Ritual Pasta

“You say you hate me,” he growled, his voice brushing her ear like a thorn. “But your scent tells another story. Your arousal is so thick that it chokes the air between us. Tell me, open your mouth. Say you need me, and I will fuck you in every way possible.” “I… I would rather… die,” Elena trembled, the wave of heat crashing over her as his breath burnt against her cheek. ~ ~ ~ Four years ago, Elena Vale ran. She fled from the mate she once loved, the Alpha King, Darius Veylor Thorne after betrayal and heartbreak shattered her world. She left everything behind, her title, her pack, and the secret she carried beneath her heart. Now, fate drags her back. A broken bond hums to life the moment he finds her, standing at another man’s funeral in a city far from their world. And Darius is no longer the man she left behind. He’s darker. Colder. A predator wearing the face of her once-lover. He wants her back, not for love, but for vengeance. But when the mating ritual forces their souls to bind once more, the truth begins to unravel. The lies that tore them apart were never hers to begin with. And when a blood-soaked betrayal returns from the shadows. One that will challenge everything they thought they knew about loyalty, love, and power, Elena realizes something horrifying, To survive Darius, she must either accept the bond… or destroy herself first.

Five years after I rejected my mate, Shawn, he had become the Lycan King — and most importantly, he now had a beautiful mate. During the Werewolf Alumni Reunion, someone suddenly brought me up. “What’s Kendra been busy with? She hasn’t shown up at a single reunion in years.” Someone sneered. “She’s too busy seducing alphas from other packs — on airplanes.” “On airplanes?” “Yeah. She’s a werewolf flight attendant with FullMoon Airways. They cater to alphas and lunas from all kinds of packs. I’ve seen her on board before. You wouldn’t believe how flattering she acts around those prestigious wolves.” “Really? Kendra’s a werewolf attendant? No surprise — she’s always dreamed of being claimed by some single alpha.” Hearing that, Shawn, sitting at the center of the table, flinched slightly. His fists tightened. “A werewolf attendant?” he murmured. “Yeah, Shawn... but haven’t you gotten over her by now? It’s been years.” He froze for a second, then quickly composed himself and held his mate’s hand beside him. Everyone’s attention turned to the flickering moonstone ring on her finger. “I’ve long forgotten her,” he said flatly. “Come to my bonding ceremony next month. There will be a sacred ritual at the temple.” “Wow...” Applause filled the hall. But only I, whose soul had been drifting in the air all along, slowly lowered my head upon hearing the news.

Because I saved my husband during a car accident, I lost my eyesight. He wept, promising to treat me well for the rest of our lives to repay my sacrifice. I cooperated with the treatment wholeheartedly, hoping for a full recovery. But on the day I finally regained my sight, I stumbled upon something that shattered my world. In our marital home, his first love lay beneath him, her flushed face betraying the passion of the moment. Their bodies intertwined, and the air around them thick with stifled moans—a vivid tableau of infidelity. "She's just a blind woman. Why haven't you divorced her yet?" the woman murmured impatiently, her voice laced with disdain as she moved against him. My husband, immersed in pleasure, still mumbled an excuse. "My love, just a little longer. Soon, we'll be together openly…" I turned and left without a word, pretending I had seen nothing. As I walked away, I remembered the witch's sacrificial ritual in the misty forest—only a few days away. My husband's betrayal cut deep, carving wounds I couldn't ignore. I made up my mind to return to the forest, to embrace my identity as a witch once more, and to sever all ties with him. Yet, after I disappeared, word reached me that he was searching for me everywhere like a madman. Rumor had it he had completely lost his mind.

The scent of pine and damp earth clung to the air as the full moon created long shadows across the Ancient Clearing. Tonight, was supposed to be our marking ceremony, a sacred ritual binding Alpha Anderson and his chosen Luna before the eyes of the Frostmoon Pack. “My heart,” his gaze locked on Leah, who stood under the moonlight “has always belonged to another. My first love, the one whose spirit has been weakened by the venom of wolfsbane, is my Luna.” He drew Leah closer, his hand possessively circling her waist. Under the watchful gaze of the moon, he smiled. “Our traditions are clear,” he continued, “Only the woman who stands with me at this altar, witnessed by all, shall be my Luna. Though I had always thought that Irene was my mate which I mistakenly marked a time ago. But thanks to the goddess for making me see clearly before it was too late.” They exchanged vows beneath the trees, witnessed by the werewolves and the Moon Goddess. The silver crowns were placed, the ceremonial kiss sealed their bond. I stood hidden in the shadows of the surrounding forest. For twelve years, from the moment my wolf recognized his at eighteen until my thirtieth moon cycle, my love for Anderson had never changed. But his heart, it was clear, belonged to Leah. If that was the truth, then I would release him. He had never truly seen me, never truly cared. Yet, the act of my departure seemed to unravel him in ways I couldn’t understand.

Musim kemarau panjang telah mengeringkan tanah-tanah Desa Yamanira, membawa kelaparan dan penyakit yang ‘tak kunjung reda. Dalam keputusasaan, tetua desa yang dianggap jembatan antara dewa dengan manusia, bermimpi tentang sosok tinggi berjubah hitam-Yama, dewa kematian yang telah lama mereka puja. Sang dewa menuntut tumbal lebih cepat: satu jiwa suci untuk menyelamatkan desa dari panceklik yang nyaris memusnahkan segalanya. Korban itu adalah Melati, gadis berparas teduh yang terlalu tersenyum, anak semata wayang dari Pamantra, kepala desa yang begitu dihormati. Meski hatinya hancur, Pamantra menyerah pada desakan warga desa dan mimpi para Tetua. Demi desanya, ia menyerahkan putrinya sendiri. Pada malam bulan penuh, Melati dibawa ke altar di hutan larangan. Belati ritual sudah diangkat, siap merobek jantungnya. Tapi sebelum darahnya menyentuh tanah, langit terbelah-Yama sendiri datang. Dengan mata kelam ‘tak terbaca, ia mengambil Melati, membawanya ke istana kematian. Di sana, Melati bertemu dengan Wirya-tunangan yang menghilang dalam perjalanan pulang dai desa seberang untuk mempersiapkan pernikahan mereka. Namun pertemuan kembali ini bukan anugerah. Di istana kematian, cinta yang dulu hangat kini terbakar menjadi amarah dan dendam. Melati terperangkap di antara bayang cinta masa lalu, kuasa ‘tak terhindarkan sang dewa kematian, dan rahasia gelap yang mulai terungkap... Bahwa mungkin semua ini bukan sekadar takdir-melainkan rencana.

The sirens knew how to do only one thing. Kill. Usually, it was just those who travelled their seas, until the greedy ruler of Greake, captured their queen. The sirens ventured into the lands at midnight in search of their Queen, bringing chaos along with them. So many lives were lost from the midnight invasion, as such the humans had a powerful witch, Adora, summon the Pombero to keep the sirens off their lands. King Edwardo got greedy again. With his sword in hand, dripping the blood of their victims, and Adora by his side, he haunted the sirens who were retreating into their seas. The few who survived the slaughter were enslaved by the king and exploited for riches until they died a miserable death. Edwardo didn't stop there. His quest for wealth and power clouded his sense of reasoning. Sick of the bloodshed, Adora performed a dark ritual that brought a temporary calm to both sides. Adora didn't give much thought to the consequences, until she pushed the hideous child out of her womb. Years later, the throne of the Golden seas remained empty, as none of the sirens were powerful enough to contain the darkness that enveloped the throne. Given that half of their powers were locked away in the other half of their hearts given away by the sea to human mates, whom they were bound to love for the rest of their lives for the sake of peace. Princess Almira was not looking forward to finding love. All she needed was the other half of her heart to take over her mother's throne. Since the mates were immune to their manipulative melodies, Almira decided to go in search of him herself with only one plan. Drive a dagger through his heart and retrieve her property.

LUNA: My entire life, I believed I was a simple human with a desire to assist shifters at the hospital where I work. But I could never have foreseen what fate had in store for me the moment I laid eyes on Blazes. For anyone of us. As soon as our worlds collided, all we could see was each other, and our destinies were soon intertwined by a curse that revealed my true identity. Mated to two shifters, it is up to us to break the curse placed on their pack before their demise is written in stone. BLAZE: With every male born into my pack, I can feel my grip on reality slipping, and I know that time is running out. As the future Alpha, it is my responsibility to track down the witch who has caused all of our sufferings and compel her to either break the curse or accept death. It was not part of the mission to find my mate, but it turns out that she is the only one who can save us, and she quickly becomes my addiction… My every desire… Mine. We are bound by our curse. And our passion will only lead us to the sweetest, sharpest edge of obsession, beyond our limits. SAFFRON: I can see how Blaze regards our mate, and I refuse to kiss the ground she walks on as he does. My body aches for her, I cannot deny it. Unfortunately for me, my wolf is loyal to the point of willing self-destruction to protect her. And when the time comes for us to fulfill our destinies and break the curse... Will I be able to succumb to my temptation and then turn it off like a dripping faucet once the ritual is over?

Sebagai pria bangsawan dengan gelar ksatria pedang agung yang cukup disegani pada banyak medan pertempuran, Lorant sering menjadi bahan pembicaraan gadis-gadis bangsawan. Wajahnya yang memiliki tulang rahang tegas, dengan hidung bagaikan terpahat sempurna yang memisahkan kedua mata coklat setajam elang berbingkai alis berbentuk golok tebal, membuatnya sangat berkharisma. Tubuh atletisnya yang dipenuhi guratan luka akibat perang, justru semakin membuatnya terlihat gagah. Bahkan para gadis sering membual bahwa dia tahu berapa jumlah bekas luka yang ada di tubuh Lorant, untuk menimbulkan asumsi bahwa dirinya cukup intim dengan Lorant. Tetapi Lorant justru mencintai Benca, gadis biasa yang tinggal terisolir di tepi hutan selama delapanbelas tahun. Hubungan cinta mereka menghasilkan dua orang anak kembar, Lovisa dan Edvin. Lorant tidak menyangka kisah cintanya bersama Benca merupakan awal perjuangan panjang dan pertarungan mental yang kerap membuatnya frustasi. Selain harus menghadapi kecemburuan Ivett, wanita bangsawan yang telah dijodohkan dengannya dan berusaha mati-matian untuk melenyapkan Benca dengan cara apapun, Lorant juga harus menerima kenyataan, bahwa Benca adalah putri kandung dari bibinya sendiri, seorang wanita bangsawan kelas atas penganut satanisme yang sering melakukan ritual berupa mandi darah perawan, dan telah menculik Lovisa, untuk dijadikan korban ritual. Dengan segala kemampuannya, Lorant berusaha melindungi dua wanita yang paling dicintai dalam hidupnya dari cengkraman bibi sekaligus ibu mertuanya yang haus darah.

Right after my bonding ceremony with Alpha Carlo, his first love, Olivia, died unexpectedly. For fifty years after that, I gave everything I had for Carlo and the Shadowmoon pack. We had five pups, and the pack thrived. But then, on the 50th anniversary of me becoming Luna, Carlo dragged me to the Moonlit Platform. He was going to break our mate bond himself. And after he brutally severed it, he drained all my soul power. He said he was going to use an ancient ritual to bring Olivia back to life. And I, the Luna who’d been by his side for half a century, was the perfect vessel. My desperate cries brought our children running, but they just stood behind Carlo, watching me with cold eyes. “Bringing Aunt Olivia back is the only thing Father has wanted for years,” one said. “If you hadn’t been jealous of Aunt Olivia, if you’d used your healing on her, you wouldn’t be our mother!” another spat. The children I’d poured my heart and soul into raising now just wanted me to die. I felt my soul shatter, my heart ache as if pierced by a knife, and then, nothing. I lost consciousness. When I opened my eyes again, I was back. Back to the day of my bonding ceremony with Carlo. In my last life, Carlo chose me, his Head Healer. Olivia, though, was devoured by a venom-fang spider and died from its poison. Her death had nothing to do with me, but Carlo blamed me for all of it. This time, looking into Carlo's eyes, I saw the deep disgust there, and any hope I had left died. He was back too.

My son was kidnapped by rogue wolves during training. Ethan used all his connections as Beta to finally locate him in an abandoned hunting lodge. When I burst through the door, Tyler was already lying on the ground. His chest was a bloody mess, his heart ripped out completely. I chased after the rogue wolves like a mad she-wolf, desperate to retrieve his heart, but I was too late. Unable to bear the devastation, I collapsed and fell from the cliff edge. Ethan carried me to the pack healer's den, his face deathly pale. Before the healing ritual began, he gripped my hand tightly, his voice trembling: "Serena, you can't give up. Our son is already gone. I can't lose you too..." But when I regained consciousness, I found an anonymous text message on my phone. I opened it and heard a recording. "Beta Gray, you have already found another heart donors. Why specifically choose young Tyler? He's so young, and he's your son..." "He was just a tool to save Lucas. I raised him all these years—taking one heart isn't too much to ask, is it?" "Besides, the pack healer said a blood relative's heart has the smallest chance of rejection. Lucas is mine and Vivian's life. I can't bear to see him suffer even a little." My entire body shook violently. I could barely hold the phone. The man who repeatedly claimed to love me was the murderer who killed my son for his illegitimate child with his mistress. The marriage I thought was happy was nothing but an elaborate deception.