The Unwanted Historian: Claimed by a Better Alpha

He told me his Inner Wolf was dormant. He claimed he couldn't feel the Mate Bond, that divine connection the Moon Goddess gifts to us. I believed him. For years, I waited in the shadows, protecting his secret, convinced my Alpha was just broken. But the truth revealed itself in the middle of a fire. During a rogue ambush, an explosion threw me into a ditch. My ankle was crushed in a hidden poacher’s trap, the silver teeth searing my flesh like acid. I screamed for him. Ethan sprinted through the smoke. He stopped, looking down at me. He saw the trap. He saw the blood. He saw the silver burning me alive. Then he looked at Chloe. She was sitting on the grass nearby, clutching a tiny, insignificant scratch on her forehead, wailing like a child. He didn't hesitate. Not for a heartbeat. He turned his back on me. He scooped Chloe up in his arms, cradling her like she was made of precious glass, and ran to safety. As the flames licked closer to my trapped leg, his voice cut through the Mind-Link, cold as a winter grave. "You are too weak, Ava. You don't deserve to be my Luna." He wasn't dormant. He never was. He just didn't want me. I didn't die in that fire. I dragged myself out, leaving my love in the ashes. The next morning, I limped into the Pack Hall. My leg was a ruin, but my mind was clear. Ethan sat on his throne, Chloe smirking on his lap. He looked at me with annoyance, expecting me to beg. Instead, I stood tall, letting my own wolf rise. "I, Ava Miller, reject you, Ethan Reed, as my mate."

Chapters

Chapter 3

Ava POV:

I didn't go far. I physically couldn't. My leg was a mess of torn muscle and the searing, blackened tracks of silver burns.

Maya found me shivering in an old hunter’s shack near the border. She didn't ask questions. She just brought me blankets, food, and salve for the burns.

"You need to heal," she whispered, her voice tight with a fear she tried to hide. "Before you go anywhere."

For three days, I lay in the dark, learning to breathe again. I meditated, trying to build a wall around my heart. I visualized bricks of ice, stacking them one by one, sealing the cracks with frost until the screaming of my Inner Wolf was just a muffled echo buried beneath a frozen lake.

On the fourth day, Maya told me about the banquet. It was a mandatory gathering to honor the victims of the rogue attack.

"You don't have to go," she said, wringing her hands.

"If I don't go, they'll think I'm hiding," I said, sitting up. The pain in my leg had subsided to a dull, throbbing ache. "And I'm not hiding."

I wore a simple black dress. No jewelry. No makeup. I walked into the Pack Hall with my head high.

The music died the moment I crossed the threshold. Whispers slithered through the room.

*She's still here?*

*I heard she attacked Chloe.*

*Poor Alpha Ethan.*

I walked to the drinks table, ignoring the parting crowd. A few Betas I had known since childhood approached me, their expressions guarded.

"Ava," one said awkwardly. "How... how are you?"

"I'm well," I said. My voice was steady, void of any tremor. "Everything is fine."

"We were so sorry to hear about... you know," another said, glancing nervously toward the head table.

Ethan was there. Chloe was practically in his lap. She was feeding him grapes, giggling loudly enough to carry over the somber mood. It was a grotesque display—a carnival show at a funeral.

"It's in the past," I said, taking a sip of water. "People change. Oaths break. It happens."

They looked shocked by my calmness. They wanted tears. They wanted a scene. I gave them nothing but cold indifference.

I felt a gaze burning into the side of my head. I turned.

Ethan was watching me. He looked... confused. He was waiting for the glare, the jealousy, the broken woman he expected me to be. But I just looked through him, as if he were a piece of furniture.

He started to stand up, taking a step toward me. Chloe immediately grabbed his arm, whispering something urgent, pulling him back down like a possessive child claiming a toy.

"And now!" the announcer boomed, shattering the tension. "The Compatibility Game! Alpha and Luna, please take the stage!"

Chloe squealed in delight and dragged Ethan to the center of the room. They answered questions about each other. Favorite color. Favorite food. It was banal. It was cruel.

"Who is the most important person to the Alpha?" the announcer asked.

"Me, obviously," Chloe chirped into the microphone. "Unlike some people, I know how to keep a man happy."

She looked directly at me. The room went silent.

The spotlight swung, illuminating me standing in the shadows. The humiliation burned my cheeks, but I didn't flinch. I imagined the ice wall. Thick. Impenetrable. Absolute.

Ethan took the microphone. He looked at me, a challenge in his eyes. He wanted a reaction. He needed to know he still controlled me.

"Ava," he said, his voice amplified by the speakers, echoing off the high beams. "Do you have anything to say to the happy couple?"

It was a cruel test. A trap.

I set my glass down on the table with a soft *clink*. I met his gaze.

"I have nothing to say," I said, my voice clear in the silence. "Ethan and I have no connection. There is no compatibility to test, and no bond to mourn."

Ethan’s face went pale, then flushed with rage. His ego couldn't handle the indifference. He expected anger. He expected love. He didn't know how to handle nothing.

He grabbed Chloe by the waist. "You're right," he sneered. "I have everything I need right here."

He kissed her. It wasn't a romantic kiss. It was aggressive, possessive, a performance meant to act as a weapon. He kissed her hard, his eyes open, staring right at me.

*Look,* his eyes screamed. *Look at what you lost.*

I watched. I felt my stomach turn, not with jealousy, but with disgust.

He pulled away, breathless. He looked at me, waiting for me to break.

"You," he spat into the microphone, pointing a shaking finger at me. "You couldn't protect your Alpha. You couldn't satisfy your Alpha. You don't deserve to breathe the same air as my Luna."

The cruelty of it took my breath away. He was rewriting history in front of everyone, painting me as the failure.

I stood my ground. "I protected you with my life for ten years, Ethan. But you are right about one thing. I don't belong here."

I turned to leave.

Maya stepped up beside me, slipping her hand into mine. *I've got you,* she linked. *Don't let them see you shake.*

*I'm not shaking, Maya,* I replied, staring straight ahead into the winter night. *I'm freezing.*

Continue to next part

The afternoon sun streamed through the windows of Caffeine & Company, casting golden light across the polished wooden tables. I pushed through the door, the familiar scent of freshly ground coffee beans welcoming me as I entered the downtown Chicago café. After a grueling faculty meeting, I needed this moment of peace before heading home to prepare dinner for Marcus. My husband had texted earlier, mentioning he'd be working late again. The third time this week. I'd grown used to his increasingly demanding schedule as his tech company expanded, but something about his recent distance had planted a seed of unease in my chest. I scanned the café, my eyes automatically seeking out a quiet corner where I could grade papers. That's when I saw them. My body froze mid-step. The world around me—the hiss of the espresso machine, the gentle murmur of conversations, the clinking of cups—faded to a distant hum.

Modern Mystery Romance

9.1

After His Mistress Killed My Mother, I Destroyed Him

9.1

I slipped into the penthouse just before dawn, my footsteps silent against the marble floor. The city lights twinkled through the floor-to-ceiling windows, casting long shadows across our home—his home, really. I'd never belonged here. The bedroom door creaked as I pushed it open, revealing the aftermath of another night. Another woman. The scent hit me first—Chanel No. 5, Victoria's signature perfume. My stomach clenched as I moved toward the rumpled bed. There they were. Bright red lipstick stains smeared across his pillow.

Modern Mystery Romance

8.9

Betrayal's Aftermath: Wife Framed by Rival

8.9

The explosion tore through the factory with a deafening roar, sending a fireball into the sky that could be seen for miles. I felt the shockwave even from where I stood in the office building across the street, my coffee mug shattering on the floor as the windows rattled violently. "Anthony!" I screamed, already running toward the factory gates. My heart pounded in my chest as black smoke billowed into the air, carrying with it the acrid smell of burning chemicals and metal. Emergency vehicles swarmed the area within minutes, their sirens piercing the chaos. I pushed through the crowd of panicked workers, searching desperately for my husband among the injured being loaded into ambulances. "Cecelia!" Someone grabbed my arm. It was James Morrison, Anthony's business partner, his face smudged with soot. "Thank God you're okay. We need to find Anthony." We found him near what remained of the main production line, his clothes singed and his face streaked with ash.

Modern Mystery Romance

8.9

Her Mute Heart, His Burning Betrayal

8.9

My name is Arlie Stevens, and I was a mute girl who grew up in the shadows of the Rust Belt. My street art was our daily bread, and Bowen McClure was my protector, my first love, and my voice. But the boy who once fought off bullies for me decided to climb the social ladder by getting engaged to a ruthless corporate heiress, Kassandra Woodard. On their engagement night, Kassandra falsely accused me of ruining her gown. Bowen, my Bowen, publicly whipped me as punishment to appease her family. He told me it was to protect me, a necessary evil. Then he locked me in my room. As the party's fireworks lit up the sky, I smelled smoke. The apartment was on fire, and the door was locked from the outside. Through the flames, I heard Kassandra's voice, "Bowen locked her in. He wanted her out of the way." He didn't just abandon me; he tried to burn me alive. But I survived. And when a broken, guilt-ridden Bowen finally found me years later, begging for forgiveness after destroying the woman who orchestrated it all, I had only one thing to say to him.

Billionaire Modern Mystery

8.2

HIDDEN TRILLIONAIRE

8.2

Blurb: Richard Tucker lost everything long before he died. Orphaned young, forced to work two jobs through college, and later dragged into a scandal with the daughter of a wealthy family, he became the unwanted son-in-law of the powerful Warrens. His mother-in-law despised him, every employer rejected him, and his life fell apart piece by piece. Then one night, Richard was hunted down, beaten, and left to die in a cold alley. But death wasn't the end. Richard woke up with the Trillionaire System, a mysterious power that deposits $500 into his account every hour and rewards him with skills, strength, and unlimited financial advantages. With $360k a month at Level 1, Richard discovers a future he never imagined, one where he can rebuild himself, protect his wife, and rise far beyond everyone who mocked him. Yet power comes with enemies. A vengeful ex-suitor, a ruthless rival family, and a powerful heiress who wants Richard for herself move against him. Old threats return, new alliances crumble, and the truth about the scandal that ruined his life resurfaces with deadly consequences. But as Richard climbs, a new identity emerges in the shadows: Mr. Tusks, the mysterious billionaire quietly becoming the largest shareholder in multiple corporations and preparing to launch the most anticipated company in the nation, RT Enterprise. When the world gathers for the grand unveiling, Richard plans to reveal who he truly is... And when he does, every enemy who called him worthless will finally understand the man they tried to destroy.

Billionaire LitRPG Modern Mystery

8.3

Married for Revenge, Pregnant by Accident

8.3

On the night her father is disgraced and arrested for a crime he swears he didn't commit, Amara Adeyemi loses everything-her family name, her fiancé, and the future she thought was secure. The media tears them apart. The powerful Bello dynasty stands untouched. And at the center of it all is one man. Khalil Bello. Cold. Calculated. Untouchable. To the world, Khalil is the brilliant heir to a multibillion-naira empire. To Amara, he is the architect of her family's ruin. So when Khalil proposes marriage six months later, it isn't romance-it's war. He offers her a deal: marry him, restore her family's reputation, and secure her father's legal defense. In exchange, she becomes his wife in name only, a strategic alliance meant to silence rumors and secure his corporate takeover. He thinks he's controlling the board. He doesn't realize she's playing her own game. Amara says yes with revenge in her heart. She plans to destroy him from the inside. But marriage isn't the battlefield she expects. Behind closed doors, Khalil is not the ruthless villain she imagined. He is guarded but broken, driven by secrets he refuses to reveal. Their home becomes a quiet war zone of icy dinners, loaded silences, and accidental intimacy. Every touch is a weapon. Every glance, a confession waiting to happen. Then one reckless night changes everything. A storm. A fight. A truth too heavy to carry. And in a moment where anger collides with longing, they cross a line neither of them can uncross. Weeks later, Amara discovers she is pregnant. The child wasn't part of her revenge. It wasn't part of his plan either. The pregnancy fractures their fragile truce. Khalil demands control. Amara demands freedom. But as the past begins to unravel, buried secrets rise to the surface-secrets that threaten to expose that Khalil may not have destroyed her family after all. What if he was protecting her? What if the real enemy is someone much closer? As Amara digs deeper, she uncovers a betrayal that ties their families together in ways neither of them imagined. The arrest. The scandal. The marriage proposal. None of it was coincidence. And the truth could cost more than their pride-it could cost their child. Now Amara must choose: finish the revenge she started or fight beside the man she was meant to hate. But love born in deception is fragile. Trust built on secrets is dangerous. And when the final twist reveals who orchestrated the fall of her family-and why Khalil chose to marry her-their marriage becomes more than a contract. It becomes survival. Married for Revenge, Pregnant by Accident is a high-stakes emotional romance layered with betrayal, power, and the devastating vulnerability of falling in love with your enemy. With sharp twists, morally complex characters, and a pregnancy that raises the stakes beyond pride and power, this story explores what happens when revenge turns into redemption-and when the one person you vowed to destroy becomes the only one willing to protect you. Because sometimes the greatest revenge... is choosing love.

Action Mystery Romance

The Unwanted Historian: Claimed by a Better Alpha

Chapter 3

You may also like