Phoenix Mode, Activated: Burn Me Once, Watch Me Rise
Chelsey loved Brett for seven years and tried everything for a baby-doctors, IVF, surgeries. Then she found out he'd been dosing her food with contraceptives.
She woke back at the fire years earlier and watched Brett carry another woman out, leaving Chelsey to choke in smoke. She realized he'd been reborn too-and picked his "true love."
Chelsey walked away and married Julian, her friend's cousin and the hot firefighter who saved her; he gave her all his money the day they married.
Brett scoffed... until Chelsey shone at an AI summit and Julian's real identity shocked him.
Seeing her with twins and another baby coming, Brett begged, "Come back to me! Please!"
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Chapter 9
At his blunt statement, Chelsey gave him another slow once-over.
He had wide shoulders, slim waist, and long frame, while the fitted T-shirt clearly traced the strength in his chest and arms.
Even without touching him, she sensed an intense physical presence beneath the fabric.
Could someone who radiated that much vitality truly feel no desire at all?
If women were not his preference, then perhaps men were.
So this arrangement was nothing more than a convenient cover, a partnership he used to silence his family while he continued living freely?
Lost in her thoughts, Chelsey's expression subtly changed. Catching it, Julian frowned and asked bluntly, "What? Is that a problem for you?"
A faint smile curved Chelsey's lips, dimples appearing as she replied, "Funny coincidence, Mr. Walsh. I'm not interested in men, especially not your type. I'm very clear about where I draw the line when it comes to feelings."
Chelsey blinked and let her smile soften into something sweet and harmless. "Relax. I will not form any inappropriate thoughts about you at all. What we have is a clean and mutually beneficial partnership."
No reply came from Julian. For some reason, her gaze left him feeling slightly unsettled.
Without lingering, he turned and walked toward the city hall with long, decisive steps.
Because Chelsey's ankle had not fully recovered, a dull ache returned after standing for too long.
Moving carefully, she followed behind, unable to match the pace of his long stride.
When she saw him nearly disappear ahead, she raised her voice. "Hey, slow down and wait for me!"
Stopping abruptly, Julian turned back with clear impatience. "Why are you moving so slowly?"
Chelsey opened her mouth to explain, but Julian walked back toward her before she could speak.
In the next instant, he lifted her off the ground and held her firmly at the waist.
Shock flashed across Chelsey's face, and her heart began to race.
He carried her with ease, as though her weight meant nothing to him at all.
Even with the cloth between them, Chelsey sensed the firmness of his arms and the steady warmth coming from his chest.
"That man is so good-looking!"
"This feels straight out of a romance story!"
Around them, a few excited voices broke out.
Heat rushed to Chelsey's ears, turning them bright red.
Across both of her lifetimes, she had never been carried like this, where everyone could see.
Lowering her voice, she said, "Please put me down. I can walk on my own."
Julian looked down at her.
The meaning behind his gaze was obvious. He clearly doubted her ability to keep up.
Nothing more came from Chelsey after that.
Rather than resisting, she relaxed and pressed her face against his firm chest.
She tried to convince herself that if she could not see anyone, then no one could truly see her either.
A brief stiffness ran through Julian before he carried her to a nearby desk and gently placed her into a chair.
Even the woman behind the desk smiled, her eyes flicking between them with playful interest. "You two seem very close. Go ahead and fill out these forms."
At that moment, Chelsey found herself completely at a loss for words.
All she wanted was for the floor to open up and swallow her whole.
Fortunately, the staff moved with impressive speed.
Before she could even gather her thoughts, the paperwork was completed, the oaths were spoken, and the signatures were finalized.
Because each desk was spaced apart, any time Chelsey slowed down even slightly, Julian would lift her again without a second thought.
While being carried through the hall, her mind drifted back to her injured ankle.
The accident had happened two nights ago while she and Brett were heading to a bar. He had been distracted by his phone and ran a red light. When a car sped toward them, she had pulled him back instinctively, and that was when she twisted her ankle.
Instead of concern, Brett had only frowned and blamed her. "Why are you so careless?"
After that, he let Lydia support her across the street while he stood by, never once reaching out himself.
Looking back on it now, Chelsey could not help but compare the two men. Compared to Brett's cold indifference, Julian's blunt and forceful manner strangely made her feel far more at ease.
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7.4
In a world ruled by dominance and desire, being an Omega is a curse, especially when you're mine.
On his eighteenth birthday, Luca wakes to a nightmare, his wolf has chosen the lowest rank of all. An Omega. The scent of submission, the mark of shame and the kind of wolf others own, use, and discard.
But Luca isn't broken, he's burning and the only one who's ever made him feel safe is Rafe, his best friend, his protector and his temptation.
Then Rafe shifts and becomes an Alpha and their wolves recognize each other, the bond between them is instant, magnetic, and utterly forbidden.
Because an Alpha claiming a Male Omega?
That's forbidden, but this Omega? He's different
Now their connection is more than a secret, It's a sin to their world, a deadly craving, slow, delicious and primal to fall into.
And when one bite can seal a bond or spark a war, how long can they resist it?
He's not supposed to want him.
But gods, he does.
And once an Alpha touches what's his... he never lets go.
8.2
In my previous life, I, Claire Holloway, was eight months pregnant, kneeling in a storm, begging Lucas Ashford to save the bankrupt Holloway family.
But he held his first love, Vanessa Wren, in his arms, looking down at me with cold disdain.
"The Holloway family's downfall was orchestrated by me. Did you really think I'd fall for a spoiled rich girl like you? If it weren't for getting my revenge today, I'd have found even touching you disgusting."
In despair, I died that freezing night—two lives lost with me.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was diagnosed with pregnancy.
Lucas was gently peeling shrimp for me, smiling as he asked what kind of diamond ring I wanted.
I looked at his hypocritical face and let out a quiet, cold laugh.
This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake again.
7.2
The Royal Pack’s glowing moonstone token rested in my palm.
Before I could even process the miracle of my rebirth, my half-sister Alyssa snatched it right out of my hand.
"This destiny is mine, little sister. Enjoy your cursed Alpha," she sneered.
My family easily caved to her whining. They forced me to take her place and marry Alpha Kaelen, a man they called an insane, crippled monster with three feral adopted sons. They laughed, expecting his beast to tear me apart before the honeymoon was over.
Alyssa thought she was stealing my crown. She didn't know she had just stolen my death sentence.
In my previous life, that exact token had made me the Alpha King’s Luna. But I was just a convenient, disposable meat shield for his true human mate. I died agonizingly, choking on poison meant for her, while the King didn't even blink.
I lowered my head, forcing my shoulders to tremble as if holding back terrified sobs. I played the part of the pathetic, wolfless Omega they all believed me to be.
But beneath my fake tears, I felt a profound relief.
I remembered the Kaelen from my past life. He wasn't a monster. He was powerful, agonizingly lonely, and slowly destroyed by a dark magic no one understood.
I wisely accepted the marriage pact and walked right into his freezing manor.
I know exactly who cursed him. And this time, I will save him, protect his boys, and make his entire pack mine.
7.2
Christa discovered her adopted daughter Evelyn was sneaking around with a street thug named Dante.
When she furiously confronted her, Evelyn squeezed out a few tears and played the tragic, abused orphan.
"Mom is so cruel to me, I just want someone to love me," Evelyn cried to the men of the house, who instantly took her side.
Christa didn't realize her anger only gave the girl the perfect victim card. Evelyn manipulated the family's guilt to drain their wealth and orchestrate a massive corporate fraud.
When the authorities closed in, Evelyn let Christa's eldest daughter Julianna take the fall, sending her to federal prison.
The Stephenson family went completely bankrupt.
Christa's husband Grant, crushed by the betrayal and debt, jumped off a Manhattan skyscraper.
Until her family was entirely destroyed, Christa couldn't understand. They had given the orphan a home, a trust fund, and endless love.
Why did Evelyn treat them like easy marks? Why did she use their kindness as a weapon to tear them apart?
Opening her eyes again, Christa saw the heavy velvet drapes letting in the pale morning light.
She was back seven years ago, on the exact day she first caught Evelyn texting that thug.
This time, Christa wouldn't scream or fight. She would cut off the money, drop the rules, and watch the parasite dig her own grave.
8.7
On the day of our mating ceremony, I wore a beautiful white dress, waiting to become the Luna of the pack. To ensure my Fated Mate, Kade, loved me for my soul and not my rank, I had hidden my true Alpha nature and lived as a fragile Omega.
But instead of my groom, my best friend Selena walked into the room. She flashed a fresh silver rejection rune on her wrist, smiling as she told me the ceremony was canceled. Kade had chosen her, the daughter of a powerful Beta, to secure his Alpha transition.
When I rushed to his study in disbelief, the words I heard through the cracked door shattered my heart completely.
"She's just an Omega. Her value doesn't compare to the loyalty of Selena's father."
Kade laughed coldly with his friends, calling our sacred bond a leash. He even planned to keep me trapped in the packhouse as a docile, broken toy under his and Selena's rule.
Every whispered promise of love was just a lie built for power. My disguise to test his true heart became the very excuse he used to discard me like trash. How could the man who promised to cherish my soul be so utterly ruthless?
Wiping my tears, I kicked the door open and publicly initiated the impossible: I, the "weak Omega," formally rejected him. After smashing a whiskey bottle over his head, I walked straight into the territory of his most feared rival—his older brother, Rowan. This time, I would tear his world apart.
7.4
As a princess who could not wield magic, Princess Daphne's only value to her kingdom was her arranged marriage. The task was simple, but when Daphne was kidnapped and brought to the cold mountains of Vramid, she realized that she was in over her head.
She had heard of these cursed mountains before― rocky terrain, freezing temperatures, and the land was ruled by a man feared by many within the continent.
King Atticus Heinvres, the blood-thirsty ruler of the North.
Even though she had never met him before, tales were spread of King Atticus's ruthlessness. Some said he was a monster, others claimed he was the devil himself, but whatever the story was, everyone knew of the man who had powers beyond anyone's imagination. He could topple armies and crumble nations with just one wave of his hand, aided by what others rumored to be a cursed obsidian ring.
No one outside of Vramid had ever met the fearsome king before. Not until Daphne.
However, upon meeting the formidable man, Daphne found out that the king might not really be the monster others had claimed him to be.
In fact, what was hidden under that obsidian shield could just be a diamond in the rough.
―
[Excerpt]
"Now... where should I put you both?" he asked casually, not expecting a reply. "It's regretful that I only have one chandelier."
"Underneath my bed? No, no, too dirty. My dust bunnies don't deserve this," Atticus mused to himself. "The mantlepiece? How about the vanity table? I suppose if I lop off one of your heads I could mount it over... Wife, which head do you want to stare at while you do your hair?"
"Atticus!" Daphne screamed. "I don't want any heads! Let them go."
"Fair enough." Atticus shrugged, and flicked his fingers.
There were two identical cracks as both necks snapped at once.
Daphne gasped, horrified. This man, her husband, had just killed two men with a flick of his finger, as though he was snuffing out candles.
"I told you to let them go!" Daphne cried out.
"Yes, I let them go," Atticus said. Then, his eyes darkened. "To receive divine judgment from the heavens."