เรื่องสั้นแนว Plot Twists Werewolf และนิยาย Childhood Sweethearts

Despite being a healthy werewolf, I had terrible night blindness. The moment the sun went down, I couldn't see a thing. On the night of my sister's birthday, my parents booked the best restaurant in town to celebrate. After dinner, she suddenly said she wanted to walk home. I was afraid I wouldn't be able to see the road, so I tried to turn her down. My future mate, Theodore, cut me off. He told me it was Willow's birthday and I should let her have her way. Then he promised he'd hold my hand the whole way and told me not to be scared. I finally agreed. I never noticed the knowing look Theodore and my sister exchanged. Before long, we turned into a dark alley. I could no longer see where I was going, so I clung to Theodore's sleeve, too afraid to let go. A few steps later, there was suddenly nothing beneath my foot. I lost my balance and fell straight into a creek beside the road. The next second, four phone flashlights swung onto me and the laughter broke out all at once. That was when I realized Theodore had slipped out of his jacket without me noticing. I had been holding on to an empty jacket the whole time. My parents laughed and pointed at me while Willow took pictures of me at my worst. My future mate stood beside her, holding her carefully so she wouldn't lose her balance. It was obvious now. They had used the mind-link to plan the whole prank without me knowing. At that moment, I no longer wanted to call this place home. There was no warmth here for me anyway.

When the fire trapped me, my Alpha mate, Graeme Blackwood, was throwing a birthday party for my little sister, Ayana. I was locked in the basement, trembling so violently my bones clattered against each other. When the flames first caught, I called him. Begged him. His voice was ice. "Evelyn, stop the act. It's Ayana's birthday. I'm not letting you out just so you can ruin it. Let her have her night. Once she's happy, I'll let you out." I tried to explain. With the last shred of strength I had, I called him again. He hung up on me. So I just watched. Watched the flames swallow everything.

My foster sister, Sylvia Blackwood, was so terrified of being bonded to the cold, merciless Alpha King that she rigged the lot the moment it was my turn to draw. I pulled out the Alpha King. The whole hall erupted. I looked toward my fated mate, Raymond Hale—but he wasn't looking at me. His eyes were locked on Sylvia, and only her. My brother, Carl Blackwood, didn't call out the switch either. He just let them whisper and laugh. I stood there frozen, eyes burning red. Everyone treated it like a joke. They never thought I'd actually go through with bonding with a wolf that dangerous. But staring at the same faces who once swore they'd love me forever—I finally knew. I was done. I was leaving.

I grow up with Elliot and Leon, twin brothers my father takes in as children and chooses as candidates to become my future mate. Elliot is warm and attentive. When I'm sick, he stays by my bedside all night. Leon is his complete opposite. He's cold, distant, and so indifferent that in ten years, he barely says more than a few words to me. So when my father asks me to choose my mate, I don't hesitate. I choose Elliot. But the night before our engagement banquet, I overhear both brothers making promises to Vivian, a maid's daughter. "Once I become Alpha, you'll be the only mistress of this estate." "I wouldn't even touch that useless little princess. You're the only woman I'll ever accept as my mate." That's when I finally understand. Elliot's devotion is never truly mine. And Leon isn't nearly as cold as I thought. He simply saves his tenderness for someone else. The next day, everyone gathers for my engagement banquet, waiting to see which of the two brothers I'll choose. Instead, I walk straight past both of them. I stop before the man I once rejected and hold out my hand. "Alistair, I've made my choice. I'll be your mate."

It wasn't until my first month of college that I found out the entire pack had been calling me a leech behind my back. The nickname came from Sienna Blackwood—Lucas's partner. To every wolf in Silvermoon, I was just some weakling squatting on pack land. They saw me use Lucas's pass, saw the tiny cabin at the edge of his territory, and filled in the blanks themselves. I went to find Lucas, thinking he'd defend me like he used to when we were pups. But he just waved a hand, didn't even look up from whatever he was doing, and said, "It's just a nickname, Elena. Sienna's joking around. You're being too sensitive." Then he added, "Besides, you're always around me. You use my pass, you live a stone's throw away—to everyone else, yeah, it kind of looks like that." In that moment, something inside me just... broke. Eighteen years of being by his side, and all he saw was a wolf leeching off her Alpha. I didn't cry. I didn't get mad. I just opened my logbook, calm as anything, and submitted my withdrawal from the pack. They had no idea who I really was. They had no idea I wasn't some leech clinging to anyone for survival. Seven days left until I walked out of Silvermoon for good.

On the night of the full moon, my mate Aiken brought home an Omega. He said the she-wolf had saved his life on the battlefield and that he would take care of her for the rest of her life. She took over my room and put on my mother's velvet cloak. In front of everyone, the two of them held up the bear claws that symbolized a mating and received the pack's blessing. And I got left behind, over and over. When I finally couldn't take it anymore and went to Aiken's house, I found him kissing her neck. The Alpha who was supposed to be mine was using his own scent to ease another she-wolf's heat. Because she said his scent was the only one she liked. "Mira, don't worry. The only Luna the Silvermoon pack will ever have is you." He held my face in both hands and promised me again that we'd have our mating ceremony at the next full moon. Too bad I'd already washed off the mate mark. And there was something else Aiken seemed to have forgotten. Any member of the pack can challenge the Alpha. If the Alpha is stupid and useless, then somebody will take his place.