Only Once Ashley Munoz Novels & Stories

Morgan Drake is a 2nd year resident at Sangela City Regional Hospital grappling with depression and addiction, following some recent stressful life events. Disillusioned with his work and current life situation, he is forced to take a trip where he encounters a mysterious s woman: the strong-willed, beautiful and intimidating Maddison Silva whom he is immediately drawn to. An introspective look reveals that he is inadequate for her, which leaves him with two choices: give up on her or put the broken pieces of his life back together. Which option does he choose? If its the latter, who is he changing for? More importantly, if he can get his life together, will she accept him?

“You sold your soul to me, Alicia. And I plan to enjoy every moment of owning you.” His fingers traced lower, pulling a gasp from her lips. She clawed at his shoulders. A dark, low laugh rumbled from him, thrilled by the sting. “Fight it all you want,” he murmured against her skin. “But we both know how this ends.” After losing her child, being betrayed by her husband, and barely surviving a brutal divorce, Alicia vowed to make everyone involved in her son's death burn to the ground. Now she returns as the soon-to-be wife of Theodor Winston—a ruthless CEO with secrets carved in his soul. Their marriage is nothing more than a one-month contract, signed in desperation to save her dying mother. But as the days tick by and buried secrets unravel, she finds herself torn between vengeance and an unexpected truth. When the contract ends, will she walk away from the only one who truly sees her… or return to the one who ruined her?

A mysterious girl, known to be heartlessly cold, with a gun in her hand. Two criminals on the tip of her gunpoint, shivering and begging her for mercy, who used to be proud of their tremendous power. A secretive guy who fell in love with that girl and trusted her blindly, without knowing who she was. A child in the middle of the chaos to be protected and kept away from the fire of revenge. And a shadow secretly controlling the whole game and playing with their lives. The pawns are chosen and the war has begun. They're all trapped in this maze of secrets and revenge, holding each other at gunpoints. The maze gets more twisted with each step they take and the only thing that can get them out of there... is Death.

Is there anything more tragic than having a crush on your boss? Being secretly In love with an Alpha that still engages in sexism. It would be a bitter secret love that was going to end in vain? It would be unrequited love? Or it would turn into an unexpected love story?

"Wolfless and as useless as a human" are the words Victoria has grown up hearing. At twenty years old, she has been ridiculed for nearly a decade by her family who constantly remind her that she is worthless and undeserving of love. When her mate, Alpha Damon, comes knocking, she is excited to leave and start a new life with him. However, she soon realizes that he is no different from the father she's grown up with. Desperate for a chance at true love and acceptance, she makes an escape and lands at a new pack. For the first time, her flaws are accepted and she encounters different people, including Alpha Brian who readily accepts her for who she is. When secrets and family legends start spilling forth, will Victoria be handle the heat and accept the other side of her? Or will she be broken down again and made to do the wish of others?

The day Bryson—the Harding heir—chose Talia Connell, the Connells' real daughter, I found out I was pregnant. For seven months, he went all out planning her dream wedding. Meanwhile, I fought through a brutal delivery and almost bled out bringing Kyle into the world. Then a breaking alert hit— [Harding Heir in Late-Night Street Racing Crash: Wife Critically Injured, Bryson Harding Permanently Loses Fertility] Scared he'd take Kyle from me, I stayed hidden for five years. Then came Bryson's mom's birthday banquet. I got pulled in as a server. Kyle was waiting in the lounge—until he bolted out and slammed straight into her. The whole room went dead quiet. Kyle looked just like Bryson as a kid. No question. Bryson shoved through the crowd, voice rough. "Kid... who are your parents?" Kyle froze, then broke down. "Mommy... I can't find Mommy. Her name is Joanna."

Three years into her marriage to Caleb Hampton, Sydney Wilson finally learned the truth: the woman he loved was his sister-in-law. On the night his brother died, Sydney saw Caleb's true nature. At the funeral, she did not even flinch when Caleb took a slap meant for his sister-in-law. She always knew he had married her because she was quiet, obedient, and easy to control. She proved it, even in the way she left him. No dramatic fights. No tearful confrontations. Just a divorce quietly signed, sealed, and hidden. What Caleb didn't know was that they were already divorced. Sydney had stopped being quiet and was already seeing someone else. The day Sydney's breakthrough cancer drug took the world by storm, she received accolades and glory. Everyone cheered—except Caleb, who dropped to one knee, his eyes bloodshot with desperation, begging for a second chance. But a possessive arm wrapped around Sydney's waist, declaring to the world, "Sorry, but she's getting married. To me."

I was born a liar. That was the label my mother gave me. In the Dark Moon Pack, every pup carries a Lunar Mark on their wrist. Green means truth. Red means liar. My twin sister Maya slashed Mommy's ceremonial dress with a blade and blamed the pack hounds. Her wrist stayed soft and green. My mark went crimson when I said I was cold. "Mommy, I'm telling the truth. Please believe me." Elena would crouch down, look me in the eye, and say the same thing every time. "The Goddess's mark is absolute, Selena. Your own heart betrays you." She never touched me. She just looked at my wrist with disgust. No matter how honest I tried to be, my heart would race when I was scared. And every time my pulse spiked, the mark turned red. I lied when I said I was hungry. I lied when I said I loved her. I lied when I cried. After enough years, I stopped fighting back. I started to believe her. Maybe I really was broken. Maybe I was just born wrong. The night I died, I wrote one last line in my Penance Journal. "Mommy, help me. It hurts. Please — just believe me once." She never saw it. She had already locked the door and walked away. I'm sorry, Mommy. I died still trying to get it right. In my next life — will you hold me?

Melissa Jones, the so-called 'fake' heiress, lost her memory trying to save me. Her memory was stuck at the time she was 18, back when our lives had not yet been set right. Everyone told me to be the bigger person. In the new family portrait, I was the only one missing. My biological mother tried to comfort me, "Shirley, be reasonable. It's just a photo. We will make it up to you later." I applied for the vice president position year after year, only to be rejected five times in a row. Then, when Melissa said she wanted to learn the business, my brother, Maverick Jones, approved it immediately. Afterward, he turned to me and said, "You should give way to Melissa. You're the reason she lost her memory. I'm helping you make up for it." When I went into labor and needed my husband, Charles Smith, to sign the consent for a C-section, he was one floor above me, accompanying Melissa to a follow-up appointment. I called him seven times. He declined every call. In the end, my seven-month-old baby suffocated. Even in a wheelchair, I went to demand an explanation. However, outside the hospital room, I heard Melissa crying. "Back then, you all agreed I should pretend to have amnesia. I'll never randomly decline calls for Charles again. I just want to stay by your side for three more months." There was a moment of silence. Then, Charles and the others agreed. At that moment, I was not angry. I just felt something inside me turn completely empty. I turned around and accepted my adoptive parents' request to return to Nebula City. This time, I would give these people what they wanted.

Gwen is a rogue who hates pack wolves. After her parents were brutally murdered by their pack for a crime they did not commit, Gwen has had nothing but hatred in her heart. On a night hunt, Gwen encounters the legendary rogue killer, Alpha Liam. A man who hates rogues with every fibre of his being. However, the moon goddess likes to play funny games. Liam and Gwen are mates. But this bond does not stop their hatred for each other. Liam takes her back to his pack, unable to leave her but hateful of her existence. He offers Gwen a deal. They would be mated for as long as it took for her to produce an heir. The rogue and alpha are dancing on the thin line between lust, love and hate. Can they pretend for long?