Once Ler's Family

~There are certain expectations when a principessa is born to the Italian Famiglia~ Valentina Gia Salvatore, Wife to Julio Salvatore, matron of the Salvatore Family. It's been two years since I was tied in the vows of holy matrimony with my husband, I vowed to be loyal to him, as my husband, and my capo, I have. What I didn't promise was to love him and now I do. With blood, sweat, and tears. I am a mother, a sister, and the wife of the Capo Dei Capi of the Italian family. I have everything I could ever want; I thought things would settle down and I would finally stop learning, but I was wrong. Note: This is part of a series and is to be read in order. if you are here after reading MAFIA RULES, welcome and enjoy the ride!

Before our wedding, my fiancée, Sarah Hargrave—a professor of medieval history—held a private ceremony in a secluded chapel in the countryside. But not with me. Under the glow of candlelight, she cradled Benjamin Wheeler—her first love, his face gaunt from the cancer consuming him—in her arms. Her smile was soft, almost reverent, as she murmured, "In the eyes of God, vows made before the altar are the only ones that matter. Even if the law says I belong to Daniel, my soul was never his." And so, to the faint echo of hymns and the scent of old incense, they drank from the same silver cup, exchanged rings, and stepped together into the dimly lit sacristy—their makeshift bridal chamber. I watched. Silent. Motionless. No outbursts, no demands for explanation. Just the quiet dialing of a clinic to undo the vasectomy I'd gotten for our future. From fifteen to thirty, I had loved Sarah for fifteen long years. But in all that time, there'd never been room for me. That space had always belonged to Benjamin, my stepbrother. So I let her go. Afterward, I joined a geological research team bound for the isolation of Antarctica—a land cut off from the world, quiet and clean. Before I left, I handed Sarah a divorce agreement…and a final gift to mark the end. I never anticipated that Sarah, who'd always met my devotion with frosty detachment, who'd never once glanced back as I walked away, would look ten years older overnight.

After my father's Beta killed him, I ran away and lived my life as a human. It wasn't much, but my life was my own and I liked it that way. Until one night, when I decide to take a shortcut through wolf territory and I'm captured. Expecting to go to the dungeon, the Alpha presents me as a potential mate to the mysterious and reportedly cruel Lycan King, Bowden. He takes me from my home and brings me to his kingdom where I'm expected to live as his mate. A mate he doesn't even want. I didn't sign up for this life. I don't want any of it. Least of all to be some king's dutiful and submissive mate. I'm just waiting, biding my time, until I can run away and join the human world again. ** "You know what…I'm done. I'm leaving Bowden's eyebrows pull up in amusement. "Are you now?” "Yes. Try to stop me.” He stands aside. "I won't stop you. Go. Goddess knows, I could use a little peace and quiet." I start to leave, but before I even reach the door he calls out. "Oswald!” The guard opens the door without any delay. "See the queen to her room and lock her in for the night," Bowden orders. "I thought you said you wouldn't stop me." I spin around and glare at Bowden, furious with him for changing his mind. "I won't…but Oswald made no such promises." The king nods at the guard who simply steps outside and closes the door behind him again. "Don't play games with me, little wild child. I am far more experienced than you'll ever be, and this is a game you'll never win. You are mine, and you are going nowhere.”

Nora's life turns upside down when she discovers her pregnancy for Aiden Hart the grandson of the billionaire mogul. Their whirlwind romance is destroyed by family oppositions, secrets and lies. Five years later, fate reunites them, thereby rekindling the flames that never truly died. With new relationships and old wounds, what happens when Aiden finds out about his hidden child? Will they resist the pull of their all consuming love or risk everything for a second chance? Can they untangle the past and make their forbidden love last?

For Esmeralda, daughter of the Beta of Bloodmoon pack is an excellent fighter and arranged to marry the Alpha of the pack, being rejected by him for a human woman was not only breaking her heart, but ruining her hard earned reputation as well. Especially not when she is pregnant with his child. She was excited for him to return so she could tell him. However, on her 19th birthday, despite finding out they are destined mates, he still rejected her and resulted in her losing the child he was unaware of. Esmeralda lost consciousness after the rejection, but she remembered being saved by a stranger who turned out to be none other than Alexander Malakai, one of the Lycan Princes and her second chance mate. Caught in a new world where her relationship with him seems almost forbidden like, and throw in her newest quest to become a royal elite guard at the Academy owned by the Royal Family and Anthony being an instructor there, Esmeralda learns to navigate through reclaiming her name, winning against Anthony’s schemes and her blooming forbidden romance with the Crown Prince himself.

A girl who was determined to find her place in this world, but nothing in this life has prepared her for who would walked into it. Or shall I say what walked into it. Her life will be turned upside down when not one, but two strangers pop into her life. Quick life decisions and going on the run was what saves her and helps her find her rightful place in the faery world that she now is a Queen in. Will true love conquer all or will she need to be her own hero...

For seven years, Zara Quinn sacrificed her dreams, her career, and her independence for her husband, Ethan Campbell. But on her 29th birthday, her world crumbles. Betrayed by her best friend, humiliated on live television, and abandoned by the man she once loved, Zara is left with nothing but her two children and a shattered heart. But Zara isn’t as powerless as everyone believes. Revealing her identity as the estranged heiress to the Quinn empire, she reclaims her life and begins a stunning transformation. As she rises to prominence as a world-class ballerina, she captures the hearts of four men: her repentant ex-husband, her devoted childhood friend, her ex-husband’s powerful and mysterious uncle, and her exacting yet irresistible ballet director. In a world where love and ambition collide, Zara must make a choice. Will she forgive the past, embrace a new future, or take the bold step of choosing herself?

Annabelle Spencer, she was the result of her parent’s obsession for perfection while her twin sister was an unwanted imperfection locked away from the world. Life changed after their parents passed away. Studying law at college, Anna meets Dante Bernade the son of a mafia whom she started a relationship with. The result of their love ends up in blood, broken bonds and the passion for revenge.

Elena Cortez is the daughter of a billionaire and the other twin who is not look upon as the best because of her size. She finally finds love in the arms of Diego Perez and marries him. Diego sees Elena as a lucky ticket to getting his hands on Her family’s business. Lorenzo Martinez is the bestfriend of Diego and the love interest of Eloisa the twin of Elena, but he has feelings for his bestfriend’s wife and can’t get her out of his head. What happens when Elena spend one drunk frustrated night with Lorenzo Martinez, her husband’s bestfriend and the love interest of her dear twin Eloisa and Lorenzo is unwilling to let go because he claims to have fallen inlove with her.

Maria, a girl from Eastwood city in New Orleans with a crescent moon shaped mark on her forehead carries the burden of being Luna to a pack that hates, rejects and seeks to annihilate her. It all begins during the time when packs from other states moves into Eastwood to dominate the metropolis. Maria draws the strategy that her pack would use to fight against their rivals and it leads to the great massacre of her mate, who is the pack's alpha along with several others. Now, she is on the run because the pack blames her for his death which happened when he tried to save her. They do not honor her because she is a Luna whose family line has been cursed and it is believed to fall upon those who protect her. What happens when a new Alpha, Dane decides to spare her life? What does he want from a rejected Luna? Wouldn’t it be considered a sinful thing if this new alpha is her ex-mate’s brother?