Wakefield Manor 소설 & 이야기

I was Alpha Adrian's secret for eight years. It took his grandfather’s centennial birthday for him to finally bring our son, Gale, and me home to the pack. He swore the pack Elders had finally given us their blessing. Our son, buzzing with excitement, bounced on the bed, clutching the champion’s medal from his junior fighting tournament. He’d fought tooth and nail to win it, just to make his father proud. But the moment we set foot on the Blackwood Manor grounds, we saw him. Adrian, with his arms wrapped around a blonde she-wolf, kissing her deeply. Adrian introduced her with a smile. "My mate, Sophia" Our son, Gale, rushed forward to confront him, stabbing a finger toward the seemingly perfect bite mark on my neck. "That's the mark Dad gave Mom! You all see it!" But the pack’s Head Elder stepped forward. After a cursory glance, he let out a cold sneer. "A clever trick of blood magic," he said with contempt. "It can mimic a scent, but it lacks the soul-deep connection of a true mate bond. Any experienced wolf can see through it." I turned to Adrian, my body frozen stiff. He turned away from me, gently stroking the real mark on Sophia's neck, which glowed with a silvery, moonlit light. "The Blackwood pack will not accept a half-blood who can’t even shift" he said. "The only one fit to stand by my side is Sophia." I looked at him, and a bitter laugh escaped me. To think I had suppressed my own Royal Alpha blood for a man like this.

He called me disposable. The Tribunal called me property. They both forgot what Lunaris does to cages. I was the Alpha’s kept woman for five years—his secret, his softness, his sin. Then, the night his missing Luna returned, Alpha Daire Vhaloren stood on the balcony with a cigarette dangling from his fingers and told me, without even looking, “You should go” So I did. Obedient. Quiet. Disposable. I left with his gifts, a deed to a house… and a secret I never planned to carry. Three months later, headlines screamed that Daire’s empire had collapsed. Frostveil Manor sealed. Nightmoor Covenant assets set for auction. The woman he “chose” over me, Calista Dravenne, smiled for the cameras like she hadn’t just burned his world to the ground. I tried to stay gone. Until the High Howl Tribunal branded me a recoverable asset and announced a “live appraisal” of Lot One—the pregnant omega they swore belonged to them. I went back for answers. What I found wasn’t the untouchable Alpha who dismissed me. It was a man with stubble on his jaw, a hunted kind of murder in his eyes… and a voice that made my knees weak when he said, “Why are you here, Elowen?” Because he rejected me once. Because he replaced me. Because he doesn’t know the truth. And because the bond he tried to throw away is coming for us both—along with the child he never knew I was carrying. Now Daire wants a contract marriage to save what’s left of his pack. I want revenge… and protection. But when an Alpha realizes the woman he discarded is his fated mate—and the lost heir of House Lunaris—he doesn’t beg politely. He hunts. ---

When my mate, Dorian Roumanoff, mistakes our room for the 99th time and delivers the moonstone necklace I'm supposed to wear at our mating ritual to my stepsister, Vanya Lovel's, bedroom, he irritably faults me. "Why didn't you remind me? Forget it. Since I've already given the necklace to her, I'll let her wear it. "Vanya hasn't been sleeping well; the moonstone that's been blessed by the Moon Goddess will definitely help her sleep soundly." I stand rooted to the spot, numb. I've gotten used to Dorian's repeated "mistakes". A month ago, we agree to hold our mating ritual, and Vanya comes all the way to the Sable pack to attend it. Ever since she moves into our manor, Dorian has mistaken her room for mine innumerable times. First, he delivers the moonlit roses that are meant for our mating ritual to Vanya's room by mistake. Then, he laments, "Since I've already given them to her, I'll let her keep them. After all, Vanya has never received roses her entire life." During the full moon hunt, he "accidentally" sends the snow fox pelt he hunted to Vanya, simply because she's in poor health and needs a cloak. Now, even the necklace blessed by the Moon Goddess is also "accidentally" given away by him. I stand frozen in place, watching him walk into Vanya's room without a single backward glance. Little does he know, I've already booked a ship ticket to leave the Sable pack. I won't be attending tomorrow's mating ritual. Since he loves giving things away so much, I might as well give him to her, too.

Alpha Darius Waller decides to accept Raven Snyder, the widowed mate of a dead warrior, into the manor we live in. This time, I don't scream at him, nor do I fight back against his decision. Instead, I just start packing my stuff together with my daughter, Rachel Waller. "It's difficult for Raven to raise her kid. We'll move out so that it's easier for you to care for them." On the day of Rachel's birthday, Darius gives her a training dagger that's meant for pups. Raven's son, Cole Booker, starts screaming and crying at the sight of the dagger. He insists on obtaining it and making it his. With red-rimmed eyes, Rachel hands the dagger over. "Daddy says that since Cole doesn't have a daddy anymore, he'll become Cole's daddy instead. "I'm the older one here, so I should let Cole have whatever he wants." Darius feels proud when he sees how generous and understanding we are. But he slowly realizes that I no longer get jealous of him, and that Rachel no longer needs him. After all, that wolf had personally cast us out of the pack territory for the sake of Raven and Cole in our past lives. It was winter at that time, so Rachel and I were tormented by endless coldness and hunger. But Darius had opted to give all of the resources the pack had to Raven and Cole. Rachel and I ended up dying in the blizzard from starvation and the cold in each other's arms. After we get reborn, I no longer fight for everything and anything. But at the same time, I no longer need my mate. I've already gotten reborn, so I will never fight for a wolf who doesn't deserve to be with me and Rachel.

"You think because you pulled me from the Blacktide Waters, you own my bloodline, Franklin?" David’s voice is a low, predatory gravel, his massive frame trapping me against the cold stone of the den. His dominant alpha scent fills the space, thick with pine and raw, untamed heat. "You made the mating pact. Now stand still and let me claim my debt." "I told you it was a joke, Double D," I snap, my fangs pricking my lip as my inner wolf thrashes against the intoxicating weight of his presence. I twist beneath his grip, but his large, heavily calloused hands slide down my spine, burning right through the silver-weave fabric of my tunic. "We are in the middle of a territory war. My family’s manor is swimming in treason, and you're worried about an accidental bond?" "There are no accidents when our wolves touch," David growls, his lips brushing the sensitive skin right below my jawline, making a violent shiver rip down my spine. "Your scent is driving my beast insane, klinton. If you don't shut your mouth and press your body against mine right now, I'm going to take you right here on the stone floor, council rules be damned." Franklin Sterling is a fierce, exiled omega heir who has spent ten harsh winters enduring the brutal Ashgrove Wildlands after surviving an assassination attempt ordered by his own father. But when a violent storm strands him on the treacherous Skullmoon Isle, he drags a lethal, dominant Apex Alpha from the jaws of the Blacktide Waters: David Duskbane, the ruthless commander known across the territories as Double D. Can Franklin navigate the lethal vipers of his old den while fighting a suffocating, erotic bond with the most dangerous predator in the northern hemisphere?

Despite being married to me, Don Massimo Cortese has forgotten my birthday once again. On my 25th birthday, he brings his most capable Underboss, Catia Sangalli, home with him. "Catia is pregnant." His tone remains even, as though this is nothing more than routine business. "She's pregnant with my child." My eyes become as wide as dinner plates. I can only stare at Massimo in disbelief. There isn't a trace of guilt on his expression. If anything, there's a hint of calculation in his eyes. "My family needs an heir, which you can't produce at all." That's when I finally give up on Massimo. After wiping my tears away, I pass him a divorce agreement that I've prepared in advance. Massimo just smiles lightly as he signs the agreement without hesitation. His friends are confused, to say the least. "Aren't you going to ask the Donna to stay, Don Cortese? Everyone in Napango knows very well just how much you love her. Are you seriously going to let her go like this?" Massimo says firmly, "Don't worry. She will never be able to leave my side. Angelica doesn't even have any family in this world. Who else can she seek out but me? "She's far too temperamental right now, so she needs to be taught a lesson. Once she finally learns her place, she will come back to me." I pretend to not hear the conversation as I pack my luggage quietly. What Massimo doesn't know is that I've taken the initiative to give up on my inheritance rights to the Rocchi Famiglia's assets five years ago because of the family rule that states, "No Rocchi is allowed to form marital ties with other forces." This time, I'm going to cut all ties with Massimo and return to the Rocchi manor as their heiress alongside my unborn child.

​Vivian Vance 26 An independent art appraiser searching for the truth behind her father’s sudden death. Arthur Pendelton 46 powerful billionaire philanthropist, Vivian's longtime guardian, and her "godfather." Victor Arthur’s security chief and a trusted associate of Vivian’s late father, secretly working for a hostile corporate syndicate. ​Haunted by her father's unexplained death, Vivian Vance arrives at the coastal Blackwood Manor. She has been summoned by her wealthy godfather, Arthur Pendelton, who has recovered her father's encrypted journal. The journal contains details about a high-value art collection, but Vivian quickly discovers the codes actually hide bank routing numbers and coordinates. Amidst the storm outside and the growing mystery, the years of unspoken, taboo attraction between Vivian and her older guardian ignite, culminating in an intense, passionate night in his study. ​The next morning, Vivian overhears a conversation between Arthur and his security chief, Victor. Arthur claims he is "handling" Vivian to find the hidden ledger and "take care of the rest." Heartbroken and believing she is being used to cover up her father's murder. She seduces Arthur in the estate's subterranean thermal pool to distract him while she secretly decodes the coordinates, locating a hidden wall safe in the manor's library. ​Vivian successfully cracks the safe, finding the incriminating ledger and a digital flash drive. Before she can escape, Victor corners her at gunpoint. He reveals the ultimate betrayal: he murdered Vivian's father, and Arthur was actually trying to protect her by hiding the ledger. ​Just as Victor prepares to shoot Vivian, Arthur launches a surprise tactical ambush. A brutal fight ensues, during which Vivian helps overpower Victor. he knew Victor was monitoring the house, so he had to pretend to use her to keep Victor from killing her before he could secure the evidence to dismantle the syndicate.

Three days before my wedding, I find out that my fiance, Carlo Romano, has changed the wedding venue from my mother's estate to a villa located in St. Morizia, which happens to be his childhood sweetheart, Adriana Montanari's favorite place in the whole wide world. When I'm about to confront Carlo, I overhear him complaining to his friend. "Thank goodness Adriana has a good eye for beauty! Otherwise, I'll definitely get humiliated and mocked by everyone for hosting my wedding at such a rundown place!" His friend asks, "Didn't you agree to host the wedding ceremony at her late mother's home? Aren't you worried that she might not marry you out of fury once she finds out that you changed the venue without her permission?" Carlo merely sneered in return. "Giada's family is insanely weak. Marrying me is her only path out of poverty. She can't risk losing me at all. "Besides, I've already told the wedding planner to call her and inform her about my decision. She must be booking another flight and rushing toward the new destination as we speak." Rage and humiliation swirl around in my chest. I gnash my teeth together, but I opt to turn around and walk away in the end. Three days later, Carlo's wedding goes on as usual at the snow mountain. But I never bought myself another ticket, nor did I appear at the new wedding venue. Instead, I've exchanged wedding rings with another man in Mom's manor located in Tuscanica. Carlo fails to realize that I chose to marry him not because I view him as a ticket to wealth. It's purely because I've loved him for 12 long years. I, Giada Castellani, am bold enough to show my feelings. Since I can enter a relationship, I can always exit it freely. That's why Carlo is never my one and only choice in marriage.

Peter Crowley finds out that it's been three days since I last lodged a purchase request from him. Thinking that I've finally learned how to become a good wife, he decides to text me as a form of reward. "I've already restored your adoptive mother's treatment privileges. You should be more docile from now on. Don't keep lying just to ask for more money from me. "I know that it's tough, being from the bottom rung of the society and all, but I'm not a gullible idiot, you know." What Peter doesn't know is that I've already finished drafting a divorce agreement by the time I receive his text. Before leaving the manor, the only thing I can take with me is the white T-shirt and the jeans I wore when I first married into this family. No one will ever believe that I, the glamorous and radiant Mrs. Crowley, don't have enough decent clothes to take up an entire closet. Every cent meant for any private expenses needs to go through a corporate approval system. All of the fancy clothes and jewelry are locked up in a safe, too. If I ever need money, I'll have to submit a request to Peter's secretary, Cara Harden. This is all because Peter looks down on my background. He thinks that I'll somehow develop a bad habit of spending money excessively just because I've married rich. But three days ago, my adoptive mother was in critical condition. I quickly put in a request for 200 thousand dollars for her surgical bills, only for Cara to drag out the approval system's procession. In the end, my adoptive mother died in the hospital. Peter has no idea that the only reason why I can tolerate his behavior for so many years is for the sake of the medical resources that can cure my adoptive mother. Now that my adoptive mother is dead, there's no need for me to continue staying in this marriage.

Right after I get accepted to my rich biological family, I become my older sister, Josie Sonnenfeld's marriage replacement. In the first marriage alliance, Josie despises the fact that her partner, Zane Lowry, is a hedonistic playboy who can't even hold down a job. On the day of their engagement, she's fled all the way to another country with another man. I pin Zane down and teaches him how to cook up a perfect scheme so that he can overtake his arrogant half-brother who happens to be a bastard son. In the second marriage alliance, Josie looks down on Benjamin Shaw, a low-income college student who comes from an ordinary family. On their wedding day, she makes sure to humiliate him in front of everyone before ditching him at the altar. With the money I've saved up, I spend one long, grueling year in the basement with Benjamin as he works hard to establish his success. I'm with him until the day he becomes the director of the National Research Institute. In the third marriage alliance, Josie scowls in disgust when she realizes Rowan Gallagher is a total momma's boy. She wastes no time traveling to a tropical island with her male best friend afterward. As for me, I walk into the stressful-looking manor and drag the cowardly Rowan out. By the time I'm done reshaping him, he has succeeded in taking over every single business belonging to his family. Three years later, Josie, who has spent every single cent overseas, has no choice but to return to the country while heavily pregnant. "Thanks for watching over these losers in my stead, Laura. Now that I'm back, you can get lost now." Josie intends to pick one out of her three ex-fiances to become her unborn baby's father. Meanwhile, I tap on a group chat titled "Happy Family" and sends a text there. "Josie is back for you three." Everyone in the group chat instantly goes haywire. The men are quick to proclaim their love and loyalty toward me. "Don't worry, honey! Our hearts and bodies are yours!"