Rice By Manuel Arguilla

"I would rather die than have you as my wife. You are not Lauren and you will never be my mate!" "You're nothing but a tool I used to help my Pack achieve our goal. I merely used you to get the MoonGem and nothing more!" *** When Evelyn, daughter of the Alpha of the Sagittarius pack fails in a mission to get to the gem needed to strengthen her pack's bloodline, she is given to Alpha Damian, the cold hearted Alpha of the Red Cedar pack who is in possession of the gem as a gift bride to secure that gift for the Sagittarius pack. The Sagittarius pack has made a deal with a separate pack so Evelyn's real motives are supposed to be stealing the gem from Alpha Damian. She has to work her way into his heart and push all of his buttons to get this done, but what will they do when the fate hits them with a shock. Can a love not fated ever stand strong in the midst of bloodshed, hatred, and a Werewolf vendetta?

Deceived by Him By Lorena Daniela Synopsis: She was trained to see through lies. But what happens when the truth is more dangerous than the lie? Sienna Blake, a sharp and ambitious defense attorney, thought she’d seen it all—corruption, manipulation, betrayal. But when she’s assigned to represent Dominic Hayes, a man accused of murder with a sealed past and a stare that unsettles her, she realizes she’s stepped into a game far darker than the legal system. Dominic is not just a client. He’s a puzzle wrapped in secrets and veiled threats—confident, composed, and disturbingly charming. Sienna knows she should keep her distance, but something about him draws her closer, against every instinct she’s ever trusted. As the case unfolds, Sienna finds herself caught in a deadly web of deception where everyone has something to hide—including Dominic. The deeper she digs, the more she risks becoming not just a lawyer fighting for truth, but a woman fighting for her life—and her heart. When lies turn into obsession and trust becomes a weapon, the question remains: Is Dominic Hayes her greatest mistake… or the only man who can save her?

“Your body is made to carry my pup! Do that without objection and leave after giving birth to him,” Travis husked, his voice causing vibrations on earth. Rhea Duncan stared at him unblinkingly and scoffed, “I didn’t want to stay here anymore either. I’m still enduring your annoying nature because I have no choice.” • Rhea Duncan was inseminated by her best friend, Phoebe Barton, so that she could snatch her boyfriend from her. Her scheme was successful, but what Phoebe didn’t know was that she had just made her best friend a surrogate mother to the most eligible and enigmatic man in the country, and the alpha of his pack. What happens when a random human invades Alpha Travis’s world unexpectedly? What happens when Rhea Duncan realizes that the world she assumed was fiction is actually real, and she has just become a surrogate mother for the leader of that world? Will they accept that it is fate or just an accident?

He rejected her to chase power. She gave herself to a stranger... and woke up marked by fate. Ryker, the mate River Moonstorm thought she was destined for, tossed her aside — choosing his best friend instead, all to earn a spot in his dream biker club. Broken and drowning in betrayal, River finds herself in a bar, face-to-face with Orion — mysterious, magnetic, and oozing danger. One drink turns into a night she can’t forget. One touch unlocks a part of her wolf she’s never known. But Orion isn’t just a dark escape. He’s the star of the Sexy Groove Bikers Club — and he’s hiding secrets that could turn River’s world upside down. Can she handle the fire he ignites in her? Or will falling for Orion burn her all over again?

Serenity has been locked up in a miserable attic her entire childhood and into adulthood. She's never known the reason why. All she knows is that when she turns eighteen, she's meant to marry the Alpha's son Roland and only then will she be given back her freedom. She's learnt to be quiet and obey, to stay in her prison and watches as life passes by, no one lending a hand to help her gain her freedom back. But what happens when a lycan prince visits the pack and discovers she's his mate? What secret has her Alpha been keeping from her all this time? When her life is upended and the truth comes out, will she finally break free of her shackles and embrace the life she was meant to have?

Ixora, a wolf less omega, couldn't believe her eyes when she discovered that her fiancee is cheating on her. But like a soft girl she is. She forgave him after he promised not to cheat on her again. On her birthday night when he is supposed to announce her as his fiancee, Christopher publicly crushed her in front of the whole pack, rejecting her, leaving her humiliated and broken them chose her sister over her. But fate has other plans. When she thought all hope is lost, a stranger returns- Christopher's psychotic brother who was sent to an asylum years back. He was crazy and a psycho but he turned out to be her mate. He claimed her and soon step up as the new Alpha of the pack. His mission was to also break her and to make his brother jealous, but will it grow to obsession? Is his ice heart going to melt for a soft girl like her?

After another failed attempt at love, grief-stricken and orphaned Korina Black decides to move to New York to start afresh after swearing off men for good. But all that changes when she meets a hot doctor Cole smith and her life get messier when she finds out that she is being stalked by an evil mafia boss who is hell bent on having her all to himself and would trample anyone in his way.

Harmony White's life has never been easy, even before her sadistic stepfather turned Harmony into a wolf against her will. She has chosen to live her life as an Omega, suppressing her inner wolf, and resisting those who attempt to claim her for their packs. Well, at least until the night two warring Alphas bring the fight right into the middle of her small mountain diner. And both Alphas decide to make a claim on her. Alpha Roam of the Stonemountain Pack, sexy and brooding, his violence proceeds him, but he excites her body in ways she's never felt before. Or Alpha Grey of the Timberland Pack, charming, hot as sin, known to not tolerate disrespect towards she-wolfs, and his caresses ignite something feral inside her. Caught in the middle of a feud, which Alpha will she choose? Her choice has the power to make or break a pack. Are two Alphas better than one?

"You think you've seen me unhinged?" I asked with a dark grin. "Tonight... I'm not your husband. I'm the man you betrayed." I kissed her then, without restraint, and she stifled a moan that threatened to escape her lips. "You should be scared," I whispered, brushing my fingertips along her spine, slow and teasing, then down over the swell of her ass. My palm lingered, gripping one cheek possessively. "Because you've just given yourself to the devil." I leaned down, my lips brushing her ear. "And the devil? He doesn’t believe in mercy." .... I should have known better than to sign his contract. My new husband was never meant to be real. He was supposed to be a name on paper, a shield against the vultures circling my late husband's empire. An arrangement with an expiration date. But Killian Cross doesn't let go. He's ruthless, obsessive, and dangerously possessive. The kind of man who doesn't just own his empire. He owns everything in his grasp. And now, that includes me. I thought I could play his game. That I could survive the year, take my freedom, and walk away unscathed. I was wrong. Because my contract husband has made one thing clear. I belong to him now. But what if he's the real enemy hidden in the shadows?

Josh: I was focused on my revenge. Practically all of my family was killed, and I would not allow their deaths to be erased, irrelevant and unpunished. I wanted, and would do, justice. I was powerful enough for that, and I was focused. But everything changed when I found Pietra. So pretty, a little shy, and very dedicated. His intelligence charmed me, and his sharp tongue interested me. But to be honest, her body messed with me too (more than it should have). So, I was at an impasse: if I chose Pietra, I would have to give up my revenge. And if I chose to do justice, I couldn't have her in my life. Everything was very complicated, and it got worse when I found out that Pietra was predestined to be my partner. One way or another, at one time or another, she would have to be mine whether we both wanted it or not.