He Rejected Marking Ceremony, I Upgraded Mate

The very first thing I decided to do after being reborn was to reject the marking ceremony with my Alpha mate Ethan.

In my previous life, when Ethan tried to postpone our ceremony for the thirty-second time, I threatened him with the sacred laws of the Moon Goddess.

Ethan eventually caved. To pacify my rage, he promised that nothing would interrupt us again.

But that was the night his Omega mistress Ivy died.

From that moment on, Ethan hated me with every fiber of his being. When I told him I was pregnant, he drowned me in the freezing North Sea.

"You and that abomination in your belly deserve to die for her," he spat as he held my head under the water.

I died in despair. But when I opened my eyes, I was back at the altar.

Ethan looked impatient. "Selena, Ivy says her chest hurts.. We need to postpone the mark again."

He expected me to beg. Instead, I unclasped the ceremonial collar and threw it in his face. "Go to her. I quit."

Ethan sneered, "Stop acting. Without my scent, you’ll be back crawling on your knees in a week."

He didn't know that an hour later, I was knocking on the door of his mortal enemy—Damon, the Tyrant of the North.

When I posted a photo of the Winterborn Alpha’s ring on my finger with the caption "Upgrade my mate," Ethan went mad…

The very first thing I decided to do after being reborn was to reject the Marking Ceremony—the same ceremony that had already been delayed thirty-two times.

In my past life, when Ethan tried to postpone our union for the thirty-second time, I finally snapped.

I acted like a raving lunatic. I threatening him with the sacred laws of the Moon Goddess, even threatening to take my own life if he walked away.

Ethan eventually caved. To pacify my rage, he promised that nothing would interrupt us again. He severed his mind links, turned off his phone, and under the gaze of the full moon, he completed the ceremony. It wasn't an act of love; it was an act of vented anger and resignation.

But that was the night Ivy died.

Ivy. The fragile, helpless Omega he had rescued from the battlefield. The kind of girl who looked like she would shatter if you breathed on her too hard.

When she found out we were finally sealing our bond, she had a mental breakdown and ran straight into the dangerous Rogue territory. She called Ethan nineteen times, begging for help.

Because I had forced him to cut off contact, Ethan missed every single call.

By the time our ceremony ended, all we found was Ivy’s cold, lifeless body.

From that moment on, Ethan hated me with every fiber of his being.

On the surface, he remained my Alpha. We maintained a facade of peace for the pack. That is, until the day I told him I was pregnant.

He took me to the freezing waters of the North Sea.

"Selena, go down there and keep her company."

As the bone-chilling water flooded my nose and mouth, I stared in disbelief at the man I had loved my entire life.

He held my head under the water. There was no warmth in his eyes, only the twisted satisfaction of revenge.

"If you hadn't forced that damn mark on me, Ivy wouldn't be dead."

"You, and that abomination in your belly, deserve to pay for her life."

I sank into the dark, suffocating depths, carrying my unborn child and drowning in despair.

And now, I was back.

"Selena, it’s Ivy. She says her chest hurts. It might be a flare-up from her old injuries."

Ethan looked at me, his handsome face marred by a hint of impatience. "I’ll smooth things over with the Elders. The Marking Ceremony... can we push it back one more time?"

Staring at him, I didn't scream. I didn't go hysterical like I did in my past life.

We were standing at the Silver Moon Pack’s altar. Below us stood the entire pack, waiting to witness the union of their Alpha Heir and his future Luna.

Ethan was the future of our pack. I was his childhood sweetheart, the woman the Moon Goddess had explicitly chosen as his Fated Mate.

And yet, just because Ivy had a headache or a phantom pain, he was willing to humiliate me in front of everyone.

In the past, I would have felt wronged. I would have felt furious. Anyone with eyes could see the injustice.

But Ethan didn’t see it.

In his mind, I was strong. I was independent. I was born to be a Luna, so I could take the hit. I could handle the humiliation.

Ivy, on the other hand, was a bottom-tier Omega who wasn't qualified to lead. She was pitiful, weak, and seemingly incapable of surviving without him holding her hand.

Beside us, the officiating Beta couldn't watch anymore. He whispered a warning, "Alpha, the auspicious hour has arrived. If we delay again, we risk the Moon Goddess’s wrath."

Ethan’s brows furrowed deeply, a flash of disgust crossing his eyes.

You see? He was always like this.

Whenever Ivy was involved, all principles, laws, and logic went out the window.

In my last life, this was the exact moment I lost my mind. I blocked his path, I cried, I screamed, and I threw away my dignity to secure the mark that eventually led to my murder.

But this time?

I just wanted to live. I wanted to get as far away as possible from this man who would eventually kill his wife and child.

I watched him anxiously checking his phone, and suddenly, I smiled.

In that moment, my heart was dead ash, but I felt lighter than I had in years.

I nodded. In front of the Elders and the entire gathered pack, I calmly reached up and unclasped the ceremonial collar meant to symbolize our eternal vow.

"Sure, Ethan."

I shoved the collar into his chest. My voice was soft, casual, as if I were commenting on the weather.

"Since she can't live without you, go to her."

"And about the ceremony? You don't need to worry about rescheduling it for today."

"In fact," I said, meeting his eyes, "you never have to worry about it again."

I ignored the officiating Elder shouting behind me and headed straight back to the suffocating Alpha mansion.

The first thing I did upon entering was rip off the elaborate gown—the one meant to symbolize my status as the "Luna-to-be"—and tossed it into the trash.

In my past life, I wasn’t just Ethan’s mate; I was his most loyal assistant, the sharpest weapon the Silver Moon Pack possessed.

To help him secure his Alpha status, I had rejected recruitment offers from countless top-tier packs. He had told me that running a pack was heavy work and he needed a partner who could stand beside him on the battlefield.

So, to match his pace, I clipped my own wings. I forced myself from a free-spirited ranger into a micro-managing administrator.

I remembered the breaking point in my previous life. Ethan had promised to take me to the Frozen Tundra to see the Aurora Borealis—a reward for a year of grueling work.

But on the day we were set to leave, Ivy sniffled and said she was afraid of the cold. He canceled the trip immediately. Instead, he took her to a warm southern valley for "convalescence," leaving me behind to guard the territory.

When a rival pack raided our borders, I was alone. I took three broken ribs and nearly froze to death in the snow defending his land while he played nursemaid to her.

I was done being the fool who burned herself to keep others warm.

Leaving Ethan was Step One.

I dug into the bottom of the safe and pulled out an invitation I’d buried a year ago.

It was from the "Winterborn Pack," the most powerful pack in the North. They had offered me the Gamma position—the lead warrior role—with authority second only to the Alpha.

I signed the document without hesitation and shoved it into my tactical rucksack.

Just as I clicked the final buckle shut, the bedroom door was blasted open by a wave of aggressive energy.

Ethan stormed in, his Alpha pheromones rolling off him in suffocating waves of rage.

When he saw me dressed in my tactical combat gear, the anger in his eyes looked ready to consume me. He rushed forward, snatched my backpack, and slammed it against the wall.

"Selena, is this your new strategy?"

"Humiliating me at the altar wasn't enough? Now you're playing the 'runaway mate' card?"

He sneered, glancing at the papers spilling out of the bag. "You think waving around some fake invitation from a rogue pack will make me panic? You think I'll beg you to stay?"

Ethan tugged at his tie, arrogance written all over his face.

"Did you forget? Without my scent to ground you, a dominant female like you won't survive your next Heat."

I looked at my scattered gear and asked calmly, "Who told you I was acting?"

Him and Ivy. One was a narcissist, the other a parasite. They didn't just suck my blood; in my last life, they took my life.

I had fought hard to be reborn. I had my combat strength back. Why the hell would I stay here and play nanny?

Ethan let out a cold laugh and opened his mouth to mock me further, but he was interrupted.

Ivy stepped out from behind him, carefully balancing a steaming tray.

The air instantly filled with the sickly-sweet scent of white tea and the bitterness of medicinal herbs.

"Ethan, please don't be angry," she said softly. "Selena is probably just emotional because of the failed ceremony. Her hormones must be imbalanced."

She looked at me with wide, teary eyes. "Selena, I asked the Pack Healer to brew this Calming Draught for you. I know I’m weak and I have no right to be Luna, but I just want everyone to be happy..."

Her voice trembled, perfect for a victim who was being oh-so-brave.

Ethan’s expression softened immediately. When he turned back to me, his face was ice-cold.

"Learn from Ivy. She’s frail, yet she’s dragging herself out here to make medicine for you. And you? You’re just being a brat."

I looked at the dark, murky liquid and felt a wave of nausea.

In my past life, she had brought me this same soup. It was laced with wolfsbane and suppressants to slowly drain my wolf’s strength, leaving me weak enough to be easily drowned in the sea.

I looked her in the eye. "I’m not drinking that. Get it out of here."

A flash of malice darted through Ivy’s eyes.

She stepped forward with the scalding bowl, acting as if she were trying to hand it to me, but she deliberately positioned her body to block Ethan’s line of sight.

"Selena, please, just one sip..."

Just as I moved to step around her, she flicked her wrist, splashing the boiling liquid all over her own chest.

"Ahhh!"

The bowl shattered on the floor.

Ivy collapsed into the shards, her chest instantly blistering red. She wailed, "Selena! If you didn't want it, fine! But why did you throw it at me... it burns... Ethan, save me!"

Ethan whipped around. Seeing the burns on her skin, his eyes bled crimson with killing intent.

He shoved me hard against the wall and scooped the screaming Ivy into his arms, roaring at me:

"Selena! What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Accompanying the roar was the crushing weight of an Alpha’s Command. Ethan unleashed his spiritual pressure without holding anything back.

The force hit my chest like a sledgehammer. I couldn’t even put up a defense before I was blasted backward, my body flung like a kite with a cut string, smashing directly into the solid oak staircase.

Bang.

My spine collided with the sharp edge of the steps. A sweet, metallic taste surged up my throat, and I spat out a mouthful of blood.

Ethan didn't stop. He stood at the top of the stairs, cradling the "unconscious" Ivy, looking down at me with unmasked disgust.

"How can you be so venomous? Ivy is a fragile Omega—your power could have killed her!"

"It makes me sick just breathing the same air as you."

I wiped the blood from the corner of my lips. My insides felt like they had been rearranged, screaming in agony. I didn't try to explain. I just looked at him cold, dead eyes.

"If I make you sick, then I have good news."

"I’ll file a formal request with the Council for Severance. I’ll clear out and leave this place for good."

Ethan paused, clearly surprised that I was the one bringing up leaving the pack. But the shock quickly turned into a sneer.

"You better keep your word. Don't be like last time—running to the border only to come crawling back in tears."

With that, he didn't spare me another glance. He turned and rushed Ivy to the infirmary, his back turned to me in finality.

I slumped against the cold floor, looking at the mess around me. For some reason, my mind drifted back twenty years.

We had just gone through our first shift.

During our first hunting trial, I had been reckless, chasing glory, and got cornered by a mutated grizzly bear.

It was Ethan who had charged in without hesitation. He used his small, juvenile wolf body to take a fatal claw strike meant for me.

Back then, covered in blood, he had comforted me: "Don't be scared, Selena. As long as I’m alive, no one will ever hurt you."

But now? That boy who swore to protect me was dead. In his place stood a man who used his Alpha Command to crush my internal organs for the sake of another woman.

I tried to stand, but the pain made me stumble.

Letting out a self-deprecating laugh, I leaned against the wall and inched my way out of the villa.

I didn't go to the Pack Hospital. That place was crawling with Ethan’s spies.

Dragging my broken body, I went to the underground black market, to an unlicensed clinic run by a Rogue witch doctor.

The doctor inspected my injuries and whistled. "Ruthless. He was aiming for your Wolf’s Essence. If you’d come thirty minutes later, your S-rank strength would have been permanently crippled."

I lay on a musty cot for two days.

On the third day, I returned to the villa.

I waited until Ethan was in a Council meeting. I didn't pack any clothes or jewelry. Instead, I took my tactical daggers, the strategic defense maps I had drawn over the years, and the black card containing all my bounty earnings.

I moved everything to a safe house I had rented in the black market—a place shielded from tracking signals.

Five days. That’s all I needed. Once the emissary from the Winterborn Pack arrived and I signed the Blood Pact, I would cut ties with the Silver Moon Pack forever.

Night fell on the third day.

I was cleaning the blood grooves of my dagger when my phone rang. It was a number I didn't recognize—the one I had blocked was obviously no longer working for him.

I picked up. The background noise was heavy metal music and the howling of drunk wolves. He was at a club.

Ethan’s voice was slurred with alcohol and thick with his usual entitlement.

"Where are you? Get your ass to the Full Moon Club."

I frowned, continuing to polish the blade. "Ethan, we’re done. I have nothing to say to you."

There was a second of silence on the line, followed by the clinking of glass. Ethan sounded agitated, clearly provoked by my indifference.

"Done? Selena, are you finished playing hard to get?"

"Ivy has a scar from the burn. Regular medicine isn't working."

"You’re a Healer-Warrior. Your blood and energy can remove scars. Get over here and heal her. Now."

Listening to his righteous demands, I stared at my own cold reflection in the steel of the blade.

He hadn't called because he noticed I was missing. He called because his precious darling needed my blood as an ointment.

"I told you, I moved out," I said calmly. "Besides, my blood is expensive. She can't afford it."

Ethan’s breathing grew heavy. I could feel his rage vibrating through the speaker.

"Moved out? You're addicted to running away from home, aren't you?"

"Fine! If you have so much backbone, then get the hell out of Silver Moon territory! Go become a Rogue! Let everyone hunt you down!"

"And don't expect me to collect your corpse when you die out there!"

"If you don't get back here and fix Ivy's skin, don't you ever dream of having a Marking Ceremony with me!"

I glanced at the packed tactical bag on the table and the Winterborn entry contract beside it.

The corner of my mouth hooked into a mocking smile.

"Deal, Ethan."

"I'll get lost. Far away. I promise I won't be an eyesore for you two anymore."

Before he could react, I hung up.

I pulled the SIM card out of the phone and dropped it into a glass of high-proof spirits in front of me.

Fizz.

The chip fried instantly.

Just like the last remaining shred of love I had for him. Gone up in smoke.