Amelia Miller thought she'd endured the worst life had to offer. Rejected by her mate, betrayed by her own blood, and cast out from her pack, she had nothing but the scars. When Alpha Kaelan of the Shadow Moon Pack comes to her rescue, Amelia dares to dream of a new beginning. But the shadows of her past are unwilling to set her free. Amelia's vengeful half-sister Caroline and her first mate Jackson finally unite for one purpose-to bring Amelia to ruin and tear down the Shadow Moon Pack along with her. But when Kaelan's trust falters, Amelia's world comes crashing down all over again. This time, she has to dig deep for a strength to rise, not only to save the man who gave her a second chance at love but also to put an end to the circle of betrayal and pain once and for all.
The air was cold and bitter that morning, but Amelia Miller barely felt it. Hurrying down the path to the packhouse, she clutched the bundle of freshly laundered clothes to her chest. Her fingers were numb from washing in icy water, her cheeks raw and red from the chill, but her mind barely registered the discomfort. She had grown used to it-used to being ignored, used to being invisible.
Today, though, was different. Today she turned 18, a day she had hoped would bring change, finally. The day she finds her mate.
The pack had always made Amelia feel like an outsider. Her half-sister, Caroline, was the golden child, the favored daughter of Alpha Miller and Luna Hannah. Amelia, the product of a short, regretted relationship before her father had met Luna Hannah, had never belonged. Her father seldom spoke to her, and Luna Hannah treated her with thinly veiled disdain. The rest of the pack followed suit, making sure Amelia knew she was only tolerated and never loved.
The idea of finding a mate had been Amelia's hope, her one wish. Perhaps he could see her and understand her-even love her. Maybe this was the one to break chains binding her in loneliness since childhood.
She reached the door of the packhouse, took a deep breath, and smoothed tangled brown hair, adjusting the plain brown dress. The door opened abruptly, and she found herself face-to-face with Caroline, who smirked in her smugness.
"Oh, look, the little servant girl thinks she's part of the family," Caroline sneered. Perfect blonde curls bounced as she crossed her arms. "Don't forget your place, Amelia. You're not wanted here."
Amelia's eyes dropped to the floor, her heart sinking in her chest. It was her birthday, yet somehow, the sting of Caroline's words felt as if it could never get any different-as if there was nothing she could do to fit in. But she swallowed her pride, clinging to the one hope she had left: her mate.
As she stepped into the main hall of the pack, an overwhelming presence nailed her feet to the ground. She spun around, her heart jackhammering in her chest, her gaze setting on him-the Alpha himself, Jackson Rainer. His gaze was piercing, and at that moment, as their eyes met, something lit in her chest. Her heart beat wildly.
The bond. It was true. Alpha Jackson Rainer was her mate.
She didn't even have time to process the shock before a scornful laugh cut through the silence. Caroline stepped forward, her hand slipping possessively onto Jackson's arm. Amelia's blood ran cold as she watched her half-sister entwine herself with the Alpha, looking at Amelia with a satisfied smirk.
"Isn't it sweet?" Caroline cooed, glancing up at Jackson with adoration. "I've waited so long for this day.
Jackson's eyes held on Amelia's for the span of a heartbeat, before turning to ice. He glanced at Caroline and back to Amelia, and in that instant, Amelia felt the knife of betrayal pierce her chest.
"Amelia Miller," he said, his voice cold, "means nothing to me."
And in that instant, her world came crashing down. The connection that had bound them, the hope she had held on for, disappeared in less than a second. She opened her mouth to protest, but words wouldn't flow. Her Alpha was hers, her partner, yet here he was dismissing her as if she didn't mean more to him than the speck of dust on the floor.
Then Jackson turned to Caroline and, in front of the whole pack, pressed his lips onto hers. The room was filled with gasps, but nobody came to intervene, because they knew exactly what it meant: he chose Caroline for his Luna.
Amelia's heart wrenched in pain as the rejection seared right through to her very soul, a dull ache settling within her chest as Jackson and Caroline simply walked away, leaving her there, humiliated and abandoned.
Her half-sister had taken everything: the love of her family, her place in the pack, and now her mate. Amelia turned to run out of the hall; though behind her, the laughter echoed on. The packmates formerly ignoring her now looked upon her with sneers, mocking grins.
Tears pricked at her eyes, and she did not stop running until she was outside on her knees in the snow. The rejection oozed into her heart like a chunk of ice-cold, unyielding.
"Sign the divorce papers and get out!" Leanna got married to pay a debt, but she was betrayed by her husband and shunned by her in-laws. Seeing that her efforts were in vain, she agreed to divorce and claimed her half of the properties. With her purse plump from the settlement, Leanna enjoyed her newfound freedom. The constant harassment from her ex's mistress never fazed her. She took back her identities as top hacker, champion racer, medical professor, and renowned jewelry designer. Then someone discovered her secret. Matthew smiled. "Will you have me as your next husband?"
Janet was adopted when she was a kid -- a dream come true for orphans. However, her life was anything but happy. Her adoptive mother taunted and bullied her all her life. Janet got the love and affection of a parent from the old maid who raised her. Unfortunately, the old woman fell ill, and Janet had to marry a worthless man in place of her parents' biological daughter to meet the maid's medical expenses. Could this be a Cinderella's tale? But the man was far from a prince, except for his handsome appearance. Ethan was the illegitimate son of a wealthy family who lived a reckless life and barely made ends meet. He got married to fulfill his mother's last wish. However, on his wedding night, he had an inkling that his wife was different from what he had heard about her. Fate had united the two people with deep secrets. Was Ethan truly the man we thought he was? Surprisingly, he bore an uncanny resemblance to the impenetrable wealthiest man in the city. Would he find out that Janet married him in place of her sister? Would their marriage be a romantic tale or an utter disaster? Read on to unravel Janet and Ethan's journey.
Rumors said that Lucas married an unattractive woman with no background. In the three years they were together, he remained cold and distant to Belinda, who endured in silence. Her love for him forced her to sacrifice her self-worth and her dreams. When Lucas' true love reappeared, Belinda realized that their marriage was a sham from the start, a ploy to save another woman's life. She signed the divorce papers and left. Three years later, Belinda returned as a surgical prodigy and a maestro of the piano. Lost in regret, Lucas chased her in the rain and held her tightly. "You are mine, Belinda."
COALESCENCE OF THE FIVE SERIES BOOK ONE: THE 5-TIME REJECTED GAMMA & THE LYCAN KING BOOK TWO: THE ROGUES WHO WENT ROGUE BOOK THREE: THE INDOMITABLE HUNTRESS & THE HARDENED DUKE *** BOOK ONE: After being rejected by 5 mates, Gamma Lucianne pleaded with the Moon Goddess to spare her from any further mate-bonds. To her dismay, she is being bonded for the sixth time. What’s worse is that her sixth-chance mate is the most powerful creature ruling over all werewolves and Lycans - the Lycan King himself. She is certain, dead certain, that a rejection would come sooner or later, though she hopes for it to be sooner. King Alexandar was ecstatic to meet his bonded mate, and couldn’t thank their Goddess enough for gifting him someone so perfect. However, he soon realizes that this gift is reluctant to accept him, and more than willing to sever their bond. He tries to connect with her but she seems so far away. He is desperate to get intimate with her but she seems reluctant to open up to him. He tries to tell her that he is willing to commit to her for the rest of his life but she doesn’t seem to believe him. He is pleading for a chance: a chance to get to know her; a chance to show her that he’s different; and a chance to love her. But when not-so-subtle crushes, jealous suitors, self-entitled Queen-wannabes, an old flame, a silent protector and a past wedding engagement threaten to jeopardize their relationship, will Lucianne and Xandar still choose to be together? Is their love strong enough to overcome everything and everyone? Or will Lucianne resort to enduring a sixth rejection from the one person she thought she could entrust her heart with?
"I, Riccardo Saviano, future Alpha of the Grey Shadow Moon Pack, reject you, Artemisia Guerrieri, Daughter of Alpha Franco of the Blood Moon Pack, as my mate and future Luna." One single sentence. One stupid single sentence was all it took to disintegrate my life. And the day of my birthday, on which this sentence was audaciously uttered to me, I lost the love of my life, my future mate, and my wolf, all at once. As I'm still assembling the pieces of my shattered heart years later, there they come. Like lightning out of a crystal blue sky. My Mates. But wait... If I am mated to triplets, how come I'm about to be mated to 5 gorgeous men? *** TW: explicit and foul language; spicy content; explicit sex scenes ***
As a simple assistant, messaging the CEO in the dead of night to request shares of adult films was a bold move. Bethany, unsurprisingly, didn't receive any films. However, the CEO responded that, while he had no films to share, he could offer a live demonstration. After a night filled with passion, Bethany was certain she'd lose her job. But instead, her boss proposed, "Marry me. Please consider it." "Mr. Bates, you're kidding me, right?"