Next Reads Novels & Stories

At my best friend's wedding, a girl lunged forward and caught the bouquet—only for it to slip from her hands and land squarely in my arms. My best friend, Lauren Walker, beamed at me. "Madison, looks like you're the next bride." The guests exchanged knowing glances and turned toward my boyfriend of eight years—Mason Ryder, the CEO of the Ryder Group. But he calmly plucked the bouquet from my hands and casually passed it to the girl standing beside me—his secretary, Natalie Carter. "She caught it first." He ruffled my hair, his voice gentle. "Be good. Give it back to Natalie for now. We'll wait for the next time." The spotlight—and the guests' attention—shifted with the bouquet, settling on Natalie. I looked at her startled yet shy expression, then rested a hand on my stomach and forced a bitter smile. Mason didn't know there wouldn't be a next time. Our eight-year promise had already come to an end, and we still hadn't taken the step into marriage. And I had already promised my parents, who were royalty, that next week, I would leave and return to Montelvia to inherit the family legacy.

For over a hundred years, the human town has provided the next mate for the reigning beasts and this year, a bride is required. Paisley and Nevaeh are from the family mandated to provide the next bride for the reigning beast. Nevaeh has been selected as the eldest daughter while Paisley is engaged to a man she loves. What happens when Nevaeh runs away the night before her collection and Paisley is asked to go in place of her sister to be the bride of the beast.

After drunkenly ending up in bed with my best friend's older sister, Diana Conway, I become her secret boyfriend. By the eighth year of our underground relationship, my family gives me an ultimatum and arranges a marriage for me. I inform, "Diana, my family has given me a final deadline. I have to get married this year." Her movements pause for a bit. Then, she gently kisses my forehead. Just like always, she says, "Wait a little longer." But then, I come across a social media post from an intern named Steven Riley. The photo shows him and Diana holding their marriage certificate. The caption reads, "Mission accomplished—the female CEO is mine." I spend eight years chasing a woman who never settles down with me, yet he wins her over in just three months. Suppressing the bitterness in my heart, I leave the post a like. Then, I comment, "Congratulations. Wishing you a lifetime of happiness and lots of children." After that, I agree to the wedding date my family arranges. Suddenly, my phone rings. For the first time, panic creeps into Diana's voice. "Don't get the wrong idea, Walter. I only got the marriage certificate with Steven because I lost a game with some friends—" I cut her off, "Diana, I'm getting married."

Tony and Dillon have just entered 2011 and the next year of their love and lives. No matter what the world has in store to throw at them, they will make it through just fine regardless. The Second Symphony is the next book in the line of eight that will show how close two people can become. Walk with both Tony and Dillon again as they grow together while at the same time grow into individuals. Love, even an unconventional one like theirs, has the potential to weather any storm.

Sixteen year old Jane Foster has spent years living in fear of what's to become of her when she reaches her seventeenth year. She knows that there's a chance that the ruthless Alpha of her pack Zander King could chose her to become his next mate. Alpha Zander King has claimed every female in the pack over the years since he became Alpha of the Blood Moon Pack. Jane knows what happens to the female's who become his mate she knows this because it happened to her older sister Sara. But Jane doesn't want this fate, she doesn't want the same thing to happen to her. She refuses to become his next Mate. Deep down she clings to the hope that somewhere out there, her true Mate is waiting to find her. A mate that will protect and save her from becoming the next victim. One night that fear of becoming the next mate to Alpha Zander King has arrived. But there was already a plan in place from her parents, they wanted Jane to run to the Moon Light Pack... It's in the moment of danger that Jane finds herself in is when someone comes to her rescue. The man how comes to safe Jane from Zander he's name is Nathan Knight, he is the Alpha Prince of the Moon Light pack. In that moment when Jane see's Nathan try to save her from Zander something inside her awakens. These sudden feelings she starts to get for him is something she never imagined feeling before. Will Nathan be able to keep Jane save from the dangers of Zander. Or will Jane become Zander's next mate?

I was just picking up my spoon when he told me our marriage registration would be delayed again. "Let's do it next time," Ethan said as he put down his cutlery. His tone was as casual as if he were commenting on the pleasant weather. I took a sip of my food, chewed slowly, and swallowed. "Okay." He glanced at me, picked up his fork, and then looked at me again. "You're not angry?" I continued eating, my voice entirely flat. "No, I'm not." Our wedding ceremony had been held six months ago, but this was the seventeenth time he had postponed getting our marriage certificate. He was used to doing this. And I was used to accepting it. I finished my meal bite by bite. He didn't touch his food again. When I stood up to clear the table, he caught my wrist. "Summer, next Monday. I'll definitely be free next week," Ethan promised. "We already had our wedding anyway, a few days won't make a difference. Don't worry, I won't break my promise this time." I looked down at his hand, then looked up at him with a faint smile. "Okay." Over the past six months, he had said "next week" nine times, "definitely" thirteen times, and "don't worry" sixteen times. Yet, we still hadn't registered our marriage. And next week, it wouldn't happen either. Because this time, I would be the one breaking the promise.

Helena Harris is the daughter of the Black Dane Pack Alpha. They've kept it secret that her father is dying. He's called the St. James brothers to his side. One of these men will be the next Alpha, but her father surprises her by informing Helena she'll continue the family's legacy of running the Black Dane Pack by mating with the twin who becomes the next Alpha. There's no time for Helena to process this fresh development before when the pack's attacked. Her father's found dead, and his Beta's missing. Now, the St. James brothers vow to help Helena restore stability to the pack and find the missing Beta. After that, they'll work out who will become the Alpha of the Black Dane Pack and her mate. Who attacked them? Will they be back? What happened to Nathan, the Beta? Who will become the next Alpha? Can Helena accept her lot in life for the sake of her pack and her family's legacy?

Elaine Cai's life is calm and pleasant when everything changes in one night. She had a one-night stand with her sister's soon-to-be husband Duke Hayes, who is well-known for his attractiveness and the wealth of his family. The next day, she was informed that she had been Duke Hayes' wife all along, and was bound to get married the next day. Can Elaine avoid this sudden marriage with Duke, or must she accept the marriage and wait to see what happens?

The Alpha of the Grey Peak pack has been blessed by the Goddess with twins, Moira and Patrick. But as the time nears to name the next Alpha, the fight for who will run the pack pits Alpha against Luna and the twins against each other. Moira's wolf is an Alpha Wolf and they posses all the traits and powers of an Alpha, but the pack's traditions state that Patrick should be the next Alpha. As the Luna pushes to uphold tradition and the Alpha seeks to protect his pack, both young werewolves must grow up, find their mates, and accept the future before them.

I broke my leg in a car accident last week and had been stuck at home recovering, unable to go anywhere. Just as I was starting to go stir-crazy, a couple moved into the house next door—the one that had been empty for ages. I pressed my ear to the wall, catching every sound of them making love, and even recorded quite a bit. Still, I never expected something so sinister to happen. The man next door sounded exactly like my dead husband! I moved my phone closer to the wall and listened carefully. Suddenly, a scream exploded through the wall. “Lindy, you’ll die for this!” My scalp went numb. My husband was mute. The only time he ever spoke in his life… was the night I forced his head into a bucket of water. How did the man next door know my husband’s last words before he died?