Introduction
Caught in the cross hairs of Alpha Damian Blackthorn, the city's most feared predator, and Lucien D'Amato, the vampire CEO with an unholy hunger, Ivy's fate is sealed.
As their fated mate, she's the prize in a game of power and passion, where the rules are brutal and the players are ruthless. Torn between desire and danger, Ivy must choose: surrender to the darkness or risk everything for a love that could be her salvation... or her demise.
In this city, the predators rule, and Ivy's just become the most coveted prey. Will she rise as their queen, or fall as their next victim?
Chapter 1
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
DAISY
It’s been three days since Adrian walked out, pissed at both Iris and me, and things haven’t been the same since.
I understand where he’s coming from. I really do. Being left out of something as huge as a mate mark is bound to sting. But I also know how terrified Iris has been since the marking. How much of herself she’s tried to bottle up. Adrian not knowing wasn’t betrayal. It was survival.
Still, campus feels off without his chaotic energy buzzing around. Everything’s quieter. Iris has been stuck in her own head. And me? I’ve had to endure people whispering that we’ve finally been dumped by the McAlisters like it was a ticking time bomb waiting to happen.
I’m halfway to my next class, trying to keep my mind off everything, when I take a corner too fast and wham.
Books fly out of my hand and scatter across the floor.
“Seriously? Are you blind?” I snap, brushing my hair out of my face, and then I freeze.
Of course.
Zeus McAlister.
Because who else would I run into when I’m already spiraling?
He stares down at me, not even bothering to look apologetic. His eyes are cold, distant, like they always are, like I’m nothing more than a speck on the bottom of his shoe. And he says nothing.
Not a single word.
“What?” I snap. “You bump into people and then just stare at them like a statue?”
He still doesn’t answer. Instead, he bends to pick up one of my books, then flips it over like it’s a foreign object before handing it back to me. “Maybe if you watched where you were going, we wouldn’t be here.”
“Oh, so now you speak?” I snatch the book from his hand. “Could’ve used the voice five seconds ago.”
“I was giving you a moment to gather your thoughts. Clearly, you needed it.”
God. I forgot how infuriating everybody says he is.
“Listen, I don’t know what your problem is-” I begin.
“You are,” he says, stepping back. “You’re loud, nosy, and always somewhere you don’t belong.”
I blink, stunned. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, voice flat. “I don’t know what spell you and your little friend cast on my brothers, but it needs to end.”
Wow.
“That’s rich, coming from someone who walks around like the world owes him something,” I fire back. “If you hate people so much, why not just stay in your big, brooding mansion and leave the rest of us alone?”
He steps closer, eyes narrowing. “Because unlike you, I have responsibilities. I don’t get to play human and pretend everything’s sunshine and rainbows.”
“Right,” I scoff. “Because your life is so hard. Must be exhausting, being a walking thundercloud twenty-four-seven.”
“I don’t expect you to understand.”
“Oh, I don’t understand being disrespected, talked down to, or treated like crap by someone who thinks he’s above everyone else? Yeah, you're right, Zeus, I totally can’t relate.”
We stare at each other, breathing hard. For a second, neither of us says anything. The tension between us is thick and suffocating.
Then he mutters, “Just stay away from my brother.”
I laugh. A full, sharp, bitter laugh. “Is that what this is about? You think I’m a threat to your precious little bloodline? Please. Adrian’s a big boy. He can make his own decisions.”
“He’s reckless. And you’re a distraction.”
I grit my teeth. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know enough,” he says, voice low. “And I don’t trust you.”
“Good,” I snap. “Because the feeling is very, very mutual."
Another pause. His jaw ticks. He looks like he wants to say more, but instead, he just scoffs, turns around, and walks off without another word.
I stand there for a second, stunned, still holding my stupid books against my chest like a shield.
God, I hate him.
I hate how he gets under my skin. How he acts like he knows everything. Like I’m just a bug he’s waiting to crush.
But what I hate more?
The fact that even after all that, my heart is racing.
And I know exactly why.
I just have a stupid, inconvenient, absolutely terrible crush on Zeus McAlister.
Not that I’m ever going to tell him that.
I scoop up the last of my books with a huff and head to my next class, trying to ignore the way my palms are still sweaty. Zeus McAllister is officially the worst, and now he’s burned into my brain like a virus I can’t uninstall.
I push through the door and spot Iris already in her seat, elbow on the desk, cheek resting against her palm, eyes staring blankly out the window like she’s waiting for her soul to return from a long trip.
“Earth to Iris,” I say as I slide into the seat beside her. “Please tell me you’re not daydreaming about Darian again.”
She blinks slowly, like coming out of a fog, and sighs. “No. Just...thinking.”
“Mmm.” I hum dramatically, nudging her with my elbow. “Well, while you were thinking about not thinking about Darian, guess who I bumped into?”
She side-eyes me. “Adrian?”
“Nope.”
“Your step-cousin from the city who vapes and talks about crypto?”
“God, no.” I grin. “Zeus McAllister.”
Her brow rises slightly, but that’s all. No gasp. No second blink. No dramatic reaction. Just a flat, unimpressed expression.
I lean closer. “Okay, rude. That was supposed to be a moment.”
She turns her head toward me. “The McAllister boys have only ever brought us stress. Adrian was chaos on two legs, and Darian…” She trails off, looking out the window again. “Let’s just say I’m still recovering from that heartbreak.”
I nod slowly, suddenly not as eager to replay the Zeus scene. “Fair.”
“Having two of them in our lives is already two too many,” she says, voice quiet but sure. “We don’t need to go adding a third to the pile, Daisy. That house has done enough damage.”
I bite the inside of my cheek. She’s not wrong. And Zeus didn’t exactly sweep in with sunshine and charm. He’s cold, sharp, the kind of guy who makes you feel like he’s five steps ahead in a game you didn’t know you were playing.
Still…
“I’m not trying to add him to anything,” I say, maybe a little too defensive. “It was just a run-in. He knocked over my books. I yelled. He growled. End of story.”
Iris hums, skeptical. “You like him.”
Last Chapters
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He Never Loved Me, Until I Left
I put away the divorce agreement with a wry smile.
When he and my son completely disappeared, he finally panicked.
Three months later .
He knelt down on the streets of Chicago in despair, begging me to remarry him.
My six-year-old son looked coldly at his biological father and said, "Get lost, you bad uncle! You don't deserve to be my dad!"
When I Disappeared, He Regretted It
The moment the screen lit up, my entire world came crashing down.
The woman on the bed was Calista - that girl who grew up with us since we were kids. And that hand caressing her skin was wearing the wedding ring I had personally put on Matteo's finger.
"I've missed you so much..."
"You drive me crazy, baby..."
Those sweet words I knew so well completely destroyed me.
Everyone said we were the perfect couple, but who knew this marriage was built on nothing but lies?
Since he's so good at acting, I guess it's time I gave him a show of my own. I'm going to make sure everyone sees what this "perfect husband" really is...
I Loved You in Silence, You Betrayed Me in French
At my birthday party, my husband whispered to his mistress in French that he missed her. His voice was low, but I heard it all—the black lingerie, the bit about how pregnancy makes you more sensitive. His French clients around us were laughing. He turned and put his arm around me, claiming he was just helping his clients come up with sweet nothings.
He doesn't know I understand every single word. Just like he doesn't know that inside my body, I'm carrying his other surprise. And his mistress—she's pregnant too. Two wombs, one secret.
Confrontation would be too cheap. Tears are worthless. I quietly started cataloging the hidden networks my father left behind, activating the Swiss accounts.
In seven days, Zoey Smith will cease to exist. And what will my husband's reaction be?
Falling for my boyfriend's Navy brother
"What is wrong with me?
Why does being near him make my skin feel too tight, like I’m wearing a sweater two sizes too small?
It’s just newness, I tell myself firmly.
He’s my boyfirend’s brother.
This is Tyler’s family.
I’m not going to let one cold stare undo that.
**
As a ballet dancer, My life looks perfect—scholarship, starring role, sweet boyfriend Tyler. Until Tyler shows his true colors and his older brother, Asher, comes home.
Asher is a Navy veteran with battle scars and zero patience. He calls me "princess" like it's an insult. I can't stand him.
When My ankle injury forces her to recover at the family lake house, I‘m stuck with both brothers. What starts as mutual hatred slowly turns into something forbidden.
I'm falling for my boyfriend's brother.
**
I hate girls like her.
Entitled.
Delicate.
And still—
Still.
The image of her standing in the doorway, clutching her cardigan tighter around her narrow shoulders, trying to smile through the awkwardness, won’t leave me.
Neither does the memory of Tyler. Leaving her here without a second thought.
I shouldn’t care.
I don’t care.
It’s not my problem if Tyler’s an idiot.
It’s not my business if some spoiled little princess has to walk home in the dark.
I’m not here to rescue anyone.
Especially not her.
Especially not someone like her.
She’s not my problem.
And I’ll make damn sure she never becomes one.
But when my eyes fell on her lips, I wanted her to be mine.
The Human Among Wolves
My stomach twisted, but he wasn’t finished.
"You're just a pathetic little human," Zayn said, his words deliberate, each one hitting like a slap. "Spreading your legs for the first guy who bothers to notice you."
Heat rushed to my face, burning with humiliation. My chest ached — not from his words alone, but from the sick realization that I had trusted him. That I had let myself believe he was different.
I was so, so stupid.
——————————————————
When eigteen-year-old Aurora Wells moves to a sleepy town with her parents, the last thing she expects is to be enrolled in a secret academy for werewolves.
Moonbound Academy is no ordinary school. It's here young Lycans, Betas and Alphas train in shifting, elemental magic, and ancient pack laws. But Aurora? She's just...human. a mistake. The new receptionist forgot to check her species - and now she's surrounded by predators who sense she doesn't belong.
Determined to stay under the radar, Aurora plans to survive the year unnoticed. But when she catches the attention of Zayn, a brooding and infuriatingly powerful Lycan prince, her life gets a lot more complicated. Zayn already has a mate. He already has enemies. And he definitely doesn't want anything to do with a clueless human.
But secrets run deeper than bloodlines at Moonbound. as Aurora unravels the truth about the academy - and herself - she begins to question everything she thought she knew.
Including the reason she was brought here at all.
Enemies will rise. Loyalties will shift. And the girl with no place in their world...might be the key to saving it.
Accardi
“I thought you said you were done chasing me?” Gen mocked.
“I am done chasing you.”
Before she could formulate a witty remark, Matteo threw her down. She landed hard on her back atop his dining room table. She tried to sit up when she noticed what he was doing. His hands were working on his belt. It came free of his pants with a violent yank. She collapsed back on her elbows, her mouth gaping open at the display. His face was a mask of sheer determination, his eyes were a dark gold swimming with heat and desire. His hands wrapped around her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the table. He glided his fingers up her thighs and hooked several around the inside of her panties. His knuckles brushed her dripping sex.
“You’re soaking wet, Genevieve. Tell me, was it me that made you this way or him?” his voice told her to be careful with her answer. His knuckles slid down through her folds and she threw her head back as she moaned. “Weakness?”
“You…” she breathed.
Genevieve loses a bet she can’t afford to pay. In a compromise, she agrees to convince any man her opponent chooses to go home with her that night. What she doesn’t realize when her sister’s friend points out the brooding man sitting alone at the bar, is that man won’t be okay with just one night with her. No, Matteo Accardi, Don of one of the largest gangs in New York City doesn’t do one night stands. Not with her anyway.
A pack of their own
Game of Destiny
When Finlay finds her, she is living among humans. He is smitten by the stubborn wolf that refuse to acknowledge his existence. She may not be his mate, but he wants her to be a part of his pack, latent wolf or not.
Amie cant resist the Alpha that comes into her life and drags her back into pack life. Not only does she find herself happier than she has been in a long time, her wolf finally comes to her. Finlay isn't her mate, but he becomes her best friend. Together with the other top wolves in the pack, they work to create the best and strongest pack.
When it's time for the pack games, the event that decides the packs rank for the coming ten year, Amie needs to face her old pack. When she sees the man that rejected her for the first time in ten years, everything she thought she knew is turned around. Amie and Finlay need to adapt to the new reality and find a way forward for their pack. But will the curve ball split them apart?
Surrendering to Destiny
Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.
From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.
Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
After the Affair: Falling into a Billionaire's Arms
From first crush to wedding vows, George Capulet and I had been inseparable. But in our seventh year of marriage, he began an affair with his secretary.
On my birthday, he took her on vacation. On our anniversary, he brought her to our home and made love to her in our bed...
Heartbroken, I tricked him into signing divorce papers.
George remained unconcerned, convinced I would never leave him.
His deceptions continued until the day the divorce was finalized. I threw the papers in his face: "George Capulet, from this moment on, get out of my life!"
Only then did panic flood his eyes as he begged me to stay.
When his calls bombarded my phone later that night, it wasn't me who answered, but my new boyfriend Julian.
"Don't you know," Julian chuckled into the receiver, "that a proper ex-boyfriend should be as quiet as the dead?"
George seethed through gritted teeth: "Put her on the phone!"
"I'm afraid that's impossible."
Julian dropped a gentle kiss on my sleeping form nestled against him. "She's exhausted. She just fell asleep."
The Lycan Prince’s Puppy
“Soon enough, you’ll be begging for me. And when you do—I’ll use you as I see fit, and then I’ll reject you.”
—
When Violet Hastings begins her freshman year at Starlight Shifters Academy, she only wants two things—honor her mother’s legacy by becoming a skilled healer for her pack and get through the academy without anyone calling her a freak for her strange eye condition.
Things take a dramatic turn when she discovers that Kylan, the arrogant heir to the Lycan throne who has made her life miserable from the moment they met, is her mate.
Kylan, known for his cold personality and cruel ways, is far from thrilled. He refuses to accept Violet as his mate, yet he doesn’t want to reject her either. Instead, he sees her as his puppy, and is determined to make her life even more of a living hell.
As if dealing with Kylan’s torment isn’t enough, Violet begins to uncover secrets about her past that change everything she thought she knew. Where does she truly come from? What is the secret behind her eyes? And has her whole life been a lie?
Oops, Wrong Girl to Bully
My back hit the desk. Pain exploded through my skull.
"Girls like you don't get to dream about guys like Kai." Bella's breath was hot on my face. "You don't get to write pathetic love letters."
She shoved me again. Harder.
"Maybe if you weren't such a desperate little—"
I fell. My head cracked against the corner.
Warmth trickled down my neck. Blood.
Their laughter turned to gasps.
The door slammed.
I tried to stand. Couldn't. The room was spinning, fading to black.
Someone... please...
Angelina, the most powerful Alpha who conquered forty-nine packs, dies in a yacht explosion—only to wake up as Aria Sterling, a fifteen-year-old Omega's daughter who just died from bullying.
The original Aria's life was a nightmare. Humiliated when golden boy Kai Matthews posted her love letter online, then shoved to death by his girlfriend Bella Morrison. But that's not all her family faces:
"You got until Monday," the tattooed gangster sneered at Aria's mother. "Ten grand cash. Or I'm taking collateral—your kids' organs fetch top dollar. That pretty daughter of yours? She could make us money another way too."
Now Angelina's lethal combat skills awaken in this fragile body. No more hiding. No more fear.
Armed with an Alpha's ruthlessness and a mysterious blood-red pendant, she'll dismantle everyone who hurt this family—one calculated move at a time.













