Unexpected Bond

My brother Raymond hated me for seven years. After a bitter fight on a freezing winter night, I stormed out and drove away. I never expected a blizzard to fall so suddenly. It blinded my vision. I was attacked by a rogue, injected with a poison that could erase memories and sever blood bonds. My memories became fragmented. When I woke up in the pack’s infirmary, Raymond stood there with a cold expression and casually pointed at a gravely ill male werewolf lying in bed. “He’s your brother. Stop bothering me.” I was stunned. The male werewolf pushed himself up and took my freezing hand, his eyes gentle.
“Come on. I’ll take you home.” After that, I no longer saw Raymond as my brother—just as he wished. So why was he suddenly begging for my acknowledgement after casting me aside so eagerly?

The buzzing of my phone in the middle of the night jolted me awake. On the other end of the line came a voice I could never forget. It was my daughter! However, she died three years ago!

When Tony and Moira try to escape the trappings of an age-old tradition of arranged marriages- by eloping and running away to a distant city- their wedding is interrupted when the bride becomes contracted to a notorious Mafia Boss in a bond of marriage. Will their blossoming love withstand this acid test riddled with secrets, betrayal, and unexpected twists? And how does she cope with the mental trauma of living with the man she believed was the most detestable human being ever?

Ethan Cole is nobody special. He warms the bench on the university swim team, eats lunch with the same two friends every day, and goes home to his sister Lina every holiday without a single trophy to show for himself. Then he walks into the wrong locker room at the wrong time and sees something that should not exist. Now Karl Voss, the golden campus captain with burning eyes and teeth built for claiming, says Ethan smells like everything he has ever wanted. And Lucas — cold, powerful, frighteningly fast — says Ethan needs protecting. From Karl. From the truth. From what Ethan actually is. He is a Lure. One in several million. Born with a scent so powerful it drives supernatural beings out of control. And something dangerous has been hunting him for years. Two Alphas. One impossible secret. And a bond so deep that both men will burn everything down before they share it. He just wanted his earphones back. Now he is caught between a beast who wants to claim him and a predator who refuses to let anyone else try. The only question is which one will Ethan choose? And whether he will survive long enough to decide.

In her final year of high school, Leah Baker, a dedicated and unassuming nerd, dreams of making it the best year of her academic journey. Little does she know that her plans are about to take an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with the charismatic and popular Mason Kings. Their worlds collide under unforeseen circumstances, and to navigate the complexities of high school life, they decide to strike a deal that promises mutual benefits. As Leah and Mason navigate the intricacies of their agreement, an unexpected connection begins to blossom. However, their budding relationship is not without its challenges. Insecurities from both sides threaten to unravel the fragile bond they've formed. External factors and societal expectations add layers of complexity, putting their deal and newfound feelings to the test. 'A Deal with the Popular Boy' is a heartwarming tale of unlikely connections, personal growth, and the challenges of navigating high school hierarchies. Leah and Mason's journey explores the transformative power of unexpected friendships and the resilience needed to confront the insecurities that lurk beneath the surface.

This marks the third year since Alan Cohen and I became mates, and today's finally the day of the Luna ceremony. As the ceremony begins, Alan takes my hand. But then he hesitates, refusing to move forward. I'm still trying to make sense of it when my adoptive sister, Eden Parker, suddenly breaks into the mind-link. She says she's just ended a failed mate bond with another Alpha and will be back within the hour. That's when I see a flicker of a smile on Alan's face. Then, without a second glance, he lets go of my hand and walks away. I turn to my adoptive brother, Dexter Parker, and my adoptive father, Hank Parker, hoping for some kind of comfort, only to realize they've already left the ceremony with Alan. And just like that, I became the joke of the entire pack. Eden sends me a photo. She's glowing beside Alan, her arm looped through Dexter's, with Hank beaming next to them. That's when I give up. I reach out through the mind-link to my birth father. "Dad, I'm ready to return to the Bloodmoon Pack."

Gwyneth Windsor spent her entire life trying to "function normally," but this hard-won, delicate pattern is instantly shattered when she is mysteriously pulled into an infinitely complex interstellar empire. She must suddenly learn new common sense in a world where near-immortal shifters view anyone under 100 as a minor. To her confusion, Gwyneth, despite her adult body, becomes the empire's most coveted 'BABY.' Luckily, she finds a doting family that spoils her utterly, even securing her the lordship of a small, 12-planet galaxy. Yet, Gwyneth's arrival is no accident. While Gwyneth navigates the absurdity of being a pampered 'minor' in an adult body, the universe itself is in peril. Emperor Alaric Lykos, the last of the powerful Royal Fenrir Clan, is the sole anchor of the universe. An ancient prophecy warns that if his line falls, all will collapse. Though pressured to marry, the Fenrir Clan's unique bloodline will only settle for its destined bond, a soulmate whose identity has remained a ghost in the cosmic radar... Until now.

On the night of New Year's Eve, I wake up in a hospital ward with an IV drip connected to the back of my hand. A nurse passes me the hospital bill. "It's 300 dollars in total, including the emergency treatment fee and the cost for a bottle of glucose drips." When I turn on my phone, I feel my heart sinking. I only have 29.01 dollars left in my bank account. The wallpaper of my phone is a countdown of my family contract's app. Today is the date when I have to renew my family contract for the year. In order to accumulate enough money to go home, I've been working as a staff member in concert venues. Earlier, I had collapsed backstage, so I was quickly sent to the hospital. The dial tone keeps beeping for a long time. Finally, my mom answers my call in what seems to be a noisy background. "Mom, I'm at the hospital right now. I need 300 dollars to pay the hospital bill." "You're at the hospital?" Mom's voice turns shrill immediately. "Why did you visit the hospital during the holidays? You really are a jinx!" "I fainted earlier. I was working at a concert venue—" "What? So, you refused to do chores at home during the holidays! Instead, you decide to work at a concert venue?" Mom interrupts immediately. "I don't have 300 dollars on me! You'd better come up with a way to pay that bill of yours!" "Mom…" My hand tightens around my phone. "Today is the last day of my family contract's renewal period. I'll renew the contract once I pay the bill." "Renew the contract, huh?" Mom just sneers at me. "That's a part of your duties! How dare you use it against me! Helena Lambert, if you don't renew the contract today, you can forget about calling me 'Mom'!" After that, she ends the call. I can only grip my phone to the point that my fingers turn white. After that, I tap on a social media app in hopes that I can borrow money from my friends, only to see the latest post on the social media feed. My younger sister, Hannah Lambert, has posted a photo collage there. "I'm here with my parents to watch my favorite singer's concert! Snagging tickets to the first-row seats is definitely worth it!" The background of those photos is the same concert venue where I work part-time at. It's the most expensive venue in town. Apparently, tickets cost 2,900 dollars each.

On the day before New Year's Eve, I didn't shut the window all the way, and my little sister sneezed. My parents kicked me out and ordered me to collect firewood in the dark. Inside, the family crowded around her, laughing as they handed her presents. I didn't cry or make a scene. Instead, I slung the basket onto my back before heading into the mountains through the wind and snow. I didn't find any firewood. I found a man instead. His leg was wedged in a crack between rocks, bloody enough to scare me. When he saw me, he said in a hoarse voice, "Get me out of here, girl. I can give you whatever you want." I looked up at him, my eyes finally focusing. "Really? Then I want you to be my dad."

My son, Tyler, never really had his dad around growing up. Because my husband, Ethan, was a top doctor, always working late. He pulled countless patients back from the brink of death, but he misdiagnosed his own son's pneumonia as a simple cold. All because he was on the phone with his first love, Isabella, while he was supposed to be listening to Tyler's chest. That night, when Tyler's life was on the line, Ethan claimed he was in a critical surgery and hung up on me ten times. I rushed our son to the hospital, only to find out my husband was at a birthday party for Isabella and her daughter. In the dead of night, Isabella posted a photo of the three of them on Instagram. At the same time, my son, Tyler, died in the very hospital where his father worked. The next day, I held a funeral for my son all alone. Three days later, I boarded a plane out of Seattle, clutching a photo of my son. It was only then that my husband, Ethan, found out Tyler was dead, started searching for me like a madman.