Places We've Never Been

I've been with Shawn Turner for a decade. He doesn't give me the wedding he promised me. I'm about to propose to him after preparing for a year when I overhear him talking about me. "Rowena's like an out-of-season garment—there's nothing exciting about her. It'd be a waste to throw her out, but I also feel washed out with her." His friends tease him and warn him to be careful. He merely laughs carelessly and confidently. "Nothing will happen. Rowena can't live without me—she's liked me since we were kids, after all." He smugly pulls the young woman I sponsored close. They act intimately with each other. I look down at the diamond ring I've prepared for my proposal. Then, I go on a blind date and get into a flash marriage with someone else. Shawn's eyes are bloodshot when we next run into each other—he sees my pregnant belly. "Who gave you the nerve to cheat on me, Rowena?"

I was ditched by my father, Alpha of Northcrest Pack. Dumped in the borderlands for a whole decade. "Danae's still young. Once she hits eighteen, we'll bring you back. She's always been insecure 'cause she's adopted. When she's stronger, we'll come for you." Yeah, right. I didn't even look at that delusional she-wolf. Just kept watering my orchard. Even my so-called brother backed Danae. "Danae's the sister I grew up with. Disrespect her when you return, and we're done." Their voices? Just white noise. I shut it down cold. "Wrong wolf. I don't know you." They had the nerve to call themselves family. Joke's on them—I've had real parents for the last eight years.

It’s all started with a flirt. It wasn’t a surprise to me that he’s a playboy—it’s all written all over his pretty face. He’s a kind of guy your mom warned you about, but your body craves. It might be hard to accept, but I’ve been in a dry spell for a long time. So maybe he’s the answer, but the charming, cocky, and brutally honest playboy made me feel like no men ever did. And pretty soon, I was in too deep. *** It wasn’t a part of my plan. In fact, I never have imagined my life to be with someone more than just to warm my bed, let alone a woman with a kid, but just a single look at her gorgeous blue eyes, I’m already confused—I’ve never been drawn to any women the way I was drawn to her.

Sofia Shaffer is my obsession! I know she's an employee of my office and that makes everything very complicated, but I have to have that woman or I'll go crazy! One night. Just one night. Will that be enough to put an end to this insane desire that's taking me over? So I make the proposal... He wants me! An important man like CEO Brandon Reeves wants me! We've never exchanged a word and then he proposes a night in his bed... I'm tempted! Very tempted! This man has been the master of my most erotic dreams ever since I first saw him. The desire I feel for him burns me! But... his proposal is very indecent. Money in exchange for sex. It goes so against my convictions! But I have to admit that I'm torn! Should I give in and fulfill all my fantasies?

I’ve always been someone with a strong, restless libido I can’t quite explain. I’ve never gone to a doctor about it, but I know myself well enough to realize it’s something that comes and goes in waves, especially when I'm ovulating. During that time of the month, I'd need to do it two to three times a day or my body would feel extremely uncomfortable. Normally, my tall, broad-shouldered husband would be the one to ease that ache and fill the emptiness in me. However, lately he’s been impossibly busy, away on business trips for weeks at a time…

Back in the day, in the legal world, Finn Cross and I were the top dogs. Untouchable. He ran New York, a king in criminal defense, never lost a case. I held down Boston, crushing it in civil court. People in the biz used to say it was a good thing we weren't in the same city. If we were, we’d have gone head-to-head, and it was anyone's guess who'd come out on top. But they never would've guessed. Three years ago, I, Victoria Sterling, quietly married Finn Cross. And just like that, the legend of "Vicky" was locked away. I was willing to leave my career behind, to be the quiet, supportive woman behind the great man. I made his coffee, went with him to all sorts of events, and left a light on for him when he came home late. But when Elena, the one he’d always carried a torch for, showed up again, I couldn't keep up this charade anymore.

Margaret Faolan was fifteen years old when she was banished from the royal pack. Over the course of a few days, her entire world went from that of prim and proper prestige to life as the banished princess. Maise - just Maise - was twenty-three when she decided it was time to right that wrong and seek retribution. A new heir had been named, and she wasn’t the only one who was concerned her replacement was a bad choice. It caught the attention of the Lycans, a race that most thought had gone extinct. Isaac Ambrose hasn’t been a Lycan for long, and isn’t quite happy with his fate. The opportunity to explore what has really been going on with the Royal Pack is welcome, but a little runt rogue keeps worming her way into places she doesn’t need to be, including his heart. Lycans are blessed to never find a mate, and runts share that curse. Of course, fate would draw a newly turned Lycan and a banished runt princess together. Because fate doesn’t follow any rules.

At the engagement party, the champagne tower is only half-built when Marcus Harrison answers a phone call. He glances at me and says, "I have to go. Lily collapsed at the airport." I say, "If you leave, we're done." He leaves anyway, in front of 200 guests. He carries Lily Bardot in his arms, wearing the coat I gave him, as he drives away in my car. The next day, he sends me an email that reads, "Lily will be moving into my apartment. She needs me, and I hope you can understand. Once Lily gets better, we'll get married. Please trust me." I stare at the screen and suddenly laugh. So what he wants isn't someone who loves him. It's someone who needs him. And I'm too independent, so I don't make the cut. That evening, I scroll through my contacts and find a number I've never given a second glance to. It belongs to someone who's been waiting for me for 23 years. I dial it. "Tomorrow night, 7:00 pm. Meet me at the restaurant by the sea."

Leno Dockett and I dated for ten years, and we've also been married for ten years. He's the illegitimate son of an Alpha. At five, he was cast out and forced to grow up in a cave near the silver mines. As an adult, he was poisoned with wolfsbane, and his wolf was nearly been killed. He was banished. I was the one who took him in. I cared for him. I traded one of my pack's most treasured relics to get the best herbs so he could be cured of the wolfsbane. Then, I helped him rebuild his pack from nothing. Everyone in the pack says I bet on the right wolf. Now I'm the Luna. But they don't know that Leno has always loved another she-wolf. For years, I've endured everything—his coldness, his insults, and the other woman's taunts. Still, I refused to break our mate bond. Yesterday, he told me his mistress is pregnant with his heir. And when I once again refused to break our bond, he raised his claws against me in front of our pup. Staring at my pup, who was about to lose his right to inherit, I finally agreed to let go. But on the day we were meant to break the bond, Leno was ambushed. The enemy injected him with wolfsbane that damaged his brain. Now… His memory is stuck 15 years in the past—when he loved me the most.

"Happiness is a four letter word.I’ve never been happy before, never experienced love, until I met Nathan. He’s my happy place, and my husband.Everything should be rainbows and unicorns, but it’s not.The problem is, the past doesn’t stay buried, and ours is popping up in spades.A trial. A warning.Reciprocity is at hand.The battle for survival has begun."