Tessa Young After

[Warning this book contains strong sexual content and violence, readers discretion is strongly advised] Hallow Groove was a quiet and peaceful town until the enigmatic Lycan brothers, Lucian and Lucifer, descended upon it. Suddenly, death, chaos, and inexplicable disappearances become a daily occurrence. Alexandra, a young and ambitious journalist, is determined to uncover the truth behind the brothers' activities and puts herself in danger to do so. Delving deeper into the investigation, Alexandra begins to realize that there is more to these brothers than meets the eye. Lucian, the brooding and intense brother, intrigues her with his quiet strength and aura of danger. Lucifer, on the other hand, is charming and charismatic, and Alexandra finds herself drawn to their magnetic personality. Caught in a dangerous game of love and secrets can Alexandra navigate the complex relationship between the two brothers, each vying for her attention and affection while guarding their own hidden agendas and uncover the secrets behind the strange disappearances in Hallow Groove?

I was in love with him for five years—until he pushed me into the fire with his own hands. I thought I had simply fallen out of favor, but I was wrong—he married the girl he’d grown up calling his “sister.” During the month I spent in the hospital, he never came once. When I finally returned home, I saw her sitting on his lap, smiling sweetly. And me? I was nothing but the “gold digger,” the “shameless outsider” in his eyes. It wasn’t until I turned my back and took the Alpha throne of the Bloodmoon Pack that he went mad, chasing after me, tears streaming down his face. “I broke off the engagement,” he cried. “Just come back—we’ll get married right now!”

A woman who once worked in a casino dreamed of becoming rich, but she fell in love with a billionaire's bad-boy son. He got her pregnant and left her. After giving birth, she vowed never to return to the casino. Desperate to support her child, she became a maid—only to discover she now works in the house of the man she hates, Gabriel Bustamante, whom she hasn’t seen in five years. Gabriel, now engaged to another woman, doesn’t know he has a child. Living under the same roof, emotions resurface as Gabriel persistently tries to reconnect, slowly breaking down Samantha’s anger. One day, he kisses her—just as his fiancée walks in. Things become more complicated as her gilfriend begins to suspect Samantha and Gabriel is hiding something.

My whole family could hear my thoughts. Twenty years after I was abducted, I finally reunited with my family. However, they used the thoughts they could hear to find out my bank account's passwords and PIN codes, all so that they could steal my savings. When they knew I was being stalked by a pervert, they offered me up on a silver platter just for the money he provided. I ended up getting locked up by the pervert and tormented to my death. When I opened my eyes once more, I found myself back to the day when it all began. I was going rabid deep down. 'Did Mom not use all of my money to support Mr. Warner next door?' 'Should I tell Mom and Dad that Alex is actually gambling instead of going to work?' 'I think Dad is attracted to Alex's girlfriend. What do I do?' This time, I want to see them turn against each other and reap the consequences of their own actions.

In my previous life, no one loved me except my Alpha mate, Grayson. My parents and brothers treated me like a mobile wolf essence bank for my sister Victoria. But Grayson remembered I was afraid of the dark and quietly left a nightlight after my essence transfusions; he kept my casual mention of "wanting to find a quiet place to paint" in his heart, and casually gave me $5 billion to buy my favorite forest. When I confessed my feelings to him, though he was shocked, he still accepted my confession and promised he would definitely mark me. God knows how happy I was then—the person I liked actually liked me too. I only realized when I was dying that his kindness towards me was predicated on my continued donations of wolf essence to Victoria. After my rebirth, the first thing I did was spend five billion dollars to buy an isolated forest. "Miss Ember, are you sure you want to purchase this forest? If you buy it and move in, it'll be nearly impossible to contact the outside world." I nodded, my voice carrying a hint of relief. "That's exactly what I want—somewhere no one can reach me." But when I really left, why did my family and Grayson go crazy and beg me to come back?

I am Novella Fontana. My sister-in-law, Carla Rossi, and I check into a resort owned by our family, intending to have a quiet vacation there. But while we are at the ski resort, a lavishly dressed woman shows up out of nowhere and sneers at us, "This is a high-end ski resort. How can you let some random nobodies get in here? Where are the guards? Throw them out before they bring in germs from outside." Upon hearing this, my expression turns frosty. Before I can say anything, Carla beats me to it. She snaps, "It's not like your family owns this place. What right do you have to kick us out? If you think we're an eyesore, go build your own ski resort!" The woman's face darkens instantly. She shrieks angrily, "How dare you speak to me like that! This is my fiancé's property! Do you have any idea? When Aldo Rossi gets here, you two are done for!" Carla and I exchange a glance, and we both see the same confusion in each other's eyes. It is because I am Aldo's wife. But before we can react, that woman lifts her chin impatiently and orders, "Roberto, teach them a lesson." In the next second, Carla and I are pressed down forcefully into the snow.

After the great war between humans, vampires, werewolves, and elves, an agreement was made that hybrid offspring would rule the world. Every century, alliances through marriage between humans and those three clans would decide the next ruler. Whoever bore the first hybrid child would claim power for their line. In my previous life, I chose to marry Jax, the eldest son of the werewolf pack, known for his fierce loyalty. I gave birth to our hybrid son, a white-furred pup we named Zeal. Our child became the next world ruler, and Jax gained immense power. My sister had lusted after the elves' beauty and married into their clan. But the elf prince slept with every female in the forest. In the end, my sister caught a disease that left her barren. Jealous and bitter, she set a fire that burned me and my young pup alive. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the racial alliances. My sister had already slept with Jax first. I knew she had been reborn too. But she didn't know that Jax was brutally savage with his mates, having torn countless she-wolves apart in his bed during his ruts.

On the day the gauze was removed from my eyes, I joked that I was blind. "Don't be afraid if you can't see. I'll take care of you my entire life." My husband and best friend took care of me while I was in the hospital. They sincerely made that promise to me. However, when we got home, all three of us were on the same bed. My best friend rode on top of my husband breathlessly. They were caught up in their intimacy as they thought I could not see. My best friend was worried I would suspect something and spoke up to eliminate any suspicion. "Uhh… Summer, I'm just giving your husband a massage." I was so disgusted that I wanted to throw up, but I held myself back. Once they were done, I was about to find an excuse to leave the room when my five-year-old suddenly ran in. "I miss you so much, Mom!" Hearing that warmed my heart, and I opened my arms to hug him, but he ran past me and lay down next to my best friend instead. The 'happy family of three' were all smiles and threw me looks of disgust. I could no longer tolerate this. When I called my lawyer, I told him to bring me the divorce papers. If they wanted to become a family so badly, I would make their wish come true. I just did not know if my best friend could afford to earn a decent enough income to take care of my useless husband and son.

Rosemary believed her marriage to Adrian was everything. Until one night, a mysterious message led her to the Grand Aurora Hotel—where she witnessed her husband celebrating the anniversary of his first love with another woman. Before a room full of guests, Adrian placed a diamond necklace around the woman’s neck and, without hesitation, divorced Rosemary. Humiliated, ridiculed, and laughed at in public, Rosemary’s world shattered in an instant. But could she rise again from the depths of her despair?

Mhiya Anne, 17 years old, is a hardworking high school student juggling studies and work in the public market just to survive. Wala na siyang pamilya — mag-isa na lang siya sa buhay. Pero isang gabi, sa hindi inaasahang pangyayari, nabuntis siya ng kaklase niya matapos ang isang gabing di niya maalala—isang gabing lasing siya at walang matandaan. Pinatira siya ng pamilya ng lalaking nakabuntis sa kanya. Sa una, mabait. Pero nang mailabas ang anak niya, nagsimula ang totoong hirap. Pinilit siyang magtrabaho muli dalawang buwan pa lang ang nakakalipas mula sa panganganak, para raw “makabawi.” Ang mas masakit, ang ama ng kanyang anak may iba na — at never siyang pinanindigan. Hanggang sa isang araw, tumanggap siya ng text na bumasag sa puso niya: *“Dinala na namin sa ospital ang anak mo. Mataas ang lagnat. Maghanda ka ng malaking pera. Hindi kami magbabayad pang hospital ng anak mo. Kulang pa ang binibigay mo kada linggo.”* Luhaan siyang tumakbo sa ospital kahit walang-wala. Pero huli na ang lahat. Hindi na niya inabutan ang anak niya nang buhay. Doon gumuho ang buong pagkatao niya. Ang nag-iisa niyang dahilan para mabuhay… nawala. At sa araw ding ‘yon, wala na rin siyang dahilan para lumaban — hanggang sa isang hindi inaasahang babae ang lumapit sa kanya. Si Lorainne Montemayor. At isang alok ang magbabago sa buhay niya **Lorenzo Montemayor**, 30 years old. Gwapo. Matalino. Mayaman. Kilala sa mundo ng negosyo. Pero sa likod ng tagumpay ay isang pusong sugatan — iniwan ng kanyang long-time childhood fiancée, na nag loko pa at hindi kayang panindigan ang kanilang anak. Ayaw ng babae sa responsibilidad, iniwan ang lahat kay Lorenzo. Dalawang magkaibang mundo. Dalawang magkaibang sugat. Pero iisang dahilan kung bakit sila natutong lumaban — **ang kanilang anak.**