"Selina, do you even understand the rules and etiquette of the wolf kingdom?"

Ryan's golden eyes burned with fury as he glared at me, his tone colder than the winds in winter.

He turned and helped Saya to her feet, his movements so gentle they bordered on absurd. He carefully touched her swollen cheek, his expression filled with pain and concern.

"Selina, apologize." His voice was low but commanding. "Bow your head, admit your mistake to her in front of everyone here, and I'll let this slide. I won't pursue it any further."

I almost laughed out loud.

How foolish I was in my previous life.

The moment I discovered Saya's schemes, I wrote a secret letter to Ryan. In painstaking detail, I explained how she had been manipulating him, using her feigned fragility to win over the sympathy of the wolf pack elders.

I warned him, "Saya isn't as simple as she seems. Every step she's taken toward you has been calculated."

The very next day, news broke that Saya had "poisoned herself to death."

But it wasn't a feigned death.

It was real.

The story spread quickly throughout the pack—Saya had succumbed to the pressure of malicious rumors and ended her life out of shame.

Ryan sent me only a single voice message, "Thank you for your reminder, Selina. Those who betray the Alpha King will always face the consequences."

And just like that, the matter was over.

For years, I believed he had confronted Saya, forcing her hand until she consumed the poison for real. After all, Ryan was renowned in the packs for his iron-fisted methods and ruthless retaliation.

It wasn't until the moment of my death that I finally understood the truth.

When he mentioned those who betrayed the Alpha King, he wasn't talking about Saya.

He was talking about me.

"Selina, did you hear me?" Ryan's voice cut sharply through my thoughts. "Saya did nothing wrong. I'm the one who chose to marry her. I'm the one ending this engagement with you."

I didn't answer right away. Instead, I lifted my chin slightly, meeting his gaze with a calm, mocking smile.

Ryan was known in the pack for his decisiveness and sharp mind, but he was nothing more than a joke in my eyes now.

I turned to Annie and asked, my voice steady and controlled, "The Four Great Packs' leaders are upstairs at the top-floor banquet hall, aren't they?"

Annie hesitated for a moment, then nodded cautiously.

I adjusted my gown and began walking toward the elevator.

Ryan's footsteps echoed as he quickly followed me.

"What are you planning?" he demanded. "Those elders are here for a private visit. Their presence hasn't been made public!"

Of course, I knew that.

I was only the princess of a wolf pack. How could a simple birthday party attract the leaders of the Four Great Packs?

It wasn't because of me.

It was the century-old strength of the Johnstone family. It was also because of my two elder brothers, who had recently annexed several packs on the frontier. It was my father, who had just led the Snowfang Pack to claim the northern forests, the richest resource lands in the region.

The Snowfang Pack was thriving and shining brighter than ever. We were a force no other pack could afford to ignore.

But Ryan?

He had thrown caution to the wind, publicly announcing his intent to marry Saya and demanding to break off our engagement. His reckless declarations had dominated the media's headlines for three days straight.

The current Alpha King, Leopold, couldn't afford to alienate my father and brothers.

As the elevator doors slid open, Ryan was still on my heels.

"Selina, don't you dare run to the elders to beg for their help just because it's your birthday!" Ryan snapped. "I've already promised Saya that I'll marry her. If you voluntarily give up the engagement, I'll ensure the Snowfang Pack is compensated generously."

I stopped abruptly and turned to face him, meeting his golden eyes with an icy calm.

A trace of astonishment flashed in his golden eyes—perhaps because of the chill in my gaze.

Ryan had lived his life unchallenged. As the heir to the Alpha King, his path had been free of obstacles. He had never truly understood what it meant for someone to sit on the throne beside him.

The banquet hall doors opened, and Leopold greeted me warmly from his seat at the head of the room.

"My little princess, what brings you here in such a rush?"

The leaders of the Four Great Packs sat in their places of honor, and the room was filled with werewolf nobles.

With a graceful bow, I addressed them. "Esteemed elders, I'm sure you've all heard by now. Ryan and Ms. Saya—savior and hero, love at first sight. I have no desire to linger where I'm not wanted, nor do I wish to make things awkward for anyone else.

"So, I ask all of you here to bear witness. I, Selina, princess of the Snowfang Pack, formally request to dissolve my engagement with Ryan."

I stood tall, my demeanor calm but unyielding.

The entire room fell into an eerie silence, so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

Soon, word spread throughout the pack.

It seemed that the marriage alliance between the Alpha King's family and the Snowfang Pack might really be falling apart.

Ryan's determination to marry his so-called savior had already made waves.

And today? The ever-composed princess of the Snowfang Pack had publicly declared, at her own birthday party and in front of all the wolf kingdom elders, that she was severing ties with Ryan.

They said Ryan's face had been a sight to behold.

However, Leopold had been downright livid, going so far as to slap Ryan across the face in front of everyone.

-

"Ridiculous!"

Now, in the quiet of my father's study, his expression mirrored the Alpha King's earlier fury. However, I remained unmoved.

His voice shook with anger. "Do you have any idea what this means? You dared to make such a scene in front of all the wolf kingdom's elders!"

I stood straight, meeting his glare without so much as a blink.

"This alliance has been years in the making, built on the hard work of both packs. And you think you can just throw it all away? You'll march right back and apologize! Tell them it was a rash decision, made in the heat of the moment."

"No," I said, my tone resolute.

"What did you just say?" His voice sharpened.

"I said no. My decision stands."

He drew in a deep breath, his voice dropping dangerously low. "Have you thought about the consequences? Do you think anyone else would dare to marry you after this?"

I pursed my lips. "That's not necessarily true."

"What?!" He jabbed a finger at me, his face contorted with rage. "You're out of your mind!"

With that, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.

Maybe I was.

Without the memories of my previous life, I never would've made the decisions I did today.

Since I was a child, I had been raised to follow the rules. Not only would I never have dared to publicly sever ties with Ryan, but I wouldn't even have appeared in front of the many elders in the banquet hall in the past.

However, being obedient and following the rules didn't always lead to good outcomes.

The Snowfang Pack might have had a reputation on the borderlands, but it was nowhere near as powerful as Leopold's pack.

My father, my brothers, and my uncles had always abided by the alliance agreement between the two packs. They knew full well that in the world of packs, life and death often depended on a single thought.

So, in my previous life, the moment Ryan hinted at his desires, they rushed to make concessions, signing an unequal treaty.

And that's when Ryan took advantage of their weakness and swallowed them whole.

It became clear that without enough vigilance against an ambitious man, the consequences would always be disastrous.

In the past, Ryan often sent me voice messages filled with sweet words.

This time, all he sent was a short message, "Know when to stop."

I let out a cold laugh and threw my phone aside.

"Your Highness!" Annie was frantic. "Your Highness, if Prince Ryan is willing to talk, can't you at least take a step back-"

I cut her off. "Were there any birthday gifts delivered today?"

Annie blinked. "Yes, there was."

She handed me a velvet box containing a ruby-studded bracelet.

"Is this from Prince Ryan-"

I lit up and slipped the bracelet on. Then, I stood up and changed into a low-cut evening dress, the kind that accentuated my chest.

"Your Highness, what's going on with you these days? You're going out so late? Wait for me-"

"Annie, you stay here."

I closed the door, turned, and walked away.

I wasn't the same person anymore.

The obedient, docile Selina that once existed was long gone.