Asher From All American

On our sixth wedding anniversary, I felt a seam split open in my skull. Not from pain, but from truth. “Ethan, that new assistant… how does she taste?” Marcus’s thought, slick as oil. Ethan's reply slithered through my veins: "Young. Tender. Like summer berries." His lips shaped a lie. His hand shielded me from the crowd, even as his fingers pressed a blood-red cocktail into my palm. "Don't let Lena find out,"he thought, the words clear as speech. "I’d in a big trouble." Laughter swirled. Champagne clinked.their mind. Nobody knew I could hear every thought ,the ability to read minds awakened in me last night. . Nobody knew I had already known about his betrayal long ago. There were no tears, no screams I just replied “yes” to Professor Johnson’s encrypted call-the path I should have chosen six years ago. In three days, I would vanish. Not running from him. Running back to who I was at twenty—the rising star of virus research.

I suffered critical injuries that left me in a persistent vegetative state when I tried to rescue my wife, Regina Livingston, from her abductors. Regina spares no expense, spending millions of dollars to bring in the best medical experts in the country to treat me. She watches over me every single night, never weary of caring for me. Four years into my coma, I overhear a conversation between Richard Sutherland—a man I don't know—and Regina. "You've done all you can, Regina," he says. "You don't owe him anything anymore." Regina remains silent. Then, a young boy, Franklin Sutherland, suddenly asks, "Mommy, why do you always visit this man? Who is he?" I'm instantly shocked. Regina and I don't have a child together. I'm completely bewildered, and just as I try to figure it out, I suddenly wake up from my coma.

Isang simpling pamumuhay ang mayroon s'ya ngunit nagulo ang lahat ng biglang dumating sa buhay n'ya ang isang lalaki at sapilitan s'yang kinuha para dalhin sa bahay nito. Gusto n'yang tumanggi ngunit paano n'ya gagawin iyon kung nakakawala sa huwisyo ang kagwapohang taglay nito. Kaya n'ya kayang labanan ang taglay nitong karisma kung sa umpisa pa lang ay parang hinihigop na ng mga mata nito ang kan'yang buong kaluluwa? Paano kung sa pagsama n'ya rito ay may matutuklasan s'ya tungkol sa kan'yang pagkatao? Ano ang mestiryo na dala ng lalaki na kumuha sa kan'ya? Kakayanin n'ya kaya ang kan'yang matutuklasan?

"Hubby, kiss me. I miss you so much. When are you coming home?" Out of nowhere, I received a text. The sender was the cold, untouchable CEO who was currently scolding us in a meeting, Veronica Starling. What shocked me even more was the timestamp on the message. It was sent five years in the future.

When you are growing up adults usually tell you that you can be whatever you want to be, right?! I was told I would be a starving artist if I became what I wanted to be. I let their words become me. All their words. I let them dictate the person I became. I kept the real me to myself after so many years of their hatred for that person. I let little bits of my soul break away and die to keep their torment to a minimum. I learned to not rock the boat, just keep my head down and do as I was told. I was the party crasher on their life that never left. Until I shocked them when I did. Out on my own, I wasn’t as strong as I thought I was. I settled for the first “nice guy” to come along. That quickly fizzled out after a shotgun wedding. After a year alone I met Prince Charming #2 at a backyard BBQ. I didn’t know my jerk radar was still broken. Then out of nowhere, the one I had always thought was a jerk turned out to surprisingly be my Prince Charming. Being the man, I need in my life. He became everything I needed, and everything I didn’t know I wanted. Allowing me to grow and blossom as a person which inspires him to do the same. And we live happily ever after.

During the holidays, Ellie Harper, my wife who's a hospital director, tells me once again that she has taken on a few operations at the last minute, so she can't go home with me to spend time with my parents. But soon, I see her assistant, Jaiden Roth's social media feed. Apparently, Ellie is slaughtering pigs at Jaiden's village in preparation for a holiday party. The caption writes, "Dad says having a daughter-in-law who works as a doctor is amazing. To think that she's this skilled in slaughtering pigs as well!" With a cold smirk curling on my lips, I leave a like on the post. I also comment, "That's her major, after all." My colleagues keep gossiping among themselves in various group chats. They all think I'll definitely get into a huge fight with Ellie this time. Ellie wastes no time in calling me. I can already imagine the impatient look on her face and the way her brows are drawn into a tight frown. "Jaiden's village is hosting a huge party for the holidays, so I'm there to lend them a helping hand! What's with that passive-aggressive tone of yours, huh? "There isn't anyone who can help out in his household, you know! Do you know how badly it'll reflect on his family if no one from his side helps out at all? I was just helping him out as a friend! What's there to kick up a fuss over? "Hurry up and remove the like and the damn comment! Don't make life difficult for Jaiden at the hospital, you hear me? "Once I get back from the village, I'll pick a good date to go back to your hometown with you, okay?" Another empty promise from Ellie, it seems. All she does is making empty promises that she can never keep nowadays. I'm completely stuffed with those promises, and I can't afford to wait for her anymore. Once the holidays are over, I'll receive the divorce certificate marking the end of our seven-year marriage once and for all.

“I hate you for bringing me here! I hate you for forcing me to live among wolves when I'm the only human. They all hate me! I am a prey, a pet, a weakling waiting to be devoured. How could you do this to me?” I cried as I stared the Alpha in the eye. I had just tried to escape again, but he caught me as always. There was something in his eyes. It was rage. Possessive and protective rage. “If anyone makes you feel insecure because you're human, I'll make sure their heads roll at their feet. Nobody is permitted to hurt you. Because you're mine. My mate. My Luna,” he replied. *** For 18 good years of my life, my father has kept me hidden from the outside world. Everything I wanted, he provided... Except to interact with people and live outside the walls of my wing in his mansion. All of a sudden, one night, he wants us to leave everything behind and flee. Flee from what? He won't say. Until strange men barge in and the leader of them has the face of the monster who has plagued my dreams every night for a decade. And then the monster proclaimed me his mate and took me away from the world I’ve ever known.

Fransisca Ryle is forced to seek a job at the prestigious company owned by Alexander Smith due to the urgent need for funds to cover her seriously ill mother's medical expenses. She secures a position as Alexander's secretary, but she also has to endure the cold demeanor of the CEO and his infuriating girlfriend, Veronica. Unexpectedly, a one-night stand between Fransisca and Alexander leads them to realize that love is blossoming between them. As their relationship deepens, Alexander rekindles his relationship with his ex-girlfriend, leaving Fransisca feeling betrayed and humiliated. She decides to leave Alexander's life and vows to seek revenge in her heart. How the next?

My mother was the Chosen Luna—the one who once conquered three powerful Alphas. When her mission was done, she vanished from this world, leaving behind only me, and the three Alphas who had once loved her with everything they had. My first father, Alpha Jeff Tanners, ruled the Silver Moon Pack—rich enough to buy half the continent. My second father, Alpha Kael Grey, commanded all the warriors of the Northern Alliance. My third father, Alpha Bran Theron, held every medical resource wolves and humans depended on. For eighteen years, I was their cherished little princess. Whatever I wanted, they gave—no questions, no hesitation. Until they brought home that girl—a fragile orphan named Arie Ryker. From that day on, everything changed. She told them I called her a filthy stray, unworthy of our pack. She said I led the young wolves at school to bully her. She said I tampered with her performance costume, that I caused her allergy, that I made her faint on stage. And they believed her. They stopped believing me. The ninety-ninth time they chose her over me, when they shouted, "Don't come back again!", I didn't argue. I just picked up my luggage and left. They thought I'd come running home like before—that my disappearance was just another way to make them see me. But when they found out I had left the pack for good, that my identity had been erased, that I could no longer be found, the three mighty Alphas finally broke.

Running is all Faye know, all she can do. Her past isn’t exactly happy. But what happens when she steps into a perfect fairytale life. Perfect friends and an amazingly perfect boyfriends. Will her past influence her future? Will someone, or something, force her hand? Will she find herself?