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.

Arielle Santos 24 years old never imagined that her life would be written for her — even her love story. She was raised in a modest family, a dreamer who painted her hopes in colors only she could see. But one evening, her world collapsed when her parents revealed the truth: to save their family from bankruptcy, she had to marry the son of their business partner — Evan Monteverde, the 28 years old, cold and distant heir of one of the country’s most powerful companies. Evan didn’t believe in love. To him, emotions were distractions — weaknesses that could ruin a man. He had long promised himself never to trust feelings again after being betrayed by someone he once loved. So when his father announced his arranged marriage with a woman he barely knew, he didn’t protest for love’s sake — only to end the endless lectures about “duty” and “family legacy.” Their wedding day was perfect — at least in the eyes of the guests. But behind the veil and the smiles, two strangers stood at the altar, reciting vows they didn’t mean. The words “I do”echoed in the church, but neither of them truly did. After the ceremony, they made a deal — they would live together for one year, play their roles for the sake of appearances, and then quietly separate. No love. No expectations. Just peace. But peace was harder to keep than they thought.

For ten years, Isaac was my fated mate. My Alpha. My future. Then, on the eve of his Alpha Ceremony, he chose another she-wolf to be his Luna, Chloe. His reason? She was wild and free...everything I used to be. "We are FATED MATES!" I screamed, my hand flying to the mark on my neck. "How can you defy the Moon Goddess? How can you just throw me away?" My wolf howled through our bond, trying to make him feel my pain. The backlash should have crippled him. But he didn't even flinch. It wasn't a real mark. Just a lie, painted on with magic. A trick to chain me to his side. My legs gave out. I hit the floor, a raw sob tearing from my throat. When the tears dried, the grief turned to ice. I stormed the Elders' Council and demanded they sever the bond. Then, I did the unthinkable. I chose his cursed uncle, Vincent. Isaac laughed. He thought it was a pathetic game to make him jealous. He had no idea. The Elders had already named his uncle the new Alpha. He didn't understand his mistake until he saw me crowned Luna on Vincent's arm. Only then did he come crawling back, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.

Raised as an omega in a world where wolf status meant hierarchy, Ben is used to being doted on by the alpha triplets. They were his masters. In the wolfbane academy, omegas have masters. He had three. Enzo. Ryker. Knoxx. They made his life a living hell all through all throughout the years. On the night of they'd coming of age ceremony, Ben stumbled on a shocking truth. His boyfriend, Nick, had been cheating on him with the girlfriend of the triplet, Rejoice. The duo threatened to make claims of him being a thief if he told a soul. When a blog post leak of intimate photos with Nick and Rejoice spread, all hell got loose. With Nick on his tail, he ran off only to fall into the arms of the triplets alphas. He feels the mate bond instantly. With no where else to turn to, he decided to flee the pack but was caught by Nick and Rejoice. They were bent on making his life hell. When the triplets alphas save him, they made an offer to make him theirs. One year with them in exchange for revenge. Ben never expected his life to flip upside down do quickly. A yes to the triplet Alphas could either be the best decision he'd ever made or the worst. Ben promised himself to not get caught in heat with the alphas but what happen when the line between hate and love begin to blur, will he give in to the bond or reject it? Find out in this exciting novel.

At the full moon party before our marking ceremony, my mate Lucas got wasted. I went to pick him up, just like we agreed. Only to walk in on him burying his face in his first love’s neck, marking her with his scent. "Don't ever leave me again, Willow. My wolf only wants you." His first love shot me a triumphant smirk and shoved him into my arms. "Your mate is here. You should go." But Lucas, hiding behind his drunkenness, just looked at me with disgust. "You're the only one for me, Willow! She's just some lowly half-blood Omega. She's just my ride home, don't worry about her." I swallowed my humiliation and took him home, only to find out he wasn't drunk at all. He claimed he only said those things to appease Willow, for the sake of her pack's power. I just turned away. So on the day we were supposed to be bound for life, I ran. If Lucas was still hung up on his first love, then I would grant him his wish and disappear. But I never expected that after I left, he would lose his mind, crying and begging for me to come back.

When Harper wakes up that morning with a headache and prepares to get dressed to go to her little brother's graduation ceremony, she does not imagine that that same day, a handsome gentleman with an enigmatic look and a flirtatious smile will cross her path and that will dazzle her completely as soon as she sees him sitting in that subway car. One thing will lead to another, and in a matter of minutes, a pair of new acquaintances will surrender to their desires, in the bathroom of a subway station. For him, Daniel Ansdell, it will be one more experience, one of so many he has had throughout his life. He is a very confident man, with extensive experience in lovemaking arts, with a strong obsession for sex. He is uninhibited, cheeky and very direct when it comes to asking for what he wants. And although in the eyes of any lady he is perfect, he is not the type of man that a father would wish for his daughter. For her part, Harper is not a white dove, but she is not a veteran in love matters either. Her complicated life has led her to consider a couple of priorities. And having a romantic relationship is not among them. She is a fun woman, without prejudice, but with many responsibilities. Together they will have to face a series of emotions and feelings that will emerge in the midst of a whirlwind of passions. She will not be able to understand why that man awakens her most primitive side. It will be very difficult for him to recognize that she has taken over his thoughts and his will.

MATURED CONTENT: RATED SPG! (MM ROMANCE) R18+ No freedom? Yes, I feel trapped, like just another pawn on a chessboard, limited in my movements. As a child of a wealthy family, I'm bound to follow their rules, one of which is to expand our wealth. To achieve this, I am expected to marry the child of another affluent family that partners with ours in business. Our marriage has already been arranged—not because of love, but because we must adhere to the dictates of our families. The night before the ceremony, a rebellion sparked within me. I decided to defy my parents' rules, if only for a single night. I found myself at a club owned by a friend, where I submerged myself in alcohol, seeking an escape. As I reveled in the music and the dim lights, I spotted a handsome man who had been watching me since my arrival. Fueled by liquid courage, I approached him without a second thought, ignoring the consequences of my recklessness. In a bold move, I kissed him directly on the lips. To my surprise, he kissed me back, and thus began a long, passionate night together. When morning came, I assumed I would never see him again, completely shocked when I realized that he was the uncle of my fiancé. As I stared at him in disbelief, he flashed a charming smile and said, "Nice to meet you, my nephew-in-law."

Once upon a time, Leonard truly loved me. In order to establish a Mate Bond with me, he confessed 99 times. On the 99th time, I was finally moved. On the day of our Marking Ceremony, I gave him 99 forgiveness coupons. I promised him that I would forgive him 99 times. As long as he still had coupons left over, I would forgive him and stay with him no matter what he did. We were bonded for six years. In the first five years of our Mate Bond, I rarely ever used the forgiveness coupons. Since his childhood friend Judy returned, however, I started burning through the coupons. When I tore up the 98th coupon, Leonard noticed that I had changed. I no longer made a fuss or fought him over Judy. I simply asked him calmly, “If you go to Judy, can I use up one forgiveness coupon?” Leonard paused and then recovered his cool. “Sure. I only used up slightly over half, so use another if you want.” I stayed silent as he left the house. As it turned out, he had no idea he had just lost his 98th coupon. He only had one chance left. After that, I would leave him forever.

On our fifth anniversary, Alpha Liam gave me nothing more than a simple pack mark of protection. That same night, he held a bonding ceremony with his first love, the she-wolf Seraphina. I refused to accept it. He accused me of being irrational. “My bonding with Seraphina is for the future of the pack, not because I still have feelings for her.” “You’re only human. Shouldn’t my pack’s mark be enough? This was your final test, Elena, and you’ve failed.” I walked away. And he turned around and proposed to Seraphina. Five years later, we met again at an exclusive hotel designated by the Alpha Council. His pack was on the verge of becoming a major power, and he had Seraphina, draped in a moonlight silk gown, on his arm. When he saw me, covered in sand and standing ankle-deep in the hotel’s ornamental fountain, he frowned. “Elena,” he scoffed. “You looked down on my protection back then. Look at you now. I bet you can’t find a single pack in this city willing to take in a human.” “And don’t think this pathetic display will make me take you back.” I ignored him. My cub’s treasured moonstone, a gift he’d found while combing the beach, had slipped into the fountain. The little guy was beside himself, and I had to find his precious amulet.

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.