A Lifetime To Settle The Score

She returned to bury her father. Instead, she was forced to marry his enemy’s son. - Rosalind Marlow returns to New York to settle her father’s affairs, once one of the city’s most feared mafia bosses, only to find he died beside his greatest rival… and left behind a contract binding her to the rival’s son. Viktor Marino is cold, calculating, and infuriatingly magnetic. Rosa has no intention of becoming anyone’s pawn, not in grief, not in business, and definitely not in bed. But Viktor plays a long game, and with every stare, every challenge, he pulls her deeper into a world of secrets, power, and heat. She was raised to be untouchable. He was born to conquer. And in the space between vengeance and desire, who is going to lose control first? (Contains mature and dark content) ***** EXCERPT ‘Why would you want to leave this behind?’ he growled in my ear, his chest rumbling against my back. Because I can’t trust you. Because I don’t know what I want. ‘Because it’s cruel,’ I whispered. And then he pulled away, leaving me trembling, desperate, and furious.” ❦

"I'll give you the heir, Alpha. But I’m taking my heart—and my secret—with me." ​Elara is a "nameless" Omega, sold by her debt-ridden uncle to be the surrogate for the most feared man in the Lycan world: King Kaelen, the Black Winter. The contract is a death sentence for her heart: Conceive his heir, hand over the pup, and vanish from the Royal City forever. If she fails, her sickly younger brother pays the price. ​But the moment Kaelen touches her, the truth shatters Elara’s world. He isn’t just a cold-hearted King—he is her fated mate. To stay alive in a court of vipers, Elara must hide her identity under a heavy veil and a scent-masking spell. She must play the role of a lowly servant while carrying the King’s child, all while Kaelen’s "Fake Luna" plots her demise. ​But a King’s wolf cannot be fooled forever. When the veil rips and the scent of lilies and winter rain fills the air, the Black Winter will realize the woman he has been treating as a nameless vessel is the only woman the Moon Goddess ever chose for him. ​One night of duty. A lifetime of secrets. A bond that could burn the kingdom to the ground.

“You kissed me like it meant something,” Samantha whispered. “Then disappeared like I never existed.” Anthony stared at her, jaw tight. “You heard half a sentence and ran. I spent years thinking you regretted me.” ----------- Samantha Meadows just got the chance of a lifetime, skating at Nationals with Anthony Vale, the golden boy of the rink in figure skating… and the most insufferable man she’s ever met. He’s arrogant, untouchable, and still technically partnered with his injured and possibly returning teammate, while She’s picking the broken pieces of her career after her ex dumped her for a flashier and better partner. Now forced into a temporary pairing, they have days to master trust, chemistry, and choreography, or crash hard under the spotlight. But the ice isn’t the only thing cracked. Anthony’s hiding a secret that could end his career… and hers. And when Samantha discovers the truth, she realizes she’s not just fighting for a medal… she’s fighting for her heart. In a world where one mistake can cost everything, how do you trust the person who never lets you in… and still holds the pieces of your past?

J'étais le chef Bêta d'Alpha Damien. Pendant six ans, j'ai été sa partenaire au lit et sa seconde. Lorsqu'il a annoncé notre cérémonie d'accouplement, toute la meute a fêté l'événement. Mon rêve était enfin à portée de main. Mais ensuite, à l'extérieur de sa salle des trophées privée, je l'ai entendu se vanter de ses « essais de Luna ». Et comme ça, j'ai appris la vérité. Je n'étais pas sa seule et unique, j'étais l'une des trente candidates. Il avait passé un mois avec chacune d'entre nous, évaluant nos corps, notre soumission, nos performances. Mon score ? Plus bas que celui d'un Oméga, plus bas que celui de Lilou. « Baiser Lilou était incroyable ! » s'est-il vanté. « J'avais du mal à m'en détacher. Puis j'ai regardé Élise, si raide, si contrôlée, et je me suis juste... ennuyé. » La glace a inondé mes veines. Mon corps s'est figé. Six ans de dévotion, d'innombrables nuits passées dans ses draps, tout cela ne valait pas plus qu'un frisson bon marché et une louve qui savait s'agenouiller. Mon chagrin d'amour s'est transformé en glace. J'ai envoyé un message à un Alpha qui m'avait désirée il y a longtemps. « Adrian, tu as dit un jour que ton offre d'accouplement était permanente. Est-elle toujours valable ? Damien et moi nous sommes fini maintenant. »

On our wedding night, my husband didn't stay long enough to toast with champagne. He left me alone at the reception and retreated to the chapel. Because from the very beginning, this stoic, untouchable man had only ever loved my younger sister. For three years of my marriage, I poured myself into thawing a heart of stone, only to be met with glacial silence. "Claire," he said coldly, "I'd rather take vows of celibacy than ever love you." But when the truck came barreling toward me, the man who had resented me his entire life used his own body to shield mine. Just before I lost consciousness, I saw him gripping the paramedic's sleeve, blood staining his lips. "Don't tell that crazy woman who saved her… And don't let my family… make things difficult for her." Tears welled in my eyes. Only then did I realize I wasn't the only one at fault in this marriage. After coming back to life, I chose to join the United Nations Peacekeeping Forces and head straight to the front lines. If we were never meant to grow old together in this life, then let my final wish for him be this: A lifetime of peace, and an eternity of never crossing paths with me again.

Even though this is my eighth time proposing to Beverly Galvan, she still coldly turns me down again. She says that she isn't ready yet and that she needs more time. Since that's the case, I tell myself I will wait as long as it takes. That's when I see it—her and my brother's marriage certificate, posted for everyone to see on her social media. When I question her about it, she merely says in a calm voice, "Timothy's unwell. He can't get too upset, so you'd better not start anything!" They are wearing wedding rings in that photo, and there is a barely visible bump on her belly. In that moment, the storm within me dissipates. Hitting the like button on the post, I type out a comment. "I wish you both a lifetime of joy. May the two of you grow old together!" A year later, a desperate-looking Beverly shows up in front of me, begging that we get back together. Unfortunately for her, her best friend, who was clearly pregnant, steps in with a smile and pushes her aside. "Give it a rest, will you? My husband already has a wife. We can have kids of our own. There's no need for him to be someone's fallback guy."

“Why do you suddenly want out of this marriage? Who the fuck are you screwing, you dumb bitch?!” “I'm not screw-” I tried to explain, but he was already on me and I screamed as he dragged me up by my neck, his hand so tight on my throat I couldn’t breathe. “Who is it?!” he growled. “Who the fuck would dare!” ---- In a world absent the mate bond, alliances were formed through blood, power, and betrayal rather than fate. Makena Blackwell was born into the mafia's lowest-ranking position, promised at birth to a powerful heir in exchange for her family's survival. She was ready to marry him. But he was ready to destroy her. On the night she was meant to die, however, something impossible happened. A man rose from the icy steel trays of her father’s morgue. He was a stranger, with no memory, no name, and no pulse. And when their gazes met, fate spoke the word they never expected to hear in their lifetime, echoing so loudly in their souls it shook the very fabric of their being. “Mate!” The man the world left for dead wasn’t just anyone; he was the dread every mafia house feared, and he was hers. She was promised to a prince of power… but fate gave her the king of the dead.

My mate, Raelor Thorne, is the Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack. He once swore that in this lifetime, he would mark only me. Yet one month before our marking ceremony, he insisted that he must first mark with Seraphine Morcant, his late brother's mate. He claimed it was to comfort her and preserve his brother's bloodline. He said he would help her conceive an heir, so the line would not die. I refused. He brought it up every day after that, pressing harder each time, leaving me no room to breathe. Then, half a month before the ceremony, I received a report from the Pack Healing Sanctum. It stated clearly that Seraphine had already been marked and was nearly one month pregnant. In that moment, I finally understood. Raelor had never intended to ask for my consent. So I canceled the marking ceremony. I burned every token that tied us together. On the day we were meant to bind our lives, I left Silvermoon Territory alone. I traveled to the Obsidian Pack to further my mastery of healing arts and formally accepted the position of Chief Healer within their Order. From that day forward, there would be nothing left between Raelor and me. No bond. No mercy. No return.

After fifteen years of marriage, my wife, Tiffany Yarwood, who insisted on being child-free, wanted to become pregnant with her childhood friend’s baby. “Taylor’s grandmother is dying. Her only remaining wish was for him to have an offspring. I have to help him with this!” Unable to accept this, I went to my parents-in-law to reason with them. But they snubbed me with gentle yet cutting words. “Tiff’s womb belongs to her. She has the right to decide whose child to bear. “Don’t you love her enough to give your life to her? If you can’t even tolerate such a small matter, how can you protect her for a lifetime?” Tormented by grief, I had no choice but to compromise with teary eyes. “Fine! I agree to let you have a test-tube baby for him. But after giving birth to the baby, you can’t have any further involvement with them.” Tiffany, relying on my love for her, confidently refused. “Not a test-tube baby! Taylor’s grandma is traditional. She’ll only accept babies born naturally. “Besides, I will be taking care of the child after giving birth. I can’t let the baby grow up without a mother!” I closed my eyes and exhaled. “If that’s the case, let’s divorce. You can live with him as a family of three.”

I am the daughter of the Silvermoon pack's Alpha. In my past life, I loved Kael blindly and became his mate. The one who was sent as an arranged mate to the ruthless Alpha of Frostfang pack was my foster sister, Lyra. After Lyra's sudden death, Kael never spoke to me again. Yet, when an avalanche struck our pack, he still threw himself to save me. Even then, at the moment of death, he never once looked my way. His hand clutched only the wolf fang Lyra had given him. "Lyra, I'll protect you no matter what if there's another lifetime," he swore. It was only then that I understood that I could not force love. When I opened my eyes again, my father and the elders were already discussing who would be sent as the arranged mate to the Frostfang pack. This time, I choose to fulfill Kael's wish to be with Lyra. I step forward before anyone else and volunteered. "I am willing to become the arranged mate of Alpha Volf of the Frostfang pack." Just when I had already let Kael and Lyra be, he fought his way into the Frostfang pack. Why did he risk everything, only to beg me to come back?