A Curse of Moonsilver and Heartstone

My mate, Archer, and I hated each other for the thirty years of our forced bonding.

The most vicious curse we could hurl at each other was to wish the other into the abyss.

Later, as the Soul-Devouring Curse weakened me, I handed him a moonsilver dagger.

I watched as he plunged it into his own chest without a flicker of hesitation, all to set me free.

But in the final moments of my life, I heard him order the pack's healer to find the antidote, the Heartstone, for me at any cost.

"Find the one who cast the curse... and when she wakes up... don't tell her I traded my life for hers..."

Only then did I realize the animosity between us had all been a colossal misunderstanding.

After my rebirth, I was determined to avoid him.

I accepted a collaborative research project with a rival pack, ready to leave everything behind.

I would fly far, far away, so he could have a peaceful life with the one he truly loved.

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1

I opened my eyes to a warm embrace and the cool touch of fingertips gently applying moongrass balm to my temples.

When my gaze met Archer's bloodshot eyes, we both froze.

Just the day before, I’d nearly shattered our pack’s tenuous peace, my inner wolf raging as I tried to force him into a bonding ceremony.

Archer looked like he hadn't slept, a shadow of stubble darkening his jaw.

"Do it yourself."

The moment he saw I was awake, the concern in his eyes vanished, replaced by an icy distance. He shoved me away, that familiar, imposing Alpha presence rising like a wall between us once more.

"Archer..."

My voice was a raw whisper.

"What now?"

"Hold me again..."

The next second, I wrapped my arms tightly around him from behind.

I could feel his tense muscles under my palms, radiating a startling heat through the thin fabric of his shirt.

"Faye..."

He grabbed my wrist with a force that felt like it could shatter bone.

"A forced bond creates nothing but resentment."

"I know."

I pressed my cheek against his back, savoring the warmth of his body one last time.

"I've thought it through."

"Thought it through?" he scoffed, his voice ragged with exhaustion. "Don't you say that every time?"

He pried my fingers from his shirt one by one, pushed me back onto the bed, and strode away without a backward glance.

Just like in my previous life, he slammed the door shut on his way out.

But he didn't know.

This time, I had truly thought it through.

As the daughter of his late benefactor—the former Alpha of the Argent Moon Pack—I was his duty, a responsibility he could never escape.

But there was one thing I should never have been... his mate.

In this life, I finally understood.

I had to let go.

I contacted his Beta through our mind-link.

Faye, we’ve scouted the Sacred Spring.

You always wanted your bonding ceremony there, right? Should I book it?

Ask Lorelei. If she likes it, then book it.

His Beta’s confusion was palpable through the link. But… aren’t you the bride-to-be?

Not anymore.

After severing the mind-link, I contacted the director of the research institute.

"Are you absolutely sure you want to take on this collaborative project with the rival pack?" the director asked, sounding as if it were the tenth time.

I nodded. "My decision is final. I'm not backing out."

The director let out a sigh of relief and quickly stamped the transfer papers, as if afraid I'd change my mind.

"The client specifically requested you. We've had a flood of applicants for this project, but they insist no one else will do."