Susan Butcher And The Iditarod Trail

“You belong to me, Aria,” he growls, his nose brushing against mine. “The harder you push me away, the deeper I fall into this madness of wanting you.” “You don’t even want a mate!” I remind him, hating how small my voice sounds, and how my body sings whenever he’s this close. His breath brushes against my lips. “You’re right. I don’t. But I burn for you, Aria, and I don’t think I’ll make it through the season without tasting what’s mine.” ***** They call Ryder Drexel the Ice King of Ironclaw University, captain of the undefeated Iron Wolves, cold-blooded on the rink and untouchable off it. He doesn’t do distractions. He doesn’t do relationships. Until her. Aria Murdock is the opposite. She’s an invisible scholarship student hiding secrets that she’s spent her entire life hiding—she’s a wolf who can’t shift in a world where wolves like her are called runts and are mercilessly killed to be rid of their weak bloodline. But when an accident reveals her true scent, Ryder’s world fractures. She’s a walking death sentence. Someone undesirable to most. Off-limits because of her low rank and bloodline. And she’s his mate. Now, the Alpha heir has a choice. He can either reject the bond, or risk everything to claim her. The problem? Claiming her means breaking every rule and starting a war within his own pack. It also means revealing who Aria truly is, and she’s so much more than a runt. They’re enemies by nature, but bound by instinct and fate. In a world where packs, rules, and reputations reign, claiming her might just cost him everything, especially his heart.

The story is about Erina Saul, the daughter of a wolf hunter who is captured by werewolves and sold to the feared werewolf king, Magnus the Lycan. Despite mistreatment by the pack, Magnus desires Erina because of an ancient prophecy. At first, he fights this attraction to her, knowing that if he gave in, it might mean his death. Erina's father orchestrated her capture to fulfill the prophecy of an unspoiled maid conquering the Lycan. However, Erina, who never wanted to harm anyone, eventually stood up to her bullies with the Lycan's support. She eventually lets Magnus turn her into a werewolf and falls in love with him, only to be betrayed by both him and her father. Erina leaves the pack, raises her pup in France, while Magnus realizes his mistake and searches for her. The story questions whether Erina will forgive Magnus for his actions or will she live as a rogue forever.

On the Northwind Trail, just before sunrise, my flashlight cut across the inside of the SUV and landed on five lifeless bodies. My hands shook as I dialed 911. "Hello? I'm on Route 296, the Northwind Trail. Everyone in my car… is dead." The operator's voice was calm but quick. "Please confirm your location. Officers are on their way." My words dropped heavy and flat, like stones hitting the ground. "I'm on Route 296, about three miles east of the mountain pass. The plate number is NA318X. Five people inside the car are dead… and I'm the only one alive."

We got caught in a blizzard—me, my fiancé Melvin Dunn, a few of his colleagues, including Sally Blom. Middle of the night, I woke up shaking. My heavy-duty sleeping bag—the one built for minus forty—was gone. In its place? A flimsy summer quilt. Sally was curled up in my bag, fast asleep in Melvin's arms. I shoved him hard. "Why is she in my sleeping bag?" He pulled me aside, whispering, "Keep your voice down. Sally's kinda fragile—she's about to catch a cold. You're strong. You'll be fine." I pointed at my feet, already numb. "So I'm supposed to freeze to death for you two because she's 'fragile'?" He frowned. "God, Peyton, stop being so dramatic. It's just a sleeping bag. Think about the team for once." I laughed, tears slipping down my face. Didn't say another word. Just crawled back into the corner, grabbed the sat phone, and called my brother—Captain of Stormfang Rescue, an elite international search and rescue team. "Hugh, come get me. The coordinates are... Remember—I'm alone."

On the snowy mountain, Shawn Foster's neighbor, Susan Taylor, suffered from altitude sickness. He blamed me for not bringing supplies in time. He tied me up and left me on the mountain, five thousand meters above sea level. "You should experience the pain Susan went through." I rushed up the mountain to find them, completely forgetting that I was already exhausted. Without an oxygen supply, I gasped for air desperately. He held Susan in his arms and headed down the mountain. I begged him for mercy, but he did not even glance at me. I struggled, but I could not break free from the Prusik knot he tied himself. The same knot I once taught him. Three days later, he asked his colleagues about my whereabouts. "I would never have forgiven her so quickly if it's not Susan's kindness." But he did not know—I had long been buried beneath the snow.

"How could a man who spends his nights elbow-deep in rogue carcasses compare to a pure-blood like you? You’re the Quinn heiress!" I heard those words from the man I loved for seven years, spoken to my own half-sister. At the Grimford Medical Sanctuary, I was the 'Ice Judge,' a elite forensic healer whose scent was stained by death. To Evan Mercer, I was just a ladder to climb—until he decided to kick it away, plotting to let my mother die to secure his place in the Quinn bloodline. But I am Dr. Jack Quinn, and I don’t break. I hunt. Desperate for a way out, I accept a dangerous deal with Elder Magnus Blackridge: marry his grandson to save my mother. I expected a cold business arrangement. I didn't expect Alpha Ronan Blackridge—the towering, lethal commander of the Blackridge Enforcement HQ. He smells of cedar and dominance, and he looks at me with eyes that have haunted my dreams for a decade. In a world of fated mates, hockey ice, and pack wars, the hunter has finally found his match. Genre: Modern Werewolf Romance / Urban Fantasy Tags: #FatedMates #Betrayal #AlphaHero #FirstPersonPOV #SecretIdentity #IceHockey #UKWerewolves #MorgueToRiches #GrumpyXGrumpy