Natty Sixteen

They say fate chooses your mate. But what if fate is cruel? Aiden has always been a nobody—abandoned, cursed, forgotten. Raised by Jake, the stoic professor who saved him once. Aiden vanished at sixteen after confessing the one truth that shattered everything: “he loves him.” Now twenty-five and hiding a deadly secret—a feral lycan curse counting down the days—Jake walks into Aiden’s college classroom as his student. Aiden was older, obviously. But, he was bitter and still hurting. Jake left his pack, his title, and his past behind for a quiet life of just books and lectures. But nothing prepared him for Aiden’s return—or the soul-deep pull that threatened to destroy the walls he had built. As the time for curse creeps closer, only one thing can save Aiden- his true mate. Jake’s not just the professor. He’s the one thing Aiden can’t have… and the only one who can save him.

Ernesta, the daughter of a wealthy family, had lived like an orphan for over a decade after being separated from her parents as a young child. At sixteen, she was finally found and brought home. Ernesta believed her life was starting anew, that she would finally be surrounded by her family's love. But she had no idea what awaited her: her brother's judgmental gaze, her father's disdain, and her mother's feigned affection. This was because someone had completely usurped her place in the family. Her foster sister, Kiera, though unrelated by blood to the Merediths, had been raised in luxury and had become a true lady. Ernesta, the real daughter raised in a less fortunate environment, wasn't considered noble enough, elegant enough, and was treated like an outsider. On the night of Ernesta's 20th birthday, also the night her engagement to Ryder was announced, he coldly stated, “The only one I've ever loved is Kiera.” Why hadn't he said it sooner? Why did he have to say it today, in front of so many guests, making her look like a fool? To make matters worse, her father, mother, and brother all turned their backs on her to protect the deceitful Kiera. Ernesta turned and walked away. This time, she was determined to let go of the family love she had always craved. She wanted to prove to the Merediths and Ryder that her life would be even better without them. But a serious car accident nearly claimed Ernesta's life. When she awoke, a mechanical voice echoed in her ears, “Ding! Congratulations, master, on successfully installing the Life-Altering System. Your brain is severely damaged, and your body is in a vegetative state. If you want a chance to wake up, you need to complete the mission assigned by the Life-Altering System.”

Since she was sixteen, Sydney Rae Salvador has been in love with Clyren Zeye Matteo. But that's not how he ever saw her. He was constantly present but never hers, he was her older brother's best friend. Sydney quietly loving him, while he loved other girls. Then everything changed one night. She became pregnant even though she had no idea what it meant to him. She kept her pregnancy a secret. She wished to avoid making him feel obliged to stay. She also became irrationally angry with him. However, she secretly missed him when he wasn't present. She was simply seeking things, it turned out, and she wanted Clyren close to her most of the time. Months later, her brother discovered that she was pregnant. He got angry with Clyren and confronted him but Clyren already knew. He had been waiting for Sydney to tell him herself. After that, Clyren took care of her. He was always there. Then one day, when she was six months pregnant, she asked him to buy her a mangosteen that she was craving. He went out, but he never came back. She gave birth alone. For years, there was no sign of him. Four years later, her twins were already toddlers. At the airport, her son had an accident. At that exact moment, she ran into Clyren again. He was checking on her son’s head, which was covered in blood. She begged him to help their son, so they rushed to the hospital. What happened to Clyren? Do second chances really exist?

At just six years old, Archer, the son of Cerberus and Alpha Zeina, shifted into his wolf and embraced a power that shook the packs. Whispers spread quickly, that he would grow to become the strongest wolf to walk the land. By sixteen, he proved them right, claiming leadership of the Western Pack and striking fear into Alphas far older than him. She-wolves flock to him, drawn without effort, yet none hold his interest. Enemies rise against him, even the Alpha King himself, but Archer stands unshaken, certain he can overcome them all. Until fate delivers him the one thing he never anticipated, his destined mate. And she is nothing like the wolf he imagined.