Penguin Classics Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Crystal Snowheart is the Luna of the famed Snowheart Pack of Werewolves. Known to have directly descended from the Moon Goddess, the pack was known for their unique healing qualities and the only werewolves able to change their scent, almost making them invincible in a battle. She was born to unify all the packs and bring about a peaceful reign. But before she could inherit her place, her pack is killed by betrayal, leaving the Luna with no pack. Ace Hunter is the most feared Alpha. Having killed his own father as a young teenager, he became the Alpha of the ferocious Moonhunter Pack even before his wolf appeared. And now, ten years later, there is no one who can stand up to this wolf without quivering in their boots. But, he is the only one who can help Crystal get the revenge she thirsts for. So, will she be able to meet his many demands? And what will he do when he meets Crystal's wolf Erin who is an entity of her and sure to drive him crazy? Abstract: "You want my protection?" Crystal raised her chin, refusing to back down, " I want your co operation!" Ace smiled at the stubborn tilt of her chin and leaned back in his chair. "And what do I get in return?" "What do you want?" Crystal questioned archly. Ace chuckled at the haughty attitude, wondering if she would keep this up when he stated his conditions... Walking forward, he leaned down as she stared into his eyes and spoke, " I want you...my mate." Before she could accept or reject his demand, Ace closed the distance between them and took her lips in a kiss that almost scorched them both...

“If you think that you have been living in hell all your life, let me break that illusion for you,” Adrian said. He spoke slowly, his voice full of menace. “This place–this is true hell, right here, where I am. His statement, “In this place, death is not an escape, no matter how much you may yearn for it,” was enough to make the audience shudder, but all that tiny figure did was raise her lifeless, dull eyes. “Then help me, so I can remain here.” She replied, her voice barely above a whisper. ********************************** In a world ruled by loyalties and bloodlines, Kira, the first daughter of the strongest family in the American mafia, finds herself entangled in an unexpected twist of fate. She was betrothed since childhood to the second son of the Italian mafia’s don, due to a blood alliance between both families. She was raised alongside him and always considered him as her everything, while joyfully waiting for the day they would finally get married. To her, their love story was set in stone. However, on the day of the wedding, Kira's world as she knows it comes crumbling down when receives a shocking revelation — instead of her betrothed, a different groom appears at her wedding. And to top it off, he was dressed in a prison uniform. What happens when Kira finds herself thrust into the clutches of Adrian Vasillos the infamous ‘devil’ of the Italian mafia? Will she be able to navigate this world of danger, intrigue, betrayal, tested loyalties, and forbidden desires where she must come face to face with her deepest fears? Or will she finally discover the true meaning of love and get her happy ending? Read on to find out more in this twisted romance series…

"Look at this rejected omega!" My ex-husband sneered, and his pack members burst into laughter. Standing beside him was my younger sister, the one he cheated on me with. She clung to his arm, flaunting their bond for all to see. "She must be here to steal you from me," my sister spat in disbelief. "She's not here for any of that," my second chance mate’s voice boomed as he entered the room, towering over everyone in his sharp black suit. The crowd fell silent, astonished. "She's my wife and mate now. She's the new Luna Queen!" he declared, bowing to me with respect and love as he took my hand. The shock on my sister's and ex's faces spoke volumes. They never thought I'd rise above it all. But even I couldn't help but wonder, Wasn't he crippled just one night ago? --- Carena devoted years to her marriage, serving her arrogant alpha husband and in-laws after leaving her birth pack for her fated mate. But her loyalty was repaid with the ultimate betrayal: discovering her alpha husband had been sleeping with her 19-year-old sister. Hurt and rejected, Carena was thrown out of the pack, forced to return to her birth pack with nowhere else to turn. To be accepted back, she was told she must marry the crippled alpha King. She thought that would be the end of it. But one night, she woke up to a troubling sight, realizing she needed to uncover the secrets of her mysterious disabled alpha King before it’s too late.

To think that he was the one for her, her soul mate, brought her so much pain the moment she found out he actually wasn't. The truth came slapping right across her face and she was there, embarrassed, broken and deadly hurted, under the dusty grounds and before everybody's eyes. 'For a man I once loved, I couldn't believe what was unfolding before my eyes. But I knew i had to move on and I did, busying myself with my last days at college for the peace of my heart'. Elva was left with no choice but to move to another pack when the Luna of her former pack sent rogues to finish her. Just because she was the Alpha's ex and way too intelligent compared to her, the Luna of the pack. "Get your lousy hands off her!" He roared out loudly, enough to make all of us shake along with the ground beneath us. Then like a joke they were all ripped off and left into nothingness. "They sent people to kill you, which means they gave up on you! Emerald pack is now your home" he spoke and scooped me in his arms. For a moment I felt like the world has come to a stop, no words came out of my slightly parted lips. 'The masked senior from the college! he saved me!' Were the only words repeating in my head over and over again like a broken tape until I lost consciousness. Living in a new pack wasn't the safe heaven she thought it would be, one reason not being accepted by one of the most respected person of the pack. What happens when something that occurred in a wrong way but turns out to be the best thing to ever happen to your life?

He lowered his head and angrily placed a kiss on my lips, I had felt the passion, love and compassion in his previous kisses but right now he was venting out all his anger. He bit my lower lip hard until it was completely swollen and began to bleed, I wanted to cry in pain but he didn't give me a chance and his tongue pried my mouth open and with the help of it he pulled my tongue into his mouth and then bit my tongue. At this moment he was completely consumed by anger and out of his senses, I wanted to use my magic to get rid of him but I could not do that too as he had one of my wrists twisted which was now turning numb with pain and the other was pinned above my head against the wall. Soon his fangs pierced my tongue and this time finally a sharp painful shout left my throat and hit his lips. My lips were now trembling and I just wanted to push him away but as much as I tried that, he kept pushing his body against mine making me loose my mind completely. My painful voice brought him back to his senses and his lips and teeth finally left my mouth, tears flowed through my eyes due to the pain and I looked at him angrily that was when he finally spoke "I told you to be careful but you do every possible thing to rile me up. Your scent is completely different from every person on this earth, it is so appealing and inviting that anyone can find you and that means that no matter how hard you try, you can't escape from me."

Raisel Alaric Warden, a devoted wife, loves caring for her husband, Alaric Warden, a millionaire businessman at Warden Company. They fell in love in college and have been happily married for three years. However, Raisel’s world was shaken when she discovered that Alaric had feelings for Davina, his secretary, from their university days. Though initially unworried, Raisel noticed Alaric’s growing absence at events. At a social gathering, Raisel’s best friend, Hazel, noticed her solitude. “Why are you by yourself?” Hazel asked, handing Raisel a drink. “Alaric was busy,” Raisel replied, masking her unease. As they spoke, Raisel saw Alaric with Davina, their affection evident. When Davina kissed Alaric’s cheek, causing a stir among photographers, Raisel’s heart sank. “What is this all about?” Raisel asked, her voice trembling. “I’m sorry, Raisel, but I want a divorce. I love Davina,” Alaric confessed, as tears filled Raisel’s eyes and cameras flashed around them. Overwhelmed, Raisel fled, only to be caught by strong arms—those of Soren Dalton, her best friend and billionaire businessman, whom she hadn’t seen in five years. “Soren,” Raisel whispered. Understanding the situation from a video his bodyguard showed him, Soren’s expression turned cold, his glare fixed on Alaric, Davina, and the paparazzi. “Remember in college, when I pretended to be your boyfriend to keep other guys away? Let’s do that again,” he whispered in her ear. Torn between the past and present, Raisel looked between Soren and Alaric, caught in a whirlwind of emotions.

On the eve of the National Robotics Championship, I smashed my carefully designed bot to pieces and announced my withdrawal. Everyone said I was a fraud who was quitting out of fear of being exposed. Online, the netizens mocked me relentlessly. Only one person, Adrian Cross, the so-called genius of the century, spoke up in my defense, his voice dripping with false sincerity, "I believe in River Lowell’s skills. Only he deserves to be my opponent. No matter what setbacks he’s facing, I hope he comes back to the arena and proves himself." In my previous life, the robot I built was identical to his. No matter how I tried to prove he had copied me, Adrian stood before the cameras, wearing his benevolent mask, and said, "It’s fine. This robot can go to River. I can always build something even better." His fans swarmed me, tearing me apart online, and no one believed in my talent. I swallowed the humiliation and vowed to rebuild my robot from scratch. However, when I was assembling it, the Power Core in my kit exploded, shattering my skull. That same night, I was rushed into the ICU. Netizens clapped and cheered, saying I got exactly what I deserved. That night, my girlfriend, Lila Hart, signed the hospital’s DNR consent form without hesitation. Until the day I died, I never understood how Adrian had gotten my robot’s data or why Lila had joined forces with him. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the very day of the competition.

In my previous life, I, Ruth Spencer, fell seriously ill. Because of that, I managed to stop my husband, Zayne Colman, from going on a business trip to the country border. He immediately canceled his flight, pulled me into his arms, and gently comforted me. Over the phone, he gave instructions to my younger sister, Reagan Spencer. "The project comes first. You go in my place." But no one could have known that the so-called business partner was actually a ruthless scam syndicate. Reagan had her organs harvested and was tortured to death. I was devastated. Zayne held my frail body in his arms and hoarsely promised that even though Reagan was gone, he would still love me twice as much. And he kept his promise. For ten years, he never let me suffer at all. In fact, he spoiled me rotten. This went on until the day I gave birth. The pain nearly knocked me unconscious, but Zayne put his hand over the call button to prevent me from summoning help. The words he spoke were laced with malice. "If you hadn't gotten sick at such a convenient time back then, Reagan wouldn't have gone alone! I could have saved her. "It's your fault she's dead! She must feel so lonely down there. You and this bastard child can go keep her company!" That was when I finally realized that our love were nothing but a lie. When I open my eyes again, I am back on the day he is about to leave for that trip to the border. This time, I release them to the path leading to freedom, or, in other words, to hell.

On the anniversary of our Mating, my legs were wrapped around my Alpha, Adrian, as we shared a deep kiss. My fingertips brushed against the hidden pocket of my silk dress, my hand tightening around the pregnancy test I had concealed there. I felt the faint flutter of a new life inside me, planning to give him this surprise as the perfect end to our evening. Just then, Adrian's Beta, Ethan, spoke in a low, teasing tone, using the Old Tongue. "Alpha, that little sister-in-law of yours… the newly matured she-wolf, Zoe. How did she taste?" Adrian's low, suggestive chuckle reached my ears, quiet yet piercingly clear. He replied in the same ancient language. "You know a freshly ripened pepper? Hot, with a real kick." His palm was still caressing my waist, yet his gaze had drifted elsewhere. "Just keep it quiet. If my Luna finds out, it's all over." The other Betas let out knowing chuckles, raising their glasses in a silent promise to keep his secret. But a chill washed over me, and my inner wolf went still, as if it had died. He didn't know I had studied the Old Tongue for my research on werewolf trauma. I understood every word. I held back my tears, forcing myself to appear unfazed, maintaining the composure expected of a Luna. Instead of confronting him, I sent a magically shielded message to Elder Slone of the Werewolf Healers' Association, accepting the invitation she had extended to me. In three days, I would join a secure werewolf rehabilitation program as their new Lead Therapist and disappear from Adrian's world forever.

Closing the door shut, I exhaled lowly and turned around to make a dash into the room when my eyes met with a pair of raging fireballs glaring into my soul. How come he is here? I made sure to lock the door. “And you think that a wooden door is strong enough to prevent me from meeting my mate?” He answered my unsaid question, his tone strident and laced with pure rage making me cower back. But still, I mustered up courage and shot him a defiant look. “And I made it clear to you that I don’t accept you as my mate,” I spoke confidently while looking straight into his eyes. My breath hitched when I noticed his eyes darkening. He was clearly pissed by my protest but I stood my ground. Taking a deep breath I continued, “Listen, I can’t be with you nor with anyone. What happened that night was just a mistake and I never accepted you so stop harassing me and just leave-“ Before I could complete it, my neck was grabbed in a vice grip as I was pinned against the door. I quickly shielded my belly with my arms dreading he would hurt my children. But irrespective of my fear-stricken face, he leaned dangerously closer to my face and flashed me a diabolical smirk that dripped with menace. “I think I made it clear to you last night Ms. Evans. I had never asked for your consent in the first place so you… don't really have a choice. ‘Cause once you enter Xavier’s maze, there is no going back, Grace.”