Uglies By Scott Westerfeld

"I, Ortega Blackwood, daughter of beta Denzel Blackwood, am rejecting you, Killian Fitzgerald, future Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, as my fated mate!" She uttered through gritted teeth, glaring fiercely at her mate as he descended the stairs towards her. His expression twisted into a mask of fury, his eyes blazing with an intensity that sent shivers down her spine. Reaching the bottom of the stairs, his imposing figure cast a shadow over her as she lay on the ground, vulnerable yet defiant. "Do you dare defy me, Ortega? Do you dare reject your fate?" His voice dripped with venom, each word carrying a threat that hung heavily in the air. "You cannot reject me, Ortega. You will be my mate whether you like it or not." ************** Rejecting her mate hadn't been easy. But when Ortega meets the powerful and ruthless Lycan and Mafia Boss, Alfredo Gambino, she finds herself falling in love with him, even though he is the rival and enemy of her rejected mate. And Alfredo also finds himself unwilling to let her go, especially now that her rejected mate wants her back.

Seraphine never expected to be payment for her father's debt. Married to Alpha Fael Varyn to settle what was owed, she spent two years trying to be the Luna he refused to acknowledge. When she finally conceived, she thought everything would change. She was wrong. Fael rejected their bond, and left her bleeding in the rain. She should have died that night. Instead, she was saved by Darius Varyn, Fael's banished uncle and sworn enemy. In the forbidden North, Darius offered her something Fael never did, acceptance, protection, and a chance to be the Luna she was always meant to be. Six years later, Seraphina has built a life with Darius and raised her son Aurelian in peace. Until Fael returns with a devastating prophecy. Forced to return to the place of her greatest trauma, Seraphina must navigate political schemes, a mistress bent on destroying her, and two Alphas fighting for the throne. But when a shocking truth about Aurelian's bloodline is revealed and a piece of her past comes back for her, the tides grow thicker. And when her power awakens, the prey becomes the predator.

Limang taon. Limang taon na minahal ni Jazz ang isang lalaking hindi naman siya pinahalagahan. Lahat ibinigay niya—oras, tiwala, at puso. Pero isang iglap lang, nawala ang lahat. Isang car accident ang bumura ng kanyang alaala. Pagmulat niya ng mata, wala na ang babaeng marunong magmahal. Ang natira na lang ay isang estranghero sa sariling buhay. Nagkaroon siya ng amnesia. At habang wala siyang maalala, ang dating kasintahan niyang si Damon ay wala ring konsensya. Sa halip na umamin sa kanilang relasyon, niyakap nito ang kanyang nakababatang kapatid na babae at iyon ang ipinakilala nitong kasintahan. Itinuro nito ang telebisyon at walang emosyon na sinabi, “Iyan ang boyfriend mo. Siya ang habulin mo.” Nalito si Jazz. Pero naniwala siya sa sinabi nito. At sinunod niya iyon. Ang lalaking nasa TV ay si Malachi Robles— ang CEO na tito ni Damon. Malamig. Tahimik. Hindi madaling lapitan. Mula sa isang kasinungalingan, nagsimula ang isang habulan. Isang babaeng may amnesia. Isang lalaking hindi niya dapat mahalin. At isang katotohanang handang wasakin ang lahat kapag nabunyag.

“Just do it. Please." I begged, I was desperate and I needed to get my release. “You’ll get punished for this Valentina.” He held me in a way that I could not turn to face him, his voice was dark. "Then just punish me now, I don't mind and I won't regret it tomorrow.” I pleaded but I only heard him sigh. "I didn't want to do this.” He said in a low voice and my imagination bloomed… *** Valentina is betrayed by her husband and her best friend, she finds out their dirty plan and how oblivious she had been for the past three years of her life. Her life is ruined, she is completely destroyed and left with no other option, she seeks solace from the forbidden source, the deadly Mafia Lord. She would do anything to make them have a taste of their medicine.

Lyra Ashen is a rogue omega with no pack and no protection. When she crosses into Black Fang territory, she triggers a mate bond with Alpha Tyler Vorthrane, a man who rules through fear and control. Instead of claiming her, Tyler rejects the bond, seeing Lyra as a weakness his enemies would exploit. Forced to remain under his authority, Lyra endures trials meant to break her while rival alphas close in. Tyler’s pack is divided, his enemies are ruthless, and the bond between them grows stronger no matter how hard he fights it. As blood is spilled and war looms, Lyra must decide whether to submit to a fate she never chose or rise as the one thing no alpha can command. Because some bonds are forged in love, and others are forged in blood.

Nobody wants a rejected Omega—or so she has always been told. Cast aside by her fated mate, mocked by her pack, and scarred by betrayal, she hides behind her work as the healer, quietly mending others while her own heart bleeds. She never asked for destiny, never sought power. But fate is merciless. When the Alpha King claims her, everything changes. Ruthless, feared, and untouchable, he binds her to him in a bond that is both salvation and curse. To belong to him means safety, but also danger beyond imagination, for enemies hunger for her downfall. Her greatest wound comes from betrayal—her dearest friend stealing her scent and deceiving the Alpha into believing she is his fated mate. Stripped of her bond and dignity, cast aside once more, she suffers in chains and darkness. But pain shapes her into something new. She refuses to break. The world calls her weak, unworthy, Omega. Yet buried within her is a gift tied to the moon itself, a power that could save or doom the realm. Every trial tempers her spirit, molding her into a Luna no one can ignore. But love and power come with a price. The Alpha King’s devotion is possessive, consuming, and inescapable. To stand by him means surrendering everything—her freedom, her past, even her heart. With war brewing and enemies rising, her destiny demands a choice: remain the broken girl once rejected, or rise as the Blessed Luna, feared and revered by all.

Excerpt. “Reject me and let me go! Staying here with me is only going to hurt you more!” Avery growled, her voice quivering gazing at the man in front of her. “You are the only one allowed to hurt me. I see no reason why I have to leave,” he grinned slyly. Avery's eyes were filled with tears, the love she had for him soared when he leaned forward and pressed his lips on hers. *** Avery's eighteenth birthday was supposed to be a celebration of her transition into adulthood, just like every other she-wolf. But her dreams were shattered when she discovered the shocking truth: her destined mate, chosen by the moon goddess herself, was none other than her sworn enemy. The one being she was bound to for life was the same one she had vowed to challenge. Avery's heart raced with a mix of anger, fear, and disbelief. Later on, she found herself protecting the same man from the danger lurking around her.

Taken away as a captive in place of farm proceedings, Thalena’s life took a twirling turn as she experienced things she never dreamt of. From being disvirgined brutally to being mated to the twin Alphas. How would she handle the different feelings that would arise?

Quinn had always been the outcast—bullied by her cruel step-sister and ignored by her pack. When she discovers that the Alpha is her mate, she dares to hope for a better life. But her dreams shatter when he marries another. Heartbroken and humiliated, Quinn’s life takes a darker turn when she crosses paths with the Lycan King—a beast feared by all. Her defiance earns her a punishment like no other: ten years under his ruthless watch. The Lycan King is a creature of darkness, bound by secrets and scars. Quinn is a ray of innocence, refusing to break under his intensity. As their worlds collide, sparks fly, and forbidden desires ignite. Will Quinn find the strength to tame the beast within the Lycan King, or will she be consumed by the shadows of his past?

To the world, Felix and I were fated by the Moon Goddess, an Omega and her destined Alpha. Only I knew how much he despised me. At his Alpha ceremony, he humiliated me before the entire pack by choosing my half-sister, Bianca, over me. “An Omega who plays with herbs? You’ll never be worthy of me.” In my past life, I begged him not to reject me. He didn’t, but he made me suffer instead. My stepmother and Bianca framed me for poisoning the pack. He never defended me. He locked me in heat, then turned around and marked Bianca, like I was nothing. She wore his mark. I wore his shame. I was framed, cast out, and discarded. When he publicly crowned Bianca as his Luna, our bond shattered and so did my wolf. It was then I realized, he had never loved me. But now, I’m back. Back on the day of his Alpha ceremony. In this life, I’d rather suffer than be his mate again. “I, Reiley, rejected you, Felix, as my mate.”