Novels by Denise

SophiaI woke with a strange feeling, as if the morning were too quiet to be real. Pale, timid sunlight filtered through the curtains, and the room smelled of cold coffee and clean laundry. Instinctively, I reached for the right side of the bed, the space that had always been his, but my hand met only warm, empty sheets. Bright wasn’t there.It took a few seconds to remember why his absence surprised me so little. Since the doctor told us about the hematoma on the placenta, he had chosen to sleep on the sofa at the foot of the bed, saying it would give me more room to rest. But deep down, I knew he did it because he couldn’t bear to lie beside me. His guilt kept him at a distance. And I, despite my anger, felt that distance as a silent weight on my chest.I sat up carefully, feeling the tightness in my belly. Bed rest was mandatory, and every movement reminded me I couldn’t afford mistakes. I turned my head toward the sofa. There he was, wrapped in a gray blanket, one leg dangling, hi

SophiaThe hospital corridor smelled of disinfectant and fear. My hands trembled so much I could barely hold my coat against my chest. Bright walked beside me, jaw clenched, eyes fixed straight ahead as if the air I breathed depended on his concentration.“Everything will be fine,” he murmured, but his voice sounded more tense than reassuring.I couldn’t answer. The memory of the fall played over and over: the slip at the entrance, the sharp blow to my hip, the instant the pain shot through my belly. Since then, a foreboding feeling had been strangling my throat. Every step toward the ultrasound room felt like walking on thin ice.The nurse told me to lie down. The stretcher was icy; the sheet crackled as I settled in. Bright stayed beside me and held my hand, though his palm was as sweaty as mine. The doctor, a man with gray hair and attentive eyes, entered with a professional smile.“Let’s see how our little traveler is doing,” he said while preparing the gel for the ultrasound.Whe

BrightThe sound of her groan still drilled through my head. It was sharp, unlike anything I’d ever heard before, a cry that wasn’t just pain: it was fear. And I was the one who caused it.The scene from just minutes ago spun in my mind like a lightning flash that wouldn’t fade. My elbow hitting her cheek as I turned to face Dante. The shock in her eyes. And then, that strangled scream that froze my blood: the baby.Now, as I drove with my hands so tight my knuckles ached, I could only watch the rear-view mirror. James sat in the back with his arm around her. Sophia looked pale, too pale. Every time she flinched from another stab of pain, it felt like someone ripped my heart out.I wanted to say something, anything, but my throat closed up. The images kept replaying: Dante kneeling beside her, reaching out, and me… leaping like an animal, roaring at him not to touch her. I couldn’t bear him being close, not after all his insinuations, not after the way he looked at her. But now it all

SophiaThe whole world seemed to fall silent, except for the sharp buzzing in my ears. My cheek burned where Bright’s elbow had struck me, but it wasn’t the pain that paralyzed me. It was the shock: Bright —my Bright— drenched in rage, completely out of control. I tried to sit up, but a stabbing pain shot through my abdomen like lightning. A moan escaped before I could hold it back.“Ah…” I gasped, clutching my stomach.The entire room froze. I could feel every gaze fixed on me, but another, stronger pain made me double over. A strangled cry tore from my throat.“Sophia!” My mother’s voice rang out, full of alarm.My heart pounded, fast and frantic. It wasn’t just the blow to my face: something inside me… something with the baby. Fear stole my breath.“It hurts!” I managed to say, my voice breaking. “My stomach… the baby…”Bright turned immediately, his eyes wide, the earlier fury replaced by pure terror. He took a step toward me, but a quicker shadow moved to my side: Dante.“Move, l

BrightRage consumed me like fire in my throat. I couldn’t stay silent any longer, couldn’t keep pretending everything was fine when inside me every fiber screamed that Dante had something to do with what I was thinking. And the worst of all was the way Sophia looked at me, as if I were the crazy one, as if I were raving in front of everyone. No. Damn it. This wasn’t some fantasy of mine. Something didn’t add up. Dante was always there, always lurking, always showing up at the worst possible moments. Coincidence? Not for me. And when the pieces fit together, even if you have to force them, you listen.“I won’t let you stop me from saying what I think,” I spat, staring straight into her eyes.The disappointment on her face cut through me like a knife. To see my wife, the one who was supposed to be on my side, pulling me back to silence me in front of everyone… that hurt worse than any punch. And still, I didn’t stop.I turned to Dante and marked him in my mind as the enemy hiding insi

SophiaI looked at Bright, annoyed by his attitude. He had just accused Dante without the slightest hesitation, as if he had always wanted to do it. It was fucking uncomfortable to see how everyone stared at Bright and Dante as if the fight of the year had just begun. Nobody said anything, but everyone was saying everything. The murmurs continued among them, but no one dared to take a side.The pack was going to stand by Bright because he was an important part of it, but I knew no one really believed Dante had anything to do with what he was being accused of. You could see it on everyone’s face; it made no sense that Dante could have anything to do with this. It didn’t add up because he had also been one of the ones attacked on different occasions.Bright was obsessed, and I didn’t want to hurt him. I didn’t want to be against him, but what he was doing wasn’t right. Distrusting each other in the middle of a war would lead us nowhere, and it didn’t do our pack any good to start suspec

DanaThe wedding night has finally arrived. The long wait would end in less than an hour.I looked at my long, white, expensive, tailor-made dress. It was strange to get married for the second time, but we both decided to leave the past behind and focus on a new future. I'm not going to lie and say it's easy, because it isn't. But we've tried. We've done it together.Our relationship has strengthened after everything we've been through. Demian has become a better partner. Even better than in our past marriage. He has made it his mission to make me fall in love with him day by day and to show me his love.Our three children were happy to have a united family. I could see it in their faces. Soon, a fourth child would join our lives. Demian and I planned it. My health was stable, so we decided to try.“Miss, are you ready?” my chauffeur asked.The limousine was ready to take me to the church. After our wedding, we will go together as a family to the Caribbean. When we return, we will mov

DanaThe first month without him was hard. Without my mother's support, I would never have been able to move forward.The second month was terrifying. I cried so much. I don't know how I didn't become dehydrated.In the third month, my children were already so strong, and the doctors discharged us from the hospital, and we went home, where a four-year-old brother was waiting for us. I took care of Demian's little son because he was left alone. Rachel abandoned him, and he needed a mother. That little boy was not to blame for having a mother like Rachel, so I took care of him as if he were my own son. I know Demian would have loved that.The fourth month was just as painful as the third. I couldn't accept that he wasn't near me. I missed him so much. There wasn't a day when I didn't cry over his departure. I wondered if he was okay. Was he alive? Did he miss us? What did Rachel do to him?In the fifth month, I visited Jeremy's grave almost every day, asking him to help bring Demian hom

DanaI suddenly opened my eyes and sat up in bed, gasping. I coughed non-stop, and my mother was worried about me. I touched my abdomen and noticed that my belly was no longer the same as before. I frowned and looked at my mom."What happened? Where are my children?""The babies are alive in the maternity and baby room. They are in an incubator, daughter" my mom explained, stroking my hair.My babies... my children had been born, and I had been asleep the whole time. I wanted to touch and kiss them. I needed to see and meet them. Their faces, their little hands, and feet. My eyes filled with tears. Finally, I was a mother. Finally, I could meet them.I begged to be allowed to see them. Mom said she would call the doctor to have me taken to see my children. I had never felt such great excitement. I felt energetic like I hadn't felt in a long time."Don't strain yourself. You just came out of a complicated surgery. You have to stay calm. We'll wait for the doctor. Okay?"A surgery? Why

DemianI looked for the address where a black car with tinted windows would pick me up. Rachel's henchmen were coming for me to take me to her. That was the deal. I understood we were going to leave the city and the country so no one could find us. It was madness to leave the country and have no further contact with my family, Dana, or any information about my children. But that was the deal I made with Rachel so she would tell me how to save Dana. I trusted the maid would be of great help to Dana, my son, and my other two children. I wanted to believe everything would be fine while I was gone, but I wasn't sure of it.Nerves were eating me slowly and anxiety was my worst enemy. The star-filled sky didn't match the horrible feeling in my heart today.They picked me up and put a bag over my head. Another rule was not to resist the kidnapping they were going to perform. So I stayed still. I felt a prick on my neck and it took hold of my skin. I grimaced. That wasn't part of the deal, bu

DemianI had to make a quick decision to save Dana. I had to leave or stay with Dana while she died slowly. There was no certainty in Rachel's words, but I had to do something for Dana, and I believe the maid was right all along. If being with Rachel was the key to Dana's survival, I was going to do it. I had to take that risk. I had seen her die before my eyes. I couldn't let that happen again and have it be permanent. Dana and my children needed me. What kind of man was I if I couldn't protect my family from this hell? What kind of man was I if I couldn't keep them alive?I had to accept going with Rachel, but first, I had to make sure the surgery was successful. Hours passed without any answers. A doctor approached Dana's mother, and I went to listen to what happened."What happened? I'm Dana's husband. How is she? My children?""We delivered the babies, and they are alive, but they need to be monitored in incubators for a while, as their organs are still developing. Ideally, the b

DemianDana's heart stopped suddenly while we were talking. Her eyes were fixed on mine, but she was no longer moving. I was terrified. I felt a fear like I had never felt in my life. Anguish took over my body, dragging me down the path of pain. My chest tightened as I realized she was gone. Dana was gone. Someone had to do something. They had to bring my beloved back to me. I couldn't live without her because living without Dana was like being dead in my own life.I took her face in my hands as I heard the long beep of the machine connected to Dana. I searched for something to help her, but I didn't know how. No one prepares anyone for this. Not even I, a powerful Alpha, could escape such immense pain."Dana, no... No!" I shouted. "Don't go! You can't go! I won't allow it. Not like this. Please," I begged. I had never begged anyone for anything in my life, but for Dana, I was willing to do anything.I would give my life for hers. I was willing to take her place and her pain so that s