Exo Been Through

On the day of my marking ceremony, I don't receive flowers or a mate's embrace. Instead, I receive news that my boyfriend, Liam Hagerty, was caught in a snowstorm and his body was never found. I lose the man I love, and the pup in my belly loses its father. The grief nearly destroys me, but everyone keeps saying, "Aurora, stay strong—at least for the pup." On the day of the funeral, Liam's twin brother, Jasper Hagerty, returns from the border patrol with his mate. Every time I see Jasper's face—the exact same face as Liam's—my heart aches all over again. Then one night, I accidentally overhear a conversation between my mother-in-law—the old Luna—and Jasper. "Liam, you have to go through with this. Your brother died saving you, and your sister-in-law's been through so much. Let her give birth and have something to rely on. Then, you can host your marking ceremony with Aurora." Silence follows. Then "Jasper" speaks. "But what about Aurora? She's carrying my pup..." His mother sighs. "Aurora is strong and considerate. She'll understand." Jasper says in resignation, "Alright, Mom. I'll do as you say." That's when I realize Liam never died. The man I thought was my brother-in-law, Jasper, is just Liam putting on an act. Heartbroken beyond words, I call my older brother, Axel Maddox. "Axel, I want to come home. Liam is already dead, so there's no reason for me to stay here anymore."

After failing to get her fiance, Austin Langford, to sleep with her for the 99th time, Cara Reyes calls up her best friend, Jessica Hogan, and says, "Jess, I'm coming to Spark City to find you." Almost immediately, the sound of a chair slamming on the ground comes through from the other end of the line. Jessica's excited voice is then heard. "Cara! You've finally thought it through! I've told you a long time ago that Austin isn't good for you! He looks too weak!" Cara's red-rimmed eyes light up a little as she smiles. "Yeah. I've thought it through." "Don't be sad, Cara. Once you're in Spark City, I'll introduce you to a new foreign boyfriend with broad shoulders, a narrow waist, and perfect body proportions. Their genes here are all top-notch, and you will definitely have a beautiful baby with them!" Nodding, Cara says, "Alright. Let me go and get my marriage certificate back first." After ending the call, Cara lies down in bed and falls asleep with a heavy heart. Sometime during midnight, someone pulls back the covers and slides in next to her, his warm body settling down just about an arm's length away from her. A short while later, Cara hears the rustling of clothes and the man panting softly beside her. Cara's body goes numb like she's just been electrocuted. However, she still slowly turns her head back to take a closer look.

Dr. Aria Blackwood thought she could outrun her past by hiding in the small town of Silverwood. She was dead wrong. Three years after losing her sister in a tragic accident, Aria's ability to sense animal emotions has grown stronger—dangerously so. But nothing prepares her for the electric shock that courses through her veins when she meets Kael Nightshade, the mysterious ranch owner whose gray eyes seem to see straight into her soul. Kael knows Aria is his mate the moment their eyes meet. This Alpha werewolf has been waiting centuries for her, but revealing his true nature could shatter the fragile trust building between them. Every stolen glance ignites a fire neither can ignore. Every accidental touch sends waves of desire surging through their bodies. The pull between them is magnetic, primal, undeniable—but Kael's secret could destroy everything. When Aria begins dreaming of silver moonlight and howling wolves, when her mysterious abilities spiral out of control, she realizes Kael isn't the only one hiding something. The power awakening within her is ancient, dangerous, and tied to a bloodline she never knew existed. But their passion-filled nights under the stars are cut short when masked hunters arrive in Silverwood, led by someone from Aria's past who should be dead. As Kael's pack comes under attack and Aria's powers explode to the surface, she must choose between the love that burns and consumes her and the sister she thought was lost forever.

Erica is the beloved favorite of the Moonlight pack. The Moon Goddess had created a remarkable wolf with her, the only daughter of the late Beta who was adopted by the Alpha family. With vibrant red hair and glistening silver eyes, she easily enchanted everyone around her. Like all werewolves, Erica longs for her true mate, the one crafted just for her by the Moon Goddess. Although Johnston, the Gamma’s son, adores her, Erica is reluctant to fully commit to him because she knows that every wolf has a destined mate. Determined to find hers, she sets off on a journey through eight neighboring packs in search of her other half. Meanwhile, Johnston grapples with anxiety over possibly losing her but remains steadfast in his belief that they are fated and their bond simply hasn't been revealed by the Moon Goddess yet. He discreetly shadows her throughout her journey, often in disguise. As Erica moves through each pack, she observes the intrigues and secrets among the high-ranking. Her quest is made even more challenging when she encounters males who are not bashful about using witchcraft to create a false mate bond with her, or using deceptive tactics to seduce her. And along the way she even came across an evil sister. By the end of her search, Erica had gained a wealth of experience and knowledge. Eventually, Johnston and Erica discover their origins and the Moon Goddess's plans work out well. But whether their love can withstand these changes in their rankings is a serious question...

Emilia Burke is a young and advanced college student with an eye for trouble. Ever since her last year in high school, when the only man she ever loved disappeared without a single glance, she has been an expert at evading heartbreak. And hasn't formed a meaningful connection since. Sure, she's young, funny, pretty, and too smart, but she has kept her love interests at a distance and kept everything simple. Fun. No feelings attached. But now, with as much ease as when he disappeared, Leon Maverick has returned to her life as a successful and sexy business tycoon. He's determined to win back the girl whom once had given her all for him, but there's a problem when she can't even stand the idea of him. If only she would give, but there's just something... Something about Leon. And maybe, he'll break through her barriers one last time.

The apocalypse was coming. The ground temperature was 158 °F, and the first batch of human beings started moving to the base at the North Pole. As a scientist, my husband was allowed to bring family members with the first batch. Everyone thought that he would take me along without hesitation. But in the end, the name he wrote in the application form was one of his master’s students. “I trained her myself, and she does not have parents. I can’t bear to leave her alone in such a hot place.” He casually submitted the application form, and his words just chilled me to the core. “Rose, you’re different. You’ve been through tough situations. I believe you can make it until the second batch moves.” I forced a resigned smile and said nothing. That night, as the temperature climbed, I made a calm call. “You promised to grant me one wish, no questions asked. Does that still count?”

Gabriella Whyte was a foster child who had been struggling to make ends meet for years, ever since she left the foster care system. After losing her job as a receptionist at a hotel, she makes a drastic decision to leave her small town in Arkansas and move to New York City, where she finally lands a job at the prestigious KINGSTON ENTERPRISES, one of the biggest companies in New York. Gabriella never imagined that walking through the giant mahogany double doors of the CEO’s office would eventually thrust her into a contract marriage with the obnoxious, yet strikingly handsome, young billionaire, Alexander Kingston himself. Now tasked with keeping up the ruse of the doting wife to a powerful man, lines are crossed, and the terms of their contract marriage seem rather difficult to stand by, with each day that passes. What happens next as a roller coaster ride of love, betrayal, jealousy, and exploring new feelings take them both by surprise.

Five years of marriage, and as the pack's Luna, I've never been to a single big celebration. Every Moonlight Festival, I spent it alone at home. It's simply because my mate told me the pack has a rule: wolves not raised within the pack cannot join pack gatherings. Even Lunas can't. To follow this rule, I endured my wolf spirit's unease and felt lonely for five solid years. Until the eve of another Elder Gathering, I stumbled upon a post from his first love on social media. Through another woman's account, I saw my mate. She posted pictures with my mate. For five years, at every Elder Gathering, they were side-by-side, never apart. That's when I realized, it wasn't that he couldn't make an exception. It was just that the one he'd make an exception for wasn't me.

My husband, Chandler Goodwin, claims that he doesn't understand what the phrases "silent treatment" or "giving the cold shoulder" mean. Yet, in the three years we have been married, he has never once spoken to me sweetly. The first time we have a falling out, I remain proud and dignified. We end up ignoring each other for seven days straight. The seventh time we have a cold standoff, I start to panic a little. However, despite trying all sorts of methods, he doesn't back down. The 11th time it happens, I have already learned to work through my emotions myself. Chandler doesn't even need to say anything before I take the initiative to apologize first. I simply think that he's just a naturally indifferent person, that nobody can warm his stone-cold heart. Then, on the third year of our marriage, I accidentally ruin his dress shirt while ironing it. Chandler doesn't say a word, but that very night, he packs his things and moves into a hotel. On the third day of being blocked, I head to his company with a handwritten apology. While passing by his office, I spot him leaning over to shoot his angry assistant a doting smile. "I'm sorry for raising my voice at you just now and upsetting you. It's been 57 minutes since you started ignoring me. Please stop giving me the cold shoulder, alright?" I freeze on the spot, the apology letter in my hand practically burning my fingers. As it turns out, it's not that he doesn't know what the silent treatment means—it's just that I've never been the person he wants to coax.

Due to my outstanding performance, Mdm. Hall granted me flexible working hours. After a full night of entertaining clients, I had barely fallen asleep when a colleague’s call jolted me awake. “It’s already 9:30 a.m.! How could you be late again?” I patiently explained that I had worked late signing contracts last night. So, I would not be coming into the office this morning. However, my colleague scoffed. “Don’t think that being the top salesperson gives you free rein to skip work! “The heiress, Ms. Hall, is visiting the office for the first time today! “If you upset her, you’d better watch out. She’ll have you fired!” I pushed through my headache and searched my memory. The heiress he mentioned was Cadence Hall. If I was not mistaken, she was the woman who had been desperate to marry into my family.