How Hashirama Died

"At this point in a werewolf's life, all sons of an Alpha will be proud and eager to take over as the next Alpha. All, except me!" Damien Anderson, next in line to become Alpha, conceals a dark secret in his family's history which gnawed his soul everyday, turning him to the villain he once feared he'd become. Despite his icy demeanor, he finds his heart drawn to Elara, his mate. To protect himself from love's vulnerability, he appoints her as a maid, an act that both binds them and keeps them apart. Just as it seemed he might begin to open up his heart to Elara, a revelation emerges that shakes the very foundation of their bond, and he must confront the dark truth about his family's legacy. The stakes are higher than ever as Damien faces a choice that could lead to salvation or plunge him deeper into the shadows he has fought to escape.

“I never wanted you or our daughter.” For five years, I pretended to be in a happy marriage with Andrew Morgan. I left my career to be with this billionaire bachelor to raise a family with him. A family that he never wanted. Of course, I should have known that his heart is still with Eleanor Walsh. Why else would he come chasing after her after she abandoned him for years? I was blind with love, and now my daughter and I are paying the price. “I need you here with me now,” I said. “Our daughter is in danger.” “Eleanor and Lottie need me more!” Andrew snapped. I begged. I cried. None of that mattered to Andrew. Even then, I had hope. I had love. But all of that changed when I found myself alone, with my dead daughter in my arms. “You can spend all your time with Eleanor and Lottie,” I spat at him. “We’re going to be divorced soon!” Andrew caught me by the wrist and stopped me. “You’re not going anywhere. Who said I agreed to the divorce?”

Freya Xylla Hernaez's marriage to Phoenix Henderson was never meant to last. Forced into a shotgun wedding under the false belief she was pregnant, Freya quickly realized that she was just a wife on paper—ignored, mistreated, and unloved. Subjected to cruelty from his stepmother and stepsister and heartbroken watching him with other women, Freya’s resolve finally shattered. She made one desperate move, framing Phoenix into a one-night stand, and then left, disappearing with a signed divorce agreement. Six years later, she’s built a life in London with the two surprises Phoenix never knew about: their twins. But when Phoenix finds her and kidnaps one of the children to force her return to the Philippines, Freya is filled with fury. Determined to get her daughter back, she returns—this time armed with anger and a vow to exact revenge. Yet, amidst the fight, old feelings reignite, and a love that was never meant to be slowly begins to bloom again.

When my husband accompanies his childhood sweetheart to the vet to treat her pet fish, my son accidentally spills his drink on her. My husband watches as his childhood sweetheart's eyes redden. Then, he slaps my son hard and throws a stack of cash at him. "This is your chance to make up for your mistakes. Buy Wendy a dress—make sure it's white!" My son dries his tears while holding onto the money. He roams the streets, searching for a white dress in the middle of the night. When he finally finds one, he ends up getting beaten to death by some drunk hooligans. Even in death, he clutches the bloodied skirt tightly. I burst into tears of despair as I hold onto his body and call my husband over a dozen times. However, he's too busy with his childhood sweetheart's fish. He blocks my number. When he finally calls me back, he sounds icy and angry. "Wendy is still waiting for that dress! Where has the little brat gone to? Can't he even handle such a simple task?"

Six years into their marriage, Elara knew that her husband Damien had never loved her. In his eyes, Elara was just a scheming woman who went to great lengths to marry him. Damien hated Elara,so he didn't love their daughter. Their daughter had heart disease, and when she was critically ill, lying in the hospital waiting for her father's last visit, her father was spending time with his ex-girlfriend's dog on its birthday. The daughter cried and asked, 'Mommy, does Daddy not love me?' Elara couldn't bear to tell her daughter that it wasn't that her dad didn't like her; he didn't like her mom, so he didn't even like her daughter by extension. After their daughter's death, Elara decided to let Damien be with his ex-girlfriend but Damien wouldn't agree...

The daughter of my father's first love suffered from heatstroke because she was left in the car, so he tied me up in a fit of anger and locked me in the car boot. He looked at me with utter disgust and said, "I don't have a vicious daughter like you. Stay here and reflect on yourself." I begged him, apologized to him, and pleaded for him to let me out, but all I got in return was his ruthless order. "Unless she dies, no one is allowed to let her out." The car was parked in the garage. No one could hear me no matter how much I screamed for help. Seven days later, he finally remembered me and decided to let me out. However, he had no idea that I had already died in that trunk and could never wake up again.

A week before my death, my Alpha mate's childhood sweetheart Sarah returned to our pack. That night, he didn't come home. The next day, I received his mind-link. "I've purchased a mate-bond severing potion from the pack witch. Come home now so we can break our bond." In our pack, the Moon Goddess was very serious about mate bonds. Once two wolves chose to form a mate, the mate bond could not be severed, unless the witch's potion was used. This potion was very expensive, costing up to $500,000 per bottle. I smiled bitterly. He was very generous to sever the bond with me. I coughed twice before answering, "I'm in the healing center." His voice turned ice cold. "I don't care where you are. Even if you're about to die, you need to come back." I calmly replied, "Fine." He didn't know that I really was dying. Three years ago, during a rogue wolf attack, I blocked the silver dagger for him to protect him while he was unconscious. I was poisoned by silver and became weaker and weaker over the past three years. I only had one week left to live. On the day of my funeral, my mate was busy holding his marking ceremony with Sarah. Later, he knelt before my grave in pristine white ceremonial clothes, clutching my headstone and whispering through tears. "If there's another life after this one, I still want to marry you." That day was his marking ceremony with his childhood sweetheart. It was also my funeral.

Seven years ago, Althea Marquez was ready to share life-changing news with Mikhael Bryce Henderson—the love of her life—when she discovered he had returned to his ex. Heartbroken, Althea fled abroad to raise their child alone. Now back in the Philippines, Althea is shocked to find her new boss is none other than Mikhael, now a powerful CEO. Furious and confused by her sudden disappearance, Mikhael demands answers, but Althea remains cold and distant. As secrets from their past come to light, including the startling revelation of Althea's father's connection to Mikhael, both are forced to confront painful truths. To make matters worse, Mikhael's ex-fiancée re-enters his life, determined to win him back. Amidst betrayal, hidden enemies, and unresolved feelings, Althea and Mikhael must decide whether to fight for their rekindled love or let the past tear them apart once more.

Five years after my death, my daughter, Emma, dialed Xander Green’s number. She cautiously asked, "Do you like my mom?" She was trying to get an answer to the question I once wrote in my diary. "Xander, do you like me?" Unexpectedly, the voice on the other end sneered, "Did your mom put you up to this? Using her own daughter like a pawn? What an unfaithful woman! She’s already with your dad, yet still trying to rekindle things with me?"

Because I was a cheapskate, I rented a cheap apartment. The catch? Someone had died in it. The soundproofing of the house was bad, and I could hear my neighbor’s wife moaning every night. But my other neighbor told me that there was no one living in the apartment next to mine.