Next In Line Jeffrey Archer

The buzzing of my phone in the middle of the night jolted me awake. On the other end of the line came a voice I could never forget. It was my daughter! However, she died three years ago!

I was the second princess of the Phoenix Court. And I fell in love with a lowly black serpent. In my past life, just to be with him, I purposely picked that black serpent during the Sacred Bonding ceremony when we each chose our companion beasts. After that, we spent every night together. I didn't care what the whole clan thought. I was determined to marry him. But on our wedding day, that same serpent I'd given my heart to drove an arrow straight through me, killing me while I was three months pregnant. As I lay dying, I heard him hiss bitterly in my ear, "If it weren't for you, I'd have been with Seraphine by now. You should've died a long time ago." That's when I finally got it. All he cared about was power. And he'd been in love with my older sister all along—the sister who was next in line for the Phoenix throne. When I opened my eyes again, we were back at that same moment—the Sacred Bonding ceremony. Before everyone, he dropped to his knees and confessed he loved my sister. He begged not to be bound to me. The whole clan looked at me with pity. But I only smiled and pointed to a small white serpent resting quietly off to the side. That black serpent thought clinging to my sister would make him powerful. What he didn't realize was that only the one I chose would become the true heir to the Phoenix Court.

For years, Ciara had hidden her feelings from her college friend, Austin, until she finally mustered the courage to confess. But just as she was ready to lay her heart on the line, he blindsided her with a gut-wrenching surprise: he had been secretly dating her childhood best friend, Yuri, and they were now engaged. Despite the sense of betrayal, Ciara feigned happiness and congratulated them, even fabricating a story about having found a boyfriend herself, instead of confessing. However, that only led to another problem when he asked her to bring her boyfriend to their wedding. Now trapped by her own lie, Ciara had to find a boyfriend in just three months. But before that, she escaped on a quick vacation to Paris, where a chance encounter led to a passionate one-night stand with a stranger she had already met twice. When she woke up the next morning and realized what she’d done, panic set in. She ran away. She thought she could leave the whole thing behind, but when she returned to the country a week later, fate twisted the knife—the stranger from Paris was now her new boss. Just when she thought her life couldn’t get any more complicated, he offered to play the role of her fake boyfriend for the wedding. This unexpected arrangement sent her tangled emotions into an unpredictable whirlwind of romance and drama, especially when she discovered a series of shocking secrets, and one of them was that her boss and pretend boyfriend was, in fact, the older brother of Austin.

Hunter Webster is the Alpha's son; the next Alpha in line once he turns 18 but to humans, he's just the mayor's son, a bad boy and an embodiment of trouble. Hunter has a secret; his bad-boy attitude was just a cover-up for the grave sin he's committing until a girl from his past came into the picture, ready to win over his heart and unravel his darkest secrets.Babara Arnold attracts trouble everywhere she gets to, even if it is at school or home. She meets Hunter Webster after several years and in the process of trying to avoid the bad boy, she keeps on getting thrown into his hands. "What are you doing here?" I asked. I could hear murmuring around us."Eating, just like you three" he replied"You can't sit here," I warned."Why?" "You're trouble," I replied."Is that surprising? You see me in leather jackets, bikes and I have tattoos as well. Isn't that enough to let you know that boys like that are usually trouble? You don't have to state the obvious, Babe" He answered. "You need to leave" "If you want your cousin to be safe, you'll sit like the good girl that you are and have breakfast" He warned.I turned to look at Pinky and I could see the discomfort on her face. The guys with her waved at me to my disgust."Sit Babara. Don't make me hurt somebody else today? Yesterday was enough for me," He growled in an inhuman manner.

Aurora Chandrakant is the daughter of Kaven head of the royal pack warriors. When her and her twin brother were 12 years old, they both began their training with their father. All her life her dad shows her nothing but attention and love but for some reason as years goes by that her mother becomes colder to her. Every night she will have the same dream about a baby being left at the door but not only she can’t recognize anyone face, but there is no one she can ask about this dream. Prince Alexander Heinrich is the next in line for being King of the West side packs. His father is always hard on him to be the King that he is now with the packs. He’s cruel and abusive to Alexander. The packs in their kingdom don’t really care for his way of taking care of them. They meet on her first day of training with her father. The first moment Alexander see Aurora he had a feeling that she could be his mate but when she first shifts that he will be positive. Alexander tells his father of her and setting up the Luna ceremony from them to mark each other letting the pack know of her being their Luna but his father refuses it. He doesn’t care that Aurora is to his opinion a lower ranking wolf and wants Alexander to choose a female of higher ranking to be his Luna. Like Kimberly Stone daughter of the Alpha of the Black pine pack. Now Alexander must choose between his true mate or being with someone he can’t even stand to be around, but his father forces his decision to whom he will be with.

I Drew Kizmet, Future Alpha of the Crescent Blood Peak Pack here-by reject you Jewel Stuart as my Mate and future Luna of this pack... (He smirked and looked down and me).... I stared directly into his eyes and said.... "I Jewel Stuart of the Crescent Blood Peak Pack here-by accept your rejection... Am I free to go now Drew? I'll be late for Chemistry".... I turn and head to class and I can feel his eyes as well as other students eyes on me as I make my way through the halls and into class... **Jade I know you took the blow of the rejection for me are you okay?...** Yes Jewel I'm fine, just need to rest for a bit..** Okay, thank you for doing that, take your time and rest, I'll check in on you later..**...okay! Later!Jewel was a warrior, the first daughter of Laura and Jaxon Stuart who where 20th generation warriors in their pack. Jewel naturally grew up tough and rough as a fighter which made her a bit of a tom boy but her family loved her and she them.Drew Kizmet the first son and next in line for the Alpha Title of Crescent Blood Peak Pack, His parents Alpha Dustin and Luna Kristen Kizmet are just, fair and strong leaders who intend to pass down their titles once their son finds his mate and go traveling, do things they where unable to do during the years.Lets find out how things play out for Jewel and for Drew.

Twelve years after the death of her best friend and also future alpha of Eclipse pack, Tiana Aldridge finds herself mated to his twin brother, Jordan Walker, but he doesn’t want her. Her pack hates her and everyone blames her for the death that happened twelve years ago. She grows up an outcast and Jordan wastes no time rejecting her, all her hopes of ever finding happiness come crashing. Tiana only has one wish; an opportunity to leave Eclipse pack for good. The former Alpha King passes on, and her alpha gladly gives her out in tribute to the king. What he doesn’t know is karma is coming back in the deadliest way he least expects. ** As the first Alpha Prince and also next in line to be king, Ryder Cadwalder is used to getting what he wants. He is surly, overly possessive, and outrightly arrogant. Past experience with his ex-mate taught him to have little trust for the opposite sex and when he finds out he has a second chance mate, he takes no chances with her. His past still haunts him, but he must find a way to move on from it. Fate takes him to Eclipse pack, and as the Alpha prince tries to solve the riddle that has hunted the werewolf kingdom for years, secrets are being unraveled and truths unfolded. What happens when Eclipse pack is at the mercy of the alpha prince’s mate? Would Tiana forgive? Or would she have her revenge on those that caused her pain all her life?

Misha was a young human. She had just turned 20 and had the saddest pair of eyes you’d every seen, they were a brilliant blue but they could make the happiest person question the reason for life. For such a young girl she had obviously been through an unfair amount of troubles. Far too worldly wise for her own good. She doesn’t trust anyone, what will happen when she goes on the run again ending up in the UK this time? Jackson on the other hand was a young wolf. He just turned 22 and always had the cheekiest glint in his hazel eyes that just told you he was always in trouble! He was the next in line to be Alpha of his pack but his dad wanted him to find his destined mate before he was 25 or he would have to choose a mate so he could rule with a Luna by his side. He thinks he has plenty of time but does he? Then there’s Finn, the sensible brother, with his deep emerald eyes that could make you melt without a single word leaving his mouth. At 21 he was I ne year younger then Jackson but so much wiser, his dad sometimes wished the pack could go to him as he was far more sensible and pack orientated. That didn’t mean he didn’t have fun because he did but he would have liked the responsibility of the pack whereas his brother just saw it as a chore that had to be done. He’s always wished to be in his brothers shoes but what happens if that happens in an odd situation?

Ava Richards, an adventurous travel blogger with an insatiable wanderlust, never expected her next adventure would lead her straight into the arms of a captivating billionaire. In the sun-kissed streets of Santa Fe, Spain, fate takes an unexpected turn when Ava crosses paths with the enigmatic and devilishly handsome Sebastian Garcia. Sebastian Garcia, a self-made billionaire with a guarded heart, finds himself drawn to the fiery and independent Ava, despite their seemingly opposite worlds. As the owner of luxurious hotels and resorts worldwide, he is used to being in control. But Ava's infectious spirit and undeniable beauty threaten to unravel the carefully constructed walls around his heart. Their initial encounter sparks an intense clash of wills, with their respective worlds colliding in a battle of words and fiery exchanges. Ava and Sebastian find themselves entangled in a passionate game of cat and mouse, each determined to outwit and outmaneuver the other. Little do they know that beneath the surface of their heated banter lies a smoldering desire neither can resist. As they embark on a thrilling adventure through the picturesque landscapes of Santa Fe, their hearts become entwined, and the line between love and hate begins to blur. Together, they explore ancient ruins, breathtaking beaches, and hidden gems, each moment deepening their connection. But when a secret from Sebastian's past threatens to destroy everything they've built, Ava must decide whether to let go of her fears and trust in their love, or retreat to the safety of her solitary adventures. Will Ava and Sebastian surrender to the alluring power of love and bridge the vast divide between their worlds? Can two souls from different walks of life find a way to overcome their differences and create a lasting bond?

Victor and I were nothing more than a pair of sworn enemies married inside the camp. He hated me for handing over my frail sister to the research institute, all so they could extract the antiviral serum from her blood. And I hated him for never seeing anyone but her, even in the apocalypse, when she could barely lift a metal rod. For the ten years of the apocalypse, the words we said to each other most often were, "Die a miserable death." … However, when the zombie horde finally broke through the last line of defense, he chained me to the modified mech truck and went out alone to face it. "Live…" I watched as the tide of corpses swallowed him whole, the crack of breaking bones mixing with the sound of flesh being torn apart. On the edge of death, he pulled out my sister's faded photo and placed it over the one clean spot on his chest. "This life is yours. But if there's a next one, don't go near her again." … That night, when I returned, I blew up the camp. When I opened my eyes again, I went to the zombie king. His razor-sharp claws closed around my throat, and I smiled as I took hold of his hand. "Let's make a deal. Give humans five more years, and I'll willingly be your queen." Last time, he gave his life to save me. This time, I'll be the monster—so they can all get what they want.