A Minute To Midnight

In the middle of a lively night, can you guess what's about to come? In the middle of the busy street, do you realize there is something in the dump? Shane Hoseinzade was peacefully sleeping on the floor when three conservative, loud knocks echoed inside. Would he open the door? On the other side, someone wearing a black cloak and holding a giant scythe is standing on the doorstep. With head bowed down, a pair of mismatched eyes glowed while staring at the door. Patiently waiting for the target to open the door. If you hear three violent knocks on your door at exactly midnight, would you dare to open the door? But what if those violent knocks are the knocks of the person you promised to marry in the future? Death? A grim reaper? A demon? Whoever it is, are you ready to face your fears?

"I'll never ever fall for you, and sure as well I ain't gonna mark you!" Connor announced to Hailey, his bride. The marriage was his grandpa's idea, and he had no choice but to comply. Since day 1, he'd vowed to dump Hailey the minute he took over as Alpha. It would be a total disgrace if his Luna was a country girl. Oddly, ever since Hailey showed up, his savage wolf had cooled down, and it even started to communicate with him, something that seemed almost impossible before. Despite all that, his rough past rendered him insecure and paranoid. Holding on to the belief that Hailey was up to something, he hurt her nonstop in every way. By the time he finally found out how incredibly wrong he was—Hailey was literally kindness personified, it was too late. She had made up her mind to leave him for good.

“No, i…. I...i don't want to die.” i managed to say, still struggling to catch my breath. “Good, because i only grant death to people who don't want to live anymore.” he said grabbing my neck. “Alpha Marcus, she is here. Ella is here?” I didn't recognize the voice but he immediately let go of his grip on my neck. Any minute longer and i think i would have died. He walked towards the strange man standing at the door, the room was full of tension now. Who was Ella and what was she here for? They both stepped outside and he shouted from the doorway. “You better be in your best behavior when i come back or you are going to join your mother.” Painful tears stung my eyes, every time he mentioned my mother i wished she had lived long enough to protect me.

She was once a woman—a lesbian to be exact—in her past life, fantasizing about having a date with beautiful girls and dreaming to act like a real man does someday. But she was afraid to show her true colors because she was living in a judgemental society. Not until, she was trapped in a burning hospital building, trying to save an old woman before herself but only to find out that old woman was only an apparition of a deceased person. She died there, sacrificing her life for nothing. Many things happened in her mind before she runs out of breath. The next thing happened, she emerged from a bamboo tree and woke up into another realm. And to her surprise, she was reincarnated as a teenage guy possessing magical skills. She is Princess Maria Isabelle De Lata who later known as Reign Thunderstorm in the magical world of Artesia. And this is her… wait a minute… and this is the story of how she or… he became a legend.

Tyra is a seventeen year old orphan surviving alone on the streets of Grimwall. When a wound seals itself on her palm in under a minute she discovers she is something both supernatural worlds declared forbidden. The last hybrid. Half wolf. Half vampire. Troy is a shapeshifting wolf sent by his Alpha to hunt her down before her blood fully awakens. Three months of watching her has made his mission impossible. His wolf already chose her. His heart is following. When a woman with crimson glowing eyes appears in Tyra's dreams warning her that both worlds are coming, the clock starts ticking. The wolves want her eliminated. The vampires want her controlled. And the man bringing her tea every morning is the one sent to end her life. The question is not whether Tyra can survive both worlds coming for her. The question is whether she can survive the truth about the man standing closest to her.

After four years of marriage, James Lawson, who had never posted anything on social media, unexpectedly updated his status: "What an adorable little foodie!" The attached photo showed a young woman wearing pink cat ears, eating at a Korean BBQ restaurant. Her cheeks were flushed red from the spicy food as she stuck out her tongue. It was Sophie Jones, a new content creator at his company. Within a minute, our mutual friend commented: "Dude, you forgot to switch accounts!" Just like that, James's new post disappeared as quickly as it had appeared, only to show up moments later on Sophie's feed. Then James's name lit up my phone screen. In the past, I would have already taken screenshots and called him first to confront him. It would have inevitably ended in a heated argument. But this time, I calmly watched his call go to voicemail without answering.

The boss's wife, Irene Peters, was insanely hot. She would often just stretch out her soft, stockinged feet and sway them in front of me. I couldn't help myself and snapped a quick photo. Then I ducked into the restroom, staring at it while pleasuring myself. I was halfway through when the door suddenly swung open. Irene stood there, staring at me with her eyes wide. "Wow, how are you that big? And what were you doing, taking pictures of me?" I jumped, scrambling to pull my pants back up. But instead of getting mad, she looked almost amused. "You're done for. I'm telling Fabian." A minute later, my boss, Fabian Peters, showed up. I braced myself, expecting to get chewed out or fired on the spot. Instead, he stuffed a wad of cash into my hand. "My wife hasn't been able to get pregnant," he said. "You're well-built. Help me out."

Trayton DeCarlo is the town's most sought after playboy that is set to break your heart the minute you find yourself on his side. He does not play by the rules; his game is the only one that you shall play. But he does not hold a normal job; he is the best in the business, the best sniper if you are seeking one. In enters Ava Brown, a girl that has had to settle for the less finer things in life. Her path crosses with Trayton one night at a club that they frequent. She captivates him from the first moment he sets his eyes on her. She is unlike any of the girls that he keeps company with But there is more to what the eye sees; Ava is hiding a secret that will destroy her if it should ever come to the surface. Trayton cannot let this go; he hunts down who she really is, and as feared, her past comes back to haunt her. What will Trayton do to save her from this horror? Will he be able to prove himself to her?

We’d been together for seven years, but during that entire time, my fiancée rejected the idea of getting married ninety-nine times, all because of a male intern. The first time, she canceled our vacation at the last minute, saying the intern was stuck on a night shift and afraid of the dark. She got on a flight that very night and rushed back to the hospital. The second time, we were already halfway through the doors of the courthouse to get our marriage registered. But just then, she got word that the intern had collapsed from exhaustion. Without a second thought, she left me standing alone in the snow for the entire day. After that, it became a pattern. Every time we were together, the intern would find some excuse to pull her away. Eventually, I made up my mind to let go. I stopped dreaming about a happy marriage with her. However, just when I announced I was transferring to another city, she broke down, begging me, almost hysterically, not to leave.

Life is never black and white. One minute you’re a struggling graphic designer in LA that's finally coming to terms with being single forever, and the next you're flying to New York in a private jet to get engaged to your ex-boyfriend’s older brother. At least...that’s what everyone thinks. Forced to clean up his playboy image in order to protect his company, Beckham Sinclair, the city’s most eligible billionaire bachelor, wants me to be his fake fiancée and personal assistant. Now I'm spending every spare second with a man I thought I’d never see again. My freshly mended heart has barely recovered from the first time a Sinclair broke it. But with each passing day, Beck’s dirty mouth and lingering stares make me question his motives—and mine. As the line blurs between real and pretend, only one thing is certain: there are secrets hiding in this city full of black ties and white lies.