Nobel Lecture By Toni Morrison

When Noémie Rochester wakes up naked in bed with her boss, with no recollection of the previous night, she's more than just shocked—she's heartbroken. Never had she imagined, in the worst of her nightmares, that her boss, with whom she had been in love for three long years, would do something so awful to her. To avoid all the questions, confrontations, and humiliation, she runs off as far as she can. But little does she know, there's more than meets the eye. The truth is not as straightforward as it seems, and their lives are about to become more twisted in the precarious game of the unknown. {Excerpt} The cold water poured down her naked body, washing away all the evidence of what had happened to her—what he had done to her—all night. However, what it couldn't wash away was her aggrieved heart and the pain in her chest. The shock of being betrayed by a man she was willing to go to any extent for. "I loved you, Mr. Halest," she sobbed, collapsing on the floor as the water pounded on her head. "And you ruined me!"

This book is a follow-on from Betrayed by the Beta, which was left unfinished, in this book you will find Dave and Daisy trying to navigate a new pack whilst learning roles they had not planned for. They will face challenges that threaten even their deep sibling bond and the bonds they share with those they call family. We catch up with Cassie and Jack as they move into their new lives as mates, navigating the many obstacles of new love. Maddie and Ace face challenges of a different kind when Maddie finds her mate and realizes what her father has truly done all in the name of love, or is it in the name of power? Dave and Jack work tirelessly to find Ace and prevent him from fulfilling his dreams of being the Alpha of Twin Lakes. This book begins with a hunt for a wanted man, Ace. This leads to Dave discovering his mate, Maddie plots and schemes with Ace, she allows the bond to blossom knowing she will double-cross her destined mate to be with Ace because her father declared it. Daisy finds her mate and faces the decision of whether to relocate to her mate's pack or remain close to her friends and family. Though ranked in his pack, her mate takes the decision out of her hands and moves to her pack to fill the role of Delta, which was left open. Dave rejects Maddie knowing that because of the bond they have built it could kill him, but the moon goddess intercepts the pain on his behalf. As soon as the rejection is complete Dave finds his second chance mate.

⚠️ Warning: descriptive sexual acts, please refrain from reading this if you're below 18, forbidden love, sex. control, manipulation. He leaned in closer, his breath warm. "Is that what you call it when you wear that skirt?" he asked, his hand sliding down my back. "Or when you bend over, letting me see?" I struggled to find words to protest, but my body was reacting to him. "Please," I whispered. "We can't." He held me firmly, his gaze intense. "Can't or won't?" he asked. "I see it in your eyes, Emma. You want this." I tried to push him away, but he was too strong. "Mr. Hathaway, please," I begged, feeling confused by my own feelings. He leaned in closer, his breath hot. "Call me Alex," he said softly. "We're not at work anymore." Hearing his name sent a rush through me. Alex. It reminded me of the attraction I had been fighting. His hand moved up my thigh, and I couldn't help but respond. I moaned softly. "You like that?" he asked, his voice thick with desire.

"Two people destined to be apart — can they find their way back to each other?" Angel Reyes’ life changed when she moved to Isla Bandayan. Everything became messy, and it felt like she had no control over her own life—especially after she met Bucho, the only son of the island’s captain. On the island, whatever Bucho’s family says becomes law. So when he said he wanted Angel to be his wife, she had no choice but to go along with it. But things started to change when Joshua Marasigan showed up—the man who once made her heart beat faster. Being with him made her feel safe again. Her fear began to fade, her dreams came back, and for the first time in a long while, she had hope — hope of escaping the island that had caused her so much pain. Still, things weren’t easy. The people around her didn’t want her to be happy with Joshua. They saw him as someone who brought trouble to their peaceful island. And worse, even her own family stood in the way. Can love really win when the world is trying to pull them apart?

Due to the set-up of her wicked stepmother, Mariana Barrett had a wild night with a stranger and ended up being forced to flee overseas. Unbeknownst to her, her stepsister took the credit, rising to fame thanks to that one-night stand. Five years later, Mariana came back with her adorable twins. But on the very day she returned, she messed with a cool, handsome CEO. Surprisingly, he looked exactly like her baby boy!

“I, Alpha Dimitri, reject you, Noah, as my mate.” His cruel words always replayed in my head. My stomach churned whenever I remembered that night. ~•~ When Alpha Dimitri rejects Noah Petrova as his mate, she faces an unfortunate fate and is stuck living with the man who broke her heart since his father took her into his home when her dad died during an attack. Along the line, she falls in love with his younger brother, Aiden, who has been in love with her ever since she moved into their house. Alpha Dimitri wasn’t happy about their relationship and tried his best to make their lives miserable. What happens when Aiden challenges his brother for the position of the alpha? Will he win? Or will Alpha Dimitri retain his power?

“Is this not what you wanted by coming in here?” “For me to take you against the window, knowing anyone could be watching?” ** ** ** ** My mom marrying a billionaire is shocking enough, but I certainly didn’t expect that she had managed to get together with the Alpha King. Since when did meeting royalty become so easy? I don’t belong in this palace. Especially because my stepbrother has just offered me a million dollars to make sure my mom doesn’t show up on the altar.

Anna Gonzales was the only heir of her late Aunt Martha. She left her a villa on Jeju Island in South Korea and company stocks in their family corporation. Little did Anna know that the property on Jeju Island would lead her back to the man she had a one-night stand one year ago. David Miller's grandfather, Bryan, wanted the Villa on Jeju Island but because of conditions laid on the inheritance, he could not purchase it from Anna. The trust stipulated that the property would only be handed down from Anna to her children and her children's children. The opportunity was in David's way, as Anna’s father James Williams had been careless with his company dealings and would face imminent jail time. David had told her father that he would help finance his corporation in exchange for Anna's hand in marriage. In David's mind, this is the best way to get to his grandfather's old home on Jeju Island, and He will also get Anna back in his bed. Anna was trapped in this situation, and she could not reject it because she was now the major Stockholder of the company, and like her father, she would also be imprisoned for his business embezzlement. She had trusted her father and signed every document he sent her in the past.

“You're perfect,” Daniel whispered, his large hands moving urgently over my body, one settling on my waist and the other moving up towards the gentle swell of my breast. “Right here, right now, in this moment, in this garden, you're perfect.” **** In order to secure a lucrative contract, Daniel Sutherland needed a wife for a year. A wife he could court in public, and share a bed with at night. But who could he find to fulfill this special position? When a grave illness almost took the life of her step mom and when her fiance ended things with her after betraying her, Jessica Adams was ready to grasp at any straw to salvage what's left of her esteem as a woman and more importantly to save her stepmom's life. And when Daniel asked her to marry him for a year, it suited her to accept. She had no feelings for Daniel or he for her- or so she thought, until Crystal Rodriguez came back into his life. And by then, it was too late.

Kiera's way of life has always been by the book within her tribe. Her arranged marriage to a man she does not love causes issues within her soul. She knows this is not her path but if this isn't, what is? If she is to continue living as a respected member of her tribe, she must not go against her father's wishes. When a new tribe begins to grow near her's, their Chief comes to introduce himself. Something about the new outsider intrigues Kiera and draws her to him. Her tribe is against their tribe's way of life, causing a possibility of a war. If she fell in love with the outsider, what would it do to her relationship with her family?