If He Had Been With Me Book 2

On Christmas Eve, Gabriel Caldwell, my three-year boyfriend, invites me to go home with him for a nice feast and to spend the holidays together. But before I can even get a bite, I get drugged instead. "If I can't pay them any money at this rate, they'll chop my hand off, Evelyn! Seriously, I don't have any choices left but to deliver you to them! "Don't blame me for this, Evelyn. Blame yourself for having such rotten luck in life by looking just like the woman of Mr. Kensington's dreams. "By then, my debt is cleared, and you might live an extremely cushy life as a rich man's wife! Isn't this a win-win situation for us?" While I'm still groggy from the drugs' effects, I get delivered to an extremely familiar-looking estate by Gabriel's family. First things first, if I'm not mistaken, this must be my uncle, Sebastian Kensington's estate. Secondly, my uncle adores his older sister—my mom—so much to the point that he's never fallen for any other woman except her in this lifetime. And last but not least, all my dad did back then was roll his eyes at my mom once before Uncle Sebastian had him sent to a faraway continent. Well then, I wonder who's the one that'll be cursed with rotten luck after they deliver me to my uncle's hands? Gosh, it's so hard to guess!

"No, this is a mistake! A wolfless, overweight werewolf can't be my mate." His words hit me hard. Whispers erupt from the crowd, murmurs of disbelief and judgment that swirl around me like a storm. But I won't let them see how much it hurts. I won't give him the satisfaction. I square my shoulders, forcing a smile that feels like it's going to crack my face. "Well, Bran, I guess the Moon Goddess has a sense of humour after all," I say, despite the pain running through me. "Too bad she didn't give you one." Everywhere is silent now, shocked by my words. Bran's eyes turn red with anger. But I hold my ground, refusing to let him see how much I'm breaking inside. "Talia," he begins, but I cut him off before he can say more. He is going to reject me anyway. "Don't worry, Bran," I say sarcastically. "I'm sure there's some loophole you can find to get out of this. After all, you can't have someone like me ruining your perfect reputation, right?" He turns away. "This conversation is over, Talia. You should leave." I feel the sting of his rejection like a physical blow, but I don't let it show. I won't give him or anyone the satisfaction of seeing me break. Instead, I nod, keeping my head high as I turn on my heel and walk away. Talia, a wolfless wolf in her pack, has been a subject of mockery in her pack just because she's fat, wolfless, and eats like a glutton. Her situation turns worse when the Moon Goddess decides to give her Alpha Bran, the pack's Alpha, as a mate. He rejects her on the spot. What will be Talia's fate after the rejection? Let's see.

Sofia Esteban had given up her fortune, her family and her name for love... only to have her husband shove divorce papers in her face and announce he was marrying another woman… who claimed to be pregnant with his child. Two months later, Sofia wakes from a coma with no memory… only to discover the man she loved has married her rival and her life has been shattered…

MARKED is book #4 in a new paranormal romance series by bestselling author Bella Lore, whose series MY TRUE MATE and THE ALPHA’S MATE have over 500 five-star reviews. “I couldn’t stop reading.” --Amazon review (My True Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ When her father suddenly dies, Winter Grace, 17, is forced to fly across the country and attend a mysterious prep school, an ancient castle in a fog-covered island on the coast of Maine. Nothing here is what it seems, and it isn’t long before Winter, feeling a surging power for the first time, realizes that she is not who—or what—she thinks she is. But when Winter feels an inexplicable crush for an elusive and dangerous boy at the school, she realizes a greater destiny is at play. She knows the relationship might destroy them both—yet she also knows that they can never be apart. In MARKED, it is time for Winter to return on the epic quest back to save her school—but first, it is time for her to now sacrifice it all, and find—and save—her lost love. Creating an unforgettable world of vampires, werewolves, shifters and magic of all sorts, a world of fantasy, love and sacrifice, MORTAL will take you to another place, rife with shocking twists and turns. Fans of books such as Vampire Academy and Twilight and Crush are sure to fall in love! Future books in the series are also available. "The story was very well written and was unique as compared to other shifter stories.” --Amazon review (The Alpha’s Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Excellent from start to finish and leaves you wanting more.” --Amazon review (My True Mate) ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

I was Elena DeLuca, the orphan Lucian Vestri pulled out of a massacre. The night two mafia families turned the docks into a graveyard, my parents died taking bullets meant for him. He carried me out in his arms, brought me back to the Vestri estate, and kept me by his side ever since. For five years, he gave me everything. Protection. Privilege. A place no one else could touch. He made me the most untouchable woman in the city. So I was foolish enough to believe I meant something different to him. Then I told him I loved him. He gave me silence. And for the next three years, he gave me nothing else. Until the day he went to another family to formalize his engagement. His bride was Sofia Bellini. The woman who once watched me humiliate myself for him. That same day, another family placed a marriage alliance in front of me. This time, I did not cry. I did not beg. I lowered my eyes and said, calmly,"If my marriage can repay the Vestris and serve the family's interests, then I'm willing." The moment I was no longer his, Lucian went mad trying to make me stay.

Miyuki Sakurai is a seemingly ordinary girl, coming from a poor family, and to earn money for college, she works in a bar. But no one knows that Miyuki is also a witch who, however, is terribly afraid of the dark. One day suddenly changes her monotonous life, as Miyuki meets two handsome men: Kai Ichatashiko, a psychologist who seems to understand her better than the others; and Aoi Takashima, an eccentric and independent musician to whom she is strangely drawn by his dark aura. Which of them will win the heart of the fearful witch? And what is the secret that connects these two men?

Keyla and Genzo return; their love full of obstacles, will they be happy? They will have to overcome hard tests in order to live their love

When I was 18, I was abducted and assaulted. Leonardo Ferrante stormed into the hideout with explosives strapped to his body and saved me. As a result, he lost a leg. After getting a prosthetic, he gently wiped away my tears and comforted me. "Don't be silly, Camilla Marino. It's just one leg. Why are you crying over this? I said I will protect you for a lifetime. I won't break my promise." After that, he even risked his life to take revenge for me. No one in the whole wide world dared to provoke me. I once thought I would stay happy like this forever... until his mistress, Vittoria Greco, hands me an invitation to their engagement banquet. "Do you really think he will marry an assaulted woman like you? Leonardo says you're rotten inside and out. Only I deserve to marry him. We're getting engaged next week. Make sure you come join us for the celebration." I stare at the fancy font on the invitation. Then I swing it backhand and slap her across the face 100 times until she bleeds. After that, I have my men call Leonardo. "I will make a bet with you. If you win, you can take your mistress away. But if you lose, I will claim her life!"

Alice Markston once loved Vincent with all her heart — until that love became her greatest mistake. Framed, humiliated, and abandoned by the man she called husband, Alice walked away from the Markston family, vowing never to return. Years later, she’s no longer the fragile woman he broke. She’s stronger, wiser — and utterly unreachable. But fate has a cruel sense of irony. When Vincent’s world begins to crumble, the only person who can save him is the woman he betrayed. Now, the once-arrogant heir kneels before her, begging for forgiveness, for love, for a second chance. But some wounds run too deep… And this time, Alice might be the one to turn her back.

I messed up—big time. Blurting out at a family dinner that my boss, neighbor, and best friend’s brother, Arnold, asked me to be his wedding date was not my finest moment. Mortified, I’m ready to apologize and smooth things over with his family, but Arnold? He’s not having it. Instead, he doubles down, proposing a wild plan: a fake relationship that suits us both.The deal? Three months of playing the perfect couple while my toddler and I live in his house, rent-free. In return, Arnold shields me from my toxic ex, and I help him dodge the town’s relentless matchmaking efforts. It’s the perfect arrangement—until the lines between fake and real start to blur.Arnold’s not just playing a role. He’s reading bedtime stories to my son, cooking us meals, and kissing me like the world might end if he stops. With every tender touch and stolen glance, he makes me feel seen, desired, in a way I’ve never known. The guestroom feels colder each night when his strong, tattooed arms are just down the hall, calling to me.As our forbidden kisses deepen, so does the risk. Are we crafting a love that could break us? Or are we building something breathtakingly real?