The Astrid Lindgren Reading Group

After I reincarnated, I went to the hospital right away to get an abortion. In my past life, I was suddenly found to be pregnant with fraternal boy-girl twins after a childless marriage of five years. I was told that I needed to abort one, or I could die due to the excess size of the foetuses, but while I hesitated, I heard my son's voice. [Mommy! You have to abort this brat—she's going to kill me! She's been stealing all the food!] [She's not my sister—she's Tina and daddy's bastard! They used black magic to move her here and kill me, while you would treat her like your own daughter… and she can then inherit all the family wealth!] Hearing that, I promptly went to the hospital to abort the twin daughter, keeping the son. But on the day I went into labor, he threw a fit, punching and kicking my room until he finally killed me. And just before I died, I heard him gloating. [Stupid broad! You really believed me and aborted your own daughter! Just die already! I'm going to meet my parents!] When I opened my eyes again, Tina was sitting right in front of me, telling me to abort one of my babies…

Hilda Oakley, the charity case Mom and Dad take in, steals my family right out from under me. She slips drugs into me, driving me into a bipolar disorder. She turns me into someone who snaps and screams at Mom and Dad without meaning to. She paints me as someone rotten inside, as the bully at school, and as someone who'd shove her down the stairs at home. And because of that, my whole family turns on me. Mom calls me a bad seed. Dad says I'm no daughter of his. Then, they adopt Hilda and throw me out in the dead of winter. My bipolar flares. Naked, I sprint onto the rooftop and jump to my death. When I'm reborn, I realize I can make the thoughts in other people's heads audible. So, at the dinner table, I let Hilda's thoughts spill right before Mom and Dad. 'I kept that witch Valerie drugged for three years. She finally broke! They still don't suspect that Alex isn't really her brother. He's Susan's son. Once we poison Valerie's parents, the Coopers' fortune will belong to us.'

As per my father’s offer, I decided to leave both my son and husband behind and go back home where I would become his little girl again. That decision came after I heard my family’s true thoughts following my surgery. My husband thought, “It was just a minor issue! Why did she stay in the hospital for so long? She’s back and has yet to do any chores. Can’t she see that my suit needs ironing?” My son thought, “She spent so much money on that surgery, and now she’s even drinking my favorite yogurt! Why can’t she be a successful businesswoman like Sarah? All she does is stay in the house and act like a freeloader!” My mother-in-law thought, “She had to come back right when I’m making chicken soup, of all times! She can just drink the dishwater for all I care.” Feeling utterly disappointed, I turned around and closed the door. Then I called my father. “Yes, it’s just me. I’m not bringing anyone.”

Justin's life is thrown into chaos when he is forced to marry the girl he believes ruined everything. Deceived for years, he harbors a burning hatred for Astrid, convinced she is the source of his misery. Bound by a painful secret, Astrid suffers in silence until Justin's sister, Kris, uncovers a shocking truth. In a desperate bid to keep her hold on Justin, Audrey commits a heinous crime, framing Astrid for her actions. The lies escalate, culminating in a deadly confrontation that leaves Audrey dead and Astrid wrongly accused. Blinded by rage and grief, Justin vows to destroy Astrid, even as his father, the Alpha, decrees they must marry. Caught in a storm of betrayal and hatred, Justin and Astrid's lives are forever changed as they are forced to confront the lies that have shaped their destinies even while in college. Will Justin uncover the real truth and see Astrid for who she truly is, or will his vendetta lead to their ultimate destruction?

Luna Astrid had been a faithful and dedicated partner to Alpha Jarvis and the entire Emberclaw pack. She took care of the pack when Jarvis was away. She was happy when she learned that Jarvis would be coming home. She waited, only for him to come back with a lady he claimed was his fated mate. Astrid was torn apart. Yet, Jarvis assured her that bringing another woman to the pack wouldn't change anything between them. A situation occurred, and Astrid was accused of theft. She pleaded innocent, but no one listened. She was subjected to the walk of shame, forced to walk naked in front of the entire pack. With certainty that her world had come to an end, the twisted and dark alpha of the Shadowfen pack took her in. He trained her, and she became one of the best warriors in Veridian. When tragedy struck the Emberclaw pack, Jarvis ran to the Shadowfen pack to ask for help. "How dare you ask for my help after what you let them did to me?" Astrid demanded. "I'm sorry, Astrid. I was lost and following the pack orders. You should come home." Jarvis pleaded on his knees. "I'm sorry to disappoint you. Astrid belongs to me and to the Shadowfen Pack." Soren pulled Astrid to his side, not willing to let her go. Would Astrid go back to her pack, to the man she once loved or stay with the man that had saved her?

On New Year's Eve, my boyfriend, Brian Eggert, gives me a second-hand fake bag as my New Year's gift. Angered, I break up with him immediately before I run off to meet my best friend, Cathy Capshaw, so that I can complain about him to her. Unexpectedly, the moment I see Cathy, I suddenly hear her inner voice. "Finally, you've broken up with Brian, you bitch! He never prepared a second-hand fake bag for you—I was the one who swapped bags when both of you weren't paying attention! "I suppose you don't know jackshit, huh? The man whom you've just broken up with is actually the richest man in town. He was planning to propose to you tonight, too! "Why should you have the best guy alive? From now on, he's mine!" After hearing Cathy's inner voice, I quickly check the security footage. As expected, I see her swapping bags sneakily. Later on, I cut off all ties with Cathy and quickly reconcile with Brian after clearing up the misunderstanding with him. Soon, we get married. What I don't expect is that Brian doesn't have money at all after our marriage. On top of that, he even racks up a huge debt. Every day, I'm forced to hide from the debtors, only to fall to my death in the end. When I wake up again, I've returned to the day I can hear Cathy's inner voice.

I was a stray pup. At five years old, several elite warriors captured me and threw me in front of the Alpha heir, Lucas. I heard his wolf talking to Lucas in his mind. "Lucas, this damn little thing is a hybrid of a werewolf and an evil witch. The prophecy shows she will be extremely vicious in the future, even killing your Mate. For the Moon Goddess, you must kill her now to protect your future Luna." Lucas agreed carelessly. But when he saw me, he froze. "Seriously? Dude, you’re saying this tiny thing is a homicidal maniac? How vicious can she be? Cursing the future Luna with a lollipop?" I tugged the corner of Lucas's expensive shirt, and looked up. "Big brother, I'm so hungry." He looked at my body, starved to just bones, and hesitated. "Anyway, the mate hasn't appeared yet. Might as well let her eat first. Even when we execute rogues, we usually let them eat their fill before killing them." His wolf replied, "Makes sense... but after she's full, you can't hesitate again!" From that day on, he raised me, this mixed-race brat, like a little sister in his pack. For over a decade, he and his wolf plotted countless times how to kill me, but always found various excuses to postpone the execution. Until I was 16, my brother was injured and lying in the healing center, but his wolf, having lost its will to live after being rejected by its mate, was unable to heal itself. The healer said my brother was going to die. I didn't try to stop him; I just found that playboy from school who had harassed me. I forced him to send my brother a mind link. "Alpha, I just wanted to say, Emma's body is really... really banging. I'll take good... care of her for you." I even chimed in through the mind link with a flirtatious whine. "Jason, don't be like that, Lucas will get mad... stop it." Less than half a second later. An earth-shattering roar came. "Son of a bitch! Jason, get the fuck away from her!" "If you touch a single finger on her, I'll tear you to shreds!"

Astrid lives alone with her dad; she has no idea she is a werewolf or that they even exist! It turns out the man that helped raise Astrid isn't her father at all, he tells her that her mother wanted her to have a "normal" life until the day she turned eighteen when she would have no choice but to tell Astrid the truth about her identity. After a tragedy that killed her mother, her father turns abusive towards her over the years for her mother's death. Astrid remained completely unaware of her heritage until a man named Ryker comes into her life claiming they are mates!

Despite being the Alpha Damien's mate on paper for the last seven years, Astrid knew that she could never come close to Taylor, her step-sister, and fated mate. Sadly, Taylor had been sickly from birth despite the Beta blood that ran in her veins. In order to strengthen the power of the Beta family her father pressured her into an arranged marriage with Alpha Damien, acting as a replacement for her step sister. Nearly a decade passed and Astrid continue to show undying devotion and loyalty to Alpha Damian yet he continued to treat her coldly. Taylor's already poor health worsened and the only thing that could save her was an immediate kidney transplant. Damien got down on his knees, shedding tears for the first time since she met him and promised Astrid that he'd forget all about Taylor if Astrid donated one of her kidneys for the life saving surgery. Astrid agreed to this but Damian did not keep his own part of the bargain, rather he framed her for infidelity once Taylor had recovered, rejecting Astrid and making her an object of ridicule. She fakes her death and disappears then returns with a with the deadly Alpha King by her side, thirsty for revenge.

Astrid's world shattered at six months pregnant when she found out that her mate's love was a lie, orchestrated by her own parents. He'd seduced her for one purpose: to harvest her unborn child's cord blood for her dying sister. Every moment of their relationship had been a betrayal wrapped in false promises. They’d forced her onto an operating table, taking what they needed and leaving her to die. And in those final moments, Astrid realises that she was all alone with no one on her side. She was supposed to die that day, forgotten and used. Instead, she vanished into the shadows and forged herself into something new. Now Astrid has returned with a different name, a different face, and a singular obsession. The family who orchestrated her destruction thinks she's dead and buried. They're about to learn that betrayal cuts both ways and Astrid has been sharpening her blade ever since they left her for dead. But when the moment comes to destroy them all, will Astrid choose vengeance or mercy? And when her former mate realizes who she really is, will the truth be enough to bring them all down or will Astrid's heart betray her one last time?