
Dark Moon Rising
Nallica Nielsen · Ongoing · 91.8k Words
Introduction
The story's strength lies in its character development, particularly Megan's journey from isolation to tentative trust. Her months of running and survival have created realistic defensive mechanisms that don't magically disappear when her mate appears. Damien's immediate protectiveness is balanced by his respect for her autonomy, which creates a healthier dynamic than many alpha-centric romances.
The pacing effectively builds tension through the rescue sequence and escape, while the mate bond revelation unfolds naturally rather than through instant acceptance. The mystery elements—Megan's missing wolf, her unknown powers, and Samuel's true motives—provide compelling hooks for future development.
Some areas could use refinement: the dialogue occasionally feels exposition-heavy, and certain plot points (like Angel's dream appearance) need stronger integration into the main narrative. The story would benefit from showing more of Megan's survival skills rather than just telling us about them.
Overall, it's an engaging start to what could develop into a compelling series, with solid world-building and characters who feel authentic within the paranormal romance framework.
Chapter 1
Sigh. Why do I always have to listen to these guys cry like little babies over unnecessary topics? I wonder to myself as I sit through yet another tedious Alpha meeting.
The monthly gatherings of the Pacific Northwest Alpha Council had become increasingly frustrating over the past year. What should have been strategic discussions about territorial disputes and resource management had devolved into petty complaints and ego-driven posturing. I glanced around the conference room at the assembled leaders, noting the way they postured and preened, each trying to project more authority than the others.
Maybe because you're a very powerful Alpha, and everyone in this room is scared of you but wants your thoughts on everything happening in their packs, my wolf James says sarcastically in my mind.
True enough. As one of the youngest Alphas to ever control a territory the size of Moonhaven, I'd earned both respect and resentment from the older pack leaders. My methods were different—more collaborative, less traditional—which made some of them uncomfortable but also curious about my success rates.
I understand that completely, but if I wasn't stuck here, I could be out looking for our own mate—James perks his ears at that thought—or at least dealing with our own pack issues. Leaving our beta in charge for too long gives him way too much air in his head, and then he gloats when we get back, which gives me a migraine.
Marcus means well, I remind James, but you're right. He does get a bit too comfortable in the leadership role when I'm away.
The irony wasn't lost on me that I was sitting in a room full of mated Alphas, listening to their problems, while my own mate remained frustratingly elusive. At twenty-eight, I was starting to wonder if the Moon Goddess had forgotten about me entirely. Most wolves found their mates by twenty-five, and here I was, approaching thirty with nothing but a growing sense of restlessness to show for it.
"So what do you think, Alpha Damien? Will you help me or not?" Alpha Sam's voice finally breaks through my thoughts.
I'd been so lost in my own concerns that I'd completely missed whatever crisis Sam had been describing. The expectant faces around the table told me it was something significant enough to warrant my attention.
"Huh? I'm sorry, I was thinking and must have spaced out. What do you need my help with again?" I ask, feeling slightly embarrassed to have to ask in front of all the other alphas.
Smooth, James comments dryly. Very professional.
Sighing audibly, Sam states, "I was telling everyone I recently found my mate about a year ago. Unfortunately, her mother is—or at least was—this deranged woman who took her and ran from me. I've had my best trackers out looking for her everywhere, but no one can seem to get a good scent on her. I found her mother about six months ago, but she refused to tell me where she hid my mate. I've been pulling my hair out in worry for her safety."
Something feels off about his voice and words when talking about his feelings for this girl. The way he describes the situation doesn't match the emotional undertones I'm picking up. There's something calculating in his expression, something that doesn't align with genuine mate-bond desperation.
I hear James start to growl in my head, then he says, I'm getting very angry.
Why are you getting mad at him? I ask, but other than one more low, long growl, he stays silent.
I sigh. "Okay, first—does she know you're her mate? Because if she doesn't know, that would explain why she hasn't returned to you on her own."
"She does know. I think her mother has brainwashed her, and she may be scared of me or something," Alpha Sam says while looking around at all the other alphas. They all look like they're getting mad, thinking the same thing I am—how would we feel if someone convinced our mates not to be with us?
We won't know if we never find her, James all but yells in my head.
"What does she look like? That way we know what type of woman we're helping you search for," I ask Sam while watching him start to glaze over like he's mind-linking someone.
Who is he communicating with? The behavior strikes me as odd—why would he need to consult someone else about his mate's appearance?
"Oh gosh, where do I start?" he says, looking startled and dazed.
I don't know why, but as he describes his mate, I start to feel this pull for this woman I've never seen. James seems to be getting angrier by the minute while listening to Sam.
"Well," Alpha Sam starts, "she's about 5'5" with a tanned complexion. She has cloudy sky-blue eyes with water oak-long brown hair that looks like it's been kissed by the sun in places. Her legs go on for days, and her body is toned like a warrior's, even though before she left, she hadn't even started training."
He stops for another moment, lost in thought. I can't see anything except lust and power in his eyes—no love or worry like a normal mate would show for their missing partner. James is doing nothing but growling and clawing at my head, begging to get out as we watch Sam pace around the room, becoming more frantic.
Any normal werewolf observing this scene would think Sam was just freaking out over being unable to locate his mate, but I'm starting to wonder about all of this.
Something's very wrong here, James insists. His scent is all wrong. This isn't mate-bond desperation—this is obsession.
"Why don't we call a short break to this meeting?" Sam's beta suggests.
"Finally," I say to myself as I get up to leave the building.
As I start walking around outside, I feel better not being trapped in that room, finally getting to stretch my legs.
Damien, can we please go shift for a run? James all but begs in my head.
I can't help but wonder why he's so restless after this meeting. He's never been like this before.
I just need to get away from him. I don't like him, okay? James says.
I nod since I don't really like Sam much either. I've never really liked him, but since his explanation of his mate, I dislike him even more.
"Yes, let's go for a run," I tell James.
Walking behind a tree, I strip out of my clothes, shift into my wolf form, pick up my clothes in my mouth, and head toward the lush green woods.
Whatever Sam is really up to, it's not about finding his destined mate, I think, as we disappear into the forest. And something tells me we're going to find out exactly what his real agenda is sooner than I'd like.
Last Chapters
#73 Chapter 3 Damien's POV
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#72 Chapter 2 Damien's POV
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#71 Chapter 1 Damien's POV
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#70 Chapter 46
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#69 Chapter 45 Damien's POV
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#68 Chapter 44 Elena's POV
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#67 Chapter 42 Dr. Kim's POV
Last Updated: 1/27/2026#66 Chapter 41 Elena's POV
Last Updated: 1/25/2026#65 Chapter 40 Damien's POV
Last Updated: 1/26/2026#64 Chapter 39 Damien's POV
Last Updated: 1/26/2026
You Might Like 😍
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...
He Thought I'd Never Leave
When he said he was being bullied, I believed him. When he kissed me on that rooftop, I thought he felt the same. When he asked me to transfer schools with him, I said yes without hesitation.
Then I heard him bragging to his friends: "She'd save her first time for me. Hell, she'd still be thinking of me on her wedding night."
The bullying was staged. The kiss meant nothing. He just wanted me gone—so his new girl could feel more comfortable.
He thought I'd beg. He thought I'd cry. He thought I'd never actually leave.
I left the country.
And ran straight into his stepbrother.
I Died While They Threw Her a Party
Their real daughter came home. She'd only been back two years. That's all it took to erase twenty-four.
When kidnappers grabbed us, I used my body as a shield. They beat me until something inside me ruptured. I was dying from internal bleeding, but no one could tell.
My parents wouldn't even look at me. "This is your fault! None of this would've happened if it weren't for you!"
"Get downstairs and apologize to your sister. If you can't, pack your things and get out."
They threw her a party at a downtown hotel while I died alone in my room.
I thought they'd be relieved. Maybe even glad. I thought they'd just move on like I never existed.
But when they finally learned the truth, they fell apart.
Bury Me in His Regret
The kidnapper pressed the gun to my temple and asked, "Choose your wife or your sister-in-law?"
Zachary didn't hesitate. "Let Valerie go," he said.
He actually chose to save his sister-in-law! In that moment, even the baby in my belly seemed to stop kicking.
Later, they locked me in the basement. Drugs to delay labor were pumped into my veins over and over. Zachary wanted to save the "firstborn son" status for his sister-in-law's child.
When warm blood finally soaked through my skirt, I dialed the number I knew by heart with shaking hands.
"Zachary," I whispered into the phone, "our child... can't wait any longer."
The Kidney That Killed Me
A few months ago, my sister was hospitalized with kidney failure. The doctor said she needed a transplant. My family's first thought was me—the backup daughter they'd kept around all these years.
When my husband Allen took my hand with tears in his eyes and said, "Only you can save her," I agreed without hesitation.
When the doctor explained the surgical risks and potential complications, I smiled and nodded my understanding.
My parents said I'd finally learned what sisterly love meant.
Even Allen, who'd always been cold to me, held my hand gently and said, "The surgery's safe. You're so healthy, nothing will go wrong. When you recover, I'll take you to Hawaii."
But they don't know that no matter how the surgery goes, I won't be around to celebrate.
Because I just got my own test results—I have terminal brain cancer. I'm going to die anyway.
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."
Alpha Nicholas's Little Mate
What? No—wait… oh Moon Goddess, no.
Please tell me you're joking, Lex.
But she's not. I can feel her excitement bubbling under my skin, while all I feel is dread.
We turn the corner, and the scent hits me like a punch to the chest—cinnamon and something impossibly warm. My eyes scan the room until they land on him. Tall. Commanding. Beautiful.
And then, just as quickly… he sees me.
His expression twists.
"Fuck no."
He turns—and runs.
My mate sees me and runs.
Bonnie has spent her entire life being broken down and abused by the people closest to her including her very own twin sister. Alongside her best friend Lilly who also lives a life of hell, they plan to run away while attending the biggest ball of the year while it's being hosted by another pack, only things don't quite go to plan leaving both girls feeling lost and unsure about their futures.
Alpha Nicholas is 28, mateless, and has no plans to change that. It's his turn to host the annual Blue Moon Ball this year and the last thing he expects is to find his mate. What he expects even less is for his mate to be 10 years younger than him and how his body reacts to her. While he tries to refuse to acknowledge that he has met his mate his world is turned upside down after guards catch two she-wolves running through his lands.
Once they are brought to him he finds himself once again facing his mate and discovers that she's hiding secrets that will make him want to kill more than one person.
Can he overcome his feelings towards having a mate and one that is so much younger than him? Will his mate want him after already feeling the sting of his unofficial rejection? Can they both work on letting go of the past and moving forward together or will fate have different plans and keep them apart?
Omega Bound
Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life.
Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
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?
Shattered Girl
“I’m sorry, sweetheart. Was that too much?” I could see the worry in his eyes as I took a deep breath.
“I just didn’t want you to see all my scars,” I whispered, feeling ashamed of my marked body.
Emmy Nichols is used to surviving. She survived her abusive father for years until he beat her so severely, she ended up in the hospital, and her father was finally arrested. Now, Emmy is thrown into a life she never expected. Now she has a mother
who doesn't want her, a politically motivated stepfather with ties to the Irish mob, four older stepbrothers, and their best friend who swear to love and protect her. Then, one night, everything shatters, and Emmy feels her only option is to run.
When her stepbrothers and their best friend finally find her, will they pick up the pieces and convince Emmy that they will keep her safe and their love will hold them together?
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.
Goddess Of The Underworld
When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armour, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of an orphan pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to be better. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a reverse harem, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.












