Acting Ruler Crossword Clue

Brenda’s world ended the night her father sold her to a monster. To protect his pack from destruction, her father traded her to Alpha Aaron, the cruel ruler of the Northern wolves — a man who never spent more than one night with any woman… because none of them survived. But Brenda did. That became her curse. For three years, she endured his brutality — his control, his obsession, his endless hunger for power. She prayed for rescue, for her father, for anyone. But no one came. Until one mistake changed everything. A blindfold. A wrong room. A night with a stranger who touched her with tenderness instead of pain. That stranger was Alpha Leon, Aaron’s business partner and unknowingly, her destined mate. When Leon discovered the truth, he struck a dangerous bargain to take her away. But by then, Brenda was no longer the girl she once was. She was a shell, numb, broken, and incapable of love. Now, Leon must battle not only Aaron’s shadow but also the darkness inside Brenda herself. Can love heal what cruelty destroyed? Or will her pain consume them both?

Book One of the Luminary Quartet Join Willow as she trades in one terrifying situation for another. Bear shifters are invading the wolves' territories in droves, and no place is safe, save the South. Willow is forced to flee her home alone unexpectedly, but she tirelessly makes her way to the South and the promise of sanctuary while the war rages on. Unfortunately, Willow quickly realizes that the South is no safer than her home, but she is forced to stay against her will. Has she made a terrible mistake or is Willow right where she is meant to be? Jax became Alpha of the Northern Province shortly after the beginning of the war, just after his parents were murdered, in fact. Though he has not been alpha long, he has already made a name for himself as a fearsome ruler throughout the territories. With the war ending, Jax and his warriors only have one thought on their minds: finding their soulmates. *Note: While the main characters in each book will receive their HEA, I would not recommend reading the sequels out of order due to the overarching storyline. ****Warning**** This book is for adults 18+. It contains mature themes and adult language. Please read at your own discretion.

A powerful witch. A cursed vampire. A castle built on blood. And a secret that could destroy them both. Delphine Ashwood has never fit in—not with her coven, not with polite magical society, and certainly not with anyone who prefers witches quiet and predictable. When she’s hired to repair the failing wards of the infamous Castle Thorne, she expects cold stone, ancient curses, and another lonely contract. What she doesn’t expect is him. Theron Valemont, vampire prince and ruler of the forgotten court, is everything she hates: brooding, controlling, and hiding far too many secrets behind those ice-blue eyes. He didn’t summon her—and he wants her gone. But the castle has other plans. As Delphine unravels the threads of the ancient spell holding the fortress—and Theron’s legacy—together, she discovers a power buried beneath the stone. A power tied to her own bloodline. A power that was never meant to wake. Caught in a slow-burning battle between duty, desire, and destruction, Delphine and Theron must decide what they’re willing to sacrifice. Because the truth isn’t just dangerous. It’s hungry.

Isolde Vancrest had witnessed the ultimate betrayal. Her long-time fiancé, Alan Princeton, had gotten his own sister-in-law pregnant, and he had the audacity to defend it. Alan: "You can't have children. The family can't end with me." How ironic. This was the same man who had once knelt nine times to propose, swearing he would rather be sterile than ever hurt her. If love was a joke, then pride had lost all meaning. That night, Isolde called the one man in Southbridge whose name most people feared to speak. By morning, she was his wife. When Alan saw her again, it was at her wedding. He dropped to his knees, eyes red. Alan: "Honey, I was wrong. Please… look at me." Isolde took a step back and fell into the arms of the man behind her. "The Prince," the ruthless ruler of half the city, wrapped an arm around her waist. "Seems you've forgotten your place." His voice was biting cold as he looked down at Alan. "Now she’s someone you don’t deserve to even look at."

After her boyfriend had an affair with her sister, Lani was deeply hurt and, at the advice of her best friend, decided to marry a strange guy as revenge. She married Kane, an ordinary office worker with a handsome appearance who took care of cooking and cleaning at home while she pursued her acting career. Life with Kane was relatively peaceful, and they grew close and sweet, like a genuine couple. However, one day, Lani discovered Kane's true identity as the wealthiest billionaire in the city. Unable to accept this deception, Lani leaves without a word, accepting a role as the lead actress in a movie and moving to another city, cutting off all contact with Kane. At this point, upon realizing Lani's disappearance, Kane felt deep regret and sadness. He relentlessly searched for Lani to explain everything. When he coincidentally ran into Lani on the street, Kane slowly followed her back to the hotel, holding her hand and crying, begging Lani for forgiveness, even kneeling to express his remorse. "Baby, I'm so sorry. You can hit me or scold me if you want, but please don't leave me." Everything happened unexpectedly and was chaotic, so what decision will Lani make?

Despite being the Alpha Damien's mate on paper for the last seven years, Astrid knew that she could never come close to Taylor, her step-sister, and fated mate. Sadly, Taylor had been sickly from birth despite the Beta blood that ran in her veins. In order to strengthen the power of the Beta family her father pressured her into an arranged marriage with Alpha Damien, acting as a replacement for her step sister. Nearly a decade passed and Astrid continue to show undying devotion and loyalty to Alpha Damian yet he continued to treat her coldly. Taylor's already poor health worsened and the only thing that could save her was an immediate kidney transplant. Damien got down on his knees, shedding tears for the first time since she met him and promised Astrid that he'd forget all about Taylor if Astrid donated one of her kidneys for the life saving surgery. Astrid agreed to this but Damian did not keep his own part of the bargain, rather he framed her for infidelity once Taylor had recovered, rejecting Astrid and making her an object of ridicule. She fakes her death and disappears then returns with a with the deadly Alpha King by her side, thirsty for revenge.

Part One:When Jamie Dalton moved into the house her grandparents left her she was just looking to reconnect with her past and settle in familiar surroundings. Digging through the attic for treasures, she found a nearly life-sized statue of a wolf and a very old, very strange book, Legends of the Werewolf. She was shocked when her new neighbor, Mike Volka, introduced himself and the eyes watching her looked just like the wolf in the book. Using the hypnotic power of the shifter, he draws her into his web and they have sex so hot it nearly burns down the house.Part TwoShifter Lia Popescue is desperate to find the book, Legends of the Werewolf, her only clue as to what happened to her pack. Her attempts to recover it bring her into contact with Riley Morgan, a contact that explodes with sexual chemistry. When she loses her heart to the sexy detective, she wonders how he will handle knowing the truth about her.USA Today best-selling and award-winning author Desiree Holt writes everything from romantic suspense and paranormal to erotic. and has been referred to by USA Today as the Nora Roberts of erotic romance, and is a winner of the EPIC E-Book Award, the Holt Medallion and a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice nominee. She has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning and in The Village Voice, The Daily Beast, USA Today, The (London) Daily Mail, The New Delhi Times and numerous other national and international publications.Wolf Tales is created by Desiree Holt, an EGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

On her wedding day, Isla faced a series of disasters no bride could ever imagine. Her fiancé, Jeremy, dropped a bombshell in front of the entire congregation, revealing an explicit video of her and another man—a video she had no knowledge of or clue how it came to be. To make matters worse, Jeremy took things further by proposing to her sister right then and there. Devastated beyond belief, Isla ran out of the chapel—and his life—without looking back. She swore never to let herself be humiliated like that again and decided that love was no longer worth the risk. With her heart in pieces, she headed to the nearest bar to drown her sorrows in alcohol, where, in a haze of pain and anger, she met a handsome stranger. What was meant to be a fleeting escape turned into a one-night stand. She disappeared without a trace, determined to sever all ties with Jeremy. That included quitting her job at his father’s company—she didn’t want anything to do with him or his family anymore. As she searched for a new beginning, fate led her into the path of Jaxon Waverly. Jaxon Waverly—a billionaire CEO by day and a fearless Mafia leader by night. Isla becomes his secretary, unknown to her and Jaxon himself that she is Jaxon’s long-lost love and unforgettable one-night-stand. Determined to win her over, Jaxon will stop at nothing to make her his wife.

This was meant to be a secret. I was dressed in a red mini-gown, the sexiest gown in my wardrobe. Tonight is gonna be hot! I was feeling the sensations already, I'd never had sex with my mate for the five years we've been together which was one reason tonight was gonna be special. Close to his house, I masked my scent. I didn't want him getting a clue of what's happening. The hormones in my body were going crazy and my wolf was so excited. I tiptoed to the backyard of his apartment which I knew for sure was always open, talking of the door. His bedroom was right here and I was gonna throw myself on him on the bed. I banged in. The unexpected happened. My jaw dropped at the sudden sight before me. Right in front of me, on the same bed I'd planned to have Leo make love with me, was him with another girl. Seeing me, they sprang up, staring at me like they saw a ghost. Out of anger, I walked out, planning to get revenge. I got drunk in a night club and ended up in a one-night stand to cool off my anger. Next morning, I went for my first class in college hoping to put the past behind me. Just when I thought I had, I found out that the hot stranger last night is my college professor and my foster brother. Boom! I'm pregnant for him…….

My name is Eleanor Keating. In my past life, my older sister—Alice Keating—and I were entrusted to the McKellen family in Arborhill by our parents for arranged marriages. I married John McKellen, the eldest son. While he might not be conventionally handsome, his calm demeanor and unwavering reliability stood out. Alice married Xavier McKellen, the younger son. Handsome as he was, he was equally carefree and unpredictable in his actions. Eager for a grandchild, the family patriarch—Henry McKellen—made a promise. The first to bear a child would have their offspring named the next heir of the family. After our wedding, John and I conceived. Our child was naturally declared the next heir, and with that, John and I gained influence and power within the family. Tensions between Alice and Xavier escalated into frequent fights. Eventually, both had affairs, and their marriage ended in a bitter divorce. Believing they had dishonored the family, John banished them from the household. Blinded by jealousy, Alice poisoned me and my child, ending both our lives. When I open my eyes again, I find myself back on the first day I arrived at the McKellen residence. But this time, Alice makes the first move and sleeps with John. In that moment, I realize she, too, has been given a second chance at life. Unfortunately, she has no clue that John is a twisted man. Not only is he devoid of love, but he also sees women as mere stepping stones in his relentless pursuit of power.