Shelter Mountain

Babaeng inilaan ang buhay sa pangarap at pagbuo ng kaniyang pagkatao. Lalaking gugulo sa tahimik niyang mundo. Paano kung sa gitna ng kanilang pag-iisa ay darating ang isang pangyayaring wawasak sa sinimulan nila?

What's a girl to do when she finds a sexy giant bathing in the river? Sydney Who leaves their girlfriend in the woods after a fight? My now EX-boyfriend that's who. One fight, okay a BIG fight because I found out he was cheating on me while we were camping and poof! He left me in the woods. So, I start walking to town, only I get turned around and end uo at the river where I meet Axel. This guy is HUGE. With a storm rolling in I don't have much choice but to trust him since I have been walking hours AWAY from town. Axel I've lived alone for years and I've been okay with that until one day she finds me bathing at the river. She is small, cute and talks a lot. I find I don't mind it. When the storm washes out the only road into town and she is stranded with me a while longer, I am grateful for more time with her.

Kai has spent his whole life trying to survive an abusive uncle, cruel classmates, and a world that never wanted him. He’s invisible. Until the day he walks into an empty classroom… and meets Mr. James Ashford who has a cold look. James sees everything Kai tries to hide—his fear, his hunger, his desperation—and he wants it. What starts as “private tutoring” quickly becomes a contract, new rules, a new home, and a new version of Kai shaped by the hands of a man who should never want him. But when threatening messages appear, describing what they’ll do to Kai just to break James, the teacher becomes something far more dangerous than a protector. James is willing to destroy anyone or anything to keep Kai safe. Or keep him his. Kai knows he should run. He knows he should be terrified. But the most dangerous cages aren’t locked… They’re whispered, touched, and promised by a man who says: “I’ll burn the world before I let it take you.”

Marcel was born a Vampyre but never felt at home in Blackledge Castle or his own body. His father Halen has created an army of feral vampires, the means by which he will gain power and deliver justice to the descendents of the High Priestess who made him the monster he is. The curse his father's barbaric past has brought down upon Marcel is one he sets out to rid himself of. The cullings and rampant bloodshed Halen thrives on are atrocities in Marcel’s eyes, and he knows if he does not leave, he will be dragged down with the clan when the Blackledge empire inevitably falls. This story follows Marcel as he learns to accept who and what he is through encounters with undying witches, dragons as old as the mountains in which they live and packs of warrior werewolves. Marcels eyes are opened to a world he never could have dreamed of from inside the tall walls of his former home. Marcel's journey is one of hardship, heartache, self discovery and wonder but it is not without its obstacles and hardships. When he finally finds a place he could call home he needs to make a choice, love or belonging. Can a Vampyre have it all? ***This book is part of my 'Twin Alphas' series. You do not need to have read the other stories as Marcel’s story is his own.

Pada malam perayaan ulang tahun pernikahan kami yang pertama, aku tergeletak di atas karpet merah darah, hampir tak bernyawa. Suamiku, Mason, seorang bos mafia, justru merangkul teman masa kecilnya, Yani, sambil menikmati sampanye dan bercakap dengan gembira. Yani tahu aku alergi wijen. Jadi dia membuat setiap hidangan malam ini disiram saus wijen. Aku baru menggigit satu suap. Tenggorokanku langsung membengkak, paru-paruku seperti terbakar, dan ruam merah menjalar di kulitku. Di ambang sesak napas, aku mengerahkan seluruh tenagaku untuk meraih obat alergi di dalam sakuku. Tapi obat itu meleleh, lengket di telapak tanganku. Obatku ternyata telah ditukar menjadi kacang cokelat M&M! Melihat ekspresiku yang tak percaya, Yani tertawa. "Kejutan! Aku sengaja menyuruh Mason mengganti obatmu." "Kita semua tahu kamu cuma pura-pura alergi. Siapa sih yang cuma makan sedikit wijen saja langsung pingsan? Lebay banget." Aku terjatuh dari kursi, berbaring di lantai sambil susah payah bernapas. Di telingaku terdengar suara orang-orang lain yang sedang bertaruh berapa lama aku akan ‘berakting’ kali ini. "Mason… berikan obatku…" Aku memohon dengan suara parau. "Kumohon… aku benar-benar akan mati…" Dia menghela napas. "Drama banget. Kalian perempuan bisa nggak sih berhenti pakai kata ‘mati’ buat mengancam laki-laki? Apa aku belum cukup mencintaimu?" "Yani benar. Selama aku nggak peduli, kamu sendiri yang akan berhenti dengan akting murahan ini." Saat itu, hatiku terasa lebih sakit daripada tenggorokanku. Aku tak lagi menjelaskan apa pun. Dengan tangan gemetar, aku mengirim sinyal permintaan bantuan kepada keluargaku.

One week before our marking ceremony, my Alpha Mate, Corey Black, looks me straight in the eye and says something unbelievable, "I want to have a pup with my long-time friend Willow." At first, I assume it's a terrible joke, but I see determination in his serious expression. I suppress the churning feeling in my stomach and ask him why. He sighs, his gaze gentle as if he's soothing an unreasonable child. "Willow's old Beta father is dying. His only dying wish is to see Willow have a pup. We're doing it through IVF, so it won't hurt our relationship. "Her father devoted his entire life to the pack. You wouldn't refuse to fulfill even his dying wish, would you? You wouldn't be that cruel, right?" I don't know how to respond. He speaks as if not letting my fated mate have a pup with another woman is selfish. Later, when I go to visit the gravely ill old Beta, Corey is holding Willow Lester in his arms. His hand gently strokes her hair as he lets her sob against his chest. The moment our eyes meet, pain strikes my very soul. My wolf lets out a desperate howl of anguish. I stumble away, only to receive a text from him on the day of our marking ceremony. "Honey, Willow and I are undergoing the IVF procedure. Let's postpone the ceremony for now." I stare blankly at those words, my hand unconsciously moving to my still-flat stomach. Since he wants so badly to have a pup with another woman, I will grant his wish and disappear with my pup.

The night I have my bonding ceremony with the Alpha, Walter Zimmer, he gets drunk even though he usually never touches any alcohol. Just as I'm at a loss for what to do, my best friend, Rose Larson, sends me a message detailing how to take care of a drunken werewolf. Despite feeling doubtful, I do as she suggests, and Walter truly does fall asleep peacefully. Just as I'm about to thank Rose, Walter suddenly hugs me from behind. His hot breath brushes against my neck as he murmurs a sentence that utterly breaks my heart. "Rose, you're the one I wanted to mark…" My world crumbles around me, but that's not all. His shirt slips down his shoulder when he moves, revealing the rose tattooed right over his heart. My mind goes blank, and all I can do is stare at the tattoo. I refuse to believe what I'm seeing. I've known Rose for 20 years, and she's my closest friend. As it turns out, Walter didn't get drunk because he was overjoyed about becoming my mate. He simply used the alcohol to drown his sorrows over not being able to take the she-wolf he wanted as his Luna. In that moment, our newly formed mate bond seems like nothing but a joke. Since that's the case, I decide to give up my position as the Luna and let them be together. However, after I leave, Walter loses control and shifts into his wolf. He then claws the rose tattoo to shreds. "Lily, I was mistaken. You're the Luna I truly love. Please, give me another chance to love you again…"

Der größte Fehler meines Lebens war, mich in meinen Stiefbruder – Alpha Cayden Gates zu verlieben. Ich war zwölf, als meine Mutter wieder heiratete. Er war der Einzige im neuen Rudel, der mich freundlich behandelte, und ich verliebte mich auf den ersten Blick in ihn. Mit sechzehn wurde ich von Einzelgänger-Wölfen angegriffen. Er stellte sich allein zehn von ihnen entgegen, um mich zu beschützen. Mit achtzehn wurde er durch Silber vergiftet und wäre beinahe gestorben. In diesem Moment teilte mir meine Wölfin mit, er sei mein Schicksalsgefährte. Ohne zu zögern spendete ich mein Knochenmark, um sein Leben zu retten. In jener Nacht sah ich ihn bleich und schlafend daliegen. Ich konnte nicht anders, als seine Lippenwinkel zu küssen. Genau in diesem Moment öffnete er die Augen und sein Gesicht rötete sich. „Tessa, wir sind Geschwister. Du darfst diese Grenze nicht überschreiten.“ Von da an mied er mich, als wäre ich ein Fehler, den er sich nicht leisten durfte. Bei seiner Verlobten Rosie Lloyd wurde eine seltene Blutkrankheit diagnostiziert. Ich war die einzige passende Spenderin. Zum ersten Mal flehte er mich an: „Wenn du sie rettest, erfülle ich dir jeden Wunsch.“ Doch ich war nach der Knochenmarkspende völlig geschwächt. Eine Blutspende hätte mich töten können. Ich sagte nein – und Rosie starb. Er vergoss keine Träne, als wäre nichts geschehen. Doch auf ihrer Beerdigung zerschmetterte er vor allen Augen das Porträt, das ich von ihm gemalt hatte, und sagte kalt: „Wie widerlich, von einem Leben mit dem eigenen Bruder zu träumen.“ Damit wurde ich zur Schande, zum lebenden Gespött. Demütigung und Verzweiflung verschlangen mich, bis ich wie in Trance in den See stürzte und ertrank. Als ich die Augen wieder öffnete, war ich zurück in dem Moment, als er mich um Blut anflehte. Ich sagte ruhig zu. Es war die letzte Schuld, die ich der Familie Gates zurückzahlte. Cayden, von jetzt an ist es vorbei. Zwischen uns gibt es nichts mehr.

My adopted sister, Rebecca Lawson, steals the gift I painstakingly prepared for the Don and presents it at a family gathering. Everyone in the room is stunned. So, my parents turned what was supposed to be my engagement party into a celebration banquet for Rebecca. They sit together and raise their champagne glasses to toast her, while I collapse alone in the bathroom, hitting my head and bleeding out. After regaining some consciousness, I use all my strength to call them for help, but only the mafia's consigliere and my fiance—Yves Gilbert—answers my calls. "Tessa, why didn't you come to Rebecca's celebration? She felt hurt by your absence! I know you've always been jealous that she could easily gain everyone's affection, but it's what she deserves. "Quickly come over and apologize to Rebecca. Don't disappoint us any further." Yves hangs up the phone after saying that. I stare at the darkened phone screen with an unsightly smile. They don't know that the gift I have prepared for the Don is still a half-finished product and needs to be repaired. However, I don't have the time to tell them. Because I am about to die of illness.

In my parents' hearts, there was always a "perfect son" who died too soon. I was just his flawed substitute, while my younger brother was their new hope. They pretended to be poor for 20 years, secretly funneling all their resources to him. While I was in the final stages of stomach cancer, writhing in pain, they were spending millions of dollars to build him a state-of-the-art study room. When the doctor told me to notify my family about hospital bills, I felt helpless, thinking they were just ordinary, broke workers. When my mom finally showed up at the hospital, she grabbed my hand, not out of concern. "Neville is under so much stress with his college entrance exams. Can you not die right now? He can't take it." My dad stood by, wearing a stern expression. "David was way more sensible than you."