The Fallen Leaves Novels & Stories

KLAPPENTEXT Sie war nie dazu bestimmt, gesehen zu werden. Mit flammend rotem Haar in einem Rudel, das die Reinheit des schwarzen Wolfsblutes verehrte, war Mona die unsichtbare Tochter der Blackrock-Alpha-Linie. Übersehen, zum Schweigen gebracht und aus jedem Familienporträt herausgeschnitten, verbrachte sie ihre Kindheit damit, in der Küchenecke Essensreste zu essen, während ihre Geschwister wie Könige speisten. Sie besiegte ihren Bruder auf dem Trainingsplatz, und doch wandte sich ihr Vater von ihr ab. Sie sang bei Festen, und doch reichte ihre Mutter ihr ein Kopftuch. Sie überlebte. Sie hielt durch. Sie wartete. Aber selbst die geduldigste Flamme kann zu weit getrieben werden. Als ihre verräterische Schwester Selena das Heilige Relikt des Rudels stiehlt und Mona den Diebstahl anhängt, bricht etwas Altes und Zorniges in ihr auf. Auf dem Boden der Versammlungshalle, blutig und gedemütigt, tut Mona das Einzige, was noch nie ein Blackrock getan hat: Sie sagt sich von ihrer Blutlinie los. Die Worte fahren wie ein Flächenbrand durch sie hindurch, und genau das antwortet darauf. Das Halsband der Knechtschaft um ihren Hals wird zu Asche. Ihr rotes Haar entflammt. Der Phönixwolf – eine Blutlinie älter als das Rudel selbst, älter als ihre Gesetze, älter als ihr Stolz – erwacht in ihrer Haut. Mit ihrer besten Freundin Sophie an ihrer Seite flieht Mona zur Ashen Academy, dem einzigen neutralen Boden der Reiche, wo Stärke Währung ist und Herkunft nichts zählt. Dort beginnt Mona unter den wachsamen Augen von Derek – einem kampferprobten Ausbilder mit kalter Fassade und brennendem Kern – die harte Arbeit, etwas zu werden, das die Welt noch nie gesehen hat: sie selbst. Doch das Blackrock-Rudel hat sie nicht vergessen. Und sie kommen.

When I was seven, Victor Medici took me off the streets of Brooklyn. From that moment on, I became a blade hidden in the shadows of the Medici family. The Medici family was one of the five major mafia families in New York City, and Victor was the family’s Don. By fifteen, I had learned how to handle a gun and a knife. I could carry out the family’s “clean-up” orders with precision. By eighteen, I led a team that wiped out three weapons hubs belonging to the rival Rina mafia family, securing the East Side territory for Victor. At twenty-one, during a hearing, I took the fall for Victor’s crimes. In the end, I was sentenced to three years in prison. The day I got out, he took me straight to Las Vegas to get married. With his own hands, he slipped a ruby ring onto my finger—a symbol of the Donna. Under the witness’s gaze, he kissed me, his voice almost reverent. “Rachel, I love you. You’re my only weakness.” Then, he pulled out a stamped and signed contract from his suit pocket. “This is my wedding gift to you. If I ever betray you, my power, my status, and my wealth will be transferred into your name, and I’ll walk away with nothing.” After a pause, he gave a sly smile and added, “But that day will never come. Because I’ll always love you.” I took the contract, so happy that I felt like I might cry, but that happiness only lasted two years.

The day my husband's first love shows up at my house, I catch a faint, cloyingly sweet scent of gardenias in the air. My genetically-linked asthma flares violently at the scent of gardenias. As expected, halfway through the meal, my chest suddenly tightens. I can barely draw a breath before collapsing onto the couch. My younger brother sprints into my bedroom like he's lost his mind, grabs an inhaler, and shoves it straight to my mouth. "Tess!" he roars. "Why the hell is there gardenia perfume?" Everyone panics. My dad grabs a liquor bottle. My mom lunges forward, grabbing the woman by the hair. And my husband positions himself in front of her, protecting his beloved first love as she trembles. Amid the chaos, I muster the last of my strength. I reach into the crack of the couch, grab another inhaler, take a deep breath, and slowly push myself upright. I let out a cold laugh as I fix my gaze on the woman cowering behind my husband. "Finished with your little performance? It's my turn now."

Connor Lockwood abandons me at the hospital's entrance even though I'm bleeding in the middle of my pregnancy. He insists on sending his client, a divorcée, home. The blood flows down my legs, but he hurries off without another look back. He should've been at the hospital and by my side, but instead, I see him in his client's social media update. It's captioned, "Thank goodness for my wonderful lawyer. Do you know who gets to have hangover soup when they're drunk? Me!" I spend the rest of the night wide awake. The following morning, I calmly dial a number. "Dad, I've made up my mind. I'll return home in three days to take over the company."

During a battle with the vampires, I get injured by a silver dagger in order to protect my mate, Evan Stormhowl. Not only am I incapable of giving birth since then, but my wolf also sinks into an eternal slumber. Because of those reasons, I lose my status as the strongest warrior in the pack and become a laughingstock. For seven years, I grit my teeth and endure the mocking comments from others while doing my best to carry out my duties as the Luna, just so I can preserve Evan's dignity as the Alpha. But he can be seen with an arm wrapped around Lilian Wolfhart's waist at the hunting rite that's only hosted once per five years. When the celebratory banquet is in full swing, an elder named Lucas Nightshade clinks his wine glass while guffawing loudly. "Alpha Evan, I know you've been yearning for Lilian this whole time. Why don't you let her have your pup tonight?" The bonfire illuminates Lilian's bright red cheeks, making her look delicate and beautiful. I let out a cold chuckle before dumping a glass of red wine onto Lilian, who's still fantasizing about having Evan's pups. "I reject that suggestion! I, Erin Bloodmoon, will never share my mate with other she-wolves!" Since seven years have already passed, everyone else must have already forgotten that I'd rather have a dead mate than a disloyal one.

My name is Sophia Colombo. I am the youngest daughter of the Colombo family, one of Newarke City's most powerful Mafia dynasties. My father is the Don, and my three older brothers control most of the family's operations across the Rooklyn, Kings, and Canhatte boroughs. On the Veste Coast district, the name Colombo commands power and fear. My best friend, Jennifer, always says I've been too sheltered by my family, that I can't see through a man's lies or schemes. She even offered to "help" me put that to the test. So, under the guise of looking out for me, she seduced my fiancé. After winning him over, she stood there, smug and self-satisfied, watching me like I was the punchline to a joke. "I told you—you're too naive," she said. "Those men are all cunning and full of tricks. If it weren't for me, you'd have been fooled into tears a hundred times over." I was furious—so angry I could barely breathe—but I couldn't find a single word to argue back. This time, I chose my fiancé in secret, keeping it from her entirely. He was the heir to the Lucia family. And just as I expected, the moment she found out… she made her move again. What she didn't know was that this fiancé was someone I had carefully prepared… just for her.

Three years ago, Capo Marco Rossi received an order from the Godfather. He was to leave and expand the Family territory. Before he left, he issued me a command the way someone would fasten a collar onto a pet. "Until I return, you will remain at the Godfather's estate. Remember your identity. Keep your legs closed." He gripped my chin, his voice carrying that kind of condescending gentleness that felt almost like charity. "When I come back, I'll give you a proper status." For my younger brother's medical expenses, I had no choice but to obey. Three years later, he returned with the wealth he seized from the West Coast Gambino Family, and there was a woman by his side. In front of the rose bushes at the Godfather's estate, he looked down at me from above, as if inspecting a dust-covered old possession. "Mia Moretti is carrying my child. I must take responsibility as a father. You've always been sensible. Endure this for now. Continue being my mistress." I lowered my head, my hand lightly stroking my still-flat abdomen. "Is that so?" I raised my head, a provocative smile on my face. "I have no objection. If the Godfather says it's acceptable, then it's acceptable."

I was Alpha Damian Jones' fated mate. At the mating ceremony, he had made a Blood Moon vow in front of my pack. He had claimed that I, Eva Lopez, would be his one and only Luna in this lifetime. It had been the happiest moment in my life. Seven years had passed since then, and yet I was still a virgin—an untouched Luna who had yet to be marked by her Alpha. Still, I was willing to live my life like this. But not long ago, Damian returned from the battlefield with a she-wolf by his side. She was Chloe Lane, the daughter of the Bloodfang pack's Alpha. He told me that she was here as a guest and that I should take good care of her. I treated Chloe like a little sister of mine and took great care of her. That was, until I decided to visit her with a glass of warm milk one night. When I reached her room, I heard suppressed, breathless moans coming from inside the room. Next, I heard Damian's husky voice. "Why are you crying?" he asked. "Isn't this what you've always wanted?"

Welcome to the world of forbidden fantasies. Ryan Parker 35 year old, CEO of the Parker industries, cold hearted, ruthless and reversed. The name that could shake the entire business world. His aim was never to chase love. He hunted for dominance and power. He only made one mistake in his life, hiring the daughter of his best friend, Alina. She was innocent, that had captured his mind since the first time she walked into his office. Alina Spenser 18 year old, sweet, Assistant to Mr Ryan Parker. She had a crush on Mr Parker the first time she met in teens. He was her father's best friend, the man her father talks about. With a sharp jawline and commanding voice he made her burn in places she doesn't understand. But the time blurred and he vanished from their lives without a warning, swallowed by the hunger of building business and ambition. She moved on, at least that's what she thought, only writing her small crush in her diary. Until one day he came back to her father’s funeral. And everything has changed since then.

Chu Nan, yang merasa tercekik oleh tekanan hidup di kota, secara tak terduga mendapatkan Sistem Check-In Tingkat Dewa. “Setiap bangun pagi, hal pertama yang aku lakukan adalah check-in dan langsung dapat satu miliar!” Ding! "Check-in berhasil, selamat! Anda mendapatkan satu miliar!" Ding! "Check-in berhasil, selamat! Anda mendapatkan vila di puncak bukit!" Ding! "Check-in berhasil, selamat! Anda mendapatkan Lamborghini Veneno!" Sejak saat itu, dengan bantuan sistem, Chu Nan terus melangkah semakin jauh di jalan kesuksesan melalui check-in. “Aku sudah tidak mau berpura-pura lagi! Baiklah, aku akui! Sebenarnya aku ini orang kaya!”