Smug Expression

"I, Aiden Steve, soon to be alpha of the crescent moon pack, reject you, omega Anna Fanning, as my mate and future luna." He said with a stoic hard expression on his smooth face. Nothing prepared me for the pain that hit me with full force. Clutching my chest, and trying not to scream from the sheer force, I was hurt. More hurt than when I became a slave at the pack house, or when I was constantly bullied by members in the pack house. With one hand on my chest, and a voice barely audible, I asked him "why"? He scorned and said, “you don't expect me to have an omega as my mate and luna.” With that, I broke down in tears I've been holding and I swear, I saw his expression change a little or so I thought. "I, Anna Fanning, daughter of Beta Ace and Dakota Fanning, accept your rejection". I sobbed and yelled at him……

"You know, don't you?" I took a deep breath. His gaze was still on me. "What do you mean—" "Don't play dumb," he cut me off, and I swallowed. "I..." I paused and stared at the ground. "I don't know much... I don't know yet." "Do you know who I am?" I shook my head. "I know you're not normal." I looked up. "But I don't know why." His eyes flashed silver as I tried to read his expression, but came up empty. "I know your eyes change color because of your emotions. But I don't know what it means." As the room fell silent, he averted his gaze. ******* On her first day on campus, Rayline Hale, an average girl just starting college, never thought her world would change. That's when she meets Cole Spencer, a handsome young man who seems to be every girl's walking nightmare. With his cold stare and mysterious aura, Cole is a young man unlike any other. But behind his frightening appearance, Cole hides a secret that Rayline cannot understand. He is no ordinary man. This is the beginning of an adventure that will change Rayline's entire life. He opens the door to a world far beyond her imagination, where supernatural creatures roam and ancient secrets shroud human reality. The deeper Rayline digs for clues, the clearer the hidden truth becomes. But the closer she gets to Cole, the stronger her feelings for him become. The love that grows between them seems magical, though Rayline is terrified. How can she love someone who is not human?

"Hi, yes you aren't dreaming, it's the chubby Kelly," I say inwardly as I see the unhappy face expression of Jason who is disheartened. The guests laugh at us. They call our couple all sort of names. "The prince charming and the pancakes' eater Kelly" is one I can sadly remember." "I, Jason Bentley of the South pack, reject you Kelly Thompson as my mate and the Luna Queen," he declared fiercely. *** Kelly Thompson, an eighteen-year-old curvaceous and wolfless she-wolf, has been quietly admiring Jason Bentley, the heir apparent to the throne of the dominant South pack, for a number of years. Unfortunately for Kelly, she doesn't get the same attention in return from Alpha heir Jason, as the handsome daughter of his old father's Gammas, Betty Nord, is already the love of the pack's future Alpha. But, the plump Kelly has an advantage over the skinny Betty because of a strong vow made by Jason's father, the Alpha King Don Bentley, that his son will marry the daughter of his Betas who gave their lives two years ago in a fight against the North pack's fiercest adversaries in order to preserve the life of the Alpha heir. But clearly, nothing goes as smoothly as Kelly imagines.

Cold and proud to all, Beamon Slade, Northarch's strongest Alpha, reserves his gentleness solely for me. Everyone knows that I'm his Luna. But today, his first love is infected with deadly wolfsbane and on the brink of death. He hands me a herbal pill that can seal memories and temporarily remove the mate mark. "Eiro won't last another three days, Swan. "Could you give me three days to fulfill her dream of becoming a Luna through a symbolic marking ceremony? I won't hurt you. This pill temporarily severs the bond and makes you forget me. "When the ceremony ends three days later, take the antidote and you'll remember everything. We'll get back together." Looking at his calm, gentle expression, I silently swallow the pill without hesitation. He has no idea, but I crafted the pill with my own hands. There's no such thing as an antidote. Three days from now, I'll completely forget him. All our embraces, vows, marks, and his past gentleness will vanish with the wind.

During lunch, an older female colleague asked me, "How old are you? Do you have a boyfriend? When are you planning to get married?" I shook my head. "Twenty-seven, no boyfriend, and no plans to get married." She was momentarily stunned. "What are you talking about? How can a woman not get married?" she asked. I smiled without responding. Realizing I wasn't joking, her expression darkened. "Did you work as a escort and get caught? Is that why no man wants you?"

~ ALISTAIR ~ I hate him. There’s no point in admiring what you can’t be. I hate his sharp tongue, his smug smirk, the way he looks at me like he already knows how this ends. I don’t like men. Calvin Rutledge is a problem. A problem I can’t ignore. A problem that’s in my face, under my skin, unraveling me one smirk at a time. But the worst part? I want him. And he knows it. Now, every glance burns, every touch lingers, and every fight makes me crave the one thing I swore I’d never want—him. A man. A know-it-all who plays by his own rules. I was never supposed to want him. And yet, here I am… falling. __ ~ CALVIN ~ I know his type. Rich. Arrogant. A cocky football star who thinks the world revolves around him. Alistair Morano is all that—and more. My sworn enemy. My reluctant project partner. My ‘boss’. He thinks I’m just another nerd he can push around. Cute. But here’s the thing—he’s the one being played. By the time he realizes I’m the one pulling the strings, it’ll be too late. Because he’ll be mine. Mine to tease. Mine to break. Mine to ruin. And when he finally falls? I’ll be right there, waiting to catch him, just to break him all over again.

After my engagement to Simon Page, he secretly planned a trip abroad with Yara Watson, the woman he had loved for years. The day before their departure, he was chatting with his friends and Yara in the lounge of a golf club. "Simon, you just got engaged, and you're already taking Yara on a trip. Aren't you afraid Rosalyn will find out?" Simon scoffed. "I hired a guy to pose as her suitor. He’ll keep her so occupied that she won’t have time to bother me. "If something really happens between them, even better. I can use it as an excuse to officially end the engagement and be with Yara openly." Standing outside the door, I trembled as his words sank in. Tears streamed down my face as I looked at the handsome man behind me, his expression filled with guilt. "Then let’s grant him his wish and get married." But just as I was preparing for the wedding, Simon suddenly knelt before me in agony. "Rosalyn, I was wrong. Please, don’t marry him!"

For seven years, Grace has been the dutiful "moon goddess" at the side of Alpha King Ethan Silver, enduring his indifference while desperately trying to strengthen the weakening MATE bond between them. On her birthday, she returns to the eastern territories only to find her home empty - her partner absent and her daughter, whom she brought up as a child, estranged. "I've got something going on here, tomorrow." Ethan's impatient voice came over the phone, but Grace caught another female voice in the background. Olivia Stone. Her half-sister. "Aunt Liv is so handsome, I love Aunt Liv so much, why is mommy so annoying." She heard her daughter Emma complain. The truth becomes irrelevant when Grace finds Ethan and Olivia in an intimate embrace in his office. The mate bond she tried so hard to defend meant nothing to him. "Who gave you permission to come in here!" Ethan's expression was justified, and Grace stood rigid, the coffee tray trembling in her hands. Determined to leave them and rebuild her work and her life, Grace ditches the Silver family and her position at pack medical to return to her roots as a therapist and reconnects with her former partner, Dominic Hayes. As Grace rebuilds her life and professional standing, Ethan begins to notice her absence. But is it too late? Grace has awakened to the fact that she doesn't want to be his Luna anymore. Can she truly sever the seven-year mate bond? And what happens when Ethan finally realizes what he's lost?

[WARNING: THIS BOOK IS EXTREMELY DARK] - "Hello there, blonde!" A voice drawled, carrying the same disturbing charm that always sent chills down her spine. Scarlet gasped and her eyes widened in absolute terror to find herself staring at the face that haunted her nightmares. Tears spilled down her cheeks as she desperately prayed this was all some twisted dream, that she had died on the operating table rather than wake up to face this monster again. His piercing gaze troubled her soul as it always did. It was after all, a constant reminder of the profound torment he'd inflicted on her that night. "Oh, you're no longer a blonde?" he mused mockingly, lifting one hand to brush the shortened strands of her hair. Scarlet flinched. The hate rolling off him filled her with a sense of immense dread that sparked an internal plea for salvation. She tried to flee but he pounced with lightning speed, effortlessly pinning her beneath him. "Virginity restoration?" He sneered down at her. "You really want to deceive your poor fiancé like this? Make him think he's getting something pure and untouched?" The words hit their marks. Scarlett's mind reeled with horrible thoughts and crushing doubt. "I bet you thought changing your hair would help you hide your shame, didn't you?" The sarcasm in his voice twisted into something darker and more menacing as his expression morphed into the same angry sneer he'd worn on that terrible day he destroyed her life. His other hand seized her chin in a bruising grip, forcing her to meet his cold stare. "Look at me!" He growled. "What's the point of getting all stitched back up if you're still going to be thinking about me every second!"

Yana Brighton (29) and billionaire Zach Lindsay (32) each get a second chance at love when they coincidentally meet at a business conference. Sparks fly instantly but Yana's overbearing and jealous boss Damon Blackstone causes them to lose contact. Fate intervenes and they reunite when Zach and his best friend Kyle Parker broker a with Yana's sister Laura Payne. An embittered Damon partners with Zach's gold-digger ex-girlfriend Natasha Gomez to seek revenge when Yana repeatedly rejects him and he later gets fired. Yana and Zach fall in love but a major scandal coupled with deception, trust issues and a near death experience leaves their relationship hanging in the balance. A heartbroken Yana disappears; she keeps her a secret while Zach struggles to find her and balance his work life. Months later, Yana returns home with new relationship terms but Zach pursues her until they rekindle their relationship and eventually get engaged. A complication later endangers both Yana and the baby's life, forcing Zach to make a tough decision for his family. Will LOVE and FAITH be enough to overcome all obstacles they face? Excerpt: Zach pressed my cold hand to his , right above his heart. "Feel what you do to me Yana…” He my forehead gently. "You have my heart forever and always.” My aching heart desperately wanted me to melt into his warm embrace, but I steeled my resolve. "You promised you would never hurt me Zach but look at us now…"Tears streamed down my face in torrents and I hiccupped, "I love you Zach, but I choose me this time.” A pained expression crossed his face and his eyes glossed over. Willing myself to look away, I quickly grabbed my bag and walked out the door. My heart broke with every step I took.