At a party, everyone sees Claire's joke. His fiance, chosen mate, walks past her with the ring and gets down on one knee in front of her stepsister. What the hell is going on here? "Joe and I are together now. Because we are each other's fated mates." Her stepsister said triumphantly. "We know you're hurting, but Cathy is your sister. You should bless them. Your sister will be the next luna, not you." Said her father coldly. In an instant, she changed from a happy girl to a poor person who had been abandoned and betrayed. "How dare you do this to me?" Desperate, she looked up and saw Prince Louis, who was also at the party. Although appealing directly to a member of the royal family would have been punishable, Claire had no choice. "Your Highness, I beg you to do justice and disinherit them. I claim my right." The crowd held their breath as they watched the murderous prince rumored to have killed his brother. He approached me with a dark look. I closed my eyes and waited for my punishment. But I felt big hands around my waist. He buried his head in my neck, took a deep breath, and said in a deep voice. "You are a very smart and brave girl. I can help you, but I want something else in return." I ran into a hug, his scent all around me. I didn't know, until this moment, that I was in even bigger trouble.
Claire's POV
"Oh my goodness, this is absolutely stunning!" Olivia gasped, covering her mouth in excitement. "Claire, promise me you'll wear this dress for the proposal!"
Before us was a breathtaking blue slit dress, displayed in the store window. The sun shone through the glass, creating a wave-like effect upon the dress, and thousands of Swarovski diamonds glittered like stars in the gentle sunlight. It was so beautiful that I found it hard to catch my breath.
"It's so dazzling," commented Helen, my wolf.
Before coming to this high-end boutique, I had always imagined the dress I would wear for the proposal. In my mind, it had to be elegant, stunning, and most importantly, beautiful enough to outshine my stepmother Rachel and my stepsister Cathy.
This dress was not only going to be the special one for the proposal, but also a symbol of my departure from this dreadful family. Everything was going to start afresh, and my future would be as glamorous as this dress.
"You have to buy it!" Olivia exclaimed, shaking my arm. "Claire, this dress was made for you. Look at your gorgeous golden brown wavy hair and your slim figure. I can picture you in it! Your sister Cathy will be green with envy when she sees you."
"Well, I do feel like this dress was made for me," I agreed. To be honest, I was also smitten with the dress. Turning to the saleswoman, I said, "I would like to try on this dress, please."
"Mom, look! I want this dress!"
As I was waiting for the saleswoman to take the dress for me, a familiar voice called out behind me. I didn't turn my head and I knew who she was.
It was my stepsister Cathy.
"Your sister is here, Claire," whispered my friend Olivia. She grabbed my arm, clearly unhappy with Cathy's presence.
I wasn't surprised that Cathy and her mother Rachel had shown up.
I glanced at them. A bright pink caught my eye. As they approached, I began to see more details of Cathy's coat. It's a collarless, buttoned wool pink jacket and a straight A-line skirt.
I sneered and looked down at my clothes today. It's the same brand, style and color, but Cathy's clothes have obvious ironing marks.
She smiled at me and ran her hand through his hair.
Well, I see the same nail color as mine. But she used a stronger perfume. I can't help crinkling my nose.
Damn, this perfume is my favorite brand, too.
"She's just a copycat," I muttered to Olivia under my breath.
"Hey, isn't that my dear sister?" Cathy called out to me in a sickly sweet voice, pretending we were on good terms.
She approached me, rubbed her body against mine, and pushed Olivia aside. "Are you looking for a dress? Why didn't you ask me for help?"
"Even if I don't call you, you always manage to show up wherever I am, copying everything I do," I retorted.
Cathy's face twisted slightly. "What are you talking about, sis? I'm here to buy a gown for the annual banquet. And, as Daddy's favorite daughter, only the best shop is worthy of my status," she said, stretching out the word "favorite" mockingly.
From the moment our father brought her home, Cathy learned to compete with me. She knew exactly how to sting me, just like she was doing now.
She was making a point to me. Although she and I are our father's daughters, they are more like a family, and I am an outsider.
My mother died 10 years ago. Soon after, my father married Rachel and brought home Cathy, his illegitimate daughter. Since then, I have felt like an orphan in my own family, while Cathy has become our father's "only" daughter. I was like an elephant in the room – everyone saw me, but no one paid attention to me.
I will never forget a day from ten years ago when I had a conflict with Cathy. My father bought her a dress, but not me. I gathered the courage to ask my father why, and he replied casually, "Claire, it's just a dress. Cathy is your sister. I let her down as a child and left her without a family for a long time. This gift is just to make up for it."
"What about me? Do you feel sorry for me? Ever since my mother died, you've become Cathy's father!" I cried.
My father was indifferent to my tears.
"What are you talking about, Claire? Have I ever mistreated you?" He said, even joking, "You have a huge inheritance from your mother. Look, she only left it to you. You're richer than I am!"
I fell apart. "So you think money is more important than love? You cheated on my mother with another woman and had a bastard child. You made my mother's last days miserable and humiliated. Is this just because I'm not sharing her inheritance with you?"
"Pow!"
My father responded to me with a crisp slap. I stepped a few steps when he hit me. My head buzzed like a million bees wildly buzzing in my ears, and my vision began to blur. I looked up stubbornly and saw that my father had become three quivering shadows in my line of sight.
His index finger was almost on the bridge of my nose. "What are you talking about? Go back to your room! Next time I find out that you disrespect your stepmother and sister so much, I'll kick your ass!"
I covered my face like a defeated wolf with its tail between its legs and moved against the wall. Two seconds later, Cathy appeared. She stood in the shadow of the second floor and looked at me with a sneer.
"I heard you arguing with father. I'm telling you. Ever since I came to this house, I've been the new owner here. B.itch, My mom and dad and I are family. You're not welcome in this house! This is my house. Get out!"
From that day on, I had a firm idea that I had to leave this home, leave this hypocritical family. But I wasn't going to walk out of here like a loser. I would leave as a winner. I would say yes to my boyfriend, Joe Russo, at the ceremony and marry him with the one million grand my mother had left me. My father had no son. I was his eldest daughter. According to pack rules, if I got married to Joe, I would be the next Luna, and he would be the new Alpha, the leader of the pack.
Joe and I had been dating for two years. Our relationship was stable, and he was the son of the Beta of our pack. He was handsome and charming, had a wolf of great strength. He would give me comfort and strength when I was lonely. When I was with him, I felt the happiness of having a family again.
Although we weren't each other's fated mates, we swore to be chosen mates when we turned 18. I believed in him. I believed the power of loyalty was greater than the bond of a mate. I wanted to choose my future husband. I wanted to put my fate in my hands.
Joe was going to propose to me tomorrow. The turning point in my life was coming. I would stand in front of everyone like a queen and say goodbye to my old life.
I'll take charge of my pack and show them who the boss is.
Charles' breath quickened, and his movements became more urgent. "I'm close," he gasped in my ear, his voice breaking between moans. My own pleasure surged, and I couldn't hold back the scream that tore from my throat. A wave of electric tingles swept through me, my temples throbbed, and the world around me faded into white... Every pore on my body felt wide open, heat radiating from me in waves. It was surreal, as if I were in a dream, feeling everything but grasping none of it... I could hardly believe it-I had married this man, the infamous Alpha of the Black Valley Pack, Charles McLean, and I had just slept with him. But there was no love between us. We weren't fated mates. Since his first shift at eighteen, Charles McLean had never found his fated mate. And after one engagement after another, each of his fiancées had died under mysterious circumstances. Rumor had it that he wore a mask to conceal his hideous face and that he was a cruel, violent man who would kill without hesitation. People whispered that he had murdered his previous fiancées. His last fiancée-my sister-was terrified of him. Horrified by the stories, she had vehemently refused to marry him. And just before the wedding, she found her fated mate. So, without warning or preparation, I was forced to take her place, pushed into marrying Charles in her stead, to stand as his wife in name only and the unacknowledged Luna of the Black Valley Pack...
When I turned 18, my mother married my stepfather, a retired mafia kingpin, and I moved with her into a luxurious mansion. Just when I thought my life was heading toward happiness, my stepbrother, the new mafia boss, stormed into my life. He was like a devil, with delicate eyebrows, a high, sharp nose, and lips that were always tightly pressed together beneath a cold expression. Every time our eyes met, I felt a chill run through me, making it hard to breathe. I tried my best to avoid him, but he had no intention of letting me go. "My stepsister, from the moment I first saw you, I knew I couldn't let you go. You can't escape-you're destined to be mine." I stared into his possessive eyes as his body pressed down on mine. "No, you're my stepbrother, we can't......"
My life completely fell apart when I turned 18. My father's beta killed my family, took control of our pack, and replaced my father as the leader. "Survive, Emilia," were my mother's last words to me as I became his slave. To disgrace my family, the traitors made me serve guests at a banquet and shot at me. Just when I thought I was going to die, a man stood in front of me. He exuded the strongest ALPHA aura and looked at me with dangerous eyes, saying something that made me tremble: "I want this woman." Who was he? Why did he want me? Why were his eyes filled with desire and hatred when he looked at me? "Emilia, you must atone for your father's sins," he said as he tied me to the bed, pinning me down. I felt like this time, I wouldn't be able to escape.
Married for four years, Emily remained childless. A hospital diagnosis plunged her life into hell. Unable to conceive? But her husband was rarely home during these four years, so how could she get pregnant? Emily and her billionaire husband were in a contractual marriage; she had hoped to win his love through effort. However, when her husband appeared with a pregnant woman, she despaired. After being kicked out, homeless Emily was taken in by a mysterious billionaire. Who was he? How did he know Emily? More importantly, Emily was pregnant.
Faye was an orphan who found her biological mother just before her 18th birthday. She will live in the same pack as her mother's two stepsons, Liam and Leander. Coincidentally, Leander turned out to be a fated mate for Faye. Attracted by mate bond, Leander sneaks into Faye's room at night after she goes to bed... "Come on, Leander." The man's hand paused. No, the man tonight is not Leander. Meanwhile, the other stepbrother, Liam, is getting weirder and weirder with Faye, and it looks like there's a mysterious pack behind his abnormality... Can Faye fix her problems with Liam? How would her relationship with her two stepbrothers develop? What other adventures await them?
1. Everyone knows that the most powerful alpha in the werewolf world is Harrison. There are many legends about him. One of the most mysterious things is that he never announced his Luna. For six years, he hadn't talked about his mate, and no woman could get near him. 2. Six years later, Kayla. returned to the city where she lived. In one encounter, Harrison, with red eyes and a hoarse voice, pressed her against the wall and said, “Do you think your tears still work for me?” Kayla looked down and did not speak. Suddenly a crisp child's voice sounded. “Mommy, what are you doing here?” Looking at the little girl, his pupils constricted. “Is this your daughter?” He asked. 3. “So you broke up with the father? He got you and dumped you and your daughter?” Harrison threw his cigar into the ashtray, the corners of his mouth twitching with anger. “Tell me who the father is and I'll make him pay.” Kayla looked at the man she had missed for six years. She didn't know how to tell her that he was the father.
"There will be no falling in love, we will only act as a loving couple when we are in public, we will share a room to make it believable, but no intimacy, touching is off-limits. We'll only have sex once a month, and that's solely to produce an heir. You won't interfere in my business, and I won't interfere in yours. You will be my wife in every sense and you will not be involved with any other man," he said, arrogance seeping from every word. I watch his mouth move, I'm not ready to fall in love with any man, especially not one as arrogant and egoistic as him. I can handle acting as a loving couple, and as for intimacy once a month. I can agree to that just to satisfy my sexual cravings with no strings attached. "Where can I sign?" I asked since I had nothing to lose. *** Nadine's wedding dreams turned to nightmares when she caught her sister and fiancé cheating! With a secret recording, she's ready for revenge. But then mysterious billionaire Logan West offers a deal: A Contract Marriage to take down her ex's empire. But what Nadine doesn't know is her life is getting complicated as she takes her chance to get revenge or risks everything for a chance at love?"
"I stood at the edge of my heart and watched him choose her. In the end, I was not the one he needed. I was simply the one he settled for." - Noelle ~~~~~~~ I thought I was the one he loved. But a few days before our wedding, I saw him in a way I never had before. His eyes softened as he spoke to her. His first love, and the very woman who had left him in pieces. Heartbreak was something I knew too well. And as I watched the love he still held for her in his eyes, I realized what I had to do. I couldn't marry a man who wasn't truly mine. With no means to cancel the wedding and lacking the courage to confront him, I made a desperate choice to leave. I painfully gave his first love my treasured engagement ring thinking it was for the best and the only way to free myself. But when he saw that ring on her finger, the fragile world I had tried to escape began to shatter. His obsession to find me and bring me back ignited a dangerous game of cat and mouse.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.
Joelle thought she could change Adrian's heart after three years of marriage, but she realized too late that it already belonged to another woman. "Give me a baby, and I'll set you free." The day Joelle went into labor, Adrian was traveling with his mistress on his private jet. "I don't care whom you love. My debt is paid. From now on, we have nothing to do with each other." Not long after Joelle left, Adrian found himself begging on his knees. "Please come back to me."
Betrayed by her mate and sister on the eve of her wedding, Makenna was handed to the ruthless Lycan Princes as a lover, her indifferent father ignoring her plight. Determined to escape and seek revenge, she captured the interest of the three Lycan princes, who desired her exclusively amid many admirers. This complicated her plans, trapping her and making her a rival to the future Lycan queen. Entwined in jealousy and vindictiveness, could Makenna achieve her vengeance in the intricate dance with the three princes?
"Please trust me, I didn't do anything." "I don't believe you. I am rejecting you as my Queen and giving you the punishment of death." Alina was living outside her pack for five years. Her parents didn't try to contact her and always ignored her. Her best friend convinced her to go back to their pack and she agreed. But she had never imagined what was waiting there for her. She never thought she would meet her mate and had to face betrayal from everywhere. She had to pay for the crime which she never committed. Aaron Robertson is the king of Lycans. He is a very dominant and powerful King who not only rules Lycans but also rules other ranks of werewolves. Everyone is afraid of Lycans and he is the king of them. But who knew that he would get a mate who was just a simple Omega with no powers and strengths? He called her weak all the time but little did he know that his weak Omega would give him the biggest betrayal of his life for which he had to give her the sentence of death.