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Adam & James: Two hockey rivals who can’t stand each other’s guts 🏒—on the ice, they’re brutal competitors, off the ice, they’re at each other’s throats. But after a fiery post-game brawl, tempers spill over… and they crash into each other’s bodies for a wild one-night stand in the storage room 🥵. They vow to pretend it never happened—until their parents drop a bombshell 💥: “We’re getting married!” Now, they’re forced to be stepbrothers… and share the SAME BED 🛏️. Talk about awkward! From eye-rolling and snarky jabs 😤 to late-night conversations and accidental touches, they go from barely tolerating each other to unexpectedly close. Walls crumble, tension simmers, and their bodies scream the truth ✨—this isn’t just rivalry. The rule? Whoever drops the act first… LOSES. 👉 Click to watch their messy, steamy journey—you’ll be hooked! #HockeyDrama #ForcedProximity #FBShortPlay
My future Alpha had a pup on his so-called "female best friend." When I showed up at the pack house, I walked straight into their full-on pregnancy celebration. Penny looked over at Robert Howard, all innocence and batting lashes. "Oh my Goddess, wait - did you tell Stella yet?" "Females like her? Clingy psychos. What if she rejects the bond before the ceremony? Don't come crying to me." Robert slouched back in his chair, grinning. "Please. I'm about to claim the Alpha seat. She's not going anywhere." "Stella's been trailing me for ten years. She's a doormat." "Telling her to leave me? Might as well tell her to throw herself off the cliffs. Trust me, babe - you're good." The room erupted in howling laughter. Something inside my ch//est just... went cold. I pulled out my phone and called my father. "Dad, withdraw the council nomination for Robert. I'm taking a different mate." I shoved through the carved wooden doors and walked in. Robert had Penny tucked against his ch//est, both of them staring at the ultrasound photo, murmuring about whether the pup would favor his wolf coloring or her eyes. The second they caught my scent, every face in the room twisted like I'd rolled in something dead. Robert's expression flickered with panic. He started to release Penny, but she clamped onto his arm and tugged him right back. Then they both crossed the room toward me. "Oh, Stella! You're here - good. I was totally going to explain before your wolf got all twisted." "So like, you know mating ceremonies aren't really my thing, right? But my parents won't stop howling about grandpups, and Jax offered to help. It's honestly not a big deal." "If it bothers your wolf, we can talk it out. But please don't snap at him about it - he's just being a good friend." Before I could get a word out, Elderess Howard rose from her seat, paws-up like she was soothing a skittish yearling. "Stella, sweetheart, we all sat down and discussed this already. Penny's been pack-adjacent forever - she's practically family. She's not the type to steal someone's destined mate, trust me. So you can stop your wolf from bristling." "And look, she's already carrying. You're not seriously going to tell her to reject her own pup, are you? Come on - you're a she-wolf too. Don't be heartless." Watching them all bare their teeth in smiles to my face after ripping me apart behind my back made my stomach churn. I yanked my bonding ring off my finger and hurled it at Robert. "Elderess Howard, you've got this completely backwards. I'm just here to sever the betrothal." "Robert, we're done." Robert's face said it all - here we go again. Made sense. Ever since Penny came back from the Northern territories, I'd tried to break our bond like ten times. And every time, I ended up soothing my own wolf and crawling back to him. He probably figured after ten years of scent-marking me, I'd never find a stronger male. He rubbed his forehead. "Seriously? You're gonna pull this here? Right in front of my pack?" "Stella, you know my parents didn't even want me bonded to you at first. I'm the one who had to fight them - they thought your bloodline wasn't strong enough." "And nothing's happening with Penny, so why in the Goddess's name is your wolf losing its mind right now?" "Because you're siring a pup with HER! What if I went and let some rogue male breed me - how would your wolf feel?" "Don't even go there." Robert's face flushed red, but a heartbeat later his voice dropped soft and coaxing. "Look, it's not the same, okay? Just stop baring fangs over nothing." I turned to leave. Robert grabbed my arm. BANG. Elder Howard slammed his fist on the table so hard the ceremonial plates jumped. "Release her! Let her WALK!" "My son's been providing for her all this time, and now she thinks she can strut around like her bloodline outranks ours? FINE. But don't come crawling back to this den later!" Robert didn't follow me. Of course he didn't. I stepped outside into the freezing wind. It smelled like snow and pine - the same scent that hung in the air ten winters ago, when my wolf first keened for him. Back then, my closest friend warned me. "Robert Howard? Oh honey, he's like the hottest unmated male in the territory. Total lone-pup scholarship case - literally ALL he does is train and study healing arts." "So many high-bloodline females have thrown themselves at him. He won't even flick an ear their way. Says he doesn't have time for mating drama." "You really wanna chase that one? Girl... Goddess bless. You're gonna need it." But I didn't care. My wolf wanted him. So I hid my bloodline. Transferred into his healer track. Made it my mission to be wherever he was, every single day. At the same time, I secretly had my father cover his training fees and den expenses through an anonymous elder fund. I pulled strings to land him in elite research circles with top pack healers. Sent him to the Moon Summit medical conferences. Turned down every high-ranking male my father introduced. My wolf only recognized Robert. Eventually, it took. We "happened" to end up together - two wolves who looked like they stood on even ground. After our training years, I made sure we both secured positions at my father's healing center - Mercy Run Pack Hospital. I didn't move into the grand den my father gifted me. Instead, I curled up in Robert's cramped studio burrow near the medical wing. For a while, things were good. Really good. On cold mornings, if I refused to crawl out of the furs, Robert would haul me up and carry me to the washroom, brushing my hair while I grumbled. After shifts, we'd walk through the pack market hand-in-hand, picking out fresh meat and fruit for dinner. At night, we'd tangle together on the couch watching old pack broadcasts. I'd rest against his shoulder. He'd feed me slices of fruit peeled with his own claws. But once Penny returned from the outer territories? Everything shifted. She became his priority. Number one. No question. The vehicle he bought with his first healer's pay? The passenger seat became Penny's by scent-right. "You literally live right there. Walking won't kill your wolf." One night after a late shift, some rogue male started stalking me through the back paths. I called Robert, fangs chattering, my wolf whining for her mate to come. He was already halfway to Penny's den. "Babe, Penny's cramping BAD and she's alone. My herbal blend is the only thing that eases her moon cycles. Can you seriously not handle yourself right now?" When the rogue lunged, I fought. I grabbed a loose stone from the path and cracked it against his skull. Blood sprayed hot across my face. The next morning, I dragged myself out of the enforcer station. Robert wasn't there. But I caught Penny's pack-circle post - two travel vouchers. [Wasn't feeling my best, but he said "pack a bag" and now I'm here❤Some wolves just GET you, you know? ?] The location tag? Silver Sands territory. I'd been begging Robert to run there with me for years. Every time I brought it up, he'd say, "Babe, we gotta save for the bonding ceremony, remember? Can't be throwing coin at vacations." But for Penny? Coin didn't matter. I swiped at my eyes and steadied my breathing. Then I thought about all those pack dinners at his parents' den. I'd cook the meat, scrub the plates, serve every elder. And the whole time, Elderess Howard would take her grandmother's bonding ring and slide it onto Penny's finger, crooning about how Penny and Robert would throw such beautiful pups. One thing after another. I kept telling myself I could endure it. I loved him. But I couldn't anymore. If I was always going to be the rogue in their pack, then I wasn't going to keep bleeding myself dry for wolves who couldn't care less if I lived or starved. I ran back to the den we'd picked out together in the high-ridge territory - our "future home" for after the bonding ceremony - to grab my things. But when I pressed my palm to the den-lock, it flashed red. Denied. I was about to mind-link Robert when the heavy oak door swung inward. Penny stood there wrapped in my sleeping furs, arms crossed, lips curled in pure annoyance. "What are you doing here?" Before I could snap the same question back, Robert appeared behind her and pulled her back against his ch//est, like he was shielding her from a rogue attack. "Stella, don't blow this into a pack-wide scene. Penny's wolf isn't resting well because of the pregnancy, so I moved her into the den. It's quieter here." "You've still got the old burrow - the rune-lease hasn't even expired yet. Just stay there till after the pup drops. Then we'll do the ceremony and you can move back." I couldn't believe what was hitting my ears. "I paid for HALF this den. Who told you that you could just move her in without my consent?" Honestly, this den cost way more than Robert knew. My father had covered eighty percent upfront so I wouldn't struggle. On the territory scrolls, Robert and I each "paid half." Robert's gaze slid away, guilt written all over his scent. Then Penny shoved forward, fangs flashing. "Because MY name and HIS name are carved on the den claim - NOT YOURS!" "The only reason I'm not howling for the enforcers right now is because of Robert! Otherwise your tail would already be tossed past the border." I stared at Robert. He finally mumbled. "Look, Stella... Penny and I - we've known each other since our first shift, okay? She's basically... she's pack-family." "She's not taking a mate. She's raising this pup alone. I'm the sire, so I... I mean, I had to make sure she's protected." "But we're still bonding, right? So who cares whose name is scratched on some den claim? Isn't what our wolves share more important than a piece of carved wood?" I almost didn't recognize his scent. I thought Robert just didn't love me as fiercely as I loved him. Turns out, he'd been playing me since the first howl. This was the male I abandoned my bloodline for? The wolf I keened over for ten years? It wasn't worth it. Not even a fraction. Seeing my eyes sheen over, Robert fished out a sm0ke-stick. Then he remembered Penny was carrying and quickly stepped aside to snuff it out. Penny seized the opening. She got right in my face, jabbing her claw-tip into my shoulder. "Goddess, I'm so sick of desperate she-wolves like you. Robert doesn't want you anymore - his wolf chose me." "This is my den now. So either slink out on your own paws, or I'll summon the enforcers and let them drag your tail out. Your choice." I moved to knock her hand off me - She shoved me. Hard. Both palms. I flew backward and crashed into the reflection pool. Robert heard the splash and came sprinting. Penny flung her hands up, eyes wide as a fresh pup's. "I didn't touch her." Robert slowed to a halt, staring down at me coldly while I thrashed in the water. "Stop faking. Penny's wolf isn't the type to pull that filthy rogue sh!t." "Quit trying to guilt-leash me. Just haul yourself out." I swallowed water. My leg seized with a cramp. "It was her! Help... help me!" Robert's expression flickered. He finally realized I wasn't acting. He started reaching for me - But then Penny clutched her belly and wailed. "Jax, the pup's kicking - it hurts!" Robert froze. One second of hesitation. Then he turned his back, scooped Penny into his arms, and carried her inside. The den door slammed shut. It felt like every door in my life slammed shut with it. I don't know how long I fought to keep my muzzle above the surface. My vision started tunneling black. Finally, strong arms hooked under me and hauled me out. When I dragged my eyes open, I saw a face I knew but hadn't scented in forever. "Damn, Stella. How'd you end up half-drowned in your own reflection pool?" Keanu Duncan stripped off his leather jacket and wrapped it around my shaking shoulders. His hands worked gently, but his voice still carried that cocky edge I remembered from our pup years. I coughed up water and pond scum. "What are you even doing in this territory?" "Your father told me you severed the betrothal. I came back to check on your wolf." He paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Wait - did that low-born actually reject you? Oh Goddess, are you serious right now?" He made to stand, still grinning, but my hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve. "Well, you witnessed the whole humiliation. So..." I met his eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. "You want to be my mate?" Keanu froze mid-motion. He stared down at me, nothing moving behind his eyes. "If your wolf isn't interested, fine. I'll find another male." His hand clamped around my wrist. "Who said my wolf isn't interested?" He locked his gaze on mine, every trace of humor bu//rned away. "But Stella, if you bond with me, there's no severing the tie. Got it?" Keanu drove me straight to the pack elders' hall. We scratched our names into the bonding scrolls that same day. Afterward, he took me to a travelers' den on the edge of the territory, found me clean furs to change into, and carefully worked a drying cloth through my tangled hair. His claws kept snagging, but he tried. My phone vibrated against the nightstand. A message from Penny - a link to some live-feed. [hey Stella, quick update - when Robert helped me get pregnant? we didn't go to a healer or anything] [we just did it naturally ;) on your old sleeping furs lol] [and honestly? now that my belly's showing, he's even MORE obsessed. literally can't keep his paws off me❥] My heart dropped straight into my stomach. I clicked the link with trembling claws. The feed loaded. There they were - on my furs, in my den - Robert and Penny, going at it like wolves in rut. Penny's breathy whine cut through the speaker. "Who's better - me or Stella?" Robert's groan rumbled low. "Why are you bringing her up right now?" He flipped her onto her belly. "Honestly though? I'm kinda numb to her scent after all these years." "But you? Damn, female. I didn't know you had this wild streak in you. I'm hooked." The sounds pouring through the speaker were unmistakable - her high keening, his growled filth, the furs scraping with every thrust. I forced myself to keep watching. Watched until my wolf stopped whimpering. Until I felt absolutely nothing. I closed the feed and called my father's territory attorney. "Paul, I'm serious - that high-ridge den? Not my burden anymore. If they can't cover the remaining debt, let the territory bank devour them. They can sort their own mess. I'm done with every last one of them." Then I opened my pack-circle app, snapped a photo of my bonding scroll next to Keanu's hand, and posted it straight into the Howard family group chat. I tagged Penny. [omggg congrats babe!! you finally snagged him?] [btw i just bonded with someone who actually CHOSE my wolf... without needing a pup to seal it lol] [enjoy your happy little den tho ❤] Then I left the group.
My future Alpha had a pup on his so-called "female best friend." When I showed up at the pack house, I walked straight into their full-on pregnancy celebration. Penny looked over at Robert Howard, all innocence and batting lashes. "Oh my Goddess, wait - did you tell Stella yet?" "Females like her? Clingy psychos. What if she rejects the bond before the ceremony? Don't come crying to me." Robert slouched back in his chair, grinning. "Please. I'm about to claim the Alpha seat. She's not going anywhere." "Stella's been trailing me for ten years. She's a doormat." "Telling her to leave me? Might as well tell her to throw herself off the cliffs. Trust me, babe - you're good." The room erupted in howling laughter. Something inside my ch//est just... went cold. I pulled out my phone and called my father. "Dad, withdraw the council nomination for Robert. I'm taking a different mate." I shoved through the carved wooden doors and walked in. Robert had Penny tucked against his ch//est, both of them staring at the ultrasound photo, murmuring about whether the pup would favor his wolf coloring or her eyes. The second they caught my scent, every face in the room twisted like I'd rolled in something dead. Robert's expression flickered with panic. He started to release Penny, but she clamped onto his arm and tugged him right back. Then they both crossed the room toward me. "Oh, Stella! You're here - good. I was totally going to explain before your wolf got all twisted." "So like, you know mating ceremonies aren't really my thing, right? But my parents won't stop howling about grandpups, and Jax offered to help. It's honestly not a big deal." "If it bothers your wolf, we can talk it out. But please don't snap at him about it - he's just being a good friend." Before I could get a word out, Elderess Howard rose from her seat, paws-up like she was soothing a skittish yearling. "Stella, sweetheart, we all sat down and discussed this already. Penny's been pack-adjacent forever - she's practically family. She's not the type to steal someone's destined mate, trust me. So you can stop your wolf from bristling." "And look, she's already carrying. You're not seriously going to tell her to reject her own pup, are you? Come on - you're a she-wolf too. Don't be heartless." Watching them all bare their teeth in smiles to my face after ripping me apart behind my back made my stomach churn. I yanked my bonding ring off my finger and hurled it at Robert. "Elderess Howard, you've got this completely backwards. I'm just here to sever the betrothal." "Robert, we're done." Robert's face said it all - here we go again. Made sense. Ever since Penny came back from the Northern territories, I'd tried to break our bond like ten times. And every time, I ended up soothing my own wolf and crawling back to him. He probably figured after ten years of scent-marking me, I'd never find a stronger male. He rubbed his forehead. "Seriously? You're gonna pull this here? Right in front of my pack?" "Stella, you know my parents didn't even want me bonded to you at first. I'm the one who had to fight them - they thought your bloodline wasn't strong enough." "And nothing's happening with Penny, so why in the Goddess's name is your wolf losing its mind right now?" "Because you're siring a pup with HER! What if I went and let some rogue male breed me - how would your wolf feel?" "Don't even go there." Robert's face flushed red, but a heartbeat later his voice dropped soft and coaxing. "Look, it's not the same, okay? Just stop baring fangs over nothing." I turned to leave. Robert grabbed my arm. BANG. Elder Howard slammed his fist on the table so hard the ceremonial plates jumped. "Release her! Let her WALK!" "My son's been providing for her all this time, and now she thinks she can strut around like her bloodline outranks ours? FINE. But don't come crawling back to this den later!" Robert didn't follow me. Of course he didn't. I stepped outside into the freezing wind. It smelled like snow and pine - the same scent that hung in the air ten winters ago, when my wolf first keened for him. Back then, my closest friend warned me. "Robert Howard? Oh honey, he's like the hottest unmated male in the territory. Total lone-pup scholarship case - literally ALL he does is train and study healing arts." "So many high-bloodline females have thrown themselves at him. He won't even flick an ear their way. Says he doesn't have time for mating drama." "You really wanna chase that one? Girl... Goddess bless. You're gonna need it." But I didn't care. My wolf wanted him. So I hid my bloodline. Transferred into his healer track. Made it my mission to be wherever he was, every single day. At the same time, I secretly had my father cover his training fees and den expenses through an anonymous elder fund. I pulled strings to land him in elite research circles with top pack healers. Sent him to the Moon Summit medical conferences. Turned down every high-ranking male my father introduced. My wolf only recognized Robert. Eventually, it took. We "happened" to end up together - two wolves who looked like they stood on even ground. After our training years, I made sure we both secured positions at my father's healing center - Mercy Run Pack Hospital. I didn't move into the grand den my father gifted me. Instead, I curled up in Robert's cramped studio burrow near the medical wing. For a while, things were good. Really good. On cold mornings, if I refused to crawl out of the furs, Robert would haul me up and carry me to the washroom, brushing my hair while I grumbled. After shifts, we'd walk through the pack market hand-in-hand, picking out fresh meat and fruit for dinner. At night, we'd tangle together on the couch watching old pack broadcasts. I'd rest against his shoulder. He'd feed me slices of fruit peeled with his own claws. But once Penny returned from the outer territories? Everything shifted. She became his priority. Number one. No question. The vehicle he bought with his first healer's pay? The passenger seat became Penny's by scent-right. "You literally live right there. Walking won't kill your wolf." One night after a late shift, some rogue male started stalking me through the back paths. I called Robert, fangs chattering, my wolf whining for her mate to come. He was already halfway to Penny's den. "Babe, Penny's cramping BAD and she's alone. My herbal blend is the only thing that eases her moon cycles. Can you seriously not handle yourself right now?" When the rogue lunged, I fought. I grabbed a loose stone from the path and cracked it against his skull. Blood sprayed hot across my face. The next morning, I dragged myself out of the enforcer station. Robert wasn't there. But I caught Penny's pack-circle post - two travel vouchers. [Wasn't feeling my best, but he said "pack a bag" and now I'm here❤Some wolves just GET you, you know? ?] The location tag? Silver Sands territory. I'd been begging Robert to run there with me for years. Every time I brought it up, he'd say, "Babe, we gotta save for the bonding ceremony, remember? Can't be throwing coin at vacations." But for Penny? Coin didn't matter. I swiped at my eyes and steadied my breathing. Then I thought about all those pack dinners at his parents' den. I'd cook the meat, scrub the plates, serve every elder. And the whole time, Elderess Howard would take her grandmother's bonding ring and slide it onto Penny's finger, crooning about how Penny and Robert would throw such beautiful pups. One thing after another. I kept telling myself I could endure it. I loved him. But I couldn't anymore. If I was always going to be the rogue in their pack, then I wasn't going to keep bleeding myself dry for wolves who couldn't care less if I lived or starved. I ran back to the den we'd picked out together in the high-ridge territory - our "future home" for after the bonding ceremony - to grab my things. But when I pressed my palm to the den-lock, it flashed red. Denied. I was about to mind-link Robert when the heavy oak door swung inward. Penny stood there wrapped in my sleeping furs, arms crossed, lips curled in pure annoyance. "What are you doing here?" Before I could snap the same question back, Robert appeared behind her and pulled her back against his ch//est, like he was shielding her from a rogue attack. "Stella, don't blow this into a pack-wide scene. Penny's wolf isn't resting well because of the pregnancy, so I moved her into the den. It's quieter here." "You've still got the old burrow - the rune-lease hasn't even expired yet. Just stay there till after the pup drops. Then we'll do the ceremony and you can move back." I couldn't believe what was hitting my ears. "I paid for HALF this den. Who told you that you could just move her in without my consent?" Honestly, this den cost way more than Robert knew. My father had covered eighty percent upfront so I wouldn't struggle. On the territory scrolls, Robert and I each "paid half." Robert's gaze slid away, guilt written all over his scent. Then Penny shoved forward, fangs flashing. "Because MY name and HIS name are carved on the den claim - NOT YOURS!" "The only reason I'm not howling for the enforcers right now is because of Robert! Otherwise your tail would already be tossed past the border." I stared at Robert. He finally mumbled. "Look, Stella... Penny and I - we've known each other since our first shift, okay? She's basically... she's pack-family." "She's not taking a mate. She's raising this pup alone. I'm the sire, so I... I mean, I had to make sure she's protected." "But we're still bonding, right? So who cares whose name is scratched on some den claim? Isn't what our wolves share more important than a piece of carved wood?" I almost didn't recognize his scent. I thought Robert just didn't love me as fiercely as I loved him. Turns out, he'd been playing me since the first howl. This was the male I abandoned my bloodline for? The wolf I keened over for ten years? It wasn't worth it. Not even a fraction. Seeing my eyes sheen over, Robert fished out a sm0ke-stick. Then he remembered Penny was carrying and quickly stepped aside to snuff it out. Penny seized the opening. She got right in my face, jabbing her claw-tip into my shoulder. "Goddess, I'm so sick of desperate she-wolves like you. Robert doesn't want you anymore - his wolf chose me." "This is my den now. So either slink out on your own paws, or I'll summon the enforcers and let them drag your tail out. Your choice." I moved to knock her hand off me - She shoved me. Hard. Both palms. I flew backward and crashed into the reflection pool. Robert heard the splash and came sprinting. Penny flung her hands up, eyes wide as a fresh pup's. "I didn't touch her." Robert slowed to a halt, staring down at me coldly while I thrashed in the water. "Stop faking. Penny's wolf isn't the type to pull that filthy rogue sh!t." "Quit trying to guilt-leash me. Just haul yourself out." I swallowed water. My leg seized with a cramp. "It was her! Help... help me!" Robert's expression flickered. He finally realized I wasn't acting. He started reaching for me - But then Penny clutched her belly and wailed. "Jax, the pup's kicking - it hurts!" Robert froze. One second of hesitation. Then he turned his back, scooped Penny into his arms, and carried her inside. The den door slammed shut. It felt like every door in my life slammed shut with it. I don't know how long I fought to keep my muzzle above the surface. My vision started tunneling black. Finally, strong arms hooked under me and hauled me out. When I dragged my eyes open, I saw a face I knew but hadn't scented in forever. "Damn, Stella. How'd you end up half-drowned in your own reflection pool?" Keanu Duncan stripped off his leather jacket and wrapped it around my shaking shoulders. His hands worked gently, but his voice still carried that cocky edge I remembered from our pup years. I coughed up water and pond scum. "What are you even doing in this territory?" "Your father told me you severed the betrothal. I came back to check on your wolf." He paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Wait - did that low-born actually reject you? Oh Goddess, are you serious right now?" He made to stand, still grinning, but my hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve. "Well, you witnessed the whole humiliation. So..." I met his eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. "You want to be my mate?" Keanu froze mid-motion. He stared down at me, nothing moving behind his eyes. "If your wolf isn't interested, fine. I'll find another male." His hand clamped around my wrist. "Who said my wolf isn't interested?" He locked his gaze on mine, every trace of humor bu//rned away. "But Stella, if you bond with me, there's no severing the tie. Got it?" Keanu drove me straight to the pack elders' hall. We scratched our names into the bonding scrolls that same day. Afterward, he took me to a travelers' den on the edge of the territory, found me clean furs to change into, and carefully worked a drying cloth through my tangled hair. His claws kept snagging, but he tried. My phone vibrated against the nightstand. A message from Penny - a link to some live-feed. [hey Stella, quick update - when Robert helped me get pregnant? we didn't go to a healer or anything] [we just did it naturally ;) on your old sleeping furs lol] [and honestly? now that my belly's showing, he's even MORE obsessed. literally can't keep his paws off me❥] My heart dropped straight into my stomach. I clicked the link with trembling claws. The feed loaded. There they were - on my furs, in my den - Robert and Penny, going at it like wolves in rut. Penny's breathy whine cut through the speaker. "Who's better - me or Stella?" Robert's groan rumbled low. "Why are you bringing her up right now?" He flipped her onto her belly. "Honestly though? I'm kinda numb to her scent after all these years." "But you? Damn, female. I didn't know you had this wild streak in you. I'm hooked." The sounds pouring through the speaker were unmistakable - her high keening, his growled filth, the furs scraping with every thrust. I forced myself to keep watching. Watched until my wolf stopped whimpering. Until I felt absolutely nothing. I closed the feed and called my father's territory attorney. "Paul, I'm serious - that high-ridge den? Not my burden anymore. If they can't cover the remaining debt, let the territory bank devour them. They can sort their own mess. I'm done with every last one of them." Then I opened my pack-circle app, snapped a photo of my bonding scroll next to Keanu's hand, and posted it straight into the Howard family group chat. I tagged Penny. [omggg congrats babe!! you finally snagged him?] [btw i just bonded with someone who actually CHOSE my wolf... without needing a pup to seal it lol] [enjoy your happy little den tho ❤] Then I left the group.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
My future Alpha had a pup on his so-called "female best friend." When I showed up at the pack house, I walked straight into their full-on pregnancy celebration. Penny looked over at Robert Howard, all innocence and batting lashes. "Oh my Goddess, wait - did you tell Stella yet?" "Females like her? Clingy psychos. What if she rejects the bond before the ceremony? Don't come crying to me." Robert slouched back in his chair, grinning. "Please. I'm about to claim the Alpha seat. She's not going anywhere." "Stella's been trailing me for ten years. She's a doormat." "Telling her to leave me? Might as well tell her to throw herself off the cliffs. Trust me, babe - you're good." The room erupted in howling laughter. Something inside my ch//est just... went cold. I pulled out my phone and called my father. "Dad, withdraw the council nomination for Robert. I'm taking a different mate." I shoved through the carved wooden doors and walked in. Robert had Penny tucked against his ch//est, both of them staring at the ultrasound photo, murmuring about whether the pup would favor his wolf coloring or her eyes. The second they caught my scent, every face in the room twisted like I'd rolled in something dead. Robert's expression flickered with panic. He started to release Penny, but she clamped onto his arm and tugged him right back. Then they both crossed the room toward me. "Oh, Stella! You're here - good. I was totally going to explain before your wolf got all twisted." "So like, you know mating ceremonies aren't really my thing, right? But my parents won't stop howling about grandpups, and Jax offered to help. It's honestly not a big deal." "If it bothers your wolf, we can talk it out. But please don't snap at him about it - he's just being a good friend." Before I could get a word out, Elderess Howard rose from her seat, paws-up like she was soothing a skittish yearling. "Stella, sweetheart, we all sat down and discussed this already. Penny's been pack-adjacent forever - she's practically family. She's not the type to steal someone's destined mate, trust me. So you can stop your wolf from bristling." "And look, she's already carrying. You're not seriously going to tell her to reject her own pup, are you? Come on - you're a she-wolf too. Don't be heartless." Watching them all bare their teeth in smiles to my face after ripping me apart behind my back made my stomach churn. I yanked my bonding ring off my finger and hurled it at Robert. "Elderess Howard, you've got this completely backwards. I'm just here to sever the betrothal." "Robert, we're done." Robert's face said it all - here we go again. Made sense. Ever since Penny came back from the Northern territories, I'd tried to break our bond like ten times. And every time, I ended up soothing my own wolf and crawling back to him. He probably figured after ten years of scent-marking me, I'd never find a stronger male. He rubbed his forehead. "Seriously? You're gonna pull this here? Right in front of my pack?" "Stella, you know my parents didn't even want me bonded to you at first. I'm the one who had to fight them - they thought your bloodline wasn't strong enough." "And nothing's happening with Penny, so why in the Goddess's name is your wolf losing its mind right now?" "Because you're siring a pup with HER! What if I went and let some rogue male breed me - how would your wolf feel?" "Don't even go there." Robert's face flushed red, but a heartbeat later his voice dropped soft and coaxing. "Look, it's not the same, okay? Just stop baring fangs over nothing." I turned to leave. Robert grabbed my arm. BANG. Elder Howard slammed his fist on the table so hard the ceremonial plates jumped. "Release her! Let her WALK!" "My son's been providing for her all this time, and now she thinks she can strut around like her bloodline outranks ours? FINE. But don't come crawling back to this den later!" Robert didn't follow me. Of course he didn't. I stepped outside into the freezing wind. It smelled like snow and pine - the same scent that hung in the air ten winters ago, when my wolf first keened for him. Back then, my closest friend warned me. "Robert Howard? Oh honey, he's like the hottest unmated male in the territory. Total lone-pup scholarship case - literally ALL he does is train and study healing arts." "So many high-bloodline females have thrown themselves at him. He won't even flick an ear their way. Says he doesn't have time for mating drama." "You really wanna chase that one? Girl... Goddess bless. You're gonna need it." But I didn't care. My wolf wanted him. So I hid my bloodline. Transferred into his healer track. Made it my mission to be wherever he was, every single day. At the same time, I secretly had my father cover his training fees and den expenses through an anonymous elder fund. I pulled strings to land him in elite research circles with top pack healers. Sent him to the Moon Summit medical conferences. Turned down every high-ranking male my father introduced. My wolf only recognized Robert. Eventually, it took. We "happened" to end up together - two wolves who looked like they stood on even ground. After our training years, I made sure we both secured positions at my father's healing center - Mercy Run Pack Hospital. I didn't move into the grand den my father gifted me. Instead, I curled up in Robert's cramped studio burrow near the medical wing. For a while, things were good. Really good. On cold mornings, if I refused to crawl out of the furs, Robert would haul me up and carry me to the washroom, brushing my hair while I grumbled. After shifts, we'd walk through the pack market hand-in-hand, picking out fresh meat and fruit for dinner. At night, we'd tangle together on the couch watching old pack broadcasts. I'd rest against his shoulder. He'd feed me slices of fruit peeled with his own claws. But once Penny returned from the outer territories? Everything shifted. She became his priority. Number one. No question. The vehicle he bought with his first healer's pay? The passenger seat became Penny's by scent-right. "You literally live right there. Walking won't kill your wolf." One night after a late shift, some rogue male started stalking me through the back paths. I called Robert, fangs chattering, my wolf whining for her mate to come. He was already halfway to Penny's den. "Babe, Penny's cramping BAD and she's alone. My herbal blend is the only thing that eases her moon cycles. Can you seriously not handle yourself right now?" When the rogue lunged, I fought. I grabbed a loose stone from the path and cracked it against his skull. Blood sprayed hot across my face. The next morning, I dragged myself out of the enforcer station. Robert wasn't there. But I caught Penny's pack-circle post - two travel vouchers. [Wasn't feeling my best, but he said "pack a bag" and now I'm here❤Some wolves just GET you, you know? ?] The location tag? Silver Sands territory. I'd been begging Robert to run there with me for years. Every time I brought it up, he'd say, "Babe, we gotta save for the bonding ceremony, remember? Can't be throwing coin at vacations." But for Penny? Coin didn't matter. I swiped at my eyes and steadied my breathing. Then I thought about all those pack dinners at his parents' den. I'd cook the meat, scrub the plates, serve every elder. And the whole time, Elderess Howard would take her grandmother's bonding ring and slide it onto Penny's finger, crooning about how Penny and Robert would throw such beautiful pups. One thing after another. I kept telling myself I could endure it. I loved him. But I couldn't anymore. If I was always going to be the rogue in their pack, then I wasn't going to keep bleeding myself dry for wolves who couldn't care less if I lived or starved. I ran back to the den we'd picked out together in the high-ridge territory - our "future home" for after the bonding ceremony - to grab my things. But when I pressed my palm to the den-lock, it flashed red. Denied. I was about to mind-link Robert when the heavy oak door swung inward. Penny stood there wrapped in my sleeping furs, arms crossed, lips curled in pure annoyance. "What are you doing here?" Before I could snap the same question back, Robert appeared behind her and pulled her back against his ch//est, like he was shielding her from a rogue attack. "Stella, don't blow this into a pack-wide scene. Penny's wolf isn't resting well because of the pregnancy, so I moved her into the den. It's quieter here." "You've still got the old burrow - the rune-lease hasn't even expired yet. Just stay there till after the pup drops. Then we'll do the ceremony and you can move back." I couldn't believe what was hitting my ears. "I paid for HALF this den. Who told you that you could just move her in without my consent?" Honestly, this den cost way more than Robert knew. My father had covered eighty percent upfront so I wouldn't struggle. On the territory scrolls, Robert and I each "paid half." Robert's gaze slid away, guilt written all over his scent. Then Penny shoved forward, fangs flashing. "Because MY name and HIS name are carved on the den claim - NOT YOURS!" "The only reason I'm not howling for the enforcers right now is because of Robert! Otherwise your tail would already be tossed past the border." I stared at Robert. He finally mumbled. "Look, Stella... Penny and I - we've known each other since our first shift, okay? She's basically... she's pack-family." "She's not taking a mate. She's raising this pup alone. I'm the sire, so I... I mean, I had to make sure she's protected." "But we're still bonding, right? So who cares whose name is scratched on some den claim? Isn't what our wolves share more important than a piece of carved wood?" I almost didn't recognize his scent. I thought Robert just didn't love me as fiercely as I loved him. Turns out, he'd been playing me since the first howl. This was the male I abandoned my bloodline for? The wolf I keened over for ten years? It wasn't worth it. Not even a fraction. Seeing my eyes sheen over, Robert fished out a sm0ke-stick. Then he remembered Penny was carrying and quickly stepped aside to snuff it out. Penny seized the opening. She got right in my face, jabbing her claw-tip into my shoulder. "Goddess, I'm so sick of desperate she-wolves like you. Robert doesn't want you anymore - his wolf chose me." "This is my den now. So either slink out on your own paws, or I'll summon the enforcers and let them drag your tail out. Your choice." I moved to knock her hand off me - She shoved me. Hard. Both palms. I flew backward and crashed into the reflection pool. Robert heard the splash and came sprinting. Penny flung her hands up, eyes wide as a fresh pup's. "I didn't touch her." Robert slowed to a halt, staring down at me coldly while I thrashed in the water. "Stop faking. Penny's wolf isn't the type to pull that filthy rogue sh!t." "Quit trying to guilt-leash me. Just haul yourself out." I swallowed water. My leg seized with a cramp. "It was her! Help... help me!" Robert's expression flickered. He finally realized I wasn't acting. He started reaching for me - But then Penny clutched her belly and wailed. "Jax, the pup's kicking - it hurts!" Robert froze. One second of hesitation. Then he turned his back, scooped Penny into his arms, and carried her inside. The den door slammed shut. It felt like every door in my life slammed shut with it. I don't know how long I fought to keep my muzzle above the surface. My vision started tunneling black. Finally, strong arms hooked under me and hauled me out. When I dragged my eyes open, I saw a face I knew but hadn't scented in forever. "Damn, Stella. How'd you end up half-drowned in your own reflection pool?" Keanu Duncan stripped off his leather jacket and wrapped it around my shaking shoulders. His hands worked gently, but his voice still carried that cocky edge I remembered from our pup years. I coughed up water and pond scum. "What are you even doing in this territory?" "Your father told me you severed the betrothal. I came back to check on your wolf." He paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Wait - did that low-born actually reject you? Oh Goddess, are you serious right now?" He made to stand, still grinning, but my hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve. "Well, you witnessed the whole humiliation. So..." I met his eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. "You want to be my mate?" Keanu froze mid-motion. He stared down at me, nothing moving behind his eyes. "If your wolf isn't interested, fine. I'll find another male." His hand clamped around my wrist. "Who said my wolf isn't interested?" He locked his gaze on mine, every trace of humor bu//rned away. "But Stella, if you bond with me, there's no severing the tie. Got it?" Keanu drove me straight to the pack elders' hall. We scratched our names into the bonding scrolls that same day. Afterward, he took me to a travelers' den on the edge of the territory, found me clean furs to change into, and carefully worked a drying cloth through my tangled hair. His claws kept snagging, but he tried. My phone vibrated against the nightstand. A message from Penny - a link to some live-feed. [hey Stella, quick update - when Robert helped me get pregnant? we didn't go to a healer or anything] [we just did it naturally ;) on your old sleeping furs lol] [and honestly? now that my belly's showing, he's even MORE obsessed. literally can't keep his paws off me❥] My heart dropped straight into my stomach. I clicked the link with trembling claws. The feed loaded. There they were - on my furs, in my den - Robert and Penny, going at it like wolves in rut. Penny's breathy whine cut through the speaker. "Who's better - me or Stella?" Robert's groan rumbled low. "Why are you bringing her up right now?" He flipped her onto her belly. "Honestly though? I'm kinda numb to her scent after all these years." "But you? Damn, female. I didn't know you had this wild streak in you. I'm hooked." The sounds pouring through the speaker were unmistakable - her high keening, his growled filth, the furs scraping with every thrust. I forced myself to keep watching. Watched until my wolf stopped whimpering. Until I felt absolutely nothing. I closed the feed and called my father's territory attorney. "Paul, I'm serious - that high-ridge den? Not my burden anymore. If they can't cover the remaining debt, let the territory bank devour them. They can sort their own mess. I'm done with every last one of them." Then I opened my pack-circle app, snapped a photo of my bonding scroll next to Keanu's hand, and posted it straight into the Howard family group chat. I tagged Penny. [omggg congrats babe!! you finally snagged him?] [btw i just bonded with someone who actually CHOSE my wolf... without needing a pup to seal it lol] [enjoy your happy little den tho ❤] Then I left the group.
My future Alpha had a pup on his so-called "female best friend." When I showed up at the pack house, I walked straight into their full-on pregnancy celebration. Penny looked over at Robert Howard, all innocence and batting lashes. "Oh my Goddess, wait - did you tell Stella yet?" "Females like her? Clingy psychos. What if she rejects the bond before the ceremony? Don't come crying to me." Robert slouched back in his chair, grinning. "Please. I'm about to claim the Alpha seat. She's not going anywhere." "Stella's been trailing me for ten years. She's a doormat." "Telling her to leave me? Might as well tell her to throw herself off the cliffs. Trust me, babe - you're good." The room erupted in howling laughter. Something inside my ch//est just... went cold. I pulled out my phone and called my father. "Dad, withdraw the council nomination for Robert. I'm taking a different mate." I shoved through the carved wooden doors and walked in. Robert had Penny tucked against his ch//est, both of them staring at the ultrasound photo, murmuring about whether the pup would favor his wolf coloring or her eyes. The second they caught my scent, every face in the room twisted like I'd rolled in something dead. Robert's expression flickered with panic. He started to release Penny, but she clamped onto his arm and tugged him right back. Then they both crossed the room toward me. "Oh, Stella! You're here - good. I was totally going to explain before your wolf got all twisted." "So like, you know mating ceremonies aren't really my thing, right? But my parents won't stop howling about grandpups, and Jax offered to help. It's honestly not a big deal." "If it bothers your wolf, we can talk it out. But please don't snap at him about it - he's just being a good friend." Before I could get a word out, Elderess Howard rose from her seat, paws-up like she was soothing a skittish yearling. "Stella, sweetheart, we all sat down and discussed this already. Penny's been pack-adjacent forever - she's practically family. She's not the type to steal someone's destined mate, trust me. So you can stop your wolf from bristling." "And look, she's already carrying. You're not seriously going to tell her to reject her own pup, are you? Come on - you're a she-wolf too. Don't be heartless." Watching them all bare their teeth in smiles to my face after ripping me apart behind my back made my stomach churn. I yanked my bonding ring off my finger and hurled it at Robert. "Elderess Howard, you've got this completely backwards. I'm just here to sever the betrothal." "Robert, we're done." Robert's face said it all - here we go again. Made sense. Ever since Penny came back from the Northern territories, I'd tried to break our bond like ten times. And every time, I ended up soothing my own wolf and crawling back to him. He probably figured after ten years of scent-marking me, I'd never find a stronger male. He rubbed his forehead. "Seriously? You're gonna pull this here? Right in front of my pack?" "Stella, you know my parents didn't even want me bonded to you at first. I'm the one who had to fight them - they thought your bloodline wasn't strong enough." "And nothing's happening with Penny, so why in the Goddess's name is your wolf losing its mind right now?" "Because you're siring a pup with HER! What if I went and let some rogue male breed me - how would your wolf feel?" "Don't even go there." Robert's face flushed red, but a heartbeat later his voice dropped soft and coaxing. "Look, it's not the same, okay? Just stop baring fangs over nothing." I turned to leave. Robert grabbed my arm. BANG. Elder Howard slammed his fist on the table so hard the ceremonial plates jumped. "Release her! Let her WALK!" "My son's been providing for her all this time, and now she thinks she can strut around like her bloodline outranks ours? FINE. But don't come crawling back to this den later!" Robert didn't follow me. Of course he didn't. I stepped outside into the freezing wind. It smelled like snow and pine - the same scent that hung in the air ten winters ago, when my wolf first keened for him. Back then, my closest friend warned me. "Robert Howard? Oh honey, he's like the hottest unmated male in the territory. Total lone-pup scholarship case - literally ALL he does is train and study healing arts." "So many high-bloodline females have thrown themselves at him. He won't even flick an ear their way. Says he doesn't have time for mating drama." "You really wanna chase that one? Girl... Goddess bless. You're gonna need it." But I didn't care. My wolf wanted him. So I hid my bloodline. Transferred into his healer track. Made it my mission to be wherever he was, every single day. At the same time, I secretly had my father cover his training fees and den expenses through an anonymous elder fund. I pulled strings to land him in elite research circles with top pack healers. Sent him to the Moon Summit medical conferences. Turned down every high-ranking male my father introduced. My wolf only recognized Robert. Eventually, it took. We "happened" to end up together - two wolves who looked like they stood on even ground. After our training years, I made sure we both secured positions at my father's healing center - Mercy Run Pack Hospital. I didn't move into the grand den my father gifted me. Instead, I curled up in Robert's cramped studio burrow near the medical wing. For a while, things were good. Really good. On cold mornings, if I refused to crawl out of the furs, Robert would haul me up and carry me to the washroom, brushing my hair while I grumbled. After shifts, we'd walk through the pack market hand-in-hand, picking out fresh meat and fruit for dinner. At night, we'd tangle together on the couch watching old pack broadcasts. I'd rest against his shoulder. He'd feed me slices of fruit peeled with his own claws. But once Penny returned from the outer territories? Everything shifted. She became his priority. Number one. No question. The vehicle he bought with his first healer's pay? The passenger seat became Penny's by scent-right. "You literally live right there. Walking won't kill your wolf." One night after a late shift, some rogue male started stalking me through the back paths. I called Robert, fangs chattering, my wolf whining for her mate to come. He was already halfway to Penny's den. "Babe, Penny's cramping BAD and she's alone. My herbal blend is the only thing that eases her moon cycles. Can you seriously not handle yourself right now?" When the rogue lunged, I fought. I grabbed a loose stone from the path and cracked it against his skull. Blood sprayed hot across my face. The next morning, I dragged myself out of the enforcer station. Robert wasn't there. But I caught Penny's pack-circle post - two travel vouchers. [Wasn't feeling my best, but he said "pack a bag" and now I'm here❤Some wolves just GET you, you know? ?] The location tag? Silver Sands territory. I'd been begging Robert to run there with me for years. Every time I brought it up, he'd say, "Babe, we gotta save for the bonding ceremony, remember? Can't be throwing coin at vacations." But for Penny? Coin didn't matter. I swiped at my eyes and steadied my breathing. Then I thought about all those pack dinners at his parents' den. I'd cook the meat, scrub the plates, serve every elder. And the whole time, Elderess Howard would take her grandmother's bonding ring and slide it onto Penny's finger, crooning about how Penny and Robert would throw such beautiful pups. One thing after another. I kept telling myself I could endure it. I loved him. But I couldn't anymore. If I was always going to be the rogue in their pack, then I wasn't going to keep bleeding myself dry for wolves who couldn't care less if I lived or starved. I ran back to the den we'd picked out together in the high-ridge territory - our "future home" for after the bonding ceremony - to grab my things. But when I pressed my palm to the den-lock, it flashed red. Denied. I was about to mind-link Robert when the heavy oak door swung inward. Penny stood there wrapped in my sleeping furs, arms crossed, lips curled in pure annoyance. "What are you doing here?" Before I could snap the same question back, Robert appeared behind her and pulled her back against his ch//est, like he was shielding her from a rogue attack. "Stella, don't blow this into a pack-wide scene. Penny's wolf isn't resting well because of the pregnancy, so I moved her into the den. It's quieter here." "You've still got the old burrow - the rune-lease hasn't even expired yet. Just stay there till after the pup drops. Then we'll do the ceremony and you can move back." I couldn't believe what was hitting my ears. "I paid for HALF this den. Who told you that you could just move her in without my consent?" Honestly, this den cost way more than Robert knew. My father had covered eighty percent upfront so I wouldn't struggle. On the territory scrolls, Robert and I each "paid half." Robert's gaze slid away, guilt written all over his scent. Then Penny shoved forward, fangs flashing. "Because MY name and HIS name are carved on the den claim - NOT YOURS!" "The only reason I'm not howling for the enforcers right now is because of Robert! Otherwise your tail would already be tossed past the border." I stared at Robert. He finally mumbled. "Look, Stella... Penny and I - we've known each other since our first shift, okay? She's basically... she's pack-family." "She's not taking a mate. She's raising this pup alone. I'm the sire, so I... I mean, I had to make sure she's protected." "But we're still bonding, right? So who cares whose name is scratched on some den claim? Isn't what our wolves share more important than a piece of carved wood?" I almost didn't recognize his scent. I thought Robert just didn't love me as fiercely as I loved him. Turns out, he'd been playing me since the first howl. This was the male I abandoned my bloodline for? The wolf I keened over for ten years? It wasn't worth it. Not even a fraction. Seeing my eyes sheen over, Robert fished out a sm0ke-stick. Then he remembered Penny was carrying and quickly stepped aside to snuff it out. Penny seized the opening. She got right in my face, jabbing her claw-tip into my shoulder. "Goddess, I'm so sick of desperate she-wolves like you. Robert doesn't want you anymore - his wolf chose me." "This is my den now. So either slink out on your own paws, or I'll summon the enforcers and let them drag your tail out. Your choice." I moved to knock her hand off me - She shoved me. Hard. Both palms. I flew backward and crashed into the reflection pool. Robert heard the splash and came sprinting. Penny flung her hands up, eyes wide as a fresh pup's. "I didn't touch her." Robert slowed to a halt, staring down at me coldly while I thrashed in the water. "Stop faking. Penny's wolf isn't the type to pull that filthy rogue sh!t." "Quit trying to guilt-leash me. Just haul yourself out." I swallowed water. My leg seized with a cramp. "It was her! Help... help me!" Robert's expression flickered. He finally realized I wasn't acting. He started reaching for me - But then Penny clutched her belly and wailed. "Jax, the pup's kicking - it hurts!" Robert froze. One second of hesitation. Then he turned his back, scooped Penny into his arms, and carried her inside. The den door slammed shut. It felt like every door in my life slammed shut with it. I don't know how long I fought to keep my muzzle above the surface. My vision started tunneling black. Finally, strong arms hooked under me and hauled me out. When I dragged my eyes open, I saw a face I knew but hadn't scented in forever. "Damn, Stella. How'd you end up half-drowned in your own reflection pool?" Keanu Duncan stripped off his leather jacket and wrapped it around my shaking shoulders. His hands worked gently, but his voice still carried that cocky edge I remembered from our pup years. I coughed up water and pond scum. "What are you even doing in this territory?" "Your father told me you severed the betrothal. I came back to check on your wolf." He paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Wait - did that low-born actually reject you? Oh Goddess, are you serious right now?" He made to stand, still grinning, but my hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve. "Well, you witnessed the whole humiliation. So..." I met his eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. "You want to be my mate?" Keanu froze mid-motion. He stared down at me, nothing moving behind his eyes. "If your wolf isn't interested, fine. I'll find another male." His hand clamped around my wrist. "Who said my wolf isn't interested?" He locked his gaze on mine, every trace of humor bu//rned away. "But Stella, if you bond with me, there's no severing the tie. Got it?" Keanu drove me straight to the pack elders' hall. We scratched our names into the bonding scrolls that same day. Afterward, he took me to a travelers' den on the edge of the territory, found me clean furs to change into, and carefully worked a drying cloth through my tangled hair. His claws kept snagging, but he tried. My phone vibrated against the nightstand. A message from Penny - a link to some live-feed. [hey Stella, quick update - when Robert helped me get pregnant? we didn't go to a healer or anything] [we just did it naturally ;) on your old sleeping furs lol] [and honestly? now that my belly's showing, he's even MORE obsessed. literally can't keep his paws off me❥] My heart dropped straight into my stomach. I clicked the link with trembling claws. The feed loaded. There they were - on my furs, in my den - Robert and Penny, going at it like wolves in rut. Penny's breathy whine cut through the speaker. "Who's better - me or Stella?" Robert's groan rumbled low. "Why are you bringing her up right now?" He flipped her onto her belly. "Honestly though? I'm kinda numb to her scent after all these years." "But you? Damn, female. I didn't know you had this wild streak in you. I'm hooked." The sounds pouring through the speaker were unmistakable - her high keening, his growled filth, the furs scraping with every thrust. I forced myself to keep watching. Watched until my wolf stopped whimpering. Until I felt absolutely nothing. I closed the feed and called my father's territory attorney. "Paul, I'm serious - that high-ridge den? Not my burden anymore. If they can't cover the remaining debt, let the territory bank devour them. They can sort their own mess. I'm done with every last one of them." Then I opened my pack-circle app, snapped a photo of my bonding scroll next to Keanu's hand, and posted it straight into the Howard family group chat. I tagged Penny. [omggg congrats babe!! you finally snagged him?] [btw i just bonded with someone who actually CHOSE my wolf... without needing a pup to seal it lol] [enjoy your happy little den tho ❤] Then I left the group.
Adam & James: Two hockey rivals who can’t stand each other’s guts 🏒—on the ice, they’re brutal competitors, off the ice, they’re at each other’s throats. But after a fiery post-game brawl, tempers spill over… and they crash into each other’s bodies for a wild one-night stand in the storage room 🥵. They vow to pretend it never happened—until their parents drop a bombshell 💥: “We’re getting married!” Now, they’re forced to be stepbrothers… and share the SAME BED 🛏️. Talk about awkward! From eye-rolling and snarky jabs 😤 to late-night conversations and accidental touches, they go from barely tolerating each other to unexpectedly close. Walls crumble, tension simmers, and their bodies scream the truth ✨—this isn’t just rivalry. The rule? Whoever drops the act first… LOSES. 👉 Click to watch their messy, steamy journey—you’ll be hooked! #HockeyDrama #ForcedProximity #FBShortPlay
My future Alpha had a pup on his so-called "female best friend." When I showed up at the pack house, I walked straight into their full-on pregnancy celebration. Penny looked over at Robert Howard, all innocence and batting lashes. "Oh my Goddess, wait - did you tell Stella yet?" "Females like her? Clingy psychos. What if she rejects the bond before the ceremony? Don't come crying to me." Robert slouched back in his chair, grinning. "Please. I'm about to claim the Alpha seat. She's not going anywhere." "Stella's been trailing me for ten years. She's a doormat." "Telling her to leave me? Might as well tell her to throw herself off the cliffs. Trust me, babe - you're good." The room erupted in howling laughter. Something inside my ch//est just... went cold. I pulled out my phone and called my father. "Dad, withdraw the council nomination for Robert. I'm taking a different mate." I shoved through the carved wooden doors and walked in. Robert had Penny tucked against his ch//est, both of them staring at the ultrasound photo, murmuring about whether the pup would favor his wolf coloring or her eyes. The second they caught my scent, every face in the room twisted like I'd rolled in something dead. Robert's expression flickered with panic. He started to release Penny, but she clamped onto his arm and tugged him right back. Then they both crossed the room toward me. "Oh, Stella! You're here - good. I was totally going to explain before your wolf got all twisted." "So like, you know mating ceremonies aren't really my thing, right? But my parents won't stop howling about grandpups, and Jax offered to help. It's honestly not a big deal." "If it bothers your wolf, we can talk it out. But please don't snap at him about it - he's just being a good friend." Before I could get a word out, Elderess Howard rose from her seat, paws-up like she was soothing a skittish yearling. "Stella, sweetheart, we all sat down and discussed this already. Penny's been pack-adjacent forever - she's practically family. She's not the type to steal someone's destined mate, trust me. So you can stop your wolf from bristling." "And look, she's already carrying. You're not seriously going to tell her to reject her own pup, are you? Come on - you're a she-wolf too. Don't be heartless." Watching them all bare their teeth in smiles to my face after ripping me apart behind my back made my stomach churn. I yanked my bonding ring off my finger and hurled it at Robert. "Elderess Howard, you've got this completely backwards. I'm just here to sever the betrothal." "Robert, we're done." Robert's face said it all - here we go again. Made sense. Ever since Penny came back from the Northern territories, I'd tried to break our bond like ten times. And every time, I ended up soothing my own wolf and crawling back to him. He probably figured after ten years of scent-marking me, I'd never find a stronger male. He rubbed his forehead. "Seriously? You're gonna pull this here? Right in front of my pack?" "Stella, you know my parents didn't even want me bonded to you at first. I'm the one who had to fight them - they thought your bloodline wasn't strong enough." "And nothing's happening with Penny, so why in the Goddess's name is your wolf losing its mind right now?" "Because you're siring a pup with HER! What if I went and let some rogue male breed me - how would your wolf feel?" "Don't even go there." Robert's face flushed red, but a heartbeat later his voice dropped soft and coaxing. "Look, it's not the same, okay? Just stop baring fangs over nothing." I turned to leave. Robert grabbed my arm. BANG. Elder Howard slammed his fist on the table so hard the ceremonial plates jumped. "Release her! Let her WALK!" "My son's been providing for her all this time, and now she thinks she can strut around like her bloodline outranks ours? FINE. But don't come crawling back to this den later!" Robert didn't follow me. Of course he didn't. I stepped outside into the freezing wind. It smelled like snow and pine - the same scent that hung in the air ten winters ago, when my wolf first keened for him. Back then, my closest friend warned me. "Robert Howard? Oh honey, he's like the hottest unmated male in the territory. Total lone-pup scholarship case - literally ALL he does is train and study healing arts." "So many high-bloodline females have thrown themselves at him. He won't even flick an ear their way. Says he doesn't have time for mating drama." "You really wanna chase that one? Girl... Goddess bless. You're gonna need it." But I didn't care. My wolf wanted him. So I hid my bloodline. Transferred into his healer track. Made it my mission to be wherever he was, every single day. At the same time, I secretly had my father cover his training fees and den expenses through an anonymous elder fund. I pulled strings to land him in elite research circles with top pack healers. Sent him to the Moon Summit medical conferences. Turned down every high-ranking male my father introduced. My wolf only recognized Robert. Eventually, it took. We "happened" to end up together - two wolves who looked like they stood on even ground. After our training years, I made sure we both secured positions at my father's healing center - Mercy Run Pack Hospital. I didn't move into the grand den my father gifted me. Instead, I curled up in Robert's cramped studio burrow near the medical wing. For a while, things were good. Really good. On cold mornings, if I refused to crawl out of the furs, Robert would haul me up and carry me to the washroom, brushing my hair while I grumbled. After shifts, we'd walk through the pack market hand-in-hand, picking out fresh meat and fruit for dinner. At night, we'd tangle together on the couch watching old pack broadcasts. I'd rest against his shoulder. He'd feed me slices of fruit peeled with his own claws. But once Penny returned from the outer territories? Everything shifted. She became his priority. Number one. No question. The vehicle he bought with his first healer's pay? The passenger seat became Penny's by scent-right. "You literally live right there. Walking won't kill your wolf." One night after a late shift, some rogue male started stalking me through the back paths. I called Robert, fangs chattering, my wolf whining for her mate to come. He was already halfway to Penny's den. "Babe, Penny's cramping BAD and she's alone. My herbal blend is the only thing that eases her moon cycles. Can you seriously not handle yourself right now?" When the rogue lunged, I fought. I grabbed a loose stone from the path and cracked it against his skull. Blood sprayed hot across my face. The next morning, I dragged myself out of the enforcer station. Robert wasn't there. But I caught Penny's pack-circle post - two travel vouchers. [Wasn't feeling my best, but he said "pack a bag" and now I'm here❤Some wolves just GET you, you know? ?] The location tag? Silver Sands territory. I'd been begging Robert to run there with me for years. Every time I brought it up, he'd say, "Babe, we gotta save for the bonding ceremony, remember? Can't be throwing coin at vacations." But for Penny? Coin didn't matter. I swiped at my eyes and steadied my breathing. Then I thought about all those pack dinners at his parents' den. I'd cook the meat, scrub the plates, serve every elder. And the whole time, Elderess Howard would take her grandmother's bonding ring and slide it onto Penny's finger, crooning about how Penny and Robert would throw such beautiful pups. One thing after another. I kept telling myself I could endure it. I loved him. But I couldn't anymore. If I was always going to be the rogue in their pack, then I wasn't going to keep bleeding myself dry for wolves who couldn't care less if I lived or starved. I ran back to the den we'd picked out together in the high-ridge territory - our "future home" for after the bonding ceremony - to grab my things. But when I pressed my palm to the den-lock, it flashed red. Denied. I was about to mind-link Robert when the heavy oak door swung inward. Penny stood there wrapped in my sleeping furs, arms crossed, lips curled in pure annoyance. "What are you doing here?" Before I could snap the same question back, Robert appeared behind her and pulled her back against his ch//est, like he was shielding her from a rogue attack. "Stella, don't blow this into a pack-wide scene. Penny's wolf isn't resting well because of the pregnancy, so I moved her into the den. It's quieter here." "You've still got the old burrow - the rune-lease hasn't even expired yet. Just stay there till after the pup drops. Then we'll do the ceremony and you can move back." I couldn't believe what was hitting my ears. "I paid for HALF this den. Who told you that you could just move her in without my consent?" Honestly, this den cost way more than Robert knew. My father had covered eighty percent upfront so I wouldn't struggle. On the territory scrolls, Robert and I each "paid half." Robert's gaze slid away, guilt written all over his scent. Then Penny shoved forward, fangs flashing. "Because MY name and HIS name are carved on the den claim - NOT YOURS!" "The only reason I'm not howling for the enforcers right now is because of Robert! Otherwise your tail would already be tossed past the border." I stared at Robert. He finally mumbled. "Look, Stella... Penny and I - we've known each other since our first shift, okay? She's basically... she's pack-family." "She's not taking a mate. She's raising this pup alone. I'm the sire, so I... I mean, I had to make sure she's protected." "But we're still bonding, right? So who cares whose name is scratched on some den claim? Isn't what our wolves share more important than a piece of carved wood?" I almost didn't recognize his scent. I thought Robert just didn't love me as fiercely as I loved him. Turns out, he'd been playing me since the first howl. This was the male I abandoned my bloodline for? The wolf I keened over for ten years? It wasn't worth it. Not even a fraction. Seeing my eyes sheen over, Robert fished out a sm0ke-stick. Then he remembered Penny was carrying and quickly stepped aside to snuff it out. Penny seized the opening. She got right in my face, jabbing her claw-tip into my shoulder. "Goddess, I'm so sick of desperate she-wolves like you. Robert doesn't want you anymore - his wolf chose me." "This is my den now. So either slink out on your own paws, or I'll summon the enforcers and let them drag your tail out. Your choice." I moved to knock her hand off me - She shoved me. Hard. Both palms. I flew backward and crashed into the reflection pool. Robert heard the splash and came sprinting. Penny flung her hands up, eyes wide as a fresh pup's. "I didn't touch her." Robert slowed to a halt, staring down at me coldly while I thrashed in the water. "Stop faking. Penny's wolf isn't the type to pull that filthy rogue sh!t." "Quit trying to guilt-leash me. Just haul yourself out." I swallowed water. My leg seized with a cramp. "It was her! Help... help me!" Robert's expression flickered. He finally realized I wasn't acting. He started reaching for me - But then Penny clutched her belly and wailed. "Jax, the pup's kicking - it hurts!" Robert froze. One second of hesitation. Then he turned his back, scooped Penny into his arms, and carried her inside. The den door slammed shut. It felt like every door in my life slammed shut with it. I don't know how long I fought to keep my muzzle above the surface. My vision started tunneling black. Finally, strong arms hooked under me and hauled me out. When I dragged my eyes open, I saw a face I knew but hadn't scented in forever. "Damn, Stella. How'd you end up half-drowned in your own reflection pool?" Keanu Duncan stripped off his leather jacket and wrapped it around my shaking shoulders. His hands worked gently, but his voice still carried that cocky edge I remembered from our pup years. I coughed up water and pond scum. "What are you even doing in this territory?" "Your father told me you severed the betrothal. I came back to check on your wolf." He paused, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. "Wait - did that low-born actually reject you? Oh Goddess, are you serious right now?" He made to stand, still grinning, but my hand shot out and grabbed his sleeve. "Well, you witnessed the whole humiliation. So..." I met his eyes, my voice steadier than I felt. "You want to be my mate?" Keanu froze mid-motion. He stared down at me, nothing moving behind his eyes. "If your wolf isn't interested, fine. I'll find another male." His hand clamped around my wrist. "Who said my wolf isn't interested?" He locked his gaze on mine, every trace of humor bu//rned away. "But Stella, if you bond with me, there's no severing the tie. Got it?" Keanu drove me straight to the pack elders' hall. We scratched our names into the bonding scrolls that same day. Afterward, he took me to a travelers' den on the edge of the territory, found me clean furs to change into, and carefully worked a drying cloth through my tangled hair. His claws kept snagging, but he tried. My phone vibrated against the nightstand. A message from Penny - a link to some live-feed. [hey Stella, quick update - when Robert helped me get pregnant? we didn't go to a healer or anything] [we just did it naturally ;) on your old sleeping furs lol] [and honestly? now that my belly's showing, he's even MORE obsessed. literally can't keep his paws off me❥] My heart dropped straight into my stomach. I clicked the link with trembling claws. The feed loaded. There they were - on my furs, in my den - Robert and Penny, going at it like wolves in rut. Penny's breathy whine cut through the speaker. "Who's better - me or Stella?" Robert's groan rumbled low. "Why are you bringing her up right now?" He flipped her onto her belly. "Honestly though? I'm kinda numb to her scent after all these years." "But you? Damn, female. I didn't know you had this wild streak in you. I'm hooked." The sounds pouring through the speaker were unmistakable - her high keening, his growled filth, the furs scraping with every thrust. I forced myself to keep watching. Watched until my wolf stopped whimpering. Until I felt absolutely nothing. I closed the feed and called my father's territory attorney. "Paul, I'm serious - that high-ridge den? Not my burden anymore. If they can't cover the remaining debt, let the territory bank devour them. They can sort their own mess. I'm done with every last one of them." Then I opened my pack-circle app, snapped a photo of my bonding scroll next to Keanu's hand, and posted it straight into the Howard family group chat. I tagged Penny. [omggg congrats babe!! you finally snagged him?] [btw i just bonded with someone who actually CHOSE my wolf... without needing a pup to seal it lol] [enjoy your happy little den tho ❤] Then I left the group.
Adam & James: Two hockey rivals who can’t stand each other’s guts 🏒—on the ice, they’re brutal competitors, off the ice, they’re at each other’s throats. But after a fiery post-game brawl, tempers spill over… and they crash into each other’s bodies for a wild one-night stand in the storage room 🥵. They vow to pretend it never happened—until their parents drop a bombshell 💥: “We’re getting married!” Now, they’re forced to be stepbrothers… and share the SAME BED 🛏️. Talk about awkward! From eye-rolling and snarky jabs 😤 to late-night conversations and accidental touches, they go from barely tolerating each other to unexpectedly close. Walls crumble, tension simmers, and their bodies scream the truth ✨—this isn’t just rivalry. The rule? Whoever drops the act first… LOSES. 👉 Click to watch their messy, steamy journey—you’ll be hooked! #HockeyDrama #ForcedProximity #FBShortPlay
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Adam and James: Hockey enemies, storage room lovers 😈. They can’t stand each other… but their bodies? Total opposites. After a brutal game, they crash into each other—literally—and one wild night later, they’re scrambling to pretend it never happened. But fate has other plans 🤯: Their parents announce their wedding, forcing them to live under one roof… as stepbrothers. Sharing a bed, avoiding eye contact, and fighting the tension that’s impossible to ignore ❤️—they go from rivals to something they can’t name. Walls fall, hearts race, and the rule hangs over them: Drop the act first, and you lose. Will they give in to the chemistry… or let their rivalry win? Click in to watch the steamiest enemies-to-lovers twist 🥵 #HockeyRivals #ForcedProximity #ShortPlay
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
"Be a good girl, Vivi. Open your legs for me..." He let out a low growl—power wrapped in tenderness. Before I could say a word, Julian had me pinned against the wall. He had come into the house smelling of strong alcohol, his eyes burning with a heat I had never seen before. I had been in love with Julian Vance from the first moment I saw him. It was hard not to be. He wasn't just any man—he was the powerful Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack and the CEO of Vance Enterprises. Six-foot-two, with broad shoulders and eyes as cold as a moonless night, he was every girl's dream. Because my father was the pack's most respected architect—and because I was only a wolfless human—Julian had always kept a polite distance between us. To him, I was just his mentor's daughter. Until tonight. His mouth came down hard on mine. He spread my legs and pushed inside me, filling me again and again, until my body belonged to him completely. From the living room to the bedroom, I didn't refuse a single one of his demands. I thought my years of silent, one-sided love had finally been answered. My body ached for days, but my heart soared. When he sobered up the next morning, he swore he would take responsibility. "Once the Pack Elders and my mother accept you," he would whisper against my skin, "I'll mark you. I'll make you my Luna." I believed him. God help me, I believed him. We were together for eight years. I grew from an innocent girl into a woman who blushed at the lightest brush of his fingers. In the boardroom and under the full moon, Alpha Julian Vance was feared by every man and wolf alive. But with me, he was gentleness itself. To pave the way for our future, I did everything to win over his mother, the former Luna. I took part-time jobs at her favorite stores, set up "accidental" meetings, and over the course of months, turned myself into her close friend. And today, sitting across from Mrs. Vance in a sunlit café, I thought my eight years of waiting were finally over. "My stubborn son has finally found his Luna!" Mrs. Vance’s joyous voice snapped me out of my thoughts. Joy crashed over me like a wave. I opened my mouth, a smile breaking across my face—but before I could get the words out, she slid a glossy photograph across the table. "Julian insisted on her," Mrs. Vance sighed, glowing. "He told the Elders it was her or no one. Tell me, Vivian—what do you think of her?" I looked down. The smile died on my face. The blood drained from my head, leaving a loud, hollow ringing in my ears. It wasn't me in the photo. In the picture, Julian was looking down at the woman in his arms with an expression I had never once seen on his face—pure, open love. She leaned into him, smiling like a woman who knew she was loved. Two powerful wolves. A perfect match. My fingers began to shake. No. This can't be real. Just this morning, Julian had held me close, kissed my neck, whispered sweet words into my skin. Mrs. Vance kept talking, not noticing a thing. "At first I was angry. Not a single woman for years, and then suddenly he drags one home and announces a Luna Ceremony? I nearly had a heart attack." "But then I found out—Vivienne and Julian were high school sweethearts. She's from one of the oldest, strongest wolf bloodlines. She left for Europe right after graduation to train, and all these years, Julian refused to date anyone because he was waiting for her." "The silly boy flew overseas every single month just to see her. He finally talked her into coming home, and the first thing he did was bring her to the Pack House. He's scared she'll slip away again." Photo after photo. Proof after proof. I stepped back, my face white as bone. Vivi… Vivienne… Who had Julian really been whispering to all those nights, his face buried in my neck? In eight years, Julian had never once posted me online. Never introduced me to his pack. Never to his friends. If I wanted to stop by his office, I had to book an appointment. I had cried, begged, shouted. And every time, Julian would cup my face in his hands, his voice soft. "I just don't like social media, sweetheart." "You know how wolves can be. Rough. Cruel to the wolfless. I won't have them disrespecting you." "And the company? We have to keep things professional, baby." Every single time, he calmed me down, and every single time, I let it go. For the last two years, I'd dropped hints about being marked. Julian's answer never changed. "My mother is a traditional Luna. She's picky. I won't let her hurt you. Just wait a little longer, okay?" So I waited. And waited. And waited. And now—he was making another woman his Luna. I had never felt more like a fool in my entire life. I didn't hear another word Mrs. Vance said. I made a quick excuse and ran. In the taxi, I pulled up Vivienne Cole's social media with shaking hands. Her top post was the announcement of the Luna Ceremony. Julian on one knee. A ring shining on her finger. Turns out he really was willing to wait eight years for me. I scrolled. And scrolled. Every post was a knife. Three months ago—my birthday—he was with Vivienne on a snowy mountain. Six months ago, while I lay burning with fever in a hospital bed, he was with her watching the sun set over the sea in Santorini. A year ago, as I lit the candles for our anniversary dinner, he was standing under the Northern Lights, pouring his heart out to her. And earlier still—when they were attacked by rogues in New York, Julian had thrown his body over hers to shield her from a silver bullet. I remembered the night they flew him home. His shirt soaked black with blood. I'd cried by his bedside for three days straight, begging him to be more careful. All this time, I thought he was just growing the pack. I thought his monthly trips abroad were official pack business. I thought he missed our anniversaries because the weight of the Blood Moon Pack rested on his shoulders. God, I had been pathetic. Tears blurred the streetlights into streaks of gold as I stepped out of the cab. I stared at the house that had once felt like home. I pushed the door open. Julian was in the kitchen. The air smelled of garlic and ginger. On the table sat a plate of roast beef—my favorite. "Sweetheart, you're home? Go wash up. Dinner's almost ready." I didn't move. He came out carrying another dish, reaching up to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear. "What's wrong? Your eyes are red. Did someone upset you?" I lifted my phone. The proposal photo stared back at him. "Should I say congratulations, Alpha?" My voice broke on the last word. ###Chapter 2 The room fell into a heavy silence. Julian's eyes landed on the screen. Whatever warmth had been there a moment ago vanished in an instant. He pinched the bridge of his nose, his face strangely calm. "So. You found out." I stared at him, not believing my own ears. "No explanation?" The words scraped out of my throat. "Nothing at all?" He pulled out a chair and sat, as calm as if we were talking about the weather. He poured soup into a bowl and pushed it toward me. "Yes. I'm taking her as my Luna." Flat. Simple. As though he were telling me he'd run out of coffee. Something inside me snapped. My hand flew out and smacked the bowl from his grip. It crashed across the floor. "Then what am I?" My voice shattered. "What were the last eight years of my life for?" His eyes flicked to the tears in mine, and he sighed—like I was the one being unreasonable. He stood and pulled me into his arms. "Vivi… I wasn't going to tell you yet. I knew it would hurt you." "But things are what they are. She's from a powerful bloodline. The pack needs her. You'll just have to accept it." "Don't worry. Nothing between us has to change. I'll buy you a villa outside pack territory. I'll hire the best staff. As long as you don't cause trouble for Vivienne, you can have anything you want." He spoke in that same gentle voice he'd used for eight years. I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood. "You want me to be your mistress? A wolfless girl you keep hidden in the shadows?" For wolves, a mate was sacred. What he was asking was the deepest insult of all. Julian frowned, stroking my hair as if I were a child having a fit. "With an Alpha's protection, no one would dare say a bad word about you." A chill crawled down my spine. My hand drifted to my flat stomach. My voice came out hollow, as if from far away. "Do you know why I've wanted to get married so badly?" Julian blinked, confused. His lips parted to ask— His phone rang. He answered. In one second, his spine went stiff. "Where are you? I'm on my way. Now." He moved so fast he knocked straight into me. I went down hard, and a piece of broken china cut deep into my calf. He didn't look back. The door slammed behind him. Blood soaked through my jeans. But the pain in my leg was nothing compared to what was tearing through my chest. In my pocket was the pregnancy test. Two pink lines. Four weeks along. I was carrying the Alpha's baby. I had planned to surprise him tonight. Now I understood just how pathetic that dream had been. *** I sat by the window until the sky turned gray. Vivienne Cole posted an update at 2 a.m.: *"Got into a minor car accident. Nothing serious, but Julian rushed over and held me all night. He's my whole world."* At dawn, I typed three words and hit send: [Let's break up.] Then I started packing. Five years in this house. Five years of memories. I took only what I needed. I was almost out the door when my phone rang. Mrs. Vance. Her voice bright as a bell. "Beautiful day! Come shopping with me. That new mall I told you about finally opened." My throat closed up. Over these past months, I had truly grown to care for her. If I was leaving, I owed her a proper goodbye. I agreed to meet. When I arrived at the mall, I saw two figures standing behind her. Julian. And Vivienne Cole. I turned to leave, but Mrs. Vance had already spotted me. "Vivian! Over here!" She waved, beaming. "This is the Vivian I've told you so much about. And Vivian, this is my son and his future Luna. Isn't it perfect that you can all meet?" Julian's eyes snapped to mine. A sharp warning flashed in their depths. I forced my lips into a smile, pushing down the pain crushing my ribs. "They're picking out a wedding dress today," Mrs. Vance said, looping her arm through mine and pulling me toward the bridal shop. "You have such an eye for design, sweetheart. Come help." Every step was like walking on glass. Inside, Vivienne came out in a flow of white silk. Julian stepped out in a black tuxedo that shaped his shoulders. Standing side by side, they were the perfect Alpha and Luna. Vivienne turned to me with a sweet, dimpled smile. "What do you think?" I swallowed the sharp pain in my throat. Nodded. "Beautiful," I whispered. "You two look perfect." Julian's brow creased. He searched my face for something—a tear, a flinch, anything—but I gave him nothing. Then his jaw tightened. He remembered the text. Something dark flickered in his eyes. He pulled Vivienne against his chest and, with slow, deliberate ownership, nuzzled his cheek along the line of her throat as he zipped her gown. A classic wolf move—marking her with his scent. She is mine. The shop attendants gasped and looked away, cheeks red. My face went bone-white. I couldn't watch another second. I pressed a hand to my mouth and ran for the restroom. I was hunched over the sink, throwing up, when an iron grip closed around my wrist. Pine. Cedar. Him. Julian pushed me back against the cold tile wall and forced my chin up. "Why have you been getting close to my mother behind my back?" ###Chapter 3 I tried to twist free. He pinned me harder, his body trapping mine, forcing my eyes up to meet his. "Tell me." His voice was low, dangerous. "Why have you been getting close to my mother behind my back?" Tears blurred my vision. What was I supposed to say? That I'd wanted to be his Luna so badly I'd shamelessly chased his mother's friendship for months? That I'd embarrassed myself trying to earn a place in his pack? Too pathetic. I bit my lip and said nothing. He let out a sharp breath and let me go. "Always the same," he muttered, almost to himself. "You always go silent when you're hurt." His hand came up to my hair. His voice slipped back into that warm, familiar tone. "Stop overthinking. Even after Vivienne becomes Luna, nothing changes between us." "But Vivienne doesn't know about you. Keep your head down around her. Don't let her find out." It was the same voice I had loved for eight years. Now it made my skin crawl. "Julian?" Vivienne's sweet voice drifted down the hall. He dropped his hand at once and stepped back, putting a cold distance between us. Then he walked out as if nothing had happened. My stomach turned over again. I gripped the sink. Vivienne walked in. The moment she saw me hunched over, throwing up, her sweet smile vanished. What replaced it was raw, pure disgust. "Ms. Hayes." Her voice dripped poison. "Is being a secret mistress really that thrilling?" My head jerked up. Her smile returned, but this time it was sharp and cruel. "Did you honestly think I didn't know about you and Julian?" Ice flooded my veins. All this time, I'd wanted to believe Vivienne was innocent—that she didn't even know I existed. She knew. She'd always known. A bitter laugh escaped me. "If you know, then you know exactly who the real homewrecker is." Vivienne didn't even flinch. "The real mistress is the one he doesn't love." she said softly. "An Alpha needs a Luna with power. Julian only kept you around as a warm bed while I was gone. I'm the one he loves. He settled for a wolfless nobody because I was in Europe. You were a placeholder. A toy." "Now that I'm back, you're just a dirty little secret he needs to throw out with the trash." Her pride was so complete it was almost impressive. I had no energy left to argue. I turned to leave. She grabbed my arm. "If you don't believe me, let's put it to the test. Let's see who the Alpha comes for first." Before I could pull away, she pulled a lighter out of her purse and flicked it open. She touched the flame to the curtains, to a stack of hand towels on the counter. The fire leapt. Smoke filled the small space fast and thick. I stared at her, horrified. "You're insane!" Her eyes dropped to my stomach. Pure poison. "Unless I'm mistaken… you're pregnant, aren't you?" "I am not letting some wolfless little bitch give birth to the Alpha's heir—" With a sudden, violent shove, she threw me toward the growing fire. Heat burned my skin. I screamed. A heartbeat later, Julian burst through the smoke, tall and wild-eyed. His hand closed around my arm and pulled me forward. I clutched my stabbing stomach. I opened my mouth to tell him—our baby, Julian, our baby— "Julian! Save me!" Vivienne's cry rang out behind us. Julian dropped my hand like it had burned him. He didn't hesitate. Didn't look back. "Her wolf is still weak from her time abroad," he threw over his shoulder. "You've always been healthy. I have to save her first!" He scooped her up and disappeared into the smoke. The air burned in my lungs. My vision spun. A hot, sharp pain tore through my lower belly. Then I felt it—warm, sticky blood sliding down my thighs. I tried to scream. Nothing came out. I don't know how much later I opened my eyes in a hospital bed. The doctor looked at me with pity that hurt worse than any wound. "I'm so sorry. The baby... we couldn't save it." I stared at the ceiling. Tears slid silently into my hair. My chest felt like it was being cut open from the inside. Julian sat beside the bed, dark circles under his eyes. "Why didn't you tell me you were pregnant?" "And why would you do something as reckless as starting a fire?" I turned my head sluggishly. "You think I started the fire?" His eyes were full of disappointment. Disappointment in me. "The pack guards already investigated. It was arson. Only you and Vivienne were in that bathroom." "Vivienne told me everything. You threatened her. You demanded she step down as Luna. When she refused, you lit the match." "Vivian. How did you become someone so cruel?" Every word hit my chest like a hammer. "You actually believe her?" I whispered. His voice turned to steel. "Vivienne is kind. She has burns up her whole arm and she didn't say a word about her own injuries—she was pleading with me not to punish you. Begging me." "I'm disappointed in you. Truly." He stood. He walked out of the room without looking back. I lay there in the silence, watching the door swing shut. I should have known. When it came down to life and death, the only person Alpha Julian Vance would ever save was the woman he'd chosen as Luna. He would never believe me. I pressed my palm against my empty, aching womb. And finally I broke. My sobs tore out of me and filled the empty room. I had loved the wrong man. ###Chapter 4 Julian never came back. The nurses watched me lie there day after day with no visitors, and pity crept into their eyes. I heard them whispering in the hall. "That wolfless girl and the future Luna came in on the same day. Alpha Julian is in Vivienne's room every hour—bringing her meals, feeding her by hand, treating her like she's made of glass." "Meanwhile, Vivian hasn't had one visitor. Not one. It's sad. A wolfless human could never match a true-blood wolf." Every word about how Julian doted on Vivienne chipped away another piece of me. Eventually, there was nothing left to chip. The day I was discharged, I walked out of the house we'd shared and never looked back. I left pack territory and rented a cheap little apartment in the city. Then I forced myself back to work. Seven years. I had spent seven years studying pack architecture and defense engineering. To finally make a name for myself—to make my father proud—I had entered the National Architectural Design Competition. The finals had come and gone. I was just waiting for the results to prove my worth. I opened the competition's official site. And froze. Below my design—The Eaves—was the name of the person who had submitted it. Vivienne Cole. She had used my design. To take first place. My head spun. I grabbed my phone and dialed the Competition Committee. The voice on the other end was ice. "We've checked the submission. The Eaves was submitted by Ms. Cole. As for your entry, the committee has ruled it a copy. You've been disqualified and banned from the industry for life." The design forums were on fire. A former colleague called me, panicked. "Vivian, what the hell is going on? Please tell me you didn't actually steal from the future Luna." "The business elite is talking. If you're innocent, you need to clear your name now, or you'll never work in this industry again." My hands were shaking too hard to hold the phone steady. Six months. I had poured six months of my life into The Eaves. It was a groundbreaking design for pack-house security. Every sketch, every blueprint, every measurement—Julian knew all of it. He was the only person with access to my private computer. Ice flooded my chest. I drove straight to his office and walked past his secretary. "Why did you give my work to her?" My voice shook with anger. Julian leaned back in his leather chair, unmoved. "Vivienne just came home from Europe. She needs a major achievement to prove herself to the Pack Elders." He said it like a man reading a grocery list. I couldn't breathe. "So you just... handed her my work? Julian, I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into that! That competition was my life! What you did is stealing!" The word stealing struck a nerve. "The competition is over. The winner has been announced. Making a scene now changes nothing." His voice dropped colder still. "Besides—you nearly killed Vivienne in that fire. I only used some sketches. Call it your apology to her." A laugh broke out of me—ugly, jagged. "Apology? I didn't start that fire! Why would I apologize for something I never did?" "I'm not letting this go, Julian. I'll expose her. Every bit of it." I turned on my heel. Even if Julian had the digital files, he didn't have the years of preparation. He didn't have the hand-drawn originals with my pencil marks and coffee stains. He didn't have what lived in my head. I still had every original sketch at home. I would take them straight to the committee and demand a full investigation. I got into my car and pulled onto the road, my mind racing through everything I would say. I never saw the SUV coming. It shot out of a side street at full speed, and before I could even hit the brakes, it slammed into me. Metal screamed as my car flipped through the air. My body snapped hard against the seatbelt, and my head cracked against the window. The world broke apart into spinning shards of light, and something warm and thick began pouring into my eyes, turning everything red. In the last second before the darkness took me, I looked through the shattered windshield and saw Vivienne Cole sitting behind the wheel of the SUV. ###Chapter 5 Chaos. Sirens. Glass. Vivienne's fingers shook as she dialed Julian's number. "Julian— something happened. Come. Please come." He arrived in ten minutes flat. When he saw me crumpled inside the crushed car, covered in blood, the color drained from his face. His heart skipped a beat. "Vivi!" "How did this happen? Somebody call an ambulance—now!" Vivienne's voice cracked into sobs. "Julian, I didn't mean to, I swear, I just lost control of the wheel. Please don't blame me, please, please—" He pulled her into his arms and held her tight against his chest. "Shh. I'm here. I'll handle everything." He pressed her close but his eyes kept drifting back to my bleeding body. Guilt flickered there. Just for a moment. Then it was gone. *** I didn't wake up for a week. Broken bones. A clot in my brain. It took three surgeries just to keep me breathing. When my eyes finally cracked open, Julian was slumped at my bedside. Shadows under his eyes. Rough stubble along his jaw. When he saw me awake, relief washed across his face so completely that, for one crazy second, I almost believed he still loved me. "Vivi. You're awake. How do you feel?" He gripped my hand like I'd disappear if he let go. The pack doctor checked the monitors. "She's recovering well. With rest, she'll pull through." Julian breathed out like a man coming up from deep water. His thumb stroked my knuckles. I pulled my hand out of his. "It was Vivienne, wasn't it?" Dead silence. My lips trembled. Tears spilled over without my permission. "Where are my original sketches? Where's the evidence I was taking to the committee?" Something that looked like pity crossed his face. "Vivi, you just woke up. You're too weak for this. Don't worry about those things right now." I gathered every bit of strength I had and pushed him away from me. "Julian Vance— she almost killed me." "I almost died." I stared up at the Alpha I had loved for eight long years, and the pain and anger inside me were so huge they felt like drowning. "To protect her Luna title, you stole my life's work. And then you let her run me over." "Julian... how did I ever fall in love with you?" I sobbed until my chest locked up. The heart monitor beside me began to scream. "I'm not letting this go." "I will make her pay for what she did." He let out a long, deep sigh, and his eyes filled with something I could only call guilt but his voice, when it came, was steady as stone. "Vivi. It's no use. I won't let you hurt Vivienne." I searched his face. "What do you mean?" I whispered. "The original sketches you kept at home," he said quietly. "I burned them. All of them." "The ownership of The Eaves is no longer in question. Vivienne is the winner." "As for the driver who hit you—pack guards caught him. It was a drunk rogue. The accident has nothing to do with Vivienne." The room tilted. Every word was a silver blade sliding between my ribs. He had destroyed my only proof. He had made up a scapegoat for the crash. All of it to keep Vivienne's hands clean. Tears streamed down my face, but what came out of my mouth was broken laughter. "Julian Vance… I can't believe you went this far for her." I was a fool to think I ever mattered to him. The heart monitor kept screaming. My chest caved in on itself. Only then, at the sound of the alarms, did Julian look worried. He leaned in, his voice suddenly soft again. The voice he'd used on me for eight years. "Vivi, please. I know it feels unfair. Vivienne didn't mean to. She was just scared." "I'll make it up to you. We can go back to the way things were. I promise, I'll take care of you." I stopped laughing and closed my eyes. Something inside me quietly, finally, died. He took my silence as agreement. Then he stood up and turned to leave. That was when I spoke, my hands pressing against my flat stomach. "What if she kills our baby, Julian?" I saw his body freeze in the doorway. "Oh wait." A broken laugh tore out of me. "She already did." Slowly, in disbelief, Julian turned his head to look at me.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Die Eishockeyrivalen Adam und James können sich nicht ausstehen, bis eine wilde Nacht im Lager alles kippt. Nach dem Spiel tauschen sie plötzlich die Körper, dann verkünden ihre Eltern auch noch die Hochzeit. Als Stiefbrüder im selben Bett kommen sie einander gefährlich nah. Doch wer hält die Fassade länger?
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Join us for a day of interactive workshops for people of all ages to get hands on with Northern Ireland’s wonderful wildlife! 🐦
Cassius Norwicke transmigrates into the body of Matthias Norwicke's illegitimate son—a young man trapped in a life of abuse and isolation. Falsely accused and pushed to the edge, Cassius defies his fate, using his cunning to turn the odds in his favor. Along the way, he finds himself drawn to both Princess Josephine and General Justina Crawford, embarking on a tangled path of vengeance, power, and forbidden love.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
🔥Reborn after her cruel mate Kaleb throws her to the rogues, True Luna Elara refuses to marry him again. Instead, she chooses Silas — the comatose Blood-Moon Alpha who once showed her kindness. While nursing him awake, she dismantles her enemies and uncovers the conspiracy behind her family's massacre: Kaleb's mother orchestrated it all. When Silas wakes and vengeance falls, Kaleb loses his crown, his mate, and everything — while Elara finally finds peace.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Cassius Norwicke transmigrates into the body of Matthias Norwicke's illegitimate son—a young man trapped in a life of abuse and isolation. Falsely accused and pushed to the edge, Cassius defies his fate, using his cunning to turn the odds in his favor. Along the way, he finds himself drawn to both Princess Josephine and General Justina Crawford, embarking on a tangled path of vengeance, power, and forbidden love.
Cassius Norwicke transmigrates into the body of Matthias Norwicke's illegitimate son—a young man trapped in a life of abuse and isolation. Falsely accused and pushed to the edge, Cassius defies his fate, using his cunning to turn the odds in his favor. Along the way, he finds himself drawn to both Princess Josephine and General Justina Crawford, embarking on a tangled path of vengeance, power, and forbidden love.
Joey, a modern-day underdog loser, is suddenly transported into a Wild West game world set during the era of westward expansion and the American Civi War—only to find himself reborn as a penniless cowboy. Forced to accept a main quest titled "Become the King of the Wild Frontier,” he is assigned three female war captives and bound to an affection-based game system.By increasing their favorability, Joey can unlock modern weapons and skills.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
Two rival hockey players who can't standeach other-yet share a wild one-night stand in a storage room. After the game, Adam and James crash into each other's bodies. Then their parents announce they're getting married. Forced into the same bed as stepbrothers, they go from barely tolerating each other to becoming unexpectedly close. Step by step, the walls fall. 1Their bodies tell the truth. Whoever drops the act first... loses.
Dois jogadores rivais de hóquei não se suportam, mas acabam tendo uma noite intensa juntos em um depósito. Após o jogo, Adam e James colidem não só no gelo, mas também fora dele. Então, seus pais anunciam que vão se casar. Forçados a dividir a mesma cama como meio-irmãos, eles passam de inimigos a algo inesperadamente próximo. Aos poucos, as barreiras caem. Seus corpos dizem a verdade. Quem baixar a guarda primeiro... perde.
🔥Reborn after her cruel mate Kaleb throws her to the rogues, True Luna Elara refuses to marry him again. Instead, she chooses Silas — the comatose Blood-Moon Alpha who once showed her kindness. While nursing him awake, she dismantles her enemies and uncovers the conspiracy behind her family's massacre: Kaleb's mother orchestrated it all. When Silas wakes and vengeance falls, Kaleb loses his crown, his mate, and everything — while Elara finally finds peace.
Chapter 1 The Blood Moon Ceremony ELOISE. The Red Moon hung high above the Autumn Pack, casting a crimson glow over the clearing. The air was filled with the scent of pine and the sweat of hundreds of wolves watching me. Tonight was the Mating Ceremony under the full Moon, the night my life was supposed to fall into place. “The Moon Goddess casts her blessings upon us,” the Pack Elder announced, his voice was raspy but still loud enough over the wind. “Tonight, Alpha Edward marks his destined mate, uniting the pack’s strength. Elsie Lockwood, step forward.” I stepped toward the stone altar in the center of the field. My white ceremonial dress felt heavy, and the silence from the crowd was tense. Edward stood before me, as the Alpha, he should look proud that he was about to mark me; he should have been radiating possessiveness, but instead, he stood before me with his jaw clenched tight, and he refused to look me in the eyes. His wolf, who was always present and strong in my mind, felt distant. “Alpha,” the Elder called gently. “It is time to place your mark on the future Luna of this Pack.” Edward hesitated. The seconds dragged on as if we have been here for a lifetime, his hands stood frozen by his side and he wasn't moving. He didn't lean in to smell me, or bare his teeth to mark thag spot on my neck. He just stood there, looking like a man who was forced to be here. Whispers broke out among the Pack members. “What is going on?” “Why isn't he marking her?” “Does the Alpha reject the bond?” “Did he realise that he can't be with her because of her connection with the rogues?” The humiliation burned my skin hotter than the fire touches surrounding us. I stretched my hand to meet his hand, my fingers barely grazing him. “Edward,” I whispered, pleading with my eyes. Hundreds of people were here; it wouldn't make sense if he backed out now. “Please, the whole pack is watching.” He flinched at my touch. He opened his mouth to say something, maybe he wanted to apologize or reject me. But we wouldn't know because the smell of fresh iron and rot hit our noses. Something dark. A rustling sound came from the edge of the woods, and then a body thumped onto the grass. I squinted my eyes at the scene to see who it was. It was one of the patrol guards; his shredded armor gave him away. Deep claw marks were all over his chest, and he was dragging one leg. He collapsed when he finally got to the stone altar. “Alpha….” the guard choked put, liquid bubbling from his mouth. “Rogues….at the Northern Border…” Edward’s demeanour changed immediately; he dropped to a knee beside the injured guard. “Report. How many?” “T-Too many…” The guard gripped Edward’s hand, his eyes wide with terror and fear. “They have Lady S-Summer. She's surrounded by them, I-I couldn't he—” he couldn't get the words out as another round of liquid poured out of his mouth. The color drained from Edward’s face. “Summer?” “She's trapped among the rogues. She's hurt very bad and I d-dont think she will last another ten minutes.” Edward rose to his feet immediately. The hesitation from moments ago is gone, replaced by raw panic. “The ceremony is over!” Edward roared to the crowd. “Warriors, move to the north.” He turned his back on me without a second thought, his muscles shifting as he prepared to shift into his wolf form. “Edward!” I grabbed his hand, digging my fingers into his biceps. “Stop.” He spun around at once, his eyes flashing with gold anger, letting me know that his wolf was near. “Let go, Elsie. Summer is dying.” “Look at where we are!” I shouted, my voice trembling. “We are under the full Moon! The ritual has started. If you leave the altar now, you break the sacred laws. You humiliate me before the whole pack.” “She is being attacked by rogues, Elsie?” “And you have warriors to go attend to that.” I pointed to the dozens of warriors shifting into their wolf forms. “You have my brothers, why does it have to be you? Why must it always be you?” Why is it always you when she calls? “Don’t be so heartless, Elsie. This is life or death. He said and shoved my hands away. “Im not being heartless, I'm being your mate!” I shouted, standing my ground, even though my legs felt weak. “Dont you think there's something wrong? Why is it always every time we are together, or we have something going for us, that something is always happening to her?” I had held the question inside for years, ever since I returned from being a captive of the rogues. Twelve Years ago, I was taken. I disappeared during a border patrol, dragged off to a rogue camp. According to my best friend, Tavi, my family searched for a while, and after they didn't find me, they stopped. Months later, my father brought Summer home, claiming her as the new daughter of the family. She took my room. She took my clothes. She took the love of my parents and my brothers. When I finally escaped, I crawled my way back here, expecting to meet the love of my family, only to be met with coldness. Nobody celebrated my return; they rather doted on the golden child. I became a stain on their reputation in the pack. “Enough, Elsie!” My mother stepped up to the altar, her face twisted in disgust. “Rogues are tearing apart your sister, and all you care about is a ceremony? You're so selfish!” “I don't have a sister,” I said coldly. “Summer is nothing to me.” “You fiend,” my eldest brother growled. “If Summer dies, it's on your hands.” “If she dies, it's because she's weak,” I answered in the same tone he used. “It's time you people chose who you want between Summer and me.” “Elsie, stop this childishness and madness. Be a good Luna and stay here. I just need to go and save her. I'll be back.” “Edward,” I called in a calm tone. “If you leave this circle right now,” I said, my voice echoing in the silence of the clearing. “If you chose her over the mate bond right now…dont bother coming back. We are finished.” The wind growled around us, and the pack held its breath. Edward stiffened. I thought he would stay. I thought maybe the sacred vows of our land would make me win. “Im sorry,” he muttered. “But she needs me more right now.” And then he leaped down from the altar, his body cracking and reshaping mid-air until a massive black wolf landed on the grass. He didn't look back; he sprinted into the darkness of the woods. One by one, my father, my mother, and my brothers all left me alone by myself, on the stone altar, under the Full Moon, forsaking the vows we hadn't even taken. I looked up at the Full Moon, feeling a strange and cold clarity washing over me. I wasn't going to wait for him to come back. I wasn't going to be the pathetic Elsie waiting at the altar anymore. I closed my eyes and made my choice. Chapter 2 The Accusation ELOISE. “The Alpha left her for her sister,” someone in the crowd whispered. “But for the adopted sister? That's brutal.” “Maybe he knows something we don't. She's damaged goods after all.” I tried not to let their words hurt me, but their words were like daggers pricking my skin. My chest heaved, the air feeling too thin to breathe. I looked up at the Full Moon, which seemed to mock me with its red glow. The pain of humiliation mixed with the scorching heat of the incomplete bond was too much. “AHHHHH!” I let out a scream. It was raw and filled with agony. It tore from my throat, echoing through the empty altar. The crowd flinched, all of them stepping back away from me as if I were the enemy, but I didn't care. I ripped the ceremonial veil off my head and threw it into the dirt. I wasn't going to wait here. I wanted to see it. I needed to see if Summer was actually dying, or if she had won again. I hiked up my heavy white dress and marched towards the edge of the woods. “Lady Elsie,” a patrol guard stepped into my path. “You shouldn't go; the Alpha commanded you to wait.” “Are you mad?” I asked coldly, trying as much as possible not to lose my cool. “Move aside and tell me, is Summer dead?” I asked. The guard shifted his weight and looked down at his boots. “I’m sorry, my lady. Uh, no, my lady. The warriors found her immediately. She didn't have a lot of injuries, though; she was just shaken up.” “Where is she?” “They took her to the pack hospital to be checked for shock,” he admitted. I pushed past him and began the long walk, not caring to ask for a carriage or a car. My bare feet bled on the stones, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hurt I had in my heart. When I reached the pack hospital, the receptionist looked at my white dress with wide eyes. “Where is Summer?” I demanded. “Top floor, the VIP suite, my lady,” she said with a bow. I took the stairs; I wasn't patient enough to take the elevator. My heart was pounding, not from exhaustion, but from rage. I reached the hallway of the VIP suite, the door was slightly ajar, and I was about to barge in when I heard a soft voice. “Edward…it was so scary.” Summer sobbed. “The rogues surrounded me and said t-terrible things.” “What did they say, Summer?” Edward’s voice was so gentle and filled with concern. The kind of tone he never used with me. “They said…” Summer sniffled loudly. “They said they hoped Elsie was satisfied with the work they did. They said…they said my sister paid them to scare me away from the ceremony.” My breath hitched. My hands curled into fists so tight that my nails cut into my palms. “What?” Julian growled. “Elsie did this? She hired rogues to end you?” “No! No!” Summer cried out, her voice sounding frantic and fake. “I don't want to believe it. I know Elsie hates me, I know she's jealous, but she wouldn't do that! Please don't blame her! Maybe the rogues were lying; it's probably all a misunderstanding.” “A misunderstanding?” my mother scoffed. “Summer, stop being so naive. Elsie disappeared for twelve years. She lived with rogues! She probably learned their tricks. She has their lifes on her hands!” “She is a traitor,” Antoine spat. “We welcomed her back, and this is how she repays us? By trying to have our sweet Summer killed?” I couldn't listen to another word. BANG. I kicked the door open, and it slammed against the wall with a powerful crash. Everyone in the room jumped. Summer was sitting on the hospital bed, looking perfectly fine while holding a cup of hot cocoa. My parents and brothers gathered around her like she was a fragile glass doll. “Say that again!” I screamed, walking further into the room. My dress was torn ag the hem, my hair was a mess, and I knew I looked like a mad woman. “Say it to my face, Summer. I hired rogues?” Summer shrank back against the pillows, her eyes filling with instant crocodile tears. She looked at Edward with a terrified glance. “Edward…im scared…her eyes…she looks like she wants to end me.” “Stay back, Elsie.” Edward stood up, blocking Summer from me. His Alpha aura flared, pressing down on me, but I didn't back down. I didn't submit. “She is lying. The guards at the woods told me she didn't even have that much injury! She staged this whole thing to ruin the ceremony.” I screamed I'm frustration. “Enough!” my father, Darlington, shouted. “Look at your sister, she is traumatized. How dare you accuse her when you're the one who consorts with rogues?” “I was kidnapped!” I yelled back. “I was a prisoner for twelve years! I didn't join them!” “So you say,” Antoine roared, crossing his arms and glaring daggers at me. “But you came back different, cold and cruel. And now, rogues attack Summer and use your name? It's too much of a coincidence.” “Ots not a coincidence, it's a setup.” I pointed a shaking finger at Summer. “She is manipulating all of you, can't you see it?” “Elsie, please stop.” Summer wailed, grabbing Edward’s hand. “It's my fault, I shouldn't have gone out! Don't be mad at Elsie! I'll leave the pack if I have to. I don't want to ruin your relationship.” “You aren't going anywhere, Summer,” Edward said soothingly, stroking her hair. Then he turned his hard gaze on me. “Elsie,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. “I cannot have a Luna who is associated with rogues. I cannot trust the pack with someone who would hurt her own sister.” “I didn't do it,” I whispered with a crackling voice. “Edward, please, you have to believe me. We are mates.” “Are we?” Edward looked at me with ice in his gaze. “I don't plan on having a fiend as a mate.” Summer tugged on his sleeve, weeping harder. “No, Edward, please, don't do it! Please, I beg you, she's my sister! Just punish her, or lock her in the dungeon, but don't reject her; it will eliminate her wolf.” She was begging for mercy on my behalf, but I saw the glint of victory in her eyes. She wanted him to do it. She wanted to watch me lose everything to her. “I have made my decision,” Edward stated clearly. “I need to sort all this mess out before the Lycan King visits our pack. So as of now…” “No..” I breathed. “I, Alpha Edward Forbes of the Autumn Pack,” he began, his voice booming in the large hospital room. “Edward, don't!” Summer screamed, burying her face in her hands, peeking through her fingers. “I reject you, Elsie Lockwood, as my mate and Luna,” he finished. Snap. It felt like a physical blow to my chest. A pain sharper than any knife sliced through my soul. I gasped, clutching my chest and stumbling back. My wolf howler, I'm agony in my head, curling into a ball of darkness. My knees hit the floor, and I couldn't breathe. “Get out.” I looked up from the floor, through the smoke of pain, and I saw Summer smirk at me over Edward’s shoulder. Just a tiny, quick curve of her lips. I won. The smirk said. I stood up I wouldn't let them see me cry. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me beg. I turned around and walked out of the room. I walked away from the man who rejected me and the family that hated me. I walked out into the cold night, and I walked along the road that led away from Autumn Pack, my bare feet numb to the sharp stones. I had no plan. I had no pack. I had nothing but a torn mating dress and a wild want on my mind to make them regret the day they chose Summer over me. My mind was a chaotic storm of thoughts. My mother’s glare, Edward's rejection, Summer’s victorious smirk. I was so lost in my rage that I didn't hear the roar of the engine behind me. “Hey! Watch out!” Chapter 3 The Cursed Lycan King ELOISE. “Hey! Watch out!” A chorus of screams from some nearby pack traders snapped me back into reality. I spun around just in time to see a sleek, pitch black armored sedan barreling toward me. It was moving too fast. My breath hitched. I froze, my wolf instinct failing me in my grief. SCREECH!!! The tires locked, skidding against the gravel. Dust and small rocks flew into the air, swallowing me in a gray cloud. The heavy metal bumper stopped inches—just mere inches—from my knees. The heat radiating from the engine burned my skin. My heart hammered against my ribs, but strangely I didn't feel fear. I felt… something else. As the dust settled, an intense, overwhelming scent hit my nose. It wasn't the smell of rubber or asphalt. It was something organic. Something rotting. It smelled like something ancient, laced with sulfur and decaying nightshade. It was the smell of a sickness so deep it stained the soul. The driver's door flew open, and a burly man in a dark suit jumped out. He looked furious. “Are you crazy?” the driver bellowed, marching towards me. “Do you have a death wish, wolf? Why weren't you looking at where you were going?” He reached out to shove me off the road, but before his hand could touch my shoulder, I grabbed his wrist. He blinked, shocked by mg speed. “Stand still,” my voice hoarse but authoritative. I leaned in and sniffed him aggressively, right at the pulse of his neck. The driver pulled back, looking at me like I was a maniac. “What are you doing? Get off me, you maniac.” “It's not you,” I muttered, releasing him. “You're as healthy as a horse, though your cholesterol is high. But that smell…” My gaze drifted past him to the black car, specifically to the back seat. The windows were tinted so dark they looked like polished obsidian, reflecting my rumpled reflection. Something was drawing me to whatever or whoever was in the back seat. I couldn't see inside, but I could feel it. It felt like I was being stared down by a predator that could swallow the world whole. “Who is in the car?” I asked, taking a step toward the vehicle. The driver stepped in front of me, growling low in his throat. “It's none of your business, but you should know that he's no one you should trifle with; he's the Lycan King,” he said, and fear took hold of me immediately. The Lycan King? The ruthless and dangerous man whom no one has seen his eyes? I couldn't help the reaction I had; I bowed in respect immediately. But something pulled me to look at the black tinted glasses again; it felt as if he was calling me. I focused on the smells leaking from the cracks of the car door. It was a curse. A powerful and dark magic curse. “He’s in pain,” I said, staring directly at the black window. “Terrible pain. It feels like fire in the veins, doesn't it?” I should keep quiet, it's not my business, but I was in one of those modes, it felt like someone was speaking through me each time I was diagnosing someone, which is probably the reason I couldn't keep shut. “Watch your tongue, you filth,” the driver said with so much fury. “He can't sleep.” I continued, my voice gaining more strength even when my subconscious knew I should keep quiet. “The moonlight burns him. His wolf his fighting for control, tearing him apart from the inside out. And the eyes….” I paused, the diagnosis forming clearly in my mind as if the smell was whispering the symptoms to me. “It's the Chromia Curse, isn't it?” I said softly. “The color of his eyes is not the same. They change color with the moon. If he doesn't treat it soon, he’ll go feral within the year.” “You should find him a high healer,” I said, turning away. That's the only people I know who could do something about his situation. I bowed and turned around to leave. I began to walk away. I had my own problems. I didn't need to get involved with our dying Lycan King. I heard the sound of the electric glass rolling down. “Wait.” The sound of the powerful voice stopped me in my tracks. The voice was deep and dangerous. It vibrated the air like a command that demanded obedience from every wolf in a ten-mile radius. It was the voice of a King. I turned back slowly. The window was down. Sitting in the shadowed interior was a man who looked like he had been carved from marble and nightmares. Like a Greek God, he had a sharp jawline, raven-black hair, and an aura so powerful it made the air around the car freeze. But his eyes were hidden behind a pair of pitch-black sunglasses. Even with the glasses, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. It was heavy and suffocating. “Come here,” he ordered. I know I shouldn't have obeyed. I should have run the other way because he looked like he could swallow me whole. “You smell the curse?” he asked, his tone devoid of any emotion. “I smell the rot.” I corrected, crossing my arms over my torn dress. “And I smell the magic binding your wolf.” “You're clever for a wolf in a mating dress,” he said dryly. “And you seem to know what exactly plagues me. Goddess knows how many healers I've killed because they failed to see what you smelled in seconds.” “Probably a lot.” I shrugged. “You seem the type.” “Tell me the cure,” he said coldly. “Im not a healer. I just happen to have a good nose. Find the witches of the east; they deal with curses. Or high healers.” “I don't want witches or healers. I want you,” he growled, closing forward slightly. My heart skipped a beat. “I want you.” “You diagnosed me without touching me. I don't care who you are or what pack you're running from. Fix my eyes, fix my wolf. Name your price.” He pulled out a gold card from his suit jacket, and I stared at it. It was enough money to run away from the goddamed place and be set for the rest of my life. But running wasn't what I wanted anymore. I looked at the man—he was the ruthless Lycan King that everybody feared. He was dying, and maybe I was the only one who could save him. And he was the most powerful wolf in existence. More powerful than Alpha Edward and the Lockwood family. A plan formed in my mind. A reckless and dangerous plan. I didn't take the card. Instead, I leaned against the door frame of his million-dollar car, looking him dead in in his sunglasses. “I don't want your money,” I said calmly. “Everyone wants money,” he countered. “I don't.” I tilted my head, letting my eyes flash with the remnants of my anger. “But thinking about it now…I might have a little problem that only you can solve.” He looked at me with renewed interest, a predator assessing a worthy partner. “A trade?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “A trade,” I confirmed. “I heal you. You destroy my enemies.”
Chapter 1 The Blood Moon Ceremony ELOISE. The Red Moon hung high above the Autumn Pack, casting a crimson glow over the clearing. The air was filled with the scent of pine and the sweat of hundreds of wolves watching me. Tonight was the Mating Ceremony under the full Moon, the night my life was supposed to fall into place. “The Moon Goddess casts her blessings upon us,” the Pack Elder announced, his voice was raspy but still loud enough over the wind. “Tonight, Alpha Edward marks his destined mate, uniting the pack’s strength. Elsie Lockwood, step forward.” I stepped toward the stone altar in the center of the field. My white ceremonial dress felt heavy, and the silence from the crowd was tense. Edward stood before me, as the Alpha, he should look proud that he was about to mark me; he should have been radiating possessiveness, but instead, he stood before me with his jaw clenched tight, and he refused to look me in the eyes. His wolf, who was always present and strong in my mind, felt distant. “Alpha,” the Elder called gently. “It is time to place your mark on the future Luna of this Pack.” Edward hesitated. The seconds dragged on as if we have been here for a lifetime, his hands stood frozen by his side and he wasn't moving. He didn't lean in to smell me, or bare his teeth to mark thag spot on my neck. He just stood there, looking like a man who was forced to be here. Whispers broke out among the Pack members. “What is going on?” “Why isn't he marking her?” “Does the Alpha reject the bond?” “Did he realise that he can't be with her because of her connection with the rogues?” The humiliation burned my skin hotter than the fire touches surrounding us. I stretched my hand to meet his hand, my fingers barely grazing him. “Edward,” I whispered, pleading with my eyes. Hundreds of people were here; it wouldn't make sense if he backed out now. “Please, the whole pack is watching.” He flinched at my touch. He opened his mouth to say something, maybe he wanted to apologize or reject me. But we wouldn't know because the smell of fresh iron and rot hit our noses. Something dark. A rustling sound came from the edge of the woods, and then a body thumped onto the grass. I squinted my eyes at the scene to see who it was. It was one of the patrol guards; his shredded armor gave him away. Deep claw marks were all over his chest, and he was dragging one leg. He collapsed when he finally got to the stone altar. “Alpha….” the guard choked put, liquid bubbling from his mouth. “Rogues….at the Northern Border…” Edward’s demeanour changed immediately; he dropped to a knee beside the injured guard. “Report. How many?” “T-Too many…” The guard gripped Edward’s hand, his eyes wide with terror and fear. “They have Lady S-Summer. She's surrounded by them, I-I couldn't he—” he couldn't get the words out as another round of liquid poured out of his mouth. The color drained from Edward’s face. “Summer?” “She's trapped among the rogues. She's hurt very bad and I d-dont think she will last another ten minutes.” Edward rose to his feet immediately. The hesitation from moments ago is gone, replaced by raw panic. “The ceremony is over!” Edward roared to the crowd. “Warriors, move to the north.” He turned his back on me without a second thought, his muscles shifting as he prepared to shift into his wolf form. “Edward!” I grabbed his hand, digging my fingers into his biceps. “Stop.” He spun around at once, his eyes flashing with gold anger, letting me know that his wolf was near. “Let go, Elsie. Summer is dying.” “Look at where we are!” I shouted, my voice trembling. “We are under the full Moon! The ritual has started. If you leave the altar now, you break the sacred laws. You humiliate me before the whole pack.” “She is being attacked by rogues, Elsie?” “And you have warriors to go attend to that.” I pointed to the dozens of warriors shifting into their wolf forms. “You have my brothers, why does it have to be you? Why must it always be you?” Why is it always you when she calls? “Don’t be so heartless, Elsie. This is life or death. He said and shoved my hands away. “Im not being heartless, I'm being your mate!” I shouted, standing my ground, even though my legs felt weak. “Dont you think there's something wrong? Why is it always every time we are together, or we have something going for us, that something is always happening to her?” I had held the question inside for years, ever since I returned from being a captive of the rogues. Twelve Years ago, I was taken. I disappeared during a border patrol, dragged off to a rogue camp. According to my best friend, Tavi, my family searched for a while, and after they didn't find me, they stopped. Months later, my father brought Summer home, claiming her as the new daughter of the family. She took my room. She took my clothes. She took the love of my parents and my brothers. When I finally escaped, I crawled my way back here, expecting to meet the love of my family, only to be met with coldness. Nobody celebrated my return; they rather doted on the golden child. I became a stain on their reputation in the pack. “Enough, Elsie!” My mother stepped up to the altar, her face twisted in disgust. “Rogues are tearing apart your sister, and all you care about is a ceremony? You're so selfish!” “I don't have a sister,” I said coldly. “Summer is nothing to me.” “You fiend,” my eldest brother growled. “If Summer dies, it's on your hands.” “If she dies, it's because she's weak,” I answered in the same tone he used. “It's time you people chose who you want between Summer and me.” “Elsie, stop this childishness and madness. Be a good Luna and stay here. I just need to go and save her. I'll be back.” “Edward,” I called in a calm tone. “If you leave this circle right now,” I said, my voice echoing in the silence of the clearing. “If you chose her over the mate bond right now…dont bother coming back. We are finished.” The wind growled around us, and the pack held its breath. Edward stiffened. I thought he would stay. I thought maybe the sacred vows of our land would make me win. “Im sorry,” he muttered. “But she needs me more right now.” And then he leaped down from the altar, his body cracking and reshaping mid-air until a massive black wolf landed on the grass. He didn't look back; he sprinted into the darkness of the woods. One by one, my father, my mother, and my brothers all left me alone by myself, on the stone altar, under the Full Moon, forsaking the vows we hadn't even taken. I looked up at the Full Moon, feeling a strange and cold clarity washing over me. I wasn't going to wait for him to come back. I wasn't going to be the pathetic Elsie waiting at the altar anymore. I closed my eyes and made my choice. Chapter 2 The Accusation ELOISE. “The Alpha left her for her sister,” someone in the crowd whispered. “But for the adopted sister? That's brutal.” “Maybe he knows something we don't. She's damaged goods after all.” I tried not to let their words hurt me, but their words were like daggers pricking my skin. My chest heaved, the air feeling too thin to breathe. I looked up at the Full Moon, which seemed to mock me with its red glow. The pain of humiliation mixed with the scorching heat of the incomplete bond was too much. “AHHHHH!” I let out a scream. It was raw and filled with agony. It tore from my throat, echoing through the empty altar. The crowd flinched, all of them stepping back away from me as if I were the enemy, but I didn't care. I ripped the ceremonial veil off my head and threw it into the dirt. I wasn't going to wait here. I wanted to see it. I needed to see if Summer was actually dying, or if she had won again. I hiked up my heavy white dress and marched towards the edge of the woods. “Lady Elsie,” a patrol guard stepped into my path. “You shouldn't go; the Alpha commanded you to wait.” “Are you mad?” I asked coldly, trying as much as possible not to lose my cool. “Move aside and tell me, is Summer dead?” I asked. The guard shifted his weight and looked down at his boots. “I’m sorry, my lady. Uh, no, my lady. The warriors found her immediately. She didn't have a lot of injuries, though; she was just shaken up.” “Where is she?” “They took her to the pack hospital to be checked for shock,” he admitted. I pushed past him and began the long walk, not caring to ask for a carriage or a car. My bare feet bled on the stones, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the hurt I had in my heart. When I reached the pack hospital, the receptionist looked at my white dress with wide eyes. “Where is Summer?” I demanded. “Top floor, the VIP suite, my lady,” she said with a bow. I took the stairs; I wasn't patient enough to take the elevator. My heart was pounding, not from exhaustion, but from rage. I reached the hallway of the VIP suite, the door was slightly ajar, and I was about to barge in when I heard a soft voice. “Edward…it was so scary.” Summer sobbed. “The rogues surrounded me and said t-terrible things.” “What did they say, Summer?” Edward’s voice was so gentle and filled with concern. The kind of tone he never used with me. “They said…” Summer sniffled loudly. “They said they hoped Elsie was satisfied with the work they did. They said…they said my sister paid them to scare me away from the ceremony.” My breath hitched. My hands curled into fists so tight that my nails cut into my palms. “What?” Julian growled. “Elsie did this? She hired rogues to end you?” “No! No!” Summer cried out, her voice sounding frantic and fake. “I don't want to believe it. I know Elsie hates me, I know she's jealous, but she wouldn't do that! Please don't blame her! Maybe the rogues were lying; it's probably all a misunderstanding.” “A misunderstanding?” my mother scoffed. “Summer, stop being so naive. Elsie disappeared for twelve years. She lived with rogues! She probably learned their tricks. She has their lifes on her hands!” “She is a traitor,” Antoine spat. “We welcomed her back, and this is how she repays us? By trying to have our sweet Summer killed?” I couldn't listen to another word. BANG. I kicked the door open, and it slammed against the wall with a powerful crash. Everyone in the room jumped. Summer was sitting on the hospital bed, looking perfectly fine while holding a cup of hot cocoa. My parents and brothers gathered around her like she was a fragile glass doll. “Say that again!” I screamed, walking further into the room. My dress was torn ag the hem, my hair was a mess, and I knew I looked like a mad woman. “Say it to my face, Summer. I hired rogues?” Summer shrank back against the pillows, her eyes filling with instant crocodile tears. She looked at Edward with a terrified glance. “Edward…im scared…her eyes…she looks like she wants to end me.” “Stay back, Elsie.” Edward stood up, blocking Summer from me. His Alpha aura flared, pressing down on me, but I didn't back down. I didn't submit. “She is lying. The guards at the woods told me she didn't even have that much injury! She staged this whole thing to ruin the ceremony.” I screamed I'm frustration. “Enough!” my father, Darlington, shouted. “Look at your sister, she is traumatized. How dare you accuse her when you're the one who consorts with rogues?” “I was kidnapped!” I yelled back. “I was a prisoner for twelve years! I didn't join them!” “So you say,” Antoine roared, crossing his arms and glaring daggers at me. “But you came back different, cold and cruel. And now, rogues attack Summer and use your name? It's too much of a coincidence.” “Ots not a coincidence, it's a setup.” I pointed a shaking finger at Summer. “She is manipulating all of you, can't you see it?” “Elsie, please stop.” Summer wailed, grabbing Edward’s hand. “It's my fault, I shouldn't have gone out! Don't be mad at Elsie! I'll leave the pack if I have to. I don't want to ruin your relationship.” “You aren't going anywhere, Summer,” Edward said soothingly, stroking her hair. Then he turned his hard gaze on me. “Elsie,” he said, his voice dropping an octave. “I cannot have a Luna who is associated with rogues. I cannot trust the pack with someone who would hurt her own sister.” “I didn't do it,” I whispered with a crackling voice. “Edward, please, you have to believe me. We are mates.” “Are we?” Edward looked at me with ice in his gaze. “I don't plan on having a fiend as a mate.” Summer tugged on his sleeve, weeping harder. “No, Edward, please, don't do it! Please, I beg you, she's my sister! Just punish her, or lock her in the dungeon, but don't reject her; it will eliminate her wolf.” She was begging for mercy on my behalf, but I saw the glint of victory in her eyes. She wanted him to do it. She wanted to watch me lose everything to her. “I have made my decision,” Edward stated clearly. “I need to sort all this mess out before the Lycan King visits our pack. So as of now…” “No..” I breathed. “I, Alpha Edward Forbes of the Autumn Pack,” he began, his voice booming in the large hospital room. “Edward, don't!” Summer screamed, burying her face in her hands, peeking through her fingers. “I reject you, Elsie Lockwood, as my mate and Luna,” he finished. Snap. It felt like a physical blow to my chest. A pain sharper than any knife sliced through my soul. I gasped, clutching my chest and stumbling back. My wolf howler, I'm agony in my head, curling into a ball of darkness. My knees hit the floor, and I couldn't breathe. “Get out.” I looked up from the floor, through the smoke of pain, and I saw Summer smirk at me over Edward’s shoulder. Just a tiny, quick curve of her lips. I won. The smirk said. I stood up I wouldn't let them see me cry. I wouldn't give them the satisfaction of seeing me beg. I turned around and walked out of the room. I walked away from the man who rejected me and the family that hated me. I walked out into the cold night, and I walked along the road that led away from Autumn Pack, my bare feet numb to the sharp stones. I had no plan. I had no pack. I had nothing but a torn mating dress and a wild want on my mind to make them regret the day they chose Summer over me. My mind was a chaotic storm of thoughts. My mother’s glare, Edward's rejection, Summer’s victorious smirk. I was so lost in my rage that I didn't hear the roar of the engine behind me. “Hey! Watch out!” Chapter 3 The Cursed Lycan King ELOISE. “Hey! Watch out!” A chorus of screams from some nearby pack traders snapped me back into reality. I spun around just in time to see a sleek, pitch black armored sedan barreling toward me. It was moving too fast. My breath hitched. I froze, my wolf instinct failing me in my grief. SCREECH!!! The tires locked, skidding against the gravel. Dust and small rocks flew into the air, swallowing me in a gray cloud. The heavy metal bumper stopped inches—just mere inches—from my knees. The heat radiating from the engine burned my skin. My heart hammered against my ribs, but strangely I didn't feel fear. I felt… something else. As the dust settled, an intense, overwhelming scent hit my nose. It wasn't the smell of rubber or asphalt. It was something organic. Something rotting. It smelled like something ancient, laced with sulfur and decaying nightshade. It was the smell of a sickness so deep it stained the soul. The driver's door flew open, and a burly man in a dark suit jumped out. He looked furious. “Are you crazy?” the driver bellowed, marching towards me. “Do you have a death wish, wolf? Why weren't you looking at where you were going?” He reached out to shove me off the road, but before his hand could touch my shoulder, I grabbed his wrist. He blinked, shocked by mg speed. “Stand still,” my voice hoarse but authoritative. I leaned in and sniffed him aggressively, right at the pulse of his neck. The driver pulled back, looking at me like I was a maniac. “What are you doing? Get off me, you maniac.” “It's not you,” I muttered, releasing him. “You're as healthy as a horse, though your cholesterol is high. But that smell…” My gaze drifted past him to the black car, specifically to the back seat. The windows were tinted so dark they looked like polished obsidian, reflecting my rumpled reflection. Something was drawing me to whatever or whoever was in the back seat. I couldn't see inside, but I could feel it. It felt like I was being stared down by a predator that could swallow the world whole. “Who is in the car?” I asked, taking a step toward the vehicle. The driver stepped in front of me, growling low in his throat. “It's none of your business, but you should know that he's no one you should trifle with; he's the Lycan King,” he said, and fear took hold of me immediately. The Lycan King? The ruthless and dangerous man whom no one has seen his eyes? I couldn't help the reaction I had; I bowed in respect immediately. But something pulled me to look at the black tinted glasses again; it felt as if he was calling me. I focused on the smells leaking from the cracks of the car door. It was a curse. A powerful and dark magic curse. “He’s in pain,” I said, staring directly at the black window. “Terrible pain. It feels like fire in the veins, doesn't it?” I should keep quiet, it's not my business, but I was in one of those modes, it felt like someone was speaking through me each time I was diagnosing someone, which is probably the reason I couldn't keep shut. “Watch your tongue, you filth,” the driver said with so much fury. “He can't sleep.” I continued, my voice gaining more strength even when my subconscious knew I should keep quiet. “The moonlight burns him. His wolf his fighting for control, tearing him apart from the inside out. And the eyes….” I paused, the diagnosis forming clearly in my mind as if the smell was whispering the symptoms to me. “It's the Chromia Curse, isn't it?” I said softly. “The color of his eyes is not the same. They change color with the moon. If he doesn't treat it soon, he’ll go feral within the year.” “You should find him a high healer,” I said, turning away. That's the only people I know who could do something about his situation. I bowed and turned around to leave. I began to walk away. I had my own problems. I didn't need to get involved with our dying Lycan King. I heard the sound of the electric glass rolling down. “Wait.” The sound of the powerful voice stopped me in my tracks. The voice was deep and dangerous. It vibrated the air like a command that demanded obedience from every wolf in a ten-mile radius. It was the voice of a King. I turned back slowly. The window was down. Sitting in the shadowed interior was a man who looked like he had been carved from marble and nightmares. Like a Greek God, he had a sharp jawline, raven-black hair, and an aura so powerful it made the air around the car freeze. But his eyes were hidden behind a pair of pitch-black sunglasses. Even with the glasses, I could feel the intensity of his gaze. It was heavy and suffocating. “Come here,” he ordered. I know I shouldn't have obeyed. I should have run the other way because he looked like he could swallow me whole. “You smell the curse?” he asked, his tone devoid of any emotion. “I smell the rot.” I corrected, crossing my arms over my torn dress. “And I smell the magic binding your wolf.” “You're clever for a wolf in a mating dress,” he said dryly. “And you seem to know what exactly plagues me. Goddess knows how many healers I've killed because they failed to see what you smelled in seconds.” “Probably a lot.” I shrugged. “You seem the type.” “Tell me the cure,” he said coldly. “Im not a healer. I just happen to have a good nose. Find the witches of the east; they deal with curses. Or high healers.” “I don't want witches or healers. I want you,” he growled, closing forward slightly. My heart skipped a beat. “I want you.” “You diagnosed me without touching me. I don't care who you are or what pack you're running from. Fix my eyes, fix my wolf. Name your price.” He pulled out a gold card from his suit jacket, and I stared at it. It was enough money to run away from the goddamed place and be set for the rest of my life. But running wasn't what I wanted anymore. I looked at the man—he was the ruthless Lycan King that everybody feared. He was dying, and maybe I was the only one who could save him. And he was the most powerful wolf in existence. More powerful than Alpha Edward and the Lockwood family. A plan formed in my mind. A reckless and dangerous plan. I didn't take the card. Instead, I leaned against the door frame of his million-dollar car, looking him dead in in his sunglasses. “I don't want your money,” I said calmly. “Everyone wants money,” he countered. “I don't.” I tilted my head, letting my eyes flash with the remnants of my anger. “But thinking about it now…I might have a little problem that only you can solve.” He looked at me with renewed interest, a predator assessing a worthy partner. “A trade?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “A trade,” I confirmed. “I heal you. You destroy my enemies.”
Joey, a modern-day underdog loser, is suddenly transported into a Wild West game world set during the era of westward expansion and the American Civi War—only to find himself reborn as a penniless cowboy. Forced to accept a main quest titled "Become the King of the Wild Frontier,” he is assigned three female war captives and bound to an affection-based game system.By increasing their favorability, Joey can unlock modern weapons and skills.