Dearest gentle readers, *wink. This book is a sequel to Bound By The Lycan's Curse, which is Raven's dad amd Stepmom's love story. Kindly support by reading and enjoying the rollercoaster of emotions and unwavering love between a werewolf and a Lycan after fifty years of rivalry between both factions.
Below is an expert.
Chapter 1
I gazed out at the bright sun through the tinted windows of my dad's limousine, and rhe diamonds on my dress seemed to mock me, reminding me of my failure.
Growing up, I thought all the males would fall at my feet because I was the Alpha's daughter, and my dad was a billionaire. But now, at twenty-three, with a first-class degree from Harvard and all the money in the world, I had no mate.
To crown it all, my longtime boyfriend had been cheating on me with my best friend for months before I found out, thanks to the moon goddess, who paired them as mates.
Thinking about it now made my chest tight. The two people whom I loved and trusted betrayed me in the most despicable way. Now my dad was forcing me to attend some stupid werewolf/lycan summit.
"Can you two stop shouting? My ears and brain hurt from your noise," I snapped at my younger brother, Bryon, who was giggling in the backseat with his girlfriend, adding a harsh contrast to my misery.
"Easy, Rissa. You've been snapping at everyone all morning. We're not the cause of your unhappiness," Bryon's girlfriend, Sydney, retorted, and a sharp gasp escaped my mouth.
"Dad, did you hear that!" I yelled. "How dare she talk to me like that!"
My mom, who was making a call on her cell phone, turned back, giving me a nasty glare, and my dad tapped my lap, the smell of his expensive cologne filling my nose.
"Why do you have to be so grumpy all the time, Clarissa? Can't you just smile and enjoy yourself for once?" My mom snapped, supporting Sydney, and I turned to my dad, glaring daggers at him and he sighed.
"Darling, you shouldn't overreact. Everyone knows you don't like Sydney, but she's a part of our family now that she's your brother's mate. Do you know how important she is?"
Sydney had a satisfied smirk on her face, and my brother, Bryon, lowered his gaze, not looking at me or correcting his loudmouth girlfriend.
Coward.
I huffed, looking out the window at a blur of green trees and blue sky, the sound of my heartbeat in my ears thudding like a drum.
Perhaps I could create a robot mate with my skills because, at this point, I was tired of constantly being reminded that I had no mate.
We arrived at the venue, and everyone except me came down. I fished for my medication in my purse, but my mom snatched my purse from me.
"Mom, give it back," I snapped. "I need those."
"No, you don't. The doctor warned you to stop taking them. You've just been unnecessarily dramatic to gather our pity. Get out of the car now."
It took me a great deal of restraint not to break into tears, and I tuned out of my mom's high-pitched voice as she went on and on. She was always so strict and expected me to be perfect.
"Smile," she nudged me, her grip tight on my hand.
I couldn't wait for this to be over. Unlike humans, most werewolves never left their family. We walked into the huge glass building and everyone stepped aside for us, and we walked down the red carpet.
Paparazzi flashed their cameras, reminding me of the public scrutiny I was under. In an hour, my pictures will flood all over the internet, giving the fashion police a field day with whether I nailed my looks or not.
"Rissa,"
I turned around to see my best friend, Genevieve, approaching me. It felt like a punch to the gut.
Her pregnant belly protruded from her dress, round and full of life, reminding me of everything I didn't have.
"What do you want? You purposely stopped me because you know that the cameras are following me. News flash, I don't care about you or Alan anymore. Go fuck yourselves."
A mixture of pain and sadness washed over her, and I walked away as we made our way into the conference. The paparazzi rushed towards us like vultures, their cameras flashing and clicking as they tried to get the perfect shot. I was annoyed, but my family posed for the cameras, smiling and waving.
We walked past the people in the huge conference hall, divided into two sections, one for the werewolves on the right and one for the Lycans on the left.
The contrast between the two groups was so noticeable, with the expensive suits and dresses of the werewolves and the cheap-looking suits that seemed to hang off the Lycans' muscular bodies. They looked rough and unkempt, a far cry from the polished appearance of the werewolves.
My dad mounted the stage, and there was a roar of applause from the werewolves. He emphasized how generous we were being to the Lycans by providing them with financial aid.
The Lycan King was frowning, and my mom whispered insults about his mate's cheap dress under her breath.
My dad was unapologetic and unbothered after making the Lycans wait for hours. The superiority in his tone made me shake my head at his foolishness.
"And now ladies and gentlemen, I would like to welcome my beloved daughter Clarissa, who graduated from Harvard with a first-class degree in robotics last year and now has her own tech company. She's so beautiful, intelligent, smart..."
Dad kept rambling on and on, and his exaggeration made me feel uncomfortable.
"Why are you still seated?" My mum whispered harshly in my ear. "Everyone is looking at you, and you better not mess this up."
As I stood up to give my speech, a wave of nervousness washed over me. I was never a shy person, but the thought of standing in front of these fierce Lycans made my heart race. I needed to do my best, or else my mum would have my head on a platter.
As I began to speak I tried to focus on the words I had rehearsed hoping I wouldn't stumble or make a fool of myself.
"Thank you everyone for coming to this summit. Although we are from different hierarchies, the moon binds us…"
The door flung open and a tall, muscular male entered the hall. There was something about him that made me break into a sweat despite the air conditioning.
He wore a cheap, black jacket but his confidence was impossible to ignore and his messy dark hair framed his face as he scanned the room, his piercing gaze seeing right through me.
A jolt of recognition shot right through me and before I knew it I let out a blood-curdling scream. The sound echoed through the conference hall causing everyone to turn and stare at me in shock.
I couldn't explain it but as I looked at him, I knew he was my mate. The scent of the mating bond was undeniable and as I screamed he shifted immediately into a beast.
Clarissa I fell to the stage, surrounded by flashing cameras and concerned faces, I couldn't believe what had just happened. My heart was racing and I was hyperventilating, trying to process the fact that a Lycan was my mate.All around me, my family rushed to my side, trying to help me up and calm me down. My mother's caked-on makeup was smudged with sweat, a proof to her concern and worry. And all around, people were talking and trying to make sense of what was happening. 'Breathe, Rissa,' I encouraged myself, breathing out of my nostrils.Why was the moon goddess doing this to me? My brain couldn't process this at all. I'd been mateless for twenty-three years only to become a forbidden Lycan's mate?Fucking great!My mum squeezed my hand to comfort me. She was going to keep blaming me for months for disgracing her. "Here, sip some water," she said. My brother, Bryon, held my head while my dad checked my temperature. I felt lightheaded and was breathing quickly, inhaling and exh
JalenThe overpowering smell of old, musty leather filled my dad's beat-up sedan, and the sound of his angry voice rose above the roar of the engine as he scolded me for shifting into my beast form. Tension filled the car, and my anger radiated off me in waves."Is it such a difficult task to control yourself in public? Have you never seen a girl before that you had to shift into your beast form? Now everyone in the pack will yap about how my son was aroused by a stupid werewolf.""I wasn't aroused by her," I lied, trying to defend myself, but he was too far gone in his rage to listen."Griffin, please hear him out. There may be other reasons why he shifted, and besides, Jalen can't be attracted to that spoiled brat.""Oh, shut up," my dad barked at my mom, who had stepped in to try and calm the situation. "That's all you do, make fat and silly excuses for him. He never does anything right. I'll be retiring in a year, and I don't even know the future of our pack."She sat in silence,
RavenThe moment I returned to StoneCrest High School after a year of rehab, I knew I'd made a terrible mistake. My heart banged with agonizing sadness, feeling like it was getting stabbed with sharpened metal sticks.To others, StoneCrest was everything it should be, an upper-class school reserved for the wealthy, well-equipped with qualified teachers, and recognized on the national level as the best high school. It was so famous that they rejected applicants once they passed the number of required students needed per session.To me, it was a shit hole and I didn't want to be here. I turned away from the six-story brick building. The school housed so many horrible teenagers and teachers who were supposed to do better. Unfortunately, all our parents cared about was to brag about their children attending the best school on the South Coast. Take, for instance, my dad, the Lycan King, who proudly boasted that his two daughters were students of StoneCrest. At the parking lot, he plac
Raven The thought of lusting after a vampire made me sick to my stomach. This was trouble in every sense of the word. I made my way back to the secretary's office to sort out my schedule, but on my way, I felt a presence walking behind me. Turning around slowly, my breath stilled at the sight of the beautiful vampire boy. He looked well-groomed from head to toe. Judging from his well-ironed black pants, platinum white shirt, polished leather shoes, and the silver Rolex wristwatch resting on his left hand, his parents were wealthy. No surprise there, considering the huge chunks of money we paid for tuition. My breathing became erratic and I quickly looked away, trying to increase my pace, knowing that this encounter was bound to bring trouble. He chuckled behind me, wanting to close the space between us. "You know, for someone with short legs, you sure have a fast pace." I ignored his comment, quickening my steps even more, wondering why this hallway seemed never-ending. H
Vlad Wincing at the loud volume of the blasting stereo, I covered my ears and watched as some of my dorm mates danced to the music blasting off a speaker. We were having a mini party at the common room in our dormitory and although it was a school week, my friends and I were so spoiled that we often bribed the dorm janitors to let us have a little 'fun,' which included our girls. Limbs flailed wildly as vampires jumped around dancing to upbeat music, toasting, and chugging with cheers. Zarek, my best friend, thin as death's head upon a mopstick who despite the unhealthy calories he consumed never gained weight, threw a pillow at me. I dodged and relaxed on a red velvet sofa, surrounded by boys playing chess. "Hey sourpuss, get your lazy ass out here on the dance floor!" "I'm having fun. I don't have to be as loud as…" My eyes widened in shock when he slapped one girl's butt and placed a dog collar on another. Zarek was a man whore and loved his bed full of women. He had dan
Raven My feet bounced past the grassy lawn crisscrossed by sidewalks and I raced back to my dorm. Sweat dripped down my body, seeping into my AirPods. I loved the morning run because it refreshed my beast and energized me for the day. I stopped to wipe some sweat off with a towel when I noticed Vlad watching me. Standing beside him were three boys, the same ones who defended me from that bumhole, Troy. Vlad's gaze searched my face and darted lustfully, giving me a wink while his friends expressed knowing looks with sly grins. Vlad wasn't laughing but he had a genuine smile on his face that made my breathing race. Gosh, Why did he have to be so good-looking? Tugging the fabric of my hoodie and hating the pleasurable tingly noise I felt in my skin, I turned away and began running into the dormitory. Vlad had a strange type of animal magnetism that drew me to him and it disturbed me. I had to find a way to become immune to the raw power of his attraction. I couldn't wait to turn
Raven I dumped down on a chair at the back, grinding my teeth together in annoyance. What was Vlad up to? His aggravating smile could explode my brain at this point. It was no coincidence that he joined the math club after I did. My stupid brain couldn't stop thinking about him all through last night and this morning when he looked at me, the pit of my stomach heated. It would be utterly ridiculous for me to have issues because I knew all eyes were on me. Everyone expected me to slip or get into another scandal to ruin my already damaged reputation. I wasn't going to give them the satisfaction and if Vlad would be the target, I'd avoid him like the plague. Restless, I tapped my foot like a caged animal trying to escape. I just needed to keep my head low, finish senior year and escape this place. Vlad kept looking back and giving me a wink, licking his ruby lips like a cat lapping up cream. It almost looked like he was wearing lipstick. My brain conjured images, wondering how
Vlad's POV Sitting in World Government class, I watched the enthusiastic newbie teacher, a twenty-something-year-old inexperienced Lycan eager to teach us. He used a butt load of words that annoyed my classmates. No one took him seriously, especially the vampires because all he did was ramble about some of the world's Lycan leaders. "Go ahead with the teaching already," I groaned, tired and struggled to stay engaged in class. I tapped my pencil on my desk and didn't bother taking any notes. "This dude is going to cause trouble," I took a sip of water and whispered to Thorne who was playing games on his phone. "Whatever. it's not like I like school anyway. Any plans for the weekend? We're hosting another party tomorrow night at the valley. " I slouched in the chair and was about to respond when a huge argument ensued. "Vampires shouldn't be allowed in StoneCrest. Their king is an anarchist. He wants to overthrow King Jalen but that's never going to happen." Everyone turned