Plot Twists Short Stories & Bias Substitute Bride Novels

Shawn Hansen, Wigston's most notorious playboy, always has a thing for dazzling women. This time, his eyes are set on Carrie Myers, my fiance Harvey Anderson's close friend. And now, he decides to marry her on the same day as my wedding. When I go to Harvey to discuss the wedding details, I walk in on him holding Carrie and promising, "Don't worry. I'll marry you. Our churches are side by side, and with your face hidden under the veil, I'll swap you in for her. No one will ever notice." Carrie sobbed, her voice filled with concern. "Angelina is clever. She will undoubtedly notice something is wrong." He kisses her forehead gently and comforts her, "I'll drug her so she won't be able to think straight or resist." Only then does she relax, yet she asks curiously, "You really don't mind letting her marry Shawn?" Harvey thinks seriously before replying, "I love you and must marry you first. Shawn is my good friend, so even if he marries her, he wouldn't touch her. I'll bring her back once he realizes the bride has been switched. By then, the two of you can serve me together." I can't bear to listen any longer, and I turn to leave with a broken heart. Despite the sorrow, I am determined to become Shawn's wife.

When vampires attack the border, my mate's childhood female friend and I both end up trapped in the camp. My mate, Damon Aldridge, shifts into his wolf form and rescues her without a second thought, leaving me alone to face the flames and vampire assault. The next day, I submit a request to the council of elders to sever our mate bond. Damon shows up with a stormy expression, demanding, "You have a priestess bloodline. You can heal yourself. Lydia's more fragile, so I rescued her first. Are you seriously jealous over this?" I meet his eyes calmly. "Yes, but none of that matters anymore."

The dying heir to Silverbay's showbiz empire suddenly announces he'll select a bride at random from the city's prominent families, hoping the marriage can bring some luck and save his life. On the night before my own wedding, his men arrive and inform us that the Simmons family has been chosen. My parents have just three days to deliver a daughter to him. As soon as my sister, Roxanne Simmons, hears the news, she breaks down in tears and rushes to my fiance for help. When he sees her crying, Clinton Whitfield drops to his knees in front of me, under everyone's gaze. "Mr. Sterling enjoys tormenting virgins. If Roxanne marries him, who knows what he'll do to her? "But you're already past the marrying age, so he won't be interested in you. Please, help Roxy this once!" He looks away, his voice heavy with guilt as he continues, "Besides, he doesn't have much time left. When you return, I'll marry you." Tears well up in my eyes. I ask, stunned, "And what if I don't want to?" Clinton's gaze turns cold, his earlier guilt replaced by ruthless intent. "Then I'll make sure you go to him myself." I laugh bitterly as a chill runs through me. "Fine. I'll go instead."

Rainy nights in Sicelia were always thick with the stench of rust and gunpowder. Rumors had circulated that the newly appointed Don of the Romano family, one of the most powerful mafia clans, had been badly disfigured in a fire. His temper had grown brutal, and three fiancées had already been driven to terror. When the news reached the Deluca family estate, my so-called sister had collapsed in tears and begged me to take her place and honor the engagement. I had watched her act in silence before kicking her to the floor. I had said calmly, "When I was brought back into this family, you were afraid of losing your status. You rushed to secure the marriage alliance to protect your position. Now that your fiancé is disfigured and you can't bear to face that scarred monster, you want to shove me into the flames instead?" At that moment, my childhood sweetheart had burst through the door. He bent down and helped my fake sister to her feet, his concern plain to see. "Elena, don't be so ungrateful," he snapped. "This marriage was yours from the beginning. Now it's simply returning to its rightful owner. Tomorrow, I'll be holding a grand wedding with Rosa. As for you, you can obediently go and serve that monster." My parents had stormed in as well, pointing at me and cursing without restraint. As I looked at the selfish faces before me, I drew a slow breath. Resolve hardened in my eyes. "Fine," I had said quietly. "Then all of you can come down to hell with me."

My cousin stole my fiancé's suppressant on the night of the full moon — just to test how much he loved her. Then she locked me in a room with him while he was out of his mind with pain. Watching Adrian writhe in agony, I wrapped my trembling arms around him and let him mark me. My cousin was devastated. She married the brutal Alpha of the neighboring pack in a fit of spite. When Adrian found out I was pregnant, he had no choice but to make me his Luna. But in five years of marriage, he never once came to see me or our son. After rogues kidnapped us, I thought he'd finally let us go. Instead, he shifted and fought to bring us back — only to die alongside those rogue wolves. I held his bloodied body and watched the light drain from his eyes. With his last breath, he gripped my hand: "Stop saving me! I regret everything… I never needed you to save me…" My heart shattered. Cold wind tore through the hollow in my chest until I couldn't stop shaking, and the world went dark. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that full moon night — five years in the past.

In the Northern Alliance, the Claiming is an ancient tradition. On a Blood Moon, an Alpha must fight his way into the Omega quarters, carry his chosen mate on his back, and break through every obstacle to seal the bond. I waited five years for Joric. Tonight, he finally breached my courtyard with his Betas. My heart raced. I was about to run to him when I heard his hushed voice. "Grab Giselle in the chaos. She’s too fragile. I won't let that tyrant Alpha claim her. As for Faelan... she’s the strongest Omega we have. Practically a warrior. She can fend for herself." His Betas exchanged uneasy looks. "Alpha, is this a good idea? You and Faelan are practically mates already. If she finds out, she’ll raise hell!" "Let her," he brushed it off. "The Claiming is pure chaos. It’s easy to grab the wrong girl. I’ll smooth things over with her later. Besides, you all know I never officially filed our mating papers with the Council. Faelan will just have to deal with it for now." Behind the door, I heard every single word. My wolf didn't let out a tragic howl. I just quietly stepped back into my room. Everyone thought I’d bare my claws and fight to the death when a different Alpha came for me. Instead, I quietly climbed onto the back of a far more powerful Alpha. I became another pack's Luna.

The day the Sterling family came to honor an old marriage agreement, my adopted younger sister suddenly confessed. "I used Sophie's photo to date a scholarship kid online. He's coming here today to propose, and someone that low is the kind of person I deserve. "Mom, Dad, I don't deserve the Sterling marriage. Send me away." Her eyes swam with tears. She looked stubborn and self-sacrificing, the perfect brave little martyr. My parents, who'd always favored Ava, made their decision immediately. They pointed at me, standing off to the side, watching the whole performance. "Ava grew up with us. She understands our world better than you do. She's the one who should marry into the Sterling family. "Since she used your photo for that online relationship, you can marry the poor boy in her place." I was about to refuse when translucent lines of text appeared in the air in front of me. [No! Don't hand the hero over to that awful sister! The scholarship kid is actually the Sterling heir in disguise! The Sterling guy showing up today is only from a side branch!] [Exactly! He pretended to be poor because he wanted someone who'd love him for himself, and now she's giving him away with her own hands? The villain will absolutely say yes. Her type grabs everything.] [Don't panic! He's never met the villain. He only came because of the photo. A few days around her and he'll know something's wrong, and then she's finished. Everybody watch closely so we can help.] I stared at the floating comments for three seconds. So that was the story. I changed my mind, and lifted my chin a little. "Fine. If he's poor, he's poor. I'll marry him."

At the coming-of-age ceremony my sister and I shared at twenty-one, our father produced two marriage contracts. One came from the ducal House of Beaumont. A century-old line with power beyond measure, whose heir Alexander was composed, wealthy, and the dream of every unmarried girl in Saint-Vérain. The other came from the bankrupt Moreau family. Their estate mortgaged, creditors at the door, their heir Elias had nothing but a handsome face. In my last life, my sister Vivienne chose Alexander first and left Elias to me. Later, she was caught in an affair, and the Beaumont family confined her for life under the name of "psychiatric rest." Elias, with my help, climbed from ruined nobility into City Hall and became the youngest chief secretary to the mayor. Vivienne didn't hate the in-laws who destroyed her, or the husband who was cold to her. She hated only that I lived better than she did. The day I visited her, she smashed my skull with a silver candlestick. When I opened my eyes again, we were back at the moment of choosing. Vivienne snatched the Moreau letter and said smugly, "Little sister, this time it's my turn to be the wife of the rising star of politics." I looked at her and smiled. She didn't know that in the last life, the one who had truly raised Elias to high office was never fate. And that Alexander, who had never touched her, had never been cold by nature. He had simply married the wrong woman.