Dead Stars Setting

I stared at the photos attached to an email. My Alpha mate, Marcus Hale, was supposed to be negotiating a partnership with another pack. But the photo showed him standing in Firefly Woods, a famous dating spot. Across from him were his long-lost first love and my two children. The four of them looked happy and complete, like a perfect family frozen in time. My heart jolted painfully. At the same moment, I realized that what I had with Marcus was over.

I was ditched by my father, Alpha of Northcrest Pack. Dumped in the borderlands for a whole decade. "Danae's still young. Once she hits eighteen, we'll bring you back. She's always been insecure 'cause she's adopted. When she's stronger, we'll come for you." Yeah, right. I didn't even look at that delusional she-wolf. Just kept watering my orchard. Even my so-called brother backed Danae. "Danae's the sister I grew up with. Disrespect her when you return, and we're done." Their voices? Just white noise. I shut it down cold. "Wrong wolf. I don't know you." They had the nerve to call themselves family. Joke's on them—I've had real parents for the last eight years.

Dean Russo's gaming mate breaks up with him. In his foul mood, he forces everyone to work overtime. "Hey Kylie, you're his Beta, right? Go talk to Alpha Dean. We all want to get out of here on time." "Are you serious? Just seeing his gloomy face freaks me out." Everyone keeps urging me to go and calm Dean down, but what no one realizes is that the gaming mate he can't move on from is actually me. Just when everything seems fine in our online relationship, he unexpectedly asks to meet face-to-face. But if he ever learns that his beloved gaming mate is none other than his Beta, he's bound to be furious. For my own safety, I decide to end things before they can spiral out of control. But who would expect the breakup to hit him so hard? Yet, if I want to avoid working overtime, it seems like I have no choice but to get back together with him.

An accident leaves Preston Brown unable to have children. The fight over his family's fortune is heating up. Desperate for an heir, Preston arranges for me to sleep with his best friend, Rowan Kerr. I quietly dump the sleeping pills Preston gave me and pretend to be clueless. Then, I lose myself in a night of passion with Rowan. … The next morning, right in front of Preston, I smile sweetly and say, "Honey, you were incredible last night. I've never felt so good." His expression darkens. "Do you prefer the man I am by day, or the one who takes you at night?" I act bashful, tugging on his sleeve. "Both. But I especially love the one who knows how to satisfy me at night."

Sé que no me queda mucho tiempo después de haber sido envenenada con acónito. No quiero tener remordimientos, así que viajo al lago de Sacred Crystal, un lugar que siempre había querido visitar. No le digo a nadie que planeo terminar mi vida allí. No esperaba encontrarme con mi ex-compañero en ese lugar. No nos hemos visto en diez años. Él se ha convertido en el Alfa que siempre quiso ser, y lleva un anillo que tiene grabado el nombre de otra loba. En cuanto a mí, ya he tirado nuestra muestra de amor y lo he borrado de mi corazón. Estamos intercambiando palabras cuando, de repente me pregunta: —¿Todavía me odias, Giselle? Sacudo la cabeza. Mi vida está a punto de terminar, después de todo. Ya no necesito aferrarme a nada. En los últimos momentos de mi vida, solo quiero ver el mar de lirios que la Diosa de la Luna ha bendecido.

I had a perception disorder that messed with how I saw and felt stuff. So when I got dropped into a horror game, everyone else freaked out trying to survive— Me? I thought I was in a dating sim. I raised a young fae like she was my kid, fell for the vampire count, and treated the undead like my in-laws. The first time I saw the vampire—face torn up, soaked in blood—I straight-up blushed. "You're really handsome." He froze. Then, low and uncertain: "Am I... really handsome?"

At my own engagement ceremony, the spot reserved for the future Luna was claimed by another she-wolf. And my Alpha mate Xavier didn't stop her. He told me to hand over my gown and my ring, too. "Claire, you know Yvette's family can't afford this kind of thing. Be generous. Give them to her. It's not like you can't spare one dress." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. "Fine. She took my place, now she wants my dress. Why don't I just give her the Luna title while I'm at it? Make it easier for you two to sneak around." His face went dark. "Claire. Watch your mouth." "If the dress and the ring aren't ready for her tomorrow, I'm calling off the alliance. Your choice." He stormed off with Yvette on his arm. The second they were out of earshot, I opened a mind-link to my father. "Dad. Cancel the alliance. And pull every investment you have in Xavier's pack while you're at it." He wants to be Alpha? He'd better hope I agree.

Adrian had fallen into his brother's trap. Stripped of his Alpha title, he was exiled from the pack. On the road into exile, he was ambushed by rogue wolves. Broken and hopeless, he stopped fighting altogether, ready to die. As Adrian's kept lover, I was about to abandon him and run for my life — until a flood of glowing comments rolled across my vision. [The villainess is finally showing her true colors. Once she's gone, there'll be nothing stopping the hero and heroine from meeting.] [But she doesn't know the hero is still alive. When he reclaims his Alpha title, the first thing he does is exile everyone who ever betrayed him — the villainess included. She gets torn apart by rogue wolves in the end, and honestly, she deserves it.] My blood ran cold. Before I could even think, I threw myself into the rogues and took a claw strike meant for him. Adrian stared at me in disbelief. I turned back to him, forcing a grin through the pain. "Adrian, don't you dare die on me — who's going to keep me fed?"

Three months into the silent treatment from my Alpha mate, Samson Holt, he holds a grand ceremony befitting of a Luna for the return of his beloved Leia Harton. Because of this, I—the real Luna—am now the laughing stock of the entire pack. "Sharon's just an orphan wolf with no real lineage. How could someone like her be our Luna?" "Exactly! Leia's the one who truly deserves to stand beside the Alpha." Ignoring them, I take up a silver blade and slash it hard across my throat. They never knew that I wasn't truly one of them. I wasn't a wolf at all, but a human from another world. And the Moon Goddess just told me that if I die in this world, I can finally go home and reunite with my family.

My husband, Gavin Chapman, is giving his secretary, Natasha Gardner, exactly what she wants. He's making her his wife. To pull it off, he fakes a lab accident, pretends to have amnesia, and brings her home. In his office, Gavin wraps his arms around Natasha and murmurs indulgently, "Not just Mrs. Chapman. Even if you want to pretend to be the vice president for a week, I'll let you." My eyes dim, but I let the lie go on. The next day, at a press conference, Gavin holds Natasha's hand and tells the world she's his real wife. He even threatens to kick me out of the company and take over all my research data. Dozens of cameras swivel toward me, waiting for my outburst. But I stay silent and simply sign the termination papers. Gavin doesn't know that the pharmaceutical project he believes will be done in seven days isn't quite finished. There's still one final step, and I'm the only one who knows how to do it.