"You're mine, little puppy," Kylan growled against my neck. A soft gasp escaped my lips as his lips brushed my skin. My mind screamed at me to push him away-the Lycan Prince who had humiliated me again and again, but my body betrayed me, leaning into him before I could stop myself. He pressed his lips against mine, and his kiss grew more aggressive, more possessive as I felt my legs weaken. What was I doing? In a split-second, I pulled away and slapped him hard across the face. Kylan's eyes darkened, but the smirk on his lips exposed his amusement. "You and I both know we can't fight this, Violet," he said, gripping my wrist. "You're my mate." "And yet you don't want me," I replied. "You told me you were ashamed of me, that l'd never be your queen, that you'd never love me. So please, accept my rejection and let me go." "Never," he whispered, his grip tightening as he pulled me closer. "Soon enough, you'll be begging for me. and when you do-I'll use you as I see fit and then I'll reject you."
Violet
My heart pounded with excitement and nerves as I walked across the campus of Starlight Academy with my suitcases in my hands.
This had been my dream for as long as I could remember-to be among the best shifters. The academy was very hard to get into but somehow I had managed to do it.
Today would be the start of a new chapter in my life, and absolutely nothing could ruin it.
"Move it, four eyes!"
Almost nothing.
I released a yelp as someone shove me down to the ground, and I fell down with my suitcases.
My glasses slipped from my face and I panicked.
"No, no!" I whispered, closing my eyes as I desperately looked for them.
They needed to remain on my eyes at all times. I'd had them since I was eight years old, and all I knew was that it would be a cold and lonely night if I didn't have them on at all times.
The nightmares, the visions...
"Yes!" I breathed, my fingers brushing against the familiar frame. Relieved, I quickly put them back on.
I caught a glimpse of the back of the guy who had pushed me over as he walked with his group of friends. "Asshole!" my wolf, Lumia and I muttered at the same time.
One of the guys, wearing a blue hoodie, looked back with what seemed like a look of sympathy.
Our eyes met, and then he made a turn, sprinting to my direction.
Flustered, I watched as he grabbed my suitcases from the ground before sticking out his hand to help me.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, thanks," I accepted as I got up, now standing face to face with him.
My lips instantly curled at the handsome blonde in front of me, his eyes as brown as honey and his hair slightly lighter than mine.
"I'm sorry for the prince," he said. "He didn't mean it, he's a bit cranky today."
I frowned. "The prince?"
The guy eyed me strangely. "The Ly...never mind. First day?"
"Yes."
"Do you need help with your suitcases?"
"Yes, sure."
He grabbed my two suitcases and we began to walk, my short legs struggling to keep up as I was almost half his size. "Were you on your way to pick up your keys?"
"Yes."
"Can you only say, yes?"
"Ye...I mean-no," I shook my head, a bit embarrassed.
He chuckled. "I'm Nate, member of the student council."
"Violet," I responded.
Nate glanced at me, and then his eyes studied me. His look was so intense I couldn't help but blush. "So let me guess," he spoke. "Seventeen, small and humble pack, Alpha's daughter, healer's acquaintance?"
I looked at him, shocked, and let out a surprised laugh. "You were almost right-eighteen."
And then there was this other thing.
The Alpha was my uncle who had raised me, but it wasn't something I ever felt like discussing.
When I was eight, my parents had passed away in an attack, and my uncle had been taking care of me ever since. He was the Alpha of the Bloodrose pack, a small pack from the east.
"Studying to be the healer's acquaintance? Your parents must be proud of you," Nate said.
"Yes, and they..." I replied, the words trailing off.
Alpha Fergus had tried to treat me like a daughter, but the man was just too awkward to raise one. He had never been around much, and our Luna, Sonya had tried her best, but we just didn't have that mother-daughter click. Adding salt to the wound was Dylan, my cousin, who I grew up with. I called him my brother, everyone did. He had hated me all my life, never giving me a reason, and we had never gotten along.
He was a sophomore at Starlight Academy and had made it very clear that we were not family within these walls and to stay away from him.
His exact words had been, 'Do not embarrass me, freak.'
"They're proud," I sighed.
As I followed Nate, I noticed a lot of girls fighting for his attention. Once in a while he would acknowledge one of them, and was met with squeals. With a face like that, it wasn't hard to guess that he was popular. Above all, he seemed to have a good heart as well.
He caught me staring, and I lowered my gaze to the ground with a giggle.
"Here you are," Nate said.
I looked up and realized we had already arrived at the grand hall. "Come on," he guided me inside, and it was just as incredible as I remembered from the orientation-a large, open space with high ceilings and luxe appearance.
It was quite busy, the area filled with students and suitcases. "Wow," I gasped, looking around in awe.
Nate pointed. "That's the front desk. You can go there for information and get your keys," then he stuck out his hand. "It was nice to meet you. Welcome, and I hope you'll have a good year-Violet."
I looked at his hand for a moment before accepting it. "Thank you."
He winked at me, and I felt a flutter in my chest. I kept holding his hand for a second longer than necessary and when he stared at our intertwined hands with a soft smile, I released a cough and stepped back.
"Thank you," I repeated, not knowing what else to say. "And thank you for coming back to help me."
"No problem," Nate spoke. "Just doing my job."
Right, cause he was a member of the student council.
"Nate-let's go!" A loud voice called out.
I looked over Nate's shoulder to see where the voice was coming from. It was a guy leaning against one of the pillars, surrounded by friends, his back turned to us. It was the same guy who had called me four-eyes. I recognized his voice immediately. Nate had referred to him as a prince, and I wondered if it was because he was actual royalty or because of his entitled behavior.
Yet, Nate didn't hesitate for a second and immediately walked off to his friend.
"Next!" the woman behind the information desk shouted, snapping me back to reality. An unimpressed look was plastered on her face.
"Oh, yes-that would be me!" I said, sounding awkward even to myself as I struggled to push my suitcases to the desk.
"Name, class, and major," she demanded, her tone flat.
"Violet Hastings, freshman from the healer department?"
The woman hummed and looked through a stack of papers or files. Meanwhile my thoughts went to my three new roommates, hoping they'd at least be more bearable than that dude who called me four-eyes.
"I-I have to say, I'm very honored to be one of the chosen 200 to learn from the best healers and my Mom was actually an alumna so I'm really excited to-"
The woman cut me off, throwing a set of keys at me, and I caught them just in time. "Lunar hall, second building on your left, second floor, room 102-Next!"
"Okay?" I blinked, shocked by her rudeness. Before I could react, someone shoved me aside, and I almost stumbled but could luckily regain my balance just in time.
Following the rude woman's directions to the dorm building was thankfully not too much of a hassle. I managed to get to the second floor with a lot of struggle, completely out of breath and probably sweaty-but I was there and that was all that mattered.
The hallway was filled with students, chatting, moving in their belongings and so on. Overwhelmed by the noise and the people, I looked around, not knowing where to start.
"What room are you in?" a voice asked from behind.
As I turned my head, a woman gasped loudly in my face. "Adelaide?" she widened her striking green eyes.
I looked at the woman, trying to figure out whether I knew her, but I couldn't recognize her. "W-Who?" I stuttered.
The woman had light grey hair pulled back into a bun, glasses on her nose, and striking green eyes. She stared at me with an intense, almost hopeful expression while I eyed her back strangely, thinking she must have mistaken me for someone else.
"I'm so sorry," she apologized, "you just look like someone I once knew."
I smiled warmly. "It's okay."
"My name is Esther, and I'm the RD of this department. And you are..." she began, her eyes moving to the name on my key tag. "Violet Hastings from room 102-the room just down the hall," she said.
"Thank you," I sighed, grateful for the help.
Shooting her one last smile, I walked further with my suitcases to go to my room. With each step I took, I grew more anxious about meeting my roommates.
What would they be like?
Would I like them?
Would they like me?
Even with the Bloodrose pack, I realized I'd never really had friends. Sure, there were people I was closer to than others, but friends?
I reached the door to room 102, and my heart pounded in my chest. Taking a deep breath, I turned the key in the lock and then I pushed the door open.
In the center of the room stood two girls who immediately stopped talking and looked at me.
One of the girls had dyed light pink hair, the other dark curls. Their clothes were stylish and expensive-looking, making me feel insecure and out of place. They probably came from high-status families, bigger packs, unlike me.
"Am I interrupting?" I asked, my voice hesitant.
The pink-haired girl rushed toward me. "No," she spoke in a hurry. "I'm Amy, that's Trinity-and are you her? Kylan's ex?"
I frowned in confusion. "Who?"
And who was Kylan?
"Our roommate, Chrystal? The Lycan Prince's ex?" Amy explained. "I heard she has to redo her freshman year and is our roommate-are you her?"
When Jimena, a young single mother with a dark past and a violent ex she's desperate to forget, crosses paths with Alessio Fanucci, a dangerous mafia heir, her world is turned upside down. All she wanted was to get by working as a maid at the Fanucci mansion and to keep her distance from the three infamous Fanucci brothers as much as possible. Things take a turn when the oldest brother and heir, Alessio, breaks off his arranged engagement with his ex and urgently needs a new one. Alessio, cold, ruthless, dominant, and not someone anyone talks back to, sees the quiet Jimena as nothing more than his pawn. Meanwhile, she sees Alessio as nothing more than another monster she needs to escape. As they spend more time together, the lines between fake and reality begin to blur, and they discover they have more in common than they initially thought. Tensions rise when Jimena's ex returns, threatening her new comfortable life and the secrets she’s been withholding. He is out for revenge and is determined to go to any length for it, even if that means forming an alliance with the Fanuccis' enemy, who happens to be the family of Alessio’s ex. With a war, untold truths, and feelings at stake, will Jimena’s newly formed bonds keep standing, or will everything around her crumble?
Getting pregnant by her boss after a one-night stand and suddenly leaving her job as stripper was the last thing Serena had hoped for, and to make matters worse he is the heir to the mafia. Serena is calm while Christian is fearless and outspoken but somehow the two have to make it work. When Christian forces Serena to go through with a fake engagement she tries her hardest to fit in the family and the luxurious life the women live while Christian is fighting as hard as he can to keep his family safe, but everything takes a turn when the hidden truth about Serena and her birth parents comes out. Their idea was to play pretend until the baby was born and the rule was to not fall in love, but plans don't always go as expected. Will Christian be able to protect the mother of his unborn child? And will they end up catching feelings for one another?
Rumors claimed that Fernanda, newly back with her family, was nothing more than a violent country bumpkin. Fernanda just flashed a casual, dismissive grin in response. Another rumor suggested that the usually rational Cristian had lost all sense, madly in love with Fernanda. This frustrated her. She could tolerate gossip about herself, but slander against her beloved crossed the line! Gradually, as Fernanda's multiple identities as a celebrated designer, a savvy gamer, an acclaimed painter, and a successful business magnate came to light, everyone realized they were the ones who had been fooled.
For two years, Ashton had poured his heart into his marriage, yet Emalee's heart remained cold. Despite his dedication, Emalee presented him with divorce papers. She bluntly stated she could not remain married to a man whose net worth was less than a million dollars. Ashton signed the papers, closing one chapter of his life and stepping into a new beginning. Then, Ashton revealed his secret identities: a music mogul, a medical expert, and a martial arts master—each persona impressive enough to stun the world. As Ashton’s true capabilities came to light, Emalee was overwhelmed with deep regret.
As far as everyone was concerned, William had married Renee under duress. Now that his one true love was back—and with child—they couldn’t wait for him to abandon Renee. Surprisingly, Renee was candid about the situation. "To be honest, I’m the one asking for a divorce every single day. I want it even more than any of you!" But they brushed off her remark as a paltry attempt to save face. Until William made a declaration himself. "Divorce is out of the question. Anyone who spreads false rumors shall face legal consequences!" Renee was at a loss. What was this crazy man up to now?
Despite being an illegitimate daughter, Lena bore a striking resemblance to the young lady of the Evans family. Faced with their threats, she was forced to take her half-sister’s place and marry Dylan. As an act of defiance, Lena seduced Dylan night after night, until she had him completely wrapped around her finger. Using his affections to her advantage, she set out to undermine the Evans family. Over time, Dylan began to notice something odd about his beloved wife...
What happens when a hook-up gets complicated by a baby? Can she hide the secret from him? Or will he show her how possessive he can be when he learns she's carrying his child? "Seven years ago, I had a one-night stand with my brother's best friend, who also happened to be my lifelong crush. The next day, he vanished leaving me pregnant. Now, I am a single mom raising our son in the same small town. Recently, he returned to attend my brother's wedding and the truth about our son was finally revealed. As he reclaims his place in our lives, the sparks between us reignite. However, danger from his past threatens to shatter our newfound connection. I am torn between my love for him and my fear of getting hurt again, especially now that I have two hearts to protect - our son's and my own."
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."