Running Up That Hill

Trigger Warning: This story includes sensitive themes such as sexual assault and a suicide attempt. These elements may be upsetting for some readers. Please read with care. On the night of her forced mating ceremony, Elara did the unthinkable. She ran. Promised to the future Alpha of Silvermoon, she thought fate had finally smiled on her. Until her mate, Kael, rejected her in front of the entire pack, trading their bond for a political alliance. Heartbroken and humiliated, Elara disappeared without a trace, vowing never to return. But fate isn’t done with them yet. Years later, a brutal war among the packs forces Elara out of hiding. Injured and desperate, she seeks shelter in the last place she'd ever imagined. Kael’s territory. Except he’s no longer just the cruel heir. He’s Alpha now... and he wants her back. For her safety, she must stay in his home. For her pride, she must guard her heart. But Kael has secrets about the rejection, the night she ran, and the truth behind their bond. Is it too late for a second chance? Or will the Alpha lose the one thing he never knew he needed? Find out in The Run, Little Mate

A month before the SATs, I, Jenny Reid, could see my score. Literally. It was just floating right above my head. But there was a catch. Every time I cracked open a prep book, my score would drop by ten points. But if I skipped a day of school? It jumped right back up by ten. So, I played the system. For a whole month, I barely lifted a finger. And on the day of the test, the number glowing over my head was a solid 1560. When the scores finally dropped online… I'd scored a 500. And the 1560? That was my little sister Patricia's score. My parents lost it. As punishment, they got me a grueling night-shift job at a local electronics factory. That first night, a bunch of guys I'd never seen before cornered me in the parking lot and beat me half to death. Fading in and out of consciousness, I heard my sister's voice right by my ear. "You just had to one-up me, didn't you? Thought you were so smart… but you never figured out I was the one controlling that number over your head." The truth hit me like a physical blow. The score had been her trick all along. I opened my eyes—and I was back. One month before the SATs. The number above my head read exactly 1300. "Hey," my sister said, all fake sweetness. "Want to study together tonight? We can go over the practice tests." I looked at the stack of papers in my own hands. Without a word, I pulled out my lighter and set them on fire right there in the driveway. "Exams are coming," I said, watching the flames. "I'm not studying." My score ticked up to 1310. My sister's face was this perfect mask of disappointment, but the second I turned away, I caught the sly smile she couldn't quite hide. She had no idea… the real performance, the one I'd been rehearsing just for her, was finally about to begin.

Wulver Pack Series: 1 (standalone) I run. It’s just who I am. Whenever things get tough, I bail. Every new situation I find myself in, I have an exit strategy. Because I know what could happen if I don’t. Things are about to get bad, and I don’t understand how or why. I’ve developed a life for myself where no one could suspect a thing out of the ordinary. I fit in - or at least try to. But here I am, ready to run. Let’s just hope I do so in time. *** I didn’t ask to be in these shoes. In fact, I was thoroughly looking forward to a life of little more than personal responsibility. I never saw my future tied to this place, no matter how much it is a part of me. The position was thrust upon me, though, and with no one else to step up, I had no choice. I do love it here. These are my people - my family - and this is my home. I couldn’t turn my back, even if I wanted to. That’s a type of betrayal I would never be able to stomach. If things had gone how they were supposed to, none of this would have fallen in my lap. Now that we’ve made it through the adjustment of transition of power, I am happy this is how my life has ended up, and my people are, too. Any semblance of my plans years ago have fallen by the wayside, but that’s just the nature of the beast - and I am the beast. Times are changing. I can feel it in my bones. I just hope we are ready, and I am capable of protecting those that are relying on me.

God didn't hire me to play guardian angel. He'd send the devil instead and he did in the form of a woman. It's her. My downfall, my saviour, my redemption, my woman. Run, Camille, Run.

My father threatened to kill himself three times to control my life. The first time was when I was applying to college. He climbed onto the roof and demanded that I turn down offers from prestigious out-of-state universities and enroll at a local state college instead. I gave in. Even though my grades were good enough to earn a place at one of the country's top universities, I ended up staying in my hometown. The second time came after I graduated from college. I had landed a job with a company in a major city and was ready to finally build a life of my own. However, my father climbed onto the roof of the company's building and threatened to jump unless I quit and came home. Once again, I surrendered. I returned to my hometown and took a low-paying job at an auto repair shop where my father had pulled a few strings to get me hired. The third time, he climbed onto the roof again. This time, he forced me to marry a woman I had only met once, simply because he believed she would be 'the perfect wife'. I obeyed. Only after we were married did I discover the truth. She was already pregnant with another man's child, and I had been nothing more than the fool expected to clean up the mess. In the end, I could not endure it any longer. I stepped off the rooftop. … When I opened my eyes again, I saw my father gritting his teeth as he climbed onto the roof once more. "If you dare go to a college out of state, I'll jump right here!" I looked at him for a moment, then turned and walked away. "Go ahead," I said without looking back. "Just don't waste my time."

My first reaction when I encountered the landslide was not to run, but to immediately call Ethan. After all, Ethan always nagged at me, and I can almost hear him saying, "You can't do anything right; I always have to come to help." The phone rang for ages before it finally connected, and by then, the landslide had knocked me to the ground. "Yes? What is with you? Calling eight hundred times a day… Don't you ever get tired of it? I told you I'm working; I don't have time. "Hello? If you're not going to say anything, I'm hanging up. I've got other things to do." Beep, beep! Before I could say a word, Ethan impatiently scolded me. Typical. That had been Ethan Lang's attitude five years into our marriage. He might not have to put up with me anymore after this, though, because I might never see him again......