Better Off Dead: A Jack Reacher Novel Novels & Stories

Late one night after getting off work, I was scrolling through my company group chat when a colleague shared a piece of news. The headline was horrifying. "Night-Shift Courier Murdered During Delivery, Police Suspect Robbery." I zoomed in on the crime scene photo that had been partially pixelated, and a chill ran straight down my spine. Lying in a pool of blood, the courier who had been hacked to death was unmistakably me. I had scrolled into news of my own death. Almost at the same time, my delivery app began vibrating violently. "Urgent pickup! Destination: Unit 704 Hawthorne Ridge Apartments, Building 7. Time limit: 15 minutes. Penalty for timeout: Death." As I stared at the notification that read "Pickup failed three times", the searing pain of my brutal death surged through my body. So that was it. I had already died three times. When I forced open the half-closed security door of 704 for the fourth time, a thin delivery envelope lay quietly inside. I tore it open. A photograph slipped out. It was a picture of my dismembered body. The timestamp showed tomorrow at 7:00 a.m. On the back was a single line written in fresh blood: "Next time, remember to pick it up on time." At that moment, the red indicator light on the hallway surveillance camera suddenly went dark. I looked up. From the ventilation opening in the exact same spot, a single eye was staring straight at me. The mole at the corner of that eye was identical to mine.

"Please, I am in pain." My pleas fell on deaf ears as his grip on my hair intensified. "I know you felt it too, the connection between us. I want to make one thing clear," he lowered his head and whispered into my ear, "Don't get any funny ideas. I can never mark you as my mate! You are a mere slave, and that is all you will be—a slave I can bed whenever I want." His finger trailed down my face and neck, pausing briefly at my bosom, which responded involuntarily. "Just like I will tonight," he snarled before releasing my hair. I immediately crumpled to the hard ground. Athena, an 18-year-old Omega, was offered to the cruel Alpha king by her stepfather, who cared nothing about her, in exchange for a debt he owed the king. Upon meeting the cruel Alpha king, Sebastian, they felt a connection that indicated they were each other's mate. The cruel king rejects her immediately and subjects her to his sexual pleasures. Torn and broken, Athena decides to flee the pack with her unborn child, as the cruel king's palace was not a fit place to raise her child. She vowed to give her baby all the love and care she was deprived of, even as a child, something it would never get from its father or his kingdom. What would happen when she falls right into the hands of a Lycan king in need of an heir? What would happen when Sabastain decides he wants her back? What would happen when she discovers a secret that would play a huge role in determining whether she lives or dies, one that has been hidden from her all her life? Find out in this thrilling werewolf romance novel, "Offered to the Cruel Alpha King."

Elea Jemima is the definition of a dedicated fangirl. A history major with a genius-level photographic memory, she prefers skipping classes to track the whereabouts of her ultimate obsessio, Drex Ethan (D.E.), the world’s most enigmatic and haughty solo idol. Drex is perfect—flawless face, melodious voice, and a cold, distant aura that only makes his fans crave him more. Desperate to catch a glimpse of him after arriving late to a signing event, Elea sneaks into his private dressing room. But instead of the handsome idol, she finds something that shatters her reality: a massive, terrifying black wolf sitting in Drex’s chair. Terrified and allergic to dog hair, Elea runs for her life. But she can’t outrun a predator. Cornered in a deserted room, she watches in horror as the beast shifts, bone by bone, into the very man she worships. Drex Ethan isn't just an idol. He is a Lycan. Now, Elea’s photographic memory has become her greatest curse. She has seen his secret, and the golden-eyed Alpha has no intention of letting her go. From superfan to a Lycan’s captive—Elea is about to learn that loving an idol can be a deadly affair.

After returning from a business trip, I discovered that my wife had unexpectedly replaced the floor-to-ceiling window in her office with an entire wall of mirrors. When I questioned her about it, she looked at me with gentle eyes and smiled as she straightened my tie. "This way, when you come to keep me company during overtime, you won't have to fuss over checking your appearance. Don't overthink it. I had the nutritionist prepare some soup to help you recover. Drink it while it's hot." I found it strange. She was a career-driven woman who had always complained that my suits made me look too stiff and formal. Yet now, she had suddenly changed her tune. Still, I did not say anything. I simply smiled and walked over to the mirror, unscrewing the lid of the thermos. But the moment the hot steam rose into the air, two large oval-shaped marks slowly emerged on the previously spotless mirror. And in the corner, there was a faint smear of lipstick. I compared the height with a quick gesture and let out a cold laugh. 'A familiar height of five foot three and a C-cup. Office mirror reflections. How bold and thrilling.' I pulled out a tissue and calmly wiped the mirror clean before calling my assistant. "Get a renovation crew ready. Tonight, replace the mirror in Ms. Sutton's office with a two-way mirror. And notify the media. Three days from now, I'll be holding a live press conference downstairs."

Trigger warning!!! miscarriage. Signing that contract might have been a mistake but I knew the rules. I was only there for one reason and one reason only. To bear the Alpha King, a pup, an heir to his throne, while he enjoyed life with his wife, and for some reason it was enough for me. Being his second wife was enough for me, until I fell in love with him, and who could blame me? My husband was what any woman would want in a man but I was not what he wanted in a woman, he loved his first wife! I was just a means to an end.

My parents used the compensation money from my sister's car accident to buy a four-room house, but they only let me stay in the bathroom. My twin brothers, who were not even a year old, each had their own room. When the twins grew up, they got into a car accident. One of them needed a corneal transplant, the other needed a heart. My parents begged me to donate and save them. When I tried to escape, they betrayed me. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back to the time just after my sister's death. I sought justice for my sister and myself, and made my parents pay for what they had done.

I pulled my top down and brought his lips to my tight nipples and he sucked on them and gave them a soft bite that made me quiver and moan. He knew I liked it and immediately pulled my bottoms down. "Let's see how wet you are" he softly said. He stuck two fingers inside me and it made my whole body relax as he curled them in and pulled them out again, revealing two very sticky fingers. "You want more ?" I nodded and pushed his hand back inside of me as he pushed them in slowly and deeply inside me. Then he turned his hand over and it made me moan when he came down and began to suck on my clit and get me closer and closer to an orgasm. I pulled his head up and stroked his hair. He began to get harder and I got more and more anxious. "Please put it in me" I pleaded but he told me to be patient. I could do that and he didn't disappoint when he slowly stopped eating me out and jacked himself off in front of my opening. It was so hot as he fingered me deeper and harder I thought he was never going to put it in me when he flipped me over with my legs and fucked me hard and deep. I gasped when he entered me because of how veiny and ribbed his dick felt inside me. He pushed deep and kissed my back and neck as he clenched my nipple and twisted it making me moan. I was confused because I am in love with another shifter who loved me equally. My wolf recognizes him as my mate too. How can this be possible? How am I going to deal with this?

I was always different from my brothers; always more sensitive and perceptive. I never knew if this was a gift from the Goddess or not, but my brother, Alpha Kai, used my sixth sense to his advantage and that's what helped raise our pack to infamy. But in the end, it would be that sixth sense which led to my demise - dead before I could even face my mate and his betrayal. My soft heart led to my death, and my trusting nature helped the enemy get ahead with their plans. So here I am, sifting through my memories in the Other and watching my family as they continue to live their lives without me. All the while wishing I could be there with them. **** This is a companion novel to the Bratva Wolves Novels and is not a standalone. Do not read this book if you have not read The Bratva Wolves Collection first.

The moment my best friend dashes into the lottery shop ahead of me and rattles off that familiar string of numbers, I know instantly that she has been reborn, too. In my past life, my best friend and I were shortlisted for an interview at a Global 500 company just before graduation. However, there was only one opening available. On the day of the interview, I had a sudden urge to buy a lottery ticket, but as a result, I missed the interview, and my best friend got the job. As it turned out, I won the jackpot, totaling 50 million dollars. After graduation, I lived a carefree life, lounging at home and living off the interest. Meanwhile, after entering the company, my best friend was paid little and got bullied every single day. Eventually, she vented her anger on me and shoved me off a rooftop. I died from the fall instantly. After my death, my boyfriend covered for her, twisting the story to claim that I'd gone mad from idling too long and jumped on my own. The two of them fed on my misfortune, becoming influencers with millions of fans and raking in fortune. When I open my eyes again, I am reborn to the very day I bought that lottery ticket.

I never chose to enter the Arena— the place that swallows humans and supernaturals from every era and throws them into a death game with only one rule: survive. One moment I was walking down a normal street. The next, I woke up in a prehistoric jungle with the ground trembling under massive, thundering footsteps. That’s where I met him—Kael. An Alpha Werewolf with lethal instincts, a body built for violence, and eyes that could pin me in place more easily than his claws ever could. He had zero interest in saving anyone. Especially me. To him, I was a burden. To me, he was a threat. And he definitely wasn’t planning to keep me alive. “You’re not human, Maddie.” His breath ghosted my ear, hot and shivering down my spine. “And whatever you are… you shouldn’t exist in this world.” But the Arena made its choice before either of us could: Every round in this cursed place keeps forcing us together—fighting back-to-back, bleeding for each other, breathing in sync. Yet every time danger closes in, I end up pressed against his chest, his breath warm against my ear as he growls instructions I shouldn’t find intoxicating. “Stay with me, Maddie. You won’t survive a single night without me.” Maybe he’s right. Maybe I don’t want to survive without him. But the truth inside me—what I am, what I carry— …might be the very thing that gets him killed. And when Kael finally corners me in the dark, his voice a low, wicked whisper at my neck, I realize the Arena isn’t the deadliest thing here. He is. “Tell me what you are, little flame… before I’m forced to claim you.”