"You can't be weak, wife. You now have three husbands to please. Tonight's the night we claim you. You can't let a simple wedding tire you, for our nuptial night holds trials far more demanding." Ezra whispered huskily, tucking my hair behind my ear. -- "Oh god!" I cried. "Not god, baby. We are your demons," Ezra growled, pounding faster. -- "Call my name, Xanthea," Asher groaned and a tight flutter erupted in my belly. -- "I can't... I can't take this... anymore..." And then he hit a spot, and he kept hitting it again and again with every thrust. Sparks charged throughout my body like the lightning cracking in the stormy sky again and again until it was too much to hold back, too hard to... resist. *** Xanthea Plath, an illegitimate child of the Alpha of Virgo pack, was an omega and omegas weren't allowed to dream, yet she never stopped dreaming. She wanted to be a doctor just like her mother but the luna of the pack, her stepmother would break her physically and mentally and stop at nothing to crush all her dreams. Xanthea had still found a way though all the abuse her steps put her through. But one day her world came crashing down right before her entrance in a medical college when she found out that she was being offered as a bride to the ruthless triplet alphas also known as the demon lords of the Infernal pack of the underworld. Xanthea had heard the horrifying stories of several suitors who had come before her, all of whom had met a gruesome end. *** Dark reverse harem romance with 18+ explicit content. Readers discretion advised.
"I have spread my dreams under your feet; Tread softly because you tread on my dreams." - W. B. Yeats
~~~
[Xanthea Plath]
I limped into the graveyard, clutching my broken arm with the other hand. Blood mixed in the rain trailed down from my shoulder to my elbow, down my wrists, making its way to my fingers that clutched the small bouquet of forget-me-not flowers.
Every flower of the bouquet was crushed and marred with blood-stains. The blue ribbon that once tied the flowers together was long lost.
The white gown, soaked by the downpour, hugged my body as if it sought to suffocate me. Inked scarlet, its hem absorbed the black tint of the ground as it glissaded over the sharp blades of overgrown grass.
Today was my mother's twenty-third death anniversary and my twenty-third birthday.
I forced another step on the muddy grounds of the graveyard with my sprained leg. A thick curtain of rain obscured my already blurry vision. Streaks of rain trailed down my cracked glasses that hung loosely on my nose.
Panting and stifling my moans, I dragged myself closer and closer to my mother's grave.
Perhaps it was the tears in my eyes, or perhaps it was the rainwater tracing its way down my face. The only sensation that wasn't a struggle was feeling the coldness of the rain being absorbed against my feverish skin.
My ribs hurt with every breath.
'No matter how much of a struggle it is to breathe, you never stop breathing. Because you know the struggles are only temporary. What's permanent is life that death has not yet kissed.'
My mother's words echoed in my head. I gritted my teeth, taking a deep breath even when it hurt.
Tears stung into my eyes as I gulped down the trembling lump clogging my throat.
I found my mother's gravestone.
Freya Plath
And below her name carved on the white marble gravestone was the epitaph - "Forget me not."
I didn't need much effort as I sank to my bruised knees and offered the blood-stained flowers to my mother's memory.
I bowed until my nose touched the ground and finally broke into tears. The flood of emotions that had sustained me through the harrowing journey finally snapped.
I had never met my mother when she was alive, but now she lived through me.
And through her diaries, she had come alive to me. My heart filled with an unfathomable warmth and the utmost respect when I thought of her. I knew her closer than any daughter would have ever known their mother.
I knew her like a friend, like a secret keeper, like an equal. Through her words, I knew her heart and now it feels as though my heart had been replaced by hers, filled with her smiles and laughter that I never got to see or hear. Yet I felt them all so closely, it hurt.
I fell in love with everything this woman was and everything she could have become only if the alpha's eyes didn't fall on her.
My mother was an omega, just like me. It was a world of cruel hierarchy, where the alpha commands over all the dreams of everyone in the pack. Under his command, an omega wasn't allowed to dream of anything greater than their rank granted. We dwelled at the bottom of the food chain. Our value was confined and limited to serving the ones who held the higher ranks.
But my mother dared to dream. She dared to have wings to fly high and higher were her ambitions. So high it seemed impossible for an omega to achieve in this world of power, ranks, and politics.
Her wings that I broke by coming to life. Because after that, my mother's eyes were too lifeless to dream anymore. So I replaced my eyes with hers, transplanted her dreams into the sole reason for my existence.
And now, if I am not her dreams, her words, her ideals, I don't know who I am.
They say you can't miss a person you've never met, but I miss every second of my life as I imagine how my life would have been if she were still alive.
Maybe my bones would have broken less, perhaps I would have lesser scars. Perhaps then I wouldn't be so lonely. Perhaps I'd know what love felt like.
But my mother died during the delivery and so the illegitimate daughter of Alpha Valdimir Virgo was born of an extra-marital affair.
Obviously, everyone in the palace hated me. Maybe things would have been different if I inherited my father's alpha genes. But I was grateful that I didn't.
I'd rather have a strong mind and a warm heart than brute strength and a cold ego.
More than anyone else, I was an eyesore for Luna Meesa Virgo. She couldn't tolerate the mere sight of me. She wanted to throw me out of the palace the moment I was born, but Alpha kept me in the palace until I turned eighteen and then he asked me to leave.
I shifted into a small house that my mother owned, which itself was an exceptional feat for an omega, since most couldn't afford it. They lived in either the servant quarters or in the shabby slums.
I didn't even know how badly those eighteen years of my life had broken me. But after beginning an independent life in my mother's home, I started healing.
My mother worked as a florist in the royal palace. She loved her job of cultivating flowers and medicinal plants. Her knowledge in herbology surpassed every book I've read so far. She wasn't just cultivating, but creating new varieties, new species.
She mentioned it all in her journals, diaries and books, the legacy she left behind for me.
Alpha now had an heir to the throne, twenty-two-year-old Nikolai Virgo, the crown prince. And a legitimate daughter, nineteen years old Nathalia Virgo.
Both of them were born with true alpha genes.
I received monthly maintenance money from him, but I never used that money.
Ever since I left the palace, I have worked to support myself and my studies.
I didn't want anything to do with the royal family or its people. I had been preparing for the International Medical Entrance Exams for years. After qualifying for that exam, I was planning to leave the pack for good.
Or that's what I thought. The entrance exams were tomorrow.
"They knew, mom. Luna knew how important this exam was for me. That is why they did this to me..." I broke down into sobs. "How do I write the exams with a broken hand?"
Elicia, once an ideal luna, mysteriously falls ill with an illness with no cure right after her pregnancy. That's when her husband and her mate, Damian, married and brought Nia the palace. He assured Elicia that Nia was only there to fulfil the luna duties which Elicia failed to perform because of her illness. He told her to concentrate on her health and their child. Losing almost her everything to Nia in a year, Elicia had just one hope to live, her child. But right after his birth, Damian took her son away from her, rejecting her the moment she gave birth. The illness and rejection took a severe toll on her body leading to her death. But she found a miracle in the darkness of the dungeon she was thrown in right before her death and the next thing she knew was... she had returned to time when Nia had come into her life as her personal doctor. With complete knowledge of the future she is determined to no longer be the Weak Luna she once was. But little does she know that she has become the obsession of the darkness who wants her all for himself.
Alan Rush is a sloppy potato as he claims himself to be, but one must never judge a book by its cover. Charlie Swift, the typical bad boy of his college has somewhat entangled fate with this potato. A contractual marriage brings the two close but it brought alongwith itself eyes of a psychopath killer on Alan. Just when things between Alan and Charlie started getting better, a psycho not only brought Alan's past in front of Charlie but also conspires to separate the two and keep Alan locked with himself. Will Charlie love Alan and will be able to save him from the Psychopath?
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Madisyn was stunned to discover that she was not her parents' biological child. Due to the real daughter's scheming, she was kicked out and became a laughingstock. Thought to be born to peasants, Madisyn was shocked to find that her real father was the richest man in the city, and her brothers were renowned figures in their respective fields. They showered her with love, only to learn that Madisyn had a thriving business of her own. "Stop pestering me!" said her ex-boyfriend. "My heart only belongs to Jenna." "How dare you think that my woman has feelings for you?" claimed a mysterious bigwig.
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.
Everyone was shocked to the bones when the news of Rupert Benton's engagement broke out. It was surprising because the lucky girl was said to be a plain Jane, who grew up in the countryside and had nothing to her name. One evening, she showed up at a banquet, stunning everyone present. "Wow, she's so beautiful!" All the men drooled, and the women got so jealous. What they didn't know was that this so-called country girl was actually an heiress to a billion-dollar empire. It wasn't long before her secrets came to light one after the other. The elites couldn't stop talking about her. "Holy smokes! So, her father is the richest man in the world?" "She's also that excellent, but mysterious designer who many people adore! Who would have guessed?" Nonetheless, people thought that Rupert didn't love her. But they were in for another surprise. Rupert released a statement, silencing all the naysayers. "I'm very much in love with my beautiful fiancee. We will be getting married soon." Two questions were on everyone's minds: "Why did she hide her identity? And why was Rupert in love with her all of a sudden?"
Katie was forced to marry Dillan, a notorious ruffian. Her younger sister mocked her, "You're just an adopted daughter. Count your blessings for marrying him!" The world anticipated Katie's tribulations, but her married life unfurled with unexpected serenity. She even snagged a lavish mansion in a raffle! Katie jumped into Dillan's arms, credited him as her lucky charm. "No, Katie, it's you who brings me all this luck," Dillan replied. Then, one fateful day, Dillan's childhood friend came to her. "You're not worthy of him. Take this 50 million and leave him!" Katie finally grasped Dillan's true stature—the wealthiest man on the planet. That night, trembling with trepidation, she broached the subject of divorce with Dillan. However, with a domineering embrace, he told her, "I'd give you everything I have. Divorce is off the table!"
After three loveless years, Neil's betrayal deeply wounded Katelyn. She wasted no time in getting rid of that scoundrel! After the divorce, she devoted herself to career pursuits. Rising to prominence as a top designer, skilled doctor, and brilliant hacker, she became a revered icon. Neil, realizing his grave mistake, tried in vain to win her back, only to witness her magnificent wedding to another. As their vows were broadcast on the world's largest billboard, Vincent slid a ring onto Katelyn's finger and declared, "Katelyn is now my wife, a priceless treasure. Let all who covet her beware!"