LOGINBella stood in the silver glow of the moon and watched the taillights of Dave Stark's car disappear down the street. She still felt the electricity from the touch of his hands on her dress, the memory of hiscontrol burning around her neck like a manacle. He had zipped her dress together while his hands shook, and he growled, "Go. Before I forget that I am attempting to behave as a gentleman."She hadn’t been able to trust her voice to respond to him. “I’ll call you if I can,” she’ll say. “I’ll call you if I can,” she’ll say if she speaks. Then she would climb back into his lap and take his mouth andBut now, in this moment, facing the small rented bungalow she shared with her mom, Linda, and little sister, Amanda. The flush of excitement slid away, replaced by a tight knot in the pit of her stomach.In fact, she flushed in embarrassment as she saw them lying sprawled on the worn-out sofa—but the sofa was no longer worn.Everything that was inside the house was no longer the same.A fl
Bella’s heartbeat pounded against her skin like a drum. Dave Stark loomed over her—a tall, dark figure of menace, his very presence making her treacherous body react to him against her will. His voice rumbled to a low, decadent whisper, like a serpent coiled around her vertebrae.“Bella," he drawled—saying her name as if it held a promise and a threat.A smile crept slowly over her lips. With one finger, she drew a path down the center of his chest, tracing the edge of muscle beneath cloth. “What do you say, Dave?” she whispered. “Think you can handle me?”He doesn’t respond. His fingers dug into her hips with such intensity she gasped, the noise between a shriek and a laugh. His eyes go dark, his pupils dilated.“Don’t tempt me,” he warned, but his voice didn’t have much conviction.Bella leaned in closer, her hand drifting lower – deliberately slow, deliberately wicked.“Was that a challenge I heard?” she whispered.His breath shuddered — just once — before he growled softly, “Bella
Outside the great council chamber, moonlight spilled across stone steps like silver paint. The banners of two packs—Greywolf and Blackmoon—flapped sharply in the night wind, though no celebration followed the verdict inside.Not a single representative from either pack looked pleased.Silvermoon wolves stood stiff-jawed, eyes tight with resentment. Heartburn wolves whispered among themselves, fear flickering across every face. When royalty—true hybrid royalty—was involved, obedience was not optional. Free will evaporated the moment Lord Halden had spoken.The only person smiling was Luna Meredith.Pride poured off her like perfume—heavy, sweet, impossible to ignore. Her niece—Bella—was now bound to a hybrid prince. To royalty. And in their culture, that meant legacy. Power. History rewritten.“An honor,” she boasted to anyone willing—or unwilling—to listen. “Our family now holds ties to the Shadow Throne itself.”Bella watched from beneath a tall tree on the courtyard lawn, her arms w
It was the kind that didn’t fall. It descended—like a predator.Every wolf went still, ears lowering instinctively.Bootsteps echoed.One-two-three.From the rear of the chamber—five figures entered.Hybrids.Not wolves.Not vampires.Something forged from both bloodlines—stronger, rarer, feared.The audience parted without instruction.Dave Stark walked at the center.Tall. Severe. His tailored black suit hugged shoulders built to carry kingdoms. His hair—dark as obsidian—fell in loose strands over eyes carved in storm-gray stone. He was the kind of beautiful that hurt to look at. Sunlight through stained glass. Death wrapped in silk.And Bella couldn’t breathe.Morgan and Ben walked at his right, both striking in charcoal suits, while Sandra glided to his left—her black dress sleek, hair tied high like the blade of a dagger. The fifth—an elder hybrid—Lord Halden, emissary to King Stark—moved with the authority of a man used to people kneeling.Every wolf bowed.Only Alpha Marcus sto
The horn blared—sharp and impatient—shattering the heated moment in the parking lot.Bella jerked, breath catching, while Dave’s jaw clenched as he reluctantly pulled back from her lips.Across the asphalt, leaning against his obsidian-gray Zephyr Mirage sports car, Morgan lifted two fingers in a lazy salute, his expression the picture of smug annoyance.“Damn it, Morgan,” Dave muttered. His thumb brushed Bella’s lips, still swollen from their kiss. He bent down once more—slow, claiming—his mouth grazing hers with a whisper of a promise. “I’ll finish this later.”Another honk. Louder.Dave sighed. He inhaled the scent of her hair like he needed it to breathe, then finally—he let go.He didn’t look back.Bella’s arms wrapped around her own shoulders, suddenly cold despite the afternoon sun.*********Her legs felt unsteady, like her body still belonged in Dave’s hands. She stumbled toward the nearest restroom, needing walls, solitude—anything—to breathe.Inside, the tiled room echoed w
In the quietness of the lounge, Bella's heart was pounding furiously in her chest. Before her stood her dark and very muscular mate, Dave, who seemed calm enough to command armies, and she sat still on the arm of the sofa.Linda, her mother, stared at them in amazement. She had dropped into the sofa with a thud the moment Dave announced the words that changed everything:“Your daughter is my mate.”The statement still hung in the air like smoke, impossible to wave away.Linda ran a trembling hand through her hair, then exhaled slowly. “I… don’t know what to say.” She gestured weakly toward the wooden chairs. “Sit. Both of you—sit.”Dave didn’t sit alone.He tugged Bella gently to him, his palm sliding around her wrist—possessive, claiming. He placed her beside him on the biggest chair, intertwining their fingers as though he feared someone might rip her away if he let go.He sat with a grace and command no human man could imitate. Every line of him radiated danger—from the sharp angle







