The Midnight Meat Train

On the train back home, I found a scathing post online. [My sister-in-law is pushing thirty but isn’t married yet. She comes home all the time. Would you be bothered by it?] The comments were numerous and ran the gamut of opinions. The post got wildly popular, and there was an argument between the poster and commenters. [It’s bad enough that she won’t get married. She wants to stay with us when she’s home. Shouldn’t she feel ashamed? I’m at the end of my rope. She even drank all my lemonade last time she was here. I really hate her. [She has no boundaries. I’ve been wanting to teach her a lesson for ages. I turned her bedroom into my walk-in closet. Let’s see if she can still stay here.] When I got to this point, I closed the post. It was lucky that I bought the house where my parents and brother live. Because of that, I would not be at risk of losing my own room. But when I got out of the train station, I received a text from my mother. [Sweetie, I booked you a hotel room. You don’t have to come home and stay this time.]

Seven years into our marriage, my husband, Lucas Thorne, is hailed as a legendary astronomer in the field of astronomy. It is no secret that he absolutely adores me, his wife. He always keeps a polite, distant demeanor with those around him. Even when his new assistant, Serena Cox, asks for his number, he coldly turns her down. In the year he proposed to me, he named a star "LAW", which was an acronym for "Lucas Adores Wilma". Since then, every asteroid he discovers is named with initials that hold a special significance only the two of us know. To others, they might just be scientific achievements. But to me, they are unspoken love letters. This goes on until this morning, when I stumble upon an unfamiliar phone. I unlock it easily with my middle name, thinking it's yet another quiet gesture of his love. But to my horror, I find a string of explicit messages between him and another woman. The person who was at the receiving end of those messages was none other than… Serena, his assistant.

When I learned that Holly Jones had gone to deliver cold medicine to her young assistant, even though she knew I was trapped in the elevator and suffered from claustrophobia, I asked for a divorce. Holly signed without hesitation. Smiling at her best friend, she said, "Jim is just throwing a little tantrum. His parents are gone, so there's no way he'd really divorce me. Besides, there's a thirty-day cooling-off period before it's finalized. If he regrets it, I'll graciously forgive him and take him back." The very next day, she posted a couples' photoshoot with her assistant, captioned: [Capturing your every sexy moment.] I counted the days. Calmly, I packed my belongings and made a phone call. "Uncle, buy me a ticket to Hudson City."

On the day that I returned to the country, Lola Lawson, the one who was once the love of my life for ten years, sent me a picture of a baby. She told me to think of a name and meet her at the city hall to register the baby, as she had prepared a welcome-home gift for me. So, I rushed over with bags full of baby supplies. But when I arrived, she and her girlfriends were bent over with ridicule and laughter. "I told you! Even though he was gone for a year, he's still a loyal lapdog! Just a wave of my hand and he'd even be willing to raise someone else's kid for me!" She sized me up with mocking amusement. "Kevin Sheraton. How could you still be this naive? Just one joke and you come running?" They laughed without any restraint, calling me names and hurling insults, saying I'd do anything for Lola. But when I walked past them and took a number to register my own child's birth, and later wrapped my arm around my wife as the three of us took a family portrait, Lola's eyes were completely reddened with tears.

For ten years, Isaac was my fated mate. My Alpha. My future. Then, on the eve of his Alpha Ceremony, he chose another she-wolf to be his Luna, Chloe. His reason? She was wild and free...everything I used to be. "We are FATED MATES!" I screamed, my hand flying to the mark on my neck. "How can you defy the Moon Goddess? How can you just throw me away?" My wolf howled through our bond, trying to make him feel my pain. The backlash should have crippled him. But he didn't even flinch. It wasn't a real mark. Just a lie, painted on with magic. A trick to chain me to his side. My legs gave out. I hit the floor, a raw sob tearing from my throat. When the tears dried, the grief turned to ice. I stormed the Elders' Council and demanded they sever the bond. Then, I did the unthinkable. I chose his cursed uncle, Vincent. Isaac laughed. He thought it was a pathetic game to make him jealous. He had no idea. The Elders had already named his uncle the new Alpha. He didn't understand his mistake until he saw me crowned Luna on Vincent's arm. Only then did he come crawling back, begging for a forgiveness I would never give.

"Well, it doesn't matter now. As you can see, they took away every ounce of dignity and honor from me. They left me with nothing, Kristoff. I'm just a mere servant now. Give up already and forget about me. I would only bring shame to your position.” Kristoff grabbed my arms, pulled me towards him, and embraced me gently. "This is not how love works, my mate. How could you ask me to forget our love if you already own every ounce of me? Leaving you won't take me anywhere. I would rather stay here and continue to love you." ******************************************************************************** Ari Rosenberg is born a half-rank, an offspring of a high-ranking Alpha father and a lowly Omega mother. Her father's love for her knows no bounds, but her wolfless nature and half-rank status earn her the unrelenting hatred of her stepmother, Seraphina. Despite the odds, Ari dreams of a happily-ever-after with her mate, Kristof Bjorn, the crown Alpha of the formidable Ironflame Pack. Their wedding day should be the start of her fairy tale, but a false accusation shatters her dreams. The ensuing tragedy claims her father's life and forces Ari and her people into the lowest rank as omegas. Determined to reclaim her destiny and driven by a burning desire for revenge, Ari embarks on a journey to right the wrongs that have befallen her. With unwavering resolve, she confronts her past and forges a new future where justice prevails, her lost love is found, and her true power emerges.

Zara Night is tired of being the academy's biggest failure. As the only werewolf who can't shift, she's stuck cleaning classrooms while elite students like Kai Storm train for a war she doesn't understand. But when students start disappearing and Zara begins having impossible dreams of flying through space and devouring entire packs, she realizes her biggest weakness might be her greatest weapon. Kai Storm has one mission: earn the werewolves' trust, then lead them to slaughter. But falling for the academy's "broken" omega wasn't part of the plan. As his alien programming fights his growing humanity, Kai must choose between his creators and the girl who's about to become the most powerful being in the universe. When Zara discovers that Earth's werewolves are being bred as soldiers for an alien empire, and that everyone she trusts has been lying to her, she'll have to embrace the monster inside her to save not just her world, but reality itself. Some secrets are worth killing for. Others are worth dying for. But some secrets can end everything.

“You shouldn’t be here,” Lucien growled as he pinned my wrist against the stone pillar. His breath was hot, and I could see the storm brewing behind his eyes. °•○♡♡~♡♡○•° A Queen betrayed A warrior sworn to protect her A mate obsessed with getting her back A kingdom on the edge of war Framed for a crime I didn’t commit, I was dragged in chains, tortured, and left to die by the very man who once held me like I was his only reason to live. Rescued by a mysterious warrior with ties to the old gods, I return, four years later, as the Moon Goddess’ heir and his worst nightmare. Holding a secret that could change everything, his twins. As war brews, the Moon Goddess herself watches from above and I must make a choice. The mate who broke me… Or the warrior who built me back up? One will fight for me. One will destroy everything to possess me. As rival lovers clash, ancient secrets unravel. The world must bow, because a Queen never forgets.

Cora was only 10 when she realized that she had an unusual ability and that was to see ghosts. Now living on her own and battling school and her only job, she is forced into a world other than her own. Jem the spirit that resides in her apartment after a terrible accident, explains that she is more than thought. Jem was a spirit that wasn't meant to be where he was. A fire broke out in the place that he was, now occupied by a woman named Cora. He sensed that she was different, that she was destined for more than just work and school, and wanted to help her discover who she really was but in his current condition with him being a walking spirit, he could only do so much.

By chance, I stumbled across a trending post from our company's finance department while scrolling through social media. "That idiot in Sales. I just wanted to put my bar receipt under his name for reimbursement and he refused! If he won't let me claim it, then no one gets reimbursed! This time I'll make sure he learns what happens when you offend Finance!" The comments section was full of complaints and criticism, but the original poster didn't seem bothered in the slightest. The tone was arrogant, almost smug. "What's there to be scared of? Finance is the lifeline of any company! Would the boss really risk offending the backbone of the company over some replaceable sales guy? No way that's ever happening!" I stared at the all-too-familiar face in the profile picture and let out a silent, cold laugh. Blocking my reimbursement? Fine. This time, I'd like to see for myself what would actually happen if I mess with Finance.