Novels by NOBLE PINK

The morning after was a nightmare dressed in silk. My mother, Mrs. Brooks, woke me up by tapping on my shoulder, already buzzing with plans.“Reinna, darling! Up, up! We have so much to do!” she said, her voice light and happy. “We have three caterers to interview today, and then fittings for your gown! We need to move fast if the engagement party is Saturday.”I sat up, pulling the sheets up to my chin, remembering the frantic, silent chaos from last night. The feeling of Austin’s desperate weight on me, the rough hunger of his mouth, it was the only thing that felt real.“Mom, it’s too fast,” I tried, my voice hoarse. “I just met him. Can’t we slow down?”She dismissed my worry with a cheerful wave of her hand. “Nonsense, sweetie. Love at first sight happens! And besides, Elvis is perfect. He’s exactly what your father and I hoped for. This is a family merger, not a school dance. Now, hurry! Oh, and the most important thing! Today, you and Elvis are going to the jeweler to pick out

The Next Morning: The Engagement TrapThe preparations began immediately. There was no discussion, only declarations. My father was on the phone to Charles Brigg before 8:00 AM. By lunchtime, an engagement party was set for the following Saturday.I had to sit there, a polite, fake smile plastered on my face, while my father bragged about the “perfect match.” He kept looking at me, expecting me to be happy for my sister. He was testing me. I knew it. If I showed any real emotion, any jealousy, he would smell the truth.“Austin, you’ll be a great man of honor for your sister, won’t you?” my father boomed over dinner that evening, beaming at Reinna.“Of course, Dad,” I said, my voice flat, but steady. I raised my wine glass. “To Reinna and Elvis. May they be very happy.” The glass shook slightly in my hand. I took a big gulp of the wine. It tasted like ash.Reinna couldn’t even look at me. She was pale, quiet, and just nodding along. She was letting my father do this. She was letting hi

The next evening, getting ready felt different. It wasn't about looking perfect for Austin; it was about presenting a new reality. I chose a sleek, black dress that wasn't too revealing but definitely showed I was putting in an effort. I kept my makeup simple, smoky eyes and a bold, red lip. When I finally looked in the mirror, I saw not the desperate, crying girl of the past few nights, but a woman in charge. The shield was polished, and ready for battle.I made sure to be downstairs at 7:30 PM, exactly when Austin usually started watching sports in the living room. He was there, predictably, remote in hand, but his eyes weren’t on the screen. He kept glancing toward the front door. Kim was nowhere in sight, a small victory."Leaving already?" he asked, not bothering to hide the edge in his voice.I adjusted the strap of my purse. "Yep. Elvis is picking me up. We’re going to The Rusty Nail, remember?" I made the name sound casual, like mentioning the weather.He stood up, towering ov

REINAI didn't move. I couldn't. My body was still heavy with the memory of him, his weight, his scent, the desperate pleas of “I love you, Reinna” still echoing in the room. But his voice, sharp and clear just a moment ago, calling for Kim, had sliced through the morning calm and severed that reality.Kim! The words were so casual, so completely devoid of the remorse and frantic devotion he’d shown me just hours earlier. He had walked out of my room, leaving the evidence of our fierce, silent reunion behind him, only to immediately chase after the distraction he promised meant nothing.The sting was immediate, but the heat of it quickly turned to ice. It wasn't just a betrayal; it was a game. He was playing a vicious, calculated game with my emotions, using me as a release and Kim as an alibi.My breath hitched, and the first sob was a silent, gut-wrenching tremor. I pulled the sheet up to my chin, but it offered no warmth. Tears finally came, hot and stinging, blurring the sunlight

REINAThe morning after the mysterious moan, I felt like I was moving through thick water. My mother’s absence was a dull ache. She and Austin’s father had extended their European trip again, sending another hefty transfer to my account.“Use this for anything you need, darling. We’re having a wonderful time, and we trust you and Austin to keep the house running smoothly! This is the longest we’ve ever been away, I miss you!”I read her text again, a bitter laugh catching in my throat. Trust Austin and me. If only she knew. I missed her so much it hurt—her calm presence was the only thing that could slice through the toxicity in this house. But she was gone, and I was stuck here, caught in this twisted plot of my own making.I managed to drag myself downstairs and was staring blankly at a bowl of cereal when the doorbell rang.I opened it and instantly felt the familiar surge of cold suspicion.Kim.She stood there, radiating a casual, almost blinding confidence. Her outfit today was

REINAThe exams hit me like a physical wave, one right after the other. It was a blessing and a curse. The intense, frantic need to ace my Civil War and European History papers was the only thing that kept me from running out to the pool deck and screaming like a banshee. My days blurred into an endless cycle of flashcards, highlighters, and caffeine.I barely saw Austin. When I did, it was usually in the kitchen, both of us moving like zombies fueled by stress. He’d grab a soda, I’d grab a granola bar. We’d exchange terse, polite nods, the perfect, non-incestuous step-siblings we pretended to be. It was agony. Every time I looked at him, all I could see was his head leaning forward, his eyes glued to Kim’s sheer cover-up, that predatory, arrogant smirk plastered across his face.The nights he came into my room, the nights he touched me… God, the shame was a bitter pill. I hated myself for how easy it was to let him in, to confess my love to a man I had just watched fail the simplest

PAULINEThe moon cast long, ghostly shadows across the room as I watched Ricardo. He sat perfectly still, staring at the small, crumpled photograph of Leo. The way his thumb traced my brother's jawline made my skin crawl. Was he imagining the moment of the stabbing? Was he planning how to finish what the soldiers had started in the dungeon?I feared for my brother's life more than ever in that moment, but I didn't say a word. I didn't want to break whatever trance he was in. If I spoke, I might remind him that he was supposed to hate me. I simply crawled back into the blankets and waited.Eventually, he dropped the picture on the nightstand with a heavy sigh. He slid back into bed, but he didn't turn away. He pulled me so tight against his chest that I could feel the thundering of his heart against my spine. He kissed the back of my neck, my shoulders, and my hair, over and over, as if he were trying to memorize the scent of me before the world ended."Go to sleep, Pauline," he whispe

LARAThe moment I read the words, “Lara, the Luna, the Killer,” a cold certainty, not fear, settled in my stomach. I knew that script. That neat, precise handwriting, and the twisted, self-righteous tone. It belonged to only one person, Evelyn.My sister.She wasn’t here just to visit. She was here to finish the job Henry had started. This note wasn't a warning, it was a reminder of the threat she held over my head.I crushed the paper in my fist. The mission. That was the only thing that mattered.My body was still tingling, humming with the memory of Jerry’s hands, his mouth, the forceful, primal way he had claimed me. He had stripped away the pain of Evelyn’s insults and Henry’s threats, if only for a few hours. He had called me "the best thing." But that sweetness, that sense of belonging, was a distraction I couldn't afford. I married him to find Max’s killer, and Max’s killer, I was now certain, was somehow connected to Evelyn and Henry.I slipped out of the bed, grabbing Jerry'

LARAThe Alpha's command, “Go to the room,” echoed in my ears, yet his words barely registered over the storm of betrayal raging in my gut. Henry. The smug wink, the contemptible smile. He hadn't sent me to war, he'd sent me to test me, to see if I would run, justifying Max’s murder in his own twisted mind. He was the venom, and I had nearly walked right back into his trap.I didn't pause to watch Jerry's performance of fury for the guards. Henry’s presence drained all the air from the courtyard. I simply turned and walked toward the main house, my soaked riding clothes heavy and cold against my skin. Jerry's sudden, weak pity when he heard Henry’s explanation, that brief, soft look, it was dangerous. It made me want to lean on him, to admit my fear, to tell him everything about Sasha and the crown and the prayer. But I was still the one who murdered Max, in everyone's eyes. And I was still the unwanted wife.I reached our shared chambers. It was a massive room, built for an Alpha and

His voice—just the sound of Alpha Jerry’s fury—yanked my attention away. I didn't wait to hear more. Ignoring my pointless, annoying prayer for help, I spun and ran, bolting toward the stables.I let out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding, only to hear Sasha’s voice, dripping with false sorrow. "You came back. I thought you would go to your Luna, Lara."Oh, hell no. This was the absolute worst time to appear. He couldn’t see my face, but I desperately needed to know where his mind stood regarding our forced marriage. I pressed myself into the shadows of a corner, straining to hear their conversation."I won’t let you speak badly about Lara," he warned. His voice was tight, stripped of any warmth or trace of a smile."It was a forced but forbidden union! I will do everything in my power to make her face the crime she committed rather than let her assume the place of a Luna!" Sasha’s voice rose, simmering with genuine fury now.Jerry stomped his foot—I heard the heavy thud—an

Where was I going? Anywhere I could find peace.The horse rode on, and I began to enjoy the rhythm of the journey. It felt as if the dear animal sensed my pain, deciding to offer comfort in the only way it could. The world blurred into a soothing green.Then the rain began.At first, I welcomed the cool drops on my skin. It was cleansing. But soon it intensified, becoming a deluge that left me soaked and shivering. I was in the middle of nowhere. The ride was no longer a pleasure; it became a desperate search for shelter.A solitary hut appeared through the downpour. “Perhaps I’ll find help here,” I murmured to myself.I quickly tied my beautiful silver horse to a nearby tree. The action was barely finished when the hut's door opened, and a woman appeared. She was stunning—my age, perhaps a little older.“My dear, Alpha parks his horse there. Please find another spot,” she said. Her voice was nice enough, but the words held a casual dismissal, as if who I was didn't matter.“Uh—hello,

LARAHenry's blatant display wasn't working. Watching him stroke his long d**k didn't turn me on; it just filled me with a cold wave of disgust."Can you please be decent and cover up?" I demanded, my voice tight.He simply smiled—that smug, irritating smile—and took a step toward me, hand outstretched."Stay away from me, or I will report every detail of this to Alpha Jerry the moment he returns," I threatened. I expected him to flinch, to scramble to cover himself, to end this pathetic spectacle. Instead, he just continued to stroke himself, his eyes fixed on mine."Imagine this deep inside you, baby," he whispered, a predatory gleam in his gaze.I wrenched my eyes away. There was no point in looking. I turned to leave, but his hand shot out, clamping around my wrist and yanking me back."Where are you going?" he chuckled. "I need you to ride on this d**k like you'd ride your horse.""Let go of me, you imbecile!" I scoffed, slapping his repulsive hand away from my skin.He lunged aga

PAULINERicardo said he was going to change, and he was a man of his word. He changed for real. The man who used to worship the ground I walked on was gone, replaced by a cold Alpha who acted like a machine.In the middle of the night, the peace of the house was shattered by a phone call. It was Maria. I could hear her shrill, crying voice through the receiver even from across the bed. She was complaining that Leo had finally moved out of their bedroom. He had taken his things and moved into a guest room down the hall, refusing to even look at her.Ricardo’s face turned into a mask of stone. Without saying a word to me, he got up, grabbed his pillow, and walked out. He went to the guest wing to sleep alone, just as my brother was doing to his sister. He was keeping his promise: whatever Maria suffered, I would suffer too. Diana moved into the main house. She didn't go to the servant quarters or the guest house. She took the room right across from ours. The woman I had rescued from th

PAULINEThe air in the courtyard turned cold, even colder than the night breeze. Just minutes ago, I felt like I had won. Ricardo had stood up for me, and Diana had tried to sacrifice herself for me. I thought the bond I had built with Ricardo in our bed was stronger than anything in this world.But I forgot one thing, I am an outsider. And in this house, blood is thicker than any liquid that flows between a man and a woman.Maria, who had been standing silent and trembling, suddenly let out a piercing wail. She didn't just cry, she broke down. She fell to her knees right next to the casket of her father, her hands clutching the wood."My father is dead!" she screamed, her voice breaking into a million pieces. "He is dead because we let a viper into this house! Ricardo, look at me! Look at your sister! I am bleeding inside while you protect the woman who served the poison!"She began to speak in fast, emotional sentences. She talked about how she had tried to be a good sister, how she

PAULINEThe sun had begun to set, casting long, bloody shadows over the estate. Tomorrow was the funeral, the day the late Alpha Alexander would be returned to the earth. If the real killer wasn't found by sunrise, I was the one who would be led to the gallows. I was the official suspect. The village girl who poisoned the king.The Candlelight Vigil was starting in a few minutes. It was a somber, ancient tradition where the pack gathered to light the way for the fallen leader's soul. I was dressed in a heavy black gown, the fabric itching against my skin. I stood in a far corner of the courtyard, feeling like a shadow.Evelyn and Maria stood near the front, surrounded by the high chiefs. They made a show of their grief, wiping away dry eyes with lace handkerchiefs. Every time they looked my way, they pulled their skirts aside as if I were a leper."The killer shouldn't be allowed to hold a candle," Maria whispered loud enough for the guards to hear. "She has no shame.""Clear conscien

PAULINERicardo left early that morning. The house was buzzing with the heavy, dark energy of burial preparations. Black cloths were being draped over the balconies, and the smell of incense was starting to fill the hallways. He kissed me before he left, a hard, desperate kiss that tasted like he was trying to hold onto me forever. He had to meet with the undertakers and the council to finalize the burial of the late Alpha.As soon as his car pulled down the driveway, a strange restlessness took over me. I couldn't just sit in that room like a bird in a cage while my world was falling apart.Maria had been quiet—too quiet. She had been away from the main house all this while, and I wondered what life was like for her and Leo right now. My heart ached when I thought of my brother. I didn't even know if he had actually left that night he tried to rescue me, or if he was still trapped in his own "Mirror Marriage" with that woman.I felt a sudden, sharp need to find him. I needed to tell

PAULINEThe three days leading up to the funeral felt like a slow walk toward a cliff. This family—the Ricardos and the entire pack—never forgives and they never forget. It is in their blood. They are like wolves that hold a grudge for a lifetime.As I sat in the room, locked away from the glares of the Chiefs, my mind kept drifting back to Diana. At the mention of her name, a cold shiver ran down my spine. Could she have done it? Could she have killed her ex-husband, the father of her children, out of revenge for being banished? I started to hate myself for bringing her back to this house. If she was the killer, I would be the one blamed for his death. Everyone would say, "Why did Pauline bring that woman home?" I prayed to the Goddess that she was innocent, not for her sake, but for mine.The second day came, and there was still no report. No evidence found in Evelyn’s room. No secret bottles of toxin. Every hour that passed without a new suspect meant that I was going deeper into t

PAULINEI closed my two eyes tightly, my breathing fast and shallow. I was waiting for it. I was waiting for the Chiefs to scream, for the guards to grab me, and for the final order to cut my head off to be given. I was tired. I didn't want to beg anymore. I had cried all my tears in that cell, and if the price of my love for Ricardo was my life, then let them take it.Ten minutes passed with my eyes shut. The silence in the lounge was so heavy it felt like a physical weight. No one moved. No one spoke. I expected the sound of a sword being drawn or the cold touch of shackles on my wrists. Instead, there was only the sound of a clock ticking somewhere in the distance.I was about to open my eyes, wondering if I had already died, when I heard Ricardo’s voice. It wasn't the voice of a judge or an executioner. It was low, tired, and steady."Pauline, let us go to the room. This meeting is adjourned."The words sounded like a joke to me. My eyes snapped open, and I stared at him in disbel