Kabanata 29 Noli Me Tangere

On the day Vanessa turned seventeen, she saw her mate making out with another woman. Alexander, her mate, hated Vanessa so he wanted to reject her but was rejected instead.

He saw her bruises and vowed to become her war. Tessa was born to be a Luna. Instead, she became a prisoner. Silenced. Claimed by a Beta who uses pain as punishment. Forgotten by a pack that never wanted her. Tessa has learned to survive by becoming invisible - until he arrives. Dorian is an Alpha from a rival pack. Ruthless. Untouchable. And the second he lays eyes on her, he knows what she is. His. He doesn’t care about her forced bond. Doesn’t care that claiming her could start a war. Because to save her, he’s ready to burn the world. Even if she’s too broken to believe she’s worth saving.

After going bankrupt, I do the unthinkable for my gravely ill younger brother, Ricky Ashford, and climb into the bed of Damien Blackwood, the notorious mafia boss. When his smoldering gaze sweeps over my shirtless body, I stay perfectly still. The reason is that I'm afraid to set off this infamous man in front of me. However, the next instant, his lips are everywhere on my skin, and the night dissolves into a wild, reckless blur. For three years, I endure every torment in his bed. Thoughts of escape and even suicide cross my mind, but the fact that my brother is fighting for his life in the ICU keeps me going. One day, I accidentally overhear him speaking with his childhood friend, Chloe Sterling. "How long do you plan to toy with your enemy's daughter? You're not falling for her, are you?" "Don't be absurd." "And what about her sickly brother?" "He died long ago." The last thread holding me together snaps. Now, there is no reason left to live. As I prepare to end my life by burning charcoal, tears well up in his eyes as he pleads for me not to leave.

I've been pregnant for six months, but my Alpha mate, William, has delayed our mating ceremony 29 times. He's waiting for his adopted sister, Rita, to find a mate so they can have a "two-couple mating ceremony." The 30th time I altered the waist of my beloved mating ceremony dress, the bridal shop assistant looked embarrassed, "Miss, this dress really can't be widened anymore. How about you choose another one?" Disappointment rose in my throat like bile. I called William, asking when the ceremony would finally happen. But William said: "I will give you an unforgettable mating ceremony, but Rita's mate hasn't been matched yet. Darling, can you wait a little longer? We shouldn't ruin her whole life over such a small thing, right? I know you'll understand. You're always so kind." My heart clenched suddenly. So, my dream mating ceremony is just a small thing. Rita's sweet, high-pitched voice chimed in: "Brother, my mating ceremony dress matches yours so perfectly!" That was the moment I realized I was never the one being chosen. I looked down at my round pregnant belly, tears slipping quietly from the corners of my eyes. Then, with a trembling hand, I dialed the number that had always been waiting for me. "I'm ready to leave." After the call ended, the clerk cautiously asked: "Would you like to choose another one?" "No. Just cancel it, please." I took one last glance at the dress that would never belong to me. If this ceremony was never for me, then I won't stay for it.

Outside the police tape surrounding a fancy hotel, a police officer can be seen blocking my way. "There seems to be a bomb hidden in the hotel! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to get any closer!" I'm just about to dig out my work badge when the intern next to me, Christine Wyatt, covers her mouth in a pretentiously shocked manner. "Officer, there's a detonator and a timer in his bag! Those things look so scary!" The entire scene goes eerily silent. Almost immediately, I see a few guns getting aimed at my forehead. Anxiety begins overwhelming me. "I'm a bomb disposal expert from the Headquarters Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit! My bag contains all the tools necessary to dispose of a bomb!" "Throw your bag over to me and keep your hands where I can see them!" Captain Scott Hunter roars at me. My bag is opened afterward. Things like an insulated cutter, a bomb suppression blanket, and a liquid nitrogen cooling tank are scattered across the ground. Before I can explain myself, Christine suddenly points at me while screaming, "Why are you still playing dumb? You just told me that you wanted to set off an explosion in that hotel! "What, now that the police are here, you dare not admit what you just said, huh? You're a terrorist through and through!" Scott reacts quickly by pinning me on the hood of the police cruiser with my hands folded behind my back. "We're taking you back for a thorough interrogation!" My heart almost stops at those words. The bomb that's packed with enough firepower to take out half a street has already gone on a countdown in the hotel lobby. But I, the only bomb disposal expert who can get rid of the bomb, have handcuffs put on me because of Christine's nonsensical accusations. Right now, there are only 29 minutes left before the bomb goes off.

Aria Quinn has spent years hiding from a truth that nearly destroyed her one night, one death, one secret. Now, with a new name and a second chance, she’s clawed her way into New York City’s elite creative scene. Her latest project? Rebranding the crown jewel of Vale Corp, a global empire ruled by wealth, ruthlessness, and the one man she never saw coming. Cassian Vale is a billionaire heir with ice in his veins and a legacy he never asked for. Groomed to protect the family name at all costs, Cassian has buried every emotion, every weakness until Aria storms into his world and ignites a fire he’s no longer able to contain. As they fall into a relationship fueled by lust, obsession, and need, Aria and Cassian begin unraveling each other’s secrets. But their connection is more than forbidden it’s dangerous. Because the more Cassian investigates his family’s past, the more he realizes Aria was never a coincidence. She’s the key to everything. And someone will do anything to silence her… even if it means killing them both. In a city of shadows, seduction, and power, love isn’t safe. It’s a war. And only one of them might survive it.

Tiara McKenzie lives two lives. By day, she’s the glamorous heiress of a billion-dollar empire and a rising fashion icon. By night, she’s something much darker, a trained assassin for Irenic, a covert organization tasked with eliminating the country’s most dangerous threats. Her next mission? Lead the takedown of the Montreal Syndicate — a mafia group buried deep within the country’s political veins. But when her path crosses with Elijah Rivero, the cold, manipulative CEO with secrets bloodier than his designer suits, everything unravels. He’s the man she hates. The man she desires. The man connected to something she was sent to destroy. When love feels like war, and trust could get you killed, will you sacrifice the mission? Or yourself?

"This is what you wanted, isn’t it, little hunter?” he growled, flipping me onto my back like I weighed nothing. His hand fisted in my hair, dragging a broken moan from my throat. “Next time you put a blade to my throat… use it.” All my life, I’ve been trained as a hunter—my father’s perfect weapon. Born into a bloodline sworn to protect the human world from the monsters they can't even recognize. I thought I knew what monsters were… until the ancient, ruthless, obsessive Lycan King marked me as his mate — to break the witches’ curse that chained him to centuries of torment. One bite ruined everything — binding my body, mind, and soul to him. My touch quiets his endless agony — and he’d burn the world to keep it. Now I’ll play his wicked game — and turn his greatest weapon against him: me. I’ll remind him who’s really hunting who. But what happens when vengeance tastes like hunger? When I crave the monster I was born to hunt? When every lie my father hammered into me becomes just another chain — binding me to the beast I can’t let go? Now every step into his world drags me deeper — into secrets I was never meant to see, a darkness I was trained to destroy, and a forbidden life I crave more than my own salvation.

When the world knows your name, sometimes the only way to find yourself is to become someone else. Dalon Sorrin is a world-famous Formula 1 driver, a master at navigating high speeds and higher stakes. But when the weight of fame becomes too much, he escapes to a quiet town in Italy, desperate to disappear from the spotlight and reclaim a sense of normalcy. When he meets a fellow traveler, he introduces himself as Jack Dawson, hoping to enjoy a connection untouched by celebrity. Rejena Brink is no stranger to pressure herself. Between a demanding job, relentless coursework, and her passion for writing, life has left her burned out. A spontaneous trip to Italy is her way of pressing pause—a chance to rediscover the freedom and creativity of her younger self. On her first day, she crosses paths with a charming stranger who calls himself Jack. Playing along, she offers her pen name: Jane Carter. Neither is being honest. And neither expects their connection to deepen. What Dalon doesn’t know is that Rejena is a devoted Formula 1 fan. And what Rejena doesn’t see coming is the emotional cost of falling for someone who isn’t who he claims to be. As their secrets edge closer to the surface, both must ask: Can love survive the truth? And can they become the people they were always meant to be?

Damn that deep but sweet voice! Damn that cedarwood scent! Damn that handsome face! She just can't deny those facts because she can't lie to herself, she did find him captivating that moment. But all those thoughts were sent down the drain when Calliope told her the truth about that man. It feels like everything was coming back to her. All emotions that she buried long time ago was dug up again and they were out chasing her. She took a deep breath, she's a strong woman and she just can't fall like that. She's firm with her decision to take that man down. It doesn't matter if the team's with her or not, she'll definitely kill him more ways than one. 'Kai Araveles Sage–target locked.'