เรื่องสั้นแนว Familial Bond และนิยาย Mate Regret

On my way home from picking wild berries in the woods, I see my mate, Ethan Volkov, feeding our pups roast chicken. His childhood sweetheart, Zoe Hathaway, is snuggling next to them. While chatting with Ethan about her experiences studying on the northern grasslands, she entertains the children. My five-year-old daughter is happily swinging her legs as she holds out a piece of roast chicken to Zoe, while My son carefully wipes the grease off Zoe's hands. Ethan never once looks away from Zoe. It is as if he only has eyes for her. Seeing my beloved mate and the pups I've tirelessly raised so attached to another she-wolf leaves me devastated. I draft a Bond Breaking Agreement, give up custody of the children, and leave. Pursue the herbal research career that I gave up for my family Yet later, the always calm and composed Ethan loses his composure. My daughter Katrina and my son James search everywhere for me, openly expressing their love and begging me to come home.

My mate, Damian Thornwood, is the most gifted healer in the pack. However, he misses our pup's congenital heart surgery because he's busy bandaging a scrape for the pup of Erica Stanhope, his widowed childhood friend. One day, while I'm packing my pup Noah Thornwood's school bag, I hear a faint sob coming from the little wolf plushie with a voice recorder that he carries everywhere. "Wolfie, my heart hurts so much. Can you tell Daddy to come home?" At Noah's follow-up appointment at the infirmary, the healer casually asks where his father is. Noah presses a hand over the angry stitched scar on his chest and says in a small voice, "Ma'am, my daddy's busy taking care of another pup. He basically lives at Erica's house now." Everyone around us looks at Noah and me with pity. I sit beside him, and nothing inside me so much as stirs anymore. A month later, Damian finally remembers the surgery and wants to give his pup's heart a thorough checkup. Full of hope, he pushes open Noah's bedroom door with red-rimmed eyes, longing to hold his own pup. The moment he steps inside, he sees Noah crouching on the rug and drawing a picture. Noah looks up at him with ice in his eyes. "Mister, that's so rude. You're stepping on my daddy's funeral picture."

My world fell apart on the day of my Luna ceremony. My mother and older brother approached me with bad news. My younger sister, Lilith, was cursed and did not have long to live. They wanted me to fulfill her only wish before death. She wanted to replace me as my Alpha, Fenris', mate. That included giving her my Luna ceremony. I was shocked and angry. I looked at Fenris as I expected him to reject this ridiculous suggestion as well. However, he nodded. "Don't worry, Selene," he said to me. He sounded so sincere. "This is only temporary. Once we've fulfilled Lilith's last wish, you'll be my mate forever." I was adamant about rejecting that suggestion. It was too crazy! However, my 'beloved' brother, Damian, forcefully dragged me off into the Dark Forest, where it was rampant with wild beasts. That was also when I realized I was pregnant with Fenris' child. My pregnancy weakened my strength tremendously, and I was mauled by the wild beasts while still alive. By the time everyone remembered me, all that was left of me was a rotting corpse lying in the forest.

I was diagnosed with late stage the Hollowing—Wolf Soul Degeneration. According to the Compatible Soul Restructuring Program, I could survive by receiving a soul transplant. If no match were found, I would be brain-dead in three months. After more than two months of waiting, the soul that matched me best was given away by my mate to my sister. The therapist recommended that I keep waiting for a new match, but I refused. I signed a treatment waiver and left Central Medical Center early. All the wealth and resources I had spent years saving—I gave every last bit to my sister, Lisa. For the first time, during the full moon family dinner, my parents smiled at me. My mate moved into Lisa’s room to take care of her. I did not get angry. I even made him breakfast. Even when my little pup asked if she could be his mom, I nodded and said yes. I gave them everything they wanted. So why are they regretting it now? …

I am a pureblood Alpha Female. My parents were tied up with pack affairs year-round, so I grew up at their side, living and breathing pack life. After my wolf awakened, every pack duty got dumped on me. When we finally got a break, the whole family agreed to take a trip. Before we left, Mom laid the plane tickets on the table. The five tickets belonged to my parents, Daniel Carter and Vivian Carter; my brother, Marcus Carter; my fated mate, Hale Bennett; and my adopted sister, Leah Foster. Years ago, Leah's father, Gavin Foster, had died saving Marcus during a rogue attack. Born into a frail Omega bloodline and left without a father, Leah had been taken into our family and pampered as one of our own for seven years. I stared at the tickets for a long time. There really wasn't one for me. When I asked Mom what was going on, her eyes darted away. "Don't you have border patrol coming up? I figured you'd be busy, so I didn't buy you one. "Leah finally got some time off. She's been so busy with her job at the council, and we wanted to take her somewhere to relax. The anniversary of her father's death is coming up. We just want her to be happy." Marcus was packing Leah's bags, carefully choosing her favorite pink suitcase. And Hale, my boyfriend of five years, was busy matching her outfits and carefully packing away her passport and boarding pass. "Beatrice, what are you standing around for? Pack up your ski gear and give it to Leah. Gavin saved Marcus's life. We need to show some gratitude." Dad waved at me, motioning for me to get moving too. I stood in the living room, watching my family bustle around. So they did know I existed. They were just using a life debt to wring everything they could out of me. Even my fated mate could defy his instincts and become just one more thing my family was willing to sacrifice to repay their debt to Leah. Since there was no place for me on this trip, I'd give them exactly what they wanted. I lowered my gaze to my phone. The Alpha King

I used to be the one and only girl spoiled by my family. But everything changed on my 18th birthday, when my father adopted a she-wolf orphan named Sophia from the Werewolf Charity House. My elder brother, Alex, started to love her more and began to look down on me. My mate, John, who had grown up with me, liked her and ignored me. Even my father said that Sophia, an orphan, was ten thousand times better than his own birth daughter. It was my graduation day from Werewolf University. But instead of celebrating with me, they broke their promise because of Sophia.The 101st time. I counted. And it hurt worse than all the hundred before. I couldn't help crying out, "Am I really part of this family?" My father looked at Sophia—whose eyes turned red because of my words—with pity. Then he slapped me across the face. "You're still fighting for affection? I wish I had never given birth to you," he shouted. Alex snapped at me too. "You make me sick. I'm ashamed to have a sister like you. Get out of this den!" I didn't say a word. I simply packed up my things and left in silence. After I left, the den fell into a strange quiet. They took Sophia to the South Pole to see penguins, as if nothing had happened. No one contacted me or showed concern, because they assumed I would eventually come back—just like before. They never planned to do anything for me. They never had. But this time, they didn't know I was leaving for real. I called my mother, who lived in another pack far away, and told her I'd finally agreed to go live with her. Because this time, the family… Was no longer a place I needed.

The night of the Blood Moon Hunt, our pack was ambushed. We were being slaughtered. Yet my mate, Alpha Ridley, chose to save his first love, Yolia, without a second thought. He told me to stay behind and hold the line, claiming it was my duty as Luna. He claimed his precious Yolia was a vital warrior who needed to be protected. Even my own son, Leo, stood by Yolia's side to defend her. I was captured by the rival pack, tortured with a silver dagger until I was on the brink of death. Just as I was about to give up, a voice echoed in my mind. "The blood of the Luna Prime flows through your veins. You have three days. Let your life end before the eyes of your fated mate, or the one you love most, and you will be reborn." A power surged inside me, calling to me. I ran toward that glorious death, embracing it. But as I drew my last breath, I saw Ridley and our son, Leo, fall to their knees, howling my name, begging for a return I would never grant them.

The woman in Eden's arms should have been me — but I died on the marking ceremony night. The life that I had planned properly since childhood was ripped away without mercy. My supposed mate and twin sister danced around in glee, looking very happy. If only they knew I was standing before them right now as a ghost — watching every smile, every touch, every stolen moment. Quietly waiting to watch them fall from their high pedestal.

My adopted sister, Monica, was fooling around when she accidentally started a fire at the border. I tried to protect her and was struck by a falling beam, leaving me with severe internal injuries. Yet no one paid me any attention. Monica had suffered only a few minor scrapes, but Leo, my mate and the captain of the patrol team, held her protectively in his arms. My dad, the Alpha of our pack, even offered her the only ambulance available. Monica was a vulnerable Omega and the orphaned daughter of one of Dad's most capable former subordinates. If he rescued his biological daughter first, the pack members might accuse him of favoritism. Enduring the pain, I explained that I'd been injured by silver a few days ago and had temporarily lost my ability to heal. Dad merely glanced at me and immediately decided I was lying to win his affection. "Winnie, it's been ten days since your last mission. Even if you were injured, you would've healed by now." Leo looked at me coldly. "Stop making a scene. A minor injury like that is nothing for you. We'll come back for you in a bit." Monica grabbed Leo's hand and cried out, "Leo, why don't you save Winnie first? At the end of the day, I'm only an outsider." Hearing that only made Dad feel more sorry for her. He stopped listening to my explanations and glared at me sternly. "If only you were half as considerate as your sister! Stay here and reflect on your behavior. The ambulance will come back for you after dropping her off." I opened my mouth, but I immediately felt blood gushing up from my throat. Leaning against a charred, broken beam, I slowly slid to the ground. I was acutely aware of my life slipping away. I wouldn't live long enough for them to come back.

Three days after Theodore marked me, I took the three million his mother offered. Then I aborted our pup and forced our mate bond apart. Outside the operating room, he howled until he spat blood, begging me not to be so cruel. He said he would hate me for the rest of his life. Seven years later, we met again at an auction. A beautiful, docile she-wolf was sitting beside him. I'd come to the auction for the moonlight grass. But Theodore kept raising his paddle, snatching up the very lot I was bidding on. He took the moonlight grass, dropped it in front of me, and crushed it into the dirt with his heel. He said, "Anything you want, I'll destroy." He didn't know. The moonlight grass could save my pup's life. His pup, too.

To save my family, I was dying of silver poisoning, my fiancé Marcus, the Alpha who had promised to never abandon me, now wanted to harvest my healthy kidney for my parents' adopted daughter, Celeste. Nobody cares if I live or die So I refused the conservative treatment plan. I injected myself with the witch's life potion. The price? In 72 hours, I would die from complete organ failure. In those three days, I gave my private healing center—the one I'd built with my own hands—to Celeste. Mom and Dad beamed with joy. "Good girl, you've finally grown up. You're taking care of your sister now." Marcus wanted to postpone our wedding to care for Celeste. I accepted it calmly. He praised me for finally being understanding. I even gave up my position as the pack's chief healer to Celeste. My parents and Marcus were so excited they planned to throw her a grand celebration ball. They invited every important person with status in the pack to honor her new role. I was just curious about one thing. After I died, would they shed a single tear for me?

Dad and my brother, Jonah Atwood, have always favored my sister, Lisa Atwood, while resenting me. At my coming-of-age ceremony, when several werewolves in the Blackwolf pack corners and harasses me, it's Rex Vaughn, the Alpha's heir, who steps in to protect me. He throws the most extravagant mate-bonding ceremony for me, right before the Moon Goddess. Overnight, I become someone every other female wolf wishes they could be! I'm seven months pregnant when I show up at Lisa's birthday party. Somehow, we're ambushed by dark magic. As always, Dad and Jonah put Lisa first. They throw everything they have into shielding and dragging her out of the enemies' barrier, leaving me trapped in the center of the spell circle, nearly consumed. In the end, it's Rex who pulls me out. Later, I wake up in Stone Cabin, only to walk right into a scene that makes my blood run cold. "You paid off an old witch from the Darkmoon pack to set up that spell circle?" Rex's eyes blaze red with fury. "She's only seven months along, and you were already trying to rip the pup out of her? "What? Were you hoping Lily and her pup would blow up and die together?" Jonah and Dad shrink back, trying to explain themselves. "Lisa's wolf is fading fast. The old witch said the only way to save her and her wolf is to sacrifice someone with the same blood immediately…" Rex snaps, "I care about Lisa more than either of you do! Why else do you think I claimed Lily as my mate? Sure, I want to save Lisa, but not by sacrificing Lily and her pup!" That is how I learn the truth. Rex didn't bond with me because he cared. He did it to save Lisa. As it turns out, he's no different from Dad and Jonah. All they ever see is Lisa, the weak-born wolf. I was never part of the picture to begin with. Since no one's ever truly cared about me, I'll walk away with my pup.

I stood in the shadows, the scent of pine and frost heavy in the air, watching my mate, Ethan, smile—truly smile—for the first time in years. But not at me. At her. My cousin, Isla. His first love. She sat beside him, warm and glowing, with our pups, Lucas and Mia, curled up against her like she was their real mother. They were laughing, sharing bites of ice-cream cake, the kind Lucas once said made his stomach hurt. I was never meant to be here. I wasn't his choice. He didn't fall in love with me—he was assigned to me. To him, our bond was never about love. It was a political arrangement—an alliance between two packs: his power, my father’s ambition. A tie forged not by hearts, but by bloodlines and borders. He never touched me unless required. He never looked at me like I was his Luna. In that moment, as their laughter echoed under the full moon, I felt the mate bond falter—thin, fading, like breath in winter. And I knew. I had played my part long enough. So I turned away. It was time to severe the bond that was never truly mine. But when he sensed I was really leaving, when the tether between us began to snap, he broke. Dropped to his knees, clutching the pups like lifelines, his voice raw. "Please," he whispered, "don't leave me." Even the pups cried, reaching for me with shaking hands. "Mom, we’re sorry… We didn't mean it. Please don't go."

On our way home, a truck carrying silver ore loses control. It overturns as it passes my car, trapping my adopted sister, Lina Muhl, and me inside the crushed vehicle. If the enforcement squad rescues Lina first, I'll be in greater danger, and it'll be harder to get me out too. The enforcement squad members set their tools against the metal panel of my car when Kevin Green, my older brother and the captain of the squad, raises his hand to stop them. "Get Lina out first. She scares easily." Wayne Aston, my mate and the enforcement squad's deputy captain, blocks our mind-link. "Your brother's right. You're my mate too. If I save you first, others will say we're playing favorites." My chest is crushed, and I can't even move. "But… something's pinning my abdomen. I find it hard to breathe too. We can't drag this out any longer." Wayne immediately looks up at me before sighing in relief. "Stop exaggerating. You're still conscious. It's just a little blood. That means you're fine." Kevin keeps his stern gaze fixed on the car without even sparing me a glance. "Leia, you're our family. You should know the rules. "If you ever ask me to make an exception for you again, I'll no longer consider you my sister. You've always been the healthy one. Can you stop being selfish for once and let Lina get the help she needs?" But Wayne and Kevin don't know that I have silver dust all over my wounds. My blood can't even clot properly. The bent steering wheel is digging into my abdomen, and several of my ribs are broken. I'm hanging on by a thread.

My name is Elena, and I died at twenty-two. My parents forced me to take my foster sister’s place and traded me for a territorial alliance. My mate was the most volatile heir of the wolf packs. Beaten bloody and fading fast, I made my eighth call for help. At my adopted sister Seraphina’s birthday party, she played the recording of my final, groveling plea—and laughed. My parents listened to those desperate calls with nothing but irritation, dismissing each one as theatrics, an inconvenience unworthy of their time. My brother snarled over the phone, “Then just die already!” So I did. In the end, it was my three-year-old daughter who made the final call—using her smartwatch to video my mother, live-streaming the freezer where my severed head lay. Now, my spirit watches from above as they all, one by one, begin to unravel.

When I became the blood bank for my mate Alpha Kane’s sweetheart, my wolf died from the endless loss of blood—and so did I, alone, in the cold den he rented to keep me out of sight. Today marks the third day since my death, and finally, my six-year-old pup noticed something was wrong. His finger bled when a toy hurt him, but I didn’t come to comfort him. When he tried to feed me his favorite food, I didn’t stop him either. He lay on my chest, gripping my clothes and whispering my name—but I didn’t respond. Desperate and helpless, my pup picked up my cellphone and called his alpha dad. “Dad, why is Mom still sleeping?” Kane didn’t answer. Instead, he sent him a photo of himself and Serena—his sweetheart—celebrating Full Moon Day, smirking. “Don’t worry. Your mom is just sleeping, not dead. You know I’m quite busy on Full Moon Day. Tell your arrogant and stubborn mom not to come find me until she admits her fault.” The call ended, leaving my pup frozen in silence. However, three days later, Kane received news of my death. He let out a gut-wrenching growl, refusing to believe it was true. Clutching my cold, lifeless body in his arms, he wept bitterly. “Kate… you are my only Luna,” he cried. “Come back. Stay with me… please.”