Ceremony

intro My father, a lone werewolf, had come all the way from the Obsidian Pack while battling an illness, to attend my union ceremony with Dean Willows, Alpha of the Moonstone pack and CEO of Willows Industries. It was my father's last wish to see me get married before he died. He was elated that his dreams were finally coming alive. Unknown to him, I had arranged a fake marriage with Alpha Dean. I had knelt outside the Willows mansion for many hours with my father's medical records in hand, begging him profusely before he finally agreed to play along in this wedding charade. But when the full moon rose high in the sky, Dean abandoned me, leaving me to face the pack's judgment alone. My father's heart gave out the moment he saw me standing there, all alone without my so-called mate. While taking his final breath at the hospital, he whispered to me in warning: "Arianna , beware of the Moonstone Pack..." and gave up the ghost. My heart was heavy with grief. I then saw Dean's childhood sweetheart, Vivien Cross, post on social media: "Only the unloved one is the third wheel." That was the last straw. I sent Dean a breakup message, severing our union. He responded by bringing the she-wolf, Vivien to our apartment, flaunting his new alliance.

Under the blood moon, the Crescent Hollow Pack gathers for their annual Moonbinding Ceremony, a sacred ritual where chosen wolves pledge their lives to one another to strengthen the pack. Lyra is a spirited healer’s daughter who has always dreamed of finding her true mate, not being bound by pack politics. Kael, the fierce, cold Alpha heir, bound by duty and promised to Lyra since birth. A lone wolf from an enemy pack, mysterious and untamed, who crosses paths with Lyra on the night of the Blood Moon. Lyra never believed in love at first sight until she met Rowan. One glance beneath the crimson sky, and her wolf stirred like never before. Her soul whispered, Mate. But that same night, the Alpha announced her forced betrothal to Kael, the very man who would become her pack’s leader and her husband whether she wanted it or not. Lyra and Rowan’s eyes meet during a tense encounter at the forest’s edge; they feel the mate bond instantly, their innate wolves howling for one another. Lyra is duty-bound to marry Kael to seal an alliance between families. Kael doesn’t believe in the mate bond; he sees love as weakness but is drawn to Lyra’s defiance. The mate bond with Rowan burns like fire, but the forced promise to Kael locks her to her pack’s future. When tensions between the packs rise, Lyra is obligated to follow her heart to Rowan and risk war or remain by Kael’s side and surrender to duty.

Dante Russo doesn't forgive. He doesn't forget. And when the President of the United States has the nerve to double-cross him, Dante doesn't go for blood—he goes for the man's heart. By kidnapping his son. Marco Powell never asked to be part of his father's shadowy world of corruption and backroom deals. But when masked assailants drag him from a glittering Washington soiree and into the ruthless grasp of Dante Russo, Marco's existence is distilled to the final bargaining chip. Kidnapped. Held captive. Compelled to kneel at the feet of Italy's most lethal man. Dante Russo doesn't just want ransom—he wants humiliation. He wants the President to hurt. And to make the whole world feel it, Dante does the unthinkable: he marries Marco in a ceremony as legal as it is lethal. An altar of a wedding shrouded in blood. A kiss meant to destroy. A war between two men who should hate each other but can't keep their hands off each other. Marco is everything Dante isn't used to. sarcastic, idealistic, infuriatingly beautiful and Dante is everything Marco should fear: fire, danger, sin, and temptation in a designer suit. Their arranged marriage sparks a deadly obsession. Every touch is a battle. Every kiss is war on their lips. And every night, Marco has to ask himself the question he fears most Does he hate Dante enough to fight him? Or does he want him badly enough to burn? Because in this game, seduction and revenge ignite and the line between love and hate doesn't just blur. It burns.

Today was supposed to be my marking ceremony. Instead, it became my funeral. Eliza had run me down with her car. She dragged my broken body into the storage room. "Stay here. When the ceremony is over, I'll let you out." She wanted to take my place, to be marked by Greyson, as his Luna. Greyson loved me. But his family could never allow their precious Alpha son to marry a lowborn Omega. "Millie," murmured, his voice thick with guilt. "I have to obey my family and give them an heir first -- with Eliza. You know... she's Alpha blood. "Once the pup turns one, I'll marry you." And I marked the days one by one, counting down to our forever. He claimed it was a mere duty, but but their feverish nights suggested she was his preferred addiction. A month later, Eliza was pregnant. Ten months after that, she bore the Alpha's heir. Another twelve agonizing months dragged by, and finally, it was the day he was supposed to claim me. But now, I was lying here on the floor, my body shattered. Greyson's voice cut through the phone, sharp and impatient. "Why aren't you here yet? Haven't you been desperate to marry me?" "I've let the pup's birthday incident slide -- are you still going to sulk about it?" "If you don't show up, I'll mark Eliza instead." I wasn’t coming, Greyson. I couldn’t -- I was already dead. But he believed I was simply having a tantrum.

“He is here again”, I murmured to myself as I could feel the air shift in the room. I pulled my nightgown down to cover myself as cold and warmth enveloped me in a soothing embrace. It felt like a warm blanket had been wrapped around me. He smelled faintly of dark vanilla and something musky, something warm. I could feel his breath on my skin before the bed dipped. He pulled me closer and wrapped his hands around me. I closed my eyes and waited for his soothing murmurs in my ears. “Did you miss me”? He moaned into my ears. Alora Lance has been haunted by a faceless man who visits her dreams for as long as she can remember. His touch is electric, and his presence is peaceful and intoxicating but her waking life is anything but magical. She has nothing except a leaking roof over her head and a ruthless landlord threatening eviction. Then one day, she finds herself in a mating ceremony she was not supposed to attend. One accidental step into a world that should not exist. And everything changes. Dragged into a world that doesn't make sense in real life, Alora finds herself pulled into a past she knows nothing about and the enigmatic gaze of the man that had haunted her dreams except this is not a dream, it's a nightmare she may never escape, especially when the Alpha of the Bloodfang Pack marks her with a single look. And in his eyes, she is no longer invisible. She begins to question everything about her life and her past.

The scent of pine and damp earth clung to the air as the full moon created long shadows across the Ancient Clearing. Tonight, was supposed to be our marking ceremony, a sacred ritual binding Alpha Anderson and his chosen Luna before the eyes of the Frostmoon Pack. “My heart,” his gaze locked on Leah, who stood under the moonlight “has always belonged to another. My first love, the one whose spirit has been weakened by the venom of wolfsbane, is my Luna.” He drew Leah closer, his hand possessively circling her waist. Under the watchful gaze of the moon, he smiled. “Our traditions are clear,” he continued, “Only the woman who stands with me at this altar, witnessed by all, shall be my Luna. Though I had always thought that Irene was my mate which I mistakenly marked a time ago. But thanks to the goddess for making me see clearly before it was too late.” They exchanged vows beneath the trees, witnessed by the werewolves and the Moon Goddess. The silver crowns were placed, the ceremonial kiss sealed their bond. I stood hidden in the shadows of the surrounding forest. For twelve years, from the moment my wolf recognized his at eighteen until my thirtieth moon cycle, my love for Anderson had never changed. But his heart, it was clear, belonged to Leah. If that was the truth, then I would release him. He had never truly seen me, never truly cared. Yet, the act of my departure seemed to unravel him in ways I couldn’t understand.

Aurora Chandrakant is the daughter of Kaven head of the royal pack warriors. When her and her twin brother were 12 years old, they both began their training with their father. All her life her dad shows her nothing but attention and love but for some reason as years goes by that her mother becomes colder to her. Every night she will have the same dream about a baby being left at the door but not only she can’t recognize anyone face, but there is no one she can ask about this dream. Prince Alexander Heinrich is the next in line for being King of the West side packs. His father is always hard on him to be the King that he is now with the packs. He’s cruel and abusive to Alexander. The packs in their kingdom don’t really care for his way of taking care of them. They meet on her first day of training with her father. The first moment Alexander see Aurora he had a feeling that she could be his mate but when she first shifts that he will be positive. Alexander tells his father of her and setting up the Luna ceremony from them to mark each other letting the pack know of her being their Luna but his father refuses it. He doesn’t care that Aurora is to his opinion a lower ranking wolf and wants Alexander to choose a female of higher ranking to be his Luna. Like Kimberly Stone daughter of the Alpha of the Black pine pack. Now Alexander must choose between his true mate or being with someone he can’t even stand to be around, but his father forces his decision to whom he will be with.

It's my seventh year of secretly dating Liam Ferguson, my brother's friend. We're about to have our marking ceremony soon. I happily prepare for it, wanting to surprise him. However, during a gathering with friends, I accidentally overhear something. "If you ask me, there's no denying Alpha Liam's good looks and charm. To think he managed to make the Silver Snow pack's Alpha's sister his stand-in lover and bed partner!" "What are you going to do with Maya now that Nina's back, Liam? Andrew won't let you off the hook if he finds out you've been fooling around with his sister…" The following day, Liam takes me to Nina White's welcome-back party. He's gentle, considerate, and affectionate with me. His love for me seems so deep that I wonder whether I'm imagining things. Then, Nina "accidentally" spills scalding soup on my arm and runs out in tears. I'm the injured one, but she feels wronged. However, Liam shoves me aside and runs after her in a panic. I return home with a burned arm and open the door to the basement—Liam has never allowed me in there. I see Nina's photos plastered on the walls. There are even photos of them doing the deed in various positions. He looks so wild. I call Andrew with a heart full of despair. "I've made up my mind about the marriage with the Alpha heir of the Storm Tribe. I'll do it!"

Five years after I rejected my mate, Shawn, he had become the Lycan King — and most importantly, he now had a beautiful mate. During the Werewolf Alumni Reunion, someone suddenly brought me up. “What’s Kendra been busy with? She hasn’t shown up at a single reunion in years.” Someone sneered. “She’s too busy seducing alphas from other packs — on airplanes.” “On airplanes?” “Yeah. She’s a werewolf flight attendant with FullMoon Airways. They cater to alphas and lunas from all kinds of packs. I’ve seen her on board before. You wouldn’t believe how flattering she acts around those prestigious wolves.” “Really? Kendra’s a werewolf attendant? No surprise — she’s always dreamed of being claimed by some single alpha.” Hearing that, Shawn, sitting at the center of the table, flinched slightly. His fists tightened. “A werewolf attendant?” he murmured. “Yeah, Shawn... but haven’t you gotten over her by now? It’s been years.” He froze for a second, then quickly composed himself and held his mate’s hand beside him. Everyone’s attention turned to the flickering moonstone ring on her finger. “I’ve long forgotten her,” he said flatly. “Come to my bonding ceremony next month. There will be a sacred ritual at the temple.” “Wow...” Applause filled the hall. But only I, whose soul had been drifting in the air all along, slowly lowered my head upon hearing the news.

Just as the Silverwolf Pack was about to fall into ruin, Blaise Larkin approached me and asked me to be his mate. I'd had a crush on Blaise for as long as I could remember. Now that my wildest dreams were about to come true, I was happy to form a mate bond with him. As I was the sole daughter of the Eastern Pack's Alpha, I was able to provide him with a mountain of resources by becoming Blaise's mate. One month after our bonding ceremony, I was expecting a pup. I was ecstatic, but before I could share the news with Blaise, I overheard something soul-shattering. "I wonder who fathered the pup of our pregnant Luna." "She probably got involved with some filthy Rogue. There's no way Alpha Blaise will let her give birth to that mutt, right?" If it weren't for those werewolves, I wouldn't know that Blaise was pretending we never mated. When I demanded answers in a deranged manner, he threw me into the underground prison and forced me to atone for the death of his first love. "If you didn't insist on becoming my mate, Susie wouldn't have left the pack—she also wouldn't have gotten slaughtered by Rogues!" Eight months later, I lost my pup in the cell I was imprisoned in and died, soaking in my own blood. When I opened my eyes once again, I found myself back on the day Blaise asked me to be his mate.