Denise

Broken. That's one word that can be used to describe Adrienne Knight. For her, life has no meaning. Made to believe she was no more than a piece of worthless property, Adrienne developed a rather grim outlook on life, and rightly so. Happiness seemed to elude her at every turn. From a mate that turned bad, to being tortured within an inch of her life by the same person she thought would protect her. She trusts no one and sees everything as a threat. When Alpha Lucas finds his mate, she isn't what he'd expected. She was a shattered puzzle he had to put together, piece by tiny piece. Some pieces are lost and he has to make new ones, making his job that much harder. It tugs at his heart when she flinches when he touches her, or when she braces for a hit at every movement of his. He wants to kill every person responsible for the mess that was his mate. But slowly, he manages to pull her from her downward spiral and into the light. Their love is one borne from darkness and pain and not even the joined forces of heaven and hell can tear them apart.

"No woman leaves his bed alive." "But I will survive." I whispered it to the moon, to the chains, to myself—until I believed it. They say Alpha King Maximus is a monster — too big, too brutal, too cursed. His bed is a death sentence, and no woman has ever left it alive. So why did he choose me? The fat, unwanted omega. The one my own pack offered up like trash. One night with the merciless King was supposed to end me. Instead, it ruined me. Now I crave the man who takes without mercy. His touch burns. His voice commands. His body destroys. And I keep going back for more. But Maximus doesn't do love. He doesn't do mates. He takes. He owns. And he never stays. "Before my beast consumes me completely—I need a son to take the throne." Too bad for him…I'm not the weak, pathetic girl they threw away. I'm something far more dangerous —the one woman who can break his curse… or break his kingdom.

It’s true what they say about marriage: one partner’s always happier than the other. ~~~ Julie's world is shattered when her husband, Ryan, reveals that he wants an open marriage. His reason: he needs a child as they've been unable to have one. Julie reluctantly agrees to save her marriage. The next day, Ryan returns home with his secretary, confirming Julie’s long-held suspicion that their affair was taking place behind her back. Julie, heartbroken and enraged, seeks solace in a bar, where she meets a fascinating stranger named Luke, who changes the game. Julie confides in Luke over drinks, and he proposes a risky plan: he will act as her "boyfriend" to turn the tables on Ryan. Julie agrees, setting off a chain of events that will challenge everything she thought she knew about love, loyalty, and herself.