
Shattered Bonds
Adison Anderson · Ongoing · 62.4k Words
Introduction
He snarls, his hand on my waist tightening almost painfully as he yanks me closer.
I need him desperately. I need to feel him inside me, hot and hard.
My soaked center meets his erection, and I take another long pull of his scent as I line us up. Somewhere in the haze I can’t help but think how huge he is. I’ve had sex before, and none of those other males even came close.
His dark gaze bores into mine. “You're sure?” His voice is rougher than I’ve ever heard it.
Claire is thrust into an arranged marriage with a mysterious alpha she barely knows. Yet, when betrayal rocks her world, she seeks refuge in the territory of her husband's brother's pack. There, amidst the tension, she discovers a connection she can't ignore. As they battle against forbidden desires, Claire and her husband's brother must navigate the treacherous waters of loyalty and longing. Will they yield to the pull of their hearts or remain bound by duty?
Chapter 1
CLAIRE
I can’t believe this day is finally here.
My wedding day. I’m getting married.
My heart thumps an unsteady rhythm in my chest, my palms slick with sweat as I wait for my cue to enter wedding hall and walk down the aisle. Even from my place in the waiting area I can sense the way that the grand hall is overflowing with anticipation and the overwhelming fragrance of flowers.
Even though I had agreed to this arranged marriage—a marriage set up by my parent for the good of the Pack—and had known this day was coming for weeks, it all still feels surreal. You can do this, Claire. You can do this to keep your people safe. Everything will be fine. It’s for the good of the pack.
Shifters usually experience their first shift when they reach around eighteen or nineteen years old. And here I am—at twenty two years old— never having shifted. And with no sign of a shift in sight. It does happen occasionally, for pack parents to give birth to a child that inherits a stray recessive gene in the genetic lottery who in turn grow through the age of first shifts without ever having one. In the case of Alphas and Lunas as powerful as my parents, though, it’s practically unheard of to birth Shiftless children. For their daughter to be born without a single shifting form is synonymous to a tragedy for them in their political position.
From the time before I was even born, it was expected that I would have multiple shifting forms. Enough power to easily claim a place leading the Silver Light Pack as my parents slowly phased out of their roles. But as time dragged on with no sign of a shift in sight for me, my parents took the initiative to get me settled in a position of power regardless of my shifting status. And when the opportunity to forge an alliance with Ember Claw Pack and their Alpha through marriage—securing me a leadership position while simultaneously setting up an important alliance for the Pack in the process-- they immediately agreed. It was an offer too good to pass up. And all before my “Shiftless” status can be confirmed. All in all, it was a veritable miracle from the gods themselves according to my parents.
I fidget, wiping sweaty palms against the skirts of my flowing white gown—a gown that was chosen to accentuate my subtle curves. The dress feels tight as I force myself to breathe through my quickly fraying nerves.
Finally, I get the cue signaling that it’s time. The guards at the door pull open the heavy double doors so I can enter.
Breathe. Just breathe.
The great hall is filled with rows of high ranking shifters from different packs who came to bear witness to the union between James, the Alpha of the Ember Claw Pack, and me the daughter of the Alpha and Luna of the Silver Moon Pack. Ornate decorations in silver and amber adorn the space, symbolizing the merging of two powerful packs.
I feel the weight of all of their stares as I begin my walk down the aisle with measured steps. My heart races, nerves tingling beneath my skin, but I push myself to keep my pace steady and my face serene. The scent of lilies fills the air, it’s even stronger here in the room, more potent and cloying.
My eyes finally lock onto James, where he stands with a strong presence at the end of the aisle. My almost husband. He’s donned in the usual ceremonial attire, standing tall and commanding at the altar. He exudes a confidence I wish I shared. His sandy blonde hair and muscular build speak of strength and authority. From a physical sense, the attraction is undeniable.
As our gazes lock and meet, there’s a flash of appreciation in his eyes. The pack mothers worked hard to get my appearance just right for the ceremony, to get the crimson waves in my hair to curl in perfect ringlets down my back. The coal they lined my eyes with and the paints they used on my lips bring out the green in my eyes and turn them it into something more vibrant. Seeing the approving glint in James’s expression makes the extended primping session suddenly worth every second.
A fleeting, fragile sense of hope brushes against my mind, taking root in my heart. Maybe, just maybe, this arranged marriage can evolve into something more than a political alliance. I make it to the end of the aisle and stand in front of him, trying to keep my breathing steady.
As with all marriages between packs, the pack elders preside over the ceremony and vows. The sound of their solemn voices weave a magical thread that will bind us together. The weight of my responsibility increases with each passing moment. As the ceremony unfolds, James and I exchange vows scripted by tradition. The vows, ancient words etched in the fabric of our people’s lore, echo through the hall.
I’m glad when my voice comes out steady in spite of my nerves. Each syllable feels like a binding spell, sealing us together. My lips move mechanically, reciting promises not of our choosing, but of the legacy woven into the tapestry of our bloodlines. James repeats the vows after me, his voice a calm deep sound that I feel all of the way down to my bones.
The exchange of rings, a ritualized gesture, marks the invisible chains that now tether James and me together. The real Marks, the ones we’ll give to each other when we bind ourselves to each other at a later date will replace the rings that we’re now exchanging.
I risk a swift glance around at the audience while the pack elders conclude the ceremony. I make note of each present Pack and their associated colors. Silver for the Silver Light Pack—my pack. My old pack— I quickly correct myself. Amber for the Ember Claw Pack, the neighbors directly to the east of the Silver Light Pack. Ember Claw is James’s pack and the pack I will call home after today. Black for the Swift Wind pack that resides to the west. And last, crimson for the pack that resides in the north, the Blood Moon Pack.
I’ve heard that the alpha of the Blood Moon pack is James’ older brother and the fact that their pack holds a prominent place in the audience today seems to confirm that fact. The shades of crimson ceremonial garb among the guests is nearly as prominent as those adorned who are adorned in silver and amber. The place that us usually reserved for the Everglades pack is starkly empty— a bruise in an otherwise colorful tapestry of guests. Ever since the incident a few years back with the Everglades, things have been more than tense among the remaining packs.
I yank my attention away from the guests and my distracted thoughts when the pack elders call for James and me to take each others hands. I reach out tentatively as he takes my hands in his larger ones. His palms warm my chilled clammy fingers. My eyes meet James’s and his blue eyes flicker with something hidden beneath his confident demeanor. Is that a spark of hope or is that merely me projecting my own feelings onto him?
The elders conclude the ceremony, calling for the usual conclusion of sealing the bond with a kiss. I swallow hard and meet Jame’s blue eyes yet again. He hesitates for only a moment before his full lips tilt up at the corner and with the hands he’s already holding, he tugs me closer.
It happens so quickly that I barely have time to brace myself as his lips dip down to my own in a brief heated press. He pulls away just as quickly, leaving me breathless. My heart is racing again, barely contained in my chest.
The elder’s voices ring out for the audience, “We introduce you to the Alpha and Luna of the Ember Claw pack.”
Last Chapters
#52 52. Claire: Tangled
Last Updated: 1/21/2026#51 51. Claire: Offer
Last Updated: 1/21/2026#50 50. Claire: Pacing
Last Updated: 1/21/2026#49 49. Nikolas: Chicken
Last Updated: 1/20/2026#48 48. Claire: White Wolf
Last Updated: 1/20/2026#47 47. Claire: Practice
Last Updated: 1/20/2026#46 46. Claire: Marking
Last Updated: 1/20/2026#45 45. Claire: Shock
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#44 44. Nikolas: With Me
Last Updated: 1/15/2026#43 43. Claire: Breakfast
Last Updated: 1/15/2026
You Might Like 😍
On Christmas Eve, I aborted the CEO's child
On Christmas Eve night, my husband brought his mistress home and demanded that I, his pregnant wife, leave with nothing.
On this day, I lost my husband and also lost the child in my womb...
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?
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...
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."
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.
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












