Lost Bets

This is the second book to the Bloodstone series. It can be a stand alone, but some characters and part are linked the first book, Alpha Erik. *** When you have been prepared your whole life for a future you don’t want. Do you fight it and avoid your destiny at all costs. Do you swallow your pride and follow through with the arrangements. Imelda is destined to marry the king of the underworld. A life she has been trained for since she could speak. Her parents may rule all the realms above ground, but when she is mated to the King of all evil, all bets are off. Will she love the man she is destined to marry or will she fight him until the very end, for her freedom and the dreams of exploring all the world has to offer. Mate or not, the crown is in her hands, more warrior than princess, what will she decide.

When Yelton Group tanked, their CEO and his wife showed up at our door, begging for a marriage alliance. My dad, thinking I was still head-over-heels for Rosie after ten freaking years, threw a million into their sinking ship and signed me up to marry Rosie. Wedding night? She blindfolded me and kept whispering how bad she wanted it. A month later, I tested positive for an STD. Then I caught her bragging to her friends. "Quinn got wrecked by, like, a dozen girls," she laughed. "Wanna guess who gave him the infection?" Her friends were cracking up. "I scouted all the grossest red-light spots," one said. "Each one's got a different flavor." "Just wait," another giggled. "When the symptoms hit hard, we'll know who wins." Rosie added, "Prize money's ready. Soon as we figure it out, she gets paid." That's when it hit me. It wasn't Rosie in bed that night—it was a lineup of strangers she set up. I lost it. Went straight to her, demanded answers. She didn't even flinch. "Mad? Please. If you hadn't dangled that million to force me into this marriage—or scared Caleb off—do you think I'd waste my time on you? "Once Caleb forgives me, you're done." I asked for a divorce. She locked me in the basement. "Chill," she said. "We're still placing bets on who gave you the STD." Six months later, I died down there. Just rotted away. Then I woke up—right back on the day her parents came begging for that deal. Only this time, on the wedding day? She was the one crying.

On our eighth anniversary, Claire Young announced that she had already registered her marriage with her childhood friend. She took him home, ordering me around as if it was only natural. "Move to another room. Stan loves sunshine." "Stan doesn't like sweets, so don't bake any when you're at home. He'd be upset if he saw it." I kept quiet through it all and bought a ticket to leave. My friend wanted to help me out of the predicament, but she didn't think it was a big deal. "He's just being dramatic again. Let him be—he'd be caving in just a few days." Everyone laughed at that, and quietly made bets as to when I'd come crawling back to Claire's feet. None of them knew I was already inducted into the national weapons program, and that I was really leaving.

When Bella, my mate's first love, begged for my help, claiming her mother was gravely injured, I didn't hesitate. As the pack's Luna, I grabbed my medical kit and ran. But I arrived to find her sobbing over a corpse. Bella pointed a trembling, accusing finger at me. "My mother is dead because you were too slow!" Before I could explain, she cried out to the dark woods. "Ethan, did you see? Your Luna just stood by and let my mother die!" My mate, Alpha Ethan, emerged from the shadows, his face a mask of cold fury. He snarled, declaring me unfit to be his Luna. Now, he's forcing me into a brutal trial to prove my worth. He's even broadcasting the trial, taking live bets from werewolves across the globe on whether I'll survive. But he doesn't know the truth: Bella has already rigged the trial. The moment I step inside, I'm walking into a deathtrap.

Everyone in the pack knew I was in love with the Alpha, Luther Pauley. I had done whatever it took to win him over, even sneaking into his bed more than once. When I turned 18, the pack's seer predicted that Luther was my destined mate. But I refused the marking ceremony and chose to leave the pack instead. Luther looked stunned as he blocked my way out. "If you walk away now, don't ever come back." No one in the pack believed I would really go. They were even making bets about how soon I'd crawl back. "I'm calling three days!" "You're giving her too much credit. I'll wager a bottle of healing tonic that she'll be running back here in three minutes!" I ignored them and went straight to Sawyer Dunn, the Alpha of Graymoon Pack. This time, I swore I would never look back again.

Tasha's done taking orders, she might be a submissive wolf but she's done. Her Alpha wolf mate who refused to claim her but keep interfering in her life didn't expect when she too off. Now she's hiding from him in the human world trying to build a new life for herself. She thinks that's the end of the brooding Alpha, oh boy was she wrong...? Onyx, who can't claim Tasha but can't control his feelings for her either. The dying condition which was affecting him would make him more of a burden than a mate for her. But when she runs away, all bets are off, he couldn't bear the thought of not seeing her again, so he did what any other sensible alpha would do– track her down. In a town full of deadly local pack and human, Onyx vowed to claim Tasha. Especially now that he had seen the passionate side of her.

Ava Carter is no stranger to danger. As a fearless investigative journalist, she’s built her career on uncovering secrets others would kill to keep buried. When a tip leads her to Damian Moretti—the elusive billionaire with whispered ties to the underworld—she knows she’s onto something big. Damian is powerful, ruthless, and used to controlling every aspect of his world. But when Ava starts prying into his business, she becomes a problem he can’t ignore. He gives her a warning—walk away, or face the consequences. Yet, the more he tries to push her away, the more drawn he is to the fire in her eyes, the defiance in her stance. Ava is determined to expose him. Damian is determined to keep his secrets. But in a city built on deception, neither of them is prepared for the dangerous attraction pulling them together. As enemies close in and the truth threatens to shatter everything, Ava must decide—will she bring Damian down, or will she risk everything to stand beside him? In Sincity, love is a gamble… and some bets can cost you everything!

Serena Vaughn was once the invisible wife of Damien Blackwood, a ruthless billionaire who only treated her as nothing more than a trophy. When he humiliates her one too many times, she walks away, ignoring the world’s bets that she’ll come crawling back. But Serena isn’t broken, she’s a dormant storm. Months later, she resurfaces as the CEO of a revolutionary tech empire, her brilliance was undeniable. The same society that mocked her now clamors for her favor, including a Nobel-winning scientist, a Wall Street titan, and Hollywood’s biggest star all scrambling to be the new man in her life. But Damien isn’t ready to let go. When he corners her, demanding to know if her child is his, Serena’s icy reply shatters him. “That’s none of your business, ex-husband, step aside!” Now, the war is on. Old enemies circle like vultures, but Serena is no longer prey. One by one, they fall, until only one question remains. How far will a broken man go when the woman he discarded becomes the queen of his ruin?

A soft moan escaped my mouth as he pinned me against the wall, trailing kisses down my neck. “Let’s tie up your ex and have sex in front of him. This will be your ultimate revenge, princess!” … Omega Harley was a perfect housewife, deeply in love with her husband, Alpha Xander Ledger. But when she found out about his affair with her best friend, Ella, all bets were off. After an ugly clash with backstabbers, Harley sought escape in the shadows of the moon bar, where one reckless kiss with a handsome stranger turned her world upside down. She never expected him to be Xander’s uncle, Alpha Carlos Ledger. However, Carlos wasn’t just an Alpha, he was the Alpha. Dangerous, dominant, and determined to claim the omega he desired, craving her badly. As forbidden love sparked between Harley and her ex's uncle, would she surrender before the Alpha who should be off limits? Or the fire he ignited in her heart would consume her as a whole?

I've been with Hansen Fullerton for seven years. One day, he tells me he's sick of me and dumps me for a younger, more vivacious woman. I don't kick up a fuss this time. Instead, I throw away my ring and cut up the wedding gown I've just bought. Then, I take a red-eye flight away from Gold City. His friends place bets on how long it'll take for me to return and beg for reconciliation. Hansen sneers. "She'll be back in less than three days, crying and begging me to take her back." However, more than three days pass without any news from me. Hansen loses his cool and calls me for the first time. "You'd better come back once you've had enough of this, Christine." All he hears is a man's low chuckle on the other end of the line. "You shouldn't have taken this long to pacify a woman, Mr. Fullerton. Look at how someone's already taken her away from you." Hansen snarls, "Tell Christine to answer the phone!" Landon Shore lowers his head to kiss me. "She can't—she's still out of it. I have to kiss her awake first."