Sharing A Shower

I stood in the shadows, the scent of pine and frost heavy in the air, watching my mate, Ethan, smile—truly smile—for the first time in years. But not at me. At her. My cousin, Isla. His first love. She sat beside him, warm and glowing, with our pups, Lucas and Mia, curled up against her like she was their real mother. They were laughing, sharing bites of ice-cream cake, the kind Lucas once said made his stomach hurt. I was never meant to be here. I wasn't his choice. He didn't fall in love with me—he was assigned to me. To him, our bond was never about love. It was a political arrangement—an alliance between two packs: his power, my father’s ambition. A tie forged not by hearts, but by bloodlines and borders. He never touched me unless required. He never looked at me like I was his Luna. In that moment, as their laughter echoed under the full moon, I felt the mate bond falter—thin, fading, like breath in winter. And I knew. I had played my part long enough. So I turned away. It was time to severe the bond that was never truly mine. But when he sensed I was really leaving, when the tether between us began to snap, he broke. Dropped to his knees, clutching the pups like lifelines, his voice raw. "Please," he whispered, "don't leave me." Even the pups cried, reaching for me with shaking hands. "Mom, we’re sorry… We didn't mean it. Please don't go."

The boy who made my life hell just became my stepbrother, and now we’re sharing a mansion, a last name, and a hatred so intense it might just burn us both alive. I’m Summer Winters, the scholarship girl who never wanted Crew Ashford’s attention. But after I publicly humiliated Blackwood Prep’s golden hockey captain, he’s made destroying me his personal mission. With the months of psychological warfare, I've learned to survive his cruelty. Then my mother marries his father. Now I’m living under his roof, and Crew’s rage at my presence is suffocating. Behind closed doors, his bullying intensifies, but so does something darker. Something that looks dangerously like obsession. Just when I think it can’t get worse, I meet Gray, Crew’s quiet, artistic brother who sees me in ways that terrify and comfort me in equal measure. And my childhood best friend Tyler? He’s caught between loyalty to me and forces I don’t understand yet. Three boys. Three types of devastation. And secrets buried so deep they’ll destroy us all when they surface. When everything explodes at the championship game, I’ll have to decide: which kind of destruction am I willing to survive? This is a dark reverse harem hockey romance where the line between hate and want is razor-thin, and choosing yourself might be the most dangerous choice of all.

I love him since I saw him. Hindi ako naniniwala sa love at first sight pero ng makita ko siya binali niya ang paniniwala ko. Alam ko sa sarili ko mahal ko siya, kaya ganun nalang ang tuwa ko ng inapproach niya ako pero nawasak ang puso ko "Hindi ba best friend mo si Ms. Clarfson baka pwede mo naman ako sa kanya ipakilala sa kanya". My smile faded, my heart broke into pieces. Mahal ko siya at hanggad ko ang kaligayahan niya. Kung sa best friend ko siya sasaya bakit ko namana aalisin ang kaligayahan niya. Decades passed by, for almost decade ko na sya minamahal ng pa lihim. Could you imagine for almost decades na din ako nasasaktan ng palihim. But everything ruin, when my best friend married someone else and left my man broken. I don't know what happen but I found myself sharing a bed with the man I loved. I got pregnant with his child. Being pregnant with his child gives me hope, hope that he's going to love me how I love him but the hope has vanished. My love for him turns to anger and hatred. Is my love for him gonna die or consisting loving him even it's killing me?

While I'm patching up the injured wolves in the pack, I overhear a few young Omegas muttering among themselves while sharing a photo to each other in a corner. Apparently, it's a post that has been uploaded by a social media account named "True Love Above All". "He told me that the she-wolf by his side only needs a title. As for me, I need his protection. This is the amulet he has obtained from a witch after visiting the forbidden grounds." In the photo, the amulet can be seen emitting a magical glow. I know that he's the only one in the entire pack who's capable of obtaining this amulet. I look down at my empty wrist. Today is the Christmas Eve. According to the pack's tradition, mates must exchange tokens of love with each other. When I return to the pack house at night, Alpha Ethan enters the house while smelling like another she-wolf. He pulls out a cheap-looking bangle—that still has half a price tag stuck onto it—from his pocket before tossing it onto the couch casually. "This bangle is for you, Maya. It's the most popular style this year." As I pick up the mass-produced bangle that can be found in any accessory store, I feel the coldness of my fingertips seeping into my heart. It turns out that Alpha Ethan thinks he can easily fool me with a random gift despite me being the Luna. Yet, the she-wolf—whose identity he refuses to give away—gets to enjoy the protection he has risked his life obtaining for her sake.

“Don’t let me choose between the two of you, Claire. Because it will definitely not be you.” I gasped at his words and my chocolate brown eyes widened as I stared into his blue one. I whimpered. My throat runs dry. Five years…. Five fucking years Is this how it all ends? “Choose Alan! Choose! Because I am not sharing your fucking ass with a nasty home wrecker. “ my voice shifted coldly. The humming of my heart could be heard miles away but I was not backing down. “Fine! You asked for this. Don’t say I didn’t warn you….I, Alpha Alan Crawley of desert storm pack reject you, Claire Claver, and your pup as my mate and pup. From this day you are banned from entering my pack. “ My heart clenched. Pain rippled through me…. *** Claire Claver had a crush on the future alpha of her pack for most of her teen years. On her 18th birthday, she found out she was mated to Alan Crawley It was a dream come true when he made her his in every way possible. Five years later, when it was around the time for her Luna ceremony, she catches him buried inside a woman, his so-called cousin, Olivia. All hope was lost for Claire, but little did she know that a powerful Lycan was searching for her after he caught a sniff of her scent would Claire find happiness again? Read on to find out.

“This….this is not right,” she whispered, closing her eyes as let her head fall back as he kissed her neck. Pleasure engulfing her, her mind hazy but at the same time working. “What isn’t?” He asked, in that rich, smooth, velvet voice that was quite enough to make her drop to her knees. She opened her eyes, staring right into his hunger filled ones. “It’s forbidden.” She whispered. “It won’t be nice if we get caught,” His lips twitched and he rubbed the back of his palm down her face, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “Who said anything about getting caught, Rivers?” •••• If there was one thing Sloane Rivers loved most, it was Christmas. After working her ass off all year as an attorney, she was disappointed when she was nominated to go on the mandatory firm retreat. A day after she arrived, she found herself sharing the lodge with an unexpected “roomie” Ethan Hale. An arrogant, 6’2”, ridiculously wealthy CEO due to a storm. Their cohabitating came with plenty of back-and-forth bickering and arguments that slowly turned into something she looked forward to even after he moved out of her lodge. After the retreat ended, Sloane returned to her normal life. What she didn’t expect was for Ethan to crash into her world again, challenging every principle she’d lived by. The man she’d met a week before Christmas might just be her undoing, because mixing business with pleasure was strictly forbidden.

After our company loses the eight-million-dollar deal, my girlfriend, Lindsey Corwell, gets mad at me for the first time ever. She goes as far as to heavily insult me in front of everyone in the company. Once we get home at night, she retains her professionalism. "There's no such thing as a romantic relationship between us when it comes to work. The fact that you screwed up still stands. This is your fault." Meanwhile, Lindsey's junior, Gerald Whitaker, sends me an apologetic text. "This is all my fault, Julian. I'm the one who screwed up the deal. Lindsey bought me a cupcake to comfort me. It's pretty delicious. Let me buy you a cupcake as well." The next morning, Lindsey chucks the breakfast I've made for her into the trash can without hesitation. "I told you many times that I don't eat breakfast!" At work, my colleague, Joshua Miller, suddenly approaches me and begins sharing gossip with me. "The newbie really is fearless, eh? He actually had the guts to start a conversation with Ms. Corwell and even bought her breakfast! Guess what happened after that? Not only did she eat it, but she also claimed that it was tasty!" Oh, so that's how it goes, huh? Whatever. Anyway, the woman who keeps texting me is still trying to get me to switch lovers. "If worse comes to worst, I don't mind being a side chick! C'mon, give me a try!" I purse my lips in return. "It's fine. You shall be my official girlfriend now."

I, Daphne Thorn, am an impoverished woman from the slums. William Blackburn, on the other hand, is the son of the richest man in Wylland. Unexpectedly, the two of us who share such vastly different identities end up being together. So far, we've tried out various difficult positions in our bouts of passion during our secret rendezvouses in secluded areas. Like the madman he is, William often torments me in every session. I'm so exhausted that I'm about to fall asleep. That's when a notification pops up on William's phone, which is sitting next to me. So, I take a peek at it. "William, my stomach hurts a lot! I'm suffering so much right now!" It's a text from someone named "Ellie". All the exhaustion in me disappears. I can feel my chest tightening up in discomfort. Once William is done with his shower, he leaves the bathroom and picks up his phone. "You should sleep first. I'm heading out," he says. When I see William turning his back on me, I blurt out, "Are you going to meet that childhood sweetheart of yours?" William wheels around to look at me. Suddenly, he moves to lift my chin. There is a trace of wariness in his eyes. "Don't go around sticking your nose in my business, Daphne. I like my woman docile and obedient." But I end up stalking William all the way to Royale Hotel, where I witness him visiting Elaine Moore, his childhood sweetheart. He coaxes her as though she's the most precious treasure in the world. I don't have the courage to question William in person. But still, I want to know who he thinks is more important to him—me or Elaine? So, I give him a call. "William, my gastritis is acting up again! It hurts so much! Can you drive me to the hospital?" I said. I use the same tactic that Elaine had used earlier. That night, I keep waiting for William, and yet he never returns to me. That's when I decide to not love him anymore.

Ever since I married Myra Cowan, I started living like a beggar despite making an annual salary of a million dollars. She kept telling me, "We should hang in there for now, honey. Once we've saved enough money, we'll be able to live however we want without worrying about our financial situation." My closet was stuffed with old suits bought ten years ago. My lunches were always sandwiches, which were nearing their expiry dates, bought from convenience stores. My friends made fun of me for marrying a woman who was addicted to saving money. But my heart went out to Myra for suffering with me in life. But when I was diagnosed with late-stage stomach cancer and needed money for a life-saving surgery, Myra broke down in tears and told me that all of our savings were kept in a fixed-term deposit. Before I drew my last breath, I heard Myra telling her younger brother, Dwight Cowan, over the phone in a gentle tone, "I've already transferred you the down payment for your house." When I open my eyes again, I've returned to the day Myra demands that I sell my gaming account in exchange for money. The monitor shows a familiar login screen. Myra can be seen standing next to me. "This account can be sold for 8,000 dollars. We can save three months' worth of expenses with this money!" I just laugh in response. In my previous life, I had done nothing but save money. In the end, all of my money became someone else's assets. Why the hell should I save money in this life? With just one click on the mouse, I reload a million dollars into the game right away. Immediately, a reddish-golden meteor shower covers the skies of the entire server. The system makes an announcement in a bold, enlarged font that gets repeated for a long time. "Player 'Void' spares no expense, inviting fair maidens from across the realms to forge a destined bond! Those who are interested are welcome to attend the Celestial Lake Gathering. A bride price of one million awaits—offered in exchange for a single, sincere heart."

As Jonathan leaned in to drink blood from my neck, a surge of both pleasure and tingling sensation coursed through my veins. I could feel the connection between us deepening with every drop he took. He paused momentarily, his lips still pressed against my neck, and looked up at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes. "You know, my love, there's something intoxicating about your blood. It carries a sweetness that sets my senses on fire." I chuckled softly; the sound laced with a mix of excitement and affection. "Oh, is that so? Well, I'm glad to know this. Consider it my gift to you, an elixir of love and devotion." He resumed his gentle feeding, his eyes never leaving mine as he savoured each drop. "It's more than just a gift, Mia. It's a reminder of our deep connection, an intimate bond that transcends the ordinary. Drinking your blood is an act of trust and surrender, a symbol of our eternal love." I sighed with utter contentment, my fingers caressing his cheek. "And with each sip you take, I feel a sense of unity, a merging of our souls. It's as if we're sharing a part of ourselves, intertwining our very essence in this moment." *** This is the story of a woman who fell in love with a mysterious man. He hurt her, insulted her, and did everything he could to keep her away from him because he was too dangerous for her, but he didn't know the strength of true love. He thought she was just an ordinary girl, but her hidden supernatural powers astounded him. Join Jonathan and Mia on their paranormal journey, which is full of secrets, true love, and suffering.