The Locked Door

Keira is beautiful, smart, and the next Luna of her pack. Her mate Dawson is the next Alpha, and they are the perfect couple. But behind close door their relationship isn’t all it seems. In a physical fight, Keira has to pick between her pack and her life. Leaving her pack behind, she sets out to make a new life. But her old one doesn’t stay hidden for long.

Five years ago, I left my husband a note. Three sentences. A returned bracelet. A door closing softly at 4am. He told me to get rid of our baby. I got rid of him instead. Now he’s sitting across my boardroom table in the city I built for myself, looking for the woman he married. She’s gone. What’s left is stronger.

"F-Fine," she said and squeezed her eyes shut. "I'll do it." To keep her job and pay her nephew's hospital bills, Evelyn agreed to a one night stand with a casino client. In the dim corridor with red lights, someone grabbed her waist, the evil chuckle hot against her ear. No. She didn't want this. That smelly man! She didn't want him! There was a door right before her and she squinted her eyes. What did it say? The wordings looked too long to be the 'exit'. "Stay still," the man growled behind her and started to pull her away. "That's the presidential suite. Our room is right-" She elbowed him with all her strength that he yelped and let go of her. Panic set in her heart as she ran to the exit room right in front of her. She grabbed the door handle and was about to push it open when it was suddenly yanked open. Evelyn lost her footing and fell face first into a hard brick! What kind of wall was warm and smelled so sweet, enough to keep her temperature cool?

Feeling overwhelmed by loneliness, I installed a one-way mirror in the bedroom of the apartment next door, which I specifically rent out to muscular men. One day, through the mirror on the wall, I watched my tenant with his girlfriend, caught up in their fiery passion. I couldn't help but be drawn to his strong physique and impressive size. One day, I pulled him into a small, dimly lit cubicle with me...

“You are mine, Jewel.” He tightened his hand around my neck. “Stop. You are hurting me!” I tried to fight his hold, but he wasn't budging. The dark glares in them didn't ease a bit. “That was the extent of this; to hurt you.” His dark glare locked me in place. “Gold digger.” He sneered in a dark tone. ***** Never in my life did I think I will one day be tied to a billionaire who abhors me. I was given to him, in exchange for my sister who committed the crime. Living with him was like hell on Earth. He doesn't love me and never ceases to tell me that. I was locked, caged and rendered incapable by the man who was supposed to cherish me. He made me ache for death. But not until a chance meeting with a man at a ball caused me to rethink my life. However, that was until I learned that the man I called my husband wasn't who he seemed to be. Under the thick layer of his business suits, lay a sly, ruthless devil who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. He's a stalker, a liar and an obsessed man, but he's my husband. And I'm bound to him by law.

The marrige was supposed to the happiest thing that happened in my life but it turned out to be the bane of my existence. Bringing his ex lover into our house was not the problem. He laid her on our matrimonial bed and locked me out. A marrige crumbled that night but something else was born. I was carrying his child, the only link we had now but the end still remained we may never be together again because I had someone else.

Our seventh wedding anniversary. I sat at the dining table—alone. My phone buzzed, lighting up with two messages. First, from Tom: [Working late at the office tonight.] Second, anonymous: [Tom is incredible. Can you even keep up?] Attached was a picture of him, lips locked with a woman I didn't recognize. I blew out the candles on the anniversary cake. Eyes shut, I typed back: [Let's divorce.]

Raven was Kieran’s everything—until a deadly betrayal tore his family apart and he marked her as the traitor. Locked in chains and branded his slave, she waited for him to realize the truth. But he never did. Now, she’s free. A new name, a new face and a heart hardened by pain. Kieran wants her back. He swears he’ll fix everything. But Raven doesn’t want his love anymore. She wants vengeance.

My sister accompanies me when I go for my premarital medical checkup. When I'm preparing a urine test, I hear embarrassing sounds coming from the cubicle next door. I'm about to leave when I hear the conversation. "Keep it in you, Willow. We're doing this again if it slips out." The voice belongs to my fiancé, Zachary Hilton. The woman to whom he's speaking is Willow Langley, my sister. I dial his number hysterically to see whether it really is him, but my calls go unanswered. All I hear is the incessant ringing of a phone next door and moans alongside it. I'm rooted to the spot, too stunned to do anything. Zachary once vowed to love me for life, yet he's doing something like this with Willow prior to our wedding. The moans and pants next door take a long time to subside. Once I hear them leave, I call home, my face wet with tears. "Mom, change my husband-to-be to Thomas Hilton, Zachary's youngest uncle. I don't want to have anything to do with Zachary anymore."

After my father's Beta killed him, I ran away and lived my life as a human. It wasn't much, but my life was my own and I liked it that way. Until one night, when I decide to take a shortcut through wolf territory and I'm captured. Expecting to go to the dungeon, the Alpha presents me as a potential mate to the mysterious and reportedly cruel Lycan King, Bowden. He takes me from my home and brings me to his kingdom where I'm expected to live as his mate. A mate he doesn't even want. I didn't sign up for this life. I don't want any of it. Least of all to be some king's dutiful and submissive mate. I'm just waiting, biding my time, until I can run away and join the human world again. ** "You know what…I'm done. I'm leaving Bowden's eyebrows pull up in amusement. "Are you now?” "Yes. Try to stop me.” He stands aside. "I won't stop you. Go. Goddess knows, I could use a little peace and quiet." I start to leave, but before I even reach the door he calls out. "Oswald!” The guard opens the door without any delay. "See the queen to her room and lock her in for the night," Bowden orders. "I thought you said you wouldn't stop me." I spin around and glare at Bowden, furious with him for changing his mind. "I won't…but Oswald made no such promises." The king nods at the guard who simply steps outside and closes the door behind him again. "Don't play games with me, little wild child. I am far more experienced than you'll ever be, and this is a game you'll never win. You are mine, and you are going nowhere.”