ShadowBound: The Need For Power - Chapter 13: A New Beginning

Ella always believed she was living a blissful life with a loving father, stepmother, and a doting husband. Even her half-sister seemed to treat her with kindness.But it was all an illusion. They were all after the vast inheritance Ella was set to receive from her grandmother!The so-called family affection and love were fake. Her stepsister and husband had been secretly together for a long time, plotting to seize Ella's fortune.On her birthday, they poisoned Ella’s drink and pushed her into the ocean.Ella has been reborn! Given a second chance at life, she won't fall into their tender traps again. Instead, she will rise and fight back, reclaiming everything that rightfully belongs to her!--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Hello everyone, this is my new book. Feel free to check it out: Married First, Loved Later: A Flash Marriage with My Ex’s “Uncle.”: At her wedding banquet, a man claiming to be Selina's lover stormed in, brandishing so-called intimate photos and causing chaos.Selina immediately saw through this as a scheme orchestrated by her half-sister, Natalia. However, Selina's fiancé, Ryan, not only refused to believe her but also went out of his way to defend Natalia.It turned out that Ryan and Natalia had already developed feelings for each other in secret. Everyone—Selina's father, stepmother, and Ryan's parents—knew about their affair, except for Selina, who was left in the dark.Taking advantage of the situation, Selina's father suggested swapping brides, proposing that Natalia replace Selina and complete the wedding. Ryan's family not only didn’t object but wholeheartedly supported the idea.That was the moment Selina finally realized the cruel truth: her family and Ryan's family were nothing but wolves in sheep’s clothing!“Cancel the engagement? Fine. But let it be clear—I’m the one rejecting you, you two-timing, spineless excuse for a man!” Selina declared with unshakable confidence.Her gaze then swept across the room, landing on an elegant and distinguished man. She vaguely remembered him as Ryan’s younger uncle. Walking over, she boldly asked, “Sir, how about getting married?”The man raised an eyebrow, finding her audacity intriguing. “It would be my honor, madam,” he replied.

Lin Xiao was an orphan who strived to get stronger while living with his sickly younger brother in an unnamed small village.

In a world where Lycans and werewolves are sworn enemies, Eve Valmont is a werewolf cursed by a prophecy and framed. Betrayed by her own pack and imprisoned for years, her fate takes a darker twist when she is offered to the Lycan King, Hades Stavros—a ruler feared for his ruthless conquests and deadly prowess. Bound by an ancient prophecy and haunted by the ghosts of her past, Eve is now at the mercy of the one being she should hate and fear the most—The Hand of Death himself.Hades, a king carved from blood and his own soul's decay, determined to avenge his family's slaughter and rid his people of the werewolves. He believes Eve is the key to his victory. To him, she is nothing but weapon foretold by prophecy, a tool he will wield to destroy the opposing forces threatening his pack. Yet, he finds himself craving this powerful yet broken woman. Leaving him questioning if she is truly his weapon or the one destined to unravel his carefully laid plans.***He stalked toward me, a predator closing in on its prey, his eyes dark and unreadable. “So, you laugh?” His voice was low, dangerously soft, making the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.I swallowed hard, suddenly aware of how difficult it had become to breathe. “Hades, I—”“But you only laugh at other men's jokes,” he interrupted, his gaze piercing, devoid of any humor. “Not your husband's.” The accusation in his tone was sharp, slicing through the air between us.A nervous chuckle escaped me. “You can't be serious... He’s your beta, for Goddess’ sake.”In an instant, he closed the distance between us, so fast it left me breathless. His hands gripped my waist, pulling me flush against his body, the heat of him making my skin tingle. I gasped, but before I could say a word, his lips crashed onto mine, claiming my mouth with a force that sent shockwaves through me. The kiss was punishing, hungry—I couldn't breathe, couldn't think.When he finally pulled back, I was trembling, my chest heaving as I struggled to regain my breath. His eyes, dark and stormy, searched mine with a possessive intensity. “You can’t laugh at my jokes...” he whispered, his voice a dangerous rasp as his fingers trailed lower, sending a shiver down my spine, “but you’ll come with my fingers.”I shivered, heat pooling low in my belly at his words, his touch. The world around us blurred, fading into nothing as his hand slipped lower, drawing a ragged gasp from my lips. The look in his eyes told me he knew exactly what he was doing to me, and there was no denying the primal connection between us in that moment.“I don’t need your laughter,” he murmured against my skin, his breath hot on my neck. “I’ll have every other part of you instead.”