Meaningful Eats Cookbook Novels & Stories

The carnivorous ways of the Aswang leave little room for love - much less a forbidden one between a queen and human girl. Little did Aswang Queen Catarina know, soon, her life would be changed by a plucky American biologist. A blue eyed, blonde adventurer, Rose Smith from California, who would make Catarina question all she knew, and want to make a human Her Aswang Woman King. ___ Catarina Rosales Marquez, 26, is the Aswang Queen of the Domminga Mountains, but she abhors eating humans. She has genetically engineered the fruits of her goddess Ikapati to produce human proteins in order to bring peace to Mindanao - but the Aswang do not trust this revolutionary, peaceful Queen - and are wary of the American biologist she has taken under her wing. Rose Smith is a German-American biologist doing her dissertation on the elusive, endangered Phillippines Eagle. Having studied the Tarsier in her undergraduate semester abroad in Manila, she fell in love with chicken adobo, pandesal - and Filipina women. Eager to be the first American biologist to do a longitudinal study of the Phillipines Eagle, she sets out into the Domminga Mountains on a bus with a one-way ticket - not afraid of the local's warnings of the rabid Iktapati Aswang Clan that eats humans, and roving bands of Tikbalang werehorses that stampede trespassers to death. When Catarina and Rose collide, it is oil and flame. Catarina, expected to marry a King, finds herself questioning the very cosmos of relationships - can she take a Queen, and a feisty American grad student at that? And can Rose come to terms with the elusive, seductive courts of the Vampiric Aswang? When the Iktapati clan rebels, the Tikbalang war, and the wind spirits coquette, Rose and Catarina must team up to save the humans of Mindanao - and the Phillipines eagle!

At my lowest point that year, I took a job at a pet shop, where I was assigned to take care of a "gentle-tempered" silver-white Alaskan Malamute. Every time I went near him, he would lift his head and bury his nose against my chest, breathing in low, rough sounds that felt disturbingly like a grown man holding himself back. Especially when my hand brushed through his beautiful fur, his body would heat up, and his eyes would darken and burn with unmistakable possessiveness. Thinking he was sick, I rushed to find the shop owner. The owner gave me a long, meaningful glance. "He's not sick. But he only acts like this with you. "You need to bathe him, give him a full-body massage, and try giving him a little kiss. Otherwise, he might lose control." I had my doubts about the whole thing, but I didn't really have a choice. I went along with it anyway. Eventually, I told the friend who had gotten me this job everything that had been happening. After she heard me out, she went quiet for a second. Then, she looked at me strangely and said, "Have you ever thought that maybe you're not looking after a dog at all? What if he's actually a werewolf who can take human form, and he's in heat, using pheromones to mess with you because he wants to… You know, sleep with you?"

My adoptive parents' long-lost daughter came back. She's a wellness influencer. She eats from crystal bowls she "cleansed." Sleeps with a white noise machine. She will only ride in a custom, climate-controlled car. That's not all. She filled our family's Manhattan law firm with Himalayan salt lamps and energy crystals. The espresso in the conference room? Replaced with gluten-free, organic dandelion root tea. "The energy here is so murky," she'd say. "We need to cleanse the world with love and light!" My guilt-ridden parents gave her everything she wanted. Even my fiancé told me, "Ava, you stole twenty years of her Upper East Side life. Can't you cut her some slack?" The day of the final hearing for our firm's biggest case, the entire court had to wait for her to finish her "emotional cleansing meditation." The judge was furious. I stood up. Delivered a flawless closing argument. I won our client $500 million and secured the future of the firm. But at the party, she had a drunken breakdown, fell into the pool, and drowned. My parents and my fiancé blamed me for everything. "You always have to win, don't you? It was a simple, open-and-shut case. You couldn't even let her have that?" They had me committed to a psychiatric hospital. They destroyed my law license and my reputation. They even had me injected with a fatal overdose of sedatives. I died full of hate. The next time I opened my eyes, I was back. Back to the day she was crying on her Instagram Live, begging for the case. This time, I walked straight into our rival's law firm. This "sure-win" case? I'm going to make you lose everything.

When the bank calls me to collect the first round of mortgages from me, do I realize that my wife, Denise Sheridan, also the same woman who eats leftovers and saves every single penny with me in our daily lives, has bought my brother-in-law, Dmitri Sheridan, two prime mansions located near a school. While Dmitri is placed as the mansion deed holder, I'm the one who's supposed to clear off the mortgages. I hurl the purchasing contract to the floor in fury. "You said Nancy's leukemia requires a shit ton of money, so I've been saving up my whole life. I even went as far as to work ten jobs per day! "My dad had to sell his kidney in exchange for a term of Nancy's chemotherapy bills because you told me the money wasn't enough at all. But thanks to the shady hospital, he died on the surgical table! "And yet, now you've used the money that Dad and I had put our blood, sweat, and tears into earning to buy mansions for Dmitri! Do you even have a conscience?" "What happened to your dad was destined to be! Sure, we could always make more money if we have more treatment bills to cover, but Dmitri's case is different! He urgently needs money for his marriage!" Denise refutes in a righteous way. I'm about to lash out at her when my daughter, Nancy Sheridan, rushes out. "Dad, Uncle Dmitri is the hope of our family! I don't mind giving him money to spend!" At that moment, I finally realize that not only am I this household's ATM, but my own daughter is also an ingrate through and through.

This story follows Oliver Knight, a once-abandoned boy who grows up in the harsh streets after being disowned by his adoptive family. Alongside his loyal friends, Tomos, James, Bucky, and Daniel, he rises from a painful past to become powerful, wealthy, and feared. Despite their success, they carry emotional scars from rejection, survival, and a world that never truly showed them love. Everything changes when Ariana Blake, a strong-willed and intelligent new student, arrives at Westbridge High. She quickly becomes entangled in Oliver’s world after rejecting his arrogant reputation and refusing to fear him like everyone else. Their first encounters are filled with tension, misunderstanding, and emotional conflict, especially when Ariana becomes close to her cousin Liam, triggering jealousy and chaos within Oliver’s group. A tragic incident involving Liam leads Ariana to wrongly accuse Oliver of orchestrating violence, causing his downfall and loss of everything he built. However, as the truth slowly unfolds, she realizes he may not be the person she believed him to be. As emotions deepen between them, a devastating sacrifice changes everything when one of Oliver’s closest friends, Marcus, dies protecting Ariana from danger. This moment becomes the turning point for both characters, forcing them to confront guilt, pain, forgiveness, and healing. In the end, the story explores themes of trauma, redemption, trust, and emotional growth, as Oliver and Ariana move from enemies to understanding each other in a broken but meaningful way.

"No, this is a mistake! A wolfless, overweight werewolf can't be my mate." His words hit me hard. Whispers erupt from the crowd, murmurs of disbelief and judgment that swirl around me like a storm. But I won't let them see how much it hurts. I won't give him the satisfaction. I square my shoulders, forcing a smile that feels like it's going to crack my face. "Well, Bran, I guess the Moon Goddess has a sense of humour after all," I say, despite the pain running through me. "Too bad she didn't give you one." Everywhere is silent now, shocked by my words. Bran's eyes turn red with anger. But I hold my ground, refusing to let him see how much I'm breaking inside. "Talia," he begins, but I cut him off before he can say more. He is going to reject me anyway. "Don't worry, Bran," I say sarcastically. "I'm sure there's some loophole you can find to get out of this. After all, you can't have someone like me ruining your perfect reputation, right?" He turns away. "This conversation is over, Talia. You should leave." I feel the sting of his rejection like a physical blow, but I don't let it show. I won't give him or anyone the satisfaction of seeing me break. Instead, I nod, keeping my head high as I turn on my heel and walk away. Talia, a wolfless wolf in her pack, has been a subject of mockery in her pack just because she's fat, wolfless, and eats like a glutton. Her situation turns worse when the Moon Goddess decides to give her Alpha Bran, the pack's Alpha, as a mate. He rejects her on the spot. What will be Talia's fate after the rejection? Let's see.

He slowly leaned down and bit my lip, "I own you."My eyes watered as I closed them before shaking my head, "No! You don't."He chuckled and gripped my elbow firmly, " Wanna bet mate mine? I assure you, I am ready to go for all or nothing" His tone was sinister like he knew something like he's sure I am going to lose.I wrenched my hand out of his grip and turned my back on him, " Leave me alone Aaron." I felt his comforting warmth on my back when he clutched my lower abdomen in his grip, " Never! You know that."Hearing his claim a tear escaped my eye, I wanted to turn and hug him, I wanted to forget everything but I couldn't, " You betrayed me, you finished this. Now don't try to claim something you abandoned."He chuckled and turned me forcefully, we were face to face with our fronts pressing together. Before I could turn my face, He gripped my jaw forcefully, " I didn't end anything but if you are so hell-bent on pushing me then go on, try it and see the destruction your stupid stubborn causes because Cynthia I am not going away."" Stop this! Why are you doing this? I saw you, Aaron. I am done." He shook his head and I opened my mouth to protest again but he swallows my words with his lips, his kiss eats my reluctance, I don't even notice when my hands found his neck and I was pulling him down. As soon as I responded he pulled away, " Say you are mine!"I shook my head, " I am scared. I can't do this anymore."My mate who was once my everything just growled, " You don't get to decide baby, not anymore."

"I need you. Make love to me, please," her breathy whisper hung in the night air. His tender arms drew her closer, and his lips gently met hers. "Before this night is over, there wouldn't be part of your body that wouldn't know my touch." . . Cherry Silverbella Moores: She's the twin who doesn't give a damn. A fighter, troublemaker, and a chaotic soul. She strikes fear into the hearts of the poor people of Castle Lore. Cherry indulges in casual relationships but avoids meaningful connections like a plague. She likes to fuck but despises physical contact. She has locked away her emotions for over a decade, feeling nothing except anger and cold indifference. Ixora Crystabella Moores: She's the twin everyone adores, the nurturing mother hen. Always eager to lend a helping hand, she cleans up after her chaotic twin, managing her messes. According to the people of Castle Lore, Cherry is the 'whore,' while Ixora is the 'nun.' She is soft-spoken and shy, but when angered, she can be as volatile as her twin sister. Jake Brown: A former special agent turned medical doctor, mourning the loss of his beloved brother who died six months ago in a bomb explosion. A vital part of him has been torn away by his brother's death, and he struggles to keep himself from crumbling. Kind and gentle, he is loved by everyone due to his patience and compassion. However, he becomes a storm when provoked. Then, there's Jerald Brown: The brother everyone believed was dead but has been alive and in captivity, planning his escape for six months. He's grumpy, hates people, and prefers to keep to himself. Their lives are intertwined; two brothers who thought they had lost each other forever, and identical twins who are as different as day and night.