Starting Strength

In everyone's eyes, my husband, Jake Payton, was the perfect man. Three years have passed since the day of our wedding, but we have yet to have a child because he wanted an 'extended honeymoon'. One day, I chanced across a message he sent to his friend. [I'm not Mindy's first, and God knows whether she's had an abortion before! The thought of having a baby with her just makes me sick!] Unable to hold back my tears, I turned around and shelved my medical report.

Mez finds herself at an institute called Merose, after waking up from a seemingly deep sleep, but she has no memories of her past whatsoever. However, she feels strangely drawn to Merose by a nostalgic feeling. Having nowhere else to go to and no memories to rely on she decides to trust her instincts and go ahead. She is soon faced with a lot of mysteries and unopened secrets, while her memories recover slowly. A great secret lay behind the myriad of lies that had been built upon Mez's disappearance and she was determined to find the truth.

I married Mason Fleming, who comes from a prestigious family with a long line of lawyers, at 19. For over 20 years, I devoted myself fully to our home by raising our child, keeping the household together, and supporting his career. Now I'm 40, and he cheats on me. Friends and relatives try to advise me. "Your husband is handsome and successful. He even lets you manage the money he earns. Compared to most men, he's considered one of the good ones." In other words, they want me to turn a blind eye and continue playing the role of a "good wife" to maintain appearances. But I can't keep up with the act anymore.

Born in a werewolf pack comes with laws and you must obey. The strong dominate the weak and guide them, the same can be said for one's mate. We fell in love but we're bound by laws to love different people in the end. She had the strength I did not to defy our laws and destiny, it was in her I found my strength. My generation saw the birth of two True alphas as we had come to call them. They had no name given by our pack since it was the name of the one who ascended that it would be called. However, it took her death to find freedom from the laws. When I first embraced the power I wanted to destroy the laws which lead to the destruction of our pack. But that didn't fill the hollow feeling inside. Left to wander my goal shifted as easily as a change in the wind's direction. I was lost in most of my travels trying to solve a problem with no clear solution. But deep down I wanted to change our ways through force. That was until I came face to face with an enemy of our kind who was equal to the power I had. I claimed victory after a long battle but the cost was high, this power brought forth this calamity. So I decided to seal it away keeping it hidden from everyone. One day I will find my path and claim my place in this world, whatever it may be. Without her, I may never find a place to belong again however but it's clear our ways are wrong. If nothing else I want to save my people somehow from a similar fate as us.

As my blade pierces the base of his neck, the silver sizzles against his skin. His cold blue eyes open wide. The grim reality of his situation sets in. He gulps hard and shakes his head in fear. "I repent." He squeaks like the coward he is. "Forgive my crimes. Let me face the Council." "You'll find no mercy here, Sin." Blood gushes down his bare chest freely. "You will be judged by the Goddess." His expression quickly changes to one of anger, exposing his ruse. "I see you in the Palace of the Goddess, I will kill you again." I growl. "And if she casts me out, I will meet you on the edge of the River Styx and kill you in Purgatory over and over until the Ferryman come to collect us. And if Hades allows, I will continue to kill you in the Underworld until the end of time." "I underestimated you." He chokes. "Everyone does." I whisper as I lay my full weight against the pommel.

"This year, there's only one spot available–and I fought hard to secure it for you. "If things don't work out with Baron Cole, I'll talk to him. You two have a strong relationship. Waiting a few years won't matter." As I stared at the application form my professor handed me, my hands would not stop trembling. In my previous life, I spent forty years married to Baron. We raised a son and a daughter. I thought that was what a complete, fulfilled life looked like. However, after he died, while sorting through his belongings, I found a box filled with letters and photographs. That was when I learned the truth–he had always loved someone else. She was his first love… and the biological daughter of the family that raised me. Back in 1984, he hid my study-abroad application, giving the opportunity to her instead. From that moment on, I became a housewife. And he devoted himself to helping the woman he loved rise–until she returned from overseas as a celebrated professor. Even my own son later turned their story into a drama, glorifying their restrained, enduring love. When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back on the day I first received that application form. This time, I did not hesitate. "Professor, I'm going abroad."