My Mate is Another Woman's Fate
She found her true mate... but he belongs to another.
Dana never expected to find her fated mate in the heart of the city - especially not in her cold, brilliant, and heartbreakingly human boss. Kos is a billionaire inventor, engaged to a woman the world sees as perfect. And worst of all... he doesn't feel the bond.
To reveal the truth would make her look desperate, maybe even insane. Who would believe that a shy assistant is his destined mate - and not just after his name or fortune?
But the bond is real. The ache is real.
And when fate forces them together, nothing will ever be the same.
Can a heart blinded by reason learn to feel what only instincts can see?
Or will Dana lose him - before he even realizes she was his all along?
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Chapter 5
On my grandfather's farm, I met Arthur - a kind, good-hearted, and handsome guy. Blond, with light brown eyes - "whiskey-colored," as they say - he had a natural way with animals and was studying to become a veterinarian. He was a bit skinny and had only recently started working for his grandfather. He was the same age as Eli.
We quickly became friends. Arthur always knew how to keep a conversation interesting, and his sense of humor was spot on.
One day, when Eli came to visit us on the farm, I whispered shyly,
"Eli, I think... I have a not-so-friendly kind of crush on Arthur."
We were standing in the garden, and I couldn't take my eyes off Arthur, who was fussing over a mare about a hundred meters away.
"He has such hands... And his gaze? It goes straight into a woman's soul. Here's a secret - I think I'm in love," I confessed softly.
Eli snorted and laughed - not very ladylike.
"You just realized this today? What about yesterday?"
"Well, yesterday I didn't have those thoughts. But today... I realized I can't breathe properly when he's around," I admitted, still not used to sharing my feelings.
Eli laughed even harder.
"Oh, you silly greenhorn! It's a full moon tonight! Werewolves have what you might politely call heightened libido for twenty-four hours. Your female instincts need male attention. And since Arthur's young and handsome, guess who caught the spotlight? He's definitely into you too. Don't confuse physical urges with real feelings," she said more gently.
I thought about it - and she was right. Mostly, it was just strong physical excitement.
"Do you get like that too? How do you handle it?" I asked, then added quietly and a bit embarrassed, "Have you... well, experienced THAT yet?"
Eli's expression suddenly grew sad.
"No. Not yet. My parents are 'saving me for my carefree future.'"
I raised my eyebrows, confused.
"That's why they lock me in my room on full moon nights. During the day, it's just desire, but at night, it becomes a need - one not everyone can resist."
"What do you mean by 'my carefree future'?"
"They're not true mates," Eli explained. "Their marriage is one of convenience. My mother wasn't eager to marry my father, and he didn't care who he married. Now they claim they're happy and tell me to find my mate. But I think they just settled and got used to it. They're trying to find a suitable purebred mate for me to keep the family's status and wealth. That's my fate too."
I was shocked. I looked at Eli and couldn't imagine living with a man you didn't love. What if he was awful? It felt so unfair. I felt sorry for her - she's such a bright, cheerful person, and they want to force this on her.
"But last full moon, you were in the woods!" I recalled, frowning.
"Yes. My parents went to visit relatives - probably my cousin was looking for a fiancé. They had a family council. The maid forgot to lock me up since my parents usually do it themselves. I slipped out for a walk," Eli said cheerfully, then added, "Don't worry. I've got a plan. If my fiancé turns out ugly or old or just wrong for me, I'll run. I'm even learning to pick locks - saving my pocket money," she winked.
My eyes widened. God, I wish I had her courage and optimism sometimes.
That night, I asked my grandfather to lock me in my room. He was surprised but did as I asked.
The night was horrible. A burning heat low in my belly, I thought I'd climb the walls. I'd never felt desire so intensely. My she-wolf didn't understand my reclusive behavior - she wanted to roam free, not act like a noble lady. I won't admit it openly, but I had to... take care of myself.
How long could I keep this up?
____
Six years passed.
What changed? Almost everything.
Eli found her true mate - Robert Vesnitsky. He's also a werewolf, though not originally meant for her. Fate, it seems, is a magician - they found each other.
I'm so happy for her. Now they're raising their son, Nicholas, who's four. I adore that little boy - those sweet cheeks just begging to be kissed.
Mia grew into a beautiful girl. I can't really call her "Cucumber" anymore - well, only when I want to tease her. But I still love her madly.
Her favorite pastime is reading - especially romance novels. And she's obsessed with a popular boy band, like most girls her age. Apparently, at this age, everyone sees the world through rose-colored glasses, waiting for their prince on a white horse.
I finished my studies in the city a couple of years ago but never stayed.
I came back to care for my grandfather, who had sacrificed so much for me. Age and the loss of my grandmother have taken a toll on him. Werewolves can live over a century - but not without their mate.
It's been a month since he passed away.
I still live on his farm. Somehow, it makes me feel closer to him - I miss him deeply. He was not just my grandfather but my life mentor. We buried him next to my grandmother, so they're finally reunited.
I have never met my mate, and probably never will.
I'm almost twenty-five, and still no suitable candidate for family life.
There were suitors, dates, courtships - but nothing ever felt right. The honeymoon phase is lovely, but I can't imagine any of them as my lifelong partner.
So I stopped looking. Finding your mate is a gift of fate - and maybe it's just not meant for me.
One afternoon, sitting on the porch of my grandfather's house, sipping aromatic tea and watching the workers around the farm, my phone rang.
Damn. I'd just gotten comfortable, and the phone was inside the house.
Reluctantly, I got up and trudged to answer. Who could disturb my siesta?
I answered without looking:
"Hello?"
"Danka, hi!" Eli's voice was warm. "How are you?"
"As usual. Nothing new," I answered, lacking enthusiasm.
"That's no good!" I could hear her frown - then excitement crept into her voice.
"Listen, Robert's good friend needs an assistant - well, technically a secretary's assistant. Apparently, the secretary 'works after hours' so much she never finishes her tasks. Grandpa's gone now, so why stay in that village? A change of scenery might help you find a groom. It's good for women's health."
I rolled my eyes. Everyone wants to set me up. First Mom, then Dad, now Eli.
"I don't have problems with 'women's health,'" I replied dryly.
"Oh, right. You have Arthur - your 'female helper'!" she teased, irritated.
"Oh God! Don't call him that! You know he's a good guy," I muttered.
"All right. He loves you, so he'll do anything. Why don't you give him a chance?"
"I love him - as a friend. A special friend, yes, but nothing more. What chance? It wouldn't be fair to him. I don't have deeper feelings, and he deserves someone who loves him completely."
Arthur matured a lot over the years. He started going to the gym and got strong. Not a skinny boy anymore - a handsome man popular with women.
We were, are, and I hope, will remain good friends. Arthur and Eli are my best friends.
It would be foolish to deny that I know about his feelings. It's obvious to anyone paying attention.
I endured every full moon, hoping for my soulmate, then grew desperate. The she-wolf demanded her due.
And at one of those moments, Arthur was simply there.
Abstinence wasn't just unpleasant anymore - it was painful. I thought the she-wolf would one day take full control, so better to give my innocence to someone I know and who loves me, rather than to the first person my horny she-wolf gazed at.
That's how our friendship became friends with benefits. When it gets really bad, Arthur helps. Never refused.
It's funny - who can say no? Maybe he still hopes I'll love him, though I've been clear from the start so he has no illusions.
We probably should end it before he never finds someone else. Arthur deserves happiness. God, how selfish I am! Maybe Eli's right - I need a change of scenery.
"Yeah, he's a good guy," Eli agreed. "Think about the job. It's a great chance to settle in the city, and the pay's good. But the boss is, let's say, lovey-dovey - which keeps the secretary from getting work done. I bet there's a blonde with a size five bust and saucer lips," she laughed. "Don't think too long - a place like that won't stay empty."
"You know what? I'm in. What do I have to lose?" I shrugged. "But one condition - just for you."
"What's that?"
"Don't tell Robert to help me get the job. I want to do the interview myself. No pretty eyes or connections."
I heard Eli sigh and probably roll her eyes. Then she said,
"All right. You're smart and responsible. I trust you'll manage. I promise not to interfere."
"Deal."
"But pack your things. The interview's the day after tomorrow. You'll stay in our old apartment - not far from the firm. We haven't sold it since buying the new house."
"Thank you so much, Eli. What would I do without you?"
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7.2
In the glittering skyline of Lagos, where power and ambition rule, twenty-two-year-old Cynthia-Rose dreams of success but is trapped in the relentless grip of family struggles. When the enigmatic and wealthy Chief Fredrick Mba, a man old enough to be her father, offers her a life of unimaginable luxury... at a price, her world tilts on the edge of danger, desire, and deception.
It is a deal of power, control, and temptation. A marriage not born of love, but of circumstance. As Cynthia-Rose steps into Fredrick's world of opulence, she finds herself caught in a dangerous game of desire, manipulation, and secrets that could destroy everything she holds dear.
In a city where nothing comes free, and love has a price. Can Cynthia-Rose navigate the delicate balance of all give and all take, or will surrendering to temptation cost her more than she ever imagined?
7.9
I woke up in a sterile hospital room, my head split open from a horrific car crash.
But the pain in my skull was nothing compared to the memory burned into my retinas just before the impact: my billionaire husband, Dawson, walking into a luxury hotel with a woman who looked exactly like his dead first love.
When Dawson finally arrived at the ward, there was no panic or relief in his eyes. He just coldly looked at my bloody bandages.
"Your reckless driving just forced me to postpone the quarterly board meeting."
Even our seven-year-old son, who I almost died giving birth to, didn't spare me a single glance. He kicked my hospital bed in annoyance.
"The Wi-Fi here is garbage. You're a bad mom! Dad said Aunt Angelita should be the one living with us!"
My blood turned to ice. For five years, I had bent over backward, wearing the hideous pale dresses he picked, starving myself to maintain a fragile figure, all to be a perfect, obedient substitute for a ghost.
And this was what I got. An unfaithful husband who would rather bury me in debt than grant me a divorce, and a son who wished I was dead.
The weak, subservient Charlene died on that wet asphalt.
When the doctor pointed to Dawson and asked for his name, I looked at my husband with a hollow, defensive stare.
"Who are you?" I whispered.
Using retrograde amnesia as my shield, I was going to tear their perfect world apart.
8.0
Finley's stepfather gave her a sickening ultimatum: marry her predatory stepbrother Shane tonight, or he would throw her fragile mother out on the street.
To escape this hell, she used a matchmaking agency and hastily married a complete stranger. Garrison Strickland claimed to be an ordinary data analyst making $95,000 a year, driving a beat-up Honda Civic, and needing a wife in name only. They got their marriage license at City Hall that very afternoon.
But when Finley returned home to pack her bags and threw the certificate on the table, her family just laughed. Dozier ordered Shane to drag her into the bedroom to "teach her a lesson" and trap her forever.
"Come on, little sister," Shane crooned, lunging at her. "Don't fight it."
Finley's own mother just stared at the floor, blaming Finley for ruining the family, watching blindly as Shane cornered her.
Terrified and desperate, Finley smashed an ashtray over Shane's head and frantically dialed her new husband's number. Shane snatched the phone, mocking the "imaginary husband" before the line went dead. Finley felt a bottomless despair. Garrison was just a normal guy; he would never risk his life against her violent family. She was completely on her own, waiting for the end.
Suddenly, deafening bangs echoed through the house, and Garrison stepped into the living room radiating a cold, terrifying fury. This supposedly "frugal data analyst" effortlessly snapped Shane's wrist, leveled a ruthless death threat that made Dozier tremble, and whisked Finley away in a waiting Bentley. Looking at the powerful man beside her, Finley's heart raced: just who exactly had she married today?
7.1
Aurora Andrews has never known a life free from pain. Orphaned and left in the care of her cruel uncle and aunt, she endured years of abuse that taught her the safest place was in the shadows.
But even in college, her silence couldn't shield her from the cruelty of her peers. Just as she reaches her breaking point, fate intervenes in the form of Alexander Mark, the powerful and enigmatic CEO of the Vanguard Group company.
Alexander saves her from a nightmare, but one impulsive, accidental night binds their fates together. When the morning light comes, he leaves her with a heartless dismissal, assuming she is just another gold digger looking for a payout. But Aurora carries a secret more precious than anything.
Forced to drop out of school to protect her unborn baby, Aurora fights to survive in a world that wants to break her. But the shadows of her past are closing in; what will happen when her abusive aunt and uncle discover she is pregnant?
And what will become of her when Alexander Mark walks back into her life, unaware of the child growing in her womb?
He left her thinking she was a whore. But the truth is far more dangerous. When their paths inevitably cross again, will he accept the child as his own? Or will he destroy the only chance Aurora has at a happy ending?
"I'm not a whore, I promise you, Sir.
I just wanted to save you... and nothing else."
7.2
Blurb:
They said loving him would ruin her, and they were right.
Adrianna never meant to fall for Xavier Palmer, the cold, untouchable billionaire whose name alone could silence a room. He was dangerous, controlling, and completely out of her world.
But the moment he claimed her as his, there was no escape.
What started as a forced bond quickly turned into something far more dangerous. Obsession and possession, a love so intense it blurred the line between protection and destruction.
Then everything shattered.
A brutal accident leaves Adrianna fighting for her life... and Xavier drowning in guilt, rage, and a darkness no one has ever seen before. While she lies unconscious, he hunts for the truth behind the attack, unaware that betrayal is closer than he thinks.
When Adrianna finally wakes up, nothing is the same.
Secrets have been buried, a child has been lost, and enemies are closing in.
But Xavier has made one thing clear.
He will destroy anyone who dares touch what belongs to him, even if it means becoming the monster she fears.
Even if it means losing her forever.
8.4
I stood in front of New York City Hall in my vintage lace wedding dress, my heart pounding with a nervous joy. I was minutes away from marrying Bradford Sterling, a move I thought would finally help me reclaim my mother’s legacy from my family’s crumbling empire.
But as I reached for his arm, he flinched. A black Lincoln Navigator screeched to the curb, and his mother, Victoria, stepped out, slamming a restructuring document against his chest. She didn't even look at me as she delivered the killing blow: my sister, Eden, had just seized every cent of my voting rights and family trust.
"Marrying her is a net negative yield," Victoria said coldly. Bradford didn't fight for me; he didn't even blink. He simply pushed my hand away and adjusted his tie as if I were a junk bond he was ready to offload. Seconds later, my sister Eden arrived in a red Ferrari, wearing her own bridal gown, and stepped into my place by his side.
I was standing on the pavement, humiliated in front of a crowd, while the man I loved for three years treated me like a failed transaction. My sister laughed in my face, calling me a "liability" while she stole my wedding and my life. The grief was instant, but the rage that followed was a white-hot rupture in my chest.
I didn't just walk away; I slapped the life out of Bradford and dove into the first black SUV I saw, desperate to escape. I didn't check the plates, and I didn't see the man in the wheelchair sitting in the shadows of the backseat.
I had just "carjacked" Jefferson Montgomery, the most dangerous billionaire in the city. To save him from a parole violation during a sudden police raid, I agreed to a fake marriage that very night. They wanted to treat me like a negative asset? Fine. They have no idea that they just handed a world-class hacker the keys to the Montgomery fortune, and I’m going to liquidate them all.