Softly

The beach was crowded as it was summer and many families tend to camp and have fun during this period. A young tanned skinned girl of about eight years, sat on the sand a little bit far from her family. She had a darkblue hoodie on and a headphone over her head. Her beautiful grey eyes seem to shimmer as she stared with keen interest at the water, while humming a song softly and enjoying the quiet. However, her little peace and privacy was shortlived as a lad of about ten years old, endowed with curly jet-black hair, ran along. He stopped however, on seeing her. She turned to see the one invading her quiet only to see the boy staring at her. She looked at him without saying a word, holding his gaze. Time seemed to fly by as they both continued their staring match which was eventually interrupted, when another lad of same age as the boy came by. "Jordan! There you are. Come, Mom calls for you." The blonde haired lad said, looking at the girl briefly before dragging the other along who continued to stare at the girl from his shoulders until she was out of eyesight. "Hey Elle!" A little girl of same age as the grey eyed, called as she ran towards her. "Come see the sand castle that Rosalie and I built." "Jordan," the grey-eyed girl whispered.

My wife, Sarah, died unexpectedly. My in-laws made an absurd request. "Why not have Stella play both roles? After all, Luke can't be without a mother." My brother-in-law, Greg, yelled at me, calling me shameless, and stormed out in anger. I looked at my sister-in-law, Stella, who looked exactly like my late wife. I could hardly conceal my grief. I was about to urge them to abandon their ridiculous idea, when I accidentally overheard a conversation between her and her parents. "It was Stella who died, so why did you lie and claim it was you?" Sarah sighed. "I love Greg. I staged my death so I could be with him legitimately. As for asking me to play both roles, don't even bring it up again. As for Michael, I have already given him a child and a respectable marriage. I owe him nothing." Turning around, I saw Luke with reddened eyes, asking me softly, "Daddy, does that mean that Mommy no longer wants us?" I bent down and pulled him into my arms, forcing myself to soothe him. "Your Aunt Stella wants to protect the person that she loves. We shouldn't bother her. It's time for us to prepare a new life."

"What Is Fate, Alpha Of Alphas?" Fate: In the heart of the training grounds, the Alpha of all Alphas stood, his presence commanding and his aura crackling with electricity. With his black hair billowing behind him like a cape, he fixated on a mysterious figure that materialized before him. As his eyes transformed, reflecting the colors of his father’s Wolves, his Beta’s urgent question fell on deaf ears. Without hesitation, he aimed his wolfsbane arrow at the target, his wolf battling for control. Against the pleas of his inner beast, he released the arrow, piercing the heart of his prey. The aftermath left him shattered, consumed by guilt and sorrow. But Fate had more in store for him. As he knelt, broken and weeping, his Lycan roared within him, demanding answers. The Alpha Of Alphas, rising to his feet, faced the lifeless form before him. Tears streaming down his face, he addressed his Beta, speaking softly of the cruel twist of fate that had befallen him. Forty years without a mate, only to be granted one by the Luna Goddess herself—a fierce Tiger, and not just any Tiger, but his sworn enemy. And then, a voice emerged from the shadows. A child. Fate just got a whole lot more badass.

At the ceremony where my father, Robert Clarke, is promoted to the position as the pack elder, my mate, Alpha Ethan Thornfield, raises the wine glass in his hand while smiling at him. "Elder Robert, there's this question which has been bothering me for the longest time. Does shamelessness run in the Clarke family's genetics? Otherwise, how are you able to raise a she-wolf as stubborn and defiant as Isabella who keeps pestering me the whole time?" Dad's wine glass is suspended in mid-air. All the wolves turn to look at us. I place the napkin on the table before meeting Ethan's gaze calmly. "Stop barking like a mad dog, Ethan. I agree to sever our mate bond. That way, you and that mistress of yours can finally get together." Ethan replies softly, "It's wonderful to see you making that decision with a sound mind." On the night the ceremony ends, a mate bond severance agreement, which is prepared in advance, is passed to me. Silently, I drop my signature on the last page of the document. Ethan and that Omega, Chloe Stonehart, have started their affair a year ago. He started forcing me to sever our mate bond six months ago. Since he craves freedom that much, I shall grant it to him. I just hope that he won't regret his decision at all when he loses everything he treasures.

On the night my dad kicked me out, I drank too much and slept with my “brother” It was a one night mistake. Yet, he proposed and claimed me as his mate, his luna. When I woke up, my mom's body was cold. The color was drained from her half-opened eyes, and I could see no signs of life. My father told me that she purposely drank poison to kill herself. But that was a lie. My mother would never kill herself; she would never leave me. That night imprisoned me. - “It wasn’t a mistake,” “What are you talking about, Jonathan?” I asked him. “Arina, you are my mate. You were born to be my luna,” he said. His face showed no signs of humor. “I wasn’t born to be anybody’s luna,” I shot back. “Arina, I love you…” he spoke softly, still staring into my eyes. I could feel the wolf in me stirring; something that I had never felt before. She was awakening; the fire that burned so deep inside of me was beginning to flare. “Love?” I heard myself saying. “There’s no such thing as love…” After everything I knew about “love”, what my mother went through when she married my father, love didn’t exist. “Give me a chance to prove you wrong. Marry me.”

For the 100th time, my Alpha mate, Ryker, used his command on me, threatening to reject our bond if I didn't sacrifice myself for my twin sister, Ivy. I didn't cry or protest. I simply signed the mate bond rejection papers. I surrendered the Alpha I had loved for ten years to my sister. A few days later, Ivy caused a scene at the Pack Alliance Banquet, humiliating the Silvermoon Alpha's daughter. Once again, I stepped forward to take her place, enduring the pain of a disfiguring silver brand. Later, when they demanded I test the safety of the Wolf Spirit Regeneration Ritual with my own body for my sister, I accepted with a smile. My Beta parents, their eyes red-rimmed, told me I was finally being the older sister I was supposed to be. Even Ryker, who had always been so distant toward me, stood before the cellar. He gently stroked my cheek for the first time in ages and said softly, "Harper, don't be afraid. As soon as the trial is over, I'll take you to see the auroras at Moon Goddess Lake." But he didn't know that, regardless of the trial's outcome, he would never see me again. My wolf spirit was already fading. Nothing could save me. This time, when I closed my eyes, it would be forever.

"I hate the effect you have on me" I said softly but I can feel my body betraying me by yearning for his touch. "It doesn't seem like that to me. You want this. You want me" He chuckled softly. I could feel his hands on the small of my back reaching out to caress my bare skin. I shuddered. Just one touch alone and I let my guards down. "Now say the words, Aria" "I want you. I need you" *** On the night of her Luna ceremony, Aria's world unravels when she catches her betrothed, Luca, in a compromising position with her cousin, Indie. Heartbroken yet she desperately clings to the hope that Luca will return to the love he once showed her. Just as she is about to be introduced as Luca's Luna, Alpha Kael bursts into the hall. A beast with a devil’s reputation, he claims Aria as his fated mate. As Luca resolves to fight for her, a fierce rivalry ignites between the two powerful Alphas. Conflicted and confused, Aria must choose between the love she once shared with Luca and an uncertain but dark future with Kael. Amid the tension, Aria harbors hidden secrets—some she knows all too well, and other secrets she is yet to find out. What happens when these secrets start unfolding before their own eyes?

Blurb “Tell me you want it, Rainey,” he whispered, his breath warm against my ear. I felt my pulse quicken, my resolve wavering under the intensity of his gaze. “You know I can give you everything you’ve ever desired.” My heart raced as I swallowed hard, torn between fear and the allure of his promises. “You think you can just take me? You don’t understand what you’re dealing with.” He chuckled softly, the sound sending shivers down my spine. “Oh, but I do. You don’t know how long I’ve waited for this moment.” **** In a world shrouded by secrets and power struggles, Rainey is unwittingly thrust into a dangerous game after discovering she is the hidden child of a long-lost lineage. Caught between the ruthless desires of Silas, a man who has been watching her from the shadows for years, and an unknown destiny that threatens to unravel everything she believes, Rainey must confront her past to seize control of her future. As heat ignites between her and Silas, Rainey must decide: will she succumb to the passion that draws her in, or will she fight back against the chains of control and forge her own path? Will she embrace her true power or be consumed by the shadows of her past? But what happens when secrets are uncovered, and the fight for freedom ignite a fire neither can resist?

Wendy Lloyd's first love, Hudson Clark, treats me like a walking blood bank. Because of that, I end up dying in the rented apartment Wendy has given to me out of contemptuous pity. Today is the third day of my death. My six-year-old son, Terry Heath, finally realizes that something is wrong with me. When he accidentally cuts his finger from playing with his toys, I don't coax him at all. When he tears open a pack of cookies and feeds one to me, I don't stop him at all. When he lies in my arms and grips me by the hem of my shirt while calling out to me softly, I don't respond to him at all. Feeling rather uneasy, Terry finds my phone and calls Wendy. "Mommy, why is Daddy still asleep?" Wendy responds by sending a photo of her and Hudson enjoying a holiday feast together. She then says coldly, "He's just asleep, not dead. Today is Christmas Eve, so I'm very busy right now. "Tell that arrogant father of yours that he's only free to visit me whenever he's ready to acknowledge his mistakes." After that, the call ends. Terry is left feeling stunned for a long time. Finally, he digs out the last cookie from the trash can and snaps it in half. Then, he feeds it to me again. "Daddy, let's eat."

"Come this way." A man forward his hand towards the girl who looked confused over what was happening. She looked at his hand and then at him. "We need to go back." She took a deep breath and pleaded to him knowing what ever she will do he is not going to change his mind. The man smiled and took a step towards her closing their distance and cupped her face. "My Luna, you need to listen to your alpha, not to care about the pack. Now, should we go or you want me to you until the sun rises." The girl turned red and hit on the of the man who chuckled and pulled her closer, quickly leaving a peck on her lips. "Let me shift first." He winked at her and freed her arms.The girl turned her head towards the opposite side as a shy smile appeared on her face. Soon a t shirt fell on her head and she heard a chuckle.  "Stop teasing me." She pouted and folded the shirt in her hands. She hugged the t-shirt and waited for sometime to get the remaining clothes but there was silence around her. "Gavin." She softly called her husband's name but didn't get any reply. There was something wrong. This wasn't how this all happened. She quickly turned and saw her husband lying on the ground in a pool of blood. His eyes were lifeless and blood was still ozing out of the sharp wound on his .