The Ohio State Library Novels & Stories

She's always been described as "her" shadow. The shadow of a beautiful, intelligent sister that she could never beat. Her whole life, she has tried her best to meet up to her sisters standards but it has never been the same. She has never been able to shine by herself without being compared to Willow. For 20 years now, she's been the shadow and never once has she realised that she was equally as beautiful and intelligent. Today was the day, the day that it would be all about her, well that's what she thought initially. It was her 20th birthday party where she will be revealed as her fathers heir of the company after being abroad for a year studying 24/7 to be able to live up to her fathers standards. Today was her day being in the spotlight after disappearing from it for 2 years. In this year, she has changed drastically. So much that her parents didn't recognise her when she stepped out of her fathers private jet. So much that her old high school bullies wouldn't even have recognised her. She was finally back and stronger than ever. Neveah was back to show everyone that she is not the same girl as she was 2 years ago. Alec McKinley, the typical playboy of the century. Having flings left, right and centre but discarding them after a night with their bodies. He was notorious for this but it didn't stop females from dropping their skin tight dresses to state to the world that they've has a night with the heir to the McKinley Enterprise. These naïve females all through that they would be the one to change him. To be able to tame the beast in bed. However, they leave empty handed, without their clothes but just a robe as always.

In a country where people view being single as a sin. Some would even conclude that you have been married to the devil by your parents, others would say you have a spirit husband a d that was the reason no one was coming for you. To worsen it, you chose a profession that perpetually puts you on the limelight, people call for you, they have seen your work and they want to have you as their photographer. Such was the case for Rebecca, she was young beautiful but she feels so alone since all her mates were married, she was still single and to worsen it no one was seeing her, it felt more like she was invisible, people would always tell her she was beautiful but they never went further even when she would be the one to quickly show her interest. She wanted so much to be loved and feel loved, she wanted to know what it felt like to be inlove. She looked pretty young but she wasn't really that young which was why her mother would want her to go to church with her every now and then, she wished she was not in the same state with her mother because even if she runs away from her mother, she always finds a way to get her back. But the story changed for Rebel when she was contracted to handle Charles' wedding, her job was going just as perfect, she was doing exactly what she used to do, she was giving her best to the work. She showed them a sample of how the work would look like, but she couldn't concentrate, whenever Charles was close to her, even if he was with Sandra, she just couldn't concentrate, she was inlove with her client.

Siobhan Williams has always been a smart woman, graduated early from high school and excelled in her college career. She went into the FBI at an early age and is one of the youngest agents in her Unit. Working in the crimes against children division of the BAU, the FBI is brought in when the number of kidnappings reaches an alarming number; 13 children over the course of two months. These kidnappings are occurring in her home state of California, where she hasn't gone back to her home and pack for almost a decade, but now she and her partner volunteer to head the investigation for these disappearances. Along with a few other agents—another wolf shifter, a bear shifter, a Fae, and a vampire—they head straight into a battle between the Gods and Goddesses. With enough on her plate, the last thing she needs is a mate hovering around her and getting into her business. Tiernan Hathaway has been Alpha of his pack for the last 9 years, and has yet to meet his mate though he remembers having a pull to the old Beta's second eldest daughter, Siobhan. It's been almost a decade since he had last seen her and she only ever calls her family, never coming home. This will change when children have begun to go missing at alarming rates, most of them being children of the supernatural community. He is in for a surprise when the FBI comes knocking on his door, about the missing children. A battle is brewing between the God and Goddess of the Underworld: Arawn and Scàthach. It's classic good vs evil with a twist of the dead, undead, and the living. Are the missing children a part of a greater, but evil plan in this war? Or is it just coincidence?

After being rescued from illegal experiments, Kiera Samuels returned to her pack. Things have changed. One of her high school bullies is Alpha, and she's not a wolf shifter. He's fine with her under his thumb, if she doesn't tell him about how difficult it is for her to live within his pack. How can you live when people fear you and hide their pups? You're uninvited to pack events at the last minute because of the fear. The frustration got to her, and she left the pack. Now, she lives in the neutral zone between her birth pack and their rivals. There's always drama happening between Alpha Dean Jonas and Alpha James Duncan. That's not new. This time war between the two alpha wolf shifters is looming and intensifying. Kiera, the Lycan, struggles daily with learning about herself and dealing with other people's delusions about her. These two male wolves are at her door. There's no romance, but there are a lot of vague threats. It gets worse for Kiera as the alphas compete to see who can claim her into their pack. Chaos erupts when Kiera disappears. Her home has broken windows, signs of shotgun blasts, no blood or scent trails, and two alphas accusing the other of kidnapping her. So, where is Kiera, and what is going on with Dean's mental state? Is James up to his old habit of playing loose with the rules for entertainment? Or is there another party involved in the shadows? Follow to find out if Kiera ever catches a break and keeps her sanity with these good, ole, boys playing games with her heart and body. Warning: Spicy, Explicit, Violence, Betrayal, and an Unhealthy Competiton

Six years ago, Kaye Muani lost everything when fire consumed her pack and painted her father as a monster. Now she is a ghost, running from a world that wants her dead for crimes she did not commit. She has survived by staying invisible, never shifting, never connecting, never hoping for anything more than another day of freedom. Until Blackwater enforcers drag her across state lines and throw her at the feet of Ethan Rivers, the Alpha who has spent six years building an empire on rage and revenge. He should kill her. She is the daughter of the man he believes murdered his family. But when the mate bond snaps into place between them, everything changes. Ethan refuses to claim her and refuses to let her go. Instead, he makes her a prisoner in his packhouse, a servant watched by wolves who hate her, a constant reminder of everything he lost. The bond grows stronger every day, pulling them together even as betrayal and secrets threaten to tear them apart. But the fires that destroyed their packs six years ago were not what anyone believed. The truth is darker, more twisted, and hiding inside the very walls of the Blackwater Pack. Wolves are disappearing. Bodies are turning up with liquefied organs. And someone Ethan trusts is working for a monster who has been experimenting on wolves for decades, turning them into weapons. When the memorial ceremony becomes a bloodbath and every lie is exposed, Kaye and Ethan must choose between the hatred that has defined them or the bond that could save them. But the enemy is always three steps ahead, and the cost of survival might be more than either of them can pay.

"Do you know who I am now?" "Yes" I breathed "You're the Alpha of the Crimson Claw pack" "That's the first half of who I am. What's the second half, Harvey?" "I....I don't know. I don't understand" "I'm not only the Alpha of the Crimson Claw pack, I'm your mate. Your MATE, Harvey" he hissed, putting emphasis on the word 'mate' "Do you understand what that means?" he continued "It means you belong to me. You're mine, Harvey. You'll obey me and do as I say. You'll stop fighting the mate bond and accept me" ********** In a world where witches, werewolves and other creatures exist; Harvey is blessed with the gift of being able to see glimpses of the future through dreams. She believes she has already identified her mate as Zach - the sweet and caring second son of the Alpha of her pack who also happens to be her boyfriend. So she is in for the shock of her life when the Alpha of the largest and most feared pack in the state turns up on her 18th birthday and makes her heart race in a way only one's mate can. Now Harvey has to accept the fact that she is not going to be just a regular girl mated to a Beta male but the Luna of the most formidable pack and the mate of the devilishly handsome and mysterious Alpha Greyson. Add to that the fact a vengeful rogue she-wolf with a personal vendetta against Alpha Greyson and anyone he cherishes is out for her head on a platter and will do whatever it takes to get it...... like putting together an abominable pack of rogue wolves. How would Harvey be able to handle becoming a Luna with the possibility of war looming?

Shantali Jackson awakens from cryostasis to discover she's been asleep for over 600 years. A working-class woman from the pre-collapse era, she finds herself in a sterile medical facility, where staff address her as royalty and claim she's the beloved of Prince Costa—a man she barely remembers meeting at Le Glow Club one fateful night. As fragmented memories surface, Shantali learns the devastating truth: she and Costa were never willing participants in the preservation program. After publicly defying their arranged marriages to choose each other, they were declared enemies of the state and forcibly preserved by the Emergency Preservation Committee. They've been awakened seventeen times for six centuries, only to have their memories wiped when they refused to comply with the Council's genetic breeding program. This time is different—the memory suppression technology is failing, and ghostly echowisps (manifestations of psychic trauma) guide them through their escape. With the help of Marcus, a resistance member, they flee to the underground networks where Shantali discovers shocking truths: her half-brother Elliot became a resistance leader, Costa's parents have been working to undermine the Council for centuries, and the outside world has been habitable for generations. The couple escapes to Haven's Gate, one of seven thriving Eastern Sanctuaries where humanity has rebuilt naturally. But freedom is short-lived when they learn Dr. Thorne and other preservation specialists are using extracted consciousness data to create a new form of control—artificial minds programmed for obedience. Refusing to remain passive victims, Shantali and Costa make a bold choice: they'll pose as desperate refugees seeking re-preservation, walking willingly into Dr. Thorne's trap to stop his plans once and for all. Their love story becomes humanity's last hope against a system that would sacrifice free will for genetic perfection. A tale of choice, resistance, and the power of love.

He rejected her when she didn't know what he meant to her. He left her when she needed him the most. He left her broken and alone in the claws of this cruel world. But now he’s back to claim what’s his. Will she accept him now? Read story to find out about his REJECTED LOVE…. My mate. So weak. So pathetic. I have a weak and pathetic mate. He thought as he looked at her with disgust and displeasure in his eyes. Just like me, when I was human. She is a human! I don't want a mate. I don't want a weak and pathetic mate! She can't fix me! She's nothing! Screw this! His thoughts were going berserk with the rushing flashes of his past. He tucked his hand roughly through his hair in an unsuccessful attempt to stop the replay of those horrible evocations. He laid her on the small grass patch at the side of the deserted road. She was half-conscious, so she could hear him. "Hey!" He said, jerking her pale face gently. Blood was covering half of her face but she was still looking beautiful in the moonlight. The sparks weren’t going unnoticed as he reminded himself that it was just the mate-bond. He was determined in his decision and he wasn’t going to change it. The girl opened her eyes slightly and with that, he did what he thought was right at that time. "I, Kane Wilson, reject you as my mate!" He said, with all the strength he could have mustered in his miserable state of emotions and with that, he left her there, feeling extreme pain in his heart. But he pushed that pain aside and ran from there in inhuman speed. Away from her!

In a world where love is tested by fate and loyalty hangs in the balance, Valerie embarks on a journey of redemption and second chances. Cursed by the moon goddess and stripped of her wolf, Valerie finds herself defenseless, unable to safeguard the cherished bonds she once held dear. Betrayed and murdered by her closest friend, Chelsea, Valerie is reborn, bestowed with an opportunity to right the wrongs of her past life.However, her lack of a wolf threatens to unravel everything she desires. Ezra, the powerful Alpha of his pack, has always loved Valerie. Yet, when he discovers her missing wolf, his commitment is put to the test. Determined not to succumb to Chelsea's advances, Ezra stands firm, unwavering in his affection for Valerie. Undeterred by her cursed state, Valerie resolves to reclaim her lost wolf and Ezra's heart. Yet, a labyrinth of obstacles hinders her at every turn, blocking her path to victory.She battles against unseen forces, Valerie begins to question the futility of her efforts. Is her quest for redemption destined to fail? Each passing day, the stakes escalate, and Valerie's determination reaches new heights. But the weight of the moon goddess's curse looms over her, casting doubt on her ability to succeed. As Valerie fights for her place in Ezra's life, a shocking realization dawns upon her, threatening to shatter her hopes. Can love alone triumph against the moon goddess's curse? Valerie's journey brims with the emotions of love and betrayal. As the inevitable showdown between Valerie and Chelsea looms , the ultimate question hangs in the balance: Will Valerie reclaim her rightful place in Ezra's life and safeguard what is hers? Brace yourself for a spellbinding tale of suspense and intrigue as Valerie embarks on her rebirth, determined to reclaim her wolf and Ezra's heart.

On the day of my mate-bonding ceremony, someone threw a corrosive potion at me, leaving my face disfigured. In front of everyone, Oliver Fielding—my fated mate, the one promised to me for eight years—coldly rejected me and claimed the Alpha's younger stepsister, Isabella Dorsey, instead. That same night, Alpha Lucas Dorsey placed a moonstone ring in my hand. "If Oliver won't claim you, then I will. And I'll make sure you get justice." He brushes his fingers over my corroded, scarred cheek and whispers tenderly, "Evelyn, even in such a state, you're more beautiful than anyone else." Since he claimed me, Lucas has treated me like something sacred. He remembers every little thing I love and hate. Even when the painful memories overwhelm me and I lash out in panic, he just presses a kiss to my palm, his pain lingering in the touch. How could I not be completely lost to him? However, three years later, I overhear Lucas speaking with his assassin outside the council chamber. "That silver-laced corrosive potion I had you prepare—was the dosage correct?" The assassin hesitates before replying, "Alpha, if you care about Evelyn so much, why would you—" "Isabella wants Oliver, so I'll help her by removing the obstacle—Evelyn." He runs his thumb over the herbal sachet I made him and murmurs, "It's just… I've grown strangely reluctant to let Evelyn go. She's my pawn, after all." I wipe away my tears. If I'm nothing more than an obstacle to him, I'll save him the trouble and walk away on my own.