Rechazada, Pero No Rota

Every year, the village had to choose a girl of age to become the Blossom Bride. The girl who was chosen would be sent into the cave as the village god’s wife. She would spend the entire night with him. If she came out alive, she would be honored for the rest of her life as a village elder. Any child she bore was said to be blessed, destined for a life of effortless fortune. If she died, the village would simply wait for the next year, when another Blossom Bride would be chosen. The blessing of the Blossom Bride was believed to pass on to her parents and elders as well. However, no one wanted to be chosen. To escape the ritual, families quietly left the village, one after another. I was the only one who volunteered. I had a lust problem, and I had always wondered what it would feel like to be with a god.

“Mommy, love mo ba si daddy?” Napangiti si Zylah Almendras sa tanong na iyon ng pitong taong gulang na anak—si Jaxon. Sa isang dekadang pagsasama nila ni Bryce ay masaya sila lalo na at may isang anak silang bumubuo sa kanila. Kontento siya sa buhay bilang hands-on mom sa anak at mabuting may bahay sa asawa. “Oo naman, s’yempre,” tugon niya sa tanong ng anak at masuyong nginitian ito. “Pero si daddy love ka rin ba?” “Oo naman. Love din s’yempre ni daddy si mommy.” “Eh, bakit mas masaya si daddy kapag kasama—” Tunog mula sa tablet ni Jaxon ang pumutol sa sasabihin pa sana nito. Binalewala na nito kasunod ang ina at nakangiti na sa kung anong tinitingnan sa tablet. “Mommy?” Balik atensyon nito sa ina. “Hmm?” "Kailan kayo maghihiwalay ni daddy?” *************** Iyon ang simula ng lahat. Pagdududa. Pagtataksil. Pagkukunwari. Pagtitiis. Pero hanggang saan ang kayang tiisin ni Zylah? Hanggang saan kung hindi lang ang asawa ang inaagaw sa kaniya kung hindi pati ang anak?

Mi esposo, el jefe de la mafia, pierde a su primer amor por suicidio. Celeste Reyes no podía aceptar que se casara conmigo. Desde entonces, Darius Sterling la llora públicamente todos los días, y nos convertimos en esa clase de pareja que se desprecia más que a nadie. Sin embargo, cuando la familia Moretti de Eastbourne envía asesinos tras de mí, Darius recibe la bala que estaba destinada a mí. La bala estaba envenenada. Mientras yace débilmente en mis brazos, susurra: —Te he salvado la vida. Mi deuda con tu madre está saldada. En nuestra próxima vida, no volvamos a encontrarnos. Ya no quiero odiarte. Solo espero que siempre seas la chica de al lado. Ahora es mi momento de estar con Celeste. Y así como así, muere en mis brazos. Lloro con todas mis fuerzas, pero Darius no vuelve a mirarme. Solo entonces me doy cuenta de lo tonto e infantil que ha sido nuestro odio durante todos estos años. Más tarde, después de eliminar a los Moretti, me quito la vida por él. Sin embargo, cuando vuelvo a abrir los ojos, tengo 20 años, el año de nuestro compromiso. Rechazo el plan de mi padre de un matrimonio concertado y decido ir a New Verden a gestionar el negocio familiar. Esta vez, me mantendré lejos de Darius y le daré a él y a Celeste mis bendiciones.

. . . (Past is past. Future is future. The Present is who I am now.) BORN WITH UNUSUAL GREEN EYES AND BLACK WINGS. A CHILD OF A BEAST. HIDDEN FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. Cyan just wanted to be normal and to be treated normal for her entire life. Unfortunately, she wasn't born fully human. Being like that, she didn't experience a normal life, in fear of getting found out by others. One afternoon, out for a walk, she encountered a woman, but she was someone who have the same green eyes and black wings as her. Also claiming to be someone who will take Cyan where she truly belongs. However, that was not only that. The woman told her that there were enemies that also want her for actually being the daughter of a General with unknown whereabouts, and a war between their own kind was brewing. A war that had stopped long ago and was starting again. In order to track her father who left her since birth and to keep her human mother safe from danger, she had no choice but to go with the woman. Now, she was caught with all the troubles she didn't know would come to her. TRIGGER WARNING/ CONTENT GUIDELINES: This story contains mild to strong language and deceptions of violence that may be triggering and not suitable for some readers.

WARNING: THIS BOOK MAY CONTAIN STEAMY AND MATURE SCENES WHICH IS STRICTLY NOT FOR KIDS OR UNDER 18+ Life in the Ember Pack seemed ordinary—until Annatoria, the Luna, was accused of infidelity by her husband, the Alpha. Infidelity was the last thing Anna would ever consider, even in a failing marriage. Yet there she stood, publicly shamed and branded a whore. A cruel setup led to her rejection and banishment, leaving her broken and alone. For three long years, Anna struggled to survive, enduring hardship after hardship. But with the help of Alpha Asher—a close friend who secretly harbored feelings for her—she rose from the ashes. Now, as a powerful Alpha in her own right, she’s the talk of the shifter world. On the day she returns to the Ember Pack to reclaim her son, fate strikes once again. As she nears the pack gates, a deep, familiar growl sends shivers down her spine. “You’re my mate.” Her wolf stirred. “What is that scent?” A mate? How did the “banished” Annatoria gain the power to walk into the pack unchallenged? And who is the wolf claiming her as his?

Mila is a fierce, resilient woman who doesn’t back down from challenges. She fell deeply in love with Alex, only to have her world shattered when he betrayed her with his mistress, Lily. Alex, obsessed with having a son, had divorced Mila after learning she supposedly couldn’t conceive. When Lily became pregnant, she secured her place by Alex’s side, leaving Mila devastated. Yet Mila, with her signature sass, decided to rebuild her life, throwing herself into her career with newfound strength. Just as Mila’s life starts to stabilize, she discovers something shocking: she’s one month pregnant. Reluctant to believe it, she re-tests, only to confirm the news. Soon, Mila learns the original claim of infertility was all part of Lily’s scheme to steal Alex and secure his wealth. Fueled by the betrayal, Mila sets out to reveal Lily’s deceit. But Lily is always one step ahead, twisting each of Mila’s moves to her advantage. Now, Mila faces her greatest challenge: outsmarting Lily and taking back control of her life, her dignity, and her future. Will Mila expose the truth before Lily’s schemes destroy everything?

My parents have invited all of their relatives and friends to our villa for a nice gathering to celebrate their golden anniversary. Isabel Atkinson, my wife who works as a model, suddenly calls me on the phone and claims that she needs to attend an urgent meeting hosted by her client. Before it's my turn to give a speech on the stage, my assistant suddenly hands my phone over to me. "Mr. Marsh, you might want to take a look at this…" The screen shows a social media post made by Miles Horton, an intern designer at our company. "At this moment, she belongs to me and me only." In the photo, Isabel can be seen sitting in a dimly-lit room. A few plain-looking dishes decorate the table. Her hair is slightly messy, but she continues to smile at the elder next to her. A cold, mocking smile appears on my face. It turns out that her so-called emergency meeting is a family gathering with Miles. I leave a comment in the comments section. "The food looks pretty tasty. I'd like to visit you next time." Chaos erupts on the social media feed instantly. Isabel calls me immediately. "Why are you being such a phony? You'd better delete the comment right now!" I just chuckle coldly as I end the call. Then, I send her a copy of the divorce papers I've drafted. Since Miles' matters are clearly more important to her, then she can forget about coming home forever.

When I was three months pregnant, a pack of Rogues ambushed me. In the last moments before my consciousness began to fade, I begged for rescue through my mind-link to my Alpha mate, Adrian. But he never answered. I was rushed to the hospital for emergency treatment, only to be informed that the Saint-Tier Healer had been forcefully taken South by Adrian to treat Evelyn, his first love, after she lost her mate. When I woke to the pain of losing my pup, my fingers shook as I checked social media, then I saw Evelyn's post: [I knew that no matter how far away I am or how much time has passed, Adrian would always come for me. He even brought a Saint-Tier Healer to ease the pain in my heart.] In the photo, Adrian's dark eyes, which were usually cold and distant, were focused on the woman beside him with tenderness. While I was fighting for my life and losing our cub, my Alpha was protecting another pregnant wolf. I chuckled at myself bitterly. It felt as if the bond mark on my chest was withering away. I then dialed a number without hesitation. "Dr. Clark, I accept the position at the Northern Ancient Wolf Research Institute. Yes, the sooner the better. I won't be holding a farewell ceremony."

My husband—the mafia boss—loses his first love to suicide. Celeste Reyes couldn't accept that he was marrying me. Since then, Darius Sterling mourns her publicly every day, and we become the kind of couple that despises each other more than anyone else. However, when the Moretti family of Eastbourne sends assassins after me, Darius takes the bullet meant for me. The bullet is poisoned. As he lies weakly in my arms, he whispers, "I saved your life. My debt to your mother is repaid. In our next life, let's not meet again. "I don't want to hate you anymore. I just hope you'll always be the girl next door. Now, it's time for me to be with Celeste." And just like that, he dies in my arms. I cry my heart out, but Darius never looks at me again. Only then do I realize how foolish and childish our hatred has been all these years. Later, after I eliminate the Morettis, I take my own life for him. Yet, when I open my eyes again, I'm back at 20—the year of our engagement. I reject my father's plan for an arranged marriage and choose to go to New Verden to manage the family business. This time, I'll stay far away from Darius and give him and Celeste my blessings.

On a storm-soaked night, twins Aiden and Rowan Hale open their front door to find a stranger bleeding on their couch. He calls himself Kai; injured, handsome, and disoriented, but the moment Rowan sees him, something in him breaks. He knows that face, or he thinks he does. To Aiden, Kai is gentle and harmless. To Rowan, he resembles a presence from his past; someone powerful, dangerous, and never meant to return. When Kai insists he remembers nothing, the twins are pulled into a web of uncertainty. Secrets resurface. Loyalties strain. And as Aiden grows closer to the man Rowan fears most, one question consumes them: Is Kai truly a broken man with no memory… or has something far darker come home?