Characters Of The Last Leaf By O Henry

I was the stand-in who looked most like my husband's first love. He put me through countless plastic surgeries, both major and minor ones, until I became her exact likeness. But then, she came back from the dead. All it took was her saying, "I don't like anyone looking like me," and he sent me right back to the operating table once more. I begged him, telling him that my body couldn't handle it anymore. Alas, he only looked at me with irritation. "Seeing that cheap imitation of her face just disgusts me," he sneered. "No matter how close you come, you'll never be her." In the end, I died on that operating table. Yet, he went mad, trying desperately to recall what I once looked like.

Orphaned at the age of 11, Skye was the sole survivor of a devastating fire that destroyed her home in a village in the Scottish Lowlands of 1301. By order of King Cinaed, her reluctant uncle was forced to take her in, though he left her upbringing to his maids. As Skye grew older, her uncle saw her marriageable age as an opportunity to rid himself of her. However, Skye, haunted by the scars of her past and fearful of rejection, sent away every suitor her uncle brought to the castle. When a new order from the King arrived, the entire family, including Skye, delightedly welcomed the news. But Skye’s heart was gripped by fear and uncertainty beneath her composed exterior. Her greatest dread was about to come true, threatening to upend her fragile sense of security and thrust her into an unknown future. Unbeknownst to Skye, forces beyond her control set the stage for a journey filled with secrets, betrayal, and unexpected alliances. As the shadows of her past collide with the demands of her present, Skye must navigate a web of intrigue to uncover the truth and find her place in a world turned upside down.

I had been engaged to Atlas Payne, a powerful CEO, for five years. This was the 21st time he had canceled our wedding ceremony. The first time, his secretary, Jasmine Scott, sprained her ankle. He left me by the roadside and rushed to the hospital. The second time, Jasmine cried and made a scene on the eve of our wedding, so he left me alone on the red carpet. The Payne family was powerful, while I was merely the daughter of a housekeeper. Therefore, everyone advised me to just deal with his mood swings. Every time Atlas left me behind, he would solemnly apologize and promise me that the next wedding attempt would definitely go smoothly. I kept believing him. Even though I was not the family's legitimate mistress, I still handled all the family affairs for him. I waited and waited, but the wedding ceremony never came. All I received was news that Jasmine was pregnant. This time, I had no reason to convince myself to stay. "I will never let you leave my side. If you ever disappear, I’ll make sure to use my family's influence to find you." The sweet words he once said to me were now a cage that trapped me. On Christmas Day, I prepared to leave him for good. I started a fire at home. Even the most powerful family would not be able to find someone who was supposedly dead. Years later, I unexpectedly came across Atlas kneeling at my ‘grave’. He was always so stern, but now, he was crying and begging me to come home and see him again.

"I hate the effect you have on me" I said softly but I can feel my body betraying me by yearning for his touch. "It doesn't seem like that to me. You want this. You want me" He chuckled softly. I could feel his hands on the small of my back reaching out to caress my bare skin. I shuddered. Just one touch alone and I let my guards down. "Now say the words, Aria" "I want you. I need you" *** On the night of her Luna ceremony, Aria's world unravels when she catches her betrothed, Luca, in a compromising position with her cousin, Indie. Heartbroken yet she desperately clings to the hope that Luca will return to the love he once showed her. Just as she is about to be introduced as Luca's Luna, Alpha Kael bursts into the hall. A beast with a devil’s reputation, he claims Aria as his fated mate. As Luca resolves to fight for her, a fierce rivalry ignites between the two powerful Alphas. Conflicted and confused, Aria must choose between the love she once shared with Luca and an uncertain but dark future with Kael. Amid the tension, Aria harbors hidden secrets—some she knows all too well, and other secrets she is yet to find out. What happens when these secrets start unfolding before their own eyes?

“Alpha, p- please.” I whispered breathlessly while clutching on his shirt, entire body trembling. He let out a ragged breath. “Do you know what it does to me when you call me that? Do you even know what your lewd sounds do to me? His fingers dug deeper into my bare skin, and when he pinched the skin of my neck between his teeth and sucked, a shaky whimper spilled past my lips. ~~~ Twenty five year old Leonie Goeldin is someone who believes life should be in black and white, with no grey in between, but that was before she unknowingly landed in a world of the supernaturals, and worse, she gets imprisoned– completely trapped in a world where she stood out horrifyingly as the only existing human. Alpha Gunnolf Royale, King of the Twilight Pack is well respected and immensely feared by everyone. He ruled with an iron fist and has a deep-rooted hatred for the humans. On realizing she was his sought after mate, he got so angry, and had her locked up. Not all roses are thorny, and neither are all monsters born a beast. Leonie and Alpha Gun started off with so much hate for one another, but that was before they got different chances to know each other. It’s a bumpy ride filled with ups, downs, rivals, witches, misunderstandings and so many secrets. Read to find out how the dark romance between Leonie and her alpha turns out.

Sometimes we go through hardships in order to get the best in our lives. Maia went through a painful ordeal, initially she had thought she married the man of her dreams but fate had another thing coming her way when now the romance turns bitter. Find out what game fate plays with her in By twist of fate.

Today is the death anniversary of Jordan Willis, the Alpha of the Moonshadow Pack. He's also known as my dead mate. My name is Sasha Calhoun, a she-wolf who descends from a family with a weakened bloodline. I'm also the current Luna of the Moonshadow Pack. In a world where the bloodline purity determines the status quo of werewolf society, I seem to exist solely to enter a marriage alliance with Jordan, the Alpha who comes from the most elite family with a pureblooded heritage. This is a political trade meant to strengthen Jordan's position in his family as well as reassure the Elder Council. A year ago, Alpha Jordan sacrificed himself in a blazing inferno while on a mission. I become the most pitied she-wolf in the pack who has to keep the only light on in my empty home. At the same time, I need to protect the only flicker of hope in this pack. As I carry a bouquet of white lilies, which were Alpha Jordan's favorite flowers when he was still alive, I approach his grave. The pup in my womb seems to have picked up on my emotions, for it kicks me gently. I can feel the hum of a powerful and pure-blooded lifeform from the movement. It's the lifeblood of a pup destined to become the future powerful Alpha. Even though I'm still carrying the pup, I still feel reassured and proud. But the next thing I know, I spot a wolf sinking down to one knee far away on the horizon. He appears to be proposing to my younger sister, Winnie Calhoun. Even though there's more than 300 feet between us, I can still smell the Alpha's familiar scent, which seizes me by my heart. After all, I had once immersed myself in that particular scent for countless days and nights in the past. That Alpha… is actually Alpha Jordan, who supposedly died one year ago! I instinctively clutch my belly, my palm caressing the newly-developed heartbeat of my unborn pup. Then, I call the pack guards.

When her brother’s life is buried under a crushing gambling debt, Alina Dusk agrees to marry Dorian Vale—the ruthless black-market king feared across the underworld. The bargain is simple: her brother’s freedom in exchange for her hand. But from the moment their vows are spoken, Dorian reveals a terrifying truth—he has been watching her for years, and now she is his to cage forever. What begins as a marriage of convenience spirals into a dangerous game of obsession, secrets, and betrayal. Alina tries to run, only to discover that Dorian knows her darkest secret: the night she killed a man. Caught in his grip, she becomes both his queen and his prisoner, forced to navigate a world of blood and power where nothing is what it seems. When Alina learns her brother’s debt—and even his betrayal—were part of Dorian’s design, her world shatters. Yet, amid the manipulation, she finds herself carrying his child. As enemies close in, a spy infiltrates her trust, and a tragic miscarriage ignites a mafia war. Torn between love and hatred, freedom and chains, Alina must decide: is Dorian Vale truly her monster—or the only man who can keep her alive

Pinning me against the wall, he gripped my jaw and growled, “You are mine, Ember.” His hand closed around my throat tightly before he whispered venomously, “Mine to break. Mine to destroy. As long as you are here, you are at my mercy.” A devilish smirk touched his lips as he said playfully, “And I am NEVER letting you go, my mate.” ============== All her life, Ember has worked hard to be the next Queen of the South but her life turns upside down when she finds out that she is the mate of the ruthless Alpha of the North, the bloodthirsty enemy of the South. Angry at fate, Ember vows to fight this forbidden mate bond. Alpha Nicholus, on the other hand, is disgusted to find out that the daughter of his worst enemy is actually his fated mate. But in his quest to become the most powerful King, he decides to bow down to fate but when his rebellious mate disagrees, he doesn’t hesitate to unleash his ruthless demons to get what he wants.

Sienna Valeria Storm thought her only crime was surviving. As the last Ruby Wolf, she has been hunted, accused of murdering an Alpha, and forced into hiding. But when she stumbles into the path of Kieran Draven Wolfe, the most feared Alpha of the Shadowfang Pack, her fate is sealed. He offers her a choice—stand trial and face execution or become his mate to break his deadly curse. But Kieran isn’t the only one drawn to her. Ronan Voss, an assassin from her forgotten past, has been ordered to kill her, yet his heart refuses. Caius Blackthorne, a vampire prince, offers her power in exchange for her loyalty. As the Celestial Trials force her to choose a mate, dark forces rise, and secrets long buried begin to surface. Because the Midnight Syndicate doesn’t just want her dead—they want her power. And the truth? If she bonds with the wrong mate, she could doom them all. She was born a legend. She will die a queen—or a monster.