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Minerva was so close to tying the knot with her long-time boyfriend Derrick when an unexpected accident fatally killed him. With only five months before she'll give birth, she had look for various jobs that can raise her and her upcoming child until she met Darwin Gray, the CEO of the biggest company in their city and happens to be Derrick's half-brother. She was skeptical at first to live with him until Darwin revealed that Derrick actually sold her to him in order to finance Derrick's gambling lifestyle. Minerva was absolutely heartbroken and was left with no choice than to be his Mrs. Gray. But, as the winds of fate change, Minerva will soon realize that one must never judge a book by its cover-that despite Darwin's ruthless appearance lies a heart that has long been yearning for a one true love.
The sky was now dark.
As dark as the clothes she was wearing to her fiancé's funeral. The crying of the people was a cacophony to Minerva's ears; even her own crying.
Derrick's sapphire engagement ring was still cherished by her ring finger-the same color of her pristine and beautiful eyes.
Minerva wiped away the tears that had long made her scarlet handkerchief wet. The handkerchief was the very first gift given to her by Derrick-her first and probably last boyfriend.
"Condolence, Minerva..." The voice was familiar. It was from Daphne, her brunette co-teacher who teaches at the same high school as she had before.
"Thanks." Minerva's answer was definitely sincere-as sincere as the love she bears to Derrick. It was very genuine to the point that she chose to wait for Derrick's approval of her marriage request upon the first week of carrying his child.
It had been days already since she'd been carrying her now-resting fiancé's child.
Minerva could still vividly remember that Derrick was always the person who wants to be prepared, who wants to have perfection in such things.
But, it seems he wasn't prepared the moment he was now laid in the casket, in the coffin. So was Minerva. She wasn't prepared for any of this, to be honest.
It was just last week that she'd been preparing for the baby and even planning to apply for work as soon as she gave birth when the news of Derrick's car accident reached her very ears from her apartment's telephone.
It was her best friend Mariella Chu, who also happens to be working as a nurse in the local hospital, who phoned her about Derrick's passing.
He was dead on arrival. Perhaps God, or any supreme being out there, didn't give Derrick even a slight chance to live-not even a chance to say his final goodbye to his baby. And most of all, not even a word of goodbye to his soon-to-be-wife.
The attendees of the funeral are gradually decreasing. Probably because midnight is nearing and most of them have their homes hundreds of kilometres away from this venue.
The flickering lights from the candle reflect in the eyes of Minerva as she was the sole person to be left in her former boyfriend's house.
Derrick lost her mother at a young age and his father already had another family the time that he was born. So, this is the last time she can step foot to this simple house as it was already sold just a week ago. They've planned to use the money for their settling down. Therefore, she had a bit of money left-Derrick had a bit of money left for her and their baby.
Without further ado, she too went home to her apartment as the caretaker of the house showed up, signalling her time to depart into the four walls of her once beloved Derrick's abode.
***
Morning came by the time she opened her eyes-so was her morning sickness.
Indeed, it is not easy to bear a child as it is very complicated. Especially to her as she was left by the only man she dearly loved.
She grabbed the hems of the ebony curtains and swiftly split it open, revealing the morning sun's beaming light. She looked to her left and the pink sticky note that she tacked on the calendar that was just a freebie on the grocery store, reminds her that she has a medical appointment today.
It was definitely upsetting. Upsetting due to the fact that the cash she has on hand could probably not even buy bread and butter. Without any choice, she phoned the only person who knew of her current situation-her financial situation.
The phone rings on the other side and the voice of Mariella Chu reverberates.
"Are you ready for your check up today, Minnie?"
Minnie. That was her Chinese-American best friend nicknamed her after the famous "girlfriend" of Disney's Mickey Mouse.
She cleared her throat before responding to Mariella's query. "I am, Ella."
"Good. Just let me know when I can fetch you. I'm still on the home service of one of my patients as of now but I can drive to your apartment perhaps in less than three hours."
Minerva paused. She looked at the Hello Kitty watch that she had since she was a grade-schooler. It's seven in the morning. Perfect for a nice warm bath for a pregnant single mother like her.
"Sure. I'll just have my preparations."
"Sure, Minnie! Bye for now."
Then the receiver on the other end was now silent. As silent as the morning, if not for her stomach's rumbling that signals her that it's her breakfast time.
She treaded towards her bathroom that's no less than a few steps from her bed, and took a nice warm shower.
***
Minerva was wrong.
She was wrong that her bath would be a warm and refreshing one.
Well, it's kind of refreshing because her body was definitely drenched in her own tears, sweat, and probably from her saliva.
But still, the water from the shower seems to come from a freezer. It was very cold as she bathed herself, bathe their selves. Or is it just because she was pregnant? Well, the body of a pregnant woman was always a bit "hot" on the inside, as they say.
The splashing of water was both music and noise to her ears. The more she soaked in the shower, the more her teeth gritted due to the frigid waters from the shower.
She quickly gets out from the freezing bathroom that even her little circular mirror was shrouded in a mist as a result of the cold shower.
She wrapped her slender body and her now-circular womb in a forest green bath towel. Her eyes caught what seemed to be falling from the outside sky that made her realize why the water is wholly gelid-snow.
Today is the first day of snow in the city-the first day of winter. Now, that's what you call total misfortune. She only has one thick jacket left for the first day of winter. Two, if you're gonna include Derrick's trench coat that happens to be still in his former home.
She will get their remaining things from the now-sold house after her appointment from her ob-gyn. At least her ob-gyn was the sister of her mother's husband. The doctor was her mother's sister-in-law, to be simple.
Her mother volunteered to answer the expenses for her check-up. At least in that way, her mother, who now has another family, still manages to "care" for her since the death of her biological father five years ago.
Minerva was definitely still lucky amidst her unluckiness oozing up to its brim. She still has a mother that has still a bit of kindness left in her heart-that is if she still has one.
Her phone rings. She was still munching her sunny-side egg when Mariella called her. She seized a glass of lukewarm water and immediately drank it in just a matter of seconds.
"Wait for me, Mariella," Minerva muttered then shove the remaining fried egg and French toast into her small mouth.
Before she could speak further, three knocks interrupted her simple breakfast.
'Perhaps it's Ella...' Minerva mused. "Coming!"
When she opened the door, Minerva was flabbergasted. It was not her best friend, Mariella Chu.
It was her mother.
"Hello dear! I came to take you to your doctor, who happens to be my beautiful sister-in-law. I already phoned Mariella as she was also having an immediate family matter to attend."
Minerva was about to open her mouth but chose not to as she remembered that she was still chewing her French toast and egg-the only breakfast she had. Perhaps the only breakfast she will be having from now on.
In less than an hour, Minerva and Rhea-her mother-were now driving towards the hospital to which the ob-gyn was waiting.
***
The hospital's scent was new to her senses. She felt like puking on the very floor of the elevator. Or was it just because she was pregnant?
Either way, the meeting with her ob-gyn was absolutely no problem. It's about the bills that made her head totally ache.
"What's the price of you helping me?"
Her mother briefly looked at her from head to toe before answering. "Nothing."
Nothing. That was all Rhea said throughout the entire time. From the very moment they stepped in the hospital to the time that her check-up was finished, her mother's mouth was wholly shut-as if she wittingly sewed it shut to avoid conversation with her.
Minerva cleared her throat before speaking again...alone this time.
"Well, if that's the case, I will still pay you as soon as I find a new job. I resigned from the high school I was teaching the moment I got pregnant."
"The moment you got pregnant? Or the moment you were about to give the pussy between your legs to a man named Derrick?" Her mother's voice was thundering in the midst of the four narrow walls of the elevator.
It took all the remaining strength that was left of her in slapping her blonde-haired mother. She was entirely insulted by that tone, by her words. She said there was no price in helping her during her pregnancy. Yet, it seems that a liberated scold was the price she silently chose to offer Minerva.
To be honest, she could take her down and choke her to death into the very lustrous floor of the elevator if it wasn't the fact that her words somehow resonates verity, that there is actually truth in her words. Her mother left her for another man on the verge of her father's terminal illness. That's how maleficent her mother was and is probably until now.
Minerva absolutely gave it all up just to live under the same roof with Derrick, who happens to be six feet below the ground now. And her mother will just insult them for that, insult her for that..
'That is why they always say to never give your entirety to someone, even if you love the person more than you do to yourself.' Minerva's own words bounced into the walls of her mind.
Her fists are still clenched, ready to punch her own gold-digger mother who left her own family for another man-for an asshole billionaire.
She was, in fact, the first to witness them having sex in her own parents' room. Imagine banging your other man in the bed you and your husband shared. That was wholly awful, unlawful, and definitely inhumane. That is also the reason why Minerva chose to stay with her father aside from the fact that she cannot bear to gaze at the eyes of her mother's man-who also looks at her lustfully, as if inviting her to be fucked as well.
Her attention drew back to her mother as the elevator opened, signalling the arrival to the basement to where her mother's car parked.
"It's not that, Rhea. I already had planned on resigning beforehand. Besides, me and Derrick planned my pregnancy anyway."
That was a lie. Well, she would rather lie than to be shamed more by this bitch who calls herself her mother. That is also the reason why she addresses her in her own name rather than calling her a mother. A mother is such an honourable and glorified title and the blonde woman in front of her doesn't even deserve a second to be called one.
Minerva was about to say more when, in the corner of her eye, she spotted the man that she had always prayed she would never meet or see or smell again.
It was her mother's husband-Rhea's sex-loving man.
Love lost, love chased, and love reborn-this collection of werewolf short stories weaves together tales of passion, heartbreak, and redemption. From powerful Alphas who regret letting their fated mates slip away to strong-willed heroines who rise above betrayal, each story explores the raw emotions of second chances and self-discovery. Some wolves fight to reclaim what they've lost, while others learn that true strength lies in walking away. As the moon guides them through pain and healing, they must decide: cling to the past or embrace the future? In "Fated Mates Torn by Hate", experience stories of chasing love, finding self-worth, and letting go of old wounds to step into the light of a new dawn.
In a werewolf country cursed to be forever cold, Evadne wished under the full moon for many years to find her mate and escape from her hell of a home where her father, Alpha Marcus of the Moonflame Pack, and Elodie, Evadne's sister, constantly made sure her day won't end without her being bullied or beaten by them. When she finally turned eighteen years old, Evadne find her mate, Alpha Gregor of the Fireheart Pack. She promised him that she would be the best mate and Luna for him. However, Elodie reveals he's her fiance and boyfriend and begs the Alpha to ruthlessly reject her in front of the whole Moonflame Pack at Evadne's very own birthday party. Evadne's heart became even more shattered when her father banished her and ordered her to never return to their lives when she humiliated his favorite daughter, Elodie, on that same night. Alone, she was imprisoned in the dungeons of a pack that thought she was a Rogue-when it was attacked by the Alpha King's forces since the said pack was the only remaining one who refused to bow down to him. As she tried to escape the ensuing chaos, she met him, and never had she thought that the Moon Goddess would let her second-chance mate be Alpha King Kallias himself-the cause of the eternal winter and now the most feared Alpha.
“Where are you taking me?” I whimpered as the huge wolf carried me on his shoulders. After a couple of minutes, he put me down. Before I could blink, the huge white wolf shifted before me. The man who now stood in its place was handsome, muscular… and completely naked. * * * Elaine Rutherford has spent her entire life wishing for an escape from her dysfunctional family. But when her wish is granted in the form of being offered up as a human sacrifice to an elite village of werewolves…it wasn’t exactly what she had in mind. Every leap year, Stella’s Soul receives a mortal woman from the neighbouring city of Moonburn, just beyond the wall, to bear children for the chosen werewolf. And it just so happens this year is a leap year. On the next full moon, Elaine is set to be married to the handsome werewolf billionaire, Tyler Jane Moonstorm. Despite her doubts, she still hopes that this will be a better life than she’s used to. At least that’s what she thought…
“I was looking for a man named Zarion, but I ended up here.” Most of them gasped when I uttered Zarions’ name. “Don’t mention that name because it’s cursed!” someone hissed. My brows furrowed at her reaction. “Why? "He's the Alpha of this pack. He was banished because he didn't want to take the position. Rumour says that he's out in the woods, looking for his mate, and..." she trailed off. "And?" I swallowed. "Kill her. He wants to kill his mate." *** Alpha Zarion is on a quest to find his mate and kill her because he despises the idea of a mating bond. During a winter storm, he met Cassidy Bentley who saved him from death. He knows he has no time to waste but Zarion was curious about her, deliriously wanting every inch of her skin and touch…until he found out that the girl is mated to his number one rival, Alpha Brandon. Alpha Brandon rejected Cassidy because she’s a human—which he greatly despises. She eventually started getting over him, pouring out her love to Alpha Zarion who obsessively wants her. During the night Zarion and Cassidy will mark and mate, the girl's first mate finally comes to his senses and goes to find her. But the first mate already found Cassidy in another man's arm, in his stepbrother’s arms, who was just about to mark her…
In the land of Westfall, three packs rule: the Night Storm Pack, whose wolves are gifted with wind and storm abilities; the Shadow Rose Pack, who are masters of shadows and poison; and the Fire Moon Pack, who can wield flames and render themselves immune to fire. But only the luckiest packmembers have those powers, and not all who possess them have wolves. Meet Sasha Forster, a wolfless and helpless Slave of the Fire Moon Pack-until the ruthless Alpha Alain of the Shadow Rose Pack, the one who was cursed by her mother to marry Sasha and have an heir with her, saves her from her pack's tyrannical Alpha. The Fire Moon Pack now whisks Sasha to be the payment to Alpha Alain and Alain is also trying his best to make her his and end the curse. But Sasha's heart has already begun to beat for her childhood friend and her pack's new Alpha, Ansel. Worse, Sasha became more perplexed when she accidentally revealed to the entire Fire Moon Pack that she has fire powers, and all the pack now either envy her or hate her. When her life and heart bombarded her with difficult choices, would she choose her heart over her mind? Or will she choose responsibility over love?
Wisdom Weisz lost her house and ten-month-old daughter in a fire in a single day. And what’s worse is that on the same day, her husband was making love to her best friend in the latter’s apartment without paying any sort of remorse for her. Frustrated, she was left jobless and spent her remaining money in a luxury hotel’s bar. With destiny as unpredictable as ever, she met the billionaire in the bar who she already came across at various moments of her life. The man offered her a job called, “Wife for Hire”, meaning she will be his wife without any emotional attachments. If she accepts, the billionaire will pay her upfront with a hundred thousand dollars in her bank in just a blink of an eye. Wisdom eventually accepts as she deemed this as an opportunity for revenge to her former husband and best friend. As whirlpool of emotions stirred and a web of conflicts weaved, Wisdom will soon find out that this job was not easy as she thought as her heart begins to fall for the man who had employed her to be his hired wife.
To the public, she was the CEO's executive secretary. Behind closed doors, she was the wife he never officially acknowledged. Jenessa was elated when she learned that she was pregnant. But that joy was replaced with dread as her husband, Ryan, showered his affections on his first love. With a heavy heart, she chose to set him free and leave. When they met again, Ryan's attention was caught by Jenessa's protruding belly. "Whose child are you carrying?!" he demanded. But she only scoffed. "It's none of your business, my dear ex-husband!"
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
Charlee was left at the altar and became a laughingstock. She tried to keep her head high, but ultimately lost it when she received a sex tape of her fiance and her half-sister. Devastated, she ended up spending a wild night with a hot stranger. It was supposed to be one-time thing, but he kept popping up, helping her with projects and revenge, all while flirting with her constantly. Charlee soon realized that it was nice having him around, until her ex suddenly appeared at her door, begging for another chance. Her tycoon lover asked, “Who will you choose? Think carefully before you answer.”
Linsey was stood up by her groom to run off with another woman. Furious, she grabbed a random stranger and declared, "Let's get married!" She had acted on impulse, realizing too late that her new husband was the notorious rascal, Collin. The public laughed at her, and even her runaway ex offered to reconcile. But Linsey scoffed at him. "My husband and I are very much in love!" Everyone thought she was delusional. Then Collin was revealed to be the richest man in the world. In front of everyone, he got down on one knee and held up a stunning diamond ring. "I look forward to our forever, honey."
Natalie used to think she could melt Connor’s icy heart, but she was sorely mistaken. When at last she decided to leave, she discovered that she was pregnant. Even so, she chose to quietly leave his world, prompting Connor to mobilize all of his resources and expand his business to a global scale—all in a bid to find her. But there was no trace of Natalie. Connor slowly spiraled into madness, turning the city upside down and leaving chaos in his wake. Natalie finally surfaced years later, with wealth and power of her own, only to find herself entangled with Connor once again.
Darya spent three years loving Micah, worshipping the ground he walked on. Until his neglect and his family's abuse finally woke her up to the ugly truth-he doesn't love her. Never did, never will. To her, he is a hero, her knight in shining armour. To him, she is an opportunist, a gold digger who schemed her way into his life. Darya accepts the harsh reality, gathers the shattered pieces of her dignity, divorces him, takes back her real name, reclaims her title as the country's youngest billionaire heiress. Their paths cross again at a party. Micah watches his ex-wife sing like an angel, tear up the dance floor, then thwart a lecher with a roundhouse kick. He realises, belatedly, that she's exactly the kind of woman he'd want to marry, if only he had taken the trouble to get to know her. Micah acts promptly to win her back, but discovers she's now surrounded by eligible bachelors: high-powered CEO, genius biochemist, award-winning singer, reformed playboy. Worse, she makes it pretty clear that she's done with him. Micah gears up for an uphill battle. He must prove to her he's still worthy of her love before she falls for someone else. And time is running out.