Harriet Kepner Avery

"When are you going to kill her like you killed her family and pack? She doesn't deserve to be your mate. She's weak and wolf-less." Avery, my mate's former lover, spoke in a bored voice from behind the wide, thick doors. I gasped in shock, covering my mouth to hold back the tears. My mate was responsible for killing my family?! And now, he was plotting my murder with his lover! ___ Selena Ardolf had always been the perfect Luna and a devoted wife. Her only flaw? She couldn't give Alpha King Zander Blake an heir. But just when the Moon Goddess finally blessed her with the miracle of pregnancy, fate delivered the most devastating news of her life—Zander had massacred her family and annihilated her pack. As if that pain wasn’t enough, he had also betrayed her, breaking their sacred mate bond by cheating on her with his childhood friend, an Alpha’s daughter. Heartbroken and shattered, Selena made the only choice she could—to protect her unborn child. She rejected her ruthless Alpha mate and vanished without a trace, keeping her pregnancy a secret from everyone. But fate had other plans. Years later, she is forced to face her ruthless ex-mate once more. This time, Zander seems more obsessed than ever, determined to claim her at any cost. However, Selena is no longer alone. A mysterious vampire prince shows up, declaring that she is his mate—Arabella, from the ages—and he has come to take back what is rightfully his.

"You think you know hate, Avery?" His voice a dangerous rumble that seemed to roll straight through me. "Hate is easy. It’s the love that complicates everything." "Love? Don't talk to me about love. You wouldn't recognize it if it clawed its way into your heart." Liam's expression darkened, "And whose fault is that, remind me? You destroyed every ounce of it." My eyes filled with tears instantly, my voice so thick, it hurt my throat as the words came out. "And you made me pay for it, in the most horrible way. A person who loved a girl with his whole heart would never be able to do what you've done, what you've allowed to happen. That's why I hate you, because you never loved me, or else you couldn't do all this to me." His eyes sparked with anger "You have no idea what you're talking about." "Maybe I do, maybe I don't," I shot back bitterly, "But it seems like the only thing you're good at is pretending. Pretending to care, pretending to love—" "That's enough!" his voice boomed. "You want to see how real my feelings are? I should teach you a lesson on underestimating them." I tilted my chin up in defiance "Go on then, teach me." The next moment was a blur of motion as he closed the distance between us. His hands gripped my face, not gentle but not cruel—a fervent, desperate hold. His lips met mine in an intense, raw kiss, fueled by anger and deep, relentless desire. The kiss was punishing, his mouth moving against mine with a fierce urgency that left no room for doubts or second thoughts. As he pulled back, his eyes bore into mine, challenging, questioning, daring me to deny what lay between us.