Odd Sweetheart

“Do I look odd to you?”My throat tightens up…My eyes trace the black ink swirls of his sleeve tattoo, and the breeze carries his scent to me. I feel overwhelmed with the urge to touch the markings on his skin, to run my fingers through his dark hair.Desire, sharp as a blade, slices through me and I’m shocked at myself, unsure of where it came from.Vanessa thought she was lucky to find her fated mate. But on the day of their ceremony, he chooses her best friend to be his Luna instead. He scorns their bond and humiliates her, quickly turning her into the pariah of the pack and ruining her future. Then lures her with an explanation, before nearly killing her. She’s saved by Shawn–Alpha of a rival pack–but she’s mistrustful and has to learn to open her heart again. Can she be happy with someone who isn’t her mate? And what happens when her old pack decides they want her back? The Broken Fate of a Fated Mate is created by Claire Wilkins, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Three months pregnant, I doubled over in agony, blood pooling beneath me. I called Milo Prince in a last-ditch effort for help. The moment he picked up, his voice dripped with irritation. "What is it now?" My vision was blurring. Before I could cry for help, I heard his childhood sweetheart's teasing laugh. "No interruptions today, okay?" The line went dead in the next second. When I opened my eyes again, my belly was flat. I checked Jessica Clay's social media. A photo showed their hands intertwined, her wrist adorned with the Prince family's heirloom bracelet. Her caption read, [He said this bracelet was made for me, so I'm keeping it.]

I kept it hidden from the entire Moonshadow Pack — the private mate contract I signed with Darren, the current Alpha. Every time he rushed off to spend the heat season with his Omega childhood sweetheart, the wolf inside me howled in agony, tearing itself apart. Every time, he would whisper his empty promises, "Once she's stable, we'll hold the Luna crowning ceremony." For three years, he made that promise ninety-nine times — and skipped the ceremony ninety-nine times. The first time, her wolf died unexpectedly, and he claimed the Moon Goddess had forbidden the ceremony. The second time, her heat struck suddenly, and he abandoned me, throwing himself into her bed. After that, every time there was supposed to be a ceremony, something happened to her — and somehow, he was always right there by her side. Every time, I broke down, screaming, drowning in heartbreak. However, he always looked down on me, his voice calm, detached: "She's just a temporary mate for physical needs. You should understand." After the ninety-ninth broken promise, the wolf inside me finally went silent. I placed a "Mate Contract Termination Application" on his desk. "From now on, in the eyes of the Moon Goddess, I'm no longer yours in any way."

"No matter the price," I said calmly to the witch across from me, "I will buy the scroll that severs a mate bond." I am Jean Thompson, Luna of the Crescent Pack in name only, and mate—also in name only—to Alpha Felix Frost. In the five years I carried this title, I endured Felix's indifference, my in-laws' scorn, and the pack's cold neglect. All because I loved Felix. I believed, with a devotion that consumed me, that one day my sincerity would move his heart. But on the very day of our fifth anniversary—when I discovered I was carrying twins—I stumbled upon him leading the entire pack of warriors to the airport… to welcome his childhood sweetheart, Mary Lockwood. That moment shattered the last of my hope. When he returned, I hid the bond-severing scroll among a stack of business documents and set it in front of him. "What's this? If it's important, give it to me later—" Before he could finish, Mary's syrup-sweet voice slipped in between us, "Alpha, our reservation is about to begin." Felix didn't even bother to look. He pressed his handprint casually on the scroll, ending five years of our bond. Just like that, our mate bond was severed. But I walked away with more than freedom. I carried with me a secret that could shake the entire pack—two lives growing inside me. Twins, foretold to become kings of the werewolves: the Alpha heirs. Later, in a place far beyond his reach, I gained everything I had once longed for—respect, trust, and love. But Felix came back like a storm I could not escape. His eyes were bloodshot, his body trembling with fury as he trapped me against the wall. "I never agreed to sever our bond," he growled. "Where do you think you're going with my pups?"

Natasha Davis always had the dream of getting married to her high school sweetheart, Paul, so she wasn't bothered when she got pregnant for him at the age of 17. That was until Paul decided to leave the country to further his education. Six years later, Natasha is a single mother to give year old Mirabella and she needs to find a job. Unable to find a quality job without the required certificate, Natasha settles for the job of a nanny. Not just any nanny but a nanny to Malcolm Grayson's kids. Malcolm Grayson is a divorcee with a set of twins. His ex-wife, Yvette Brooks, a popular actress cheated on him and divorced him, leaving two kids behind. After almost four years of looking for the perfect nanny, he finds Natasha. However, Malcolm finds out that Natasha is not like any woman he knows. She is smart and determined and loyal to a fault. He start to fall head over heels for her, despite his heartfelt desire for his wife to return to him. Natasha realizes that she cannot fight her attraction for her strong-headed, annoying and insufferable boss. And just when the both of the think they've found love with each other, Natasha lands a major role as an actress that will launch her stardom. But this means she has to leave the state for a while. Not only that, Yvette decides to return back to claim her husband and kids and Paul soon finds out that he has a kid somewhere. Both of their exes return to their lives and Natasha and Malcolm have to go extra mile to prove the love and trust they have for each other.

"What do you want from me? I have asked you hundreds of times but you only give me a cold glare." A cold smirk broke on his face, sending chills down her spine. "You truly do not remember," he muttered staring into her confused eyes. "Remember what?" She asked, but got no answer in return. "It's because of you, Astrid. I am committed to your sin." ~~~~~~~~ After three years of marriage to her childhood crush, Astrid is forced to sign the divorce papers once her husband's childhood sweetheart returns to his life with a son. Blinded by love, he chooses his childhood sweetheart over his lovely wife. She leaves her marriage knowing her worth and ventures into the world of power. Unknown to her husband, she is the mysterious business Guru ruling the business world. When her husband starts to see things clearly, he realizes how much he misses his wife. Now he regrets his actions and yearns for his wife back! But will he be able to win her back when she is the center of many hearts? Will he be able to mend the broken heart he had destroyed?

The day my husband, Reece Malcolm, reached the pole for his polar expedition, his childhood sweetheart who was sent away reappeared in his bedroom. Everyone had kept it from me. Erica Lowell had been by his side day and night. Though Reece said he didn't want her there, he still allowed her to stay by his side for four years as his assistant. "You have to believe me, Lucy. There's nothing between Erica and me," he used to say. Always so sure. Always so convincing. But when he returned, it was with Erica in his arms—heavily pregnant. "She threatened to kill herself, Lucy. I didn't have a choice," he said. "The baby's coming. I need you to raise it. You know you're the only one I've ever loved." Four years. Four years of silence, of waiting alone in a house that never felt like home. Now, the lawyer is hired. The assets are tallied. The divorce papers are signed and sealed. I'm done.

Once, the love between me and my mate, Logan Hunt, seems almost invincible. He loves me, and I love him. Even if no one knows I'm the wife of Hunt Corporation's CEO—and our relationship remains a secret—we still love each other deeply. Until one day, his childhood sweetheart, Bianca Miller, returns to the city after a divorce. Since then, Logan has started coming home late. It hits me that our love may be nothing more than my one-sided feelings. I'm only one of his many. When Bianca moves into our home under the excuse of unfinished renovations, disrupting our private space, I know our relationship is destined to fall apart. If anyone is going to leave, it has to be me. So, I disguise the Mate Bond Dissolution Agreement as an inconspicuous document and make him sign it. Everything is on track until fear and anxiety dawn upon me. I find out I'm carrying a pup. Deep in my heart, I know Logan would never allow me to take away his pup. Therefore, I shrink myself and avoid him. The moment the agreement takes effect, I leave quietly, carrying our pup, an existence he knows nothing about. By the time he finds out the truth, I'm already gone from his world…

My girlfriend and I were reborn, returning to the cramped basement apartment we rented right after graduation. We silently walked out the door together, neither of us mentioning staying together. She went abroad with her childhood sweetheart to further her studies while I stayed behind, grinding away at my company. Seven years later, she became a rising young designer with a bright future and a happy family. I was still grinding away at the same company. When we met again, she clung to her childhood sweetheart's arm, looking down at my slightly disheveled state with a mocking smile. "Long time no see. How did you end up looking like a beggar?" I ignored her. However, later, when the powerful, world-renowned CEO of a top design firm clung to my arm, acting sweetly, her face twisted with panic. "Alex Prescott! How can you be so close with another woman?!"

On April Fool’s Day, my CEO husband cut out my heart to save his childhood sweetheart's son. After the surgery, he tossed me into a cold rental apartment, where I died in agony. Three days after my death, my five-year-old daughter played in the room as usual. Walking by the sofa, she wrinkled her little nose and mumbled, "Mommy, there's a weird smell in here." She touched my face and murmured, "Mommy, are you pretending to be Snow White? Why are you so pale?" She shook my arm harder and raised her voice, "Mommy, it's my birthday today—get up and blow out the candles!" Confused, she picked up the phone and called her father. “Daddy, did I make Mommy mad? I lit the candles, but no matter how much I call her, she won’t wake up.” On the other end of the call, Patrick Hart’s voice was cold and impatient. “What could possibly be wrong with her? She’s just pretending to be asleep for sympathy. It’s Johnny’s birthday, I’m busy. Don’t bother me! Tell your melodramatic mother to stop playing her little tricks. I don't have time to humor her." My daughter removed the candle from her bun, pinched off a piece of the bun, and fed it to me. "Mommy, I made a secret wish… I really wish you could hold me again, just like before."