Ransom Center Austin

"What are you going to do?" I asked, panic and desire fighting for control. Dean grabbed my ankle and pulled me to the center of the seat, while Ryan pinned my wrists above my head with a single hand. Liam pulled my face toward his, forcing me to look into the wild, golden glow of his eyes. "Pray, little wolf," he whispered against my lips, as I felt the weight of all three of them over me. "Because until the sun rises, you’re going to find out that three Alphas don't just share a mate... they consume her completely." ---- They found me in the middle of the night, right as I was about to shift for the first time. Something deep inside me craved them desperately, but the fear that being with three Alphas was a fatal mistake consumed me. I ran. I left my pack, my destiny, and the three brothers behind, trying to erase the traces of an intense night that should have been nothing more than a dream. But the past has sharp teeth. Two years later, the consequences of my actions have finally caught up with me. The Alpha triplets found me again. They don't just want explanations; they want me as their Luna, and there is nowhere left to run. Torn between my duty to my old pack and the legend that says this union will destroy me, I am trapped by three men who act as one. I belong to the triplets. And this time, they won't let me escape.

The Lycan King's summons reached all fifty-six packs across the Northern Territories — he was choosing a Luna for his heir. The heir's reputation for brutality preceded him. So my mother swapped my sister Freya's name for mine. Her voice left no room for argument. "Elsa, your sister's wolf spirit hasn't fully awakened yet. She can't survive the journey. Go in her place — enter the Luna Trials for her." She gripped my hand, tears sliding down her cheeks at just the right moment. "When it's over, your brother will come for you. I swear it on the Moon Goddess." In my past life, I believed that oath. I traveled to the Lycan King's fortress, only to be singled out by the heir himself. I barely escaped his stronghold alive, fleeing through blizzards for seven days and nights before I finally lost my pursuers. After two years as a rogue, I made it back to the Frostfang Pack — just in time to witness Freya's Marking Ceremony with the Alpha. My mother stood at the center of the celebration and looked straight through me. "Rogue. There is no place for you here." Cast out a second time, I lost all hope. I died in a blizzard, alone. When consciousness returned, I found myself standing in the stone hall again. She wore the same expression, watching me with those calculating eyes. "Elsa, would you take Freya's place in the Luna Trials?"

I forgot to bring a No. 2 pencil, so I filled out my SAT exam with a red pen. The proctor warned me it would count as cheating, and I just shrugged and told him it didn't matter. Tyson Jenkins, the school heartthrob who ranked near the bottom of the class, suddenly got anxious. In my last life, we went back to school to pick up our acceptance letters. I already had a guaranteed spot at Kingsford University. And yet, I was the only one who didn't receive a letter. Tyson had used a system to swap our exam scores. Because my score showed up as zero, Kingsford University revoked my guaranteed admission. I demanded a review of the scoring, but Tyson, who had suddenly become the top scorer out of nowhere, sneered at me. "Kieran, couldn't cheat your way through the exam this time, huh? Everyone knows you only got that guaranteed spot by cheating. You've got some nerve playing the victim!" I went to our homeroom teacher to clear my name. I never expected her to cry on camera and say, "I tried to talk Kieran out of it in private. It's not fair to the other students if he does something like that, but he used his family's influence to pressure me into staying out of it." Overnight, I was at the center of a storm. Before I could even explain, a group of fanatics dragged me up to the roof and shoved me off. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day before the exam.

My childhood sweetheart who promised to marry me the moment I graduated proposed to Camille Willow, my sister, during my graduation ceremony. At that moment, Dennis Malcolm, the most eligible and admired bachelor in Blington City's elite circle, stepped forward and confessed his love for me immediately after my childhood sweetheart's proposal was accepted. For five years after our marriage, Dennis showered me with devotion, treating me with such tenderness that it felt as though I were the center of his world. But everything shattered the day I overheard a conversation between him and his close friend. "Dennis, now that Camille's on top, are you really going to keep pretending with Tracy?" "It doesn't matter. I'll never have Camille. Besides, as long as I'm here, she'll never disrupt Camille's happiness," he answered. The paper notes he held dear, each one carefully preserved, revealed a harsh truth. Each one carried her name, accompanied by heartfelt wishes: "May Camille be released from her burdens. May she find peace within herself." "May Camille achieve all she dreams of, and may her heart love freely." "Camille, we were never meant to be together in this life. I can only hope that in another, we will walk side by side." … Five years of devotion shattered in a single moment of clarity. I crafted a false identity and planned an elaborate drowning to vanish without a trace. From this day forward, in this life and all others, we shall never cross paths again.

In the high stakes world of wealth, philanthropy, and power plays, Shadows of Desire weaves a tale of love, betrayal, and redemption. At the center of it all is Sophie Langston, a passionate and driven woman who co-founded a charitable foundation with her long-time business partner and lover, James Thornton. Their organization, built on the ideals of changing the world, has become a beacon of hope for struggling communities. But as the foundation grows in influence, so do the enemies lurking in the shadows. Sophie and James find their relationship and partnership tested when an unexpected visitor walks into their lives, Richard Mallory, a disgraced businessman with a tainted past. Despite having tried to undermine the foundation before, Richard proposes a substantial investment, claiming he wants to make amends. Torn between suspicion and the potential benefits for their projects, Sophie reluctantly agrees, setting off a chain of events that unravel deep-seated conspiracies and hidden agendas. Soon after, whispers of internal conflict and financial instability begin to surface. Rumors swirl about a power struggle between Sophie and James, putting their relationship under intense public scrutiny. Behind the scenes, they uncover a more sinister plot at play. Dominic Kane, a ruthless corporate raider infamous for hostile takeovers and blackmail, has set his sights on their foundation. With a history of exploiting the vulnerable for profit, Kane sees their organization as his next target, aiming to use it as a pawn in his larger schemes. As Sophie and James grapple with this new threat, they must navigate a web of deceit, power struggles, and hidden motives. Old allies resurface, trust is tested, and secrets from the past are unearthed, forcing the couple to confront their own vulnerabilities...

Roxanne's fiancé was suddenly snatched by her stepsister. In return, she got into a forced marriage with her stepsister's fiancé, a wealthy billionaire whom her sister had rejected because he was disabled.Bound by familial obligations and in order to reclaim her late mother's shopping center, Roxanne agreed to replace her sister and marry the "Crippled" billionaire, Henry Ford. Little did she know that she had thrown a rock and picked a diamond instead. Henry Ford, the crippled billionaire, was more than meets the eye! For Roxanne, the grass was indeed greener on Henry Ford's side. …"Make me yours, Henry," Roxanne said, her eyes pleading. Henry's electric blue eyes whirled with affection as he gazed into her eyes. His love was all that mattered to her. "Roxy, are you certain? Once I make you mine, there's no turning back." Henry's eyes darkened as he got closer to her. “Is this what you really want?”"You don't want me?" Roxanne asked instead, looking sad. Henry grabbed her wrist and pulled her onto his lap. He glanced down at her and whispered, "I've wanted you from the very first day I laid my eyes on you." Roxanne's heart skipped a beat as she felt the intensity of his grip. She could sense the raw desire in his touch, and it sent delicious shivers down her spine. “Then prove it,” she whispered breathlessly.

It was finally the day of the auction "And now we are presented with a human who looks a little unkempt right now, but with a little care from her owner would be as good as new" the hosts voice rang over the speakers in what seemed like a dungeon used for illegal gambling. But I couldn't look much, being locked in a basement for three months without any form of light coming in, and suddenly being on stage where all attention and the center light was on me was enough to just make me shut my eyes and wait for what was to come. "We'll start with $25,000" is that really my worth. Do I really amount to nothing, that I have to be sold at an auction. "$26,000" "$26,500" "$30,000" "$30,000, is there anyone who wants to bid higher? Going once, going twice... This went in for a few more minutes and I gave up hope. This was it, this is where my life journey ends. I will get sold here then if my buyer is an organ trafficker he would probably kill me and sell off my organs. "Five hundred million dollars" a deep manly voice grunted from the corner of the room "Wow that's a very high bid...I doubt if anyone is willing to go higher than that. Going once, going twice, sold. Congratulations Mr Jimmie Hendrix, you just won yourself a hot looking toy...everyone is left to wonder what you will be doing with her tonight." Jimmie who was sitting in a dark corner of the room gave a sinister smirk and uttered under his breath "Found you!!!"

Saoirse was always meant to be a Luna, but never like this. Torn between fate and desire, she becomes the center of a ruthless power struggle that leaves her body and soul scarred. Renzo, the Alpha who claimed her first, burns with a dangerous obsession. His love is no gentle devotion—it is possession, relentless and consuming. Every rose he planted, every oath he swore, every piece of her life was built around the belief that she belonged only to him. When the Moon Goddess fated her to Blaze, Renzo’s obsession twisted into something darker—something neither Saoirse nor Blaze can fully escape. Blaze, fierce and unyielding, recognizes Saoirse as his fated mate and vows to protect her at all costs. Yet every time he tries to claim her, Renzo is there—haunting, threatening, reminding them both that he will never let go. His shadow poisons every kiss, every promise, every fragile moment of peace. At the ceremony meant to unite mates before the packs, Saoirse shatters. Dragged in chains, she kneels before Blaze, confessing her love for Renzo in front of all. Magic erupts from her in a storm of fury and despair, forcing Blaze to mark her as his before she slips away completely. But even as his teeth sink into her skin, Renzo’s grip lingers—unyielding, unbreakable. Now, caught between Blaze’s devotion and Renzo’s obsession, Saoirse stands at the edge of ruin. One man is her destiny, the other her downfall… But which one will she choose?

Vera Sinclair had everything, wealth and a future mapped out by her ambitious father. But on the night of her extravagant eighteenth birthday party, a heated argument with her father shattered everything. Seeking an escape, she drowned her pain in reckless indulgence, only to wake up in the arms of Logan Grey, the dark, untouchable heir to one of the most feared Mafia empires. She had worshiped him from afar for years, but after taking her innocence, he left her with nothing but a cold shoulder. Determined to forget him, Vera tried to move on. But fate had other plans. A missed period led to a devastating revelation, and a family who would rather erase the problem than endure a blood entanglement with the notorious Grey heathens. But Vera wanted to keep her baby, so with no other options, she ran to Logan, the very man her family wanted her to stay away from. Logan, however, had his own secrets, the one rule his father insisted on: never sire a child out of wedlock. This meant that Vera's pregnancy could cost him everything: his position, inheritance, and freedom. Logan had no intention of being forced into marriage. But what he didn’t expect was another threat lurking in the shadows, his estranged brother. A man just as powerful and dangerous, eager to claim what Logan refused. Vera soon found herself not only a mother to a Mafia heir but also at the center of a battle between two men who had been feuding since birth.

“No! Please, Santiago--” I whimpered, as his hand seized my wrist with an iron grip, yanking me forward, dragging me effortlessly toward the chair he had pulled into the center of the room the night before. The symbol of my humiliation. He stopped right in front of the chair, spinning me around, facing him. "You want me to be your monster, mi ángel?" His hand grabbed my throat, tilting my chin up until my eyes locked with his dark gaze. I flinched from the sudden movement. "Cause I’ll be your favorite monster — just say the word, cariño." Santiago’s face hovered only inches from mine. His lips so close, I could taste the sweetness of his breath — once making butterflies take flight in my stomach, now curdling my insides into a cold, suffocating fear. Slowly, his free hand rose toward my face. I held my breath. His touch was deceptively soft and gentle, caressing my cheek. His thumb lingered against my lips, tracing them slowly, his eyes fixed there as he spoke — his voice soft, yet heavy with menace. "Divorce is not an option, mi amor. We took a vow five years ago. Remember?" He finally lifted his gaze to meet mine, catching every flicker of fear before he delivered his last words like a verdict: "Till death do us part."