His Mate Or His Step-Sister
Mate or be killed.
Our world has become a dangerous place, ruled by the ruthless Soul Keepers—demon-like creatures that take pleasure in thrusting us into the mate hunt. Every five months, two shifters are selected, one male and one female, and they are cast into the treacherous Woods Of Abyss together. There, they must fend off beasts and scavenge for food, but there's one crucial rule: both shifters must mate before the five months expire or face elimination.
My name is Hazel Bonfire and my life is turned upside down when I'm chosen for this brutal hunt. Unfortunately, the male selected to join me is none other than my step-brother, Ashton Rider. Thrown into a perilous forest, we must depend on one another for food, shelter, and warmth. Ashton is painfully aware that his mate can see everything unfolding between us, and each time he betrays her for the sake of the hunt, it destroys a piece of him. . .I hate what it's doing to us—all of us. I hate that we do not have a choice. But more than anything, I hate that I'm beginning to feel things for Ashton that I know will destroy the relationship we once had. . . forever.
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Chapter: Chapter 111~HAZEL~I opened my mouth to say something—anything, but the words never made it past my lips. The door swung open sharply, and Ariel stepped through, her expression already tight with irritation. Her eyes narrowed the second she took in the two of us standing alone outside."Why are the two of you out here by yourselves?" she demanded. "Everyone's looking for you inside."Ashton's face went pale. He moved toward her quickly, one hand lifting as if to calm her. "A guy was forcing himself on Hazel. I stepped in. That's all."Ariel folded her arms across her chest, the motion sharp. "Oh."Just that. One flat, cold word. No concern. No anger on my behalf. Nothing. Even Ashton seemed taken aback by how little reaction she gave. The silence that followed felt more uncomfortable than it should have."Well," she continued after a beat, already turning slightly toward the music drifting from inside, "I'm glad that's over with. Can we go back to dancing?"Ashton's eyes flicked to me for half a
Last Updated: 2026-08-13
Chapter: Chapter 110~HAZEL~I couldn't believe it.Ashton stood in front of me, eyes blazing with fury, his fist clenched tightly around Elias's shirt. What was he doing here? Shouldn't he be dancing with his mate? The pure anger on his face was so intense it almost stole the air from my lungs. I hadn't seen him look at anyone like that in a while."What the fuck is wrong with you?" Elias demanded, trying to shove him back. "All I asked for was a kiss."Ashton's voice was deadly as he growled. "She said no."Before I could react, he shoved Elias hard enough to send him stumbling backward. Elias hit the ground hard, gravel scattering beneath him.Panic shot through me. The last thing this family needed was another scandal, another reason for people to talk. We had already been through enough.I rushed forward and stepped between them, both hands raised. "Ashton—stop. Please."Elias pushed himself up, brushing dirt from his clothes. His expression had turned bitter. He looked straight at Ashton as he spo
Last Updated: 2026-08-07
Chapter: Chapter 109~ASHTON~I fucking hated it.The second I saw her on the dance floor with that guy, I completely lost it. I was jealous. For a woman who wasn't my mate. For my stepsister. A woman who was supposed to be family and nothing more.It made no sense. It wasn't allowed. And yet every time his hand settled on her lower back, every time she let him pull her closer, the urge to cross the room and rip him away from her nearly choked me.I should have been focused on Ariel. That was the whole point of tonight. She'd been quiet since the hunt, haunted by memories neither of us could erase. I wanted to give her one good night. One night where she didn't have to think about any of it.Instead I was standing at the bar throwing back shots like they could burn the thoughts out of my head."Ashton." Ariel's voice cut through the noise. "What is wrong with you tonight?"I didn't look at her right away. My eyes were still locked on Hazel and that stranger. "Nothing.""Don't lie to me." She stepped clos
Last Updated: 2026-08-04
Chapter: Chapter 108~HAZEL~Elias's smile was easy, the kind that promised no complications. No soul-deep bonds or forbidden feelings.Just a dance. Simple. Nothing to worry about.I should have said no. The word was already forming on my tongue—polite, safe, distant. But the image of Ashton's hands on Ariel's waist was enough to make me do the opposite. "One dance," I heard myself say. "That's it."Elias's grin widened, a spark of genuine surprise lighting his features. "One dance it is. I'll take what I can get." He offered his arm like a gentleman. I slipped my hand into the crook of his elbow, ignoring how uncomfortable it made me. Ashton was the only man I felt comfortable being so close to.Elias led me onto the dance floor. His hand settled lightly on my lower back, respectful, warm through the thin fabric of my dress."You're Hazel, right?" he asked. "The girl from the hunt."I tensed up, knowing he only asked me to dance because of the show. Still, that was the last thing I wanted to talk abou
Last Updated: 2026-06-13
Chapter: Chapter 107~HAZEL~The village event buzzed with life, the downtown bar transformed into a night of music, laughter, and dancing. Strings of lights draped across the wooden shafts, casting a warm, golden hue over the crowded space. My stepmother had insisted we all attend, her voice bright and determined as she forced us out the door. "We need this," she'd said, squeezing my father's hand. "A night to remember we're still a family despite what those awful soul keepers put us all through."I didn't want to attend but they left me no choice. So, here I was, being tortured by the view. Ariel looked radiant in her red dress, just like she always did. It hugged her figure perfectly, accentuating her graceful movements without effort. She was the kind of beautiful that turned heads naturally, effortlessly. I'd chosen my short black dress and sturdy boots. The dress felt bold, maybe too bold, but a reckless part of me had hoped Ashton would notice. That same part twisted with guilt every time I
Last Updated: 2026-06-10
Chapter: Chapter 106~HAZEL~The fork in my hand felt heavy and useless as I pushed the meat around my plate for what felt like the hundredth time. I couldn't eat. Couldn't focus."You've barely been touching your food," my stepmother observed, her sharp eyes narrowing with concern as she stared at my full plate. She leaned forward, concern on her face "Is everything okay, Hazel?"I couldn't even lift my gaze to meet hers. My throat tightened, the lie already forming on my tongue. Fine. That was the word everyone expected. But I was far from okay. I was drowning in a sea of forbidden love, heated memories, and a jealousy so sharp it carved holes into my chest with every breath."I'm fine," I murmured, forcing a weak smile that didn't reach my eyes.She sighed deeply, the sound heavy with the kind of worry that made guilt twist in my gut. She reached across the table and took my hand in hers, her palm warm. "I know what you went through wasn't easy, Hazel. Believe me, it was difficult for us too. We ha
Last Updated: 2026-04-25
Dirty Lessons With My Brothers’ Best Friend
I’ve been in love with my brothers’ best friend since I was fifteen.
Now, at nineteen, watching Enzo Rivera fuck another woman by his pool is killing me inside.
Enzo is the star linebacker of our college team, a heir to the legendary Rivera football dynasty, and completely off-limits. My four overprotective brothers made sure of that—their innocent little sister is not to be touched. Especially not by him.
But I’m done waiting. Tired of hearing him ruin other women through the walls of his mansion while I ache for him in the guest room next door. So I did something reckless.
I asked Enzo to give me private dirty lessons.
I lied and told him it was so I could seduce one of his teammates.
He doesn’t know the truth—that every filthy lesson I begged for is really for him. That I want his hands on me. His mouth. That big cock I’ve fantasized about for years. I want him to teach me everything. . .and then break every rule with me.
What starts as stolen touches and dangerous “practice” quickly turns into raw, addictive passion. But Enzo is hiding his own dark secret: beneath the football legacy his father demands, he’s living for underground street racing, the one thing that truly sets him free.
One lie. One forbidden touch. Nights of pure pleasure.
And everything could explode—our families, his future, and my heart.
He was supposed to teach me how to seduce someone else.
Instead, he’s teaching me how it feels to be completely ruined by the only man I’ve ever loved.
A scorching forbidden brothers’ best friend romance packed with jealousy, filthy lessons, family secrets, and dangerous passion.
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Chapter: Chapter 36~LEXI~"Get in the fucking truck."Enzo's voice cut through the quiet night—low and sharp. He was still breathing hard from the fight, blood on his lip, eyes dark and dangerous as they locked on me.I intentionally stayed where I was, arms crossed, refusing to move. The adrenaline from watching him attack Tyler was still racing through me, mixed with something hotter and more reckless.Why did he look so sexy when he was angry? The crazy part of me felt like doing more things in the future to anger him just so I could see this side of him more often. I couldn't get sidetracked. I needed to seem like I wanted nothing to do with him. I could not rush to fix things between us or act happy that he was here right now. I had to swallow those emotions and remember why I was upset in the first place. "Why did you come here?" I demanded. "Why did you show up and ruin everything? You ignored me for days. You ended the lessons. You made it clear you didn't want to help me. So why the hell are
Last Updated: 2026-08-20
Chapter: Chapter 35~LEXI~The movie credits rolled, and the lights slowly came up.I sat there staring at the screen, feeling emptier than when the film started. The whole night had been a waste. I'd forced myself to sit through two hours of awkward small talk and forced smiles, all because I thought Enzo would care. I thought the idea of me being out with Tyler would push him, make him react, make him prove that the lessons and the heat between us had meant something.Instead. . .nothing.No texts. No appearance. No sign that he even knew or cared. Maybe I'd been completely wrong. Maybe he'd already moved on. Maybe everything between us really had just been lessons to him, and I'd been the only one still holding onto something that never existed.Guilt settled heavy in my chest. I'd used Tyler. Led him on. And for what?Tyler turned to me with a hopeful smile as we stood up. "I really enjoyed that. You want to come ba
Last Updated: 2026-08-14
Chapter: Chapter 34~ENZO~The basketball court behind my house was usually the one place I could clear my head. Tonight, it wasn't working.I dribbled the ball hard, focusing on the rhythm, the sound of sneakers against the ground, the sharp calls from Jax and the others. I needed the game. I needed anything that wasn't Lexi. For days I'd been driving myself into the ground trying to stay away from her. Late nights at the underground track, pushing the car past every safe limit, taking corners so tight the tires screamed. I'd been reckless on purpose. Anything to drown out the memory of her mouth on me, the way she'd looked at me when I ended the lessons, the hurt I'd put in her eyes.It still wasn't enough."Yo, Enzo!" Maddox called. "You good? You've been quiet as hell tonight."I forced a shrug and took a shot. It clanged off the rim. "Just tired."Tired of wanting their sister. Just thinking about it made me wince
Last Updated: 2026-08-13
Chapter: Chapter 33~LEXI~I decided to go through with it. The date with Tyler. Enzo hadn't reached out once since our last argument. Not a single text. Not even a cold, distant glance across campus. He'd shut me out completely, and the silence was louder than any rejection. It was obvious that almost getting caught by my brothers during our last public argument had made him decide to keep his distance from me for good. If he wanted to act like I meant nothing, then I wasn't going to sit around waiting for him to change his mind. I hated the idea of going out with Tyler. Every part of me resisted it. But if this was the only way to get under Enzo's skin, then I would do it. He left me no other choice. My brothers had been protesting since the moment I told them. I couldn't blame them. This was all new, especially since I stayed away from dating for such a long time. "Absolutely not," Jax had said, arms crossed like a wall. "You're not going anywhere with that guy."Kai had paced the living room. "T
Last Updated: 2026-08-13
Chapter: Chapter 32~ENZO~My father walked into the kitchen while I was grabbing a drink. He didn't even bother with a greeting. He never did when he was angry. He clearly hadn't gotten over our last argument. "During the next game at the end of the week, you need to do better than the last one if you want to make this family proud," he said, voice firm and expectant. "Scouts will be there again. I've already spoken to a few of them. They're watching you closely, Enzo. Don't embarrass me."I felt the irritation flare up instantly. I was already frustrated with everything happening with Lexi—I'd hurt her, I couldn't stop wanting her and I was lying to her brothers every single day. And now my father was here, piling on more pressure like it was nothing. "I played fine," I muttered, not in the mood for this. "We won, didn't we?"His eyes narrowed. "Winning isn't enough. You missed that tackle. You hesitated. That's not the Rivera standard. Your brothers never let distractions get to them. You need to fo
Last Updated: 2026-07-04
Chapter: Chapter 31~ENZO~I was hurting her?Fuck. I knew I was but hearing her admit it made me feel even worse than before. My reason for stopping this thing between us was to protect her. . .not to hurt her feelings. Couldn't she tell that I fucking cared? All of this was for her own good. I was still seeing red when her brothers appeared out of nowhere. Just what I fucking needed right now. They must have heard the raised voices because all four of them rushed forward, eyes sharp and instantly protective. They always got like that when their sister was involved. Jax got there first, his broad shoulders tense as he looked between me and Lexi."What the hell is going on here?" he demanded, voice filled with that big brother authority I knew too well. "You two arguing about something?"Kai stepped up beside him, frowning. "Lexi, you good?"I was pissed.The image of Lexi holding Tyler’s hand was burned into my brain. And now, knowing how hurt she was—the way her voice had cracked, the tears she’d
Last Updated: 2026-07-03
Moon Reaper’s Substitute Bride
For centuries the Varkas and the Moon Reapers have spilled each other's blood beneath every full moon that they clash. Wolves call them butchers. Reapers call them beasts. Both call the other enemy. Then the Grand Council speaks a prophecy no one dares defy: only the union of a Varkas daughter and a Moon Reaper's son will stop the bloodshed and unite the families for once and for all. One marriage. One chance for peace.
Aurora Varkas was never meant to wear the bridal dress. Born of her mother's betrayal, unable to shift, stripped of the sacred gifts that mark true Varkas blood, she has lived as an outcast in her own home. When her stepmother shoves her forward as the "true" bride to spare the legitimate daughter, Aurora has no choice but to obey. One whispered truth—that she is the wrong bride, the outcast, the fraud—could reignite a war that once nearly annihilated both kinds.
Cassian Thorne, heir to the Moon Reapers, is a living weapon forged to kill wolves. He expects a spoiled Varkas princess as his bride, someone he can tolerate for the sake of duty, then quietly dispose of along with her family.
What he gets is Aurora.
Quiet. Broken. Powerless.
Or so he thought. . .
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Chapter: Chapter 132~CASSIAN~"What the hell are you doing here?"The question came out of me like a snarl. Zerathreleased her arm the moment I pulled her in against me, as if even he understood that whatever happened next was between us. Firelight from the collapsing outer wall flickered across her face. She was real. She was here. And I was so furious I could barely see straight."You shouldn't be here," I said, both hands gripping her shoulders harder than I meant to. "You're pregnant, Aurora. I can't fucking concentrate knowing you're standing this close to a war and something can happen to you. Do you understand that? One stray wolf. One collapsing wall. One Varkas who recognizes your face. That's all it takes."She didn't flinch away from me. That only made it worse."I can shift now," she said, breathless but steady. "I have a wolf. I've been training. I am not weak, Cassian. I can stand next to you in this battle."The words hit somewhere deep and complicated. Pride. Terror. A possessive kind
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
Chapter: Chapter 131~CASSIAN~We waited in the trees south of the outer wall, positioned far enough away so that Varkas scouts would mistake us for insignificant, unthreatening observers, yet close enough that I could clearly see the outline of the first towering structures piercing the skyline.Zerath crouched beside me, eyes on the far ridge where Blackwell banners had begun to move. No horns yet. No announcement. Just a slow, heavy closing-in that made the night feel tighter with every minute."They're almost in position," he murmured.Good. The adrenaline was kicking in. It was finally happening. They would not be expecting them. Kairos had spent too many years believing his cruelty was a private household matter. He had beaten a hidden Blackwell child and called it discipline. He had murdered her mother and slept peacefully afterward. Men like that never imagined the family they had insulted would come in force.They would be even less prepared for us.I watched the first line of Blackwell wolves
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
Chapter: Chapter 130~AURORA~"I want to fight."The words came out before I had a chance to stop it. My father, Alaric, Marcus, and Rowen had been bent over maps in the same chamber where the elders had delayed my future, and every mark on those pages pointed toward the Varkas palace. It was becoming incredibly intense. The Varkas were on the verge of being completely defeated and brought to their knees. I desperately wanted to be present to witness every moment of it firsthand. I couldn't bear the thought of missing out on that experience. After all, it was me who had to endure the relentless pain every single day—being relentlessly punished, exploited, hated, beaten, and ridiculed by others that all living in that palace. I longed to be there when their entire kingdom finally burned to the ground, leaving nothing but ashes and ruin. I wanted to smile as I watched them bleed. I yearned to take everything from them—their power, their possessions, their dignity, not only because of my own suffering but
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
Chapter: Chapter 129~CASSIAN~I paced the length of the war room until the floorboards should have worn through. I could not stop pacing. There was so many things happening at once and I needed to prepare myself for battle. Zerath had barely finished speaking and my mind was already moving ahead of him. The Blackwells were planning an attack on the Varkas. Not a warning. Not a letter. An attack. Our spies were able to give us the information we needed. I knew Aurora's family would fight back after learning how she'd been treated by the Varkas. I never expected them to move this quickly. Though, I was glad they were. That meant Kairos would pull his strength inward, lock his palace, throw every wolf he had at the first threat he could see.It also meant his defenses would split.I was not going to waste that. He'd destroyed my family and his time was finally near. Even the council would not be able to save him from the fall he was about to face. "If they strike first, the Varkas will have no choice bu
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
Chapter: Chapter 128~AURORA~The elders did not raise their voices.That almost made it worse. They acted nothing like the Varkas. At least towards me. However, I'd heard from everyone that they were not this gentle with people outside of their blood. They sat in a long stone chamber beneath the castle, twelve of them including Alaric, with my father standing slightly apart from the table as if he already knew this would not go the way the old law demanded. I did not like putting my family through this. I wished things were easier. I wished they didn't have such complicated rules when it came to their partners. I stood in the center of the floor with my hands clasped in front of me and felt every pair of eyes like a weight. These were not courtiers. These were the people who had kept the Blackwell line unbroken by refusing exceptions. They knew what worked for them. It was why they were as powerful as they were today. Alaric spoke first."No Blackwell child has gone against this law and remained unco
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
Chapter: Chapter 127~SERAPHINA~I stormed into the meeting hall so fast that the doors cracked against the walls.There were multiple voices, panicked questions, the sour smell of fear from people who had spent years treating Aurora like the enemy and had only just realized that she had a family capable of burning kingdoms down. Everyone here feared the Blackwells. I mean, even the council feared them. Almost every kingdom kept their distance from that specific family. For good reason. I was still having a difficult time believing that she was truly one of them. That someone so weak could have such a powerful background.This entire thing felt like a nightmare, one that I hoped to wake up from soon. I did not like the idea of her belonging to such a powerful family. Now it felt like I couldn't reach her and that pissed me off. I should have free access to ruin her life!The entire Varkas court seemed to have packed itself into one room. Nobles. Guards. Household staff. Even a few of the lesser wolves wh
Last Updated: 2026-09-11
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