Stepped Unscramble

Attending the ten-year high school reunion for the cheerleading squad and football team, I arrived in an old domestic Ford, while the parking lot was filled with Lamborghinis, Ferraris, Maybachs, and even a gold Bugatti. It was as if I were the only relic from another era. The moment I stepped out of my car, a former classmate, whose name I could no longer remember, looked at me with a sneer. “Well, if it isn’t the coach’s pet. How is it that after all these years, you’re still driving this beat-up old Ford?” “This thing looks like it belongs in a scrapyard from the last century!” During dinner, everyone gathered around the Bugatti owner, raising their glasses in celebration, while I was left ignored at the side. Only the cheerleading assistant sat next to me, raising a glass in my direction with a comforting smile. “Don’t let it get to you. Your car may be old, but I believe you’ll be driving a luxury car one day.” I let a small smirk curl at the corner of my lips and lowered my voice. “This car may look unimpressive, but it’s been fully upgraded with a carbon fiber body. It’s already worth over half a million dollars. Too bad, none of you even recognized its true value.”

“Are you here to pimp yourself just like your mother? Your mother took away my father and now you're aiming for his son?” Icy words whispered that felt like needles prickling in my own skin. The thought gave a frightful shudder. This man, powerful enough to throw me to the pit hole filled with sharks, hates my very existence ever since my mother and I stepped into their lives. ====================== Nina Caulfield has sworn not to meet Luca de Milano again. After all, her mother is the mistress who caused the divorce of his parents. When she reaches eighteen, her mother announces her wedding which will be held in Spain next year. Now that she's busy preparing for the wedding, Nina has no choice but to live with Luca until she graduates. Luca de Milano, Merger and Acquisition CEO of Milano Inc., is forced to be a guardian of the reminder of his broken view of a perfect family. A hapless girl with no redeeming qualities and her future stepbrother striving for perfection. Now, what happens when two polar opposites get stuck together under the same roof for a year? ===== SLOW BURN ROMANCE WITH HEA , R18+ later on======

Luke finally agreed to bind with me, urged by his mother Monica on her deathbed. Moonlight spilled through the window, casting a glow on his golden-brown fur. He stood by the bed, his amber wolf eyes deep and seemingly nervous. As soon as he stepped out of the room, his expression returned to its usual calm, and he said to me coldly, "Emma, let's wait a little longer." "I need to bond with Alina first," he continued, his wolf eyes distant, his tone neutral. "Her mother is seriously ill, and I promised her." "What about your mother? She wants to witness our bonding too!" "I have to bond with Alina first. You don't need to worry about my mother’s health," he said, as he effortlessly removed the vow ring Monica had given me from my finger, then turned and walked away. His little wolf followed, its tail wagging happily, showing no sign of reluctance. But as soon as he left, his mother suddenly took a turn for the worse. By the time Monica passed away, I was the only one by her side. Weakly, she squeezed my hand and whispered, "Emma, don’t wait for him anymore. Find someone who truly loves you." Her hand fell limp, and in the quiet darkness, I made two calls. The first was to the church, changing our marking ceremony to a funeral for his mother. The second call was to my best friend. Her brother was the Alpha of another pack, with dark fur and sharp green eyes. "He once said that if I was willing, he would bond with me... Is that promise still valid?" There was a pause on the other end before a deep voice, full of natural authority, came through: "Emma, have you finally figured it out?"

How do you survive when the only life you have known has been stolen from you? At six years old I was branded a murderer,blamed for what I knew nothing of and a slave to my cruel Aunt and Uncle. For fifteen years , I endured their abuse and believe the lies they told me. Until the day I was auctioned to the highest bidder: the arrogant Alpha Lukan. I thought being sold would only bring more misery, but instead it brought me to the powerful and mysterious Alpha of the Nightbane pack. He was ruthless yet kind , cold yet tender and seemed to promise me the love I have never known. But nothing is ever that simple. Why did he choose me? Why does he keep me close yet seem so distant, as if searching for something I can't see. But when the Moon Goddess decides to play chess with your life, you have no option but to move with the game. With every step I take, new secret stepped forward, eager to break the fragile happiness I have found. Now I must decide—am I just another pawn, or can I become the queen in a game I never choose to play

My flight was suddenly canceled, so I dragged my suitcase back home. As soon as I stepped inside, I saw torn black stockings scattered on the floor. This was the eighth time Simon Jones had brought a different woman home. The sound of running water and a young woman’s laughter echoed from the bathroom. I didn’t cry or make a scene. Instead, I sat quietly on the couch, waiting for them to finish. Everyone assumed I would continue being Simon’s devoted fool like before. But no one knew that the man I truly loved had returned. After tonight, Simon, the stand-in, would be discarded.

On the night of the Blood Moon Pack's grand ceremony, my Alpha fiancé Ethan solemnly announced before all pack members that we would soon complete our lifelong marking. The pack's blessings surged toward us like a tide. My face flushed red as I pressed against his strong chest, which carried the scent of pine. Suddenly, a figure blocked the moonlight at the temple entrance. Ivy, my friend who had vanished five years ago, stepped inside, accompanied by a pup with eyes like stars. Ignoring everyone's gaze, she walked straight toward us. Her collar slowly slipped down, revealing a deep Alpha bite mark on her neck. Under the moonlight, that mark was as shocking as a brand. "Lucas, come to meet your father."

Alaric and I had been mates for five years, and I had believed with all my heart that I would become the first female Gamma of the pack by proving myself in the warrior’s trial. I had trained relentlessly, sharpening my claws and honing my instincts, ready to fight for my rightful place. But fate had other plans. Three days before the trial, I was ambushed by rogues. They didn't just attack me—they hunted me like prey. They tormented me with the silver knife so that my wolf was dead. The scent of death clung to me, my wolf howling in agony, desperately trying to heal, but the wounds ran too deep. As I lay barely conscious on the blood-stained sheets, I heard my husband's cold, indifferent voice. "Is she dead?" The witch doctor hesitated before answering, "No, but—" "It doesn’t matter," Alaric interrupted, Coat her wounds with wolfsbane and silver—make sure it seeps into her blood, burns through her veins, and poisons her wolf beyond repair. I want her body to reject her own nature, so she will never heal. There will only be one Gamma in this pack, and that's Serina." In that moment, the truth became clear—I had never truly stood a chance in the warrior’s trial I had dreamed of. The battle had been decided long before I ever stepped into the arena.

During the exchange of tokens in the Marking Ceremony, I presented the wolf tooth ring I had carved myself, as a witness to our marking. But my Alpha mate, Frendo, remained completely indifferent, not releasing any marking aura, as though he had entirely forgotten that today was the day of our spiritual bonding ceremony. At that moment, Lily updated her Instagram, saying she would be returning to the Sliver Lake Pack in an hour. The air immediately filled with the restless scent of wolves, and before I could react, my Beta brother, George, stepped onto the ceremony stage and emotionlessly announced, "The Marking Ceremony is canceled." Frendo and George, in perfect synchronization, turned and left the altar together, leaving me standing alone, under the watchful eyes of all the Pack members. They wanted to see how a one-person marking ceremony would proceed. It wasn’t until I held back my inner frustration and awkwardly finished the ceremony with some semblance of dignity that I opened Lily’s Instagram. In her latest photo, George and Frendo were both surrounding her, releasing intimate signals. One was holding a silver moon festival gift box, while the other offered her a moonlight rose, her favorite. I bitterly smiled and wiped away the tears from my eyes before calling the one family that truly mattered, my flesh and blood. "Dad, Mom. I want to go home."

This book is authored by amy worcester. “I started boxing lessons with the boys when I was twelve, I had some issues to work through. I’ve been in the fight for the last eleven years.” Twenty-three, he thought. That was too young for his thirty-nine years. But he sure as hell planned to enjoy the view. She currently hid her body under baggy clothes, but he was willing to bet that she was all muscles underneath. He had dated the soft curvy women before, he liked the ones that he was certain that he would not break. “How old were you when you moved in with Brute?” “Seven. Right after my parents were killed.” She said softly and he froze just before the stairs. Sixteen years ago. Right around the time he reenlisted with the Army. When the club went straight. When the Ridgeview president, Sinner, his wife and sons had been shot to death. And his daughter barely survived. The only survivor from that day. “I'm sorry.” He murmured and she shrugged. “I’m trying to remember you.” He was so much like the men that she grew up around. The kind of man that she swore she would avoid. The same type that her father had been,there were even tattoos on the backs of his hands. Jasmine was born and raised in the Devil’s Saints Motorcycle Club. A rival club caused the deaths of her family. After an incident at the mother house, she stepped away to focus on her MMA career under the name Taz.

"I thought you really liked me." She whispered with moist hazel eyes and despair. His heart spasmed at the view, seeing how hurt she is. For a moment or two his steal gray eyes filled with solicitude for her which he immediately brushed off as his ego and self-esteem overpowered his mind. He chuckled softly taking slow predatory steps towards her. "Oh darling! I never thought you to be this immature. I just manipulated you to think that way. Only thing i feel for you is lust and vengeance." With smirk on his face he approached her slowly yet in long strides. She stepped back with fear written all over her face till her back hit the wall. .. Fascinated is a story of an innocent maiden catching eyes of stubborn billionaire who instantly becames obsessed with her. But does will she comply with his desires?