Hopelessly Hopeful

She spent ten years chasing after the right brother, only to fall for the wrong one in one weekend. ~~~ Sloane Mercer has been hopelessly in love with her best friend, Finn Hartley, since college. For ten long years, she’s stood by him, stitching him back together every time Delilah Crestfield—his toxic on-and-off girlfriend—shattered his heart. But when Delilah gets engaged to another man, Sloane thinks this might finally be her chance to have Finn for herself. She couldn't be more wrong. Heartbroken and desperate, Finn decides to crash Delilah’s wedding and fight for her one last time. And he wants Sloane by his side. Reluctantly, Sloane follows him to Asheville, hoping that being close to Finn will somehow make him see her the way she’s always seen him. Everything changes when she meets Knox Hartley, Finn’s older brother—a man who couldn’t be more different from Finn. He's dangerously magnetic. Knox sees right through Sloane and makes it his mission to pull her into his world. What starts as a game—a twisted bet between them—soon turns into something deeper. Sloane is trapped between two brothers: one who’s always broken her heart and another who seems hell-bent on claiming it... no matter the cost. CONTENT WARNING: This story is strongly 18+. It delves into dark romance themes such as obsession and lust with morally complex characters. While this is a love story, reader discretion is advised.

"Did you ever, even once, imagine yourself loving me?" Sarah posed a hopeful question to Philip. "Don’t make me laugh, Sarah. Everything between us has been purely about pleasure and business.” Matagal nang may nararamdaman si Sarah para kay Philip mula noong una niya itong makita sa isang sports magazine. Nang iniwan si Philip ng fiancée nito para sumama sa ibang lalaki, walang pag-aalinlangang inialay ni Sarah ang sarili bilang kapalit na bride para iligtas ang lalaki sa kahihiyan. Pagkatapos ng tatlong taong walang pag-ibig at saysay na kasal, naglakas-loob si Sarah na hiwalayan si Philip, na umaasa pa rin sa dati nitong nobya. Nangako si Sarah sa sarili na makahahanap siya ng lalaking magmamahal, magtitiwala, at magpapahalaga sa kanya na parang isang reyna sa ikalawang pagkakataon. Isang taon ang lumipas, muling nagtagpo ang kanilang landas. *** Philip confronted Sarah in a ladies’ restroom, demanding, “Do not let other men touch you!” Sarah remained indifferent; her demeanor noticeably changed. “And what if I do?” she retorted. Philip’s tone grew menacing, “You won’t like what I’d do.” Unfazed, Sarah shot back, “Mr. Cornell, I’ve never liked what you’ve done, even in the past. There’s nothing new about that, and please stop whining like a baby,” before turning and walking away, disdainfully leaving him behind.

Hazel Dalton has always known her parents never wanted her. She is the girl, who should have been a boy. The family dissapointment. Keeping her nose in a book, Hazel tries to escape the world, who does not want her. But always looking down, is not only a good thing, especially when you dream of finding your mate and hoping he might be the strong and handsome Alpha of your pack. Grady Starwood becomes Alpha of the Starfall pack when he is 18, and if there is something he dreams of more then lead his pack to greatness, it is to find his destined mate and cherish her forever. His parents has instilled a love for the matebond, and a respect for the gifts the Moon Goddess bestows upon you in him since he was a small pup. It is with some disappointment, but also a small hope, that Grady does not find his mate right away. He has always had a crush on the quiet and shy Hazel Dalton, and found her astoundingly beautiful. Despite his daily fan club of hopeful she-wolves, lead by Josie Dalton, waiting for him to pick one of them as his chosen mate, Grady remains steady in his resolves to wait until Hazel is 18 and see. What happens when Grady finds his dream girl to be his mate, but a severe misunderstanding drives her away from him and his pack? Will she ever return or will he be forced to take a chosen Luna? Can Hazel ever come back and forgive her mate for what she thinks is his betrayal? Will she give him a chance to explain? Or will the mate she so badly wanted be the villain in her story forever? Drama, twists and unexpected turns. This is; The Alpha's Runaway Luna

I push through my Gamma warrior training ahead of schedule just to get back to the pack sooner. All I want is to stand beside my Alpha, Kyle Faucher, and finally complete our mate-bonding ceremony. But when I step into our house, scarred and feeling hopeful, I see 100 old boarding passes to the Darkmoon pack littering the floor. That pack is only a mile from my training grounds. Kyle's been that close for two years, and still, he never came. I sprint to the place where we were supposed to have our mate-bonding ceremony, clinging to the desperate hope that there's an explanation. But the moment I burst through the doors, I stopped cold. Kyle is down on one knee, dressed in a tailored suit, his eyes locked on someone with a softness I've never seen in him before. Standing across from him, smiling through her tears, is my stepsister, Vivian Blackwell. "Vivian, I haven't completed the mate-bonding ceremony with Serene. Say the word, and I'll reject her and mark you right now." At that moment, the world goes still, and I even forgot how to breathe. So this is what he's been doing while I was gone, chasing the woman he never let go of. Meanwhile, I spent those two years giving everything I had, trying to become someone worthy of standing by his side. I don't ask why or shed a tear. I just turn around and walk away. If she's what he wants, then so be it. The mate-bonding ceremony I dreamed of will be theirs instead. But the second I'm gone, he loses it and sends every warrior looking for me.

During the ten years since I was found and brought to my biological family, Sonia Baxter, the girl who took my place, and I have been as close as real sisters. Even Mom says that Sonia cares more about me than a real sister would. I once swore I'd give my life to protect our special family of four. When Sonia is rushed into emergency surgery with a ruptured cerebral aneurysm, I am in my office, calmly practicing a basic suturing technique on a surgical simulator. On the screen, the robotic arm threads the needle with such precision that it looks like a work of art. A few minutes later, my boyfriend, Oliver Lyons, slams open the office door and shouts at me, "Amelia Baxter! Sonia's in critical condition. Only your micro-dissection skills can save her! Every expert in the hospital is waiting for you! We've got less than an hour before the window closes!" He looks at me with hopeful eyes. I'm the only person in the country capable of performing a surgery this complex. My hands are even known as the "Hands of God". However, I simply reply with a hum and continue fiddling with the model. Suddenly, my parents rush in. Mom grabs my arm and cries out, "Amelia! That's your sister in there! How could you just stand by and watch her die?" I gently pull away from her and hold my right hand out in front of them. This hand, which had once created countless medical miracles, is now trembling slightly. "Unfortunately, since yesterday, I've been showing symptoms of essential tremor. Dad, Mom… this hand is ruined."

On the day of my seventh wedding anniversary, my husband's lover gave my son a pet cat. My pregnancy made me allergic to cat fur, and rashes appeared all over my body. Sensing that it might lead to a miscarriage, I told my son to return the cat. "I'm keeping it!" my five-year-old son, Zachary, protested. He pushed me and said, "I hate having you as my mom! I want Aunt Lynn to be my mom!" My husband, Quinton Locke, tore into me. "Why did you have to develop an allergy now, out of all times? Is your jealousy blinding you to the point where you won't even consider your son 's feelings? You're being unreasonable!" He carried Zachary up and left with the cat. They had eschewed me in favor of Lynn Shelbert, Quinton's lover and the 'apple of his eye'. I collapsed on the ground, watching as blood began to soak my pants. At that moment, I knew I had suffered a miscarriage. I felt an unimaginable pain while I was in the hospital. My husband and son went traveling with Lynn, resembling a happy family of three. Lynn sent me a message. [Do you know why Quinton married you even though he's hopelessly in love with me? Well, I wanted a son and a daughter, but I didn't want to bear the risks that come with pregnancy. It's a shame you had a miscarriage.] Despair engulfed me that very instant. I hired a lawyer to prepare the divorce papers and took a flight back to my hometown. My sole wish was to never see Quinton and Zachary again.

Jenifer Wedley had fallen in love and was willing to give up everything she had in order to be with Erdward Dike. Hoping for a sincere and lasting love with her boyfriend who she loved had in fact made Jenifer swallow a bitter pill. How not, Erdward, who Jenifer had always thought was a sweet man who loved her, turned out to have another love. Still hopeful about her love to Erdward, but Jenifer was instead kicked out in a terrible way Jenifer was devastated and disappointed and chose to return to her family, returning with the status of the heir to the Wedley family business empire. Until then, she was met with a businessman named Aron Biker, who secretly had a feeling for Jenifer Until finally when Jenifer had begun to open her heart to Aron, the same thing was repeated. Aron can't forget his past. Jenifer felt broken. Shame over the marriage that was about to happen made her reluctant to know about love again. Until Fabian Biker appeared, offering a wedding to cover up the embarrassment of Jenifer and her family At first, Jenifer refused. She did not want to play tricks on a marriage, but on the other hand it was the only way to save the pride her family and she then approved the marriage. But the problem was, at Jenifer's marriage age, which was still a short time, her past was back. Erdward returned and asked Jennifer for a second chance Will Jenifer take Erdward back? The man Jennifer loved so much? Or did she have to put up with a loveless marriage with Fabian? In fact, love was a feeling that cannot be forced. Love will flow like a stream that was sometimes calm or full of terrible droplets.

“Benjamin, stop! This isn't the right place. If anyone catches us, I'm done for.” He smirked, locking the door behind him. He approached, grabbing me and placing me on my desk. He tried to kiss me again, but I dodged. “Benja—” I started, but he cut me off with a whispered, “Shush.” Before I knew it, he lowered his head, removed my panties, and spread my legs. The moment he placed his tongue on my clit, I felt like I was in heaven. I couldn't believe I had gone years without sex, especially craving Benjamin, who knew exactly how to please me. Racheal Williams battles the pain of childbirth only to face an even greater torment when her newborn twins were almost taken from her. She managed to keep her daughter but lost her son to her ex-husband. She was forced into an impossible agreement with her ex-husband Benjamin and her mother during their bitter divorce. She was shattered but hopeful; she clung to the dream of reuniting with her son. Four and a half years later, as a fierce and determined police officer in Rome, Racheal has rebuilt her life with her daughter Kyla. But her past resurfaces, her ex-husband Benjamin appeared in Rome. Benjamin discovers the daughter he never knew existed and seeks to reclaim his place in her life, igniting a battle of wills and hearts. Amidst the chaos, betrayal, and an undeniable connection that still lingers, Racheal and Benjamin are thrust into a collision course of love and loss. Can they find a way to mend the broken pieces of their past, or will the secrets and lies keep them apart?

My fated mate, Alpha Kaelen, rejected me seven times. The first time we bonded, he whispered against my ear, his breath hot. “From now on, my soul sings only for you.” But then his first love, the Omega Seraphina, came back for him. And just like that, he rejected me. They shared a mate’s mark from their past. It left her hopelessly addicted to his scent. “I’m sorry,” he’d said. “I have to be with Seraphina. The scent addiction is destroying her. She can’t even shift. Her wolf is weakening.” The first time he rejected me, I slashed a silver dagger across my wrist. I let the blood flow, hoping the pain would make him look at me. It worked. Kaelen was horrified. He left Seraphina for a moment and rushed to my side, holding me, comforting me. The third time, I disguised myself as an ordinary pack wolf. I got an internship at his pack headquarters, just to breathe in the air he breathed. But this time, he looked right through me, as if we were strangers. By the sixth rejection, I had learned how to calmly erase my scent from his suite. I left without a sound. My screams. My surrender. My begging. And what I got in return? Every time he was with her, the full moon would rise, and he’d call me back. Just to play the same sick game all over again. Until now. I heard Seraphina was coming back again. So I handed him the ceremonial dagger myself. He set the date for my return, just like always. He had no idea. This time, I'm the one severing the bond for good. And I am never coming back.

“Fuck,” he groaned, his body tightening as he released his load inside me, spurting, filling my cunt. I remained still, trembling from the aftershocks, he pulled away, leaving me cold and exposed. I watched as he stood, reaching for his clothes with a casual indifference that felt like a slap. “Where are you going?” “Don’t overthink it. It’s just sex, nothing more.” “But… you didn’t mark me.” “Mark you? Why would I do that?” “Dominic… we’re married,” I tried to remind him desperately. He laughed coldly, mocking. “Marriage is just a contract, Samantha. You’re nothing more than a Luna with no wolf, an obligation I’m bound to.” ~~~ Samantha married Alpha Dominic, the man she’d been hopelessly inlove with, but he couldn’t love her back. He was waiting for his fated mate, not knowing that it was her all along becasue the bond remained hidden, unable to reveal itself due to her wolfless state. And Samantha paid the price—suffering the pain of her husband’s affair with another woman. Broken and betrayed, she ran away from the Silver Crescent Pack, carrying a secret that would change everything: she was pregnant. Six years later, she’s returned, not as the fragile woman she once was but as a fierce mother and the powerful right-hand to Alpha Killian. Her secret? Two five-year-old twins—and a wolf that finally emerged the moment she gave birth. When she unexpectedly crosses paths with Dominic, the Alpha she once loved, her carefully built walls begin to crumble. He’s everything she remembers and more: handsome, dangerous, and shockingly more attractively than she ever thought, drawing her in an inexplicable pull. But Dominic was oblivious to the truth she’s been hiding—the secret of their children...