Werewolf


Warning! This story is a reverse harem and contains explicit scenes, including BxB, throughout.
Six years ago, I gave everything to the boy who set my world on fire, my heart, my body, my trust. The next day, he vanished without a word.
Since then, life hasn’t been kind. I buried my parents in the same week I brought my newborn son home from the hospital. At just eighteen, I became a mother and a guardian to my fifteen-year-old sister, barely surviving the weight of it all. When I finally thought I found stability in a loving husband, I discovered he was living a double life, with another woman.
Now, my son, Jaxon, is acting out, angry at the world and carrying wounds I can’t heal. After yet another phone call from the school, this time, expulsion. I knew we couldn’t keep pretending things were okay. We needed a fresh start.
I never expected that fresh start to lead me to a sleepy mountain town hiding a dangerous secret… or to him.
Because this town borders a hidden pack of wolf shifters, and their alpha is none other than the boy who disappeared six years ago.
The same boy who doesn’t know he left me with more than a broken heart…
He left me with his son. 

“F**k me to death if you must, you asshole,” I sobbed. I felt defeated as I lay beneath the Alpha King’s hardened body. He was pressed heavily against me. Tears stained my features and he stared around my face, curiously. He had paused for a long moment, breathless and trembling. Just moments ago, he was ripping my custom-made wedding gown off my thin body and shredding it to pieces. I trembled uncontrollably as he pressed me against his bed, kissing every mark of my body and biting me until I bled.His dark blue gaze had gone wild and at that moment, I truly feared for my life. I feared that the night of my wedding night was going to be the end of my life altogether.The memory of the day invaded my mind as I kept thinking to myself, “how did I end up here?” ***To save her little brother, Hannah was forced to take her stepsister Amy's place in the arranged marriage, marring the cruel Alpha King, Peter. Little did she know, there will be so many dangers await her.Alpha Peter, the most arrogant, cold and strongest man in werewolf Kingdom, he accept this marriage because he needs to find his mate, as it was foretold. Only his mate can save him from his frantic fury. He has no idea that soon he finds himself falling for this little omega girl. 

Kiara Middleton, at just nine years old, is already a star among her peers. Blessed with beauty and intelligence, she seems to have it all. But beneath her confident facade, she faces bullying from her peers, a challenge she tries to overcome with grace. When Kiara accompanies her parents and triplet elder brothers to the crowning of the new twin alpha kings in the werewolf multiverse, her life takes an unexpected turn. Kayden and Jayden Wittmoore, the future alpha kings, have been searching for their Luna Queen since they turned eighteen, but with no success. They had almost given up hope until they lay their eyes on Kiara at their coronation. The only problem? She's just a nine-year-old pup, unable to feel the mate bond. As Kayden and Jayden face the ultimate test of patience, they are determined to wait for Kiara to come of age. But fate has other plans in store for them, and they find themselves embarking on a journey filled with challenges, obstacles, and sacrifices. Can they navigate the complexities of their unconventional situation and fulfill their destiny as leaders of the wolf population in the human and werewolf multiverse? Join Kiara, Kayden, and Jayden on an epic adventure as they navigate the world of werewolf politics, face their inner demons, and discover the true meaning of love in "Twin Alpha Kings Pup Mate." This paranormal romance will captivate your heart, leaving you eagerly flipping through the pages to uncover what lies ahead. Don't miss out on this enchanting tale of soulmates, fate, and true love that will leave you breathless! 
On the night my dad kicked me out, I drank too much and slept with my “brother”It was a one night mistake. Yet, he proposed and claimed me as his mate, his luna.**“You have brought enough disgrace to this family.” His Alpha voice rising furiously.“Me?!” I let out a forced laugh. “I’m not the one sleeping with every woman who passes my presence. I’m not the one who murdered my mother!” I hissed.“GET OUT!!!” He ordered. “It was a mistake to have allowed you back in Ironclaw. You will leave and are forbidden to return.”**What have I done? He’s practically my brother. I had sex with my brother. “It wasn’t a mistake,” “What are you talking about, Jonathan?” I asked him. “Arina, you are my mate. You were born to be my luna,” he said. His face showed no signs of humor. “I wasn’t born to be anybody’s luna,” I shot back. “Arina, I love you…” he spoke softly, still staring into my eyes. I could feel the wolf in me stirring; something that I had never felt before. She was awakening; the fire that burned so deep inside of me was beginning to flare. “Love?” I heard myself saying. “There’s no such thing as love…” After everything I knew about “love”, what my mother went through when she married my father, love didn’t exist.“Give me a chance to prove you wrong. Marry me.” 
At the one-month party for our child, Eric appeared at the entrance of the banquet hall, holding my favorite chestnut cake. But it wasn't for our child's celebration.
Because in his other hand, he held a divorce agreement.
He didn't even bother to pretend to feel guilty, stating bluntly, "Lucia is coming back, so…"
I scanned the agreement: the pack hospital went to him, all other assets went to me and the child.
Perfect.
But I still furrowed my brows, deliberately letting a hint of reluctance tinge my voice. "We built that pack hospital together. Are you really in such a hurry to kick me out?"
Eric handed me the pen, his tone cold. "You know, from the very beginning, this pack hospital was built for Lucia. You can have everything else except this."
I snatched the pen and signed my name quickly, afraid he might change his mind.
He stared at me, seemingly surprised. "Four years, and you didn't hesitate at all?"
I looked down at the child in my arms, then smiled at him. "I wish you and Miss Miller eternal happiness." 






The first 18 years of Leona Barnett's life are smooth sailing. She's the apple of her father's eye, and her elder brother gives her everything she asks for. Not only does she have a powerful wolf, Hatty, but she also has a fated mate, Soren Knight—the Shadow pack's youngest leader. She was once the most envied gem in the entire pack. But, everything comes to an abrupt end the year she turns 18. Her stepsister, Elara Walker, meticulously plots to plunge her into the abyss of a mental asylum. Only when she struggles to face reality does she learn that her world has already been turned upside down. Her father's love is now directed toward his stepdaughter, while her elder brother treats her coldly. Even Hatty, who is an intrinsic part of her, has become silent. Meanwhile, Soren, the man who once swore to protect her forever, seems to have eyes for someone else now. As it turns out, behind all the love and adoration, she's the one being abandoned by everyone. In order to regain her strength and seek the truth, Leona decides to escape the pack and embark on a treacherous path of rebellion. She conceals her identity, advancing alone in the dark, until she finally makes her decision to let go of the past and cut everything off completely. When those who once abandoned her start turning around one by one, and when belated apologies and efforts to reconcile start pouring in, will she still be able to find healing for her deeply wounded heart? 
He pressed me against the car door, his scent enveloping me.“If you were mine, I’d take much better care of you,” Matias growled.I wiped away my tears. “Who says I’m not yours?” I whispered. “You bought me.”Matias’s lips were a hairsbreadth from mine. “I want you to want me, as I want you.”I looked up into those swirling, captivating eyes of his. “Who says I don’t?”His lips swooped downward, then, and captured mine.My whole body caught fire.***Catalina’s whole world shattered when her father sold her to Efrain. Her instincts told her he was her mate, but the womanizing a*shole didn’t want her - rejected her. Now, with a rejected “R” on her neck, Catalina must navigate the world alone. Or maybe not. The tall, mysterious Matias Castaneda who bought her might just also capture her heart. But he has a darkness all his own. Is there a second chance for them?Bought by the Daddy Alpha Don is created by Caricia Dulce, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author. 

God forbid black and grey-furred werewolves walked amongst the others. As royals, the King and Queen had fur white as snow. The noblemen, their fur was either silver or gold. The commoner’s fur was red or brown. Then there was me, Deonna, fur as black as coal.Marlon Roessler was the most honored nobleman, master of the Roessler family, and the only one capable of competing with the King himself. He spent his life thinking that dark-furred wolves were uncleansed, uneducated, bottomless creatures. I was a dirtball wolf slave, and I was meant to be repulsed by him. Yet his wolf wouldn’t let him be disgusted; his wolf wanted me, as his MATE.God must want to kill me faster to make me his mate, especially we have sex after a drug accident. But after As the weeks went on, it seemed as though my relationship with Marlon has only grown more intense. He came into my room only to have sex again and again.A dirty black sex slave. That is what I am.Until he said, he was mesmerized by me. 

David, my childhood sweetheart who promised to have a Mark ceremony with me when I turned 18, proposed to my cousin Violet at my coming-of-age party.That wizard Andrew, who was said to be uninterested in women, put a silver ring carved with mystical runes onto my ring finger at David's celebration.For five years after our mark ceremony, he was gentle and devoted to me.I believed that it was my true love.Until I overheard his conversation with a friend."Andrew, Violet's already become the pack healer. How long will you keep pretending with Morgan?""Since I can't be Violet’s mate anyway, it doesn't matter who I mark. Besides, with me here, Morgan can't interfere with Violet's happiness."The rune stones he carved in secret all bore Violet's name with his blessing to her.“Bless Violet could rid of bad dreams”“Bless Violet could obtain all she wants, and needn’t worry anything.”“Violet, I can’t be your mate, hope you have a wonderful life.”Five years of reaming. One moment of awakening.I arranged a fake identity and planned my staged death. 


Elizabeth is a wolfless mute slave. After her mother was brutally killed to protect her from rape, her father was murdered by the Alpha of the Black River Pack.Elizabeth endured endless bullying in the Black River Pack for revenge. She vowed to kill the Alpha's families and leave with her beloved boyfriend when she turned 18.However, fate played a joke on her.Elizabeth discovered that her boyfriend had cheated on her long ago, and her fated mates were Alpha's twin sons!She declared to reject them as her mates, but the moon goddess had more incredible arrangements waiting for her.One day she will find out that her mates are not only twins, but also the Alpha of Giant Wolf who is 16 feet tall, the prince of Winged Wolf who lives in a cloud castle, the Beta of Fire Wolf who is covered with Untouchable heat, and even the vampire king who is the enemy of all werewolves and the Merman who lives under the deep sea...Why does she have 9 mates? What should she do when all her mates are jealous and desperate to possess her?***I was kneeling on all fours inside the cage, with a heavy chain tied around my neck. Countless werewolves wearing masks sat in the circular stands, pointing at me, the cheapest auction item."Look at her huge belly. She's pregnant. Non-virgins aren't worth much!""Minimum 50 gold coins. If she has a baby girl, you will have two sex slaves then. "I couldn't believe that I, Elizabeth, the most cherished daughter of Blue Moon Pack's Alpha, would be reduced to being auctioned off as the lowest-priced sex slave in an underground trading market."10 million gold coins, we want her!"9 handsome men claimed. 



*Warning* Explicit Content Included. Adults only.My fated mate is the son of the murder who smashed my family and life.I was sold to a brothel and my body was turned into a commodity.And my sister, she's still being raped by those pedophiles, over and over, over and over.I need to revenge.-“Showtime, ladies!”I rolled my shoulder and walked to the back of the line. There were ten of us. Each of us dressed in a sparkling evening gown, ready to introduce ourselves to the crowd. I barely listened to the women ahead of me. Then, it was my turn. I took a deep breath and lifted my head as the woman ahead of me stepped aside. The stage light was so bright my eyes burned, but I kept my eyes open, scanning the VIP room windows for the man in question. There, sitting in the front row of the VIP room just to the right of the stage, was Matt Wallber, surrounded by various women. His collar was undone and he wore what looked to be a deconstructed tuxedo. His hair was raked and a bit windswept as if he had been running his hand through it. “We’ll open the bidding now!”A few breaths passed before the screen lit up. Round 1 Bidding Open.I watched my headshot shoot ahead of the other nine and over the blue line that signified my requested starting bid. Someone had bid on me in the first round well over my opening bid. My heart leaped. Had he taken the bait so soon? 

“Rose, you won’t be a Breeder to one of the Alphas. You’ll be a Breeder to all four.”“All four?” The words echo around in my head, but I can’t absorb them. It just doesn’t seem possible. My parents are willing to sell me to all four of them?I’ll have to have sex with four different men?“No!” The word escapes my lips before I can even think about it, and once again, I feel the sharp blow of my father’s hand contacting my cheek.The stinging inside of me is worse than the smarting in my cheek, though. I can’t do this….My father has sold me to the king, and now, I must entertain the four candidates to become the next Alpha King. I am, after all, their breeder.Rose's parents insist she enter the contest to become the new Breeder because they need the money. They never thought she'd win. Because of her unique anatomy, Rose is the perfect candidate to take on the four Alphas. What Rose doesn't know is that the current Alpha King isn't really in this for the right reasons. In fact, he may not want a new heir at all. As she finds herself falling in love with all four of the men, she realizes not only is she in danger, but so are they. Will Rose and her four Alphas succeed in making babies and claiming the throne, or will the evil Alpha King prevail? 
Moira wasn't the Luna he wanted. To strengthen the alliance, her father sacrificed her with a classic trap so that she could marry Alpha Jude Hammer from The Night Hunter Pack.The plan worked, but for seven years, Moira felt no happiness or love from Jude. Then, one day, she finds out the reason—Jude has found his fated mate.Heartbroken, especially since she had lost everything, Moira filed for divorce, left the company, and started a new life.***I was startled by the commotion outside the apartment. It was unusually quiet for eight o’clock, and the sound I heard... I decided to check it out.Someone was standing at the door, which I opened hastily to confirm. Instead of peace, I found a new problem.Jude held the door, forcing his way in and locking it. He closed the distance between us, pinning me against the wall, so close that I could feel the warmth of his breath on my face. His strong arms wrapped around my waist, so stiff and tight.My heart skipped a beat, not because of lingering love for him, but because I felt disturbed by his presence."What the hell are you doing here, Jude? You have Bella, don't drag me in. You shouldn't be here," I snapped, but it didn't faze him at all."Screw Bella! I came to confirm something." He moved again, closer, so that our lips almost touched.“Are you drunk? Go home. You will only cause me problems. We'd been divorced, remember?” I said, trying to gently push him away.“What? Divorced? Don’t even think about it, Wifey. I didn't sign it. NEVER. Means, you’re still my wife. You're MINE.” 
"They say marriage is a big gamble, and I bet on the wrong man."***Victoria Solace was a once beloved Alpha daughter of the Palemane Claws Pack and an heiress to a renowned perfume empire. After her dad died, she married her long-time crush, Elijah Arison, making him a powerful Alpha instead of being it herself.She thought everything she had given was enough to keep a happy marriage, yet only to get a cruel betrayal.Being framed to harm his mistress' unborn pup, she was imprisoned in the dungeon. Elijah stomped on all her pride and still tried to suck the last of her worth out of her.In her darkest hell, she contacted a man who she once thought she'd never cross paths with again. Damien Verlice, Alpha of the Infernal Shadows Pack.Dealings with the devil always come with a price. But this time, Victoria swore to learn her lesson. She'd keep her heart and be the ultimate winner.***My back bowed so high from the bed, and all my muscles were taut. I was too scared to move even a muscle as it would set off my orgasm.“Who’s fcking you, V?” he banged me hard as he looked at me with his burning gaze.“You. Damien," my voice was hoarse and I knew he wouldn't let me high if I couldn't answer right. "Fck me, Damian. I'm yours.”Cover by @Rainygraphic 
What happens when a young girl, unbeknownst to the world of creatures, meets the all-mighty alpha? Avery Simmons is an 18-year-old girl who believes she has life all figured out: love, school, work, and family.James Wallis is 23, powerful, and ready to claim what is his. What will happen when Avery's identity comes to life? What will happen when she finds out who she really is and that she has been sold to the most powerful alpha in the United States before she was even born?"I'm not marrying you," I said as I slowly opened my eyes, my voice trembling."Yes, you are," was his only response before removing his hands and freeing me from the small cage I had been placed in. I let out a heavy sigh and then looked back up at him, tears still streaming down my face."Whether it's by choice or by force, Avery, you will marry me." Follow James and Avery on their journey through hate, love, deceit, possessiveness, and power." 


"I, Logan Carter, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, reject you, Emma Parker of the Crescent Moon Pack."I could feel my heart breaking. Leon was howling inside me, and I could feel his pain.She was looking right at me, and I could see the pain in her eyes, but she refused to show it. Most wolves fall to their knees from pain. I wanted to fall to my knees and claw at my chest. But she didn’t. She was standing there with her head held high. She took a deep breath and closed her wonderful eyes."I, Emma Parker of the Crescent Moon Pack, accept your rejection."When Emma turns 18, she is surprised that her mate is the Alpha of her pack. But her happiness about finding her mate didn't last long. Her mate rejected her for a stronger she-wolf. That she-wolf hates Emma and wants to get rid of her, but that isn't the only thing Emma has to deal with. Emma finds out that she is not an ordinary wolf and that there are people who want to use her. They are dangerous. They will do everything to get what they want.What will Emma do? Will her mate regret rejecting her? Will her mate save her from the people around them? 
Life, they say, is not a storybook but life unfolds in chapters; good chapters, bad chapters. What happens when the chapters of Jasmine’s life were not only bad but terrible?***In a world where only the strong gets what they want, and where women are only considered toys, Jasmine, an omega wolf, is thrown into the furnace of life to burn by her mate whom she loved but now loathed.She was abused day and night, lost countless pregnancies in the hands of her toxic mate, and was used as a mere pleasure toy. Life seemed hopeless, and fate played a quick one when she discovered she was pregnant again.To protect herself and her baby, she ran away from the pack and ended up in the arms of another Alpha.What happens when she discovers this Alpha was her second chance mate?Is she finally going to be happy or has fate tricked her yet again? 
Margareth was shocked after she found out that her chosen mate, Xavier, flirted with his mistress at their party. However when she confronted him, Xavier refused to admit it! He also didn't want to reject Margareth as his mate. Frustrated and hurt, Margareth didn't know what to do until Alpha Bastian, the renowned and intimidating leader of the Red Iris Pack, stepped in. He proposed a bet: if Xavier's mistress was pregnant within a month, Xavier would be forced to reject Margareth as his mate. The stakes were high, but Margareth, desperate to escape the humiliation, agreed. Even though, she need her pack to join Bastian's! 

I am Amber Jasper, daughter of the Alpha of the Scarlet Pack.But others only thought I was the lowest of slaves, and no one knew I existed. Because my father never wanted to acknowledge me, he treated me as a stain on his life just because my mother was omega.The day I turned eighteen, my father killed my mate in front of me, just so he could get me to marry his vicious enemy instead of my stepsister.And it was also the day I received the deadliest curse of all.I will never forget him gasping for breath, lifting his head helplessly with rage in his eyes, and saying with his last strength, "I, Eric Johnson, curse you with my life to never be happy, to be betrayed for all eternity-".This curse that filled the rest of my life ....***I am Alpha King Ryan, and I have watched my father be struck down in front of me, a nightmare that has haunted me for years!And now the chance for revenge has come.[Alpha, we've picked up Luke's daughter and will be returning soon.]A grin of pure, unadulterated happiness tore across my face and I laughed triumphantly. I had been waiting for this day for what felt like an eternity.After enduring years of painful memories and biding my time until the perfect moment presented itself to me, as if by magic, that moment had arrived.But as I stood there stoically as the car parked and the back door opened, my heart almost stopped.As much as I wanted to throw her away from me, I inhaled deeply and my wolf surged forward growling a single word possessively as our eyes locked."MATE!"My stomach sank and a wave of disgust washed over me as I fought furiously against my wolf for control.No, it's not possible! I will never accept her as my mate, I will make her the lowest of slaves!I will destroy everything about her, just like her father once did to me! 






"What's the big rush, little mate?" he asked, shifting his head from side to side."No, no, no big rush," I muttered nervously under my breath. Alex's closeness was stirring unknown feelings inside me.Alex's hand moved to the side of my face, and I flinched at his touch as he carefully removed a stray hair from my face. Did I just feel sparks?"Why are you scared of me, little mate?" he asked, his husky voice full of emotion."I-I-I am not," I stuttered nervously. "I-I-I am just..."Alex moved his head to my nape, extended his canines, and scraped my marking spot. I shivered, feeling my legs give out under my weight. He slowly pulled his head back and took a deep, lingering whiff of my scent."Ahh," he said excitedly, licking his lips. "You smell so bloody delicious."Alexander took my innocence last night, and now he is taking that thing Angelica in his office as his Luna. Emily became the laughingstock of the pack on her 18th birthday and never expected the Alpha's son to be her mate. After a night of passionate love, Emily discovers her mate has chosen another to be his Luna. Heartbroken and humiliated, she disappears from the pack.Now, five years later, Emily is a respected high-ranking warrior in the King Alpha's army. When her best friend invites her to a night of music and laughter, she never expects to run into her mate. Will her mate figure out it is her? Will he chase after her? Most of all, will Emily be able to keep her secrets safe or rekindle the tango in his heart? 








"On the table!" he ordered, leaving me fear-stricken as I scurried and positioned myself the way he had instructed earlier. Who was I to disobey the most callous Alpha King? "You are mine now, doll." he bellowed calmly, yet dangerously, emphasizing on every word. His voice sounded like the voices of many mighty men...authoritative, mysterious, deafening..like a thunder ready to strike. My eyes travelled up to the Moon that hung up in the sky, communicating to it as if telling it to send me a saviour."There is no one coming to save you, Aurora. You are now my property. Your body, soul and spirit belongs to me. I am your master and your King. The sooner you accept your fate, the better.”***Aurora was supposed to be the Alpha's beloved daughter, but fate played a trick on her, making her serve as the pack's slave instead. Someone stole her life. Years went by, the truth got exposed, but when she was about to live her best life and assume her role in the pack, trouble rears its ugly head. Her pack was under attack. Faced with two difficult choices, she would either offer herself as a peace offering to the most cruel Alpha King in exchange for protection for her loved ones, or watch everything she holds dear crumble before her eyes. Desperate to save her loved ones, she offered herself to the king without thinking of the consequences. But the castle of the Alpha King is filled with shocking secrets. What if plans change and she finds not one, not two, but three Alpha Kings ready to claim her? Would she agree to become their breeder? How long would she be able to resist their charms? 


Ruby married her fate mate, Lucas, only to endure his repeated betrayals with his first love. In the end, she lost everything—her child, her parents, and her hope. But when she’s reborn on the night of her wedding, she vows to rewrite her fate. Determined to protect those she loves, Ruby finds her former enemy, Caleb, Lucas’s brother—the man who will one day kill Lucas and become the Lycan King. Caleb had never shown up at her wedding before, but this time, Ruby looks into his eyes and says, "I want you to be my husband." Can Ruby take control of her future, or will the past haunt her forever? 
She was hurt. She was bullied and made fun of. And the only hope that kept her going was finding her mate. She has always been weak. Weak to the world. Why?Because she was a lantern. She didn't have a wolf. That's what everyone thought about her.When she found her mate, he wanted her to be his slut and not a wife.She might be an omega, but it doesn't mean she will take disloyalty and betrayal lightly. So she did something that no one in history ever did.She rejected an Alpha."I, Alexis Clark, reject Brandon Sterling, the alpha of Black mist pack, and consider myself a free soul until I decide so."; Were her last words before she left that torturous place and became a rogue.A rogue that everyone was fearing and finding.Why? Because she was the rogue that has become one of the biggest problems of almost all the packs in the country.She was Alexis Clark. A rogue that rejected an Alpha, stealth food, kill other rogues, and more than that was living with humans and studying with them.What will happen when her case is given to the world's most dangerous alpha, Sebastian Sinclair, who has taken it upon himself to punish this rogue.The one who hated rogues and omega to a level that was beyond understanding. Why? Because his mate was an omega, who betrayed him with a rogue before dying.How will Alexis tackle this alpha, in whose College she was studying and living under hiding for almost a year?What will Sebastian do when he finds out the new girl he had been talking to is none other than the rogue omega that he had decided to kill?"To love you with all my might was my only wish, but you were the only one who gave me endless suffering. So today, I promise myself to not fall for anyone."; A simple saying that both Alexis and Sebastian had vowed upon.Will they be able to find their love amidst all these problems? 
"I, Erika Blackwood, stand before you, Alexander Robertson, with a heavy heart. I hereby reject you as my mate. The bond we once shared has grown fragile, and my soul yearns for a different path. May you find solace in the love of another, and may we both find the happiness we seek."Alexander didn't say a word and looked at me.But he refused to accept.***********Erika Blackwood is the next Alpha in line of the Ironclaw Pack. She hides her identity and gets mated to the Alpha of the Moonforest Pack, Alexander Robertson.Three years passed, but Alexander is still unwilling to let go of his childhood sweetheart.Erika is mistreated and eventually framed by the same childhood sweetheart.Now she leaves with that humiliation, and goes back to her pack, swearing vengeance on those who hurt her.They all waited for her to return and beg, but what happens when they realize that the famous Ironclaw Pack that was going to help in the rogue war, was ruled by a woman named, Erika Blackwood.Now her Ex mates want her back. Other Alphas want this woman..But will she accept any of them?Or will she stay independent forever?...