Winona State Library Novels & Stories

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.

When seventeen-year-old Willow Hayes moves into the remote Thorne mansion with her mother's new husband, she expects awkwardness - not a supernatural war for survival. Her stepbrother, Kael Thorne, is the arrogant king of Crestwood High and heir to a secret werewolf Pack. But when their eyes meet, an ancient Mate Bond snaps into place, marking Willow as the one person who can prevent Kael from succumbing to the deadly Feral Shift - a state of uncontrolled rage that means death. The problem? Kael's father, Alpha Marcus Thorne, sees Willow's humanity as a fatal weakness that endangers the entire Pack. His rival, the brutal Darek Ironfang, sees her as the perfect weapon to destroy Kael's claim to leadership. And Sierra, Kael's scorned ex-girlfriend, will stop at nothing to expose their forbidden connection. Caught between werewolf politics and deadly Pack law, Willow must transform from invisible high school student to strategic mastermind. As Kael faces three brutal Trials to claim the Alpha title - the Blood Hunt, the Leadership Rite, and the Ritual of Dominance - Willow becomes his secret weapon: the Obsidian Anchor, using their psychic bond to control his Feral instincts from afar. But the bond demands a terrible price. Each time Willow stabilizes Kael's wolf, she risks fragmenting her own mind. When betrayal strikes from within and enemies attack from without, Willow must make an impossible choice: save herself, or save the wolf who has become her entire world. In a final, devastating confrontation, Kael faces the Feral Shift in front of the entire Pack. Only Willow's unprecedented psychic command - and her willingness to sacrifice everything - can pull him back from the brink. Together, they forge a revolutionary new law: the Alpha's power is incomplete without the Mate's wisdom.

Kyra Hopkins doesn’t believe in marriage and long term relationships. She co-manages her dream job with her two best friends Lily and Bipasha. With the two worried about her no-dating state, they hit a club with plans to GET KYRA LAID. In a White tiny dress they leave her in a bar nurturing a glass of water and pondering what exactly her newest client’s birthday party theme should be. Horses or cars. That’s what she voices out to the sinfully hot man who took the seat beside hers. And he’s got Kyra’s feet feeling like they were lit on fire. Worst of all, she got what it meant to have butterflies flutter in your stomach walls. Best of all, the man knows what she wants and he wants it too and more. Kyra got in for the ride of her life, planned for a weekend because remember? Kyra doesn’t do long term. But then, neither is Nicholai Damien Ivanov or Sin as he’s more popularly known as into long term relationships. One night stands or at a stretch a weekend fling. Why does the angel in white getting stuck in his head and refusing to leave? Why couldn’t his PI track her from the little information she dropped about herself. The questions haunted his nights and refused to leave until he caught sight of his Angel in a black dress on another man’s arm, then his sister hugged her referring to her as Kyra while his Angel introduced herself to him as April. Sin got his answer and meant to show her how much they weren’t over yet. In fact they hadn’t even begun. It was just the beginning of Nicholai Ivanov’s obsession with his one-night stand.

I jolt awake to splash of ice cold water making contact with my warm skin and ripping me from my dreams. Looking up I see my perpetrator and best friend Bailey giggling, and holding a now half-emptied bucket. “Wake up loser! Last day on the beach and you choose to sleep?” I roll my eyes in annoyance at her bubbly enthusiasm. “Alright I’ll get in for a bit but I’m not going to stay long,” I state with a huff. We each grab a floatie and make our way waist deep before hopping on and linking arms to keep from drifting apart. “Are you excited to be heading back tomorrow? I know I am!” Bailey quipped. Honestly I’d been avoiding that thought the whole trip. Returning to our pack was the last thing I wanted to think about. This week at the beach had been the calm environment I desperately needed after senior year. Returning would mean I would have to finally confront the drama that has become my life the last three months. All through high school I kept my head down, focusing on my team and training. Despite keeping to myself there was always one person stirring sh*t up, my ex, Austin. His father, the Alpha to our pack, gave his life in one of the pack battles last year. Leaving his Luna to raise Austin and his sister on her own. Austin would now be eligible for the Alpha title which worried me. Up until we left he had shown blatant disrespect to my father, Beta to our pack. Not to mention he still had his eyes and ears on me. Returning was the last thing I had on my mind, knowing sh*t is about to hit the fan.