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Tag: Supernatural

  • Dump One Loser, Gain Six Husbands. by Zhao Da

    Dump One Loser, Gain Six Husbands. by Zhao Da
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    Anja woke up in an interstellar empire where females were precious assets-and promptly got dumped by her arrogant fiancé.

    He waited for her to cry. She laughed in his face.

    With a single thumbprint, she dissolved the marriage, kicked him out with security drones, and walked straight to the government assessment center. The test revealed something impossible: an S-Class psionic rating, the highest in a century.

    Now five elite, beast-eared warriors are being dispatched to her estate. They’re dangerous. Possessive. And genetically engineered to worship her.

    But Anja doesn’t just want protection. She wants power. Every corrupted warrior she purifies makes her stronger. Every Hive Core she absorbs pushes her abilities further. And every Consort she claims adds a new weapon to her arsenal.

    Her ex wanted her to be nothing. Too bad for him-she’s about to become everything.

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    Dump One Loser, Gain Six Husbands. Chapter 1

    Anja’s eyes snapped open.
    A spike of pain, sharp and blinding, shot through her skull. It felt like her brain being split in two. She gasped, a ragged sound in the dead quiet of the room, her hand flying to her forehead as if she could physically hold the pieces of her mind together.
    The bed was wrong.
    It was too soft, the sheets like cool silk against her skin. A low hum vibrated through the mattress, a subtle, calming frequency. Her bedroom in her tiny off-campus apartment had a lumpy mattress and scratchy polyester sheets.
    Memories, not her own, crashed into her consciousness. The Commonwealth. A sprawling interstellar empire. Genetic corruption. Psionic abilities. The ratio of females to males was one to one hundred thousand. Females were rare, precious assets, revered wherever they went. A society where matrimonial contracts were brokered by a central authority dedicated to finding males worthy of their scarce females.
    And a name. Kenny Mcdaniel. Her fiancé.
    Before she could fully process any of it, a voice rang out from the doorway. “Even if I die, even if I get exiled to a barren mining planet, I will never form a bond with you!”
    The door to the bedroom slammed open, the sound cracking through the silence like a gunshot.
    A man strode in. He was tall, with sandy blond hair and a suit that was trying too hard to look expensive. It was tailored just a little too tight across the shoulders, the fabric a synthetic blend that caught the light with a cheap sheen. He carried himself with an unearned arrogance, his chin tilted up as he looked down his nose at her.
    Kenny Mcdaniel.
    The name clicked into place with a fresh wave of nausea.
    He sneered, a curl of his lip that was meant to be disdainful but only made him look petulant. “Finally awake, are we? Don’t bother putting on a show. I’m not here to play games.”
    Anja just stared at him, her mind a whirlwind of two lives colliding. One was a college student from Earth, drowning in student loans and surviving on instant noodles. The other was Anja Compton, heiress to a minor noble house, betrothed to this… this peacock. And from the memories of the original Anja, she could see the woman had been utterly blind. She had cried over him, pleaded for his attention, and rearranged her entire life to please him. For what? For a male of thoroughly average looks—decent, but nothing special—whose only remarkable feature was his physique, which was standard issue for any male who had completed the mandatory academy training. He had been handed a priceless gem on a silver platter and somehow convinced himself he deserved better. What a joke.
    “I’m here to make things perfectly clear,” Kenny continued, pacing in front of her bed like a lawyer in a courtroom drama. “This political arrangement our families cooked up? It’s over. I’ve found someone I actually love. Someone who understands me. I will not sacrifice my happiness for some dusty old family alliance.”
    He punctuated his speech by slapping a thin, transparent data slate onto the polished wood of the nightstand. The clack was sharp and final. An electronic contract glowed on its surface: Agreement for Matrimonial Annulment.
    “So you can take your pathetic, clingy affections and find someone else to bother,” he spat, his voice rising with theatrical fervor. “I’m telling you now, Anja. Even if I die, even if I get exiled to a barren mining planet, I will never form a bond with you!”
    Anja slowly pushed herself up, the silk sheets pooling around her waist. The headache was receding, replaced by a strange, icy calm. The Anja from Earth thought he was a joke. A weak, insecure man puffing up his chest to feel powerful in front of a woman he perceived as weaker. It was pathetic. And frankly, hilarious.
    She let a slow, deliberate gaze travel from his cheap shoes up to his self-satisfied face. Then she met his eyes.
    “Are you done?” she asked. Her voice was quiet, devoid of the hysteria he was clearly expecting.
    Kenny froze mid-stride. The triumphant look on his face faltered, replaced by a flicker of confusion. “What?”
    “Your performance,” Anja clarified, leaning back against the plush headboard. She crossed her arms. “The big, dramatic speech. Was that the grand finale, or is there an encore?”
    He stared at her, his mouth opening and closing silently. This wasn’t how it was supposed to go. She was supposed to cry. To beg. To make a scene that would validate his decision and allow him to storm out as the wronged, romantic hero.
    “You think this is a joke?” he stammered, his voice losing its confident edge. He puffed his chest out again, a desperate attempt to regain control. “I’m serious, Anja! I’m leaving you!”
    “I heard you the first time,” she said, her tone bored. “You want to end the engagement. Great. Let’s do it.”
    She didn’t even glance at the data slate he had thrown down. She simply looked towards the empty air near the door.
    “Unit 01,” she commanded.
    A soft, synthesized voice replied instantly from an unseen speaker. “Yes, Mistress Anja.”
    “Access the Federal Marriage Center,” she ordered. “Project the annulment agreement and initiate the signing protocol.”
    “At once.”
    A holographic panel of brilliant blue light materialized in the air beside the bed, displaying the contract in crisp, clear text. At the bottom, a glowing box waited for a biometric signature.
    Kenny’s face went slack with shock. “What are you doing? That’s not—you can’t just—”
    Anja ignored him. She reached out, her fingers steady, and pressed her thumb against the glowing box. The system chimed, a clear, pleasant tone that echoed in the tense silence.
    BIOMETRIC SIGNATURE VERIFIED. ANJA COMPTON HAS UNILATERALLY DISSOLVED THE MATRIMONIAL CONTRACT. STATUS: FINALIZED.
    The words burned in the air for a moment before the holographic panel dissolved.
    Almost immediately, a series of chimes sounded from the room’s speaker system. A new, distinctly official synthesized voice read out three consecutive messages:
    “Message from the Federal Marriage Center: Esteemed Lady Anja, your matrimonial contract has been successfully dissolved. You are now returned to single status.”
    “Message from the Federal Marriage Center: Esteemed Lady Anja, there are hundreds of millions of males in the Commonwealth. If one lacks vision, there will always be another. Please do not let a male with poor taste affect your mood.”
    “Message from the Federal Marriage Center: Esteemed Lady Anja, should you desire, the Federal Marriage Center is ready at any moment to match you with new husbands. No upper limit.”
    Kenny stared at the empty space where the contract had been, then back at her. His expression was a comical mix of disbelief and panic. He had come here for a fight, for drama, for a validation of his own importance. He had not, under any circumstances, expected this easy, dismissive acceptance.
    “You… you just signed it?” he said, his voice a weak squeak. “Just like that? This is a trick. Some kind of game to make me feel guilty.”
    Anja gave him a small, pitying smile. “There’s no game, Kenny. You wanted out. You’re out. Congratulations. The door is over there. Get out of my house.”
    The shift was instantaneous. The moment she finished speaking, the AI’s synthesized voice spoke again, its tone now stripped of all warmth.
    “Warning,” Unit 01 announced. “Kenny Mcdaniel, your security clearance for this property has been revoked. You are now classified as an unauthorized intruder. You have ten seconds to vacate the premises before defensive measures are deployed.”
    A cold, red light began to sweep across the room, originating from a sensor near the ceiling.
    Kenny paled. “Your… your security? You can’t-“
    He was cut off by a heavy, mechanical whirring sound. Two panels in the ceiling slid open, and a pair of sleek, gunmetal-gray security drones descended. Their optical sensors glowed with the same menacing red light, and the barrels of their plasma weapons swiveled to lock directly onto his chest.
    Fear, primal and undignified, washed over Kenny’s face. All his practiced arrogance vanished. He threw his hands up in a gesture of surrender.
    “Okay! Okay! I’m going!” he yelped, stumbling backward.
    The drones advanced on him silently, their movements perfectly synchronized, herding him towards the door. He tripped over the edge of an expensive rug, catching himself on the doorframe. He looked back at her, his eyes wide with a mixture of terror and wounded pride, as if he wanted to say one last thing to salvage his dignity.
    Anja didn’t give him the chance.
    “Unit 01,” she said, her voice dripping with finality. “Close the door.”
    The heavy, soundproofed metal door slid shut with a deafening thud, cutting off his last pathetic look.
    Silence returned to the room.
    Anja fell back against the pillows, the silk cool against her neck. A long, slow breath escaped her lips. She felt a profound sense of release, of lightness. The headache was gone. The confusion was gone. She thought about the Federal Marriage Center’s final message—match her with new husbands. And the words “no upper limit” echoed in her memory from the original Anja’s knowledge of the law. A villa this large, five stories and hundreds of square meters per floor… it would be a shame to live in it alone, wouldn’t it? She wasn’t admitting anything. She was just curious.
    For the first time in this new world, she felt free.

    Dump One Loser, Gain Six Husbands. Chapter 2

    A new light bloomed in the room, soft and golden. It wasn’t sunlight.
    Anja turned her head. A holographic panel, the color of warm honey, floated in the air where the blue contract had been. It bore the official crest of The Commonwealth Eugenics & Pairing Directorate.
    A gentle, synthesized female voice, far more sophisticated than Unit 01’s, filled the room.
    “Congratulations, Citizen Anja Compton,” it purred. “Our records indicate you have successfully terminated your betrothal contract. Your status has been updated to ‘Unbonded.’ Welcome to a new chapter of your life.”
    The panel shimmered, and text began to scroll, listing the benefits that were now active for her.
    Federal Income Tax: Exempt.
    Property Tax, Core Worlds Sector: Exempt.
    Priority Purchase Rights, All A-Class Residential Zones: Activated.
    Tier-One Medical and Nutritional Subsidies: Activated.
    Personal Security Detail Allotment: Pending Review.
    Anja felt a breath catch in her throat. This wasn’t just a breakup; it was like winning the lottery. She had been vaguely aware of the laws from the memories she’d inherited, but seeing them laid out like this was staggering.
    “Unit 01,” she said, her voice a little hoarse. “Pull up the Commonwealth’s legal statutes on marriage and asset sharing.”
    “Of course, Mistress,” the house AI replied.
    The golden panel was replaced by a dense wall of legal text.
    “Summarize,” Anja commanded, not in the mood to read hundreds of pages of legalese.
    Unit 01’s voice began a concise audio summary. It explained that due to the scarcity of females, the law was designed for their absolute protection and prosperity. A bonded male’s assets, income, and even inheritances were automatically and irrevocably linked to his Matron’s primary account. He was, in financial terms, an extension of her.
    And then came the part that made Anja’s jaw drop.
    “There is no legal upper limit to the number of Consorts a female may bond with,” Unit 01 stated calmly. “The formation of a Consortium is considered a private matter, encouraged by the Directorate as a means of ensuring genetic diversity and providing comprehensive support for the Matron.”
    No limit.
    Polygamy. No, polyandry. And it was legal. Encouraged, even.
    Anja thought back to Earth. The endless, bitter divorces. The fights over money. The prenuptial agreements that were more like business contracts than declarations of love. Here, the system was brutally simple: everything belonged to the woman.
    A laugh escaped her lips. It started as a small chuckle, then grew into a full-throated, joyous peel of laughter that echoed in the luxurious bedroom. This wasn’t a dystopia. It was a custom-built paradise.
    The system seemed to anticipate her thoughts. A new, shimmering button appeared on the golden panel: Initiate New Matching Cycle?
    Her laughter subsided into a wide, mischievous grin. She was tired of being sad and pathetic for a man like Kenny. It was time to see what this new world really had to offer.
    She tapped the button.
    The panel transformed into something that looked like a high-end, exclusive dating app. Profiles began to slide across the screen, each one featuring a stunningly handsome man. There were soldiers with chiseled jaws and intense eyes, businessmen in sharp suits with predatory smiles, artists with soulful gazes and long, clever fingers. Their stats were listed beside their photos: psionic grade, genetic lineage, net worth, military honors. It was a catalog of the most elite men in the Commonwealth.
    Anja scrolled, her interest piqued. She noticed a small tag on some of the profiles: Latent Bestial Morphology.
    Curious, she tapped on one. The profile expanded. In addition to the man’s primary photo, there were smaller, secondary images showing him with a pair of sharp, tufted wolf ears and a thick, bushy tail. The description noted these features were highly sensitive and could manifest during moments of heightened emotion.
    Fluffy ears. A tail.
    Anja felt an unexpected jolt of interest, a deep, primal pull that all the polished, perfectly suited men had never once managed to inspire.
    She quickly filled out the matching preference form that appeared at the bottom of the screen. Age range, psionic compatibility, asset level… and under ‘Physical Preferences,’ she decisively checked the box for Bestial Traits.
    Her finger hovered over the ‘Submit’ button. For a fleeting second, a flicker of the old Anja’s insecurity surfaced. The girl who thought she wasn’t good enough, the girl who had been convinced by Kenny that she was plain and worthless.
    Then the image of Kenny’s arrogant, sneering face flashed in her mind.
    She pressed the button. Hard.
    A confirmation message appeared: Application successfully uploaded to the Federal Central Database. Deep-level compatibility analysis is now underway.
    “Mistress,” Unit 01’s voice cut in, its tone impeccably polite, “Since you are celebrating your newfound freedom, shall I prepare a celebratory breakfast?”
    “Yes, absolutely,” Anja said, feeling lighter than she had in years. “Eggs Benedict. And real coffee. Black.”
    “An excellent choice.”
    She threw back the silk covers and stepped out of bed. Her bare feet sank into a thick wool carpet that was warm to the touch. The room was vast, with a walk-in closet the size of her old apartment and an adjoining bathroom that looked like a marble sanctuary.
    She walked to the massive floor-to-ceiling window that made up one entire wall of the room. It overlooked a sprawling garden, with manicured lawns, a sparkling blue pool, and a forest of strange, beautiful alien trees in the distance.
    This was her life now. Safety. Luxury. Control.
    A soft, insistent chime broke her reverie. She turned back to the golden panel still hovering by her bed. A red warning icon was flashing.
    CRITICAL DATA MISSING. PSIONIC POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT: PENDING.
    The system’s gentle voice returned, now with a note of official firmness. “Citizen Compton, our records indicate you have not completed the mandatory Psionic Potential Assessment. This is a prerequisite for matching with Alpha-Plus class Consorts. Your matching cycle has been temporarily suspended.”
    Before she could even process that, the panel changed again, displaying a new document. It was an official, non-negotiable appointment.
    EMERGENCY APPOINTMENT: PSIONIC POTENTIAL TESTING CENTER. CAPITAL PRIME. TODAY.
    Anja stared at the screen. The original Anja had never gone. Kenny had told her it was a waste of time, that she was probably a worthless F-grade, and the embarrassment wouldn’t be worth it. He had systematically chipped away at her confidence until she believed him.
    Now, that little omission was standing between her and a lineup of handsome men with fluffy tails.
    Well, she thought with a grim smile. They were about to find out just how “worthless” she was.

    Dump One Loser, Gain Six Husbands. Chapter 3

    Anja read the appointment details again. The words mandatory and compulsory were highlighted in a severe, official red. Failure to attend would result in an indefinite freeze on her matching rights and a suspension of some of her newly acquired federal benefits.
    They weren’t asking. They were telling.
    “Mistress,” Unit 01’s voice chimed in, a flicker of something that might have been urgency in its synthesized tone, “You may wish to view the GalacticNet. Your status change has been… noted.”
    “Show me,” Anja said.
    The large window overlooking the garden dimmed, turning into a massive screen. It displayed the landing page of the most popular news network in the Commonwealth. Her own face stared back at her from the headline banner.
    ANJA COMPTON, HEIRESS OF HOUSE COMPTON, TERMINATES BETROTHAL. RETURNS TO UNBONDED STATUS.
    Below the headline, a ‘Trending Topics’ sidebar was dominated by her name. AnjaIsFree. ComptonConsortium. NewHopeForAlphaPlus.
    The screen began to populate with comments from a live public forum. Thousands of them, scrolling by in a dizzying cascade.
    “Finally! I knew Mcdaniel wasn’t good enough for her!”
    “An untested female from a noble line! This is the biggest news of the year!”
    “The matching pool is about to get a lot more interesting…”
    “Please, Mistress Compton, if you ever consider new consorts, review my profile. Class A psionic ability, five million credits, and I cook.”
    Anja stared, dumbfounded. It was one thing to read about the value of females in the abstract. It was another to see this raw, desperate, public thirst for her attention. The old Anja had wasted years crying over one mediocre male who didn’t want her, while thousands across the Commonwealth were practically begging for her attention. What a joke.
    She accessed the original Anja’s memories, searching for context. The Commonwealth was plagued by a low-level genetic corruption that affected all males. It was a slow-acting poison, a consequence of their psionic abilities, that caused irritability, aggression, and eventually, a descent into feral madness. The only cure, the only way to soothe the corruption, was the purifying psionic energy of a female. Males who lacked a female to purify them were forced to rely on suppressants—agonizing injections with devastating side effects.
    The demand was infinite. The supply was critically low.
    And an untested female, especially one from a good family, was the ultimate wild card. She could be a useless F-Grade, or she could be a world-changing A-Grade. The uncertainty, the sheer potential, was intoxicating. It was like a lottery where the jackpot was salvation.
    “Unit 01,” she said, her voice hard. “What’s the fastest way to get to the testing center in Capital Prime?”
    “The journey by private shuttle would take approximately forty-five minutes, Mistress. However, it appears alternative arrangements have been made.”
    Before Anja could ask what that meant, a low, powerful thrumming sound vibrated through the floor. It grew rapidly into a deafening roar, the sound of massive engines displacing a huge volume of air. The delicate curtains on her window whipped inward as a powerful downdraft hit the side of the house.
    Anja rushed to the window, peering up into the sky.
    A ship was descending. It wasn’t a sleek, civilian shuttle. It was a beast of a machine, matte black and brutally angular, a military transport vessel designed for assault landings. The official, silver crest of the Eugenics Directorate was emblazoned on its side.
    It settled onto the main lawn with a final, ground-shaking whump, its landing struts sinking inches into the perfectly manicured grass. A ramp hissed open at its rear. Twelve soldiers marched out in perfect synchronization. They were clad in black tactical armor, their faces hidden behind reflective visors, and they carried heavy-looking plasma rifles. They moved with terrifying efficiency, forming two perfect lines of six leading from the ramp towards the front door of the estate.
    A voice, amplified and resonant, boomed from the ship’s external speakers. It was deep, respectful, and utterly commanding.
    “Mistress Anja Compton. On behalf of the Commonwealth Eugenics Directorate, we are your designated escort to the Capital Prime Testing Center. Please prepare for immediate departure.”
    Anja stood frozen, her heart hammering against her ribs. This wasn’t a taxi. This was a military operation. For her. Was she being escorted to a testing center or to a war zone?
    “Mistress, I have taken the liberty of selecting an appropriate outfit for the occasion,” Unit 01 said, its voice cutting through her shock. A panel on the wall of her closet slid open, revealing a simple but elegant outfit: dark, well-fitted trousers, a cream-colored silk blouse, and soft leather boots. It was understated, comfortable, but undeniably expensive. “I would advise you to change quickly.”
    Numbly, Anja did as she was told. She dressed with fumbling fingers, her mind still reeling from the sight of the armored ship on her lawn. This was real. This was happening.
    Guided by Unit 01’s soft light prompts, she walked through the silent, cavernous halls of the estate to the grand front entrance. She took a deep breath, her hand resting on the cool metal of the door handle. She thought about the comments she had just read—males begging for her attention, showing off their credits and their abilities. And then she thought about Kenny’s parting words: “Even if I die, even if I get exiled to a barren mining planet, I will never form a bond with you.” A small, bitter smile crossed her lips. He had spent years convincing her she was nothing. In a few minutes, the entire Commonwealth would know the truth.
    Then she pulled it open.
    The force of the soldiers’ collective gaze was a physical thing. They stood perfectly still, rifles held at a parade rest, but she could feel the intensity of their focus. It wasn’t threatening. It was… worshipful.
    The man at the front of the line, clearly the captain, took a step forward. He was taller than the others, his armor bearing subtle markings of rank. He removed his helmet, revealing a stern, handsome face with a sharp jaw and piercing gray eyes. He held the helmet under his arm and then, to Anja’s utter astonishment, he dropped to one knee before her on the stone steps.
    “Mistress Compton,” he said, his head bowed, “It is an honor. We have prepared a sterilized walkway for your convenience.”
    As he spoke, a thin, metallic carpet unrolled from the base of the ship’s ramp, gliding silently across the lawn to stop at her feet. It was a simple, practical measure to keep her boots from getting damp from the morning dew. It was also the most ridiculously reverent gesture she had ever witnessed.
    “Th-thank you, Captain,” she managed, her voice barely a whisper.
    The captain’s head dipped lower. “The honor is all ours, Ma’am.”
    Feeling as though she were in a dream, Anja stepped onto the walkway. She walked between the two lines of silent, armored sentinels, and she could feel that beneath their visors, their gazes devoutly tracked her every move. The air buzzed with their restrained energy.
    She stepped up the ramp and into the ship’s interior. It wasn’t the spartan, utilitarian hold she expected. It was a VIP cabin, furnished with plush, cream-colored leather chairs, polished chrome accents, and soft, indirect lighting. It looked more like the inside of a private jet than a military transport.
    The ramp hissed shut behind her, sealing her inside and cutting off the outside world. A small, silent service droid glided up to her, offering a chilled glass of champagne on a silver tray.
    Anja sank into one of the chairs, the leather sighing under her weight. She took the glass, the crystal cool against her trembling fingers. Through the cabin’s reinforced viewport, she watched her new home, her new life, shrink below as the ship ascended with breathtaking speed.
    A timer appeared on a small screen embedded in the armrest of her chair.
    Estimated Time to Arrival: 12 minutes.
    She stared at the descending numbers, her heart beating a frantic rhythm against her ribs. There was no going back now.

    👉 CONTINUE READING

  • The Alpha’s Discarded Luna by Velvet Piston

    The Alpha's Discarded Luna by Velvet Piston
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    I was three months pregnant when the car hit me.

    Lying there, barely hanging on, I called my husband-Alpha Ethan-over and over. No answer. When I finally woke up from the pain, I saw a post from his first love, Ivy. “Thank you, Alpha, for knowing how scared I am of the dark and staying with me all night. He even cleared his whole schedule today to take me to the auction, just to give me the best gift in the world. I’m so happy!”

    Right then, it hit me. While I was fighting to protect our child, he was with another she-wolf. I calmly liked her post and put my phone away.

    Since he chose his first love, I chose to let go.

    Seven days from now, I’d leave his world for good-with our child.

    👉 READ NOW

    The Alpha’s Discarded Luna Chapter 1 Sign The Rejection

    Lianne’s POV:

    Three months into my pregnancy, I, Lianne Riley, was caught in a car accident.

    Half-conscious and shaking, I kept calling my husband, Alpha Ethan Voss, but he never answered.

    When the pain finally eased enough for me to stay awake, I opened my phone and saw a post from his first love, Ivy Brooks.

    “I have to thank Ethan for staying with me all night because he knows I’m afraid of the dark. He even canceled all his meetings today to take me to an auction and bought me the most beautiful gift in the world. I’m so happy!”

    That was the moment I understood everything. When I was seriously injured while protecting my child, he chose to stay beside another she-wolf.

    Without a word, I liked the post and closed the app.

    If he wanted his first love back, then he could have her.

    Seven days from now, I would disappear from his life forever-with our child.

    …

    Clutching the freshly printed Rejection, I dragged my injured body back home.

    I shoved open the heavy oak door. The living room sat in darkness, with only the faint glow from the wall lamps cutting through the shadows.

    In the faint light, a tall figure sat on the couch, his presence heavy and suffocating. The pressure rolling off him belonged only to a top-tier Alpha.

    He was none other than my mate, Ethan.

    “So you still remember this is your home?” His voice cut through the silence like frost.

    Before I could answer, he rose from the couch and crossed the room in a few long strides.

    His hand clamped around my wrist with brutal force, pain shooting through my arm as though he meant to snap the bones.

    “Lianne, what was the point of that like on Ivy’s post?” he snapped, glaring down at me with open contempt. “She only just came back, and her condition isn’t stable yet. She can’t deal with stress right now. Were you trying to remind her that you’re my Luna?”

    I lifted my eyes to him, my blurred vision making his face hard to see clearly.

    Three years ago, Ethan had been poisoned with silver. The toxin ruined his legs.

    After Ivy dumped him and ran overseas, he spiraled completely, numbing himself with alcohol day after day.

    The Elders of the Thorn Pack arranged our bond.

    For the last three years, I’d stayed by his side as his mate, calming the rage and pain eating away at him. At the same time, I’d given him my blood again and again, using my healing ability to help repair his body until he could finally stand on his own once more.

    But now, there wasn’t even a trace of warmth left in him. His breath brushed lightly against my neck while his voice stayed cold. “I already told you before-stop letting your jealousy control you. Can’t you act reasonable for once?”

    Reasonable.

    The word hit harder than a slap against my already numb heart.

    He didn’t know that not long ago, I’d been trapped in a wrecked car after the crash.

    Pinned inside the overturned vehicle with blood running down my face, I’d called him again and again, hoping he would come to save me and our unborn baby.

    But before I could explain anything, all he said was, “Ivy’s not feeling well right now. I can’t leave her side. Whatever it is, deal with it yourself.”

    Then he ended the call.

    I forced myself out of the crushed driver’s seat with the last bit of strength I had left. After that, I walked three miles through heavy rain before a passing car finally stopped for me.

    “I’m sorry,” I whispered, lowering my gaze so he wouldn’t see the sadness in my eyes. “It won’t happen again.”

    Ethan looked caught off guard by how quickly I apologized. He fell silent for a moment, the anger in his eyes easing slightly, though suspicion soon took its place.

    Letting go of my wrist, he looked me over slowly, from my tangled hair to my pale face.

    “The staff said you were out all day, and you weren’t answering your phone.” He frowned. “And those calls you kept making… were you throwing a fit because of Ivy?”

    “No.” I took a slow breath, forcing down the turmoil churning inside me. “There was an issue with the pack’s supply deliveries, so I went to deal with it. I must’ve lost my phone during the mess.”

    I pulled out a stack of documents and handed them to him. “These are the financial reports for this quarter, along with a few documents that need your signature. The admin office needs them by tomorrow morning.”

    Ethan took the papers from me and casually tossed them onto the coffee table without even checking them.

    He trusted me completely. For the past three years, I’d been the perfect Luna in his eyes, handling every responsibility without fault.

    I took care of the endless pack matters for him. Whenever the silver poison pushed him into violent, uncontrollable episodes, I stayed beside him and used our mate bond to calm the beast inside him.

    Ethan sat back down, picked up a pen, and signed the documents one after another with quick, practiced strokes.

    He didn’t realize the Rejection was hidden beneath the stack of documents.

    Once he signed it, the Rejection would take effect in seven days.

    After that, the bond forcing us together would break completely. He would finally be free. And I would disappear from his life forever.

    “It’s done.” He slid the papers back toward me, his fingers brushing lightly against the back of my hand by accident.

    I pulled my hand away instantly, as though his touch had scorched me.

    A shadow passed through Ethan’s eyes. He stared at me for a long moment before asking, “Lianne, are you avoiding me?”

    He rose to his feet, his tall frame closing in until his shadow swallowed me completely.

    Then he reached for me. His fingers caught my chin and lifted it, forcing me to look straight at him.

    There was something fierce burning in his eyes. Possessiveness. The instinctive dominance an Alpha held toward his mate.

    “Today’s our wedding anniversary,” he said quietly. His hand slid from my chin to my throat, his rough thumb brushing slowly over the sensitive skin there. “By pack tradition, I should stay with you tonight.”

    His touch felt burning hot against my skin, yet my heart remained cold and unmoving.

    At that moment, his phone suddenly rang.

    The glowing screen showed a name I knew too well. Ivy.

    Ethan’s body stiffened.

    He answered immediately, and Ivy’s trembling voice drifted through the call, “Ethan, I’m scared. The thunder’s really loud tonight. Can you come stay with me?”

    Ethan glanced at me, hesitation flickering briefly across his face.

    I pressed a faint smile onto my lips and urged, “You should go. Ivy only just came back, and she’s still not fully recovered. As the pack’s Alpha, you should look after your pack members. I’ll be fine here alone.”

    Ethan kept staring at me, as if trying to find some trace of resentment hidden beneath my words. But there was nothing for him to find. I looked empty enough to fool even him, like a doll with nothing left inside.

    “You’re finally beginning to understand what it means to be a Luna,” he said after a moment, satisfaction creeping into his tone as he put his phone away. “I know this hasn’t been easy for you. Once Ivy’s settled in, I’ll make it up to you.”

    Make it up to me?

    What I wanted was never compensation. I only wanted the one thing he had never truly given me-his whole heart.

    “Okay,” I answered with a nod.

    Ethan turned and headed for the door, his hurried steps making it seem as though he couldn’t leave fast enough.

    He never looked back, so he never saw my legs buckle the moment the door shut behind him. I slid slowly down the wall, too weak to keep standing.

    Lowering my eyes, I looked at the Rejection while my trembling fingers brushed across his signature.

    This would be the last thing I ever did for Ethan.

    In seven days, I would no longer be his Luna.

    I would take our unborn child and disappear from his life forever.

    The Alpha’s Discarded Luna Chapter 2 Eternal Devotion

    Lianne’s POV:

    The next morning, sunlight spilled through the floor-to-ceiling windows and filled my room.

    I endured the constant ache in my fractured ribs, then covered the lifeless color of my face with thick concealer before changing into a clean, tailored business suit.

    Ethan wasn’t only the Alpha of the Thorn Pack. He was also the CEO of Voss Group. And I was his chief secretary.

    To everyone in the company, I was the person he relied on most. Calm, capable, efficient. The perfect secretary who handled every problem without hesitation.

    Only a few in the pack knew I was his mate.

    I knew Ethan hated the fact that I had lost my wolf. That was why he’d never acknowledged our bond in public. For a long time, I’d waited quietly, hoping one day, he’d accept me openly.

    But now, none of that mattered anymore.

    I walked into the company building and went straight to the HR department. Then I placed my resignation letter on the manager’s desk.

    “You’re resigning?” The HR manager adjusted her glasses in disbelief. “Lianne, you’re the person Mr. Voss trusts more than anyone. The company would fall apart without you. Does Mr. Voss know about this?”

    “He won’t mind,” I replied calmly, keeping the same polished smile I used at work every day. “I’ll finish the transition over the next few days. Nothing at the company will be affected.”

    The manager looked like she wanted to say more, but in the end, she only sighed and signed the resignation letter.

    After leaving her office, I stopped in the hallway and took a slow breath. A sharp pain spread through my chest, reminding me that the injuries from the car crash were far worse than they looked.

    I was about to return to my desk when quiet voices drifted out from the break room nearby.

    “Did you hear? The one Alpha loves is back.”

    “You mean Ivy? No wonder Alpha spent so much at the auction. He paid fifty million for the ‘Tears of Moonstone’ necklace.”

    “Seriously? That’s the necklace that represents eternal devotion. He really treats her like a queen.”

    I stopped walking.

    Tears of Moonstone.

    Three years ago, on the day Ethan and I formed our mate bond, I’d seen that necklace in a magazine.

    The crystal was said to glow blue beneath moonlight, a gift blessed by the Moon Goddess for true mates.

    Back then, I’d pointed at the picture shyly and whispered to Ethan, “It’s beautiful.”

    He hadn’t even looked at the picture for more than a second before answering casually, “That necklace is meant for she-wolves who’ve gone through the official Luna ceremony. You don’t even have a wolf, Lianne. If you wore it, the pack would only complain. Stop making things harder for me.”

    So that was the truth. It had never been about pack traditions. I simply wasn’t worthy enough in his eyes.

    “Lianne, this document needs Alpha’s signature right away. Could you bring it in for me?” A junior secretary hurried toward me, pulling me out of my thoughts.

    I accepted the document, though my fingers shook slightly around it.

    Then I walked to the CEO’s office and pushed the door open. The moment I stepped inside, the scene before me froze me in place.

    Ethan sat behind his large desk while Ivy perched casually along the edge beside him.

    She wore a flawless silk dress that made her seem delicate enough to break.

    The coldness in Ethan’s eyes had completely disappeared. He let her wrap her arms around his neck, and when she leaned over to kiss his cheek, he didn’t pull away.

    Suddenly, the document slipped from my numb fingers. Papers scattered across the floor with a sharp rustle, as though my heart had shattered along with them.

    Both of them looked toward me at once.

    The tenderness on Ethan’s face vanished instantly, replaced by the familiar icy expression I knew too well. Irritation flickered in his eyes.

    “Do you not know how to knock before entering?” he said sharply.

    Ivy quickly jumped off the desk, acting startled by the situation. Then she walked over to me and took my hand, as though she was trying to comfort me. “Lianne, please don’t misunderstand anything. I’m just really happy today. Ethan gave me such an amazing gift.”

    Her fingers tightened around mine while she tilted her head to show off the necklace resting against her throat.

    The huge moonstone shimmered beneath the sunlight pouring through the windows, its glare so bright it almost hurt to look at.

    “It’s gorgeous, isn’t it?” Ivy smiled sweetly, but the provocation in her eyes was meant only for me. “Ethan told me I’m the only person worthy of this symbol of eternal devotion.”

    A sharp pain twisted through my chest, dull and brutal, like a blunt knife dragging back and forth inside me.

    Still, I forced myself to remain standing. Somehow, I even managed a steady smile. “It’s beautiful. It looks perfect on you.”

    I crouched down slowly, pain shooting through my ribs as I gathered the scattered papers. After straightening them neatly, I placed them on Ethan’s desk. “Alpha, this document needs your signature.”

    My composure seemed to unsettle Ethan.

    A trace of discomfort crossed his face as he watched me turn toward the door. Then, almost awkwardly, he spoke up to explain himself. “Ivy just returned to the pack. The necklace was only meant as a welcome-back gift. Don’t overthink it.”

    “Alright.” I nodded lightly, said nothing else, and walked out without looking back.

    That evening, I returned home and quietly began packing my things.

    Everything in the house carried traces of the life Ethan and I had shared together. Now all of it felt like a cruel reminder of how foolish I’d been.

    I folded my clothes carefully and placed them inside the suitcase one by one. As for the expensive jewelry Ethan had given me over the years, I left every piece behind.

    I only wanted to take the things that truly belonged to me.

    The moment I closed the suitcase, hurried footsteps sounded from behind me.

    Then Ethan’s voice rang out in panic. “Lianne! What do you think you’re doing?”

    The Alpha’s Discarded Luna Chapter 3 Ethan, Help Me

    Lianne’s POV:

    I hadn’t expected Ethan to come back so early.

    Before I could say anything, he crossed the room in a few quick strides and grabbed the wrist I was using to close the suitcase. His grip tightened hard enough to hurt.

    Then he seemed to have realized something. Dark anger stirred in his eyes as he stared at me. “Didn’t I already explain the necklace was only a gift to celebrate Ivy’s return? And now you’re packing your things to threaten me? Lianne, you’re not a child anymore. You’re the Luna of this pack. Start acting like one.”

    I looked at his familiar face, handsome as ever yet completely devoid of warmth, and a deep sense of bitterness rose quietly inside me.

    No matter what happened, he always treated my pain like some immature attempt to gain attention.

    But I didn’t want to argue with him. Most of all, I couldn’t let him discover the Rejection.

    “I’m not threatening you,” I said, lowering my eyes. “The closet’s just too crowded, so I thought I’d clear some of the clothes out. Sometimes, old things should make room for new ones.”

    Ethan stared at me for a long moment, as though trying to determine whether I was lying to him.

    But my face remained calm, without the hurt and resentment he usually expected to see. Gradually, the tension in his expression eased. “Good. I’m glad you understand.”

    “Ethan?” A soft voice drifted in from the doorway.

    I looked up sharply. Ivy stood in the doorway wearing a thin silk nightdress, a man’s jacket draped loosely over her shoulders. It carried Ethan’s scent.

    She leaned weakly against the doorframe, her pale face making her look like a fragile white flower ready to collapse at any moment.

    “What is she doing here?” The words escaped before I could stop them, and a sharp ache pierced my chest.

    “Ivy’s going to stay here for a while.” Ethan walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders with natural familiarity, as though he’d done it countless times before. “Some of her fans have been crossing the line lately. They even found the place she’s staying at now. It isn’t safe for her anymore. Until she finds somewhere suitable, staying here is the best option.”

    Then he looked at me, warning clear in his eyes. “Treat her properly. I don’t want people spreading rumors that the Luna of the Thorn Pack is bullying another pack member. Do you understand?”

    I stared at the two of them standing together, and the whole thing felt strangely unreal.

    My mate had brought the woman he loved into our home. And now he expected me to welcome her with a smile.

    “Alright,” I replied with a bitter smile. “I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of.”

    The staff moved quickly after that. They cleaned out the room beside mine, the nursery Ethan and I had once planned to use for our future child, and turned it into Ivy’s bedroom.

    Ethan personally stayed with her while the servants arranged everything. He even instructed them to replace the scent diffuser oils with lavender because it was Ivy’s favorite fragrance.

    The laughter drifting from the room next door grated against my nerves like a blade scraping over raw skin, tearing deeper into a heart that was already falling apart.

    Late that night, I forced my exhausted body into the bathroom.

    Warm water poured over me, but no amount of heat could drive away the cold buried deep inside my chest.

    I lifted my eyes to the mirror. My face looked pale and drained, and dark bruises spread across my chest from the crash. At that moment, the tears I had been holding back finally fell.

    Just six more days.

    If I could endure six more days, everything would be over.

    After changing into a simple silk slip dress, I stepped out of the bathroom through the lingering steam. My vision was still hazy, so I didn’t notice someone standing inside the room.

    Suddenly, my foot slipped against the floor, and my body pitched backward.

    But instead of crashing down, I fell into a firm, burning embrace.

    One of Ethan’s arms locked tightly around my waist while his other hand pressed protectively against the back of my head, pulling me hard against his chest.

    The sharp cedarwood scent that always clung to him surrounded me instantly.

    “Can’t even stand properly anymore?” His voice came out low and rough beside my ear.

    “Let me go,” I insisted, struggling to steady myself. “Shouldn’t you be with Ivy right now?”

    His eyes darkened instantly. Instead of letting me go, Ethan pulled me tighter against him. His fingers slid slowly through my damp hair before settling at the back of my neck, right over the sensitive gland every werewolf guarded instinctively.

    “Lianne, I’m your mate,” he murmured against my skin. His warm breath brushed across my collarbone, sending a shiver through me. “Yesterday was our anniversary. I told you I’d make it up to you.”

    His hand moved slowly along my skin, rough fingertips brushing lightly against me and leaving heat in their wake.

    Three years of marriage had taught him every weakness I had. He knew exactly how to break down my defenses.

    “No…”

    My protest was swallowed by his possessive, punishing kiss.

    There was no gentleness in the kiss. It was fierce and possessive, filled with a hunger that felt more like claiming than affection.

    He kissed me hard enough to steal the air from my lungs, as though he wanted to erase every thought in my mind except him.

    The next moment, he pushed me down onto the bed, his body pressing heavily against mine.

    During the struggle, the straps of my silk dress slipped from my shoulders, exposing bare skin beneath the dim light.

    Desire burned openly in Ethan’s eyes. His lips moved slowly down my neck, leaving heated marks along my collarbone.

    “Ethan…” A shaky sound escaped my throat as my fingers gripped his shoulders tightly, my nails pressing into the hard muscles beneath his shirt.

    For that brief moment, I let myself sink into the illusion he created. Even knowing it wasn’t real, I still reached desperately for the warmth he gave me so rarely.

    His hand slid beneath the hem of my dress, his touch burning against my skin.

    Just as he was about to go further, a terrified scream suddenly rang out from Ivy’s room next door.

    “Ethan, help me!”

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