Osmanthus Wine

When Saraphina, a powerful vampire, escapes her clan, she finds herself in the hands of Ethan, a fierce werewolf alpha who happens to be her mate. He is ruthless to her at first, but soon begins to fall in love with her. When deceit and betrayal strike, Saraphina must choose between her loyalty to her sister and her love for Ethan. Will their bond be strong enough to overcome the shadows of their past? Or will their love be weakened by the very darkness that surrounds them.

I wheel myself into the birthday celebration that Wales Price has thrown for me. The atmosphere is originally lively, but a brief silence descends when everyone sees me. The guests are there for different purposes, but celebrating my birthday is not one of them. "Is that Mr. Price's crippled fiancée, Joey Hertza?" "Yeah, but the one he really loves is Anna Giovanni. I saw them kissing in a corner earlier." They use their wine glasses to block their mouths as they speak loudly. They think I'm still the crippled deaf I used to be. They don't know that I regained my hearing last week. I can hear every mocking comment they make. Meanwhile, Wales stands there and allows it to happen. He doesn't stop the guests from talking about me. He seems to have forgotten that I only ended up like this while protecting him. I shoved him away when the accident happened and got trapped underneath the car myself. When I was rescued, Wales swore to stay with me and care for me for life. It's only been three short years since then, but he's already changed. I receive a message on my phone. "Ms. Hertza, the lifelike corpse that you've ordered is now complete. Reply to this message with your confirmation, and your death-faking service will be immediately effective. We will send the corpse to your and Mr. Price's wedding in five days." I don't even hesitate as I reply with my confirmation. Enjoy your wedding, Wales.

My dormmate invites me to a college mate's engagement party. I choose an expensive tailor-made gown for the occasion. When I arrive at the hotel, I see several of my former classmates are already there. Everyone looks like they're doing well—they're wearing expensive clothing. Someone is even wearing something from a luxury brand. As soon as I enter the private room, a familiar classmate rolls her eyes at me. "Look at who it is—the woman who was once the most outstanding student in our class. You're dressed so plainly for such an important occasion." Everyone is circled around the classmate who's wearing something from a luxury brand. They ignore me. Only our former class monitor clinks glasses with me and consoles me softly. "It's good enough that you're here. You're dressed plainly, but don't give up. You'll succeed one day." I sip my wine and smile. "My outfit may not be too opulent, but it's an expensive, tailor-made piece. It's 100% handcrafted by a master designer."

"Do you trust me, Hailey?” he asks as he looks deep into my eyes. Our eyes locked and the whole world fades away, it looks deep in my soul as if the answer to his question is there. Thinking about it my mind tries to come up with something not to trust him but nothing. “a little... maybe” is all I could say, while I take another sip of the wine still locked onto his gaze. “If I asked that you must submit to me with your whole body, will you?” his voice was husky. Again, I do not know what to answer. Can I give in just for one night? Would I give in for once, to feel for once how it would feel to be desired? To know how it would feel to be the only one he wants even if it was not real. Even if it was just for one evening. Not trusting my voice, I slowly nod. My Angel, will you break the spell? Are you my only true love? Lying next to her, I take her in my arms as she places her head on my chest. Soon I drifted off to sleep. What happens when myth and reality come together to find love?

Maxine is arguably the most bitter girl in town. Ever since her ex-boyfriend Leander left her, she has been rude to all men. It all started at a nightclub. Maxine was sad, sulking and drunk at the counter. She was still asking for many bottles of wine, but the bartender already refused her because she was already drunk. She was broken; she loves Leander so much, but he cheated on her. She thought he was the kindest man she'd ever known. Maxine couldn't even walk properly, she swayed and she almost fell. But the next moment she knew, she had already fallen to a man chest. And that was the time she met Law. The moment she looked up to see it. She saw her past. Her past that keeps hurting her till now. It was her last day here at the clubhouse and she promised herself that she would never come back here, but the pain of yesterday returned when she saw him. Leander and him look similar Law was a bit surprised when Maxine grabbed his white collar and kissed him aggressively. And that was the first and last encounter they had. Amari pulled her sister away from the unknown man. One year later. Maxine changed a lot, she was bitter and hot tempered as always. Maxine can't accept that her sister is getting married. She didn't want it to be like her who would only get hurt at the end. She was pissed, so she walked out of Amari's wedding venue with no one knowing. Destiny seems hilarious and playful. Law finally found her in the parking area. Maxine can't remember everything about him. But since that day, it seems destiny is really bringing them closer because Law Del Fierro is also her new Boss.

Aceia Louise Christenson was living her life to the fullest. She was using her family wealth to live her lavish life, but that ended when she got into a scandal: "You were kissing a married man. What were you thinking? I didn't raise you as a family wrecker." That was what her father said, and she knew that she was doomed. But what makes her feel more wretched is when she hears about her father's decision. "You need to marry Hudson Blake Vasco—" In other words, she needed to get married to a stranger in order to clear her name. She knew that doing that would cost her freedom. Would she allow it to happen or just run away? Hudson Blake Vasco was the successor of the Vasco chain of hotels and Rixco Wine enterprises; he was bound to marry Aceia Louise Christenson as per his father's order. He doesn't have a choice but to obey because of what he did two years ago. But the question is, would Hudson tie the knot to a woman who only brings a bad image to her family's name or just think of another way? What will happen if the two meet? Would it be romantic or a disaster? What if what happened two years ago happened again but was even worse?  

ADRIAN'S POV My head was pounding, a dull throb that echoed the frantic beat of my heart. I was hot, too hot, my skin slick with an unfamiliar sweat. I knew it instantly: drugged. One moment I was escorting Aria, basking in the glittering lights and dancing with her in the ballroom at her birthday party. Next, a wine from a waiter, a trip to the bathroom, and then… darkness. I blinked, trying to focus on the blur above me. Damien. My stalker. The man who’d been haunting the edges of my life for weeks, whispering cryptic claims of a shared past I couldn’t recall. He was on top of me, pinning me to the plush velvet of some unfamiliar bed. His eyes, usually so intense and unsettling, were filled with a disturbing mix of guilt and desperation. "I’m sorry, Adrian, I'm so sorry I had to do this, but I can't stand seeing you with her. Watching you rewrite our history... please, remember me. Remember us." He leaned down, his breath hot against my ear. "I promise, I'll cherish you this time." Then, his lips crashed onto mine, a fierce, possessive kiss that stole my breath away. His hands moved over me, desperate and knowing, igniting a fire that both terrified and strangely thrilled me. Maybe it was the drug blurring the lines of reason. Or maybe… just maybe, deep down, my body recognized something my mind couldn’t. It responded to his touch with a shameful eagerness, a desperate need that mirrored his own. All I could do was surrender to the moment, to the heat, to the undeniable connection I felt with this man, Damien, as I returned his kiss with a fervor that shocked us both.

That night, Liam served me my usual evening tea. I trusted him completely—he was my mate, after all, and a respected healer of Thornpack. I shouldn't have. When I woke up the next morning, my head was spinning. The special safe where I kept the morphing inhibitor—the one I'd spent my entire savings to import from Europe for our daughter Isla—was empty. Racing to the healing center, I found Liam celebrating. He was handing out moon-blessed wine, beaming with pride as Natalie's daughter Anna showed off her perfect transformation. My inhibitor had been used on his first love's pup instead of our own daughter. The shock triggered something in my brain. When I collapsed, they diagnosed me with the rare tumor that plagued our kind. Without inhibitors, I couldn't stop Isla's transformation that came early, her six year old body couldn't handle the massive wolf form and the force ripped through her young body. And I, for one, don't even have enough money to keep her in a treatment center. She died in my arms three days later, her little claws drawing blood as the pain overwhelmed her. Until her last breath, she kept asking why Papa hadn't come. Now, in my cold, empty home, with the white porcelain urn containing her ashes on the table, I touch her and decide to sever our partnership.

"So just to destroy our upcoming union, you were willing to get pregnant for just anybody. Bad girl," he mocked as he poured the wine inside a glass. My eyes widened as he turned and my brain registered his face.    "Alpha Ace-"    Within seconds, he was at my side and his hand was wrapped around my throat. "Be careful, gattina. You're mine now. And nothing you do can change that." ******    In a reckless act of defiance, Natalie Robbie, the daughter of the Alpha of the red wood pack, gambled her future union on a forbidden night of passion. Little did she know that her impulsive encounter would lead to a shocking revelation—the stranger she yearned for was none other than Alpha Ace, the ruthless Alpha of Alphas—and her husband to be.  Bound by a twisted twist of fate, Natalie and Alpha Ace are forced into an arranged marriage for the peace of both packs. With lies, secrets, and dangerous threats lurking around, can they unravel the mysteries surrounding them and start a love that defies all odds? Or will the dangerous path they tread on tear them apart?

"I want her." he said coldly sipping onto his wine staring at the grey eyed enchantress standing in front of him taking in her curves and flawless smooth skin. "She's his mate." his beta proclaimed widening his eyes at the reckless demand of his alpha. "So?" his alpha asked him coldly like it didn't affected him a bit. "But she is forbidden and---" his beta tried to make him understand but a one cold look from his alpha made his mouth clipped shut. He moved his blank gaze towards the girl tempting him without even trying and sternly said "I want her." And that was it, the end of the discussion because what he wants he gets it by hook or by crook. Daxon Valor, the alpha of the blood moon night pack is what people and all of the packs fear of. He is powerful and a rude, arrogant alpha who fears nothing. But he was not like this from the birth the death of his mate made him like this so cruel and ruthless because he loved his mate more than his own life. Hazel Suarez, the wife of alpha Alexander Suarez of nightingale pack is the beauty everyone wants to take a look at. But to even look at her is forbidden for everyone. But Alpha Daxon Valor has his eyes on her now. He wants her at any cost for himself.