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310,959	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":310960}'	No	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	1161858635156227	My pain stops after I do this...	I never thought that 7 simple 30-second exercises could change my life so much! I got rid of back pain and now I can move without limitations. Daniel, you are incredible! My quality of life has never been so good.🎖️🤩	LEARN_MORE	https://living-healthy.shop/?page_id=7	218112948059372	Jack James	https://facebook.com/61556116122505	1	0	1,136,012,584,070,196	2024-02-17 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	1	Learn More	Jack James	120206051121650078	https://living-healthy.shop	NONE	dco	{{product.description}}	https://living-healthy.shop/?page_id=7	2024-02-16 22:18	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428658563_3731696940422126_8503794702347920736_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=105&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=3pfaZJIQ0b8AX8serGb&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBrXPqWd3j6_hMtIzWItdteM-ViPqLKm6x8zBMPYeYmvw&oe=65D71D70	person_profile	Jack James	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/428684193_1515065735731354_2755495385063146231_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=qboOzXJMAP4AX_CSVYn&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfBT-cJjVLmO8-7iDiMHD6pwdpvAY9omX32dKYedOwwP6w&oe=65D6A9DE	3	Jack James	2024-02-17 02:00	View Edit Delete
311,513	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"is_bh_simple_request":true,"simple_request_ratio":0.0016313213703099511,"is_bh_selenium":null,"selenium_ratio":null,"ratio_threshold":0.8}'	Yes	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	1093713148603138	"What a BEAUTIFUL wolf romance on kindle!"	I flopped back on my bed, thoroughly exhausted from what felt like a never-ending shift in the infirmary. Fort Canid certainly hadn’t gone easy on its healers lately, which was surprising, considering just how far we were from the front lines. <br /> Then again, the war between my homeland and the country I currently served started before I’d even been born. There were always changes in what areas were hit hardest and where the most troops were needed. <br /> Still, that didn’t make tending to the many, many freshly injured and severely wounded any easier. I was familiar with the anatomical specifics of most of the paranormal creatures fighting in the military, but my brain always felt like taffy after hour ten, and I was eager to fall into blessed sleep…except for dinner.<br /> My stomach growled as if to reiterate the point. We’d been so slammed that I’d skipped lunch to check up on patients, then after that I’d skipped supper to produce more anti-infection salves. I needed to at least try to get to the later dinner provided to Fort Canid’s soldiers or I’d be in terrible pain the next day. <br /> Then there was the brain fog. <br /> Even though I was only a half-shifter, I had the appetite of a full one, and goodness, could shifters eat. If I were any other paranormal creature—or a “cryptid”, as we tended to jokingly call ourselves—I’d definitely qualify as a glutton. It wasn’t uncommon for me to eat six large meals a day, or even more if I was expending my energy more than usual, and that was fairly run of the mill for a wolf shifter. The bear, manticore, and elephant shifters I’d met could easily triple that.<br /> It was one of the biggest reasons good relationships with the surrounding towns and their folk were so important. We had our own dryads and druids who tended to cows, pigs, and sheep that were ranched within the southern sector of the fort, but it wasn’t enough to fuel all the soldiers stationed there. So, supplies were sourced from the locals, and at a pretty penny as well. <br /> “Come on, Ayla, you gotta eat,” I grumbled to myself, as if saying the words would magically motivate me to sit up and do what I needed to. <br /> Not shockingly, this didn’t really work. <br /> It was just so tempting to let myself slip into restful slumber. My magic was all but tapped out, drained by a war that just kept escalating, demanding more battles and blood spilled across the land.<br /> But before I could let my eyelids flutter closed, a knock sounded at my door. My first instinct was to jolt. Who would want to come into my room so late in the evening? I made it my mission to carefully keep my distance from everyone—quite literally everyone—at Ford Canid, so it wasn’t like I had callers usually show up out of nowhere. <br /> I took a deep breath and caught a familiar scent; one I hadn’t been able to shake even though the rest of the Fort was happy to leave me alone and dub me the “Healing Hermit”. It was even more impressive—or was it pathetic? —when one considered that the other healer in my division was an old warlock with a lengthy white beard who could put most elderly magic users to shame. <br /> “Come on, Ayla. I know you’re in there!” her voice called musically through the door. I rolled my eyes, although I couldn’t help the small smile that spread across my features. Despite my efforts to keep my distance, one of Fort Canid’s most powerful psychics seemed dead set on being my friend.<br /> It would've been annoying if she weren’t so charming. She had a smile that was broad and inviting, her white teeth standing out against the beautiful umber of her skin. It wasn’t a hue I saw often, but it was similar to the reddish clay that spread out under very specific, blessed trees in my homeland, except this was mixed with gold. She was unearthly beautiful in a way, and I had no idea why she was so set on liking me.<br /> Well…that wasn’t entirely true. I’d started things, even if it had been an accident. I’d met her during my first week stationed at the Fort. She’d come in for stronger pain medicine while the lunar eclipse was wreaking havoc on her period—something that wasn’t entirely unusual for magic users. I’d wanted to do a thorough magical scan of her, so I asked her to wash her face and remove her makeup, including what I thought were her very obvious falsies. <br /> I’d been as cold and detached as possible, but she’d just laughed and informed me she wasn’t wearing any. She just had a mutation that gave her a double row of lashes on both her top and bottom lids. <br /> Naturally, I was fascinated. Can you blame a healer? I knew that distichiasis was a mutation of the FOXC2 gene that existed in humans and could have plenty of other symptoms, such as lymphedema and congenital defects, but I’d never heard of a cryptid with it. <br /> It turned out asking a curious question was the same as proposing a lifetime bond, apparently, because Darla looped her arm around mine and told me that if she was going to give me a whole interview, we might as well be friends and eat together. <br /> “I thought you couldn’t read my mind while I’m wearing the inhibitor bracelet,” I called gruffly without moving. The truth was, I liked Darla quite a lot. She was funny, charismatic, and sharp as a whip. I got the feeling that, even if she couldn’t read minds, she'd be a force to be reckoned with.<br /> “I don’t need to read your mind to know that you’re in there without having eaten anything for at least half a day.”<br /> I may have cursed under my breath. Unlike most shifters, Darla couldn’t hear my muttering. <br /> “You might be right, but I’ll confirm nothing.”<br /> “I wouldn’t expect anything less. Now, get up and out of here so we can get some grub. It won’t remedy you needing to get laid, but at least it’ll stop you from being hangry.”<br /> I shot her a look, even though she couldn’t see me.<br /> “Excuse you, I do not need to get laid!”<br /> I was prickly around the edges, but that was on purpose. I had… complications in my life that forced my hand. Complications that meant I'd need to keep my distance as much as possible, and last I checked, sleeping with someone was definitely close contact. <br /> Besides, I didn’t want to tell my gorgeous, charismatic friend who had dozens of men and women drooling over her that I was a twenty-two-year-old virgin. Not because she'd make fun of me, but because she might try to ‘fix’ the situation.<br /> Ugh, the thought made me nauseous. <br /> I could just picture the line of eligible bachelors she’d round up in the hopes of me finding “the one”. Not only would it be awkward beyond the extreme, it’d only end with bitter attitudes and broken hearts. <br /> Mostly because I’d already found “the one”.<br /> I could never, ever become close to him.<br /> “Baby, are you really trying to lie to a psychic?” Darla shot back. It’d become increasingly obvious with each second that she wasn’t going to leave me alone, so I groaned, got up, and stalked over to the door.<br /> “We already went over this,” I told her dryly after flinging it open. “Inhibitor bracelet means that you’re not much different than a human to me.”<br /> “Not much different than a beautiful human to you,” she corrected me without missing a beat. That charisma again. She had a quick tongue and an even quicker wit, which was probably one of the reasons it was so hard to shake her. I knew that if I really put the work into being a miserable twat, she’d eventually lose interest, but try as I might, I just couldn’t bring myself to fully commit. <br /> This was incredibly selfish of me, of course, but it'd been so long, and sometimes I was just incredibly lonely. Was it really that wrong for me to have a single friend?<br /> Probably, but it was what it was. <br /> “Come on,” Darla said while completely ignoring my scowl. “You can’t blame me for suggesting a way to help you out.”<br /> “Help me out with what?”<br /> “That whole uptight vibe you’ve got going on.” She pushed her way into my room, and the next thing I knew, she was sitting at my desk. I didn’t have a lot of furniture exactly, but I'd more than the standard soldier, considering all the healing and witch supplies I needed. <br /> “You know, not everyone is into romance or sex,” I said, crossing over to my bed and flopping back down. It looked like now I wasn’t going to eat or sleep, which wasn’t the best option. Actually, I was pretty sure it was the worst. <br /> “Ayla, I can end up living in other people’s heads if I’m not careful. Of course, I know about the ace-aro spectrum, but I also know that that isn’t you.”<br /> Ugh, I hated when Darla got insightful.<br /> I got the feeling the psychic liked to play up an empty-headed bimbo persona to get people to underestimate her. The fact that she didn’t bother with that charade around me was pretty flattering, as much as I tried to wall myself off. <br /> “No, you’re so full of internal tension, I’m surprised you haven’t spontaneously combusted,” Darla continued, spinning around in my desk chair. “So, please, help me help you before you snap.”<br /> “I’m not going to snap.” <br /> “All right, I’ll trust you for now, but if you start chewing on the walls, I’m gonna take dating applications for you.”<br /> “Yes, because that’s definitely a habit that’ll attract multiple suitors.”<br /> Darla laughed at that, her head tipping back and white teeth flashing. It probably shouldn’t have made pride flicker in my chest that I’d amused her, but it did. What could I say? I liked the idea of making my clever friend, and my only friend, laugh. <br /> “Hey, your love non-life aside, did you see the latest batch of shifter trainees? Some of them are absolutely scrumptious. Maybe you could put on cute civvies and we can give ‘em an eyeful in the dining hall?”<br /> “I thought you just said my love non-life aside.”<br /> “I’m sorry! I’m just a dog with a bone.”<br /> “More like a dog trying to get me boned,” I muttered under my breath, only to send Darla cackling again.<br /> “What did you just call me?”<br /> My eyes snapped wide open at that, and I jolted upright. “What? Nothing!”<br /> “Relax, relax, girl!” Darla said between peals of chuckles, waving me off. “You’re so funny when you don’t mean to be.”<br /> I wanted to argue that I'd be funnier if I didn’t have to barrier myself off from everyone around me, but I wanted to keep that truth to myself. “I don’t even have clothes outside my healer uniform and sleepwear,” I said instead, diffusing the mood.<br /> “What? I know I didn’t just hear that.”<br /> “You did. Besides, I’m exhausted. I’m good unless you think these recruits have a thing for dark crow’s feet and crabby attitudes. So, if you wanna head out and do whatever with them, feel free to do it solo.”<br /> Darla completely ignored my invitation to leave, which I didn’t expect to work, anyway. If I told her seriously that I needed space, she'd respect my wishes, but she had an uncanny knack for seeing through my bluster.<br /> “Nah, not interested. Captain Kai is in the dining hall welcoming them now, so I’m sure they’re all starry-eyed and fawning over him. Not enough attention left over to make it worth getting dolled up on my own.”<br /> I couldn’t fight the emotional jolt that went through me at the captain’s name. It was such a specific feeling that I only associated with him: a twinge of heartache, a dash of resentment, a heaping dose of guilt. I wasn’t sure what my feelings were cooking up, but whatever it was, it always left me with a forlorn, bitter taste in my mouth. <br /> But that was probably because he was my fated mate.<br /> “You all right over there?” Darla said in a curious tone. Sometimes I got the feeling that she knew how much I was drawn to Captain Kai, and other times it felt like she was completely oblivious. “You look a little green.”<br /> “I’m fine,” I lied, just like I had to do most of the time. I really hated that about myself, but survival is as survival does, and I just did what was necessary to protect the people around me. “Just hungry.”<br /> In truth, my stomach was twisting at the thought of him being surrounded by drooling, enamored recruits who could openly speak with him—be close to him. Meanwhile, I was barely able to steal distant glances, and that was it. It wasn’t right to be so isolated from my mate. It tore at me in ways I truly hated, but what could I do?<br /> Mates, fated mates, and romance were complicated, interwoven things in shifter culture. Considering I was only half a shifter and raised by witches, I was still unraveling those intricate social rules. Mates were what most shifters tended to call their long-term partners, wives, or husbands. It meant a specific, important relationship that was set aside from just dating, or even marriage. It was something shifter-specific and taken very seriously. <br /> But it was a choice.<br /> Fated mates were something else entirely. I was still shaky on the why of it, but boy, was I familiar with how it felt. Fated mates weren’t about choice. It was like an irresistible call to another person—someone I was meant to be with. More enticing than a siren’s song, more compelling than my need for oxygen. My entire body, heart, and soul longed to be by Kai’s side. To protect him. To comfort him. To laugh with him and share all the mundane little happenings of day-to-day life. I craved him more than I wanted food or drink.<br /> But I couldn’t have him.<br /> Maybe…maybe it wouldn’t be the worst idea to go to the dining hall and help with the welcoming of the new recruits. Even though I couldn’t participate directly, it was always nice to see him charm the troops. Captain Kai had a way of making everyone feel welcome right off the bat—that was if they let him. Goodness knows, I certainly hadn’t when I’d first arrived. I’d stared straight at the ground and given one-word answers as best I could. Not exactly the best first impression, but it was what I had to do to squeak by. <br /> “Why don’t we go get you food before you pass out? You know how cranky you get in the morning when you’ve gone too long without eating.”<br /> She was right. “All right,” I said, like she’d managed to convince me. “Let’s go get food. As long as you’re willing to not make a scene.”<br /> “Me? Make a scene?” Darla objected, batting her double row of eyelashes at me. “I'd never.”<br /> “Uh-huh. Why don’t you go ahead? I’m gonna take a quick wash, then follow up behind you.”<br /> “You’re really sticking to this hermit thing, aren’t you? You know, if you didn’t work so hard on being stony, more people would see how fun you are.”<br /> “I don’t want people to see how fun I am,” I countered sharply. I didn’t need to risk them getting hurt. <br /> “All right, all right, I can tell I touched a nerve. I’ll head out to get my flirt on before you join me.”<br /> “Thanks.”<br /> Darla practically skipped out of my room, heading away from my living quarters toward the southern cafeteria. Troops tended to eat in the same places most days, but sometimes we’d wander to one of the other quads if our usual one was overly packed. <br /> Considering the late hour, though, there would be plenty of room once I arrived. Most of the soldiers in our quad were used to me silently eating alone or with Darla, so no one was likely to bother me besides perhaps the new recruits. But I was sure that others would warn them off me before then. It was certainly a relief. It was going to take far too much of my attention to not openly stare at Kai, so I wasn’t exactly going to be up for conversation. <br /> Allowing myself one more groan, I got out of bed and hopped into the shower. Most of the new recruits had to use communal dorm bathrooms, but as one of two healers on our quadrant of the fort who often had to wash viscera, tonics, and brews off myself, I'd a small bathroom attached to my quarters. <br /> Once I was clean, I pulled on a standard uniform instead of my healing one, then headed to the café. Just like I’d hoped, Darla was indeed busy with a gaggle of soldiers who were all vying for her attention, allowing me to get my food and pretend like I wasn’t waiting for Kai to arrive.<br /> The room was much louder than usual, filled with all the new bodies. As much as I appreciated the reinforcements, my heart grew heavy knowing we were so direly in need of them. The war seemed to stretch on forever, escalating more and more as the years passed. <br /> What was it even about? Land? Power? It all seemed so pointless to me. I fought as hard as I could to be an excellent healer and soldier for Captain Kai and my fellow shifters, but that didn’t mean I was a blindly loyal patriot. The world would be a much better place if there were no such thing as armed conflict. <br /> I grimaced as I tried to shove those thoughts out of my mind. Luckily, that was right when none other than Captain Kai strolled into the cafeteria, his presence banishing the negativity always living in my mind. He looked gorgeous, as usual, and my eyes traveled along his noble brow, down his strong nose, then to his chiseled chin. He was smiling, as he usually was off duty, his dark spit curls hanging off his forehead. <br /> I mechanically shoveled food from my tray into my mouth, but even with how hungry I was, I didn’t really taste any of it. My full attention was on Kai, save for the small sliver of my brain trying to pretend that I wasn’t looking at him. Once more, the siren song bloomed within, flooding me with a bitter longing that never seemed to end.<br /> “Well met!” I heard him say cheerily to one of the recruits, with even my half-shifter hearing able to pick up his voice from across the room. <br /> As he continued to greet the troops, I thought back to the first moment I saw him from across the compound. It was like the world had stopped moving entirely, its axis disappearing, only for none other than Kai himself to become the center upon which it rotated. My inner wolf howled, wanting to go to him, begging to, but I… I couldn’t.<br /> It’d taken every bit of strength I had not to give into the feral need rushing through me, hot and bright. Somehow I’d managed to rush back to my quarters and collect myself despite my inner wolf cursing at me with bared teeth the entire time. <br /> I was so shocked. Never in a million years had I ever thought I'd have a fated mate, let alone that I'd run into mine during my military service. It just figured because the urge to protect him, to take care of him, prevented me from ever acting on these overwhelming feelings. <br /> In the end, I always ended up hurting everyone around me. Everyone I was close to. All because of a stupid curse by a bastard of a magic user who apparently had it out for an infant. <br /> The witches who helped raise me had tried for years to remove the curse—what I liked to call my Malignant Shadow—that’d been forced upon me. It sank into my skin, my very soul, spreading out to feed on those I loved. <br /> So, I’d cursed Kai right back. Not with the Malignant Shadow or anything that would hurt him. No, I’d cut my own hand off before I did anything like that. But I did curse him with… blindness.<br /> Except blindness wasn’t even an accurate description. It was a complete and total ablation of all his senses. Normally, it would be the most extreme torture: locked within one’s own body without a sense of taste, smell, hearing, sight, touch, or perception of where one was in any given space, but I'd no desire to harm Kai. In fact, I’d cooked up my little spell specifically to save him. <br /> I’d narrowed down the curse to just affect how his inner wolf saw me. He could still see and hear me, of course, so it wasn’t like I was invisible to him, but it cut him off from the natural ability to sense I was his mate. So to him, I was less than interesting, and just another soldier with the world’s mildest scent and a bland personality.<br /> It was worth it—at least that was what I told myself—to keep him safe, even if sometimes it felt like it was ripping my heart out.<br /> “Ah, I heard about your mother’s exploits in the fifth regiment. She was one of the best calvary we ever had. I look forward to seeing what you can do, cadet.”<br /> There was his voice, drifting over to me and coiling around my heart. As usual, I let myself daydream of what it would've been like if I hadn’t cursed him. If I’d just let nature take its course so the two of us could be together.<br /> They were a slippery slope, these daydreams, layered with earnest delusion atop a foundation of delicious temptation. I knew it, and yet I let my mind wander along these familiar fantasies, anyway.<br /> I supposed I was a glutton for punishment that way. <br /> But it was just so easy to see. The special smile he’d send me, his mate. How he would hold me. Despite what I’d been through, my mind had no trouble conjuring up what it might be like to be loved and claimed by someone so warm, so bright. A shining beacon of strength and compassion in the darkness spreading rapidly across our lands. <br /> The further I went along with the daydream, the more I could feel my cheeks burning until I was surprised they didn’t spontaneously light themselves aflame. After all, it wouldn’t be the strangest thing to happen at Fort Canid. <br /> But then I happened to make eye contact with Darla. She wiggled her eyebrows at me knowingly. Ugh. Even with the inhibitor bracelet all of us soldiers were given when we arrived at the fort, she could still see right through me. <br /> Quickly looking down at my food, I shoveled another forkful into my mouth. I knew I should leave, but when I glanced up, with my mouth full of beans, my eyes didn’t connect with Darla’s. No. Suddenly I found myself looking into Kai’s dark, soulful eyes.<br /> Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God!<br /> I did my best to reign in my response, even if everything in me was screaming that he knew, but the moment barely lasted before his gaze moved away from me, not even registering I was there.<br /> It made my heart ache something fierce, even if that was exactly what my curse was supposed to do. I was nothing to him, and nothing I must remain. <br /> As much as I told myself that, though, electricity still ran through me each time I saw him. It really was excruciating torture being so close to the man I was supposed to be with and having it taken away before I was old enough to understand what a fated mate even meant.<br /> But it would be worth it.<br /> As long as Kai was safe, it would all be worth it.<br /> <br /> Chapter 1 of Royally Cursed. Read the rest today, FREE on Kindle Unlimited!	LEARN_MORE	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR9JW1TX	106376495657728	Wolf Boyfriends - Shifter Romance Books	https://facebook.com/100088904341142	928	1	1,444,969,519,564,919	2024-02-16 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	1	Learn more	Wolf Boyfriends - Shifter Romance Books	120206632799550327	amazon.com	NONE	image	Royally Cursed: A Fated Mates Wolf Shifter Romance (Fated Love, Fated War Book 1)	https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CR9JW1TX	2024-02-16 10:05	https://scontent.fsan1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/427786341_361505660214572_3506206498590429781_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Pra8-lr7bL8AX_IGyeh&_nc_ht=scontent.fsan1-1.fna&oh=00_AfAolbtHqFuzr8ocODTHiJKdQ6KdnOvgNuGHnPIukMU9fg&oe=65D6D9DE	person_profile			3	Wolf Boyfriends - Shifter Romance Books	2024-02-16 02:00	View Edit Delete
311,531	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":311541}'	No	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	334549486241362	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your whore's actions."<br /> "Mind how you talk to me, Zell. I may be your mate, but I am still the alpha. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I am stripping you of all of your luna privileges."<br /> I spat. "You should know, you didn't deprive me of Luna's title, but I didn't want it myself. I no longer want it. As for the business, have you forgotten that I own 51% of every business we have? I will withdraw all of my personal finances from the pack."<br /> "Oh, and Alpha, You, of all people, know how ruthless I can be if pushed."<br /> ————————<br /> "Well Zel, I just wanted to let you know that I plan on being the Luna of this pack, and your days as Kosta's mate and luna are numbered. I have decided that I deserve to be luna of the third strongest pack in the nation. I mean why should you get everything and I get stuck with nothing?" Khalis says.<br /> <br /> Is this bimbo serious? I just sat there staring at her for a few seconds. Not much shocks me, but this is something else. I knew Khalis was selfish, but this is on a whole other level. There have been rumors about Khalis sleeping with mated males, but I always gave her the benefit of the doubt. I never thought we would be having this kind of conversation. We have been friends since elementary school. Her father and brothers are elite warriors in my father's pack. She was with me when Kosta declared we were mates. She even encouraged me to go with him when he begged me and my father to let me come to his pack with him before I turned 18. She moved to this pack with me, hoping to meet her own mate. She knows Kosta is my fated mate. The moon goddess chose for him me. We both have known Kosta for most of our lives. Kosta is one of my brother's best friends. I keep thinking about everything we have done together and now this bimbo is sitting in my office telling me she plans to take my mate. I'm really speechless. This is a new low, even for her.<br /> <br /> "Just so that I am clear, what exactly do you mean that you want my goddess-given mate and title," I asked.<br /> <br /> "I mean exactly what I said. I want Kosta. I want to be his luna and I am going to make that happen. I've already started the process. I deserve to be a luna."<br /> <br /> "So you just want to come in here and tell me that you want my mate? What about your own mate? Have you thought about that? If the goddess meant for you to be a luna, you would have been fated to an alpha."<br /> <br /> "I waited for my mate. I gave the goddess a chance to do right by me. She gave everyone around me an Alpha. My sister got one, my little ugly cousin got one and even you got one, but what did I get? I got a lowly elite warrior as a mate." She spat.<br /> <br /> "How can you speak like that about elite warriors? Your father and your brother are elite warriors."<br /> <br /> "I know, and I deserve better than that. I deserve to be a luna. I deserve to have people respect me and cater to me."<br /> <br /> "Well, obviously the goddess did not agree with you," I said. "Just to clarify, you're saying that even though you found your destined mate, the one that was made specifically for you by the goddess, you're still interested in my mate? You are unbelievable. What is wrong with you?"<br /> <br /> "It's simple. I'm not meant to be the mate of a warrior. I am meant to be a luna. The moon goddess got it wrong and I am correcting her mistake. As soon as I scented my fated mate and realized he was a warrior, I rejected him and he accepted my rejection. Good riddance."<br /> <br /> "So you think you know better than the goddess?" I asked.<br /> <br /> I am still somewhat shocked. I have a hard time reconciling this cold-blooded bimbo to the person that has been my best friend for over a decade.<br /> <br /> "Zell, I told you a long time ago not to trust her. She has always been this person. She just pretended with you." Sapphire said.<br /> <br /> "This isn't personal, Zell. It's simple since the moon goddess did not give me an alpha, I'm going to take one."<br /> <br /> This bimbo is sitting here calmly telling me she is going to take my mate from me like we are talking about going shopping. She actually thinks this is ok. How could I have been so blind for so long? Everyone tried to warn me about her, but she was my only friend and I just didn't want to believe that about her. I convinced myself that the others were just jealous of her.<br /> <br /> "Do you really think it is ok to try to break your best friend's mate bond?" I say.<br /> <br /> "Oh Honey, I'm not going to try. I'm going to do it. He will be mine. I'm just giving you the courtesy of walking away with your dignity. You might as well start making arrangements for yourself because once I am the luna, there is no way that I will let you remain in my pack. He may keep some tender feelings for you. After all, you are fated."<br /> <br /> "You got one thing right; Kosta and I are fated. You are not the first she-wolf to try to break our mate bond and since he is an alpha, I'm sure you won't be the last. I will tell you what I tell them all, If you can get Kosta to cheat on our bond, you can have him. If he can do that, then he is not the man I have believed him to be and wouldn't deserve me. You would be welcome to him. Just remember, it is because of me and my family that this pack is ranked third. All of that goes with me, but you would be more than welcome to whatever is left." I say.<br /> <br /> "It's not an if, it's a when it happens. And when you leave, Kosta will still be the alpha of this pack. You will just be the ex-luna of the pack. I will be the luna."<br /> <br /> "That's where you are wrong. I am alpha born; a pure-blooded alpha. If I leave, I will still be an alpha and you will still be that bimbo on the side. Some males may be dumb enough to sleep with you, but I have not seen any of the mate men you've been accused of leaving their mates for you. Even the ones who got rejected didn't choose to be with you. Now I suggest you leave my office while I am still being nice or else you will find out why I am feared by others. And if you are successful, don't think for a minute that my family will let either of you go."<br /> <br /> "I will leave for now. Enjoy this office while it is still yours. Your arrogance will be your downfall. Why should I fear you or your family? They have not even been around since your luna ceremony. I'll give you 1 week to make arrangements for yourself. In 7 days, all of this will be mine and you will be out. I will break you and completely disgrace you. I have to thank you for working so hard to build this pack up for me to take over. I will be sure to enjoy the fruit of your labor. I and my children will enjoy this. I am glad he listened to me early on when I told him to wait to have children so you could live your life first. I had to set the groundwork just in case. Now it's time for you to go before you give him an heir." Khalis says and walks out of my office like nothing happened.<br /> <br /> She has caused a lot of chaos since coming to this pack. I just didn't realize her character before now. I thought she was misunderstood. Now I know I was just naïve. It appears that I was the only person blind to her true nature.<br /> <br /> I spent the rest of the day working on pack security and setting up meetings. There are a few alphas wanting an alliance with us. Kosta and I have become quite the power couple in the werewolf society. Since we took over as alpha and luna, the pack and the businesses have grown tremendously. I put my heart and soul into making our pack the best. I got an early start. I graduated from high school when I was 16 and went to university. I graduated with a business degree at 20. Kosta has let me take the lead in our businesses. He knows that beast at negotiation and a whiz at growing businesses. I have acquired several new companies since working in the pack business. Kosta is still the CEO, but I am the COO of the company. I broker the deals and then call Kosta in to close the deal. Most alphas in our circle are jealous of Kosta because he has me at his side. Kosta used to be proud of me and what I did for the pack, but lately he has been resisting the changes I have been making and trying to take over more of the daily operations of the pack. He can't take it all because I am the sole financial backing of the pack and the businesses.<br /> <br /> I am known in werewolf society as a child prodigy, but don't get it twisted, I am not all brains. I can be very deadly when needed. I train every day. I am one of the strongest wolves alive, although I keep that hidden. I can be ruthless, but fair. I know that I am the total package. I am athletic, tall with curves in the right places. I've never been one to compete with other she-wolves. I thought I was happy and had a good life. I thought Khalis was happy. We used to talk about finding our fated mates. I just can't understand how or why Khalis would try to come between me and my mate. I wish I could believe that my bond was safe and solid, but Sapphire is right about Kosta acting suspiciously lately. Kosta has been questioning me a lot lately. It's like he woke up a different person one day. He suddenly lost trust in me, but I have never given him a reason to doubt me. I have found him outside of my door listening to business phone calls, which is crazy because he could just walk in at any time and join the conversation. I have never hidden anything I was doing from him. The worse thing is that our life is now nonexistent. Kosta is always too busy or too tired. His behavior has led me to believe that he is not attracted to me anymore. He had the nerve to ask me why I have been trying so hard to seduce him lately. Like he didn't just stop making love to me cold turkey all of a sudden. We went from making love every day, sometime multiple times a day, to nothing in over a month. Seems like he should have been worried if I didn't try to seduce him. I don't know any mated pair that has gone this long without being intimate with each other. I don't know what the issue is. If we were not marked, I would wonder if he was cheating, but I know he is not. I would have felt it. Why did all of this suddenly become so hard? Why do I even need to seduce my goddess-given mate? It was never supposed to be this way. At least not yet. I'm only 20 years old. Much too young to be going through a dry spell while mated.<br /> <br /> I got so desperate at one time I asked our friends what was going on with him. Kosta tells his beta and gamma everything. I figured if there was a problem, they would tell me and I could fix it, but they just said that he was under a lot of stress. What exactly does he have to stress about? The pack is doing better than it has been in years. In half a year, the pack will be self-sufficient again and won't need to depend on my finances to keep it afloat. I have everything set in motion for the pack to have more disposable cash and residual income. I have a feeling this has Khalis written all over it. Kosta appears to have fallen in line with her already. Maybe this was their plan all along. Kosta needed me to get his pack back on track and now that they are almost completely independent, they don't need me anymore. If that's the case, they are in for a rude awakening. My six-month plan depends on me closing several more deals. All of these deals are allies with my father, uncle, and grandfather. They will not work with Kosta if our bond falls apart. He would erase everything that I have done over the past three years. Well, that would be his problem.<br /> <br /> I got so caught up in working and thinking; I didn't realize I worked up to dinner time. No one called me for lunch. In fact, no one called me for dinner. That is strange. One of the omegas usually checks on me when I am working too much and makes sure I am eating. I guess everyone is following Kosta. Since he has not been showing me any care, they are not either. That really hurts. I sacrificed a lot for this pack. I thought they cared more than this for me. I should just go back to my room. I don't know if I want to be around this pack right now, especially if they could turn their backs on me this quickly. Were they all just using me for my family's wealth?<br /> <br /> "We need to eat Zell. Remember, we are eating for our pup as well. Don't let them win. We are better than this. If they show us they don't want us here, we will leave. Remember, we are alpha born. We will rise above this. We will go back to where we are celebrated. If they turn against us, they don't deserve us. We will sit back and let them destroy themselves."<br /> <br /> "You are right Sapphire. Let's go eat. Our pup needs sustenance."<br /> <br /> I went and cleaned myself up and walked to the dining room. As soon as I walked through the door, all the talking stopped. The whole place went silent. As I walked all the way in, I saw why everyone went silent. Khalis was sitting in my seat, putting food on Kosta's plate like she is the luna. When she saw me, she just smirked and kept doing what she was doing. Kosta just keep eating like I was not standing there. Sapphire stared, pushing forward. She wanted blood. I did too, but I have to think about our pup.<br /> <br /> "What is going on, Kosta? Why is she sitting in my seat feeding you?" I growled.<br /> <br /> "I meant no harm, Zell. You were busy, so I decided to take care of Kosta for you. Someone needs to care for him while you are caring for other things. "<br /> <br /> "I was speaking to my mate, not his bimbo on the side."<br /> <br /> "You were not here for your mate, so I have been taking care of his needs."<br /> <br /> Sapphire pushed forward and growled loudly. Everyone in the room bowed their neck to her.<br /> <br /> "I could kill you in less than 30 seconds, Khalis. I would advise you not to keep crossing my line and you will find yourself very dead. You obviously have forgotten who I am. Don't make me remind you what my family name is," Sapphire said.<br /> <br /> I regained control and looked at Kosta. He didn't even appear to be concerned. He didn't show an ounce of regret or remorse. That took a little of the fight out of me. Khalis can only do what Kosta allows her to do.<br /> <br /> "Kosta, I asked you a question. What is going on?"<br /> <br /> "As Khalis said, you were busy, so she came to do your job for you. If you spent more time catering to me, your mate, and less time working or whatever you are doing, Khalis wouldn't have to step in and take care of my needs." Kosta said.<br /> <br /> I and every pack member gasped. I could not believe he openly disrespected me like that after everything I have done for him and this pack. I did all of that for him. This ungrateful hip.<br /> <br /> "So now I'm working too much, making your pack financially secure? You were not complaining when the pack was bankrupted and I worked day and night just so you could feed the pack another day. I was working too hard then. It's only now that you think the pack is out of the woods that I am working too hard. Now that everyone is comfortable and not at risk of starving, you want to change. Ok, I see who you are now. So instead of appreciating the sacrifices I made for us and the pack, you are sitting here with your bimbo, enjoying the feast that my hard work made possible. I am glad I finally understand where your priorities lie. Trust me, I will never make the same mistake twice." I said and walked away.<br /> <br /> I need to get out of here before I wolf out and kill one of them. After tonight, Khalis can have him. He is not the male I thought he was. I refuse to fight for someone who can spit on all the effort I put into making him great.<br /> <br /> "Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> <br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your bimbo's actions."<br /> <br /> "Mind how you talk to me, Zell. I may be your mate, but I am still the alpha. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I am stripping you of all of your luna privileges."<br /> <br /> "Alpha, what are you doing?" Beta James asked<br /> <br /> "Mind your business Beta. This is my pack." Kosta says.<br /> <br /> "Yes, and as your beta and friend, it is my job to tell you when you are making a mistake. Alpha, you are dangerously close to crossing the line of no return. Let's all calm down and discuss this later." Beta James said.<br /> <br /> "Beta, my word stands. Zel, until you learn to respect me as your alpha, you can forget about representing this pack in any aspect. I will be instructing the security team to restrict all of your access. You are no longer the COO of our businesses. As of now, you are just a regular pact member with no power."<br /> <br /> "First of all Alpha." I spat. "Respect is earned. While you are trying to throw your weight around, you can have the luna title back. I no longer want it. As for the business, have you forgotten that I own 51% of every business we have? I also provide 60% of the pack budget from my personal accounts. So while you can restrict my duties as Luna, you cannot touch the business, but I'll do you a solid. You can buy me out of the business and I will withdraw all of my personal finances from the pack."<br /> <br /> I can see that he had forgotten how dependent his pack was on me, but oh well. He made his bed. Now he and his bimbo can lie in it.<br /> <br /> "Oh, and Alpha, if you try to strong-arm me, I will have to call in the full loan that I gave this pack when we mated. Remember, we signed a contract for the loan. You have only paid me a small portion of the loan and I have not pushed the issue, but the contract is legal and binding. Don't push me, Kosta. You, of all people, know how ruthless I can be if pushed."<br /> <br /> I walked off again and made it as far as the stairs. I realized that I could not stay in my current room anymore. There is no way on this goddess-green earth that I want to be in a room with Kosta. Not that he has really shared it with me lately. Now I know why. Khalis has been feeding him and he has been eating it up. They both miscalculated. They thought I would be leaving here with nothing. The jokes on them. I may have been in love, but there is no love in business. I may have put my all into saving this pack and making it independently wealthy, but my parents did not raise a fool and I protected my finances. I invested millions in this company and pack. Did he really think I would protect my money? Does he not remember the prenup my father made him sign since I was a minor when he brought me to this pack? He never gained control over my finances.<br /> <br /> Khalis just showed her hand. After what I just saw, she has a right to be confident. Kosta has completely changed. He is not the man that I mated. He is not the boy that I followed around when I was younger. I don't know what happened or when he changed. Maybe this is who he really is and, like with Khalis, I just never saw his true self. He must have hidden it from my father and brother as well. There is no way they would have let me come here when I was 17 if they knew this was how he would end up treating me. I can see now that it is over between Kosta and me. I need to start planning my exit. I pulled up my computer and moved all of my finances from the pack accounts. I closed all the joint accounts I had with Kosta. It was mostly my money that financed them. I left the ones that he financed in his name. I don't want anything from him at all. After I handle business, I call my brother. I will need his help to leave here safely. Now that Kosta knows that all the money is still tied up with me, I doubt he will let me leave easily. I'm sure he and the bimbo are plotting up something.<br /> <br /> I called my brother and tall him waht happened.<br /> <br /> "So what's the plan, baby sis?" my brother answered.<br /> <br /> "Well, I have already moved all of my personal money from the pack accounts. They are now responsible for themselves. I'm not sure how that is going to go over. I was covering most of the pack's budget. Tomorrow, I will contact my attorneys to protect all of my other assets. I also plan to call our allies and let them know that I am no longer associated with the pack. I am erasing everything I've done over the past three years. They will need to start over from scratch and rebuild it all on their own. There is no way they will get to enjoy my hard work. No, sir."<br /> <br /> "Very smart Zell. What do you need me to do?"	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311,481	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":311457}'	No	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	345934258411549	"❤️‍🔥Continue to read 📖<Alpha Dom and His Human Surrogate>(Search ID:63） "	Chapter 1 - Betray<br /> Ella<br /> “I’m sorry Ella.” My physician says gently. “I’m afraid you have very few viable eggs remaining. Frankly, I normally see these numbers in women ten or fifteen years your senior.”<br /> “What?” I murmur, not believing my ears. I’ve been trying to get pregnant for years. I’m only 30, I should have plenty of eggs left.<br /> “In terms of fertility, you have very little time left.” She continues. “If you want to conceive, you need to do so before your next cycle begins.”<br /> “My next cycle?” I repeat, my mouth hanging open in shock. I love kids more than anything, and though it might not be everyone’s ambition, I want nothing more than to be a mother.<br /> I have to get home and tell my boyfriend this news, and there’s not a moment to waste.<br /> I make it home in record time, bursting through the door and opening my mouth to call for Mike, but stopping dead in my tracks. As soon as I walk inside I see a pair of high heels and a handbag by the door – neither of which belong to me.<br /> I cock my ears towards the bedroom, and my stomach churns when I hear the unmistakable sound of moaning, accompanied by a steady thump thump thump, as the bed collides with the wall. Worse even than realizing that Mike is clearly in there with another woman, is realizing who he’s with. I know that handbag, and I know those shoes – they belong to my best friend, Kate. <br /> “Fuck, Ella is so stupid.” Mike laughs, “can you believe she actually expects me to have a baby with her?”<br /> Kate snorts, “she’s delusional. I don’t know how you put up with her for so long in the first place.”<br /> “If she wasn’t so beautiful I never would have given her the time of day.” Mike scoffs. “Thankfully daily doses of plan B kept her from ever conceiving.”<br /> “The morning after pill?” Kate asks, “how did you manage to give it to her without her realizing?”<br /> “I put it in her morning coffee.” Mike chortles, sounding far too proud of himself. <br /> My vision goes completely red as everything finally falls into place. Suddenly it’s clear why I’ve never been able to get pregnant, despite having unprotected sex multiple times a week for years. It’s even clear how I could have the eggs of a 45-year-old, if my despicable partner has been secretly feeding me emergency contraceptives every day – there’s no telling what other damage that might have done to my reproductive system. <br /> Before I can think better of it, I pull the smoke alarm on the wall, wanting to frighten and punish the pair in the bedroom so fiercely that I fear I might attack them when they emerge. Water immediately sprays down from the sprinkler system mounted to the ceiling as a shrill siren fills the air, and I hear Mike and Kate cry out in surprise. <br /> A few moments later they come rushing out of the bedroom, stopping in their tracks when they see me looming in the doorway. Mike’s eyes go comically wide, “What are you doing home so early?” The snake has the nerve to sound affronted that I surprised him, when he’s the one who’s been sneaking around behind my back for God knows how long. He seems to realize how suspicious it looks that he and Kate are standing there in their underwear and quickly adds, “Kate came to see me so we could plan a surprise for your birthday, but then we spilled coffee all over our clothes so we had to change.”<br /> Fire blazes in my veins, he must truly believe I’m an idiot if he expects me to buy such a feeble excuse. <br /> It’s a testament to their horrifically low opinion of me that they buy my act, and I vow to get my revenge one way or another. I can’t believe I wasted so many years – my best years – on this scumbag. And now he may have cost me my future too. As soon as the thought enters my head, I know I can’t afford to waste another moment on Mike, I have more important things to take care of. <br /> I make my excuses and rush across town for the second time that afternoon, running to the comforting arms of my surrogate sister, Cora. Not only did we grow up together in the orphanage, but she became an OBGYN and now works for the most exclusive sperm bank in the city. I’ve never gone to her before because I always imagined Mike and I would eventually conceive the natural way, but that clearly isn’t an option anymore. <br /> Even if I could find a man willing to have a baby with me in time, I’m not eager to trust anyone after Mike’s betrayal. I’m going to have to do this on my own, and I know Cora can help me. I don’t have much money, but I have enough savings to pay for the insemination, especially since I basically have one shot and one shot only. <br /> When I arrive, all my plans to lay out my situation for Cora clearly and concisely go out the window, because the moment I see my sister I fall to pieces. She hugs and kisses me until my tears subside, slowly extracting the story from me piece by piece. When she hears about Mike and Kate she swears up a storm, but that’s nothing compared to her reaction when I explain about my fertility. <br /> “That little shit! I’ll kill him!” She fumes, studying me with a worried expression. “Ella, if your doctor was right this means you only have one chance to conceive.”<br /> “I know.” I sniffle. “And if this is going to be my only baby, I don’t want to take any chances. I want the best donor we can find.”<br /> “Don’t you worry about that.” Cora assures me, “We’ve got donations from actors, models, scientists – it’s only the creme de la creme here.” She glances at the door and lowers her voice. “You didn’t hear it from me, but even Dominic Sinclair sent his samples here for testing.”<br /> “Dominic Sinclair? I repeat, “the billionaire?” I’ve seen the man around town, but we don’t exactly run in the same circles. He lives in the same neighborhood as my wealthy employer and often says hello to the children I nanny, but he’s always surrounded by bodyguards and is so intimidating I get goosebumps just thinking about him. <br /> “Oh my god!.” Cora slaps her hand over her mouth. “I wasn’t supposed to tell you that! I don’t know what I was thinking. Apparently he’s no stranger to fertility issues himself, and he trusted us to handle his swimmers over every other lab in the country. I’ve got his sperm in the other room at this very moment.” She frets, “But Ella you can’t tell anyone, you have to promise me.”<br /> “Of course!” I agree immediately. “I know how important confidentiality is here.”<br /> “Thank you,” Cora breathes. “Now, I’m going to give you a dossier of our clients so you can pick a donor, and once you’ve chosen we’ll get you knocked up before you can even blink.” <br /> It’s not an easy decision, but eventually I choose a handsome surgeon whose photo practically makes me swoon. Cora leaves the room only long enough to prepare the sample, and though she looks a bit flustered when she returns, she quickly and professionally completes the insemination, holding my hand when the procedure is finished. “It’s all take care of now, Ella.” She promises, “You can come back in ten days to see if it worked.”<br /> Ten days. I think dazedly. Ten days to decide my entire future.<br /> If only I’d known that by the time those ten days were up, my future would no longer belong to me – but to Dominic Sinclair himself. <br /> <br /> Chapter 2 - Be Fired<br /> Ella<br /> Six days to go. I think, staring at the date circled on my calendar. Six days until I find out if my dreams are finally going to come true… or if I have to figure out an entirely different plan for my life. <br /> I’ve thought about nothing else since Cora inseminated me last week, I’m so anxious to find out if I’m pregnant I haven’t even begun to process Mike’s betrayal. <br /> I’m trying to keep a level head, yet I can’t help but imagine my future with this new baby. Try as I might, I catch myself daydreaming about it constantly. I even find myself humming as I get ready for work in the morning. <br /> When I arrive at my employer’s estate in the most exclusive neighborhood in Moon Valley – which basically makes it the most exclusive neighborhood in the world, since Moon Valley is one of the most expensive cities on the planet – I’m immediately greeted by two little voices shouting my name in excitement. “Ella!”<br /> The next thing I know, 3-year-old Millie is hugging my legs while her older brother, Jake, wraps his arms around my middle. “Good morning love puddles!” I exclaim, returning their hugs. “Are you ready for the museum?”<br /> “Yeah!” They cheer, racing out the door without even stopping to put on coats. It takes a bit of wrangling to get them back inside and bundled up for the cold winter day, but before long we set out into the snow.<br /> Jake races ahead of Millie and I, impatient to get to the science museum and not seeming to notice that his sister’s tiny legs simply don’t move that fast. Chuckling, I lift Millie into my arms and settle her on my hip. “Goodness, you’re getting too big for this, munchkin.”<br /> “Nuh-uh,” Millie grins, “You’re justs too little.” <br /> She might have a point. At five foot one, I don’t exactly have the kind of build suited to heavy lifting. I’m in great shape, but I’ve never been particularly strong. “Smarty pants.” I tease, laughing with the little girl. <br /> When I look back towards Jake, I realize he’s stopped a few feet ahead of us. My heart skips a beat when I realize why. We’re in front of the Sinclair mansion, and its owner is currently standing in the middle of the sidewalk, his gaze searing me like a firebrand as I approach with Millie. Dominic Sinclair is just about the most handsome man I’ve ever seen, but he’s also one of the most terrifying. <br /> With dark hair and piercing green eyes, chiseled features and a body so muscular I could swoon, it doesn’t seem fair he gets to look so good and also be so rich. If I didn’t know better I might think it was his wealth or imposing height that makes him so intimidating, after all he’s at least six foot four, which means he towers over me and everyone else around him. However it’s neither of those things, there’s simply an indefinable quality about the man that I can’t put my finger on, one which screams danger. He gives off this energy that’s so raw and animalistic one forgets there’s anyone else in the room. <br /> Taking a steadying breath, I close the distance between us so Millie can say hello. When she greets him, Dominic drags his attention from me and offers her a smile so genuine that it tugs at my heartstrings. As I watch him talk to my two young charges, I remember what Cora told me about his infertility struggles. He clearly loves children, and I feel a wave of empathy for him. If anyone knows what it’s like to yearn for a family of their own, it’s me. <br /> Jake is currently showing Dominic his new toy airplane, pulling the matchbox model from his pocket and demonstrating how far it can fly. With a great heave, he sends the toy gliding through the air, only to land in the middle of the street. Before any of us can say a word, Jake races after it, right into the busy road.<br /> “Jake no, be careful!” I cry, watching him dart out into the path of an oncoming car but feeling frozen by my fear. Before I can contemplate putting Millie down to go after him, a blur of movement whirrs past my vision. I’ve never seen anyone move so fast in my life. Dominic became little more than a hazy outline of himself, chasing after Jake and pulling him out of the way just before the car slams into them. The vehicle’s tires are still screeching when Dominic sets Jake down beside me, his expression suddenly very stern. <br /> “That was very dangerous.” He scolds gently. “You should never go into the street without looking both ways first.”<br /> Jake hangs his head. “I’m sorry, I didn’t want my plane to get runned over.” <br /> “You are a million times more important than a toy.” Dominic tells him firmly, “and you scared your nanny half to death.”<br /> “I’m sorry, Ella.” Jake sniffles, looking up at me with wide eyes. <br /> “I know sweetheart, just don’t ever do that again.” I breathe, cuddling him against my side. “Thank you so much.” I say to Dominic, feeling more grateful than I can express. “I have no idea how you moved so fast! It was like something out of a superhero film.”<br /> “Must have been the adrenaline.” Dominic shrugs, giving Millie another smile before taking his leave. “Enjoy the rest of your day, and stay out of the road young man!”<br /> “Yes sir!” Jake calls after him, pocketing his airplane. “I really am sorry.” He adds to me. <br /> “It’s forgotten.” I tell him softly, though I take his hand so that he can’t run off again. <br /> “It all happened so fast.” I tell Cora later that night. “I mean the more I think about it, the more amazing it seems. One moment he was there, and the next he was gone. It was like magic.”<br /> “Thank goodness Jake is alright.” She replies, but rather than looking relieved, her face is twisted into a deep grimace.<br /> Studying my sister’s expression, I realize her grim demeanor is not just about Jake’s near miss. Something else is wrong, and I actually feel guilty for not noticing sooner. “Is everything okay?”<br /> Cora frowns, “Not really. But you’ve got so much going on right now, it’s not important.”<br /> “Cora, don’t be ridiculous.” I admonish. “What’s going on?”<br /> “Well, speaking of Dominic Sinclair,” She begins cryptically, “you know that sperm he sent to us for testing?”<br /> “Yeah,” I confirm, wondering where on earth this was going. <br /> “It’s gone missing… and I’m the last person who saw it, not to mention it was in my custody.” She explains, her voice becoming thick with emotion. “Ella, I think… I think I’m going to be fired. And if there’s an investigation I could lose my medical license.”<br /> “What?” I exclaim. “What do you mean it’s missing? A vial of sperm can’t just get up and walk away.”<br /> “I know, I think someone had to steal it, but there’s no way of knowing who’s responsible. And it looks like I’m going to have to take the blame.” She shares, her eyes shining with tears. <br /> “Cora, I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this sooner!” I lament, “They can’t fire you, it isn’t fair.”<br /> “You don’t understand, Dominic is one of our biggest donors.” Cora explains. “And he’s furious, he basically wants my head on a platter.”<br /> A week ago I might have believed there was no hope for Cora, but seeing how kind and understanding Dominic was with the kids today makes me wonder if he could really be so heartless. Surely if he understood that Cora would never be so irresponsible he’d show some leniency? I have to try and help her, I would do anything for my sister – even begging a ruthless billionaire for mercy.<br /> <br /> Chapter 3 - Request<br /> Ella<br /> Three days to go.<br /> I repeat these words to myself as I walk down the street, still preoccupied with my possible pregnancy, even as I prepare to go to bat for my sister. In some ways it's a coping mechanism: I’m about to beg Dominic Sinclair to save Cora’s job, and I need a comforting thought to help me get through this. <br /> His bodyguards see me first, and I can see their mouths moving as they watch me move closer, no doubt notifying him of my presence. Approaching nervously behind Dominic, I wonder for the hundredth time if this is a mistake. Who am I to ask a favor from one of the most powerful men on the planet? Shaking myself, I tell the little voice in the back of my mind to shut up – this is for Cora. I might not be brave for myself, but I can be brave for her. <br /> “Mr. Sinclair?” I ask hesitantly, feeling my heart pound violently against my ribcage. <br /> He turns around and gazes imperiously down at me. “Yes?”<br /> “I’m Ella Reina, I nanny for Jake and Millie Graves.” I begin, gnawing on my lower lip. <br /> His dark eyes catch on my mouth, and suddenly I feel like a frightened rabbit in front of a hungry wolf. “I know who you are, Ella.” The sound of my name on his lips sends a shiver down my spine. He speaks the familiar syllables with so much purpose, as if they truly mean something to him.<br /> “Oh… well, I don’t mean to be impertinent, but I’m friends with Dr Cora Daniels…”As soon as I say her name, his expression closes off, and some unidentified emotion flashes in his eyes. <br /> “She told me she’s in trouble at work, and I know you’re one of the bank’s donors.” I improvise. “I don’t know what Cora is being accused of, but I’m sure she’s innocent. She takes her job incredibly seriously, and she would never do anything to risk her career.”<br /> “And what do you expect me to do about it?” Dominic asks ominously. I can tell he doesn’t believe my weak story, his body language has changed completely, and I can feel his rising anger vibrating in the air around us. <br /> “I just thought… I hoped that if you had any sway there, you might be able to put in a good word for her.” I finish, feeling color flood my cheeks. I’m both ashamed of myself for such a feeble attempt, but unsure how else to handle such a delicate topic. The last thing I want is to get Cora in even more trouble than before. <br /> Dominic’s jaw ticks as he watches me, and the voice in the back of my head urges me to run for it. “From what I’ve heard, your friend made a very serious mistake, and the consequences have been more than appropriate. The best thing she can do now is take responsibility for her mistakes, not sending you to do her dirty work for her.”<br /> “I – she didn’t, she doesn’t even know I’m here! I swear.” I plead. <br /> “I’ve said all I’m going to say on this matter.” Dominic declares, turning away from me and striding into his house. The door slams shut behind him, and I’m left with his various bodyguards. <br /> “You need to leave now, miss.” One of the men announces sharply. <br /> “I can’t.” I moan, “he has to understand, she’s going to lose everything!” <br /> “We’re not going to ask you again.” A second guard growls, a clear threat in his words. <br /> “Please, she’s innocent.” I beg, “you have to –” before I can say anything more, the men grab me by the arms and begin trying to lead me off the property. Feeling truly desperate, I dig in my heels, deciding that my dignity is worth Cora’s entire future. “I’m begging you, if I could just talk to Mr. Sinclair.” <br /> “You’ve already talked to him.” The first guard grumbles, “and frankly you’re lucky he was as generous to you as he was. Your friend clearly told you things she shouldn’t.”<br /> The next thing I know, they’ve thrown me off the property and onto the sidewalk so forcefully that I lose my balance, tumbling to the ground as tears spark in my eyes. The iron gates slam shut behind me, and I have no choice but to slink off before I can embarrass myself further. <br /> Of course, this was only the beginning of my misfortune. When I arrived at work the next day, I found that my keys no longer fit the locks on the front door. I knocked, overwhelmed with confusion, and a few minutes later the door swung open to reveal Jake and Millie’s furious mother. <br /> “My keys aren’t working.” I tell her, wondering why she’s glaring at me so fiercely.<br /> “They’re not meant to.” She answers coldly, “as of yesterday afternoon, your services were no longer required.”<br /> “I… you’re firing me?” I squeak, not believing my ears. “Why?”<br /> “We got a call from the neighbors.” She explains haughtily, “apparently you let Jake run into the road the other day where he was almost hit by a car! And then yesterday you were seen making a fool of yourself at Dominic Sinclair’s home – they said his bodyguards had to drag you off the grounds like a common criminal.”<br /> “That isn’t fair, that isn’t what happened!” I plead. “Jake through his toy into the road and ran after it, I didn’t let it happen, and what happened with Mr. Sinclair was a misunderstanding.”<br /> “I don’t want to hear it.” She hisses. “Now leave before I call the police.”<br /> “Please, can’t I at least say goodbye to the kids?” I request, praying she’ll grant me this one kindness.<br /> “I’m dialing.” She tells me simply, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. <br /> “No!” I raise my palms in supplication, “It’s okay, I’ll go.”<br /> For the second time this week, I find myself shamefully retreating through this opulent neighborhood with tears streaming down my face. What hurts even worse than losing my job is the fact I didn't get to explain the situation to Jake and Millie, or see them one last time. I’m sure their mother will tell them horrible things about me, despite the fact that I’ve been lovingly raising for them for the last two years.<br /> I know Dominic Sinclair is responsible for this. I don’t believe my ex-boss’s story about the neighbors for one moment. He clearly wanted to punish me, just like he’s having Cora punished. A rush of fury takes hold of me, and suddenly I wish I could punish him somehow. It’s not like me to be so vindictive, but right now it truly feels like my entire life is falling apart, and it’s partly his fault. <br /> I spent all my money on the insemination, and without a job I have almost nothing. How am I ever going to afford to have a baby now? I guarantee I’m not going to get a good reference from Jake and Millie’s mother. <br /> As if things weren’t already bad enough, when I return home I find a stack of bills in the mailbox and I don’t even recognize half the senders. I open them one by one, feeling my confusion and disbelief grow by the minute.<br /> As I look at the stores on the breakdown of charges, my suspicion grows: they’re all Mike’s favorite places. Is it possible he did this behind my back? That he’s been hiding the bills from me for months… or years? I know he’ll deny it if I confront him, which leaves me only one option. <br /> I have to call Kate. My former best friend might have betrayed me completely with her affair, but if anyone knows what Mike has been up to, it’s her. <br /> <br /> Chapter 4 - Desperation<br /> Ella<br /> My hands are shaking as I dial Kate’s number. Have I ever been this angry? If I have I certainly can’t remember it now.<br /> “Hello?” Kate answers almost immediately, using a sickly sweet tone that screams of fakeness. <br /> “Kate?” I state bluntly. “Are you with Mike right now?”<br /> There’s a pregnant pause on the other end of the line, before she weakly responds, “What? Of course not.” <br /> “Come off it Kate, do you really think I don't know about your shit?” I demand. “I’m not a complete idiot.”<br /> “Ella listen–” She begins, obviously gearing up to give me some sort of excuse. <br /> “No, I don’t even care about your little affair anymore – but I need to talk to him right now.” I declare fiercely. <br /> There’s another pause, and then Kate’s voice drops its innocent tone. “You don’t care?” She repeats, sounding truly shocked. “ You know I’m already pregnant?” <br /> I wasn’t prepared for that particular piece of news. I clench my hands into fists, feeling so furious I think I might actually break the phone with my tight grip, “And what, you think that’s some sort of victory?” I bite. <br /> “Does he know you’re pregnant?” I ask sharply, “because a man who’s so afraid of responsibility that he’d poison me for years is probably willing to do it to anyone.”<br /> “Well no, but he loves me, he would never –” She tried to explain. <br /> “He loved me too once.” I cut her off. “At least he said he did. It’s amazing how charming he can be, considering what a bastard he truly is. How do you think he’s going to support you and your child? He doesn’t even have a job.”<br /> “Of course he does!” She objects, “He just didn’t tell you about it because he didn’t want you to bleed him dry. He’s a stock broker.”<br /> “Oh Kate,” I sigh, “Poor, gullible, stupid Kate. He’s as much a stock broker as I am a wizard.”<br /> “Don’t talk to me like that! He’s got money, he lavishes it on me all the time!” She insists.<br /> “With fraudulent credit cards he took out in my name!” I shout, losing my temper completely.<br /> “What?” She squeaks. <br /> “That’s right. I’ve only just found out – he’s completely bankrupted me. I’m calling the police and if I were you, I’d check your own credit rating immediately, because I’d be willing to be you’re next.” I snap.<br /> “No,” she repeats weakly, “you’re wrong, it’s different with me.”<br /> My voice is getting thick with emotion now, but I can’t help it. “And frankly I don’t really care what happens to you Kate, but if you’re really pregnant then your baby deserves better than to be raised in a homeless shelter, and that’s exactly where Mike will land you.”<br /> I hang up before I start crying, not giving her a chance to respond. Why did I buy his lies about looking for work for so long? He crushed me little by little, all the while pretending to be so nice, and I let it happen. <br /> Never again. I decide. I won’t ever let myself be fooled that way again. <br /> I still want to get my revenge on Mike, but first I’ve got to try and salvage what’s left of my life. I have to go to the police and see if I can resolve these financial issues… I can’t have a baby if I’m bankrupt, and I can only pray the police will help. <br /> ________________________<br /> “I’m very sorry Miss. Reina, but if your ex-partner has left the area, there’s not much we can do about this.” The police officer breaks this news to me about as gently as he might smash an ant beneath his boot. “I’ll give you the police report to send to the credit card company, but that’s the most help you’re going to get from us.”<br /> Anger fills me to the brim. I guarantee he’d never treat my case with so little consideration or respect if I wasn’t an impoverished nanny. If I was a wealthy man like Dominic Sinclair, he’d be fawning at my feet, offering to go to any lengths to solve my problems. I storm out of the station before I can lose my temper and verbally assault the man, immediately calling the credit card companies. <br /> One by one they crush my hopes, telling me in no uncertain terms that unless a culprit is arrested in my case, I’ll be held responsible for the charges. <br /> As I hang up on the final call, I can feel the earth crumbling beneath my feet. How did it come to this? I literally have nothing. No one will hire me without a recommendation from my previous employer, which means I won’t be able to pay rent or keep food on the table. Normally I might turn to Cora in such a time, but I can’t burden her with this when she’s in the same boat. <br /> Tomorrow I’ll finally find out whether or not I’m pregnant, and up until now the strange sensation I’ve been experiencing the last few days has been a comfort and source of hope. I don’t know how to explain it: it’s as if I’m suddenly different somehow – even though I can’t see any changes, I just have this intense knowing that I’m no longer the same woman I was a week ago. <br /> I thought it was a sign the insemination worked, but now I’m praying that it’s my imagination going overboard. <br /> At first I try to distract myself, turning on the TV and freezing when I see Dominic Sinclair on the news talking about all his good will initiatives in the community. “When our work is finished, the Moon Valley children’s home will be a place of love and community, motivated to find the best homes for every child in need. Our initiative not only ensures that the permanent residents in the home have the best possible conditions, but that there is continuous follow up with children placed with adoptive families to ensure they thrive in their new homes.”<br /> So much for the supposed philanthropist, I think bitterly. Turning a blind eye to the lives he’s selfishly ruining all the while pretending to be a friend of the downtrodden. A week ago I might have been touched by such a broadcast. I grew up in an orphanage just like the one he’s describing, and I know just how terrible the conditions can be. Now however, I see nothing but his hypocrisy. Cora was an orphan too, she didn’t do anything wrong – where is his compassion for her? Clearly it’s only for the TV cameras. It’s a shame. He’s very convincing… then again, so was Mike. <br /> Of course Mike was never as handsome as Dominic Sinclair, nor did he ever have his charisma or imposing presence. I don’t know if I’ve ever met anyone like him. Even while he was refusing to help me, scolding me and having me thrown out the door, part of me was still taken in by his handsome features and pure magnetism. <br /> Shaking myself, I turn the TV off. What the hell is wrong with me? The man is a heartless billionaire and I’m still sitting here mooning over him like a silly schoolgirl. <br /> I end up going to bed early, trying not to think about tomorrow. Of course, I still lie awake late into the night – I know what it means to grow up an orphan, and I can’t countenance bringing a child into the world just to abandon it to that bleak existence. The more my life unravels, the more stark my options become. <br /> If I am pregnant… Am I going to abort the child? Even though it’s what I’ve wanted my entire life!<br /> <br /> Chapter 5 - Pregnancy test<br /> Ella<br /> “No, I understand.” I murmur into the phone. “Thanks for listening at least.”<br /> I wearily hang up the line, burying my head in my hands. I spent all morning calling in every favor and loan I possibly could, throwing my dignity right out the window to beg my friends and acquaintances in my time of need. <br /> I’ve never thought of myself as a proud woman, but begging this way was more of a challenge than I could have imagined. <br /> I only wish I could help Cora as well as myself. She’s still waiting to hear if she’ll be fired, and while she’s not supposed to be handling any samples, she got permission to do my tests this afternoon. After all, I’ve already been inseminated, so her supervisor didn’t see any risk of further negligence.<br /> Still, I’m far from excited when I walk through the front doors of the sperm bank. Ten days ago I was heartsore but optimistic for the future, yearning for a baby more than anything else in the world. Now I’m dreading the exam. <br /> However my trepidation soon gives way to surprise, because as soon as I enter the facility I have the strangest feeling that Dominic Sinclair is near. It takes me a while to actually find him, behind closed doors with Cora’s bosses in a luxurious, glass-walled conference room, but I don’t have the faintest idea how I knew he was present. I also don’t understand why I feel drawn to him: after all, he’s ruined both my sister’s and my own life. I shouldn’t be excited to see him. <br /> It was dumb luck that I stumbled across his path, the conference room is on the way to Cora’s office, but I find myself stopping to observe the meeting inside. I’m struck speechless when I lay eyes on him. Is it possible that he’s gotten more attractive since the last time I saw him? It was already unfair that somebody that powerful and intelligent could be so handsome, but now it truly just feels like being kicked while I’m down. The bastard has a heart of stone, and still the universe has rained endless gifts upon him while people like Cora and I have nothing. <br /> Shaking myself out of my trance, I continue down the hall, though I feel the weight of dark eyes on my back as I retreat. Cora has clearly been crying when I arrive. Her eyes are red and her cheeks splotchy, though she tries to hide it. <br /> “Hey.” I greet her gently, wrapping her up in a hug. She leans into me, squeezing tight and lingering far longer than she usually would. “Is there any news?”<br /> “Sinclair is in there finalizing it all now. I’m going to be given formal termination notice this afternoon.” She shares, sniffling slightly. <br /> “I’m so sorry, honey.” I croon, rubbing her back. <br /> “It’s okay.” She lies, pulling away. “How are you hanging in there?”<br /> “Not very well.” I confess. “I’m sort of dreading this, to be honest.”<br /> “It’s amazing how fast things can change, huh?” She asks, looking as though she might burst into tears. “I mean, what are we going to do, Elle?” <br /> “Well figure it out.” I promise. “We’ve been in tight spots before.” I remind her, “remember the summer we slept in boxes on the street after we ran away from the orphanage?”<br /> “Yeah,” She nods with a sad smile. “But it’s winter now, I don’t think we’ll last long in the elements. And you weren’t pregnant then.”<br /> “Yeah well, if I’m pregnant now….” I can’t look her in the eyes as I say this, “I don’t think I’m going to stay that way.”<br /> “What?” Cora exclaims, looking horrified. “But this is your only chance! And we aren’t completely hopeless, you’ve got time to try to figure out a plan B.”<br /> That phrase alone reminds me of Mike, and I realize I haven’t shared my latest news with Cora. “I can’t afford a baby even if I do find a job. I’m going to be paying off my debts for years to come.” I share, filling her in on the details of Mike and Kate’s latest betrayal. <br /> “I can’t believe this!” She bursts out when I’m finished. “It just isn’t fair, Ella! I mean, I thought we paid our dues, I thought we were done with suffering. After everything we’ve been through, we deserve a better future than this! You deserve to be a mom – no one loves children more than you do.”<br /> “And you deserve to be a doctor.” I reply. “You worked so hard.”<br /> “I still don’t think you should give up yet.” She frowns. “You can terminate the pregnancy up until the end of the first trimester. It would be a tragedy if you aborted it, then pulled off a miracle and it turned out you could have kept it. Don’t take that risk. Keep the baby until the very last moment.”<br /> “I don’t think miracles happen to people like me.” I remark softly. “Besides that seems kind of like it’s own form of torture – the longer I carry the baby the more attached I’m going to get. I don’t want this to hurt any worse than it has to.”<br /> “It’s going to hurt no matter what.” Cora reasons, “You ought to give yourself a chance – keep the door open. Don’t give up hope completely.”<br /> “Let’s just find out if I have to make that decision in the first place.” I state, changing the subject. “I may not even be pregnant.” Yet even as I say it, I can feel in my heart that I am. <br /> “Okay.” Cora agrees, pulling a sterile cup wrapped in plastic from one of her cabinets. “You know what to do.”<br /> I take the cup and quickly duck into the bathroom to provide a urine sample, returning it to her almost immediately. I pace back and forth across the office as Cora runs the tests. “Well?” I press, seeing the results pop up on her computer screen. <br /> She offers me a sad smile. “Congratulations little sister, you’re going to have a baby.”<br /> I told myself that I wouldn’t fall to pieces no matter the results, but as soon as the words are out of her mouth I’m crying. I’ve been waiting to hear those words for years and was beginning to think I never would. It’s both unimaginable joy, and unimaginable pain. I never knew my heart could hold such conflicting emotions at the same time, let alone in such extremes. “Really?”<br /> “Really.” Cora confirms, hugging me. “Come on, let’s do an ultrasound. You can hear the heartbeat.”<br /> “Isn’t it too early?” I squeak. <br /> “Just one of the benefits of being at the finest lab in the country.” Cora quips, the words bittersweet on her tongue. “Our technology is years ahead of what’s available in public hospitals.”<br /> Climbing onto the raised exam table, I lay back and lift my top, not bothering to change into a gown or cover my clothes with a sheet, I simply expose my flat belly as Cora wheels in an ultrasound on a cart. Within minutes the machine is emitting a strange whoosh woosh woosh, and Cora squirts a dollop of jelly on my tummy. She pressed the wand to my skin, and before long a tiny heartbeat sounds – making me cry all over again.<br /> However Cora is frowning deeply. “This is so strange, the baby seems awfully large, but we tested you at your last visit to be sure you weren’t already pregnant.”<br /> “What does that mean?” I ask anxiously. “Is the father just a big guy?”<br /> “I don’t just mean size – I mean development.” Cora purses her lips and furrows her brows as she studies the images, suddenly looking very worried. She’s whispering now, speaking to herself more than to me. “It doesn’t look human… but that can’t be… it’s not possible.”<br /> “What are you talking about?” I inquire, “How can you tell? Isn’t it just a tiny blob?”<br /> “As I said, our tech is state of the art. It doesn’t just highlight shapes - it analyzes the molecular structure.” Before she can say another word, the door bursts open, startling us both. To my shock and horror, Dominic Sinclair is standing in the doorframe, glaring at us as if we’ve done something terrible. “What’s the meaning of this?” He demands.<br /> “What’s the meaning of this? I repeat in shock, “what’s the meaning of you barging into a private exam?!”<br /> “Because,” He declares fiercely, and I swear his eyes are almost glowing with rage. “I can smell my pup.”<br /> >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> <br /> Due to the word limit, it can only be updated here! 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310,573	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":310565}'	Yes	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	1560515261466326	92.7% Seniors Don't Know This Neuropathy Relief Method	92% of elder Americans have no idea about this new breakthrough to relief foot nerve pain. Tap below to watch the video and relief foot nerve pain once and for all. 👣	LEARN_MORE	https://clk.topamericansociety.com/65b7ddfd9aa9c40	106547265765229	Top American Society	https://facebook.com/100092097585360	11,575	0	1,435,562,027,037,596	2024-02-17 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	1	Learn more	Top American Society	120206091987680626	clk.topamericansociety.com	NONE	video		https://clk.topamericansociety.com/65b7ddfd9aa9c40001682e9e?sub1={{ad.id}}&sub2={{adset.id}}&sub3={{campaign.id}}&sub4={{ad.name}}&sub5={{adset.name}}&sub6={{campaign.name}}&sub7={{placement}}&sub8={{site_source_name}}&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid&s1=DMAX102-5	2024-02-16 10:38	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/427673532_2183450052017367_4812408038318859587_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=111&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=KX_tyXR8aE4AX_LACw_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB1CDYxV2FPy3Y416cRo_etMJe7uqnUxznteVX9FI5bVw&oe=65D809CC	person_profile	Top American Society	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/427882551_1378436236210430_4447663118848582009_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=FoenFiTPoSAAX9JHTU4&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfAqWGnIDecr4yPmqrEIgchpHpgbH7A07c2B-tCeSoGZDg&oe=65D7568E	3	Top American Society	2024-02-16 02:00	View Edit Delete
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310,746	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	Yes	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	862606728955908	The Heiress' Return & Revenge	When she and her brother were kidnapped in the last life<br /> everyone chose to save their brothers first, and she was<br /> eventually killed by the kidnappers. This time she was born<br /> again, and none of her five brothers could escape.<br /> -------------------------------------------------------<br /> <br /> Simone Gray opened her eyes, surveyed the surroundings, and looked at the familiar room from her memories. She had indeed returned. Reaching out to grab her phone from the nightstand, she checked the date before a smile appeared in her eyes. What perfect timing.<br /> <br /> Just as she was thinking, a knocking sound echoed. She got up to open the door and saw a handsome man standing there, questioning her immediately, "I called you earlier. Why didn't you answer?"<br /> <br /> Simone replied calmly, "I didn't feel like it."<br /> <br /> Standing before her was her second brother, Titus Gray, who was also her current agent.<br /> <br /> He was momentarily stunned, visibly not expecting his sister to say that. He furrowed his brows and lectured impatiently, "Stop causing trouble, will you?"<br /> <br /> She raised an eyebrow. "Say something new. I'm tired of hearing the cliche from all of you."<br /> <br /> Since returning to the Gray Family, her mother and five brothers kept telling her not to cause trouble.<br /> <br /> Titus choked. "Is this amusing to you? Jo wants to be in that variety show. What harm would it do if you just let that happen? Must you make the whole family unhappy?"<br /> <br /> Simone looked at him coldly. "This is an opportunity I fought for myself. I won't give it up. It's your business if you're unhappy."<br /> <br /> Simone did not grow up with her family from a young age. Instead, she got lost at four when Aaron Gray, her fifth brother, took her out to play. After that, the Gray Family adopted a girl of similar age and even changed her name to Jodie Gray.<br /> <br /> A year ago, the Gray Family found Simone and brought her back home. However, they overly favored Jodie and looked down on Simone. Whenever she clashed with the adopted daughter, it was always Simone who was considered troublesome.<br /> <br /> Before entering the entertainment industry, she worked hard and used her talent to climb from an unknown to a C-list actress in just over a year. After being recognized by the family, they brought her home, asked her to terminate the contract with her original company, and transferred her to the entertainment company owned by the Gray Family. In the meantime, Titus became her agent.<br /> <br /> Jodie, who originally studied music, suddenly wanted a part in the entertainment industry. She also joined the company and was mentored by Titus. In the past year, she received all the good resources, directly jumping from an unknown to a C-list actress.<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, the resources Titus provided Simone were the ones that Jodie rejected. Last month, she saved the wife of a director and gained a spot as a guest on a highly anticipated new variety show before it even aired.<br /> <br /> Similarly, Jodie showed interest in the show and expressed her desire to join. However, the guests were already confirmed, and it was not easy for someone of Jodie's popularity to be added under special circumstances. Hence, Titus and the family suggested that Simone give up her spot to Jodie.<br /> <br /> She knew that Jodie intentionally wanted to snatch her opportunity, so she refused and was then condemned by her entire family. Last night, she insisted on not giving up her spot and returned to her room after arguing with them.<br /> <br /> Titus had appeared now because Jodie had not given up and pretended to be pitiful in front of him; that was why he came to her again. He took a deep breath. "I'll find you a better opportunity. Just give this up for Jo."<br /> <br /> Simone sneered. "I don’t care about your better opportunity. Just give it to your beloved Jodie." She did not want to waste any more words with Titus and simply shut the door.<br /> <br /> His eyes showed some disbelief when he looked at the closed door. That was the first time Simone had shown him disrespect since returning home, his expression dark. "Simone, you're being unreasonable."<br /> <br /> He knocked on the door again, but she did not open it. Only then did he leave with a stern face. After shutting the door, Simone's heart could barely stir up emotions. In her previous life, she yearned for family affection, and after being recognized, she had always tried to please the Grays.<br /> <br /> For instance, she took care of their various needs, made their meals, gave massages, accompanied them in acting and dancing, and so on. She tried to fulfill whatever tasks or requests they had, but in the end, she failed to make them love her. When she and Jodie were kidnapped, everyone chose to rescue Jodie first, and she ended up losing her life.<br /> <br /> At that moment of death, she completely lost hope and severed her ties with the Gray Family. However, she did not expect to be bound by a system that took her to various mini timelines to fulfill tasks. Upon completion, she would be rewarded with life points, and only by accumulating them could she return to this world.<br /> <br /> Simone extended her right hand and looked at her palm; her lifeline was short. It meant that she had less than a year left, only until the time of her death in her previous life.<br /> <br /> The system informed her during the unbinding process that she needed to be adored by more people to extend her life. The more people who favored her, or the more people she helped to gain popularity, the longer her life would be.<br /> <br /> It was similar to exchanging faith for life points but would not affect those who liked her. Otherwise, she would not harm others for the sake of extending her own life. Now, saving her life was crucial because she needed more time or energy to continue getting entangled with the Grays.<br /> <br /> She packed up her belongings and put them in a suitcase. Since returning to the Gray Family, everything was bought for her by the housekeeper, and she did not take anything. As such, she calculated the expenses since coming to the Gray Family and noted them down.<br /> <br /> At the same time, she took out the bank card her father gave her when she returned. Luckily, she had not used any money in it. She opened the door as she carried the suitcase and went downstairs.<br /> <br /> At that moment, everyone was in the living room. When they saw Simone with her bags, they were displeased. Salma Johnston frowned and looked at her. "What trouble are you up to this time? It's been nothing but chaos ever since you returned."<br /> <br /> Simone found it amusing. "Did I insist on returning? I remember you all came to pick me up, right? And what trouble did I cause? Jodie wanted my resources, and not giving them makes me the bad guy? If we're being clear here, aren't all of you the unreasonable ones?"<br /> <br /> Salma did not expect Simone to talk back, so her displeasure deepened. "Jo just likes that variety show. You're the young lady of the Gray Family now, while Jo has lost that status. Shouldn't you compensate her? Moreover, Titus said he'd get you a better opportunity in exchange. Why do you have to fight over it?"<br /> <br /> Luca Gray, the third brother, added, "I think you just can't stand Jo, so you deliberately target her."<br /> <br /> Andrew Gray, the fourth, impatiently said, "Simone, can't you just be good? Why do you have to cause trouble?"<br /> <br /> In her previous life, Simone might have been upset by such unfair accusations, but not anymore. Instead, she sneered and said, "You guys are truly good at blaming others for your own fault. I never knew that defending what's rightfully mine would make me the unreasonable one. First of all, I never stole anything from her in the first place. On the contrary, she replaced me and enjoyed a comfortable life in the Gray Family for years. Secondly, you need to understand that it was you who lost me back then. I don't owe her anything, and I certainly don't owe any of you either. So, what exactly do I need to compensate for?" When Salma was about to speak, Simone added, "As for the young lady of the Gray Family, she can have it. I don't really care about it."<br /> <br /> Salma was stunned for a moment, not expecting Simone to say such things. "What do you mean?"<br /> <br /> Simone replied with indifference, "I mean it literally. I am cutting off all ties with you and leaving the family. In the future, we will go back to being strangers when we meet." She added, "Your beloved adopted daughter will remain the little princess of the Grays. You don't need to worry that I will steal anything from her or try to take your love for her. I am simply making things easier for all of you."<br /> <br /> Chapter 2 Who Needs Such A Brother<br /> <br /> Simone couldn't care less about her biased parents and brothers, treating them as if they had no blood relation to her.<br /> <br /> When she was young, Aaron lost her, and human traffickers intended to sell her. Thanks to her master saving and adopting her, her life wasn't as miserable as it could have been.<br /> <br /> Her words successfully changed the expressions of the Grays. They never expected her to decide to cut ties and leave them.<br /> <br /> Jodie, leaning against Salma, glanced at Simone with a subtle expression. She looked at her while her face showed an apologetic and guilty expression. "No. The one who should leave is me. I'm sorry; I didn't mean to snatch your opportunity. I just liked that variety show, so Titus went to talk to you. I don't want to participate in that variety show anymore. You don't need to be unhappy. I don't want to anger and worry you."<br /> <br /> On the surface, she appeared guilty, but in reality, it was a strategic retreat. This way, she could distance herself from accusations of intentionally competing with Simone for resources while also showcasing her considerate and generous nature. She was playing her act in front of the Grays, subtly implying that Simone was using the threat of cutting ties and leaving the Gray Family.<br /> <br /> As expected, the family members' expressions turned unpleasant.<br /> <br /> Simone looked at Jodie and retorted without reservation, "Don't try to act innocent and pitiful in front of me with that look. I won't fall for that." She spoke her mind without holding back after completely giving up on family affection. "You say you want to leave and have been saying it for a year, but you’re still here. I've long been tired of your act of strategic retreat. Only fools would believe it." She intentionally exposed the truth. "Of course, you wouldn't actively ask me for resources. As long as you say it, they will naturally present you with whatever you want. You don't need to put on a show for them. I don't care about your thoughts since I've already stopped caring about what you guys think."<br /> <br /> These words successfully darkened the faces of the Grays.<br /> <br /> Jodie's expression changed slightly. She suppressed the anger in her heart and hugged Salma with a touch of grievance. "I'm not. Don't say such things about our family."<br /> <br /> In her heart, she wondered if Simone had gone crazy by choosing to confront her head-on and speaking so harshly. Although being rebuked by Simone left her feeling quite displeased, the fact that Simone had created such a scene today would only make everybody dislike her even more. So, she endured her sarcasm.<br /> <br /> As expected, Salma was infuriated. "What are you saying? Where are your manners?"<br /> <br /> Simone shrugged. "I was born to my parents but not raised by them. My manners have long vanished."<br /> <br /> The family was speechless. Salma looked at Simone with disappointment. "Are you still blaming us? It seems we made a mistake bringing you home. We've compensated you a lot this year. What more do you want? Why do you have to compete with Jo? Can't you just peacefully be sisters?" She emphasized. "Although you are our biological daughter, Jo has been by our side all these years in your place. In our hearts, she's an important part of the Gray Family; she's my daughter."<br /> <br /> Simone used to find these words piercing and heart-wrenching, but she truly didn't care anymore. "What did I compete for? Since I returned to the family, you two have been clinging to me. Everything I do is interpreted as vying for favor and wanting things that don't belong to me."<br /> <br /> She took the bank card from her bag and threw it onto the table in front of them. "This is the compensation you gave me, and I haven't used a single penny from it." There were 150 thousand on this card, barely the amount of Jodie's monthly allowance, but that was the compensation for Simone over the years. "I won't take away the things the housekeeper bought for me, but for the things I've used, I will pay you in cash."<br /> <br /> Then, she placed the written paper on the table. "In the year plus that I've been here, I've spent less than 15 thousand, including living expenses. Here's the list. I just transferred 15 thousand to this card. From now on, we settle our accounts."<br /> <br /> What could be solved with money was not a problem. So, on her side, she and the Grays were even, but what they owed her would be forever outstanding.<br /> <br /> Simone's actions made the Grays feel as if she were serious, rendering them somewhat embarrassed. Salma couldn't accept that her daughter, who had been obedient all those while, would do such a rebellious and disobedient thing.<br /> <br /> She slammed the table with her hand, her face full of anger. "Fine. Go ahead. But once you step out of our gate today, don't think about coming back."<br /> <br /> She believed Simone wouldn't act on it. Just as Jodie said, this was a tactic of strategic retreat by threatening them with leaving. If Simone succeeded this time, who knew how she would stir things up in the future?<br /> <br /> Salma let Simone leave, not because she wanted her to but to warn her not to cause trouble again. The others didn't speak, unanimously sharing the same thoughts.<br /> <br /> Of course, Simone knew what they were thinking. I look like I'm bluffing, don't I? "I'm leaving for good." After saying that, she grabbed her suitcase while showing no attachment and turned to leave.<br /> <br /> Seeing this, Steven Gray, her father, spoke, "Stop making a fuss. Jo won't want that variety show opportunity anymore. In the future, I'll have Titus fight for some good gigs for you."<br /> <br /> Regardless of the circumstances, she was still his biological daughter, and he couldn't let her leave just like that. Moreover, leaving home after just over a year since returning would make their family a joke in the eyes of others.<br /> <br /> Simone turned around and looked at her father indifferently. "You think I'd stay for your so-called gigs?"<br /> <br /> He frowned. "I didn't mean that. All I'm saying is that you are now part of the family, so we will naturally compensate you."<br /> <br /> She found it ridiculous. "Thank you for your compensation. For the past year, I have deeply experienced your emotional abuse, complaints, and disdain. So, I'll pass on that."<br /> <br /> Steven was taken aback as he looked at Simone, who seemed unyielding and unapproachable. "What do you want, then?" He was usually busy and had neglected his biological daughter for more than a year.<br /> <br /> She affirmed, "I want to sever ties with you. It's as simple as that. There's no need to contact each other in the future. Goodbye."<br /> <br /> He was infuriated by Simone's attitude, while the Gray brothers also appeared displeasing. Especially Aaron, who regarded her with a complex and indignant expression. "Are you still blaming me? Are you trying to make us compromise and compete for Jo's favor?"<br /> <br /> Simone stared at him icily. "Are you suggesting that I shouldn't hold you accountable? Back then, you lost track of me and allowed human traffickers to abduct me. I was almost sold off to the mountains. Should I express gratitude for losing me back then?"<br /> <br /> Aaron's face flushed and then paled. "I didn't mean to do that, and I wasn't even aware that you were almost sold off to the mountains."<br /> <br /> She raised an eyebrow. " Does saying that erase the fact that you lost me and changed the course of my life?"<br /> <br /> Upon her return to the Gray Family, he exhibited more kindness and concern compared to her four brothers and her parents, but it all seemed like an attempt to make up for his past mistakes.<br /> <br /> However, whenever she had conflicts with Jodie, he always sided with the latter. Therefore, I don't need a brother who doesn't truly love me.<br /> <br /> Chapter 3 She's Had Enough<br /> <br /> Simone's words left Aaron unsure of what to say for a moment. While he had not intended to lose her back then, he indeed caused his younger sister to be lost for many years and deprived her of the life of a wealthy young lady.<br /> <br /> She continued, "I'll repeat. I no longer care about you guys, so I have zero interest in vying for favor with Jodie."<br /> <br /> Titus scowled. "Think it over. If you sever ties with us, don't expect any resources from the company."<br /> <br /> The eldest brother, Reuben Gray, added, "We might even boycott you."<br /> <br /> They hoped that by saying this, Simone would reconsider for the sake of her future. They wanted her to know her limits and back down.<br /> <br /> However, she suddenly burst into laughter. "You speak as if you've given me a lot of resources this past year. Since I joined Gray Entertainment, the resources I received are not even close to what I used to get from that small company that often exploited me. Not only are the resources few and poor, but I've also been attacked online, where you didn't bother calling the PR. You even want to snatch away the resources I managed to secure for myself for Jodie. You truly have the nerve to use this to threaten me."<br /> <br /> At the sight of their darkened faces, she continued, "Fortunately, when I joined the company, I didn't sign any contracts, so I won't need to terminate any."<br /> <br /> At the time, Reuben and Titus had assured her they were all one family, so there was no need to bother signing contracts because they would not make her suffer any losses. Since she did not know what it would be like when she returned to the Gray Family, she agreed, thinking it would be wise to keep some leverage. As expected, she had not made a mistake in keeping her options open.<br /> <br /> Otherwise, if she wanted to terminate the contract, she would have to pay a substantial penalty. If she could not afford it, she was sure they would go as far as blacklisting her if she did not cooperate.<br /> <br /> "From today onwards, I won't serve you anymore. Do whatever you want. You didn't publicly announce my identity, so I won't have to announce it to the public either. Goodbye forever!" She turned away once again, this time briskly leaving with her suitcase. Once outside, she pressed the pause button on the recording on her phone.<br /> <br /> Upon seeing Simone's resolute departure, the Grays felt dissatisfied besides anger. Then, Salma furiously said, "She actually left. It's outrageous."<br /> <br /> Titus said with a scowling face, "Since she's so stubborn, I'll have her know that once she leaves us, she'll be and have nothing." He felt that Simone's sudden rebellion was aimed at him as he asked her to give up her spot for Jodie, angering her. Subsequently, he turned to Reuben and said, "Ben, get in touch with other entertainment companies. Tell them not to sign Simone."<br /> <br /> Reuben nodded. "All right."<br /> <br /> Faced with a once obedient sister who suddenly rebelled, he thought of giving her a taste of reality and making her understand that being willful had consequences. After seeing Reuben's agreement, Titus squinted his eyes. "No matter how independent she is, she won't go far. Soon, she'll be begging to come back."<br /> <br /> He would also inform the agents in the industry not to sign Simone.<br /> <br /> Hearing the words of her two brothers, Jodie felt a sense of joy in her heart. However, she said with a self-blaming expression, "It's all my fault for making Simone angry and leaving. Reuben, Titus, please don't do this. When she calms down, I'll apologize to her, and she'll come back." The more she said this, the more the family felt that Simone was being willful and became more resentful.<br /> <br /> Sure enough, Reuben said, "This has nothing to do with you. She just doesn't know how to be content."<br /> <br /> The other four boys in the Gray Family agreed. "Exactly. She's already obtained the status of the young lady of the Gray Family, yet she always wants to compete with you. It's unreasonable."<br /> <br /> "You don't need to apologize to her. That would spoil her."<br /> <br /> "If we don't show her some toughness, she'll continue causing trouble at home."<br /> <br /> Compared to Jodie, Simone was willful. Salma thought for a moment, patted Jodie on the shoulder, and said, "We know you're kind-hearted, so you don't need to worry about this matter. Your brothers know what to do. She'll behave when she comes back."<br /> <br /> Hearing the words of the others, Steven also felt that it made sense. If Simone could not handle the outside world, she would naturally come back and seek reconciliation. Therefore, he did not object to it.<br /> <br /> Jodie then nodded helplessly. "All right."<br /> <br /> Meanwhile, Simone returned to the apartment she had rented after coming to Cebros. Even after returning to the Gray Family, she did not cancel the lease. Whenever she had conflicts with them or felt unhappy staying there, she would come and live there for a few days.<br /> <br /> After cleaning up her apartment, her phone rang. She was momentarily taken aback as a hint of mockery flashed in her eyes. It was someone she had always been unwilling to think about—her childhood sweetheart and boyfriend, Leon Foster.<br /> <br /> When she was adopted by her master, she lived next door to Leon's grandfather, and the two old gentlemen had a good relationship. Back then, when she was abused by human traffickers and dared not step out of the yard, it was Leon who held her hand and walked her out, resembling a ray of sunshine that shone into her heart.<br /> <br /> She emerged from the shadow of human traffickers and started clinging to him, someone five years older than her. When he was in high school, he was brought back to Cebros by his family. To catch up with him, she worked hard to skip grades and entered a university in Cebros. After he entered the entertainment industry for two years, she graduated from college and joined the industry as well.<br /> <br /> Upon her return to the Grays, she took the initiative to confess to Leon, who did not reject. She always thought that he treated her differently. However, in her previous life, he made her feel the pain of betrayal.<br /> <br /> In this second chance at life, she did not want to have any entanglements with him anymore. As such, she answered the phone coldly, "What's the matter?" <br /> <br /> Leon found her attitude today a bit cold, but he did not take it to heart. "Are you not going on that variety show?" <br /> <br /> Simone retorted. "Who said that?" She knew he also hoped she would give up the spot for Jodie, which was why he called to probe her.<br /> <br /> He replied, "I heard from Titus that you're going to give up the spot."<br /> <br /> "There's no such thing. I won't give up the spot for anyone."<br /> <br /> He couldn't help but furrow his brow. "Won't you listen to Titus?"<br /> <br /> She sneered. "Why should I?"<br /> <br /> Leon and Titus were classmates in high school and had maintained a good relationship, staying in touch. That's why Leon came to persuade her to give up her previous life. Initially, she didn't suspect Jodie because she believed Leon genuinely cared for her.<br /> <br /> His frown deepened. "Titus is your agent, so he must have your best interests at heart. Don't be stubborn."<br /> <br /> She coldly snorted. "What am I being stubborn about? Am I being stubborn and unreasonable just because I won't give Jodie what she wants?" She sarcastically added, "If I give in, the Gray Family will think I'm sensible, and you'll happily be with your lover."<br /> <br /> She had reached her limit. In her previous life, she eventually gave up her position due to pressure from the Gray Family and Leon's persuasion.<br /> <br /> With the Gray Family's marketing, Leon's care, and assistance on the variety show, Jodie successfully portrayed herself as a kind-hearted lady and quickly gained popularity. The so-called good opportunities provided by Titus turned out to be a minor role in a drama with few scenes. Ultimately, the drama was never released due to controversy with the male lead.<br /> <br /> What surprised her even more was that Leon had received an invitation to the same variety show, but he had never told her. She only found out when the show premiered, and he was one of the mysterious guests.<br /> <br /> Observing Leon subtly taking care of Jodie, she realized that these two knew each other and that his feelings for Jodie were unusual. However, after watching only the first episode of the variety show, she had to leave for the filming of a drama.<br /> <br /> When she finished shooting, six months had already passed. At that time, she was a bit perplexed and unsure whether she should continue interacting with the Grays and Leon. Through a stroke of luck and a fortunate opportunity, she managed to secure the leading role in a niche film. As a result, she headed to a remote and mountainous area to shoot the film.	LEARN_MORE	https://page.joyreadings.com/h5-book-share-custom4	102114825976458	The novels	https://facebook.com/100085012467697	25,543	2	3,232,849,373,675,611	2024-02-17 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	1	1	1	Learn more	The novels	120204062903220765	page.joyreadings.com	NONE	image		https://page.joyreadings.com/h5-book-share-custom4.html?lang=en&id=6821&brand=2&app=0&ppid=2743&pid=FBW2A&campaign=%7B%7Bcampaign.id%7D%7D&adset_id=%7B%7Badset.id%7D%7D&ad_id=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&utm_source=FBW2A&utm_medium=%7B%7Bplacement%7D%7D&utm_campaign=%7B%7Bcampaign.id%7D%7D&utm_term=%7B%7Badset.id%7D%7D&utm_content=%7B%7Bad.id%7D%7D&ori_campaign_id=120203997112540765&ori_adset_id=120203997113970765&ori_ad_id=120203997152550765	2024-02-06 20:46	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426152440_736677915084783_2191665169526357238_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=107&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=QX61guiD8G8AX_0-H8f&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfBu8lRjxur8sebMsaTDnTDVnxxxfA1ipxN29MZvKteVpA&oe=65D6C461	person_profile	The novels	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426217814_2796503370503475_3615318243713176883_n.jpg?_nc_cat=101&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=9tlHXt5T1fEAX8kMvBe&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfDYm3bGQWdYwVWiMOY4OHgdtv7M-o1vvAjc_M6X6FW1PA&oe=65D771C0	3	The novels	2024-02-17 02:00	View Edit Delete
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310,774	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":310781}'	No	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	364197433212193	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	"Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your whore's actions."<br /> "Mind how you talk to me, Zell. I may be your mate, but I am still the alpha. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I am stripping you of all of your luna privileges."<br /> I spat. "You should know, you didn't deprive me of Luna's title, but I didn't want it myself. I no longer want it. As for the business, have you forgotten that I own 51% of every business we have? I will withdraw all of my personal finances from the pack."<br /> "Oh, and Alpha, You, of all people, know how ruthless I can be if pushed."<br /> ————————<br /> "Well Zel, I just wanted to let you know that I plan on being the Luna of this pack, and your days as Kosta's mate and luna are numbered. I have decided that I deserve to be luna of the third strongest pack in the nation. I mean why should you get everything and I get stuck with nothing?" Khalis says.<br /> <br /> Is this bimbo serious? I just sat there staring at her for a few seconds. Not much shocks me, but this is something else. I knew Khalis was selfish, but this is on a whole other level. There have been rumors about Khalis sleeping with mated males, but I always gave her the benefit of the doubt. I never thought we would be having this kind of conversation. We have been friends since elementary school. Her father and brothers are elite warriors in my father's pack. She was with me when Kosta declared we were mates. She even encouraged me to go with him when he begged me and my father to let me come to his pack with him before I turned 18. She moved to this pack with me, hoping to meet her own mate. She knows Kosta is my fated mate. The moon goddess chose for him me. We both have known Kosta for most of our lives. Kosta is one of my brother's best friends. I keep thinking about everything we have done together and now this bimbo is sitting in my office telling me she plans to take my mate. I'm really speechless. This is a new low, even for her.<br /> <br /> "Just so that I am clear, what exactly do you mean that you want my goddess-given mate and title," I asked.<br /> <br /> "I mean exactly what I said. I want Kosta. I want to be his luna and I am going to make that happen. I've already started the process. I deserve to be a luna."<br /> <br /> "So you just want to come in here and tell me that you want my mate? What about your own mate? Have you thought about that? If the goddess meant for you to be a luna, you would have been fated to an alpha."<br /> <br /> "I waited for my mate. I gave the goddess a chance to do right by me. She gave everyone around me an Alpha. My sister got one, my little ugly cousin got one and even you got one, but what did I get? I got a lowly elite warrior as a mate." She spat.<br /> <br /> "How can you speak like that about elite warriors? Your father and your brother are elite warriors."<br /> <br /> "I know, and I deserve better than that. I deserve to be a luna. I deserve to have people respect me and cater to me."<br /> <br /> "Well, obviously the goddess did not agree with you," I said. "Just to clarify, you're saying that even though you found your destined mate, the one that was made specifically for you by the goddess, you're still interested in my mate? You are unbelievable. What is wrong with you?"<br /> <br /> "It's simple. I'm not meant to be the mate of a warrior. I am meant to be a luna. The moon goddess got it wrong and I am correcting her mistake. As soon as I scented my fated mate and realized he was a warrior, I rejected him and he accepted my rejection. Good riddance."<br /> <br /> "So you think you know better than the goddess?" I asked.<br /> <br /> I am still somewhat shocked. I have a hard time reconciling this cold-blooded bimbo to the person that has been my best friend for over a decade.<br /> <br /> "Zell, I told you a long time ago not to trust her. She has always been this person. She just pretended with you." Sapphire said.<br /> <br /> "This isn't personal, Zell. It's simple since the moon goddess did not give me an alpha, I'm going to take one."<br /> <br /> This bimbo is sitting here calmly telling me she is going to take my mate from me like we are talking about going shopping. She actually thinks this is ok. How could I have been so blind for so long? Everyone tried to warn me about her, but she was my only friend and I just didn't want to believe that about her. I convinced myself that the others were just jealous of her.<br /> <br /> "Do you really think it is ok to try to break your best friend's mate bond?" I say.<br /> <br /> "Oh Honey, I'm not going to try. I'm going to do it. He will be mine. I'm just giving you the courtesy of walking away with your dignity. You might as well start making arrangements for yourself because once I am the luna, there is no way that I will let you remain in my pack. He may keep some tender feelings for you. After all, you are fated."<br /> <br /> "You got one thing right; Kosta and I are fated. You are not the first she-wolf to try to break our mate bond and since he is an alpha, I'm sure you won't be the last. I will tell you what I tell them all, If you can get Kosta to cheat on our bond, you can have him. If he can do that, then he is not the man I have believed him to be and wouldn't deserve me. You would be welcome to him. Just remember, it is because of me and my family that this pack is ranked third. All of that goes with me, but you would be more than welcome to whatever is left." I say.<br /> <br /> "It's not an if, it's a when it happens. And when you leave, Kosta will still be the alpha of this pack. You will just be the ex-luna of the pack. I will be the luna."<br /> <br /> "That's where you are wrong. I am alpha born; a pure-blooded alpha. If I leave, I will still be an alpha and you will still be that bimbo on the side. Some males may be dumb enough to sleep with you, but I have not seen any of the mate men you've been accused of leaving their mates for you. Even the ones who got rejected didn't choose to be with you. Now I suggest you leave my office while I am still being nice or else you will find out why I am feared by others. And if you are successful, don't think for a minute that my family will let either of you go."<br /> <br /> "I will leave for now. Enjoy this office while it is still yours. Your arrogance will be your downfall. Why should I fear you or your family? They have not even been around since your luna ceremony. I'll give you 1 week to make arrangements for yourself. In 7 days, all of this will be mine and you will be out. I will break you and completely disgrace you. I have to thank you for working so hard to build this pack up for me to take over. I will be sure to enjoy the fruit of your labor. I and my children will enjoy this. I am glad he listened to me early on when I told him to wait to have children so you could live your life first. I had to set the groundwork just in case. Now it's time for you to go before you give him an heir." Khalis says and walks out of my office like nothing happened.<br /> <br /> She has caused a lot of chaos since coming to this pack. I just didn't realize her character before now. I thought she was misunderstood. Now I know I was just naïve. It appears that I was the only person blind to her true nature.<br /> <br /> I spent the rest of the day working on pack security and setting up meetings. There are a few alphas wanting an alliance with us. Kosta and I have become quite the power couple in the werewolf society. Since we took over as alpha and luna, the pack and the businesses have grown tremendously. I put my heart and soul into making our pack the best. I got an early start. I graduated from high school when I was 16 and went to university. I graduated with a business degree at 20. Kosta has let me take the lead in our businesses. He knows that beast at negotiation and a whiz at growing businesses. I have acquired several new companies since working in the pack business. Kosta is still the CEO, but I am the COO of the company. I broker the deals and then call Kosta in to close the deal. Most alphas in our circle are jealous of Kosta because he has me at his side. Kosta used to be proud of me and what I did for the pack, but lately he has been resisting the changes I have been making and trying to take over more of the daily operations of the pack. He can't take it all because I am the sole financial backing of the pack and the businesses.<br /> <br /> I am known in werewolf society as a child prodigy, but don't get it twisted, I am not all brains. I can be very deadly when needed. I train every day. I am one of the strongest wolves alive, although I keep that hidden. I can be ruthless, but fair. I know that I am the total package. I am athletic, tall with curves in the right places. I've never been one to compete with other she-wolves. I thought I was happy and had a good life. I thought Khalis was happy. We used to talk about finding our fated mates. I just can't understand how or why Khalis would try to come between me and my mate. I wish I could believe that my bond was safe and solid, but Sapphire is right about Kosta acting suspiciously lately. Kosta has been questioning me a lot lately. It's like he woke up a different person one day. He suddenly lost trust in me, but I have never given him a reason to doubt me. I have found him outside of my door listening to business phone calls, which is crazy because he could just walk in at any time and join the conversation. I have never hidden anything I was doing from him. The worse thing is that our life is now nonexistent. Kosta is always too busy or too tired. His behavior has led me to believe that he is not attracted to me anymore. He had the nerve to ask me why I have been trying so hard to seduce him lately. Like he didn't just stop making love to me cold turkey all of a sudden. We went from making love every day, sometime multiple times a day, to nothing in over a month. Seems like he should have been worried if I didn't try to seduce him. I don't know any mated pair that has gone this long without being intimate with each other. I don't know what the issue is. If we were not marked, I would wonder if he was cheating, but I know he is not. I would have felt it. Why did all of this suddenly become so hard? Why do I even need to seduce my goddess-given mate? It was never supposed to be this way. At least not yet. I'm only 20 years old. Much too young to be going through a dry spell while mated.<br /> <br /> I got so desperate at one time I asked our friends what was going on with him. Kosta tells his beta and gamma everything. I figured if there was a problem, they would tell me and I could fix it, but they just said that he was under a lot of stress. What exactly does he have to stress about? The pack is doing better than it has been in years. In half a year, the pack will be self-sufficient again and won't need to depend on my finances to keep it afloat. I have everything set in motion for the pack to have more disposable cash and residual income. I have a feeling this has Khalis written all over it. Kosta appears to have fallen in line with her already. Maybe this was their plan all along. Kosta needed me to get his pack back on track and now that they are almost completely independent, they don't need me anymore. If that's the case, they are in for a rude awakening. My six-month plan depends on me closing several more deals. All of these deals are allies with my father, uncle, and grandfather. They will not work with Kosta if our bond falls apart. He would erase everything that I have done over the past three years. Well, that would be his problem.<br /> <br /> I got so caught up in working and thinking; I didn't realize I worked up to dinner time. No one called me for lunch. In fact, no one called me for dinner. That is strange. One of the omegas usually checks on me when I am working too much and makes sure I am eating. I guess everyone is following Kosta. Since he has not been showing me any care, they are not either. That really hurts. I sacrificed a lot for this pack. I thought they cared more than this for me. I should just go back to my room. I don't know if I want to be around this pack right now, especially if they could turn their backs on me this quickly. Were they all just using me for my family's wealth?<br /> <br /> "We need to eat Zell. Remember, we are eating for our pup as well. Don't let them win. We are better than this. If they show us they don't want us here, we will leave. Remember, we are alpha born. We will rise above this. We will go back to where we are celebrated. If they turn against us, they don't deserve us. We will sit back and let them destroy themselves."<br /> <br /> "You are right Sapphire. Let's go eat. Our pup needs sustenance."<br /> <br /> I went and cleaned myself up and walked to the dining room. As soon as I walked through the door, all the talking stopped. The whole place went silent. As I walked all the way in, I saw why everyone went silent. Khalis was sitting in my seat, putting food on Kosta's plate like she is the luna. When she saw me, she just smirked and kept doing what she was doing. Kosta just keep eating like I was not standing there. Sapphire stared, pushing forward. She wanted blood. I did too, but I have to think about our pup.<br /> <br /> "What is going on, Kosta? Why is she sitting in my seat feeding you?" I growled.<br /> <br /> "I meant no harm, Zell. You were busy, so I decided to take care of Kosta for you. Someone needs to care for him while you are caring for other things. "<br /> <br /> "I was speaking to my mate, not his bimbo on the side."<br /> <br /> "You were not here for your mate, so I have been taking care of his needs."<br /> <br /> Sapphire pushed forward and growled loudly. Everyone in the room bowed their neck to her.<br /> <br /> "I could kill you in less than 30 seconds, Khalis. I would advise you not to keep crossing my line and you will find yourself very dead. You obviously have forgotten who I am. Don't make me remind you what my family name is," Sapphire said.<br /> <br /> I regained control and looked at Kosta. He didn't even appear to be concerned. He didn't show an ounce of regret or remorse. That took a little of the fight out of me. Khalis can only do what Kosta allows her to do.<br /> <br /> "Kosta, I asked you a question. What is going on?"<br /> <br /> "As Khalis said, you were busy, so she came to do your job for you. If you spent more time catering to me, your mate, and less time working or whatever you are doing, Khalis wouldn't have to step in and take care of my needs." Kosta said.<br /> <br /> I and every pack member gasped. I could not believe he openly disrespected me like that after everything I have done for him and this pack. I did all of that for him. This ungrateful hip.<br /> <br /> "So now I'm working too much, making your pack financially secure? You were not complaining when the pack was bankrupted and I worked day and night just so you could feed the pack another day. I was working too hard then. It's only now that you think the pack is out of the woods that I am working too hard. Now that everyone is comfortable and not at risk of starving, you want to change. Ok, I see who you are now. So instead of appreciating the sacrifices I made for us and the pack, you are sitting here with your bimbo, enjoying the feast that my hard work made possible. I am glad I finally understand where your priorities lie. Trust me, I will never make the same mistake twice." I said and walked away.<br /> <br /> I need to get out of here before I wolf out and kill one of them. After tonight, Khalis can have him. He is not the male I thought he was. I refuse to fight for someone who can spit on all the effort I put into making him great.<br /> <br /> "Don't walk away from me, Zell," Kosta yelled.<br /> <br /> "Why not? You don't need me. You have Khalis here to take care of all your needs. She is welcome to you. I hope you all will be very happy together. As for me, I'm done. Good luck to you and this pack. I hope you can handle the fallout for you and your bimbo's actions."<br /> <br /> "Mind how you talk to me, Zell. I may be your mate, but I am still the alpha. As a matter of fact, as of right now, I am stripping you of all of your luna privileges."<br /> <br /> "Alpha, what are you doing?" Beta James asked<br /> <br /> "Mind your business Beta. This is my pack." Kosta says.<br /> <br /> "Yes, and as your beta and friend, it is my job to tell you when you are making a mistake. Alpha, you are dangerously close to crossing the line of no return. Let's all calm down and discuss this later." Beta James said.<br /> <br /> "Beta, my word stands. Zel, until you learn to respect me as your alpha, you can forget about representing this pack in any aspect. I will be instructing the security team to restrict all of your access. You are no longer the COO of our businesses. As of now, you are just a regular pact member with no power."<br /> <br /> "First of all Alpha." I spat. "Respect is earned. While you are trying to throw your weight around, you can have the luna title back. I no longer want it. As for the business, have you forgotten that I own 51% of every business we have? I also provide 60% of the pack budget from my personal accounts. So while you can restrict my duties as Luna, you cannot touch the business, but I'll do you a solid. You can buy me out of the business and I will withdraw all of my personal finances from the pack."<br /> <br /> I can see that he had forgotten how dependent his pack was on me, but oh well. He made his bed. Now he and his bimbo can lie in it.<br /> <br /> "Oh, and Alpha, if you try to strong-arm me, I will have to call in the full loan that I gave this pack when we mated. Remember, we signed a contract for the loan. You have only paid me a small portion of the loan and I have not pushed the issue, but the contract is legal and binding. Don't push me, Kosta. You, of all people, know how ruthless I can be if pushed."<br /> <br /> I walked off again and made it as far as the stairs. I realized that I could not stay in my current room anymore. There is no way on this goddess-green earth that I want to be in a room with Kosta. Not that he has really shared it with me lately. Now I know why. Khalis has been feeding him and he has been eating it up. They both miscalculated. They thought I would be leaving here with nothing. The jokes on them. I may have been in love, but there is no love in business. I may have put my all into saving this pack and making it independently wealthy, but my parents did not raise a fool and I protected my finances. I invested millions in this company and pack. Did he really think I would protect my money? Does he not remember the prenup my father made him sign since I was a minor when he brought me to this pack? He never gained control over my finances.<br /> <br /> Khalis just showed her hand. After what I just saw, she has a right to be confident. Kosta has completely changed. He is not the man that I mated. He is not the boy that I followed around when I was younger. I don't know what happened or when he changed. Maybe this is who he really is and, like with Khalis, I just never saw his true self. He must have hidden it from my father and brother as well. There is no way they would have let me come here when I was 17 if they knew this was how he would end up treating me. I can see now that it is over between Kosta and me. I need to start planning my exit. I pulled up my computer and moved all of my finances from the pack accounts. I closed all the joint accounts I had with Kosta. It was mostly my money that financed them. I left the ones that he financed in his name. I don't want anything from him at all. After I handle business, I call my brother. I will need his help to leave here safely. Now that Kosta knows that all the money is still tied up with me, I doubt he will let me leave easily. I'm sure he and the bimbo are plotting up something.<br /> <br /> I called my brother and tall him waht happened.<br /> <br /> "So what's the plan, baby sis?" my brother answered.<br /> <br /> "Well, I have already moved all of my personal money from the pack accounts. They are now responsible for themselves. I'm not sure how that is going to go over. I was covering most of the pack's budget. Tomorrow, I will contact my attorneys to protect all of my other assets. I also plan to call our allies and let them know that I am no longer associated with the pack. I am erasing everything I've done over the past three years. They will need to start over from scratch and rebuild it all on their own. There is no way they will get to enjoy my hard work. No, sir."<br /> <br /> "Very smart Zell. What do you need me to do?"	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311,306	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"is_bh_simple_request":false,"simple_request_ratio":1,"is_bh_selenium":false,"selenium_ratio":1,"ratio_threshold":0.8}'	Yes	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	1481151095949438	New Non-Drug Research for Bipolar Depression	Tried 4 or more medications for bipolar depression without success? Learn more about The RECOVER Study, a clinical trial covered by Medicare that is now enrolling for a non-drug therapy.<br /> <br /> VNS Therapy™ stimulates the vagus nerve to help ease depression symptoms. Qualified trial participants include adults over 18 who are:<br /> • Diagnosed with bipolar I disorder or bipolar II disorder<br /> • Currently experiencing an episode of depression<br /> • Receiving at least one mood stabilizing medication<br /> <br /> Take a short survey to learn more about The RECOVER Study.<br /> <br /> Important Safety Information: <a href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.livanova.com%2Fdepression%2Fen-us%2Fsafety-information&h=AT2vLTqlH9bTHojLop0lARWcofdh3lydfJm-dwIVQNGggsyLuL4qRW7dXGLclgaD7IZEHaUYsZ-BvgypQyKGryQHcgUIqbA7-g_Me9BdKqxP8EqoT0NxROT3-OTckTxg8pWV9BqoxzQirW7_rUzTsQ" rel="nofollow noreferrer" target="_blank" data-lynx-mode="asynclazy">https://www.livanova.com/depression/en-us/safety-information</a>	LEARN_MORE	https://www.recovervns.com/	106051679207888	The Recover Study	https://facebook.com/recovervns	189	8	1,417,397,412,245,558	2024-02-16 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	1	Learn more	The Recover Study	120203282199850474	www.recovervns.com	NONE	image	All study-related care is provided at no cost.	https://www.recovervns.com/	2024-02-09 14:51	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426196101_6434854089948281_9014897274118160070_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=Fw6yLPzEHJAAX-TG8k_&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB56VoLKWjgL-fk_84NQ9urbZfYnUdDm5fwhOIbezLaKg&oe=65D6C2B5	person_profile	The Recover Study	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426195619_279398524960585_1619666655994731933_n.jpg?_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=gTMSne2IHnsAX-Y8I0F&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfCNYJ90CpOUbUwG6ufdZ_zTEk9DNBFTngtvnbM1jp14qw&oe=65D6BFA6	3	The Recover Study	2024-02-16 02:00	View Edit Delete
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310,586	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) '{"alias":310578}'	No	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	1912887142552782	{{product.name}}	25% off storewide! Shop now and before your favorites sell out.	SHOP_NOW	https://www.opticnerve.com/	14834722510	Optic Nerve Eyewear	https://facebook.com/opticnerveeyewear	7,678	2	1,122,657,732,315,643	2024-02-17 02:00	person_profile	eligible	NONE	0	1	1	Shop Now	Optic Nerve Eyewear	120205316475540716	opticnerve.com	NONE	dco	{{product.description}}	https://www.opticnerve.com/	2024-02-13 08:49	https://scontent-lga3-2.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426341941_1123378309024916_503549744753720694_n.jpg?stp=dst-jpg_s60x60&_nc_cat=109&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=oLqjGlF-FoEAX_BkUBE&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-2.xx&oh=00_AfB6FocR6HSlIwPYAGywY4_jK3lrLT0X5_obuldzfljRhg&oe=65D69D2C	person_profile	Optic Nerve Eyewear	https://scontent-lga3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t39.35426-6/426575928_803594838479028_4642374458389938374_n.jpg?_nc_cat=108&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=c53f8f&_nc_ohc=wmNLqZCyAAwAX_zAthO&_nc_ht=scontent-lga3-1.xx&oh=00_AfCugxVaeOq0Hu7jU49pmRp7-nFwOXrSN2AXxZj4ZcJp5Q&oe=65D77E3A	3	Optic Nerve Eyewear	2024-02-13 02:00	View Edit Delete
310,800	/src/Template/Ads/index.ctp (line 281) null	No	2024-02-18 11:59	active	189	748868403556381	🔥🔥 Click to Read 👉🏻👉🏻	“ Does the sinner have any last words to say?”<br /> “ You all will regret this, if I am truly a witch then I curse you all… one day you will regret what you have done.” <br /> Then she turned to look at Logan who was looking at her in amusement like he was watching a show. “ And you! You will one day beg me on your knees, but remember by then it will be too late.”<br /> “ Beg on my knees huh?” chuckled Logan as he tilted his head. “ I will be waiting for that day.” <br /> ————————<br /> Earlier today, Mavis asked Levy to escort her to the mall because she knew that her captor wouldn’t let her go alone, Levy knew this as well and agreed but who would have thought that the entire thing was a trap. <br /> When she returned to the spot where she left Mavis, the entire place was completely ruined Mavis’s sister Lily and Moira —— her mate’s sister were unconscious and Mavis was nowhere to be found and what was even more tragic—— the place had spells cast all over. <br /> So, the blame for making Mavis vanish fell on her head since she was the only witch in the pack. <br /> Levy tried to raise her head but the male behind her pressed his knee harder at the back of her throat making her choke. “ Believe me, Logan.” <br /> Logan didn’t say anything in response to her plea and Levy felt her heart break into another few pieces. If this had been Mavis —— no, if Mavis really killed anyone, Logan would have never questioned her like this, he wouldn’t even allow his enforcer to touch her, yet when it came to her, he was willing to let her get embarrassed like this though she could feel her heart twist like an ice-cold hand has wrapped itself around it. “ Logan——”<br /> “ Shh,” he said finally, his cello-like voice brimming with rage that she could feel literally pulsating in the air. “ You mean to say that you took her out, brought her to a mall that was at an hour's distance, with magic circles etched at every place where she vanished. And you mean to say that’s not you?”<br /> “ I really have no hand in this——”<br /> “ Levy Taylor, do you take me as a fool?” There was a clink and the enforcer behind her pulled her head up by her hair so that she could see the chilling hatred in Logan’s eyes. Another pang hit what was left of her heart and she trembled, this man… this man was supposed to love her yet he was looking at her with so much disgust that she could feel her gut twist inside her. <br /> Jet black hair and icy blue eyes brimmed with a glow that could both mesmerise and terrified those who locked gazes with him. <br /> Seeing him look at her with so much hatred made Levy choke on a sob as she shouted, “ Why don’t you believe me? I never hurt her, I didn’t… I am not guilty, Logan…please …please, I have never asked for anything from you. For the first time in my life I am asking you for something, trust me please …just a bit.”<br /> She watched his eyes flickered ever so slightly and just as hope bloomed in her heart, his eyes hardened as he glared at her coldly. “ And who do you think you are to ask me anything, Levy?”<br /> ------<br /> Levy felt her heart drop to the deepest pit of her stomach. Why should he believe her? Because she was his mate! The other half of his soul, how can he not trust the other half of his soul and for whom? A girl who meant nothing to him. She wanted to shout and fight for her right but Levy knew that it was useless, Logan never cared about her and even more so now that she was the one who was being charged with the crime of killing the girl whom he had adored for so long. <br /> She bowed her head without saying anything anymore, she knew that no one was going to come to her help. Not even her father who have hated her from the day she gained her consciousness as a young girl, in fact, she was quite sure that he must be quite pleased with the outcome of this trial —— for years, Levy have wondered why her father hated her but now she could no longer care about anything. <br /> She has cared too much, and loved too much this was why she was in this condition. If only she had left the pack after Logan took Mavis as his lover then she wouldn’t be in this situation. <br /> When she said nothing, Logan who was sitting in the main seat of the pack hall like the King of an Empire looked around the hall and asked in a clear-cut voice, “ Does anyone have anything to say in favour of Levy Taylor?” <br /> Just as she expected, no one said a word. Not even her brother, the beta of the pack, he clearly had the power to save her but he didn’t, he didn’t say a word. Levy sucked in a breath and shook her head with a mocking smile what was she even expecting now?<br /> “ Very well, since Levy Taylor could not produce any efficient evidence that she wasn’t guilty of the charges that were placed on her head, I hereby announce her as a sinner of the wolf community.” Then he turned to look at Mavis's father who was crying pitifully and asked with a delicate voice, “ Elder Hopkins, what punishment would you like to give the sinner? She is the one who killed your daughter, any punishment that you deem fit, please say it out loud.”<br /> “ Alpha, I... I have nothing more to say, one of my daughters died and the other is unconscious, who knows when she will wake up… as an old man I have lost everything… though others would think its cruel, I want that sinner who killed my daughter to pay with her own life. That’s all that I want… I...I don’t want my daughter’s soul to be at unrest because I as her father couldn’t get revenge on her.” <br /> After saying this, he once again succumbed to crying. Everyone watched Elder Hopkins cry until he was out of breath and their hatred for Levy intensified, everyone knew that Elder Hopkins lost his mate and was only hanging on to life for his daughters, how cruel this sinner has to be to take away the only reason he was alive.<br /> “ That’s fair.” Logan nodded sympathetically before turning to Levy, his eyes as cold as ice and his voice devoid of all the warmth that he had for Mavis. “ Does the sinner have any last words to say?”<br /> “I don’t,” gritted out Levy as she glared at Logan, three years he loved this man for three years and had a crush on him ever since she was a child, and this was how he repaid her? “ I just hope that you will never regret this because one day the truth will come to light and then everyone will know how a great alpha killed an innocent female because he was blinded because of his emotions. Fair you say? There is nothing fair about this trail, I wasn’t given a chance to defend myself, I wasn’t even given a chance to carefully explain my situation and the circumstances before I was hauled here. You are one blind prick Logan Alston and I hope you will suffer through the same pain as I am when you will tell the truth, put your feelings on the line and no one will believe you.” <br /> Her words echoed in the silence of the packed hall, as Logan simply cast a glance at her before continuing, “ So, now that the sinner has finished saying her last words we shall commence——”<br /> “ Wait,” An old voice interrupted Logan as the head of all Elders, Elder Abbot raised his hand causing everyone to look at him in surprise. <br /> “ Lord Abbot?” Logan must have been surprised by this outcome because this time his confusion echoed in his voice. “ What's wrong?”<br /> “I believe that the girl is innocent,” said Lord Abbot as he stood up from his chair where he was seated. <br /> Immediately, a loud uproar issued within the pack hall as Elder Hopkins cried, “ But my lord she was caught at the spot of the murder!”<br /> “ Innocent until proven guilty,” Lord Abbot swept his eyes sharply at Elder Hopkins. “ There is no evidence that proves that she used magic herself to kill your daughter, Hopkins.”<br /> “ Magic circles were drawn all over the place——-”<br /> “ She is not the only witch in this world, with the number of enemies that our Alpha has, it’s given that someone would try to take advantage of the situation.” shot back Lord Abbot. <br /> Levy who has lost all her hope looked at Lord Abbot with tears in her eyes, she never thought that the elder who always behaved so strictly towards her would actually come to her rescue.<br /> Logan who was watching the two elders quibble snapped the armrest of his chair in anger and looked at Lord Abbot. “ My lord do you really want to save this sinner?”<br /> “ I am not saving the sinner, I am saving your pride, Alpha,” answered Lord Abbot with ease. “ If the information that you killed a female without a fair trial gets out then I am afraid the council will not sit back.” <br /> “ Thank the Lord for his grace sinner, that you have been granted amnesty. I will not kill you today——”<br /> “Alpha!” cried Elder Hopkins. “ My daughter..how will she rest at ease knowing that her murderer is still roaming free?”<br /> “ Who said that the sinner will roam free?” said Logan abruptly causing Levy to look at him in surprise. Her gaze met with his blank one like he wasn’t even there and silently pleaded to him, she hoped that he would let her go..maybe even banishing from the pack was something she was alright with, after she was banished she will look for another rogue wolf and maybe start her life over. <br /> But maybe Logan didn’t want her to even have that much happiness after killing her bit by bit as he announced ruthlessly. “ The sinner hasn’t been pardoned yet that’s why she will spend the next seven years until she has repaid all her sins in the frost-gate prison.”<br /> As soon as his words dropped, Levy struggled against the enforcers who were holding her down as she shrieked. “ No, anything but that! You know I will die there before I can even finish these seven years, Logan!” <br /> Frost gate was the most horrible prison that was specially made for the shifters and what made it special was that the wardens there were all humans, who couldn’t care about the shifters who were trapped there… they were tortured, targeted and even used as some sort of toys for the entertainment of the humans. Seven years…. Seven… how was she supposed to stay there for the next seven years. <br /> When Logan didn’t say anything, she turned to her father who was coldly watching the trial as if the person who was being punished unjustly wasn’t his daughter. “ Dad! Dad! You have to believe me that I didn’t do anything… I swear I did not… please save me, I didn’t do anything… I did not murder Mavis, please… please don’t send me there.”<br /> However, her father looked away without even blinking his eyes, like he couldn’t see what was happening…like he didn’t hear her pleading with him. <br /> As the enforcers pulled her up by her chains, she hatefully looked at all the passive onlookers and cursed, “ You all will regret this, if I am truly a witch then I curse you all… one day you will regret what you have done.” Then she turned to look at Logan who was looking at her in amusement like he was watching a show. “ And you! You will one day beg me on your knees, but remember by then it will be too late.”<br /> “ Beg on my knees huh?” chuckled Logan as he tilted his head. “ I will be waiting for that day,” then he waved his hand and motioned the enforcers to take her away.<br /> -----<br /> Levy woke up with a jolt when chilling water was thrown at her, as a wolf shifter she hated cold. Teeth chattering she looked at the female warden who was looking down at her, or at least that was what she thought they were doing since she couldn’t see their faces in the dark like of the prison and with their faces covered in a black veil. <br /> “ Ah what a shame, she woke up … I was going to use my latest shock stick on her.” said the woman on the left as she raised her brand new stick. “ It would have given a dramatic effect, water + electricity = boom!” <br /> “ Who says you cannot do that anymore?” said the one on the right with an amused chuckle. “It's not like she can rush off and complain to her mommy can she?”<br /> Both of the women laughed out loud at the poor joke, their laughter reverberating in the dark prison. Levy stiffened as she watched the woman with the shock stick coming close to her, her clothes were dripping with water and if she got electrocuted then she might not even make it out alive tonight. <br /> “ Ah, girly … don’t be afraid, we won’t kill you yet,” as if the woman who was standing behind had read her mind, she immediately coaxed her in a soothing voice. “ Not yet at least, because if we do then wouldn’t be it a waste for us? Is our new toy getting destroyed on the first day of its arrival? No, no that can’t happen.”<br /> “ That’s right, don’t worry. I will be very gentle with you,” cooed the woman with the shock stick as she stabbed it on Levy’s side. <br /> As the nerve-jolting current rode her body, Levy jerked and tried to run but she couldn’t… she was bounded to the wall with chains that stopped her from moving. “ No,…please let me go….”<br /> “ Ah poor girl wants to leave?” said the woman with a shock stick as she kept stabbing her. “ Go, you can of course go…if you can make out of this prison alive for the next seven years.” <br /> As she stabbed the stick once again, Levy realised her horrifying reality. She was not going to survive in this inferno.<br /> ------ <br /> Seven years later <br /> “Levy Harlow,” a female voice called out as the owner of the voice stormed over in her direction. She stared at the twisted bodies that were lying next to Levy’s feet and clicked her tongue before raising her hand and slapping her hard. “ You survived again huh? I can’t believe that you survived again,” she surveyed Levy carefully as she looked up and down on the latter’s body and spat on Levy’s feet. “ You really are the worst prisoner here, aren’t you? Seven years of torture, blinded in one eye and mana core almost broken, yet you still make out of these marathons alive, how? A blind bi*ch like you should have been the first to be eliminated, should she not be?”<br /> The marathon that the female warden spoke of was not the simple ‘ you run and win’ kind of marathon at all—— no, it was the worst nightmare of all the prisoners living in the frost gate prison. A special entertainment activity that was planned by the humans, every once a month, a marathon will be arranged by the higher-ups of the prison, the only difference, the prisoners will be handed weapons.<br /> The rules were simple, the one who took down most of their competitors and reached the finishing line will be the winner and Levy has been winning this marathon for several years. Not because she wanted to live but because she simply liked making her female wardens lose all the money they have betted. <br /> It was because of them that she lost one of her eyes, a day before the marathon, they tortured her bad enough in the hope that she will lose. If not for them, she would have never lost her eye that day —— though Levy did not regret it, at least she was able to get away with her life, if not she wouldn’t be standing here. <br /> She threw the knife on the ground causing the warden to yelp. “ You should have known better than to wage on someone else, miss.” Before walking away out from the ground the human female rushing after her, hot on her heels. “ You think that just because you are getting out tomorrow, you can act all arrogant, do you?” Then with a contemptuous titter, she sneered. “ But so what? Where are you going to go? Have you forgotten? Your mate sent the word that he wanted you dead, even your family never cared about you… what are you acting smug for?”<br /> Five years ago, Logan did send a letter that said that he wanted to see her dead body, asking if she was dead. And since the prison was all about mental and physical torture, the wardens of her prison cell thought it was a good idea to make her read that letter, and she did —— her heart once again felt like it was being hammered with an iron nail sticking on it and her wolf —— God, her wolf, she was so shocked that she hid deep inside Levy’s inside, it has been five years and Levy hasn’t heard anything from her wolf.<br /> But now that seven years have passed, that letter no longer had any effect on her. She was a woman who died every night and lived every day, the things that she has gone through were not something just anyone could go through, so why would she let the words of the man who no longer meant anything to her have any effect on her? <br /> All right, she was lying —— Logan still held a small place in her heart but the anger and hatred she had for him had long diminished her feelings for him.<br /> “ I have heard it million times already,” said Levy in a flat voice as she was shepherded to the prison for one last time and was chained to the same wall where she had been chained for so many years. “ Try something new,” and when she watched the prison warden crack her whip on the floor she smiled. “ Do your worst.”<br /> Because now only pain was something that told her that she was alive and not a shell without a soul.<br /> -----<br /> The next morning Levy woke up with a moan as she felt the sting of the whip all over her body, she looked over at the small window and saw the sky —— hah, any second now, she will be free. As if God had heard her words, the magical door of her prison was opened and the two wardens who has been ‘taking care’ of her all these years, stepped in… now Levy was very familiar with them and knew that beneath that black veil they were hiding their scowls of disapproval. <br /> For seven years they tried to kill her of course they would be upset now that she made out of the ordeal alive, right?<br /> One of them pulled out the key of their pockets and unlocked the chains that bound Levy, once she was freed of the restrains, she pointed her hand to her neck so that the woman could take off the shifter-resistant collar, it was supposed to be used to suppress a shifter in case they went against their wardens and the humans in the facility. The woman pulled a long face before unlocking the collar as well, once it was off, Levy rubbed her wrists and ankles. <br /> God, she forgot how relieving it felt without the collar on her neck. <br /> “ You cannot harm us while you are on the grounds of the prison, remember that.” The warden reminded her and Levy hummed, she knew that she couldn’t do that or else her sentence would be increased by another month. Because of this rule, the wardens of the prison wore thick veils to cover their faces but it was of no issue with Levy. Now that she was out of the prison, she will be a rogue wolf and a rogue can take her revenge anytime. <br /> That was what she thought but as she stepped out of the prison, her gaze fell on a familiar figure. One that she both hated and loved, standing in front of the prison was none other than her mate and tormentor—— Logan.	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