The Retreat Sarah Pearse

My company had arranged a wilderness survival retreat deep in the heart of Moonshadow Forest—a place where even seasoned wolves tread cautiously. That night, a sudden downpour ripped through the campsite, drenching the earth and filling the air with the thick scent of damp moss and shifting soil. I woke abruptly, the cold seeping into my bones. Instinctively, I reached out to the space beside me, seeking the warmth of my mate. Empty. A sharp pang of unease clawed at my chest. My wolf, dulled by the suppressant herbs I had taken to blend into human society, stirred restlessly. Fumbling in the darkness, I grabbed my phone and dialed Nigel. The line barely had time to connect before he emerged from the undergrowth—disheveled, breathless. His grip was iron-tight as he seized my wrist, pulling me downhill. His scent was sharp with adrenaline, but beneath it—something foreign, something wrong. We ran, my boots sinking into the mud. My keen vision caught glimpses of his rumpled clothing, the way his collar was misaligned—and the faint imprint of lips on his jaw. My pulse pounded in my ears. Betrayal. I wrenched my arm from his grasp, my claws itching to unsheathe despite the human form I forced myself to maintain. "Where were you?" My voice came out low, edged with the danger of a wolf barely leashed. The suppressants in my bloodstream faltered under the weight of my fury. The storm had driven everyone into their tents, leaving the clearing eerily silent as we reached the base of the mountain. But she was there. A woman stood beneath the flickering glow of the emergency lanterns, her hair tousled, her fingers gripping Nigel’s jacket as if it belonged to her. I knew her. The new intern. Her face held an unsettling resemblance to mine, as if the Moon Goddess herself had carved her from the shadows of my reflection. The realization struck like a silver dagger to my chest. Even the mate who had once sworn to fight the world for me had given in to betr

In a world full of werewolves and vampires, a huge power struggle is threatening to take over. At the centre of it all is the Ring and Journal of Lythian, said to have the key to ultimate control. Audrey, rejected mate of the Alpha's son and a reborn Ashtarah, and Leo, leader of a vampire resistance cult called the Shadows, are both trying to get their hands on the artifacts to further their evil ambitions and cause chaos. But against all odds, Adrian and Lily, the "chosen one", have found each other and their special powers may be the key that tips the balance in the fight. As Audrey's plans become more dangerous, secrets are revealed and it's up to Lily to use the Ring and Journal to figure out how to stop her. With the help of her friends Sarah, Theo and Tyler, she goes on a dangerous mission to uncover the truth and save the realm. Will Lily be able to decide between her love for Adrian and her commitment to her pack? Or will she have to make the ultimate sacrifice in order to keep the person she loves safe? "Forbidden Mate" is a story of love, sacrifice and the ultimate fight between good and evil - where the decisions of a few can decide the fate of many.

Isabella Santos's world revolves around saving her sister Jenny from a rare blood disorder. Working multiple jobs in BGC barely covers the hospital bills. One fateful morning, her trembling hands spill hot coffee on Alexander Del Rosario's ₱50,000 suit. Instead of anger, his eyes hold an intriguing proposition. Xander's mother, Regina keeps arranging matches with socialites he can't stand. When he meets the fiery barista who stands up to him despite her mistake, he sees an opportunity. He offers Isa a one-year marriage contract worth ₱10 million - enough to save Jenny. But their undeniable chemistry challenges the contract's "no feelings" clause. During a company retreat in El Nido, one passionate night changes everything. Their fake relationship starts feeling real until Isa discovers documents linking Del Rosario Industries to her father's death. The shock triggers a panic attack, leading to her hospitalization where she learns she's six weeks pregnant. "Hindi ko kaya 'to. I need to protect my baby from them," she decides, disappearing without a trace. Three years later, fate reunites them at a charity gala. But Xander meets his daughter Sofia, the spitting image of him. "Paano mo nagawa 'to sa akin?" he confronts Isa. Before they can reconcile, and clear out everything, Marco emerges claiming to be Sofia's real father. Regina orchestrates DNA tests and custody battles. Through investigating his father's old records, Xander uncovers Regina's manipulation in destroying the Santos construction company. He confronts his mother: "Pinili mong sirain ang buhay nila dahil lang sa pride mo?!" Meanwhile, Isa faces kidnapping attempts and corporate espionage. The truth about Marco's involvement with rival companies comes to light. During a dramatic confrontation at the Del Rosario's mansion, Xander chooses Isa and Sofia over his empire. "Wala akong pakialam sa company. Kayo ang mahalaga sa akin."

Ava Blu a young high school girl is forced into an arranged marriage with a popular celebrity by her mom on terms best known by her mom, Mrs. Sarah. Right from birth Mrs. Sarah has always had this keen hatred for Ava but managed to hide it behind the privilege of letting Ava call her mom. Struggling to balance the nightmare of being mothered by a woman who knows nothing about making her daughter happy, Ava is hit with an arranged marriage. Unsure of what her new life was going to look like, Ava took the bull by the horn and accepted her fate by agreeing to get married to Ryan, so she can escape her mom's shackles. On the wedding day, just when the priest said, “You may kiss your bride.” Ryan's phone beeped and he left the altar abandoning his bride. That was just a start for Ava which left her and a few other people who were concerned wondering. Will this marriage last? Was Ryan ever going to love her? Or how miserable was her life going to get now?

Once, I was their princess. And then Kylee showed up. Having been in the foster system the majority of her childhood, my parents treated her like a charity case and gave her everything. At 13 years old, Kylee was adopted. Then the "accidents" started happening. Kylee would be walking past me and would suddenly fall over. "Oh, Mom! Sarah didn't mean it! Shes just having a hard time adjusting to her new sister!" Eventually, her little accusations turned into straight out bullying and, well, I'm sure you can figure out the rest. I did my best to ignore Kylee. I got a job as early as the law would allow. I saved my money. I got the best grades in school, becoming the class valedictorian. My parents didn't notice, though. They were too busy playing into Kylee's 5-year-long pity party. Don't worry, though. Soon I'll be gone to Harvard and you can have the happy family you wanted. I don't need you, anyways.

They threw her into the rain—pregnant, bleeding, powerless. Her husband watched. Her best friend smiled. His family laughed. They called her worthless, barren and useless. They were wrong. Serena lost everything that night: her baby, her dignity, her life as she knew it. But from the ashes of that betrayal, she rose as someone they never saw coming, the secret heiress to a billionaire empire, now the most powerful woman in the country. Marcus begged for the contract that would save his failing company. He got it along with a new boss. His ex-wife. Now she owns everything he has. His business. His assets. His future. Marcus is begging for mercy. His mother is ruined. His sister is in prison. Sarah is forgotten. And Serena? She's just getting started. With Ethan Ashford, the most dangerous billionaire who caught her when she fell and refuses to let her go—at her side, Serena is untouchable. The Wellingtons destroyed the wrong woman. Now she'll take everything they love, piece by piece.

In a world ruled by blood and betrayal, James carries a dark secret, he is the last surviving heir of a slaughtered clan, hidden behind the stolen face of his enemy. Sent to infiltrate the ruthless Bloodthorn Clan that murdered his family, James is determined to tear them apart from within. But vengeance is never simple. Among the enemy, he finds Sarah, a fierce, rebellious slave who ignites a fire in him greater than hatred. He also crosses paths with Selena, a beautiful, broken sister he no longer recognizes, bound by dark magic to the enemy she was raised to serve. As James rises through the Bloodthorn ranks, winning the trust of the brutal Alpha Draven and outsmarting his watchful Beta Rowan, danger coils tighter around him. Betrayed by those closest to him, forced into deadly duels, and hunted for crimes he did not commit, James must risk everything, not just to avenge his past, but to rewrite the fate of two warring clans. Love and loyalty. Betrayal and bloodshed. To survive, James must face his greatest battle yet: against the darkness both around him, and within him. Will he be the destroyer they fear… or the savior they never saw coming?

Sara, a wolf-less werewolf, was rejected by her mate, Zayne, who was the alpha of the Red Moon pack. After being heartbroken, she ran into the woods where she was attacked by rogue wolves. Unexpectedly, Killian, the alpha of the powerful Blue Moon pack, saved her from the attack and took her to his pack. He claimed that she's his mate, and Sara started a new life with him. However, things took an unexpected turn when Sara discovered that she is the last hybrid in a cruel land that despised hybrids. She decided to leave the pack and ran away, unaware that she's carrying Killian's child. What would Killian do when he realized that he had fallen in love with Sara and wanted to find her? What would happen when Sara's former mate, Zayne, discovered her true identity and a prophecy that binds them together? What would be Sara's fate when her identity as a hybrid was revealed? Would Killian choose to stay with her despite the numerous oppositions from his clan members warning him about Sarah as a hybrid? Read to find out!

Poor Rose was about to lose her mind because of the mix-up between the Young Billionaire, George Owens, her friend, and Mrs. Sarah Owens, the woman who volunteered to fill the vacuum that her late mother left behind. To sustain the relationship, she proposed that she should marry his son, George, which she accepted happily. Nevertheless, after the proposal, she continued to be friends with George, who was nice to her, and she liked him. Then, he proposed marriage to her, but she turned him down because she already had a lover. Subsequently, Mrs. Owens informed her son of her arrangements, but he turned her down, because he had Rose in mind, and believed that she would accept him someday. Without knowing that they were saying the same thing, and talking about the same girl, George went out to get another lover after Rose rejected his proposal. To compensate Rose, and ensure that she remained in her family, Mrs. Owens introduced Regan, her nephew to Rose as his son. Now, the picture is clearer. Rose accepted Regan. Later she discovered that there was a mix-up and wished to strengthen things out.

In the fifth month of my pregnancy, my husband brought back his first love, who was eight months pregnant and causing a stir about getting a divorce. I politely told him that pregnant women would influence each other, which wasn’t good for the child. Alex, however, smashed a water glass and said in disgust, "Sarah is depressed because of the divorce, and the only one she can rely on is me! Do you want her to die?" I felt nauseous and vomited, unable to sleep through the night, and my health worsened with each passing day. To make her happy, he filled the house with lilies. But he had forgotten that I was allergic to lilies and locked me in the room, saying, "Let’s see if you can get an allergic reaction if you can’t smell the lilies." I bled continuously, desperately calling him for help for both myself and the child, but he simply said that I was still early in the pregnancy and there wouldn’t be any problems. When the fetal movements stopped, I had completely given up. It was at that moment that he frantically pushed open the door.