A Minute To Midnight Novels & Stories

Five minutes before the ceremony, I called off the wedding. In my last life, right in the middle of our vows, Sandra Crowe suddenly demanded another 300 thousand dollars as a "marriage guarantee." She pulled out her phone in front of everyone, chin tipped up, a payment screen glowing. "Three hundred thousand! Not a dollar less, or I'm not putting on that ring." Ten years together, and we were right at the finish line. I forced myself to go through with it and transferred the money. It was what Dad had scraped together over two years for his kidney transplant. That same night, his condition crashed. I went to Sandra and asked if she could lend me the money back for his treatment. She yelled at me instead. "You're asking me for money on our wedding night? Seriously? That 300 grand is mine! Don't even think about touching it!" Dad missed his window and died in the hospital hallway. The day he died, Sandra was out shopping with her friends, dropping thousands on a Chanel bag without a second thought. "Good. One less burden. At least he won't drag us down anymore." When I filed for divorce, she brought her guy friend to the funeral and made a scene, knocking over Dad's urn and damaging the headstone. Then she turned around and accused me of sexual assault, demanding 500 thousand in damages. Mom couldn't take it. She drank pesticide and died. On my way to pursue the case, I was hit by a car. When I opened my eyes again, I called off the wedding. Then Sandra stepped closer, already pulling up her payment screen. "Transfer me three hundred thousand as a marriage guarantee, or we're not getting married." I tossed the ring into the trash. "Works for me."

It was meant to be the happiest night of Layla’s life—her birthday, the moment she officially stepped into adulthood. Instead, she walked into a crowded nightclub and watched her boyfriend laugh, drink, and kiss another girl while the world looked on. Humiliation followed swiftly. Dragged into a cruel game of Truth or Dare, Layla became the night’s entertainment. When the bottle landed on her, the challenge sounded harmless enough: seven minutes in heaven with a man of her choice. Everyone expected her to choose him. She didn’t. Her gaze went to the man watching silently from the shadows—his uncle. The one man she was never supposed to want, yet couldn’t look away from. Seven minutes was all it took to spark something forbidden. Something dark. Something that refused to stay contained. When the night ended, nothing returned to normal. He became her obsession and most dangerous temptation. And Layla found herself willing to risk everything—family, reputation, even her own heart—for a man she was never meant to desire. This is a story of betrayal, passion, and the pull of a love that should never exist. Once caught in it, there is no turning back.

In university, it was common to play games and spice up the school life. But at work? Oh hell no! Reigna Amethyst was a typical office worker, not until she found her boyfriend cheating with her older sister. And, with a little twist, her heartbroken self was picked up by a cute kid who led her to her boss, the cold and detached CEO of XCC corp., Carlisle Amoroso. "I have to keep an eye on you." intimidatingly, he closed their distance, a gleam of malice and threat evident in his piercing green orbs. "Speak about my son and you'll regret it your entire life." To keep his secret to the world, along with the newfound spark of entertainment by messing with the innocent Reigna, Carlisle made themselves a player of the game '7 minutes in heaven' to have all sorts of reason to keep her close. "Secretaries don't do this, sir..." flustered, she sat on his lap with hesitancy in her flushed face. Can her gentle heart keep up with the lust incarnate himself? And oh...what if there's another twist? Carlisle's ex, the birth mother, returns?

Outside the police tape surrounding a fancy hotel, a police officer can be seen blocking my way. "There seems to be a bomb hidden in the hotel! Unauthorized personnel are not allowed to get any closer!" I'm just about to dig out my work badge when the intern next to me, Christine Wyatt, covers her mouth in a pretentiously shocked manner. "Officer, there's a detonator and a timer in his bag! Those things look so scary!" The entire scene goes eerily silent. Almost immediately, I see a few guns getting aimed at my forehead. Anxiety begins overwhelming me. "I'm a bomb disposal expert from the Headquarters Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit! My bag contains all the tools necessary to dispose of a bomb!" "Throw your bag over to me and keep your hands where I can see them!" Captain Scott Hunter roars at me. My bag is opened afterward. Things like an insulated cutter, a bomb suppression blanket, and a liquid nitrogen cooling tank are scattered across the ground. Before I can explain myself, Christine suddenly points at me while screaming, "Why are you still playing dumb? You just told me that you wanted to set off an explosion in that hotel! "What, now that the police are here, you dare not admit what you just said, huh? You're a terrorist through and through!" Scott reacts quickly by pinning me on the hood of the police cruiser with my hands folded behind my back. "We're taking you back for a thorough interrogation!" My heart almost stops at those words. The bomb that's packed with enough firepower to take out half a street has already gone on a countdown in the hotel lobby. But I, the only bomb disposal expert who can get rid of the bomb, have handcuffs put on me because of Christine's nonsensical accusations. Right now, there are only 29 minutes left before the bomb goes off.

In the dead of this frozen apocalypse, the shelter's fusion core was on the verge of overload. I grabbed my repair kit and sprinted for the basement, only to have the guard captain's girlfriend, Miranda Dunn, step right into my path. "Everyone, come look! Zach’s about to dump poison into the vents. He's gonna kill us all!" Her voice cut through the air as she shrieked. "I didn’t approve a private room for him two days ago, and now, he wants us all dead!" The guards didn't bother asking questions. They slammed me hard against the freezing metal door. "Zach, are you going to kill us all over a room? We're taking you in for interrogation!" I stared at the control panel, its readings spiking into the red, and shouted, "If the core blows up, none of us will make it out alive!" But they were too busy trying to impress Miranda and brushed off my warning, thinking I had lost it. Nineteen minutes remained before the core exploded.

I, Julian Manning, am the top salesman at a car dealership, and I never refuse any customer's request. But today, I turn away a regular customer who comes in for a free maintenance service. My colleague is stunned. "Are you crazy? He's our biggest client who's about to buy the only 4-million-dollar top spec car in the store!" I nod and reply, "That's right. He's exactly the one I'm refusing." When the store manager sees the customer, Marvin Haas, angrily raise his phone to file a complaint, he rushes over to smooth things over. "Mr. Haas, please calm down. He's new and doesn't know better. Please come inside, I'll personally take care of everything..." I step to the side and block the entrance. "No. If you let him in, I'll resign right now." Marvin's face turns red with anger, and he points a trembling finger at. "I'm just here for a free maintenance. Is this really necessary?" I meet his gaze and say solemnly, word by word, "Yes, it is."

Isobel Reeve's life has been a struggle. Born from the mateship between a werewolf and a human, she was devoid of a wolf, making her an outcast who knew nothing but pain and suffering inflicted by her werewolf kin. Her sole goal is to earn a degree from Silverwolf University, aiming to break free from the abuse she and her human mother face on a daily basis. She aims to move back to the human world and completely forget her werewolf side, which has brought her nothing but misery. Yet, in the midst of her lifelong suffering, she found comfort in the music of the Midnight Wolf, a mysterious werewolf idol whom Isobel had been crushing on for so long. His songs remained a source of strength for her, especially in dealing with Ryle Vanderberg, the hottest guy in Silverwolf University. Their conflicting perspectives frequently collided, consistently placing Isobel in challenging situations. But what will happen when the source of her comfort is intertwined with the cause of her conflict? More than that, how can she accept that the part of her she has been rejecting for so long will bring her the happiness she always yearns for?

Darcy a 17-year-old Alpha Female wants nothing more than to be loved. Being always ignored by her parents and looked down upon, the only love she ever knew was from her elder twin brother, Dylan and her best friend Lavender. She believes all her miseries will come to an end when she finds her mate. Colton is the next in line Alpha King who wants nothing more than to take his childhood sweetheart Patrina as his chosen Queen. He doesn't want anything to do with his true mate and wishes to spend his life with the woman he loved, but everything changes when he finds his true mate on the day of his coronation ceremony and is forced to accept her as his Queen and Mate. Stephen is the next in line Beta of the royal pack or so he thought. He has always been in love with Darcy but decided to stay away when he realised she wanted to find her true mate. Everyone's worlds come crashing down when Darcy is accused of a murder conspiracy. While proving Darcy innocent a lot from the past is revealed leaving everyone shocked. Will Darcy be able to find the love she always craved and deserved? Will Colton realise his mistake before it is too late? Will Stephen be able to move on with his life without Darcy? Follow on their journey to find out. THE UNWANTED LUNA SERIES BOOK 1 - THE UNLOVED LUNA QUEEN BOOK 2 - THE VENGEFUL LUNA QUEEN All rights reserved! © Midnight Shines Books, 2020.

BOOK ON HIATUS UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE! Dear readers, I'm really sorry for not being able to start updates like I promised. I spent the entire month of September trying to write this book, but it has been a real struggle. I have been battling a lot of personal and health issues (physical and mental), and it has been hard. Hence, I have decided to start fresh and let things progress naturally. I promise I'll start updating this book as soon as I can. Until then, please read my new book. -------- "Why did you save me then?" I sobbed. "You should have let me die instead." I screamed in a strained voice. I couldn't believe I was going through this again. Why is everyone so hell bent on hurting me? Did I offend the Moon Goddess that she is punishing me this way? "I wouldn't have bothered wasting my time if it wasn't for the safety of my pack." He replied. His voice was crisp, void of any emotions. "T—- To save your pack?" I stuttered, not able to comprehend what he meant. "I lost my mate before. Losing another would have made me weak. I can’t afford to put my pack in danger." He replied as his cold eyes continued staring at me. "Don't expect anything. You could be nothing to me. I will never love you." His words echoed in my head as he walked away from me. —------------ Miracle was ranked the weakest werewolf in her pack. She was blessed with powers, but it turned out to be a curse. The only hope she had was her mate. Can Miracle fight against all odds and win the love of her mate? Or will she forever remain unloved? All rights reserved! © Midnight Shines Books, 2021.

Everyone whispers the name Alpha Kairo of the BloodClaw Pack. Silent. Ruthless. Marked by blood and fire. No one has seen his face. His red eyes haunt the night. Only his wolf, stalking shadows where danger sleeps. They say he slaughtered his own blood for power. Then I saw him. Not a ghost. Not a myth. But alive. Standing before me. And he didn’t kill me. Instead, he called me his mate. I’m Auren, half human and half wolf. I'm an Omega. Not strong enough to shift. Not docile enough to submit. Not “wolf” enough to belong. But I'm fierce, tough and stubborn. Kairo is my mate. A bond no one saw coming. A storm that’s about to tear everything apart. When his wolf crosses my path, nothing will ever be the same.