said it bluntly, with no preamble, entirely absorbed in his own monologue.

    Even though I already knew, hearing the words from his own mouth made my chest tighten painfully. I lowered my eyes, letting him think I was too devastated to meet his gaze.

    “It’s important for the Pack,” he continued, his tone like he was explaining a business merger. “Our union will bring powerful allies and a stable future.”

    He leaned closer, his hot breath brushing my ear. “But do not worry, Nora. I need you to understand your place. After the ceremony, you can still remain here. As my companion. My private bed warmer. I have already prepared a secluded room for you in the east wing. You will stay out of sight.”

    He chose the words carefully to remind me of the massive gap between us. He was a noble Alpha with pristine blood, and I was merely the descendant of exiled sinners. To him, I wasn’t a partner; I was a convenient asset to be tucked away in a dark corner.

    A wave of bitter irony washed over me. I had never wanted to provoke him in the first place. I could have chosen a different path, found a quiet life far away from this Pack. But he was the one who had made those sweet promises. He was the affectionate lover who swore to protect me. Now, he had finally evolved into a ruthless heir, willing to sacrifice everything for power, turning my trust into a foolish, unrequited fantasy.

    “I will protect you, Nora,” he murmured, his hand sliding down to grip my waist tightly. “You just need to be obedient. Do not harbor any delusions about a status that does not belong to you. And most importantly, do not cause any trouble for Isabella. She has a bit of a temper.”

    He not only betrayed me but now expected me to behave like a well-trained pet for his new mate.

    But I didn’t lash out. I didn’t scream or cry like he clearly expected me to. I simply wanted to get rid of him as fast as possible.

    I let a single tear fall perfectly on cue, nodded meekly, and whispered, “I understand, Alpha.”

    The formal title made Julian pause. He frowned slightly, his fingers tightening on my waist as if testing my reaction. He searched my face for any sign of jealousy, anger, or desperate begging—the reactions he was used to.

    But he found only a hollow, polite submission. My eyes were like dead water.

    The silence stretched. The complete lack of emotional response seemed to unnerve him. I wasn’t acting like the devoted lover he owned; I was acting like a lifeless doll. The realization didn’t please him; it irritated his fragile Alpha ego.

    His grip slowly loosened, the charming mask slipping to reveal a cold, annoyed expression. “Get out,” he said, his voice flat and dismissive, though his jaw was clenched. “Go back to your room and reflect on your duties.”

    I gave a slight bow and left the study without a backward glance. The moment the heavy oak door clicked shut, the fragile expression on my face vanished, leaving my eyes as cold as ice.

    When I returned to my room, Ruby Walsh, the head Omega servant, was already there with my breakfast. She saw my swollen eyes and her face filled with sympathy.

    She set down the tray, hesitated, and then spoke in a low voice. “Miss, you have heard the news?”

    I nodded.

    Ruby sighed, her voice dropping to a near whisper. “Miss, you must be careful. Especially… do not get pregnant right now.”

    A chill went through me. I looked at her, my full attention captured.

    “There are unwritten rules in the Pack,” Ruby said, her eyes wide with fear. “A child born from an unmarked union is seen as a stain on the Alpha and Luna’s bloodline. They usually do not survive.”

    The blood drained from my face. My world turned cold. I had never considered this, because I had always believed I would be Julian’s true, marked mate.

    My hand instinctively went to my flat stomach. There was no life there, but the possibility of it filled me with absolute dread.

    This was no longer about my dignity or my broken heart. This was about a potential, innocent life.

    Seeing my ashen face, Ruby did not dare say more. She gave a quick bow and hurried out.

    I stood frozen in the middle of the room. The cruelty of Julian and the coldness of the Pack were an unbearable weight crushing my spirit.

    I couldn’t stay here.

    I had to escape.

    At any cost.

    A thought began to grow in my mind, a desperate, wild plan. It was full of risks, but it was the only way out.

    The Defective Mate’s Hidden Royal Bloodline novel Chapter 3

    Nora POV:

    Before I could even begin to form the details of my escape plan, an unexpected, ominous summons threw me completely off balance.

    The Luna, Genevieve Montgomery, Julian’s formidable mother, wanted to see me immediately.

    I followed the silent, judging maid who brought the message through the vast estate. Unlike the modern, minimalist west wing where Julian resided in luxury, the main residence was filled with old-world, suffocating luxury and an oppressive atmosphere. The dark oak walls were lined with massive, intimidating portraits of past Montgomery Alphas and Lunas, their painted, lifeless eyes seeming to judge me, the disgraced outsider, with every step I took.

    I was led into Genevieve’s private sitting room. The air inside was thick and heavy with the scent of expensive white lilies, a sweet fragrance that couldn’t quite mask the cloying, underlying sense of moral decay.

    Genevieve sat rigidly on a plush velvet sofa, dressed in an impeccably tailored, deep purple suit that screamed power and wealth. Her sharp, calculating dark eyes locked onto me the moment I entered. She had always looked down on my fallen status, viewing my family’s exile as a personal insult to her Pack’s purity. But because Julian was so stubbornly obsessed with me, she had no choice but to tolerate my existence in the shadows. Now that Julian was finally taking a proper, high-born wife, the rules of the game had drastically changed.

    “Sit,” she commanded. Her voice was flat and devoid of emotion, but it carried a heavy, Alpha-blood authority that permitted absolutely no argument.

    I perched carefully on the very edge of the antique chair opposite her, keeping my posture humble and my eyes lowered.

    Genevieve didn’t waste time with pleasantries. She gestured sharply to a senior maid standing beside her, who immediately brought forward a silver tray. On it sat a delicate, intricately carved silver cup filled with a dark, bubbling brown liquid that gave off a strong, pungent herbal scent.

    “Our Montgomery family prides itself on excellent breeding, pure bloodlines, and strict discipline,” Genevieve said, her sharp eyes locking onto me like a hawk zeroing in on its prey. “We absolutely do not allow the Alpha to leave illegitimate seeds scattered around like a common rogue. Much less allow a disgraced mistress to potentially bear an heir before the true Luna. This is a highly potent sterilization potion. It will ensure you never conceive, without harming your overall physical health. Drink it now. Then you can quietly stay by Julian’s side and live a peaceful, comfortable life as his obedient pet.”

    My gaze fell on the silver cup. The bitter smell confirmed her cruel words. My insides turned to solid ice, Chloe’s earlier warning ringing loudly in my ears. They all thought of me as nothing but a breeding risk, a threat to be neutralized.

    I looked at the bubbling potion, then slowly, deliberately lifted my head to meet Genevieve’s cold gaze. “My Luna, I did not share a bed with the Alpha last night. Nothing happened between us. There is no need for this.”

    Genevieve’s expression turned instantly hostile, her refined mask slipping to reveal pure malice. She thought I was being restless, desperately trying to get pregnant to steal the Luna position using Julian’s blind love.

    “You ungrateful, scheming little wretch,” she spat, her voice dripping with absolute disgust. “Do you really think a pathetic descendant of sinners, with your filthy, tainted blood, could ever be worthy of standing beside my glorious son? You are nothing but a dirty stain on his perfect record!”

    A profound wave of sorrow and exhaustion washed over me. I finally understood that my very existence was seen as a dirty mark on Julian’s perfect life. I was a disease they wanted to manage. I did not reach for the cup.

    “No, my Luna, I am not trying to threaten you or your noble family,” I said, my voice trembling slightly as I slid from the chair and knelt submissively on the expensive Persian rug. “I know my presence here is a mistake. I am begging you to let me go.”

    I looked up, my face wet with genuine tears, my voice broken and self-deprecating. “I don’t want to be a stain on Julian’s and Miss Sinclair’s beautiful union. I don’t want to be a joke in everyone’s eyes anymore. Please, allow me to leave the Pack peacefully. Let me go live as an un-mated, low-ranking lone wolf, to fend for myself in the wild.”

    This was my only chance. I had to make her believe I was so utterly broken that I was seeking a form of suicide. Only then would she consider the one official way to sever my ties to Julian completely: The Rejection. I couldn’t mention the sacred ritual myself; that would reveal my cold determination, not my despair. To leave a Pack without being formally rejected by a mate was a deep shame, marking you as a rogue outcast hunted by all.

    Genevieve stared at me, genuinely shocked, as if seeing me for the very first time. The blazing anger in her eyes was slowly replaced by a complex, calculating, political look.

    She had fully expected me to fight for my position, to cry and beg to stay. She never imagined I would be begging for my own demise. For a wolfless female to leave the protection of a powerful Pack was a guaranteed death sentence.

    She had tried to solve her problem with a simple potion. I had just handed her a much bigger one: a suicidal ex-mate-to-be who could cause a massive public scandal. Letting me go without a word was a disgrace. An un-rejected mate wandering free was a direct insult to the Montgomery name. But keeping me here… my defiance today proved I was no longer a mindless pawn she could easily control.

    I could almost see the gears turning in her strategic mind. A formal Rejection ceremony, while a temporary blow to Julian’s and the Pack’s reputation, would solve the problem of me permanently. It would appease Isabella and her powerful family once and for all, securing the alliance.

    She fell into a long, incredibly tense strategic silence.

    I remained kneeling on the floor, my head bowed, waiting for her verdict. This was my first real move on the chessboard. I was betting my life that her cold, political mind would win out over her maternal anger.

    After what felt like an absolute eternity, Genevieve finally spoke, her voice dry and measured. “This is a serious matter that concerns the Pack’s honor. I need time to consider.”

    She hadn’t agreed. But crucially, she hadn’t refused.

    She said she would consider.

    It meant I had won the first round.

    But the sudden, forceful, and loud opening of the sitting room doors instantly shattered the tense silence, making my heart leap into my throat.

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • Divorcing My Alpha Husband For His Uncle by YOLO

    Divorcing My Alpha Husband For His Uncle by YOLO

    👉 READ NOW

    How to manage a cheating husband when he’s got a 3 year old child out of it?

    Althea’s world comes crashing down when she finds out her husband of five long years has been sleeping with her sister-in-law/best friend.

    Not only was she a defective, wolfless, and barren Luna, but one who couldn’t even handle her own marriage. Everything was against her, even life itself.

    So what would happen when she gets imprisoned by her pack for requesting divorce?

    Or when she tries to escape but gets hitched into a contract marriage to her greatest, but sexiest nightmare- Alpha Alaric Darkmoor

    Her husband’s estranged Uncle.

    A man she should never desire this badly while bearing a mating mark for another.

    Behind his “charming” reputation lies a deadly secret and a mate bond he never expected.

    Will Althea let herself get claimed yet again?

    Or would she rather nail herself to the wall if it would prevent her from falling into the arms of the one man her body so desperately craves?

    👉 READ NOW

    Divorcing My Alpha Husband For His Uncle Chapter 1 The Betrayal

    ‎~Althea’s POV


    ‎”Shush… don’t wake our boy…”

    ‎The words drifted through the slightly closed door, slicing through my chest. The pregnancy test I was holding slipped from my trembling fingers and fluttered soundlessly to the floor. ‎I clamped a shaky hand over my mouth, but the gasp still tore free, ripping through my lungs. My feet buckled, as I staggered back a step.

    ‎What…what is happening? ‎Tears welled up instantly, blurring my vision until the corridor swam, I shook my head in disbelief. My knees went weak, and my body swayed as if the world had tilted without warning.

    ‎No. How…how did I get here? ‎I backed the door, then faced it again in confusion. The test report is long forgotten on the floor as hot tears streamed down my cheeks as the memory crashed into me.

    ‎~

    ‎Today was my day. Our day.

    ‎I was pregnant. ‎Just hours earlier, I had sat on the edge of the healer’s bed, my fingers digging into the fabric of my skirt as anxiety twisted low in my stomach. ‎Then she smiled at me, a gentle and knowing expression. She spoke of cycles and moon signs, of the life stirring inside me. My chest tightened painfully as her words replayed in my mind.

    “You’re two weeks gone, Luna.”

    ‎Her words echoed in my ears even now, unreal and dazzling. I had walked out of the healer’s quarters clutching the test report like a miracle, my heart so full that it hurts. ‎I gave him everything. Nolan’s child. Our child.

    ‎What have I done?

    ‎I shouldn’t have come here. ‎I steadied myself against the wall, my feet refusing to leave the spot. ‎I had only wanted Vespera to help me plan the surprise, my best friend. She’s a mother after all, she’d know what to do. ‎I imagined us whispering excitedly together planning a surprise reveal to Nolan, laughing over baby names the way we once laughed over girlhood dreams.

    ‎That was why I came here first.

    ‎I remembered hurrying through the pack estate, my steps light despite my nerves. Every breath I took filled me with renewed hope. ‎Until I reached her door, ‎at first, I thought I was mistaken, but a soft gasp slipped through the walls, followed by a low husky voice that was painfully familiar.

    ‎My steps slowed instinctively. The air felt tight and heavier, pressing against my chest as it thudded loudly for no reason. Or so I thought. ‎I even told myself it was nothing. That I was tired and strained from the jog down here and that I was imagining things, but ‎then I heard another sound. A deep, same familiar breathless chuckle

    ‎Then my heart sank, so deep that it sent a strange chill over my skin. ‎I moved closer, every instinct screaming at me to turn back even as my feet carried me forward, betraying me. They never listen, do they?

    ‎I stopped before the door, my hand hovering just inches from the handle. Through the narrowed crack, I saw them.

    ‎Nolan. ‎Vespera.

    ‎Then I heard a crack. The sound of my soul breaking maybe. ‎The world shattered silently around me. ‎They were tangled together in her bed, wrapped in a cocoon of blankets, bare skin against bare skin. His hands were on her waist in a way I knew too well. ‎I couldn’t breathe. ‎My mouth just hung open with trembling lips, no words. Nothing.

    ‎Her fingers were clutching his shoulders as if she had every right to be there. Nolan’s face was fixed at the crook of her neck leaving kisses. ‎As he’d done to me just this morning. ‎The sight was so wrong that my mind initially rejected it. Refusing to name what my eyes clearly saw-My husband and ‎my best friend. Together?

    ‎The betrayal pierced straight through me, sharp and merciless, like a long shard of cold glass driven into my heart. My breath came in short, shallow puffs, my chest burning as if I’d been running for miles. ‎I wanted to scream, to storm in and demand an explanation. To shatter the illusion with my voice. But, I couldn’t move. ‎While I stood frozen in the shadows, her voice came again- soft, in an airy moan as she stifled a giggle.

    ‎”Be gentle… don’t make too much noise,” she murmured. “Be careful not to wake our precious boy.” ‎My stomach lurched violently as bile rose up my throat.

    Our… boy?
    Our boy…

    ‎The words echoed in my head, over and over, until they drowned out everything else. Nausea surged up my throat, my vision narrowing. A child. Not only an affair. Not just his betrayal. Then it hit me, they’d been going on for years. ‎The boy everyone believed was my late brother-in-law’s son, the quiet child who called me Aunt with innocent eyes was Nolan’s flesh and blood.

    ‎I tasted bile now. But still, the nightmare wasn’t done with me. ‎Nolan’s voice followed, calm and assured, as if he were promising her the world.

    ‎”I’ll arrange everything soon,” he said. “He’ll be the heir. The only one. Don’t worry.” Vespera hummed in satisfaction.

    ‎”I made sure of it,” Nolan continued, his words casual, yet cruel. “She won’t be a hindrance. I’ve been giving her contraceptives for years.”

    ‎The corridor spun. ‎My vision went black with my ears ringing loudly in a deafening whoosh, I thought I might collapse. ‎Five years. ‎Five years of mockery, pitying looks, and my own silent shame for failing to conceive. ‎It was never my fault. ‎It had always been his wicked plan. ‎My hand pressed against my lower abdomen instinctively, terror and grief crashing into me all at once. The child inside me-my miracle-felt suddenly fragile, and unbearably precious.

    ‎I stumbled backward. ‎I don’t remember deciding to leave. My body just moves on its own, finally retreating step by step, as if guided by an invincible force alone. ‎Each movement sent sharp pain, slicing through my chest. My breathing was erratic, my heart pounding wildly as the weight of it all crushed down on me. I couldn’t stop the flow of tears that had been going on for the past… I don’t know.

    ‎The floor seemed too far away and the walls felt too close. But I kept moving, stumbling through the corridor with no destination in mind. Then an unbearable pain bloomed suddenly in my abdomen, very unforgiving and violent. I gasped, clutching myself as a warm terrifying sensation spread between my thighs.

    ‎My legs buckled. No. ‎Not now. Please…

    ‎Please, not my baby.

    ‎The last thing I felt was the cold stone beneath my knees and the sound of my own heartbeat roaring in my ears. ‎Darkness surged up to claim me, ‎I didn’t fight it.

    ‎And then…

    ‎Nothing.

    Divorcing My Alpha Husband For His Uncle Chapter 2 Miscarriage

    ‎I woke to the steady beeping of a machine and the sharp sting in my arm. ‎The smell of antiseptic and the crushing weight of silence pressed down heavily on my chest. ‎For a moment, I didn’t remember where I was. The ceiling above me was plain white and unfamiliar. ‎I turned my head slightly and saw a thin tube connected to my arm, feeding clear liquid into my veins. That was where the sting came from.

    ‎My body felt hollow, aching in a way that went deeper than flesh. Then the pain came. Not the physical kind-though it was there, as a dull, persistent throb low in my abdomen- but the other pain. The one that tore through me, so violently I couldn’t breathe. ‎Then the beeping grew restless and erratic.

    ‎The sound of footsteps rushed closer, then the door was pushed open. The healer hurried to my side, her movements quick but hesitant and her expression was gentle, but grim. A look of pity crossed her eyes and that made my heart sink even before she said anything.

    ‎”My Luna…” she hesitated. “I’m sorry. The shock was too much. The child… could not be saved.”

    Her words came out softly, ‎but the impact was anything but soft. ‎It felt as though a clawed hand ripped straight through my chest, splitting my heart open. I gasped, clutching the sheets as agony surged through me in violent waves. My vision blurred instantly as tears spilled down my temples, soaking into the pillow beneath my head.

    ‎Gone. ‎My baby was gone. ‎The little life I had carried for such a brief, precious moment. The only proof that I wasn’t broken, that I was worthy was gone, just like that. ‎A broken sound tore out of my throat before I could even stop it. I turned my face away, curling inward, in a ball, as if I could somehow contain the emptiness tearing me apart. ‎The healer just stood there, helplessly watching me break into a million pieces.

    ‎Memories crashed into me all at once.

    ‎The door.
    ‎The voices.
    ‎The bed. Their words.

    ‎Our boy.
    ‎I’ve been giving her contraceptives for years. My hands shook badly.

    ‎No.

    ‎I couldn’t lie here. I wouldn’t let this be the end of it. ‎Nolan Darkmoon would look me in the eyes. He’d hear what he had done. To me, to us and to our child. ‎He’d see what he’d destroyed. ‎I forced myself upright despite the healer’s protest, my body screamed in pain as I swung my legs over the side of the bed. The ache that seared through my abdomen was sharp but it grounded me, anchoring me to something solid.

    ‎Fury.

    ‎I left the clinic wrapped in a cloak that felt far too heavy for my own fragile body. ‎Whisperers followed me as I passed through the pack grounds.

    ‎”She lost the child…”
    ‎”No wolf, and no heir…”
    ‎”Poor Luna… or maybe cursed.”

    ‎Some glances held looks of pity, while others held poorly hidden contempt, a few didn’t even bother hiding their satisfaction at all. ‎My spine stiffened with every step I took. Yes, I was wolfless from birth. But I lifted my chin anyway, refusing to bow under their stares, even as my heart bled with every of their murmured word. ‎I didn’t stop walking until I reached Vespera’s residence.

    ‎And then-

    ‎I froze. ‎The door opened and Nolan stepped out first, beside him was Vespera, and between them, held carefully, was the little boy. Their son, ‎they looked like a perfect little family straight out of a magazine. My breath hitched painfully as something twisted deep in my chest, ‎it should have been us. ‎The sight was so cruel, it seemed absurd. I swallowed forcefully.

    ‎Vespera noticed me first. ‎Her eyes widened, and she gently released the boy’s hand, stepping toward me, concern etched on her beautiful face.

    ‎”Althea,” she said softly. “Oh my goodness… are you alright? We heard you collapsed-”

    ‎I laughed. ‎The sound was hollow, brittle, nothing like my joy-filled ones.

    ‎”Don’t worry,” I said coldly. “I wouldn’t dare interrupt family time.”

    ‎Her lips parted, her expression faltering for just a fraction of a second. Nolan stepped forward then, his face carefully composed, concern painted on it like a second skin.

    ‎”Baby,” he said evenly. ‎The word nearly broke me all over again.

    ‎”This isn’t what you think.” ‎I looked at him-really looked at him-and something in me crumbled.

    ‎”Isn’t it?” I asked quietly, my voice cracked. “Because it looks to me like my husband walking hand in hand with his lover and their child.”

    ‎Vespera gasped softly, tears instantly pooling in her eyes.

    ‎”Please don’t say things like that.” She pleaded, her voice quivering. “You’re misunderstanding everything. My marriage was miserable, Althea. You know that. Nolan has only ever helped me out of kindness.”

    ‎She reached for my hand but I ripped them away. Nolan nodded, seizing the opportunity. “She’s my late brother’s wife. And the child is his son. I’m only taking care of my family.”

    ‎As he spoke, he reached out and wrapped an arm around Vespera’s shoulders, pulling her gently against his side. To comfort her, the absurdity of it almost made me dizzy. Anger surged through me violently, hot, blinding, and overwhelming. My hand rose before I even realized it, trembling as I moved to strike him. ‎But it never reached him. ‎A firm grip closed around my wrist painfully.

    ‎”Nolan,” his Beta said sharply, stepping between us, his eyes warning. “This isn’t appropriate.”

    ‎He dropped my hand uselessly to my side and ‎Nolan’s gaze hardened.

    ‎”Enough, Althea,” he said coldly. “Stop imagining things that never happened. All this pain you’re feeling is in your head. Don’t drag innocent people into your delusions.”

    ‎So something inside me went utterly still. The final string of hope snapped neatly. ‎I looked at the man I had been utterly in love with for five long years. The man I had centered my existence around, and saw him clearly at last.

    ‎A stranger.‎
    ‎Liar.‎
    ‎A cheating bastard.
    ‎A monster wrapped in authority and charm.

    ‎The weight of silence in the courtyard rushed through my ears. ‎I knew what I was about to say next would shatter everything. ‎Us. And it was only just the beginning, but I didn’t care anymore.

    ‎”I want a divorce.”

    Divorcing My Alpha Husband For His Uncle Chapter 3 Divorce

    ‎For the first time, Nolan looked surprised. His widened eyes stared at me in disbelief.

    ‎”Wh…what?”

    ‎”I want a divorce.” My voice broke the quiet courtyard, it was like everyone present was holding their breath. For a heartbeat, no one spoke. Nolan’s expression was still frozen, not in anger, I didn’t even see any sign of hurt and it broke me.

    ‎The brief crack of surprise vanished almost instantly from his face, replaced by a calm so controlled it made my skin crawl. Then he smiled, the way I used to drool over. But now I see it, it never reached his eyes, it was all measured and calculated. Why didnt I see it before?

    ‎”Take her back to the Alpha’s residence,” Nolan said, his voice smooth and authoritative in that Alpha manner. “My Luna isn’t feeling well.”

    ‎I stiffened. “I’m staying right here.”

    ‎Vespera moved first, stepping closer with soft concern painted perfectly across her face, but her eyes spoke otherwise. “Althea, please,” she said gently. “You’ve been through so much. Losing a child would break anyone. You shouldn’t be making such decisions in this state.”

    ‎Her hand hovered near my arm as if she might steady me. ‎I flinched away on instinct and watched as Nolan’s gaze swept the onlookers-elders, guards, servants, pack members- their gazes lingering too long. “You all heard the healer,” he said coolly. “Shock, emotional instability. She needs rest, not conflict.”

    ‎The words settled over the crowd like a judge’s verdict. His words were law, apparently, and I was the one who fed that to him. ‎Some nodded, while others looked away. ‎My body shook in exhaustion as I felt the shift immediately, the subtle reordering of loyalty. My grief, my pain, turned into a convenient weakness he could use.

    ‎”I’m not unstable,” I said, my voice steady despite the tremor in my hands. “I know exactly what I’m asking for.”

    ‎Nolan finally looked directly at me with a tight smile. “You don’t.”

    ‎He then turned to Vespera. “Take the child inside.”

    ‎She hesitated, eyes flickering to me with something that looked almost like triumph, before guiding the boy away. The moment they disappeared, Nolan gestured toward the inner hall.

    ‎”Come,” he said. “We’ll discuss this privately.”

    ‎The door closed behind us with a soft thud. Silence stretched between us, heavy and suffocating. Nolan loosened his cuffs slowly, as if we were about to engage in pack finances instead of the ruin of my life. And to think I used to find that sexy.

    ‎”You saw things you shouldn’t have,” he started at last. “And now you’re unraveling.”

    ‎I laughed quietly. “Don’t insult me by pretending, dear husband.”

    ‎He spoke, not bothering to deny it. ‎”Yes,” Nolan said flatly, as if already tired of the conversation which made me scoff.

    ‎”I’ve been with Vespera for years. The boy is mine and he’ll inherit this pack.”

    ‎He just said those words carelessly, without shame. Like facts anyone would accept. ‎My chest tightened. “You let everyone believe he was your brother’s.”

    ‎”I let them believe what was convenient.”

    ‎”And me?” My nails dig into my palms. “What was I supposed to believe?”

    ‎He studied me for a moment, expression distant but something that looked like guilt crossed his eyes briefly.

    ‎”You were always supposed to do what you’ve always done, Althea. Smile, manage the pack, and be useful.”

    ‎”Useful,” I repeated, the word clawing out of my throat. “Is that all I was to you”?

    ‎”Yes.” He stated matter-of-factly.

    ‎The simplicity of it hurts more than the rage ever could.

    ‎”Then why,” I asked hoarsely, “why did I never conceive?” I knew what I heard, but it’s like a part of me chose to still have little faith in him. ‎He wouldn’t do something so horrible like that, not to me.

    ‎Something like amusement flickered across his face. Like he was reminiscing.

    ‎”Because I made sure you didn’t,” Nolan said. “Moonroot extract. Although mild, and tasteless, but very potent. The healer never even noticed!”

    ‎He jollied like a scientist drunk on his favorite experiment. The room tilted, my arms catching air as I tried to steady myself.

    ‎”You-” My breath caught. “You drugged me.”

    ‎”I controlled variables,” he corrected. “A wolfless Luna carrying an Alpha’s heir would have complicated things.”

    ‎”No one loves to be a laughing stock, Althea. I mean…except you ofcourse.” He shrugged, a smirk tugging at his lips. ‎I stared at him, the pieces clicking together with sickening clarity. Five years. Five years of the shame I carried alone. Why didn’t I notice? He was never bothered about my not being able to get pregnant.

    ‎He was just… there. Nutting inside me while I secretly hoped it would work each time we made love. He watched it register, then added calmly, “You were never meant to bear a child, Althea.”

    ‎My vision blurred, the tears I had been holding so forcefully spilled, but he continued relentlessly.

    ‎”You’re just a decoration,” he said. “A little side piece to make me look good. A wolfless body meant for appearance and pleasure, not legacy.”

    ‎The words sliced through me one after another, so cruel.

    ‎”Useless,” he went on and I just stood there. My legs are doing that thing it always does, refusing to let me flee. “Except for what you represent.”

    ‎I finally took a step back, my spine hitting the table behind me.

    ‎”You loved her,” I said, it wasn’t a question, more like to myself.

    ‎Vespera never had to fight. Nolan had already chosen her.

    ‎”Yes,” Nolan replied without hesitation, pride shining in those brown eyes I despise now.

    ‎”Vespera is the woman I love.”

    ‎”And me?” Why do I keep asking these when I already know the answer? Maybe a little part of me still hopes. Even if it was just a little, affection.

    ‎”I chose you because you weren’t a threat,” he said. “For your bloodline and obedience. Your status helped me become Alpha remember?”

    ‎I shook my head, something breaking loose in my chest. “All those years- you let me believe…”

    ‎”Oh come on now Althea,” he tsked. “Don’t tell me you actually believed you were capable of being loved.” He cut in.

    ‎”Sweetie, that was your delusions. And those don’t get you anywhere.”

    ‎I swallowed hard. “I’m asking for a divorce.”

    ‎His expression finally hardened.

    ‎”And I said, No.”

    ‎”You can’t force me-”

    ‎”I can,” Nolan declared calmly. “Mate bond law forbids dissolution without the Alpha’s consent. The pack needs stability. And I’m the Alpha.”

    ‎”You’re keeping me against my will.”

    ‎”I’m keeping what’s mine.”

    ‎Those words sent a chill through me.

    ‎”Letting you go would weaken my rule,” he continued, stepping closer to me while I planted my back firmly on the table. ” And frankly…” he paused, eyes narrowing, looking down my body. “I don’t want to.”

    ‎I felt something inside me collapse completely. The last fragile hope, some foolish belief that he might let me walk away, died right there. ‎I don’t want to be a prisoner here, to him. He stepped even closer, invading my space. I could smell him, the once familiar comforting smell now made my stomach churn.

    ‎”You should be grateful,” Nolan said quietly. “A woman like you had no right to ask for more.”

    ‎The sentence struck deeper than a blow and before I could speak, the door opened and two guards stood waiting, with their heads bowed. ‎My eyes frantically pleaded with Nolan’s as I shook my head.

    ‎”Escort my Luna to her quarters,” Nolan ordered. “Don’t let her leave them, for her own protection.”

    ‎Hands closed around my arms, not roughly, but firm enough to contain my thrashing and twisting.

    ‎”Nolan- Nolan!”

    ‎I screamed as they dragged me away, my voice cracking as more tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. ‎He just sent a little wave before turning his back on me, because there was nothing left to see. ‎And I understood with chilling clarity.

    This wasn’t a marriage anymore.‎

    ‎It was a cage.

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • The Forbidden Mate: Claimed By My Ex’s Alpha Uncle by Amigo

    The Forbidden Mate: Claimed By My Ex's Alpha Uncle by Amigo

    After four years of playing the perfect girlfriend, my wealthy boyfriend publicly humiliated me for a rich heiress.

    He sneered that I was just a poor Omega who couldn’t survive without his money.

    “You’re not going anywhere without my permission.”

    I didn’t cry or beg. I simply packed my single suitcase, blocked his number, and walked out into the night to reclaim my life.

    That same evening, I ended up saving a dangerously handsome stranger bleeding out in a dive bar restroom.

    I thought I had finally escaped that toxic world to focus on my career as a top heart surgeon.

    But a week later, my ex’s grandmother suffered a massive heart attack, and his desperate family dragged me back to the hospital to save her.

    After the grueling surgery, my ex’s mother tried to force us back together, while my ex glared at me with pure contempt.

    I was about to reject them all when the terrifying Alpha King-my ex’s ruthless uncle-stepped out of the shadows.

    My blood ran cold. His piercing blue eyes were unmistakable. He was the bleeding stranger from the bar.

    I thought he would simply thank me and let me walk away.

    “From this moment on, Dr. Freeman will reside at the Manor.”

    He didn’t ask. He commanded it in front of the entire family, completely ignoring my ex’s shock.

    Before I could even protest, his men were already at my new apartment, packing up my life.

    I had just escaped my ex’s gilded cage, only to be trapped by the King himself.

    The Forbidden Mate: Claimed By My Ex’s Alpha Uncle Chapter 1

    Colette POV:

    “Colette, Alpha Colten is hurt. Get to the pack’s club, now.”

    That frantic phone call from one of Colten’s enforcers had sent me running.

    I had just finished an exhausting eight-hour surgery at the pack hospital.

    My legs ached, and I hadn’t even had a sip of water before sprinting all the way to the VIP lounge.

    Pushing the heavy oak door open, the sickly sweet scent of a strange she-wolf hit me before the visual did.

    Colten was lounging on the plush leather sofa.

    A young woman named Hanna was sitting sideways on his lap, with her pale, slender legs draped intimately over his thighs.

    Her eyes were red-rimmed, and unshed tears clung to her long lashes.

    Seeing me walk in, Colten frowned impatiently. “Colette, Hanna hurt her right ankle. Check it quickly.”

    Hanna looked at me with wide, tearful doe eyes. “Sorry to trouble you, Colette.”

    The frantic worry that had kept me running on empty lungs instantly turned into a bucket of ice water poured over my head.

    He wasn’t hurt.

    He had his men lie to me just to tend to his new fling’s minor sprain.

    A sharp, stinging ache gripped my heart.

    I had loved him for so long, always putting him first, yet to him, my exhaustion and devotion meant absolutely nothing.

    He didn’t even care to ask why I was still in my scrubs, or why my face was so pale.

    I stared at her foot resting on the sofa.

    Swallowing the bitter lump of grievance in my throat and forcing down the trembling in my legs, I slowly crouched down.

    I reached out.

    My fingers were still an inch away from her skin, not even brushing her ankle, when—

    “Ouch! It hurts so much!” Hanna shrieked in agony, burying her face into Colten’s chest like a frightened pup.

    “Colette! Do you even know how to treat a patient?” Colten roared, his heavy Alpha aura flaring with sudden anger, pressing down on me.

    “I haven’t even touched her yet,” I explained calmly, looking up.

    His brows knitted together in deep annoyance. “If you didn’t touch her, why is she crying in pain?”

    As he spoke, his large hand gently patted Hanna’s back, soothing her.

    I had always known he could be gentle to other females.

    But seeing this tender, affectionate side of him directed at someone else today made me realize how pathetic I was.

    The stark contrast felt like a silver blade twisting deeply into my chest.

    I had been his official girlfriend for four years, but our history spanned nearly two decades.

    We grew up going to school together.

    During the holidays, I meticulously took care of his daily life.

    When he was struck by wolfsbane fever, I stayed awake for three days straight to keep his temperature down.

    He had known this girl in his arms for barely four days.

    Yet, Colten chose to believe a four-day fling over me.

    I slowly stood up, forcing my spine straight. “I’m sorry. I can’t treat this.”

    “Can’t treat it?” Colten sneered, his voice dripping with disdain. “Our pack took you in, fed you for years, and paid for your medical degree, and you can’t even treat a minor sprain?”

    I finally heard the underlying contempt in his voice.

    I recognized his dissatisfaction with me and our relationship.

    Above all, I recognized that my status in his heart had never changed.

    I was just a servant to him.

    Standing tall, I lowered my eyes and took one last, careful look at the man I had loved for so many years.

    Then, I forced the words out. “Alpha Colten, I cannot treat this lady’s injury.” I paused, taking a steady breath to stop my voice from trembling. “Also, I apologize for occupying the position of your girlfriend for the past few years. It won’t happen anymore.”

    Colten lifted his dark eyes, a mocking smirk playing on his lips. “Are you throwing a tantrum and breaking up with me? Perfect. I wanted to give Hanna a proper title anyway.”

    His tone was so relaxed.

    Light.

    It was as if… he had been waiting for me to say those exact words.

    “Enjoy your night, Alpha. I’ll take my leave.” I turned on my heel and walked away.

    Before I even stepped out of the lounge, the mocking voices of Colten’s enforcers leaked into the hallway.

    “Whoa, do you think she’s actually serious this time?”

    “Please. If his father hadn’t pressured him, would an orphaned Omega ever get to sit in that position? She’s just bluffing.”

    “She won’t leave. Give it a day. One call from him and she’ll come running back like a good little pet.”

    I quickened my pace, practically fleeing the club.

    The moment I stepped out of that room, a tidal wave of suffocating grief crashed over me.

    My mother was a servant for the Alpha’s family.

    Twenty years ago, she died protecting the packhouse during a rogue attack.

    My cowardly father took the compensation money and fled the pack.

    Out of pity, the Norton family took me in.

    They let me attend school alongside Colten, tasking me with serving him.

    I had no family; all my childhood memories were tethered to him.

    Later, we got together.

    He once announced to the entire pack at the annual mating gala that I was his.

    He once bought me a diamond ring, saying he wanted to mark and marry me.

    The memories violently clashed with what had just happened.

    It felt like an invisible hand was crushing my heart, hurting so much I couldn’t breathe.

    It wasn’t until passing pack members cast strange looks my way that I realized tears were uncontrollably streaming down my face.

    I turned and rushed into the club’s women’s restroom, locking myself in the furthest stall before breaking down, sobbing silently.

    I let the tears wash away two decades of a foolish illusion.

    When I finally purged all the sorrow from my system, ready to step out and embrace a new life…

    I unlatched the door.

    Before I could open it fully, a massive, towering figure shoved his way inside.

    Terrified, I opened my mouth to scream, but a large, rough hand clamped over my lips.

    The overwhelming scent of blood and terrifying, raw Alpha power filled the tiny space, completely paralyzing my wolf.

    He pinned me against the corner wall, lowering his voice into a dangerous, gravelly warning.

    “Keep quiet and cooperate if you want to live.”

    The Forbidden Mate: Claimed By My Ex’s Alpha Uncle Chapter 2

    Colette POV:

    The man’s voice was heavy, strained with a clear suppression of agony.

    The moment he leaned in, an overwhelming stench of metallic blood engulfed me.

    The large hand clamped over my mouth and nose was slick with fresh blood.

    My doctor’s instinct kicked in.

    Sensing he was severely wounded, my initial thrashing immediately ceased.

    Hearing chaotic footsteps outside, the man turned to lock the stall door, only to find the latch was completely broken.

    He cursed under his breath.

    “Where the fuck did he go?” a rough voice barked from the hallway.

    “Shit, you think he ducked into the restrooms?” another replied.

    “You guard the exit. I’ll check the women’s restroom! When I find him, I’m breaking his legs with this silver-laced baton. Let’s see him run then!”

    The man leaned heavily against the tiled wall.

    Even in the dim light, I could see his face was deathly pale, the entire left sleeve of his dark dress shirt soaked in blood.

    My eyes fell on his face.

    There was something strikingly familiar about those cold, piercing blue eyes.

    It was as if… I had seen them somewhere before.

    Heavy boots stomped into the women’s restroom.

    The chaser was kicking the stall doors open one by one.

    I didn’t know what possessed me—maybe it was the adrenaline, or the reckless courage born from having my heart shattered tonight—but I grabbed the man’s leather belt and threw his exact warning back at him in a fierce whisper.

    “Keep quiet and cooperate if you want to live.”

    Treating him like a patient who needed immediate emergency intervention, I swiftly unbuckled his belt, yanked his expensive tailored trousers down, and kicked them toward the gap under the stall door.

    Then, I ripped open the buttons of his blood-soaked shirt.

    Listening to the chaser checking the stalls closer and closer, I grabbed the bottle of highly concentrated medical rubbing alcohol from my bag—a habit I kept for emergencies—and sprayed it everywhere, overpowering the metallic tang of blood.

    At the same time, a surge of adrenaline spiked my own sweet Omega scent, mixing with the alcohol to create a heavy, intoxicating illusion of a couple in the middle of a heated mating frenzy.

    Just as the door to our stall was yanked open, I made a split-second decision.

    I pulled my T-shirt over my head, tossing it aside, leaving me in only my lacy bra.

    Without hesitation, I cupped the stranger’s face and smashed my lips against his.

    The man stiffened for a fraction of a second.

    But then, an instinctual, primal reaction took over.

    His large hand gripped my bare waist, pulling me flush against his hard, burning chest.

    A strange, electric jolt sparked the moment our lips met, sending a shiver straight to my core.

    He turned my desperate cover-up into a deep, dominating kiss that left me breathless.

    I tore my lips away just enough to snap my head toward the intruder, screaming with feigned rage, “What the hell are you looking at? Go watch your own mate!”

    Male shifters were predictable creatures driven by their primal urges.

    Seeing my bare, pale back and the man’s trousers discarded on the floor, the rogue’s aggressive posture instantly relaxed into a sleazy smirk.

    He even let out a low whistle.

    “Got a couple of wild ones having a quickie in the stall,” the rogue yelled back to his partner at the door, chuckling. “You wanna come watch?”

    That single scream had drained every ounce of courage I had.

    I bit my lower lip hard, my hands tightly gripping the stranger’s bloody shirt, not even daring to breathe.

    “You idiot! Stop watching a live show and keep looking!” the voice from the hallway snapped.

    The heavy boots finally retreated, and the restroom door swung shut.

    It wasn’t until the room fell into complete, dead silence that I let out a long, shaky exhale.

    I turned to face the wall and quickly pulled my T-shirt back on.

    Behind me, the man calmly bent down, pulled up his trousers, and fastened his belt.

    He adjusted his collar, preparing to leave…

    I grabbed his arm, pulling him back, and pointed at the closed toilet lid. “Sit.”

    I completely ignored the flash of surprise in his piercing blue eyes.

    Bending down to dig through my bag, I said in my stern, clinical voice, “If I were someone with a severed artery, I’d listen to the doctor.”

    He glanced at the medical supplies in my hand, then at the lingering scent of alcohol I had sprayed.

    A faint, amused smirk ghosted over his lips, and he actually sat down.

    I noticed the edges of the wound on his arm were blackened and sizzling faintly.

    Silver and wolfsbane.

    No wonder a powerful Alpha like him couldn’t heal.

    I took a silk scarf from my bag, tied it above the wound, and then used a pen to twist it into a makeshift tourniquet.

    “If you can’t get to a pack healer immediately, remember to loosen this every forty minutes for about five minutes to let the blood flow, then tighten it again,” I instructed, expertly securing the pen.

    When I finally finished and stepped back, I realized he hadn’t buttoned his shirt yet.

    In the dim, flickering light, his abdominal muscles were sharply defined, his broad, hard chest rising and falling rhythmically with his heavy breathing.

    But what caught my eye was a savage, jagged scar on his shoulder that extended all the way down his back.

    It was an old wound, fully healed, but it would never fade.

    A mark of countless life-and-death battles.

    Besides that, there were several lighter scars crisscrossing his torso.

    Before I could pull my gaze away, the man stood up.

    He casually pulled his ruined shirt together, using his blood-stained fingers to selectively fasten just two buttons, leaving his chest dangerously exposed.

    Then, he reached out and grabbed my hand just as I was about to pick up my bag.

    “What are you doing?” I gasped, looking up into his dark, fathomless eyes.

    My palm felt heavy.

    A small, cold metal object was pressed into my hand.

    The man’s thumb, rough with calluses, gently folded my fingers over it.

    The overwhelming aura of a supreme predator washed over me as he leaned in, his voice a low, gravelly purr that sent shivers down my spine.

    “Dr. Colette… until we meet again.”

    Then, he turned, opened the stall door, and walked out into the shadows with the grace of a lethal king.

    The Forbidden Mate: Claimed By My Ex’s Alpha Uncle Chapter 3

    Colette POV:

    I stared at the heavy platinum cufflink in my palm, my heart suddenly skipping a beat.

    Wait.

    He had just called me “Dr. Colette.”

    He knew my name!

    He knew who I was!

    I clutched my bag and sprinted out of the restroom, but the dimly lit hallway was completely empty.

    The only proof that the dangerous stranger had been there was the lingering scent of metallic blood and cold cedar in the air.

    Taking a deep breath, I walked out of the club and immediately dialed my best friend, Brooke.

    Then, I hailed a cab straight back to Colten’s villa.

    I had to pack my things before that bastard returned.

    The massive villa was filled with expensive designer goods.

    The walk-in closet on the second floor was stuffed with luxurious dresses and custom heels.

    But those were all Colten’s props.

    The things that truly belonged to me were pitifully few.

    A few pairs of worn-out scrubs, some basic skincare products, and my heavy stacks of medical textbooks.

    It took me less than an hour to pack up my entire four-year relationship into one battered suitcase and a cardboard box.

    I left the designer clothes untouched and restored the bedroom to its immaculate state, erasing any trace of my scent and existence.

    By the time I dragged my belongings to the front gates of the villa, Brooke had just pulled up in her car.

    She stepped out, staring at the heavy box of medical books in shock.

    “Are you… planning to give Colten the silent treatment for half a year?”

    “No,” I said calmly, loading the books into her trunk. “I broke up with him. For good.”

    Brooke knew me well.

    I had never once uttered the words “break up” in the past four years.

    Seeing the absolute deadness in my eyes, she knew I was serious.

    “Good riddance!” She helped me lift the suitcase. “I fully support you!”

    Colten POV:

    The next morning, I was jolted awake by my blaring alarm.

    My head pounded from a massive hangover.

    I rubbed my temples and walked straight into the walk-in closet.

    Instantly, my eyes fell on the two perfectly matched suits hanging at the front, carefully selected for my meetings today.

    Colette had prepared them.

    I never had to worry about the trivial details of my life.

    For years, Colette had meticulously coordinated my outfits based on my schedule.

    To me, regardless of how many other she-wolves I played around with, Colette was the perfect, obedient choice for a mate.

    Her Omega wolf was weak and submissive.

    She was bluffing, I thought with a smirk.

    She threw a tantrum about breaking up last night, but she still crawled back to lay out my clothes.

    Feeling smug, I changed and walked downstairs.

    “Alpha Colten, breakfast is ready,” Eleanor, the head housekeeper, said as she stepped out of the kitchen.

    I frowned, looking around. “Where is Colette?”

    “She sent me a message past midnight, asking me to prepare your meals from now on,” Eleanor hesitated, her voice dropping. “She moved out last night, Alpha. She said she won’t be returning.”

    My arrogant expression instantly darkened. “Moved out? Did she take the jewelry and dresses I bought her?”

    “No, sir. Just one old suitcase and her books.”

    A brief silence fell over the dining room.

    Then, a cold, mocking sneer escaped my lips.

    She really thinks this little stunt will make me beg?

    I raised my arm, glancing at my expensive watch.

    It was 8:30 AM.

    “I’ll give her until eight o’clock tonight,” I commanded, my voice dripping with contempt. “If she doesn’t come crawling back to beg for my forgiveness by 8 PM, clear out her remaining scent. Let Hanna move in permanently. It’s time this villa had a new mistress anyway. I don’t have the patience to play these childish games with a mere servant’s daughter.”