After I risked my life to save the Alpha King, he promised to grant me one wish.

While everyone expected me to choose to mate with Kay, the current Alpha of Stormfang Pack, I publicly declared my intention to bind with Eli.

He was Kay's half-brother, the illegitimate son of the former Alpha who had been exiled abroad.

No one knows that I've died once before.

In my past life, after I became Kay's fated mate, I diligently fulfilled my role as Luna.

But he always favored my stepsister, Lia.

That day, when the pack was attacked, I went to find him for protection.

When I desperately found him, I discovered that Kai was desperately protecting Lea, and the two of them were even kissing passionately in danger.

To shield Lia, he pushed me forward to face the rogue pack alone.

I'll never forget the words he said as he left, holding the weeping Lia in his arms: "She needs protecting more than you do."

So this time, I chose to give up on Kay. If I had to choose someone from Stormfang Pack for a mating bond, I'd rather choose Eli. I wanted to be in control of my own destiny. But this time, after I chose Eli as my mate, Kay went completely crazy.

The day after the mating announcement was made, I ran into Kay and his Gamma guards at the edge of the training grounds.

"Hey, Alpha, look who's here," one of the Gamma guards nudged Kay with his elbow, his tone laced with suggestive amusement. "Your 'future Luna.'"

In an instant, all eyes from the nearby warriors landed on me.

Kay turned, crossing his arms, those perpetually arrogant gray eyes sweeping over me with clear impatience.

"Ella," he began, his voice icy. "Using the Alpha King's promise to force my hand? Lia was right. You'll stop at nothing to get what you want. Your methods are vicious."

My chest tightened at the mention of Eli, who also belonged to Stormfang Pack. No matter how prepared I was for this, the undisguised hate in Kay's eyes still felt like a needle, pricking at the memories of my past life.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of emotion and keeping my voice steady. "I think you've got it wrong. The one I chose isn't you. It's Eli..."

"You're insane?!" Kay cut me off with a low growl the second the words left my mouth. "That bastard? That half-bred mongrel? You'd rather choose him?!"

Eli had more talent than Kay. It was an open secret in the pack, and the sharpest thorn in Kay's side.

He had hated his older brother ever since they were pups.

"This is my choice," I stated calmly. "You always complained about me clinging to you, right? Consider your wish granted. There's nothing between us anymore. You can be with Lia, openly and without shame."

The final scene from my past life unbidden flashed in my mind—Kay and kissing behind the safehouse door, his resolute back as he pushed me toward the rogue wolves, and the fleeting, triumphant look in Lia's eyes as he held her.

Kay seemed to be enraged by my calm. He scoffed, jumping to his own conclusions. "Ella! When are you going to stop this act?! Following me around saying you want to be my mate, and now you're playing hard to get? It's pathetic!"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Alpha Kay, I'll say it one last time. My intended is Eli. This has nothing to do with you..."

Just then, a choked voice cut in.

"Ella..."

Lia emerged from who knows where, her eyes red as a rabbit's, with perfectly placed tears glistening on her cheeks. She was always like this, showing up at just the "right" moment.

"Sister," she said timidly, tugging on Kay's sleeve, her voice thick with tears. "You're only saying these things because Kay was helping me get familiar with the New Moon hunting grounds yesterday and couldn't make your coming-of-age ceremony, right? You like Kay so much, how could you ever really choose someone else? It's my fault. If I've ruined your relationship because of me, then... maybe I should just leave Stormfang Pack."

Before she could finish, she covered her face with her hands and began to sob quietly, her shoulders trembling—a picture of fragile helplessness on the verge of breaking.

The act worked immediately. Some of the anger faded from Kay's face, replaced by a look of 'I knew it'. He didn't, in his heart of hearts, believe that I would give up on him—a noble Alpha heir—for a banished half-breed.

He pulled Lia into his arms, assuming a protective stance. "Don't be ridiculous! Where would a delicate omega like you go? Stay in Stormfang Pack. I'll protect you."

Then, he turned back to me, his arrogance returned as if he were bestowing a favor. "As for you, Ella, if you stop this ridiculous performance and apologize for your insolence, I can still accept you as my Luna."

He was always like this—so full of himself, convinced that I would choose him no matter what.

"A ridiculous performance?" I repeated his words, my voice colder than I expected it to be. "Kay, you really are full of yourself. You think I chose Eli because you took Lia to the New Moon hunting grounds—that I'm supposed to be in charge of—and she, like an ignorant pup, broke the traps, letting three prize deer escape, and *I* was the one who got punished for poor supervision?"

Kay's brow furrowed, seemingly caught off guard by my bringing up old history.

I took a step closer, my gaze flicking to Lia, who was peeking at me from behind her fingers. "Or was it because she 'accidentally' shattered the silver-infused healing salve the lead healer had been working on for half a month? And you, our esteemed Alpha, ordered me to take the blame? What was your reason again? Oh, right—'Ella, you're stronger. You can handle the punishment. But Lia's just an omega. She'll fall apart.'"

Kay's expression darkened, his tone warning. "Wasn't that the right thing to do? As the future Luna, it's your duty to bear the weight of the pack! Protecting the weak is our creed! Ella, I didn't think you'd be so petty and narrow-minded! If you don't change these malicious ways, how could I ever dare make you the Luna of Stormfang?"

"I said, I don't want your Luna position!" My voice rose a notch, drawing more pack members to stop and watch. "I chose Eli because I see you clearly. And you, besides using Eli's birth as an insult, what else can you do? Casually mocking a warrior stronger and more gifted than you just because he's a half-breed? Does that hide your own incompetence and jealousy?"

"Better?" Kay's eyes flashed as if I'd struck a nerve. He shoved Lia aside and took a step forward, his nose nearly brushing mine. "His mother was nothing but a lowly stray! A mistake my father made when he was drunk! My mother was an noblewoman from an ancient bloodline! My father made the right choice for the pack's future, for pure blood! That abomination should never have been born! His blood is tainted!"

His words were like venom in the air.

I knew this story. Eli's mother was my father's true fated mate, but in the face of power, even a fated mate was just something to be discarded.

"So," I gave a cold laugh, meeting his enraged gaze, "in your eyes, blood and status are everything. Then why would you think a woman you call 'driven by benefit' would give up a 'noble' Alpha like you for a 'tainted' half-breed? What's the logic here, Kay? Has your arrogance stripped you of all basic reasoning?"

Kay was stunned by my question, his face flushing red.

He stared at me, his chest heaving, unable to comprehend or accept my choice.

Finally, as if he'd found the only possible explanation, he spoke with absolute certainty.

"You're just playing games! You're doing this to get my attention, to punish me for being close to Lia! Ella, I know you too well. You can't really choose him! When you've had enough of this and crash and burn, you'll come crawling back to me! I'll be waiting for that day!"

He paused, his gaze turning malicious. "But before that, I'm warning you. Stay away from Lia. If I find out you're causing her trouble out of jealousy, I won't go easy on you!"

With that, as if he'd successfully issued a threat, he put his arm around the weeping Lia and turned to leave, striding away and leaving his bewildered Gamma guards behind.

In the instant they turned, when Kay wasn't looking, Lia shot me a glance. It was incredibly brief, but it was filled with triumph and provoke.

I just stood there, watching them walk away.

Back in my room, I went to the most hidden drawer and pulled out an old iron box. Inside was a protective amulet that smelled of mint. On it was the Alpha insignia of the Stormfang Pack.

When I was ten, I was small for my age and the other pups used to bully me. One freezing winter, one of them shoved me into a frozen lake.

I struggled and screamed for help, but no one came.

Just as the icy water was starting to pull me under and I was losing consciousness, a small boy risked his life to save me. All I saw was a blurry figure before I blacked out. When I woke up, the only thing beside me was this amulet.

I recognized the pack's insignia. And at the time, Kay was the only young heir to the Stormfang Pack that anyone knew about, so I just assumed it was him who had rescued me. From that moment on, I was completely smitten with him.

But in my last life, I gave him everything and ended up dying a horrible death.

Now that I've been given a second chance, I have more important things to do.

When Kay and Lia found me, I was in the study, studying the pack's defense maps.

There was a weakness in the southern forest's defenses. In my past life, that's where the opposing rogues had breached our perimeter, catching our warriors completely by surprise and leading to heavy casualties.

Since I knew about it this time around, I had to prepare.

The moment he saw me, Kay started talking. "Lia is too good. She's afraid you've misunderstood things between us, so she asked me to come explain."

After saying that, he pulled a moonstone ring from his pocket and shoved it into my hand. "This is for you."

I ignored them, keeping my focus on my work.

As I was marking the map, Lia reached out to touch my arm.

"Sister, there's really nothing between me and Kay," she said softly. "He only took me to the hunting grounds because I've never been hunting before. Please don't misunderstand. The Alpha was just trying to be kind to a poor omega like me. He went through so much trouble to find this moonstone for you. He still cares about you, you know."

After speaking, she pretended to look pitiful and reached out to touch my hand. Ink from her finger dripped onto the valuable defense map.

Annoyed, I shook off her hand, wanting her to stop messing up my markings.

In the struggle, I noticed the sapphire healing bracelet on her wrist—the Stormfang family heirloom and symbol of the Luna, possessing top-tier healing capabilities.

In my past life, I had risked my life three times to save Kay before the Stormfang Pack elders finally passed this bracelet down to me. And now it was so casually worn on Lia's wrist.

Kay noticed where my gaze had fallen and frowned.

"This is for Lia," he said firmly. "She's an Omega, her health is fragile. This stone is for her protection. Don't read too much into it."

I said nothing. Lia's eyes reddened again.

"Sister, Kay just worries about me..."

"I'm sorry, sister," she said with feigned regret. "If you don't want me to wear this bracelet, I'll take it off."

But while her words were apologetic, her body remained perfectly still.

Kay gently took her hand in his, shooting me a pointed glance.

"Don't be so hard on Lia."

I didn't respond, simply trying to move away to find a quiet spot to continue marking the defense map.

Sensing my cold demeanor, Kay should have realized something was wrong, but he confidently dismissed it as just another attention-seeking tactic.

He grabbed my arm as I tried to leave and pulled a moonstone ring from his pocket, pressing it into my hand.

"Enough with these games," he said sternly. "You're about to become my Luna—even if only in name—so you're making me look bad when you act like this."

I looked at him calmly. "So who's your true mate? Lia?"

My question struck a nerve, and his expression turned a mix of anger and pride.

"You'd better watch your mouth," he warned. "Lia's nothing like you. She's kind and pure-hearted, not like some tramp who'll go with anyone."

"If you dare cause trouble for her or try to expose this, you'll become a laughingstock for the entire pack at our binding ceremony!"

Hearing this, I almost laughed out loud.

He wanted me to be his mate to help him fully control Stormfang Pack, yet he couldn't let go of his feelings for Lia.

So he kept provoking and threatening me, trying to force me to accept this arrangement.

I ignored him and turned to leave.

As I did, Lia pretended to stop me and lunged forward. Her sharp nails instantly tore the scroll in my hand.

The defense map I had worked so hard to annotate was ruined.

Before I could say anything, Lia hid behind Kay with tearful eyes. "I'm sorry, sister... I didn't mean to..."

"You frightened her," Kay frowned, though not at Lia. "The map can be redrawn. Lia didn't do it on purpose," he said dismissively, holding her close.

I clenched my fists so tightly my nails dug into my palms.

In that moment, the truth became crystal clear: Kay didn't not see Lia's schemes—he simply didn't care. My sacrifices and frustrations meant nothing compared to a single tear from Lia.

Without another glance at the two of them, I turned and left.

A short while later, I received a provocative text from Lia. In the photo, the moonstone on her wrist glowed brilliantly in the dark.

I recognized that rare moonstone—the one that had been auctioned off for an astronomical price not long ago.

So the mysterious bidder had been Kay after all.

I remembered the ordinary moonstone Kay had given me earlier and took it out to examine it closely.

Sure enough, it was just a freebie the seller had thrown in when purchasing that rare piece.

Regardless of past or present lives, I have always been the one who was not valued.

In my previous life, though Kay and Lia's relationship existed, it was never so public. In front of pack members, Kay still maintained a respectful facade toward me as his Luna.

Now, however, they barely hid their affair at all.

No wonder that after just two or three days, the entire pack was whispering about them.

As I thought about my past life, my gaze turned cold.

After becoming Kay's mate, Stormfang Pack's power and wealth had grown rapidly, eventually elevating us to a position among the top five strongest packs in northern territories.

The elders were highly pleased with me, calling me the pack's guardian spirit.

Even though Kay remained cold toward me, their approval provided a false sense of warmth.

But when I actually witnessed Kay and Lia together in secret, and realized that every pack member—including those same elders who praised me—was helping cover it up for him...

All my illusions were shattered.

My father entered my room to inform me that Eli would soon be finishing his border patrol and returning to the pack's central zone.

My hands stilled. I gave no response.

He looked like he wad to say more, but ultimately just sighed and left.

I don't believe my father in my past life was completely unaware of Kay and Lia's relationship.

But he never warned me. Lia was my stepmother's daughter. After my biological mother passed away and my stepmother joined our family with Lia, my father stopped showing me affection. Everything I had was expected to be sacrificed for Lia's benefit.

Even becoming the Luna of Stormfang Pack made no difference.

The elders may have appreciated my capabilities, but they didn't care for me deeply.

Otherwise, they wouldn't have silently condoned Kay's behavior.

Only Eli was different from anyone else in the entire Stormfang Pack.

In my past life, he eventually left the pack, settling abroad and never choosing a mate.

My memories of him are few.

I just remember how he often extended a helping hand when I was in difficulty, and would even confront Kay directly, demanding he show me the respect I deserved.

So this time, I chose him.

I figured he had to be better than a complete stranger.

Honestly, I didn't have high hopes for this proposal.

As the pack's most brilliant strategist and team commander, I couldn't imagine he would accept such a sudden proposal to bind.

But things went more smoothly than I expected.

According to Pack elders Eli only paused for a moment before accepting the elders' arrangement to bind with me.

The next day, a sharp alarm howl shattered the peace. The southern border's defensive barrier had been forcefully torn open, and a fierce pack of rogue wolves surged into our territory like a black tide.

The chaos lasted for most of the night. When dawn arrived, it had driven away the darkness and the intruders, leaving only devastation. Several border watchtowers were destroyed, three Delta warriors were seriously injured, and the stockpile of moonstone energy had been completely plundered.

The atmosphere in the pack hall was heavy. The old Alpha sat at the head of the table, his face ashen. Kay stood in the center, reporting the situation.

"...we responded in time and repelled the intruders. But the rogues chose a precise breakthrough point. They bypassed all our regular patrol routes and directly attacked our weakest logistical supply line." Kay's voice was thick with suppressed anger. His gaze swept across the crowd before settling on me. "I believe our border defense deployment map was leaked."

My heart sank. That new defense plan I had stayed up all night revising, the one I was preparing to give Eli as a bonding gift...

"The defense deployment map has always been the responsibility of the Strategic Planning Division to update and secure," an elder said gravely. "Ella, I believe the latest revisions were led by you?"

All eyes in the hall turned to me. I stepped forward, about to explain about the stolen map, but timidly, Lia stepped out from behind Kay.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, as if terrified, her voice trembling. "I'm... I'm sorry... it might be my fault..." She sniffled, tears rolling down her cheeks. "A few days ago, I saw how hard Ella was working and wanted to help her organize her files... I might have accidentally mixed the discarded drafts with the official documents and threw them out... I didn't know they were so important... I really didn't mean to..."

She cried prettily, her body swaying as if about to collapse. Kay immediately supported her, his gaze turning to me with icy accusation.

"Discarded drafts?" Kay scoffed. "Lia, this isn't your fault. Someone lacks responsibility, leaving important documents carelessly, causing this kind of oversight." He turned to the old Alpha and the council of elders. "Father and elders, I believe Ella bears irreparable responsibility for this invasion! Her negligence caused the pack to suffer heavy losses!"

"That's not what happened!" I retorted immediately, my voice sharp with anger. "The complete defense plan was stolen from my tactical room! I have surveillance footage as proof!"

"Stolen?" Kay sneered, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Ella, when you make a mistake, own it. Shifting blame to some imaginary 'thief' and even slandering an innocent omega like Lia—is this the responsibility you show as a future Luna?"

"I'm telling the truth!" I clenched my fists, trying to stay calm. "Kay, why are you afraid to let me present the evidence? Or do you know deep down who's lying, who secretly pulled all southern patrol forces away, leaving the border defenseless and giving the rogues their opportunity?!"

I stared hard at Kay. From the fragmented information I'd pieced together from the minds of the injured Delta warriors, just two hours before the rogue invasion, Kay had urgently redeployed most of the southern border patrols to the northern Misty Forest to search for Lia's lost pet dog.

Kay's expression changed instantly, his eyes flashing with panic, but it was quickly replaced by deeper anger. "Ella! Are you questioning my command decisions?! I had my reasons for moving the troops! This is about holding you accountable for your negligence that led to the map leak! Stop trying to change the subject!"

Lia cried even louder, clinging tightly to Kay's arm. "Kay, don't argue with me over this... it's all my fault. If I hadn't touched Ella's files, if my puppy hadn't gotten lost... none of this would have happened... wuwu..."

The old Alpha rubbed his temples, his face showing fatigue and impatience. "Enough! The invasion has happened. Our priority now is to recover our losses and strengthen our defenses, not to point fingers at each other!" He looked at Kay, then at me, and finally settled his gaze on Kay. "Kay, as the pack heir, you also handled this situation improperly."

Kay lowered his head. "Yes, Father. I accept my punishment." But he immediately looked up, pointing at me. "However, Ella's negligence must also be punished! Otherwise, it won't satisfy the pack! I suggest stripping her of her access to core tactical planning and sentencing her to the silver whip, as an example!"

The silver whip! That was a whip laced with silver threads, excruciatingly painful to wolves, like burning the soul. It would severely delay wound healing and could even leave permanent scars and energy damage. Gasps of shock rippled through the crowd.

The old Alpha was silent for a moment before waving his hand. "Ella's supervision was lax. Punishment: twenty lashes of the silver whip. Kay's command was improper. Punishment: three days of confinement. This matter is closed!"

"Twenty? Too light!" Kay suddenly exclaimed, agitated. He stepped forward, his eyes fanatical and wild. "Her negligence almost led to our core territory being breached! At least a hundred lashes! And it must be done publicly! Let her remember this lesson! How can she ever bear the responsibility of Luna if that doesn't teach her a lesson!"

The hall fell silent. Everyone was stunned by Kay's brutality. Even several elders frowned deeply.

Looking at his son emotionally out of control , the old Alpha finally closed his eyes wearily. "...Very well. A lashes. To be carried out immediately."

My heart turned instantly ice-cold, as if immersed in the depths of a northern frost.

I watched Kay, watched his face contort with anger and some twisted possessiveness. He wasn't just punishing so-called "negligence." He was venting my "betrayal," using the cruelest method to remind me who was in control.

I didn't argue anymore. In the face of absolute power and prejudice, any words would be futile.

I was taken to a stone pillar in the center of the pack plaza. Rough ropes bound my wrists. Kay himself picked up the whip, gleaming with a cold silver light.

"Ella, this is what you deserve," he said in a low voice, his expression complicated, but with more of a morbid sense of satisfaction.

The first lash fell.

"Ugh—!" The searing pain shot through my entire body, every nerve feeling as if it were being burned by silver fire. My wolf form howled within me, desperate to break free.

The second, third...

The whip tore through my clothes, tearing my skin, leaving charred marks. I could smell the scent of burning flesh, feel the warm blood flowing down my back. I bit my lip tightly, not allowing myself to cry out, my nails digging into my palms until they bled.

Kay's whipping carried a vengeful ferocity. As he struck, he announced to the watching pack members, "All of you, look closely! This is the fate of those who are negligent and try to shift blame! Stormfang Pack doesn't need members like her!"

Lia stood not far away, covering her mouth with a handkerchief as if crying, but I could see a flash of satisfaction in her eyes.

Twenty lashes, thirty lashes... My consciousness began to fade, my vision blurred by sweat and blood. The pain became numb, replaced by a coldness that penetrated my bones.

Fifty lashes... sixty lashes...

I was back in my last life, the moment I was pushed toward the rogue wolves. The same helplessness, the same feeling of being abandoned.

Seventy lashes... eighty lashes...

The gazes of the surrounding pack members—sympathetic, fearful, indifferent—none of it mattered. No one spoke, no one tried to stop.

My father and stepmother stood at the back of the crowd, avoiding my eyes.

Ninety lashes... a hundred lashes...

When the final lash fell, I nearly collapsed, held up only by the ropes. My back was a mangled mess of flesh, the burning pain from the silver poisoning feeling like countless needles persistently stabbing.

Kay threw the whip down and walked over to me. His breathing was a bit ragged too. He looked at my miserable state, a flicker of something unreadable crossing his eyes before it was covered by ice. "Remember this lesson, Ella." He paused, then added, his voice for me alone to hear, "...As long as you come back to me, everything can still be made right."

He's threatening me. He can't let go of his beloved Lia, and at the same time, he can't let go of my bloodline and my ability. How selfish and greedy he is!

I didn't have the strength to answer, not even the energy to look at him.

The punishment wasn't over. Kay ordered the Gamma guards to bind me to the punishment pillar until nightfall. The noon sun beat down on my wounds, the silver poisoning acting more intensely under the sunlight, wave after wave of pain threatening to make me faint. Sweat trickled into my wounds, bringing a fresh round of agony.

After nightfall, the ropes were released, and I collapsed to the ground like a rag doll. No one came forward to help, no healer approached. Kay's orders were clear—let me face the consequences on my own.