Best Of Octavia E. Butler

After a fatal accident shatters her world, Octavia awakens in a realm ruled by savage werewolves only to discover she’s the fated mate of Alpha Xavier, the most ruthless and feared leader of all the packs. But fate is far from kind. Xavier is a beast cloaked in scars and shadows, still haunted by the brutal death of his first mate. His hatred for humans runs deep and Octavia’s very presence is a cruel reminder of everything he’s lost. Bound by ancient laws that demand he accept the bond or forfeit his throne, Xavier chooses duty over desire, even if it means tying himself to the one creature he despises most. Thrown into a world where she’s hunted, hated, and utterly alone, Octavia must fight to survive in a pack that would rather see her dead. But when whispers of betrayal echo through the trees and the truth about Xavier’s mate’s murder surfaces, Octavia uncovers a dark conspiracy rooted deep within the heart of the pack. As desire clashes with distrust and loyalty is tested, Octavia and Xavier are forced into a dangerous alliance. The bond that curses them may be their only hope but only if they can survive the secrets waiting to tear them apart. In a world where love is war and fate is a cruel master, will their connection destroy them or ignite a flame powerful enough to burn down the lies?

When I pushed through the main door, covered in blood, I found my amnesiac husband right on top of my best friend. His arm was wrapped around her waist with practiced ease, and she was passionately reciprocating his advances. "Ada will be devastated if she finds out…" Camilla said in a sweet voice through bated breaths. "After all, she really thinks you've lost your memories." Lucio chuckled softly and said in a mocking tone, "It's not my fault she loves me that much. Then again, it's a good thing for me since I can just let her do all the tough and dirty work." He leaned down and planted a kiss on Camilla's lips, mumbling, "Right now, you're the only one I recognize as my wife. Just wait. Once I sign the deal with the Della Veras, I'll have her kicked out and pass everything she owns to you. After all, I no longer remember a thing." Only then did it hit me. My husband's amnesia was all an act, a farce to fool me. Moreover, my best friend conspired with him to stab me in the back. Too bad they didn't know that the Della Vera family, the most feared Mafia family in Ritelle, only acknowledged one person: Me, Ada Rossi.

Master Khalid was known as the cruel leader of his group of bad companions - a group known to be involved in all forms of illegal activities. Dignity had no meaning to them as their bodies could be used at anytime; anywhere. They were worst than a mafia group. Innocent Octavia shows up one day and begs to be a part of his group for reasons best known to her. Her sister had tried so hard to make her leave because she knew the place would be too dangerous for her, but Octavia wouldn't listen. Staying there was necessary for her and she wouldn't tell anyone her reasons. So, she decided to stay. But in order to achieve that, she had to let go of her innocence, had to let go of her cold lifestyle and act like one of them. She had to obey all the Master's rules. And his first rule: you can't be a Virgin and work for Master Khalid.

On my wedding day, I jumped from the 38th floor of the hotel. It all started when I got together with my first love, Colin Frey. My best friend, Alice Manning, came to me and said she had bound herself to some kind of love system. She claimed that every guy I dated would fall for her and dump me. I thought she was just messing around and did not believe her. However, just a few days later, Colin came to me and confessed that he wanted to break up because he had fallen in love with Alice. After that, I got smart about it. I stopped telling anyone about my relationships and did not even post anything on social media. Yet, somehow Alice always knew. It was as if she had installed some kind of tracking device on me. No matter who I dated, she would find out. Then, within days, they would all fall head over heels for her and leave me behind. I was completely heartbroken, so I moved back to my hometown to get as far away from Alice as possible. Through my parents' arrangement, I was set to marry a guy through a blind date setup. Yet, on the actual wedding day, he stood up in front of everyone and confessed his love to Alice, saying he wanted to marry her instead. My parents, who were sitting in the audience, were so furious and devastated that they collapsed on the spot. They were rushed to the hospital, but it was too late. They were gone. Meanwhile, Alice was wearing the ring that was supposed to be mine, looking absolutely smug as she boasted, "A man this amazing? As if you deserve him. Now he's mine, so why don't you just step aside like a good girl?" I could not take the blow, so I climbed to the hotel rooftop and leapt off without hesitation. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the very moment before Alice had ever mentioned that so-called system.

Maisie Stone has known Ethan Ford for 15 years. She's gone from being a young woman to a married one. She's also gone from being Ethan's true love to an old flame. He cheats on her repeatedly, and she forgives him every time. After a suicide attempt, Maisie finally sees the light. This rotten world is just a competition to see who can be more shameless than others. In an open relationship, both parties live their own lives. Since he's messing around with her sister, she can mess around with his friends and brothers.

I had just won the Hawthorne Scientific Laureate on the international stage when my father called me back home. "Bring the betrothal gifts to the Hayes family. That childhood engagement should finally be fulfilled." Afraid of getting stuck in traffic, I took my modified motorcycle, carried the national heritage porcelain obtained through generations of the Keane family's military merits, and headed toward their house. Just as I arrived at the community gate, a Porsche suddenly cut across the lane, nearly knocking me over. A heavily made-up woman, Zoey Mercer, stepped out of the car, raised one sharp high heel, and kicked the top box off my motorcycle. "You rode this junk motorcycle yet dared block my way? If you dent my car, your whole family won't be able to afford the compensation!" My heart sank. I quickly opened the case, only to see the entire box of celadon porcelain shattered. "So you’re just some delivery guy. Think this pile of trash is worth even one of my shoes? "You even know whose neighborhood this is? It belongs to Kingshore's Hayes family! My best friend’s family developed this place! Believe it or not, I can have you thrown out right now!" Right then, my fiancee, Lauren Hayes, called me. "Where are you? My friend just messaged me saying there’s a delivery guy causing trouble at the entrance."

One of the best fashion designers of the industry and a billionaire's daughter Juliana Sanders is engaged to Adrian Butler who is the son of her father's millionaire friend. Juliana often gets jealous whenever she sees her fiance with his best friend Alice Rivera who is also a model and is secretly in love with Adrian Butler. Things get changed in her life when for the first time she notices a strange guy at her birthday party. Her life gets more complicated when she realizes that the strange guy named Alberto Mathews, most of the time is following her.

When my best friend, Tricia Tate, finds out I have secretly switched my husband's used rubber with her father-in-law's, she has a full-on meltdown right then and there. In my last life. Tricia had been abused by her husband and asked to stay at my place for a while. I felt sorry for her and agreed to let her stay temporarily. But just two weeks later, she unexpectedly found out she was pregnant. I was about to ask her what had happened when her husband suddenly showed up and broke my husband's leg before dragging my whole family into court. In court, Tricia sobbed uncontrollably, accusing my husband, Jayden Lowe, of being a predator and claiming he had assaulted her while she was living with us. She said I didn't just ignore it but helped him carry it out. Jayden and I denied everything in court, but she pulled out an amniocentesis report, proving that the baby was indeed Jayden's. The internet exploded with hate against us, and the court sentenced both of us to prison, ordering us to pay her ten million in emotional damages. In the end, Jayden and I went to jail, while Tricia took that ten million, aborted the baby, and lived happily ever after with her husband. When I open my eyes again, I am back to the very day Tricia came to stay at my house.

All Kiara wanted was to find a job even as a cleaner to take care of her sick Mother but fate played a huge prank on her as she was mated to the cold-hearted Alpha who never wanted her. All Bryant wanted to do was to reject her because he has another woman he loved and wanted to marry but he ended up marrying Kiara under a contract marriage that binds them as husband and wife for just five months with no intimacy. He was going to divorce and reject her Five months later, so Bryant thought but he was caught in a web between choosing his mate whom he has come to like and the woman he has been in love with for the past two years. A few days to end their contract marriage, Kiara unexpectedly announced to Bryant that she was pregnant with his child, but Bryant thinks the pregnancy was the product of an extramarital affair she had with another man as he has no memory of ever having an affair with her. Will Bryant accept the child or will he reject her to marry his fiancee when he claims never to remember having an affair with her during their contract marriage? Find out in this interesting story of Love, betrayal, and second chance.

***EXCERPT*** "I could burn the world to ashes, and you would still be the only thing worth destroying," he whispered, his lips just close enough to feel my desperate, trembling breath, tears leaking down my eyes. "Your pain is beautiful, Tera," he whispered with a chilling smile. "It shows you're still trying to fight what you know you've already lost." *** Dr. Tera Williams thought her life couldn't sink any lower after signing the divorce papers her husband's mistress threw in her face. But when a twist of fate puts her in a prison cell, stripping her of her career and reputation, she realizes she hasn't even begun to fall. After spending three years in prison, she struggles to get her life back on track again by starting from her lowest. Despite all the hurdles she had to endure from her current boss, she finds love again with Ryan, a single father, who is madly in love with her. But just as she's about to marry him, her worst nightmare resurfaces: She finds out that she is still legally married to her obsessive ex-husband, Logan, who has been doing everything possible to win her back. How does she navigate her life when she is now trapped between two possessive men who are not willing to give her up for the other? Trigger Warning: This is a dark, intense romance with a few scenes of psychological manipulation, violence, and non-con. Recommended for mature readers.