What Is The Collar Of Lies In Fantasy Novels?

Until The Lie, Loved Me by Elle Targaryen Celeste Monroe's picture-perfect marriage was a lie. Behind the doors of her luxurious home lived a man who controlled her, broke her, and left her mourning three lost pregnancies in silence. Then he had an accident. When he wakes from a coma, he's not the same. The cruelty is gone. In its place is tenderness, protectiveness-and a love she never thought she'd feel. For a while, Celeste lets herself believe in miracles. Until she uncovers the truth: the man in her home isn't her husband. He's a spy sent to erase her. Now, Celeste must play a dangerous game-caught between the man who stole her heart and the mission that could end her life. "How do you escape the man sent to destroy you-when your heart is already his?"

My mom always said, "I've never played favorites. "You and your brother mean exactly the same to me." She said it so often I almost believed it. Growing up, anything my brother had, I had too. If he got a new pair of sneakers, so did I. If he signed up for coding classes, I was enrolled in the same ones. Even this year, when we came home for the holidays, my mom smiled as she handed each of us a neatly-packaged designer shopping bag. "I picked these out for you two at the store. One for each of you, exactly the same. "These outdoor brands are expensive, you know. A single jacket costs thousands. I'd never buy one for myself, but I don't mind splurging on you two." I took the jacket. It was well-cut, structured, and looked high-quality. A small warmth stirred in my chest. However, when I tried it on, the collar felt oddly irritating against my skin. Frowning, I pulled back the lining to check. There was a ring of yellowed sweat stains around the label, and tiny flakes of dandruff were caught in the Velcro. A faint musty smell lingered on the cloth, mixed with the stale odor of cheap tobacco. It was sour and impossible to ignore.

Scarlets has always been different. Born an omega but shielded from the cruelty that usually came with it, her life under Alpha Jackson’s care has been peaceful — almost charmed. She’s found love with Cole, the Alpha’s golden son: the boy who once saved her, the boy she’s always trusted. The only scar on her past is the shadowy memory of a cruel boy who wore the same face as her beloved — a figure from her childhood who left bruises deeper than skin. After six long years, Lloyd — Cole’s estranged twin brother — returns to the pack. His presence brings back buried fears and half-remembered nightmares. But something doesn’t add up. The man who once haunted her steps with surprising gentleness now. He watches her with sadness, not cruelty. As Scarlet struggles to make sense of the past and the confusing present, she finds herself torn between two brothers. In a world where loyalty is everything and betrayal is a death sentence, Scarlet must choose who to trust before it's too late.

He owns the night of this city, so he should also possess the most delicate white rose of the nation, Serena, a girl nurtured by love and art, his pure prey. Even though his brother also desires Serena, he’s certain she’ll never escape the palm of his hand. But is that really the case? Because Serena came for one purpose; to destroy this ruthless mafia king. Who is the real prey?

During the year when my relationship with my Alpha father was at its worst, he gave me the newly elected Beta of the Sunfang Pack to make me happy. After spending the night with him, I fell for him. Three months later, I mended things with my father. Four months later, I was pregnant. From then on, I became the most distinguished expecting she-wolf in the pack. Whenever it was time for a checkup, the Alpha and Beta of the pack would come with me. But when I was six months pregnant, neither of them was around. “I have something urgent to take care of in the pack.” My father patted my head. Scott stroked my pregnant belly. “I have to help too. I’ll prepare gifts for you and our pup.” I smiled as I sent them off, only to receive a video from an unknown number. My father was dressed as a groom, and beside him stood Jelena, the mistress who drove my mother to her death. Katie, their illegitimate daughter, was also pregnant. She wore a wedding gown as she leaned against Scott and smiled happily. “This is a doubly joyous occasion!” Someone in the video raised their glass. “Congratulations to our Alpha for bringing his first love back, and congratulations to the Beta for holding his bonding ceremony!” At the end of the video, my father said airily, “Your mate certificate with Claire is fake. Wouldn’t that make Claire’s pup illegitimate?” Scott chuckled and said, “Claire has had everything since she was born, but Katie has been an illegitimate child for most of her life. I can’t let her pup grow up bearing that shame as well.” At that moment, my heart shattered into pieces. I called my brother, who had become the Lycan Chairman, and cried as I said, “Hoills, I want to leave with you.”

Since I can remember, I have been a liar. That is the conclusion my mother made about me. After my twin brother, Daniel Benson, and I are born, she becomes obsessed with a so-called scientific parenting method. So, she puts a lie-detecting collar on each of us. Whenever we lie, the collar lights up in red. The moment it turns red, she presses a remote and shocks me. She says it will help form muscle memory to correct the bad character in me. Daniel's collar is always green. Even when he tears my mom's favorite clothes to shreds and calmly claims a dog does it, the collar still glows green. But I am different. Even if I just say, "Mom, I’m thirsty," The collar would suddenly flash a blinding red light. Then, a current shoots through my neck and into my body, making me tremble in pain. At first, I try to explain. But my mom always says the same thing. "The machine doesn't lie. You have to feel pain to learn. I'm doing this for your own good." After being shocked thousands of times, I slowly start to believe that maybe I am truly born a liar.