The Grownup By Gillian Flynn

"Yes! I dare you to kiss me and claim me as yours, and let the world know what we are!" I declared boldly, with the pain seeking deep into my heart. As expected, he never said a word. His gaze was all I needed to understand the fact that I was once again being rejected by my second-chance mate, and this time it hurt more than I had imagined, since I had grown to love him. After being brutally abused and rejected by her first mate, the moon goddess decided to smile on her and pair her with her second chance, who was nothing but a cold-hearted Lycan king, known and feared by all. This time, he only wanted her to produce an heir, but she seemed to want more than he wanted, and now she was on the brink of being brutally rejected once again.

Selene Dakota is the only child of the powerful Alpha of the west crescent pack, but she's constantly bullied and humiliated by her pack members, including her own father, who she had hoped would protect her. Her father, disappointed that Selene's mother was an omega, treats her terribly, making her life a living hell. On her 18th birthday, Selene's father demands that she marry Alpha Damon of the Green moss pack, a man whom she believes to be cruel and cold. However, fate has other plans when Selene discovers that Alpha Damon is her true mate. But her happiness is short-lived when he rejects her in front of her father at a wolf conference meeting. Selene wonders if her destiny is to suffer and whether Alpha Damon will ever accept her as his mate.

For seventeen years, Azirah has been trapped in Duskhallow Orphanage, a front for dark witchcraft experiments where she is the centerpiece of a sinister plan. Her escape leads her into the world of werewolves, where she encounters Nergal, a tormented Alpha marked by guilt. Their meeting reveals her connection to the Shadowborn prophecy, a warning of an abyss that could consume their world. As Azirah uncovers her powers, she is drawn into a fractured world of rival Alphas. Nergal fights to protect her, Zassan battles his bond with Vesta, a vengeful witch and his mate, and Draven faces betrayal from Gaia, a rogue wolf tied to their enemies. With the blood moon approaching, old grudges and dark forces rise, threatening to plunge the realm into chaos. In a desperate bid to save their world, Azirah and Nergal retrieve the Oracle artifact, but the final battle reveals the Shadowborn clan’s ultimate weapon—Nergal’s shadow-self, a dark manifestation of his fears. To end the abyss, Azirah sacrifices herself, only to be restored by the Moon Goddess, who takes her powers to ensure her safety. As the abyss is sealed and the brothers unite, peace returns to the realm—but Azirah’s visions warn that the shadows may rise again.

I stepped closer. Close enough to smell his cologne—cedarwood, leather, and power. My hand moved. Smooth, practiced. The pistol slide from under the apron into my palm. I raised it fast. But before I could pull the trigger— BANG. Not my shot. A scream tore through the restaurant as another man launched himself toward Romano’s table, blade flashing. Another assassin. What the hell— Romano didn’t flinch. He shoved the table forward, knocking the attacker off balance. The blade scraped across wood, not skin. I ducked instinctively as the room erupted into chaos. Gunfire cracked. Glass exploded. People screamed and dove for cover. “Get him out—NOW!” one of the guards barked. I aimed for the second attacker. Didn’t even hesitate. One shot—head. Gone. The guard saw me. Confusion flashed in his eyes. Then rage. I ran. I weaved between overturned chairs, plates, and screaming bodies. The smell of blood was real now, thick in the air. One of the guards grabbed me. I slammed my elbow into his ribs, twisted, and brought the butt of my gun down on his skull. He dropped like a sack of bricks. Out. I had to get out. My boots pounded the floor as I tore through the narrow hallway. But then— “Elisa.” His voice stopped me cold. I turned. Antonio Romano stood in the middle of the carnage, suit untouched, blood spattered behind him like art. His eyes were on me. And he was smiling. It was darker. Slower. Like a hunter seeing something worth chasing. Somehow, he knew who I was. “Interesting,” he said softly, tilting his head. “They sent you.” I didn’t answer. I ran. But that voice followed me. He knew my name. And he let me go. This wasn’t over. It had just begun.

BOOK ONE OF THE CLAIMED SERIES The Lycan beast had always been a war animal, one who enjoyed bloodshed and forceful takeovers. He turned into a beast after he lost everything he owned in a fire including his wife and infant. During a power usurp, the Lycan king found something he never expected — A mate! What’s worse? She’s a weak wolf who wouldn’t even stand a chance in his own world. He wants to get rid of her before she serves as a weakness to him but he doesn’t understand where the urge to protect her came from.

After staying away for one year, Raven returns to her school, eager to start afresh. But at the sight of Vlad, the vampire King's son, something in her shifts. She must fight against her growing attraction and the forbidden love that threatens to consume them both. With her past haunting her and her newfound identity in question,can two hearts from opposing sides find love?

At the full moon gathering, I learned that my mate Carrick was forced to bond with the Omega daughter of our rival pack. He rushed to complete a mating ritual with her regardless of the consequences. They fled to the Northern Territories that very night. Their childhood bond story went viral among the packs, but I became the shameful third wheel who interfered with their "true pairing" and was shunned so severely that I couldn't even leave my den. Unexpectedly, Alex, the blind Alpha of the Silver Crest Pack—Carrick's sworn enemy—appeared at my door. "I've always been a vengeful wolf. Carrick stole my intended mate through deception, so I will claim his rightful Luna." His unseeing eyes somehow found mine with uncanny precision. "Alliances require balance, Jenna. Are you willing to complete the mating bond with me?" I looked at the image of their moonlight ceremony being shared through pack links, and without hesitation, I handed him my wrist, exposing my scent gland for the claiming bite.

The mating ceremony is fast approaching and for Aria, she is looking forward to meeting her mate as this would mark a turning point for her as an Omega who is trapped in the Alpha’s mansion. When she recognizes who he is - she is shocked that her worst fears comes true, he rejects her right in front of everyone in the pack, making her world comes crashing down…But what happens when the notorious and feared Lycan King of the land, shows up and takes her as the mate he’s been looking for?

He wants revenge, but he found a reason to protect. She was supposed to be his pawn… but she became his weakness, his obsession, his everything. Akiko Eloise has known nothing but pain. Abandoned by her parents, scarred by violence, and secretly battling leukemia, she has long accepted that her life is a slow countdown with no happy ending. But when she’s taken prisoner by Glen Xander McKenzie—a ruthless Mafia boss out for revenge on her family—her fate takes a sharp, terrifying turn. Glen is cold, calculated, and dangerous… but something about that girl began to stir something in him. Something dangerously close to feeling. And the more he learns about Akiko—her strength, her scars, her fading time—the harder it becomes to let her go. Will it change him—or destroy them both?

He drove there to annihilate the whole pack which had the audacity to combat against Him, The Dark Lord, but those innocent emerald eyes drugged his sanity and He ended up snatching her from the pack. Lyceon Villin Whitlock is known to be the lethal Dark walker, the Last Lycan from the royal bloodline and is considered to be mateless. Rumours have been circling around for years that He killed his own fated mate. The mate which every Lycan king is supposed to have only one in their life. Then what was his purpose to drag Allison into his destructive world? Are the rumours just rumours or is there something more? Allison Griffin was the only healer in the Midnight crescent pack which detested her existence for being human. Her aim was only to search her brother's whereabouts but then her life turned upside down after getting the news of her family being killed by the same monster who claimed her to be his and dragged her to his kingdom “The dark walkers”. To prevent another war from occurring, she had to give in to him. Her journey of witnessing the ominous, terrifying and destructive rollercoaster of their world started. What happens when she finds herself being the part of a famous prophecy along with Lyceon where the chaotic mysteries and secrets unravel about their families, origins and her true essence? Her real identity emerges and her hybrid powers start awakening, attracting the attention of the bloodthirsty enemies who want her now. Would Lyceon be able to protect her by all means when she becomes the solace of his dark life and the sole purpose of his identity? Not to forget, the ultimate key to make the prophecy happen. Was it her Mate or Fate?