Within Temptation The Unforgiving

Mate. I froze mid-step, Venom has never said that word before. I've suddenly forgotten the Rogues I was chasing, my whole attention now on the emotions I was feeling. My vision sharpened, focusing on the faint sound of labored breathing just ahead. My heart hammered in my chest as I walked closer, the bond pulling me forward with an urgency I hadn’t felt in decades. The first thing I saw was her hair, a messy dark bun with strands of white, unusual yet unique. She sat curled up against the base of an old tree, arms wrapped tightly around her knees, shoulders trembling. Her thin, tattered sweater barely shielding her from the cold air. She looked... fragile, a word I never thought I’d associate with my mate. Ariel’s life has been anything but easy. Orphaned as a child and left in the care of a cruel stepfather and stepbrother, she’s endured years of emotional and physical abuse. Despite her circumstances, she’s always felt something stirring beneath the surface—an unexplained restlessness, vivid dreams of running under the moonlight, and a deep connection to the forest around her. Zayn, the alpha of the Shadowcrest pack, has spent years searching for his fated mate, the one who would complete him and stand by his side to no avail…he had finally given up on ever finding her. His pack thrives under his leadership, but his heart has grown weary, doubting the Moon Goddess’s promise of a mate. When a chance encounter leads him to Ariel, he’s stunned to discover that the fragile, broken girl is his destined partner—and more than that, she’s a wolf completely unaware of her true nature.

*Daily updates*She felt as if she were floating. Her eyes were closed, and everything about her felt soft, a luxuriating fluffiness like the satin down comforter her grandma used to have. She thought she must have been sleeping. There was a not-unpleasant heaviness to her limbs, like the time she could finally sit down after standing and walking in the market for hours.Then her brain started to focus in a peculiar sort of way, powerless over thoughts that surfaced unbidden. Abubakar suddenly came to mind...how he had gotten her this way, and how she longed to tell Maama, but couldn't. Maama. . .As her consciousness began to return, she tried without success to open her eyes. Something tight and sticky was holding her lids together. Now she knew she was sleeping. She'd felt that strange paralysis before when wrapped in layers of her dreams, her legs turned to lead as she ran from shadowy pursuers and her eyes became inert shutters. She was scared, what frightened her most was her breathing. Her hand blindly went to her mouth, where she found the tube.Yaa Rahman! She was in a hospital!Her heart was thunderously racing, filling her chest with explosive fear. She blindly pulled at the tube, ripping it from her throat, gagging violently as it made her gasp and choke. But finally, finally, It was free, and she flung it far away.

"Monster," I smirked to myself as I read the morning paper. If they only knew the truth. I sipped my coffee as I skimmed through the story. They had all the details wrong and the police were idiots. I heard the bell chime on the door to the coffee shop and saw her walk in. Her hair was down just the way I liked it. She was perfect I thought to myself as I eyed her and planned my next move. I think when she finally saw me she made the connection. Her eyes got wide. "Ethan?" Ethan Graves is a well-known man in the community with a dark secret. His darkness is so great that even he can't control it sometimes. He plays his role well during the day but at night he takes on a whole new persona. The newspapers call him a monster and the police are baffled. Then the new detective on the case walks in. The one that he let go. The one he was obsessed with. It was finally time to make her his. The game of cat and mouse had never been something he would ever consider, he usually likes the woman to be weak and defenseless against his charm and good looks. However, for this kill, he would play the game and Josephine Wells would be his trophy.

Bilang isang anak ng Diyos ng Kadiliman, alam ni Cassy Aguilar na kailanman ay hinding-hindi niya maabot ang liwanag, na kahit na anong takbo niya ay hindi niya matatagpuan ang sarili na nabababalot ng sinag kundi purong anino at dilim lamang. At iyon ang dahilan kung bakit gustong-gusto niyang makatakas sa tadhanang tila kadenang nagbibigkis sa kanya sa mundo ng kadiliman at kasamaan. Nais niyang makalaya. At ang tanging paraan para mangyari iyon ay ang wakasan ang buhay ng sarili niyang ama, ang Diyos ng Kadiliman. Sakit. Kamatayan. Pagtataksil. Sakripisyo. Pag-ibig. Pakikipagsapalaran. Lahat ng ito ay naghihintay kay Cassy kasama ang mga taong magiging kasangga niya sa pagkamit ng kalayaang hinahangad niya at ang pagtapos sa buhay ng Diyos ng Kadiliman na matagal nang banta sa kapayapaan ng mamamayan.

Ryder didn't lose just one mate; he lost two. His first mate died the day he found her. Angelica was his second chance mate. She was his everything. The reason his heart beat and the air he breathed. She was the mother of their child, his beautiful angel. But in the blink of an eye, she was dead. Ryder had to find a way to live, a way to move on without her. He had to for the sake of their daughter. How does one continue to live without the person who breathes life into you? How do you move on from that? Is it possible to love again? Ryder doesn't think so, but she does. She's the complete opposite of Angelica. There's nothing sweet and innocent about her. She's hard, cocky, and speaks her mind. Angelica was soft and delicate; she is hard around the edges, and tattoos cover her body. She finds the mate bond interesting, and he is her next adventure. She doesn't take no for an answer, and it infuriates the Beta beyond belief. He wants to choke her, scream at her, tell her to leave him alone, and never return, but he wants to hold her and pull her into his arms at the same time. It's a battle with his heart. How does he allow someone else in when his heart still belongs to her.

Olivia Smith's life had always been perfect, and she was envied by everyone around her. She was treated well and loved by her parents. She was living the life any girl would dream of, but everything changed when she got married to Lucas Garrison. Her parents died a few weeks after her marriage, leading her to misery. Blinded by greed, Lucas took everything her parents owned. She also finds out Lucas was cheating on her, but she finds solace in her best friend, Maddie, who was a big part of her life. Betrayed, bullied, and blackmailed by someone she loved and trusted so much. She plans on taking revenge on everyone who caused her pain and taking back what rightfully belongs to her. In the process, she fell in love with a stranger while unlocking unexpected secrets.

Karin is a beautiful young woman, who is determined not to fall in love with a man, after seeing what happened to her biological mother who suffered, because she became a slave to love. Karin's determination becomes shaky when she is accepted to work as the secretary of a handsome CEO who adores women. The vibrations were so strong when they were together that Karin fell into Ryan's arms. However, the shadows of Karin's mother and Ryan's father's past interfere with their relationship. Will Karin and Ryan's love be strong enough to overcome the many problems that arise in their relationship?

"You know what they say about a person like you?" He hissed in my ear, his hot breath fanning my neck when he opened his mouth to speak. His grey eyes returned back to mine filled with wrath and displeasure as they bore into mine. "Curiosity killed the cat." He says in a whisper his voice laced with the threat lingering around me in the form of his addictive scent and my feets itched to get away from him for the sake of my life, but only if I could. *** Lorenzo Ace Russo, don of Italy is the perfect definition for ruthless, merciless, cruel and what they call a monster. He holds pride in taking the life of people to his convenience. His hands are stained with the blood of hundred of people and the number of sin he has committed in his life till now would put even hell to shame. Iris Grace Emerson never knew what she was getting herself into when she followed the scream of a man and found him getting murdered by the monster. Iris couldn't keep her mouth shut when the piercing scream of her classmate hit her ear one last time. And, Lorenzo couldn't risk leaving evidence behind when the FBI is so keen on getting him behind the bars. So, there was only one option, kill the cat.. Happy Reading.

Sophia Ava Valentine and Noah Parker are in love with each other for over three years. The lovebirds had nothing to worry until Sophia's father arranges her marriage with a ruthless billionaire playboy, Irwin Pierce to seal their business partnership. When Irwin discovers her love with Noah Parker, he makes it his mission to ruin his life and that of Sophia's friends. Sophia accepts his proposal with one condition - Irwin must leave her friends alone. Now, it's up to Noah & her best friends to save her from Irwin and his not so innocent schemes.

Emma Scott has always had it all—wealth, beauty, and power. As the privileged daughter of a business tycoon, she ruled her university years with confidence, arrogance, and an undeniable presence. But beneath her sharp tongue and ruthless attitude was an obsession she never dared to name—Killian Thomas, the one man who never bowed to her. Killian, a hardworking scholarship student from a middle-class background, despised Emma for the torment she put him through. She was cruel, entitled, and always seemed to have a target on his back. But when one heated argument after class turns into something far more physical, their hatred transforms into an addiction neither of them can resist. What starts as secret, no-strings-attached encounters after lectures spirals into something far more dangerous. They become study partners, but their breaks are filled with untamed passion. One night, they get locked inside the library and spend the entire night indulging in their darkest desires. Their obsession only grows stronger. Upon graduation, Killian is offered a job at Emma’s father’s company, the very place where Emma works. Their sinful rendezvous continue in secret—stolen moments in offices, forbidden trysts during business trips. They think they’re careful, but when Emma’s father catches them in a compromising position overseas, their affair is exposed. Faced with an ultimatum, Emma refuses to back down. She confesses that her bullying was always a twisted way of masking her love for Killian. She threatens to leave everything behind if her father dares to fire him. Forced to confront their true feelings, Emma and Killian finally make their relationship official. But even after marriage, their hunger for each other remains insatiable—whether at home, at work, or in places they should never be. Their passion is reckless. Their love is ruthless. And their temptation?