Number 27

A year ago, my life was simple. I was just Ariel Anthony…a regular college student, cheerleader with decent grades, daughter of a struggling baker, and recently appointed step-sister to a guy I barely knew. Nothing special. Then came the storm. Not just the thunderstorm that trapped me in Professor Grayson's apartment that night, but the storm that followed. The one that's still raging around me, that I created. They don't warn you about men like Luther Grayson in freshman orientation. They don't tell you how a single glance from the right person can make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself. About what you want. About what you'd risk to get it. They also don't warn you about guys like Ethan Cross, with his perfect smile hiding something dark. The kind of guy who's used to getting what he wants and doesn't understand the meaning of the word "no." And no one, absolutely no one…prepares you for what it feels like when the person who's supposed to be your brother looks at you with something else in his eyes. Mom once said I had a gift for making complicated situations worse. If she only knew. My phone buzzed beside me, and I glanced down to see Luther's name on the screen. My heart still jumps every time, even when I'm aware of what could happen if people learned about the two of us. I should ignore it. I should block his number, focus on my classes, help Mom with the bakery, and pretend none of this ever happened. But I'm already reaching for the phone. That's the thing about crossing lines… once you step over them, it's almost impossible to step back. And I've crossed so many lines now, I can't even see where I started.

When I was young, I saved a fae—charming and extremely handsome. In return, he offered me one wish, and I, lost in romantic fantasies, asked for the strongest wolves to be obsessed with me. It sounded dreamy—until it wasn’t. Obsession, I learned, is a storm disguised as a dream. First up, my stepbrother—his obsession turned him into a tormentor. Life became unbearable, and I had to escape before a mating ceremony that felt more like a nightmare than a love story. But freedom was short-lived. The next wolf found me, nearly made me his dinner, and kidnapped me away to his kingdom, proclaiming I would be his Luna. He wasn’t as terrifying, but when he announced our wedding plans (against my will, obviously), his best friend appeared as competitor number three. “Great! Just what I needed,” I thought. This third wolf was sweet, gentle, and truly cared—but, alas, he wasn’t my type. Desperate, I tracked down the fae. “Please, undo my wish! I want out of this romantic disaster!” My heart raced; I really needed him to understand me. He just smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “Sorry, you’re on your own. But I can help you pick the best one out of them!” How do I fix this mess? Facing three intense wolves: “Marry me, I’ll kill anyone who bothers you!” the first declared fiercely. “No, marry me! I’ll make you the happiest ever,” the second pleaded. “I’ll destroy every kingdom you walk into. You’re mine!” the third growled, eyes blazed. “Seriously, what have I gotten myself into?” A long sigh escaped my lips. Caught between a curse and a hard place, I really just wanted peace and quiet…but which one do I choose?

Do you know I could sue you for assault, Miss Athena? I have lots of witnesses who could testify about it." "You, just because you are a billionaire, you think you can command me. Then you are wrong." "Of course, I could, and I would right now. Picked up all the papers on the floor and resumed reading the files." He commanded and settled back on his seat. "You cannot order me because I'm not your employee anymore." I resumed walking to the door, but the two bodyguards brought me back in front of him despite my screaming in protest. "Alex!!. "File the case against Miss Athena for assault." "Yes, Sir.". "You can't do that," "Of course, I could." Go, send me to prison. You asshole, bastard, animal, coldhearted, devil!!! Fuck you!!! "Do you have any family, Miss Athena?" Alex finds her family and makes sure... "I'll do it!!! I screamed in frustration. I crawled onto the floor and picked up all the folders and papers on the floor. "Now, resume where we stop." I hate him so much. *** Zachary Anderson, 23 years old. His father is the number one businessman in the country and his mother is the most sought actress of all time. He always gets what he wants until he meets her. Athena Park, 20 years old an orphan living with her fifteen years old brother. Athena has no other choice but to stop her study to find a job for their living because the money that their parents left is getting less every day. She got a different job within two years until she was hired at one of the Anderson buildings as a receptionist. She was only working for three months at the Anderson building when she meet him and her not-so-comfortable life turned into hell.

It had been five years since my mate Ethan Blackwood secretly marked me. Then his brother, the Alpha of the Shadow Moon Pack, died in the territorial war. To become the next Alpha of Shadow Moon, Ethan inherited everything his deceased brother left behind. Including his widowed sister-in-law, Victoria. After every time Ethan shared Victoria's bed, he would hold me close and whisper reassurances: "Autumn, just wait a little longer. Once Victoria gets pregnant, we'll have our Mating Ceremony!" This was the pack's only requirement for him to inherit the Alpha position. In the six months since returning to Shadow Moon territory, Ethan had gone to Victoria's chambers countless times. From once a month in the beginning, to now almost every other day. Finally, after countless nights of sitting alone until dawn, news came that Victoria was pregnant. But along with this announcement came another—Ethan and Victoria would be holding their Mating Ceremony. "Mommy, is someone having a Mating Ceremony here?" my daughter asked. I looked around at the stark contrast to our sparse living quarters. The main hall was filled with flowers and balloons. People bustled about outside, everyone joyfully preparing for their Mating Ceremony. I pulled my innocent daughter into my arms: "Yes, sweetheart. Your father is having a Mating Ceremony with someone he loves, which means it's time for us to leave." Ethan didn't know that we wolves of the Silver Crescent Pack never cared about so-called Mating Ceremonies. In Silver Crescent, female wolves were revered. My mother was the current Alpha, and I only needed to bear an heir to the pack to inherit her position. I dialed a number I hadn't called in five years: "Mother, I already have an heir now. I'm ready to come home and claim your Alpha position."

"Take my life but don't ruin my soul, please... I...I am a widow, " Tears streamed down from her eyes watching that sinister man hovering over her and she softly hissed, when he slightly pressed the tip of the knife against her chin. "I didn't take your husband's life in front of your own eyes so that I could let you go, " And her gaze got befuddled when she had found him to wipe the that knife against those tears in the corner of her eyes which made her fear to engulf her more vigorously because she thought he was going to pierce it into her skin because she had seen him taking uncountable number of lives with no remorse. She again shut her lashes and waited to feel the sharp pain of her skin penetration but in the very next second, she felt the knife to get apart from her skin and warm drops of liquid falling on her lips and her eyes got opened when that liquid proceeded inside her parted lips and her tongue felt that metallic taste and see saw his palm bleeding. She teared up like a child by watching his soul quivering smirk. "Leave me.. Lea..." Her words got stucked into her throat when she felt his palm to grab her jaw which made her stirred and then she looked into his flaming darken eyes with her redden watery ones and her body turned numb ,feeling his palm getting inside her panties whereas, her eyes never stopped shedding tears . "Why? " That question fell out from her mouth which was reeking over her whole existence that why . Why she was going to endure all of that and why she was fated to get ruined by him ? "BECAUSE I AM INSANE FOR YOU " *DARK ROMANCE*

Anto, 30 tahun. Anak semata wayang yang dibesarkan dalam lingkungan keluarga yang sangat disiplin. Marni, 27 tahun, gadis yatim piatu yang bertolak belakang dengan Anto. Ibunya yang memiliki banyak anak, tak sempat mengurusi masalah rumah dengan baik. Ditambah lagi, sang Ibu sibuk bekerja di ladang sawit membantu suaminya, meninggalkan anak-anaknya yang masih kecil dengan Marni di rumah. Rumah kotor dan serba jorok sudah biasa bagi Marni dan keluarganya. Ayah Anto, merupakan juragan sawit yang memperkerjakan ayah Marni. Dia merasa kasihan dengan nasib Marni, yang ditinggalkan oleh orang tuanya dengan tujuh adik yang masih kecil. Ayah Anto, menjodohkan Anto dengan Marni, dengan maksud menolong gadis itu. Tutur kata Marni yang halus, sikapnya yang sopan dan kasih sayangnya pada adik-adiknya, menggugah Ayah Anto, sehingga dia berniat menjodohkan Marni dengan anaknya yang sampai umur tiga puluh tahun, tak juga berniat untuk menikah. Anto tak menolak, di tengah desakan orang tuanya yang ingin mendapatkan menantu, Anto menerima begitu saja dan percaya akan pilihan ayahnya, tanpa berpikir akan mengajak gadis itu berkenalan lebih dulu. Anto adalah laki-laki yang gila bekerja, dia tak sempat memikirkan asmara, bahkan setelah didesak untuk menikah karena umurnya yang telah matang. Pernikahan terjadi, di sini lah semua masalah dimulai. Di malam pertama mereka, Anto mencium bau yang tak sedap dari tubuh Marni, bau yang membuat dia kehilangan selera pada wanita itu, Marni juga tak mandi, dia hanya mengganti baju pengantin dengan daster lusuh yang amat menganggu pemandangan Anto. Akhirnya, dengan amat terpaksa, Anto memilih pindah kamar, dari pada muntah sekamar dengan Marni. Di malam pertama mereka, bukan kemesraan yang terjadi, tapi Anto lebih memilih pisah ranjang dengan Marni. Anto menyerah, dia berniat akan menceraikan Marni, jika wanita itu tak mampu berubah dalam tiga bulan.

Amara, haletante et presque au bord de la rupture, elle murmura : — Valerio... je… putain, je ne peux pas... c’est... trop... Alors que je murmurais ces mots, le souffle coupé, il m'attrapa fermement les poignets, me forçant à les maintenir derrière mon dos. Sans hésiter, il continua de me pénétrer avec une intensité implacable, me consumant totalement dans cette étreinte brûlante qui semblait n’avoir aucune fin. — Ma douce, tu es tellement parfaite pour moi, tu le sais ? Tu vas jouir pour moi, amore ? me murmura-t-il avec une voix basse et rauque, tout en laissant sa main descendre doucement pour stimuler mon clitoris. Mes gémissements étouffés se perdaient dans l’oreiller. Il relâche mes poignets pour saisir mes cheveux, s’approchant pour me chuchoter à l’oreille : — Crie pour moi, Amara. Fais savoir à ton fiancé à quel point je te fais du bien dans son propre lit. Et c’est exactement ce que je fais. ------ **Amara Wilson** Je suis une jeune femme de 22 ans marquée par un passé douloureux. Mon père et mon frère me détestent et me blâment depuis quatorze ans pour la disparition de ma mère, une tragédie survenue alors que je n’étais qu’une enfant. Avant ce drame, nous étions une famille unie. Avant cela, nous étions une famille aimante qui passait les soirées à cuisiner ensemble et à regarder des films chaque vendredi. Mais ma mère cachait un secret… qui a bouleversé ma vie. **Valerio Hernandez** Chef impitoyable de la mafia italienne, âgé de 27 ans, indifférent à tout… sauf à moi. Sa famille est divisée : ses parents vivent en Grèce, son frère jumeau est resté en Italie. Bien que Valerio soit submergé par les affaires de la mafia, sa mission la plus importante reste… Moi.

Deema, wanita cantik berusia 24 tahun tanpa sengaja memergoki suaminya, Bhanu. Pria berusia 27 tahun yang bekerja serabutan itu bersama dengan mantan kekasihnya, Afseen, wanita yang lebih muda. Tak tahan dengan pemandangan yang dia lihat, Deema menghampiri keduanya. Melihat istrinya, pria itu menarik Deema menjauh. Bahkan pria itu meminta istrinya untuk pergi dan mengancam akan menceraikannya kalau tidak menuruti perkataan pria itu. Deema pun diam dan menurut. Semalaman, wanita itu menunggu suaminya. Namun, pria itu tak jua pulang. Hingga akhirnya tertidur. Pagi buta Bhanu pulang dan keributan terjadi di antara mereka. Bahkan, pria itu mengungkit malam pertama mereka. Pertengkaran tersebut berakhir pada ucapan talak oleh, Bhanu. Namun, tanpa sengaja Nirmala, wanita berusia 55 tahun yang notabene adalah ibunya Bhanu tak terima putranya menceraikan Deema. Wanita itu marah pada putranya itu. Pada akhirnya, Deema memilih pergi dari rumah Bhanu. Baginya tak ada alasan untuk bertahan. Bertahan justru akan menyakitinya. Wanita itu memilih pergi daripada hidup dalam penderitaan. Suatu ketika, Deema mengunjungi Nirmala. Wanita itu hendak menjenguk sang mertua. Walau bagaimana pun, wanita itu sudah baik padanya. Hubungannya dengan Bhanu boleh berakhir, tapi hubungan di antara mereka tak bisa berakhir. Sayangnya, tanpa sengaja dia datang ke rumah Nirmala berbarengan dengan kedatangan Bhanu dan Afseen. Kedatangan mereka hendak meminta restu pada ibunya. Apalagi Afseen sedang mengandung anak pria itu. Bukan hanya itu, Bhanu juga meminta Deema untuk mengajukan perceraian terhadapnya dengan alasan akan lebih mudah putus jika pihak wanita yang melakukannya. Memiliki pemikiran yang luas, Deema menolak permintaan Bhanu. Hingga suatu ketika pria itu mengancam dan akhirnya Deema menggugatnya. Ujian bertubi-tubi dihadapi Deema. Tak berselang usai perceraiannya, ayahnya mendapat musibah. Tanah garapan pria itu dirampas oleh orang kepercayaannya. Beruntung ada Farabi, pria berusia 30 tahun yang mau membantunya dengan syarat wanita itu mau menikah denganya.

At the Mating Ceremony, my mate Alexander rejected our mate bond in front of the entire pack, then turned around and marked Sarah instead. While I endured the excruciating pain of rejection and the pack's vicious gossip, Alexander's brother Ethan walked into our ceremonial grounds. He presented me with nine hundred and ninety-nine Moonflowers, confessing he had secretly loved me for years. His wolf had recognized me as his mate, and he'd dreamed of making me his. I was shocked to discover he was my second chance mate, and touched that he saved me from humiliation. I immediately nodded in agreement. Five years into our marriage, I had miscarried five times, and had finally managed to conceive again. Ethan held me carefully, spinning me around with joy, promising to take good care of me and the baby, even if it cost him his life. Four months into my pregnancy, I overheard him talking with the pack healer: "Alpha Ethan, just like the previous five times, the miscarriage drugs have been added to your wife's pregnancy supplements." "I don't understand. Sarah was able to bear your child, so why not your wife?" Ethan laughed bitterly: "Only those who produce an heir can inherit the Alpha position. Alexander is infertile, and I want Sarah to fulfill her wish of becoming the pack's Alpha Female." Alexander and Ethan were the children of our pack's Alpha. The Alpha had declared that whoever produced an heir first would become the next Alpha of the pack. All those passionate vows and promises were nothing but lies. The brothers, Alexander and Ethan, both loved Sarah. If that was how things stood, I would leave. I returned to our bedroom and secretly took out my phone, dialing a number I thought I would never contact again: "I agree to return and inherit the Shadow Pack. But I need you to do me a favor."

I had loved my best friend's Alpha heir brother Marcus Steele for ten years. After my first shift, I was thrilled to discover he was actually my mate. Without hesitation, I gave up my position as Alpha heiress of the Crimson Pack and joined the Moonridge Pack. I spent three years doing everything I could think of to win him over. Finally, he agreed to our binding. Just as I was happily preparing to discuss our mating ceremony with him, I overheard his conversation with his Beta. "Alpha, are you really planning to hold a mating ceremony with Aria Blackwood? Serena is still carrying your child..." The man's eyes were dark and unreadable. "That's right. Even though Serena is pregnant with my child, my father has been dissatisfied with me. This time I have no choice but to marry Aria to appease him. After all, she's the Alpha heiress of the most powerful Crimson Pack. If I marry her, father will definitely let me inherit the Alpha position." "Aren't you afraid Aria will find out about Serena and cause trouble for her?" "No way. After all these years, I know exactly what kind of person she is. I'll just sweet-talk her a bit and she'll obediently listen to me. Besides, that's my bloodline. She'll have to accept it." I felt like I'd been struck by lightning. I stumbled outside in a daze, only to be ambushed by enemy rogue wolves. I was poisoned with silver, and because help didn't arrive in time, the silver toxin spread through my bloodstream to my brain. After three days and nights in a coma, I woke up having forgotten all memories of the man I had once loved with all my heart. Ever since I came to the Moonridge Pack, my parents called every month asking me to come home. This time I dialed my father's number and told him: "I don't want to be the Moonridge Pack's Luna anymore. I want to be Crimson's Alpha."