My New Life

My New Life

Stephanie Mills

177.5k Words / Completed
748
Hot
27.4k
Views

Introduction

Trapped in a town she never chose, surrounded by people she had no choice but to be with, Layla learned early how to survive.
For years, she watched and manipulated to make things the way they should have been before her grandparents got greedy.
Now, at last, she eventually reached the point where none of it was on her anymore, and she got to start her life and try to find love.
The past is no longer hers to carry.

This is the story of a girl broken by others’ choices—until she takes control, turns the tables, and sets out to claim a life, and even a love, that’s finally her own.
Read More

Share the book to

facebooktwitterpinterestwhatsappreddit

About Author

Stephanie Mills

Chapter 1

      • Layla’s POV * * *

We just moved into a new house across the street from the Wolf MC clubhouse in Sapulpa, Oklahoma. I didn’t want to move — nobody asked my opinion, though. It’s easier to go along with it, let them think I’m just some dumb kid who doesn’t care.

My mom’s got a new boyfriend now, and he seems decent enough, I guess. I don’t bother interacting with him much; I keep my distance, like always.

Two years ago, my dad died protecting the wife of Spirit MC’s president during a botched hit by a rival club. He was standing right beside me and my godmother when it happened, shielding us with his body. Two bullets hit him in the back, and he was gone.

I’m not angry that he saved her — she’s my godmother, and losing her would’ve gutted me. But I miss him every day. That doesn’t mean I’d trade someone else’s life to have him back. Life doesn’t work that way.

I pull up to the house on my bike, the engine’s low growl cutting through the quiet street. The house is a three-story fixer-upper with peeling white paint and faded blue trim. Of course, Mom picked a place that needs work. It could be pretty once it’s fixed up, but I’m not lifting a finger to help. I’ve got my own plans and only a few weeks to get them done.

The basement apartment is mine — my own space, separate from the chaos of the main house where my three younger brothers are staying with Mom and her boyfriend. I have a bigger brother, Ghost, but Dad sent him away when I was little, for reasons no one’s ever explained.

We were close when Dad was alive, but now? I barely hear from him.

I take a deep breath, still straddling my bike, and glance across the street. The Wolf MC’s clubhouse looms there, a sprawling log cabin that looks like it was once a hotel, converted into their gritty headquarters. Why anyone thought a nice hotel belonged in a nowhere town like Sapulpa is beyond me. This place is a hole-in-the-wall, not some tourist destination.

The MC guys are already staring, their eyes tracking me from the porch. I keep my helmet on, the word “Ice” scrawled in deep purple and silver catching the sunlight. I got the nickname because my hair has always been a white silver color, plus dealing with the 4 of them has made me cold and sarcastic. I don’t like most people. Hell, you can’t even trust your own mom.

I’m dressed in blue jeans, a black tank top, my leather jacket, and boots, ready for whatever this day throws at me. My 9mm is tucked into the holster inside my jacket, and I’ve got knives stashed in a few places. Drunk bikers think they can grab whoever they want and get away with it — not with me. I’ve learned to protect myself the hard way.

“Layla, your stuff’s already in your apartment downstairs,” Mom says, not even glancing up from whatever she’s unpacking.

“Okay, thanks,” I reply, forcing politeness. “You guys need any help?” I don’t want to help, but I ask because it’s expected, not because I care.

“No, we’ve got it handled,” she says, dismissing me.

I knew she’d say that. She doesn’t like me much — I’m the oldest of her four kids, and she’s always babied the younger three: Travis and Thomas, the 16-year-old twins, and Sean, who’s 15. They’re spoiled rotten, always have been. Ghost, my oldest brother as mentioned, is 10 years older than me and off in the military somewhere.

Mom wasn’t around much when I was younger. She’d disappear for months, then show up out of nowhere with a kid or two, claiming they were Dad’s. A year after the twins, she had Sean. It’s like she’d vanish for their pregnancies, only to return once the babies were born, dumping them into our lives like nothing happened.

I pull off my helmet as we talk, letting my silver hair spill out. Across the street, one of the MC guys mutters, “What the fuck, that’s a girl.” Idiots. Like my figure didn’t give it away. Another voice, rougher, adds, “She’s gonna be trouble. Better stay away.”

My family doesn’t bother defending me. They never do. Since Dad died, I’ve had to fend for myself. To them, I’m some distant cousin they tolerate, not a sister or a daughter. I turn to see who’s talking and spot the Wolf MC president chatting with Mom’s new boyfriend. Even he doesn’t say a word in my defense. God only knows what lies Mom’s fed him about me.

Strike one, I think, glaring at them before heading to the side of the house and down the stairs to my apartment.

The basement door is flimsy, a cheap piece of wood I’ll have to replace once I get access to the money Dad left me. The apartment itself isn’t bad, though. It’s not some dank, moldy basement — there are large windows, about three feet by five, letting in plenty of light. I can hang my curtains and make it my own. I step into the living room and start opening the windows facing the street, the faint hum of voices from the clubhouse drifting in.

The president’s talking to my brothers now, something about prospecting for the MC. Good for them. I don’t care if they see me moving around; I haven’t found my curtains yet, and I’m not stopping to worry about it.

I’ve already unpacked the kitchen and half my bedroom. Four boxes sit in the corner: one labeled “living room,” one “bathroom,” and two marked “art room.” I open the living room box and find my curtains, the clock on the wall reading just past noon. Plenty of time to hit the store and grab some food before it gets late.

I decided to take a break and do just that. Grabbing my keys, I headed out to my Harley, its chrome gleaming under the midday sun. The bike roared to life beneath me. As I cruised through the small-town streets of Sapulpa, the wind whipping past my leather jacket, I let my mind wander. The town was as dull as I’d expected — faded storefronts, a couple of diners, and not much else.

Then, out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure on the sidewalk. Tall, broad-shouldered, with a graying beard and a worn leather vest.

Uncle Rick? I shook my head, my silver hair catching in the breeze. No way. I hadn’t seen him since I was eight, back when Dad sent Ghost away for reasons no one ever explained. I must be seeing things, projecting ghosts from a past I barely remember.

I pushed the thought aside and kept riding until I hit the Walmart parking lot, the asphalt shimmering in the Oklahoma heat. I pulled into a spot near the entrance, kicking down the stand and cutting the engine. Just as I swung my leg off the bike, a beat-up black pickup truck rolled in behind me, its tires crunching on loose gravel.

My stomach twisted as I recognized the dented fender and the faded Spirit MC sticker on the tailgate. It was Uncle Rick’s truck. Guess I wasn’t imagining things after all.

I pulled off my helmet, letting my hair spill over my shoulders, and watched as Uncle Rick climbed out of the truck. He looked older than I remembered, but his presence still carried that quiet strength I’d clung to as a kid. Before I could process what was happening, he was striding toward me, his boots scuffing the pavement.

“Uncle Rick?” I said. “What are you doing here? I thought you didn’t want anything to do with us.”

His face softened, but there was a weight in his eyes, something heavy and unspoken. “That’s not true, princess,” he said. He reached into the truck and pulled out a sleek black laptop and a cheap burner phone, holding them out to me. “I’ve got a file for you to read. It’s on this laptop — locked tight, so no one else can get into it. And take this phone. Don’t let your mom see it, Layla. She wasn’t supposed to take you kids, and this laptop will explain why. I love you, you hear me? Always have. I’m gonna text you every day to check in, and you call me whenever you need me. If you’re in trouble, send the code word ‘unicorn,’ and I’ll find you, no matter where you are.”

He tells me as I look at him confused. My fingers closed around the laptop and phone. “I love you too, Uncle,” I managed. “I’ll check in, and I’ll let you know if I’m in trouble.”

“I love you too uncle. I will check in and let you know if I am in trouble.” He gave me a hug then left. Well that was short guess he is busy.

With that, he climbed back into his truck and peeled out.

/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Comments

  • Visitor

    it would be such a great read but it’s all over the place & the juicy parts have no bang to them. I think with some changes & not jumping around so much it will be one of my favorites. don’t give up! you have a great story here! ~from Alabama

    05/20/2025 18:04
  • user2505173105

    really enjoy the story

    05/18/2025 19:43
  • Visitor

    liked the story line but hard to read. Run on sentences and mistakes. sorry

    05/12/2025 14:05

You Might Like 😍

Fangs, Fate & Other Bad Decisions

Fangs, Fate & Other Bad Decisions

Ongoing · Elizma Du Toit
Some bad decisions come back to bite you. Literally.

After finding out her boyfriend cheated, the last thing she expected was to stumble across a wounded man in an alley. And definitely not one with fangs. But thanks to a mix of cocktails, shame, and her questionable life choices, she takes him home. Turns out, he’s not just any vampire—he’s a king. And according to him, she’s his fated mate.

Now, she’s stuck with an overprotective, brooding bloodsucker who keeps rescuing her, a growing list of enemies who want her dead, and an undeniable attraction that’s making it very hard to remember why falling for a vampire is a terrible idea.

Because if she’s not careful, she won’t just lose her heart—she’ll lose her humanity.
Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend

Off Limits, Brother's Best Friend

Ongoing · Oguike Queeneth
“You are so fucking wet.” He nipped my skin and pulled me up to sink me down his length.

“You are going to take every inch of me.” He whispered as he thrusted up.

“Fuck, you feel so fucking good. Is this what you wanted, my dick inside you?” He asked, knowing I have benticing him since the beginning.

“Y..yes,” I breathed.


Brianna Fletcher had been running from dangerous men all her life but when she got an opportunity to stay with his elder brother after graduation, there she met the most dangerous of them all. Her brother's best friend, a mafia Don. He radiated danger but she couldn't stay away.

He knows his best friend's little sister is off limits and yet, he couldn't stop thinking of her.

Will they be able to break all rules and find closure in each other's arms?
Surrendering to Destiny

Surrendering to Destiny

Completed · Allison Franklin
Catherine is not only a rogue half-breed, she is also the result of mate-bond infidelity, was abandoned as a baby and, to top it off, she can only shift during the full moon. When Catherine left the only pack she'd ever known in order to escape the new alpha, the last thing she expected was to find her mate... let alone for him to be the mouth-watering, heavily tattooed, lead warrior of the most feared lycan pack on the continent.

Graham MacTavish wasn't prepared to find his mate in the small town of Sterling that borders the Blackmoore Packlands. He certainly didn't expect her to be a rogue, half-breed who smelled of Alpha blood. With her multi-colored eyes, there was no stopping him from falling hard the moment their mate bond snapped into place. He would do anything to claim her, protect her and cherish her no matter the cost.

From vengeful ex-lovers, pack politics, species prejudice, hidden plots, magic, kidnapping, poisoning, rogue attacks, and a mountain of secrets including Catherine's true parentage there is no shortage of things trying to tear the two apart.

Despite the hardships, a burning desire and willingness to trust will help forge a strong bond between the two... but no bond is unbreakable. When the secrets kept close to heart are slowly revealed, will the two be able to weather the storm? Or will the gift bestowed upon Catherine by the moon goddess be too insurmountable to overcome?
467.1k Views
Alpha's White Lie

Alpha's White Lie

Ongoing · Shazza Writes
“I want you. All of you. Your past, your present and your future. You are beautiful Rosalie and I wish I could show you how beautiful through my eyes.” He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled my flush against his chest.


When a new guy moves into the empty apartment across the hall, Rosalie Peters finds herself lured towards the hunky man. Blake Cooper is a very hot, successful, and wealthy businessman with a life built on a little white lie.
Rosy’s life, on the other hand, is full of mystery. She’s hiding a secret that would tear apart love and friendship.
As the secrets in Rosy’s life start to unfold, she finds herself seeking refuge with Blake.
What Rosy didn’t anticipate was Blake’s admiration for her was so much more than just love; It was supernatural.
Life for Rosy changes when she discovers that Blake’s biggest secret was animalistic and so much bigger than hers!
Will Blake’s white lies make or break his relationship with Rosy?
How will Rosy adjust to all the secrets that throw her life into chaos?
And what will happen when Blake’s twin brother, Max, comes forward to claim his twin bond with Rosy’s?!
From Substitute To Queen

From Substitute To Queen

Completed · Hannah Moore
For three years, Sable loved Alpha Darrell with everything she had, spending her salary to support their household while being called an orphan and gold-digger. But just as Darrell was about to mark her as his Luna, his ex-girlfriend returned, texting: "I'm not wearing underwear. My plane lands soon—pick me up and fuck me immediately."

Heartbroken, Sable discovered Darrell having sex with his ex in their bed, while secretly transferring hundreds of thousands to support that woman.

Even worse was overhearing Darrell laugh to his friends: "She's useful—obedient, doesn't cause trouble, handles housework, and I can fuck her whenever I need relief. She's basically a live-in maid with benefits." He made crude thrusting gestures, sending his friends into laughter.

In despair, Sable left, reclaimed her true identity, and married her childhood neighbor—Lycan King Caelan, nine years her senior and her fated mate. Now Darrell desperately tries to win her back. How will her revenge unfold?

From substitute to queen—her revenge has just begun!
580.2k Views
My Marked Luna

My Marked Luna

Completed · Sunshine Princess
"Will you continue to disobey me?" he asks, his gaze cool and hard.
"Yes,"
He exhales, raises his hand, and brings it down to slap my naked as again... harder than before. I gasp at the impact. It hurts, but it is so hot, and sexy.
"Will you do it again?"
"No,"
"No, what?"
"No, Sir,"
"Best girl," he brings his lips to kiss my behind while he caresses it softly.
"Now, I'm going to fck you," He sits me on his lap in a straddling position. We lock gazes. His long fingers find their way to my entrance and insert them.
"You're soaking for me, baby," he is pleased. He moves his fingers in and out, making me moan in pleasure.
"Hmm," But suddenly, they are gone. I cry as he leaves my body aching for him. He switches our position within a second, so I'm under him. My breath is shallow, and my senses are incoherent as I anticipate his hardness in me. The feeling is fantastic.
"Please," I beg. I want him. I need it so badly.
"So, how would you like to come, baby?" he whispers.
Oh, goddess!


Apphia's life is harsh, from being mistreated by her pack members to her mate rejecting her brutally. She is on her own. Battered on a harsh night, she meets her second chance mate, the powerful, dangerous Lycan Alpha, and boy, is she in for the ride of her life. However, everything gets complicated as she discovers she is no ordinary wolf. Tormented by the threat to her life, Apphia has no choice but to face her fears. Will Apphia be able to defeat the iniquity after her life and finally be happy with her mate? Follow for more.
Warning: Mature Content
544.5k Views
The Matchmaker

The Matchmaker

Ongoing · Sophie Smith
Saphira White has spent her life as an outcast—unloved, ignored, and falsely accused of a crime she didn’t commit. Abandoned by her mother and raised in the ruthless Silvermoon Pack, she’s treated as nothing more than a shadow. When her step-sister Ruby brands her a murderer, the pack delivers the cruellest punishment of all: exile to the Matchmaker, the most feared institution in supernatural history.

No one escapes the Matchmaker unscathed. The process is simple—each participant is paired with a supernatural being, often sealing their fate with blood. Death is the most common outcome, and Saphira expects nothing less. But when the impossible happens, she is matched with a creature so legendary, so powerful, that even the bravest tremble at its name—a royal dragon.

Now bound to an ancient force of destruction, Saphira finds herself among the royal pack. With them, she navigates a world of power, deception, and destiny. As she walks this new path, familiar faces resurface, bringing long-buried secrets to light. Her heritage—once a mystery—begins to unravel, revealing a truth that may change everything.
Crowned by Fate

Crowned by Fate

Completed · Tina Savage
“You think I’d share my mate? Just stand by and watch while you fuck another woman and have her kids?”
“She’d just be a Breeder, you would be the Luna. Once she’s pregnant, I wouldn’t touch her again.” my mate Leon’s jaw tightened.
I laughed, a bitter, broken sound.
“You’re unbelievable. I’d rather accept your rejection than live like that.”


As a girl without a wolf, I left my mate and my pack behind.
Among humans, I survived by becoming a master of the temporary: drifting job to job… until I became the best bartender in a dusty Texas town.
That’s where Alpha Adrian found me.
No one could resist the charming Adrian, and I joined his mysterious pack hidden deep in the desert.
The Alpha King Tournament, held once every four years, had begun. Over fifty packs from across North America were competing.
The werewolf world was on the verge of a revolution. That’s when I saw Leon again...
Torn between two Alphas, I had no idea that what awaited us wasn’t just a competition—but a series of brutal, unforgiving trials.
Author Note:New book out now! The River Knows Her Name
Mystery, secrets, suspense—your next page-turner is here.
Welcome to Hell

Welcome to Hell

Ongoing · Williane Kassia
He was engaged. Straight.
An ordinary man with a bright future ahead.
But a single betrayal was enough to shatter everything.

Framed by the woman he loved and his own brother, he was sentenced and thrown into the worst place imaginable: a prison where rules don’t exist—and danger has a name, a face… and hungry eyes.

Now, he shares a cell with the most feared man in the entire facility.

Dominant. Intense. Obsessive.

And he wants him.

Not out of love.
Not out of mercy.
But out of pure, ruthless desire.

In a world with no laws, no escape, and no one to save him, he becomes the wolf’s bunny—submissive to his touch, a prisoner of pleasure… and completely unable to resist.

Because sometimes, it’s the monster who knows exactly how to make you feel alive.
393.5k Views
Omega Bound

Omega Bound

Ongoing · Veronica White
Ayla Frost is a beautiful, rare omega. Kidnapped, tortured, and trafficked to rogue clans and corrupt alphas to do with as they pleased.  Kept alive in her cage, broken and abandoned by her wolf, she becomes mute and has given up on hope for a better life until one explosion changes everything. 

Thane Knight is the alpha of the Midnight Pack of the La Plata Mountain Range, the largest wolf shifter pack in the world. He is an alpha by day and hunts the shifter trafficking ring with his group of mercenaries by night. His hunt for vengeance leads to one raid that changes his life. 

Tropes:
Touch her and die/Slow burn romance/Fated Mates/Found family twist/Close circle betrayal/Cinnamon roll for only her/Traumatized heroine/Rare wolf/Hidden powers/Knotting/Nesting/Heats/Luna/Attempted assassination
927.7k Views
Goddess Of The Underworld.

Goddess Of The Underworld.

Ongoing · sheridan.hartin
Left at a pack border with a name and a stubborn heartbeat, Envy grows into the sharpest kind of survivor, an orphaned warrior who knows how to hold a line and keep moving. Love isn’t in the plan…until four alpha wolves with playboy reputations and inconveniently soft hands decide the girl who won’t bow is the only queen they’ll ever take. Their mate. The one they have waited for. Xavier, Haiden, Levi, and Noah are gorgeous, lethal, and anything but perfect and Envy isn’t either. She’s changing. First into hell hound, Layah at her heels and fire in her veins. Then into what the realm has been waiting for, a Goddess of the Underworld, dragging her mates down to hell with her. Then finally into lycan princess, stronger, faster, the moon finally answering back, giving her exactly what she needs to protect her family.

When the veil between the Divine, the Living, and the Dead begins to crack, Envy is thrust beneath with a job she can’t drop: keep the worlds from bleeding together, shepherd the lost, and make ordinary into armor, breakfasts, bedtime, battle plans. Peace lasts exactly one lullaby. This is the story of a border pup who became a goddess by choosing her family; of four imperfect alphas learning how to stay; of cake, iron, and daylight negotiations. Steamy, fierce, and full of heart, Goddess of the Underworld is a why-choose, found-family paranormal romance where love writes the rules and keeps three realms from falling apart.
380.2k Views
Letting Go

Letting Go

Completed · Becky j
Molly's life was perfect. She was married to her high school sweetheart, surrounded by her friends and family and she was looking forward to the future. But that all ends one tragic night when her whole world is turned upside down.
That fateful night leads to Molly and her best friend Tom holding a secret close to their hearts but keeping this secret could also mean destroying any chance of a new future for Molly.
When Tom's oldest brother Christian meets Molly his dislike for her is instant and he puts little effort into hiding it. The problem is he's attracted to her just as much as he dislikes her and staying away from her starts to become a battle, a battle that he's not sure he can win.
When Molly's secret is revealed and she’s forced to face the pain from her past can she find the strength to stay and work through the pain or will she run away from everything she knows including the one man who gives her hope for a happy future? Hope that she never thought she would feel again.
Take you Fall into Fantasy.

Download AnyStories App to discover more Fantasy Stories.