Icarus Laughed

I was reborn. Right back to the day I adopted Peter. The wind cut sharp, baby cries slicing through the cold. That's when it hit me—this was the day Stuart Pete, my oh-so-loving husband, dumped his illegitimate child right in my path after work. He knew me too well. The second I picked the kid up, he'd spin it into an adoption, making the boy ours. Last time, I fell for it. This time? I walked away without a second thought. Later, I heard the kid got pneumonia from being left out in the freezing cold—fever so bad, it wrecked him for life. I laughed until my stomach hurt. What I didn't see coming? Peter was reborn too—about to experience the life he was meant to have.

“Even if the world shuns me, laughs at me, gives me strange looks, and labels me as a freak, I will not give up. I will never give up on what I believe in, even if it takes years, I will continue to persevere until I achieve my goal and get what I deserve!” These were the words Juan always told herself deep down in her heart whenever she looked at the mirror. These were the words that made her keep on going whenever they laughed at her, mocked her for being ugly. To her, as long as she has faith even as small as a mustard seed, she believes that one day, her time will come and her life will change for the better. All she needed was a chance, an opportunity and that is all it took for her life to be changed eternally forever. Destiny came knocking at her door and no matter how many times she tried throwing this chance away, it followed her home and from that day going forward, Juan, the ugly and clown everyone was used to became a beauty that many couldn’t touch. Even if the journey wasn’t simple and rocky, she wasn’t willing to give it up and live a life of suffering as she did. Will there be happiness waiting for her at the end of the road? Will she be willing to sacrifice it all to achieve her dreams and goals?

The casino my husband and I ran was about to go through a chaotic police raid. Anyone who got caught would likely end up arrested. We had the time to leave. But we couldn’t all leave. One of us had to stay behind, or the cops would keep chasing us. Elias, my charming husband, didn’t even hesitate. He grabbed Mireille and left me to handle the cops, tossing over his shoulder, “I’ll send a lawyer to you.” Lucky for me, I managed to walk away without any consequences. And then, I saw, Elias, the man who was supposed to have my back, not only did escape without me, he also whisked Mireille away to some fancy resort, like they were on vacation. He looked so carefree, so unbothered. Not a hint of concern for the wife he’d just abandoned. “Think Seraphina’s gonna be mad that we left without her?” Mireille asked, all innocence. Elias laughed, that cold, detached laugh that sent a shiver down my spine. “Please. As if she’d ever get mad at me. She can handle herself.” He didn’t care. But you know what? Neither do I. Not anymore.

At graduation, I invited my classmates to attend my engagement party, but what I didn’t expect was the total meltdown one of my classmates had when she saw my engagement photos. She strutted over, full of herself, and demanded that I take off my dress so she could use it to polish her shoes. I blinked in confusion, thinking she must have lost her mind. I laughed and suggested she head over to the campus clinic to get checked out. Instead, she exploded, pointing a finger right in my face as she started yelling. “You leech! How dare you wear something so expensive?” she screamed. “You’ve been spending all of my boyfriend’s money on your filthy clothes! Have you no shame? Get down on your knees and apologize, or I guarantee you'll regret it. Who knows where you'll end up tomorrow? Maybe in the hands of some trafficker?” I couldn’t help but laugh. Who would’ve thought that my fiancé, whose tuition fees I paid for, had the nerve to keep a secret mistress behind my back?

When my husband, Louis Banks, was caught in a traffic accident, I was at an interview out of town. By the time I got to the hospital, he had already been declared dead, and was sent to the crematorium. Hearing the news, I fainted on the spot. When I woke up again, I was greeted by the court coming to enforce the auction of all our assets. The reason was that Louis' company had gone into financial troubles, leaving us in massive debt, and I was the only legal representative of the company. Many years later, I found myself begging in the snow with a cracked bowl, and I nearly got run over by a luxury car. To my surprise, the one in the driver's seat was none other than Louis, who was supposed to be dead ages ago! Dressed in designer brands and holding another woman in his arms, he jeered at my filthy stench and appearance, even kicking my bowl to pieces. "You're still alive, huh? I was worried that I couldn't trick someone who graduated from a bigshot university, but you were dumb enough to believe it without questioning it for a second!" He laughed, sneering as he continued, "Thanks for working so hard for us, hahaha!" His words filled me with so much anger that I died on the spot, my eyes glaring at him even in death. Little did I expect that when I came to, I found myself back on the day of his accident!

At the Mating Ceremony, my mate Alexander rejected our mate bond in front of the entire pack, then turned around and marked Sarah instead. While I endured the excruciating pain of rejection and the pack's vicious gossip, Alexander's brother Ethan walked into our ceremonial grounds. He presented me with nine hundred and ninety-nine Moonflowers, confessing he had secretly loved me for years. His wolf had recognized me as his mate, and he'd dreamed of making me his. I was shocked to discover he was my second chance mate, and touched that he saved me from humiliation. I immediately nodded in agreement. Five years into our marriage, I had miscarried five times, and had finally managed to conceive again. Ethan held me carefully, spinning me around with joy, promising to take good care of me and the baby, even if it cost him his life. Four months into my pregnancy, I overheard him talking with the pack healer: "Alpha Ethan, just like the previous five times, the miscarriage drugs have been added to your wife's pregnancy supplements." "I don't understand. Sarah was able to bear your child, so why not your wife?" Ethan laughed bitterly: "Only those who produce an heir can inherit the Alpha position. Alexander is infertile, and I want Sarah to fulfill her wish of becoming the pack's Alpha Female." Alexander and Ethan were the children of our pack's Alpha. The Alpha had declared that whoever produced an heir first would become the next Alpha of the pack. All those passionate vows and promises were nothing but lies. The brothers, Alexander and Ethan, both loved Sarah. If that was how things stood, I would leave. I returned to our bedroom and secretly took out my phone, dialing a number I thought I would never contact again: "I agree to return and inherit the Shadow Pack. But I need you to do me a favor."

"You will stay here!" He demanded "I will not!" "You will, you are now a weakness of mine and you need to be protected" he said, I almost laughed at that statement, a weakness of his?, he survived Freya's death without running mad like my father, if I died he should rejoice, his bad luck would be finally over, seeing that the goddess had blessed him with a second mate, she might even bless him the third time and this time around it would not be the daughter of his worst enemy. "I am no weakness of yours, you did well in announcing how evil and worthless I was in front of your pack, how you wanted me to suffer. You should rejoice at my death!" I yelled, Kaden's face contorted more in anger and he growls before yelling out a statement that completely shook me and my entire existence "You might be with child. The Deity forbids I lose another pup again!". *************************************************Louisiana Reynolds is the daughter of the disgraced and killed Beta Darius Reynolds, the murderer of Alpha Kaden's first mate Freya, whom has been living a life of torture in her pack, RedSand as an atonement for her father's sin. While Louisiana sought for freedom she discovers that she is the second mate of Alpha Kaden as their fates has been intertwined. She then has to live with the Alpha that despises her and would not reject her.

"NOOO...please......stop......this....." she screamed like a lunatic. She looked at him with her teary eyes "How.....could.....you......do......this......to.....me?I....I.....love....youuuu.....We.....loved.....each.....other.....then why??" she asked while bawling. "Dami...what.....are...you....doing....Is this some twisted prank?..... please stop" she pleaded. He laughed hysterically like an evil incarnate. He yanked her hair.....and said "You are a fucking whore and I will never let anyone like you be my wife... I had all my fun with you baby-girl. That's all it is." he whispered the last part only for her to hear and winked with a wicked smile. She pulled his collar and yelled "I am not a whore Damon. You know....I don't know what made you think all that.....but you are wrong Dami.....mark my words..... you will regret this." she snapped at him. He pushed her like trash in front of everyone and left her alone. But after five years she came back like a tornado to shatter his life to make him repent of his brutality. Shefali D'Souza an eighteen-year-old girl, a pure soul who was very ambitious, an epitome of beauty, her sassy attitude and her dimpled smile could make anyone crazy for her. Damon Knight the sole heir to a influential-powerful family and business Empire. For the world, he was a renowned boxer, a businessman and the most eligible bachelor. But in reality, he was a true devil in human skin, a sadistic playboy, who destroyed an innocent soul. Her sassy attitude and mesmerizing beauty captured his heart. His piqued interest soon turned into obsession and without even him realizing it, he fell in love. A love that destroyed a lot of lives.

“I still don’t understand how Dad fell for my Mom. I mean she is Indian and he is Australian. How did he?” I asked him tapping my chin. “That’s the specialty of Indian women. Anyone can fall in love with them.” He replied shrugging like it is the silliest question. “Do only Indian women have that specialty or even men?” I asked raising my eyebrow. “Of course!” he replied pulling me to him. “But I am unable to see anything special in you though.” I mumbled to which he narrowed his eyes. “Then the problem must be in you.” He mumbled back with a strong glare. “Ouch! Anyway, do you have the specialty you are saying to deserve me?” I asked him smirking. “What?” he asked with shocked face. I laughed before pushing him away and rushed towards the main gate thinking he will just catch me. However, I turned around and asked him “Do you?” with a serious tone this time. ------------------- A girl who wishes that the people with whom she stays must deserve her but not because she wants to feel arrogant or superior. It is just so that she can get assurance that she will not get hurt by them. She will not settle for anything less no matter what…

"Look your too weak I can't accept you as a mate you'll only shame yourself and this pack " my own mate said to me . . . . My mate rejected me on my eighteen birthday and the day after my own parents was backing him, so to telI you the truth I couldn't handle that but as much as I cried over it I knew the reason he did it tho, every pack has a trial or test that the alpha's mates has to take in order to become the Luna of the pack I know it sounds stupid but that's the law that the alpha king declared after the war that took place, most alpha lost there mate because they weren't able to defend them self or the pack so to put it simple if I don't have strength and knowledge I can't be Luna Being the alphas reject mate was not a pretty repetition for me, especially since i know that there's gonna be contest to pick out the most fairest she- wolf of them all while I'll be at home sulking about it, so in that instance I made up my mind and left the pack and everyone behind as well. After that I found myself being Something I never dreamed of 'a hunter' and not just any hunter but 'an assassin hunter' never have I heard of a werewolf being a hunter much less an omega, most would have laughed but now I'm feared. After four years of my disappearance I was sent on mission back to my old pack, somewhere i never dreamed of seeing again but here i was seeing the people i once called family and the place i once called home