The Bonds That Bind Us Taylor West Novels & Stories

I was born into hardship, but my beauty led to my adoption by the Maddox family. When I was 18, they brought home two boys. Dustin Holland, a piano prodigy, quickly bonded with my sister, who was the darling of our social circle. Nathan Holland remained in the shadows. He didn't like to talk, laugh, or even show the normal emotional fluctuations of a person. His stubborn, wooden gaze was like that of an abandoned stray dog. Diagnosed with emotional detachment disorder, he became my project. I vowed to heal him. He locked me in a dark room, scarred my face with a branch, and encased my favorite doll in plaster. I forgave it all, thinking he was just traumatized. The elite in the circle mocked us, urging me to abandon him, but I kissed him publicly, declaring, "I love Nathan. Anyone who hurts him will pay." Then a fire tore through our home. Nathan stepped over my broken body to save my sister, his eyes wet with rare tears. Turned out, his disorder had a cure. It was just not me. Reborn on the day they arrived, I looked at the taciturn boy and sneered, "Dad, must we take in every stray?"

I finally became pregnant after my husband and I underwent over a dozen rounds of IVF. However, to my horror, I discovered that the embryo growing inside me was the fertilized egg of my husband and the family maid. They even schemed to have me disappear so that the child could inherit everything. I pretended not to know, carried the child to term, and took care of him, raising him with love and care. It was not until 20 years later that they forced me to sign a share transfer agreement by my hospital bed, along with a divorce agreement that left me with nothing. "After 20 years, we finally have our happy family. You never saw this coming, did you? The child you fought so hard to give birth to is my biological son!" Even my son, without any remorse, said, "Honestly, your illness is beyond help. It'd be better for you to just die." With a knowing, almost bittersweet, smile I replied, "For your happiness, I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

Seven times, I bonded with the same Alpha. And seven times, he tore our bond apart for his childhood flame. The first time, he swore it under the moon. “Astrid, my Luna. From this day forward, my heart and my wolf are yours alone.” But the moment his precious Liana returned, his promises turned to ash. “Can’t you just be patient? You’re making her uncomfortable, making it look like she’s seducing a mated male.” The first time he rejected me, the searing pain of the bond breaking nearly killed my wolf. They sent me to the pack healers, but he never came. Not once. The third time, I swallowed my pride as an Alpha’s daughter. I joined his pack as a nobody, just to be near his scent. By the sixth time, I knew the drill. I packed my bags and walked out of our penthouse without a word. My breakdowns. My compromises. My surrender. All I got for my pain were his clockwork apologies and the same betrayal. Over and over again. Until now. The moment I heard Liana was coming back, I handed him the papers to sever our bond myself. He just set a date for our next bonding ceremony, as if nothing had happened. He has no idea. This time, I’m not just breaking the bond. I’m shattering the heart that beat for him seven times, only to be crushed by his own hands, seven times.

My name is Carmela Romano. My wedding to Enzo Moretti, the mafia boss, comes with a price tag of hundreds of millions. The extravagant affair leaves the world utterly astonished. Enzo declares his love with a sky full of fireworks and fills the venue with a million roses. The ten-carat ring on my finger gleams brilliantly, outshining everything around me. Everyone envies our love story. But one day, everything falls apart. After a brutal attack by a rival gang, I suffer a miscarriage. To my disbelief, Enzo is absent, preoccupied with a parent-teacher meeting for Luca Vitale—the son of his childhood sweetheart. After 66 unanswered calls, Enzo finally texts me. "I'm at Luca's parent-teacher meeting. Stop calling me!" "Luca grew up without a father. I'm only helping him this once. There's no reason to make a scene!" Blood seeps out beneath me, and the agony in my stomach is unbearable. I can only sink deeper into despair. The child I've waited for all these years is gone. The snow falls heavier with every passing moment. I close my eyes, yearning to escape this world with my baby. But miraculously, a patrolling officer discovers me, barely clinging to life. When I wake in the hospital, one thought burns in my mind. "I want a divorce. Enzo, I'm done with you."

Book Three of The Luminary Quartet The bears were currently considered enemy number one, right alongside the elders of my species. The problem was, I didn't know them as that. To me, they were simply friends, family even. My mother's mate had been a bear shifter, and I had ultimately found my own other half within the Ursidae family, as well. Everything had been perfect for a single moment in time, and then I was fleeing my home, right after rejecting the bastard who thought he could put his hands on me. I vowed two things then: to never return and to never give a male that much power over me again. Yet, Luna apparently had some twisted plan laid out for my life because circumstances seemed to keep arising, bringing me ever closer to Reese in spite of my best intentions. The wolves' rapidly declining numbers sent us careening across the county in a race to prevent the destruction of our species by the bears, though I struggled with picking sides. New and old faces appear along the way as rogues and other heretofore unknown foes emerge to stop us, making it difficult to know who to trust during these tumultuous times. Will Scarlett hold fast to her deep-rooted beliefs during the journey, or will her perceptions shift as much as the reality she returns home to? *Note: While the main characters in each book will receive their HEA, I wouldn't recommend reading them out of order due to the overarching storyline that continues throughout them all. ***Warning*** This book is intended for adults 18+. It contains mature themes and adult language. Please read at your own discretion.

"You can never marry the heir,” She was the servant who loved him in secret, while he was the prince who once marked her under a blood moon and then looked her in the eye years later and lied like she was nothing. Then one night he screamed “mate” and collapsed at her feet, and everything they buried came roaring back. Now her quiet heart has awakened with revenge. Wolves drop to their knees when she passes, the crown that should’ve always been hers is burning in her blood, and he’s on his knees in the snow, begging for the girl he destroyed. An enemy Alpha is already riding to claim her in chains. He’ll crawl through hell to get her back, she’ll have to decide if love is worth the ashes, and somewhere between the begging and the burning, a rejected mate becomes the most dangerous queen alive.

Childhood sweethearts, Ethan and Lily have always harbored secret affections for one another. Yet, misunderstandings lead each to believe the other's heart belongs to another. They spent three years in a loveless marriage. When a sudden car accident jolts their realities, the thought of a life without Lily serves as a catalyst for Ethan to confront his fears and fight for the love he's always desired. Engaged since before they were born, James and Sophia were considered the perfect match. When Sophia's family went bankrupt, everyone expected James to cancel the engagement, but he didn't. They got married, James's distant demeanor created a chasm between them. Receiving pictures of him kissing another woman became the breaking point for Sophia, prompting her to seek a divorce. Now James must find a way to win her heart or he would lose the only light in his life. University power couple, Alexander and Isabella were torn apart by her father's manipulations, sacrificing their love for his future and safety--Isabella broke up with him. Years later, Alexander is no longer the poor boy that could be dismissed. He owns a successful law firm, while Isabella's family faces financial ruin. In a desperate move her father arranges her marriage to Alexander, thrusting them back into each other's lives. As Alexander strives to rekindle their love, Isabella grapples with feeling that she doesn't deserve him.

There are three things Deborah love: stargazing, sewing and Eric — her best friend. However, only the first she easily has within her grasp while the other two she struggles to keep and claim. Finding Us is more than just a story: it's also a relatable journey to self-discovery with harsh turns and the need for a happy ending. DISCLAIMER: certain events/scenes might be found triggering, therefore, the reader's discretion is advised.

Heron has always found her name a means for discomfort but she would rather be Heron Ellis than Heron Astor. Warren Astor is everything she despises in a man, arrogant, callous, with no desire to display even the smallest amounts emotions. But he does have a keen eye for investments, and Heron Ellis, the aspiring designer catches his eye. Unfortunately for him, his rather traditional father gives him an ultimatum, marry or the company will never be his. Wanting to kill two birds with one stone, Warren manages to put Heron in a position where her only option is to marry. Will they be able to open to one another, or will the fraying ties of their relationship unravel once and for all.

Forever Us is part 2 of the book Us. It picks up where Crystal Martini and Brooks Milner leave off in the first part, after getting engaged and finding out they are expecting.