Alpha Sean was dead.

At his funeral, the air was thick with grief, but not for long. A lawyer arrived, standing at the center of the mourning pack, and read the Alpha’s final will. Every asset, every piece of land, every ounce of wealth—gone. Not to me—his Luna, not to his pack, but to an omega.

"The Alpha's assets are all under her name."

Her name was Isabelle.

From the moment Alpha Sean had “rescued” her, claiming he saw her as a sister, I had known the truth. It was never brotherly love. And now, the proof lay in the ashes of what was once our pack’s wealth.

The Crescent Pack was left to rot, starving and broken. The warriors who once stood proud now had nothing. They turned their grief into rage, their loyalty into madness.

“If we die with hunger,” they said, “then we will die with her!”

And so, they burned it all.

The Crescent Pack, its lands, its halls—their Luna—me. I stood among the flames as my people, the wolves I had sworn to lead, turned on me. I felt the fire lick at my skin, felt the smoke fill my lungs.

Then everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I was not in the ruins of my past life.

I was standing in my bedroom, in the Crescent Pack’s estate, a week before my mating ceremony with Alpha Sean.

This time, I wouldn’t make the same mistake.

This time, I would never love him again.

---

Olivia

My heart pounded as I stared at the familiar wooden ceiling above my bed. The morning light streamed through the window, casting long golden streaks across the room. My breathing was shallow, uneven, but I couldn’t bring myself to move.

It was my room.

Not the charred remains of the Crescent Pack’s estate. Not the ruined halls where I had begged for our people’s survival. Not the ashen wasteland where I had burned with them.

I sat up abruptly, my body trembling. My hands clutched the blankets, gripping the fabric as if it could anchor me to this moment.

It was real.

I had gone back.

I had lived and died in betrayal, only to awaken in the past—a week before my mating ceremony with Alpha Sean.

I swung my legs over the bed and stood, my body moving before my mind could even catch up. If I had returned to this moment, then I would not waste it. I wouldn’t be fooled by his sweet words, by his empty promises.

I would not be his Luna.

And I knew exactly who could help me destroy this damned ceremony.

The Moonlight Pack’s hotel loomed before me, standing tall against the sky. Unlike the Crescent Pack’s traditional estates, the Moonlight Pack embraced modern luxuries, owning multiple businesses that fed their wealth.

It was the home of Alpha Theron—Sean’s greatest rival.

I strode inside, the scent of expensive cologne and leather filling my nostrils. The guards at the entrance tensed at my presence, but I didn’t stop.

The guards exchanged glances before one of them muttered into a radio. Within moments, I was escorted to the top floor. The doors opened to reveal a lavish lounge, and there he was.

Alpha Theron.

He sat at a polished glass table, swirling a dark amber liquid in a crystal glass. His silver-gray eyes flicked toward me, sharp and unreadable. His black hair was slightly tousled, as if he had just woken up, but there was nothing careless about his posture.

He was a predator, and I had just walked into his den.

I met his gaze head-on. “I want you to crash my mating ceremony.”

The glass paused mid-air. A single brow arched in amusement. “Come again?”

“You heard me.” I stepped forward. “I want you to ruin my wedding.”

His lips curled into a slow, calculating smirk. “And why would I do that?”

“Because it benefits you, too.” I crossed my arms. “I know the elders of your pack are forcing you to mate soon. You have no choice but to accept a she-wolf you don’t love.”

A flash of irritation crossed his face. It was subtle, but I caught it.

Bingo.

I pressed forward. “If you claim me at the ceremony, you’ll have a Luna to present to your pack—one of noble blood, no less. You can avoid being bound to someone you despise, and I…” My fingers curled into my palms. “I will be free from Sean.”

He studied me for a long moment, his gaze piercing. Then, he chuckled. “You’re either desperate or insane.”

“Both,” I admitted.

He leaned back, his fingers tapping against his glass. The silence stretched, tension thickening between us. Then, at last, he spoke.

“Very well, Olivia.” His smirk widened. “You have my interest.”

The Crescent Pack’s grand hall buzzed with activity. Omegas rushed about, setting up decorations, arranging flowers, and perfecting every detail for the grand event—my upcoming wedding.

My gaze landed on the gown displayed in the center of the room. A masterpiece of silk and lace, shimmering under the soft glow of candlelight. Elegant and beautiful, but meaningless.

“Excited?”

I turned to find Alpha Sean at the top of the stairs, arms crossed, amusement flickering in his cold gaze.

“You’re finally getting what you’re so desperate for,” he said with a smirk.

I forced a smile, tilting my head. “I am,” I said smoothly. “And I have a very big surprise for you.”

His smirk faltered just slightly, but I walked away before he could say anything.

Then I saw her. Isabelle.

She stood near the staircase, hands clasped, watching the preparations. But it was the ruby ring on her finger that caught my attention.

A gift from Sean. More expensive than the wedding dress he bought for me.

I swallowed the bitter taste rising in my throat, keeping my expression neutral.

One week.

Just one more week, and I would be gone from his life forever.

Olivia

For years, I had been a laughingstock. Five years of engagement, and yet no marriage. The Crescent Pack whispered behind my back, their voices thick with mockery and scorn.

Then, one drunken night after the Full Moon Festival changed everything. I had woken up in Alpha Sean’s bed, my body aching, my mind clouded with confusion. And when our parents found us tangled in silk sheets, their horrified gasps sealed my fate.

The wedding was rushed. The ceremony was cold. Sean’s hatred burned hotter than any mate bond. He despised me for it, for trapping him in a union he never wanted. I had spent my past life trying to win his love, trying to prove that I was worthy of the title of his Luna. But no matter what I did, his heart had already belonged to another.

This time, I would not make the same mistakes.

That was why I stood here now, in a grand auction house filled with wealthy wolves, nobles, and Alphas, my gaze fixed on a single item on display.

A delicate bracelet, crafted from silver and embedded with a single glowing moonstone. My mother’s bracelet.

Two years before my death, my mother had passed away. Her possessions had been taken, stolen, scattered. This bracelet was all that remained of her. And I would have it back.

I stepped forward, prepared to make my bid—when a familiar scent curled through the air.

Sean.

My body stiffened, instinct screaming at me to leave before he saw me, but it was too late. He was already standing near the front, his eyes scanning the room, his posture effortlessly commanding.

And she was with him. Isabelle.

She clung to his side, her soft, innocent gaze flickering with excitement as she looked around, as if this entire auction was a grand adventure she had been blessed to witness. As if she had not spent years pretending to be helpless while stealing everything that was meant to be mine.

I clenched my fists and walked forward. “Alpha,” I called, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me.

He turned, a flicker of surprise in his gaze before it disappeared beneath his usual cold indifference. “Olivia.”

I didn’t waste time. “That bracelet belongs to my mother. Let me have it.”

His lips curved into something that might have been amusement if it wasn’t so cruel. “Isabelle wants it.”

The words hit me harder than they should have.

Of course. Of course, she did. Because Isabelle wanted everything I had. And Sean, blind and willing, would always give it to her.

“You can bid on something else,” he added, his tone dismissive. “There are plenty of other items here.”

“I don’t want anything else.” My voice was sharper now. “That bracelet isn’t just some trinket. It belonged to my mother. It’s—”

“Isabelle wants to experience things like this,” he interrupted, his tone gentle when he spoke of her, his golden eyes softening as he glanced down at the omega beside him. “She deserves it.”

I felt something inside me snap. I turned away, swallowing my fury, my hurt, my grief. If he wanted a fight, I would give him one.

The bidding began, and I raised my paddle immediately, my voice firm as I made my offer. For a moment, I thought it would be easy. No one else in the room seemed particularly interested. But then—

Sean placed his bid.

My stomach twisted.

I raised mine again.

Sean did the same.

Back and forth we went, my heart pounding, my breath coming short and fast as the price climbed higher, as the crowd murmured in interest.

But in the end, I lost. Sean had bid an amount I could not match.

And he won.

The bracelet was handed to him, and for a moment, hope flickered inside me. Maybe he would give it to me. Maybe, despite everything, despite the way he looked at me with such disdain, he would recognize what this meant to me.

But then he turned to Isabelle. And placed the bracelet in her hands.

The omega’s face lit up with joy as she eagerly slipped it onto her wrist, her delicate fingers playing with the smooth silver. But she was careless. She wasn’t gentle with it, wasn’t careful.

A snap echoed in the air. The moonstone cracked. The bracelet broke apart, the delicate silver chain snapping, the pieces clattering to the floor.

I stared.

The room blurred around me.

Isabelle gasped, her hands flying to her mouth. “Oh no… Olivia, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to—”

I didn’t stay to listen. I gathered the broken fragments in trembling hands, clutching them to my chest, and walked away.

I did not cry. Not when I left the auction house. Not when I returned to the packhouse. Not even when Isabelle, guilt-ridden and teary-eyed, fell to her knees on the cold marble floor, begging for forgiveness.

“I didn’t mean to break it,” she whispered. “I swear, Olivia, I—I’ll make it up to you.”

I ignored her.

And when she, in a desperate attempt to prove her remorse, knelt in salt, letting the grains bite into her skin as she begged for my forgiveness—I still ignored her.

The rain came. A storm rolled in, heavy and relentless, drenching her small form as she remained kneeling in the courtyard, shivering from the cold.

I did not care.

I slept soundly that night. And when I woke to the sound of commotion—when I stepped outside and saw the frantic pack members gathered around Isabelle’s collapsed form—I did not feel a single ounce of pity.

But Sean did.

He stormed toward me, his eyes burning with fury. “Are you satisfied now?” His voice was sharp, biting. “Are you happy, Olivia? You let her kneel there all night until she collapsed!”

I stared at him, at the way he looked at me with such disgust, as if I was the cruelest being in existence.

And I thought of my past life.

A slow smile curled my lips.

“Who,” I murmured, stepping closer until our faces were inches apart, “do you think is more cruel, Alpha?”

Olivia

The flames flickered hungrily, devouring every trace of the past I had once clung to.

Silk dresses, fine jewelry, delicate perfumes—all the gifts I had received throughout my engagement with Alpha Sean, all reduced to ashes. Not because they meant anything to me, but because they never had. None of them were given out of love, only obligation. Sean had never chosen them himself; his parents had forced him, pushed the illusion of a perfect union while he barely even looked my way.

I had been a fool once. I had thought that even if he did not love me, time would change things. I had believed that duty and loyalty would eventually turn into something more.

But love did not grow where there was only hatred.

The fire crackled as I watched the last of the silk ribbons curl and blacken. Yet, among the destruction, there was one thing I did not burn.

The Crescent Pack’s heirloom.

A pendant, heavy with history, adorned with the sigil of the pack. The symbol of the future Luna. A title I would never bear.

I clenched the pendant in my fist. This was never mine to keep. With the heirloom in hand, I turned on my heel and made my way toward Sean’s chambers.

The corridor was dimly lit, the soft glow of the torches casting flickering shadows along the stone walls. My footsteps were silent, my presence concealed, instincts sharpening as I approached his room.

The door was ajar.

Voices drifted into the hallway, hushed but urgent. I stilled, my breath caught in my throat. Isabelle was inside.

I could already picture it—the omega curled in his arms, seeking his warmth, his comfort. Just like she always had.

My fingers tightened around the heirloom as I stepped closer, remaining hidden in the shadows.

“I-I’m scared,” Isabelle’s voice trembled, thick with tears. “What about… what about our baby? What if Olivia gets pregnant after the mating ceremony? What will happen to our child then?”

My blood ran cold.

Baby?

I swallowed, my pulse hammering as I braced myself for Sean’s response.

His voice was steady, reassuring. “She won’t.”

Isabelle sniffled. “But—”

“I’ve already taken care of it,” Sean interrupted, his tone eerily calm. “She’ll never have my children. The potion is ready. She won’t even know when she drinks it, but it will make her infertile forever.”

I couldn’t breathe. The walls felt like they were closing in, the air thick with something suffocating.

Infertile. Forever.

He had never even considered the possibility of a future with me. I had never been more than an obstacle to be removed, a duty to be tolerated until he could rid himself of me completely.

I had been blind. In my past life, I had believed he simply didn’t love me. That he was cruel, yes, but not… this. Not capable of poisoning me, of ensuring that I could never bear children, just so he could keep his omega without complications.

I should have felt rage. I should have stormed in and thrown the heirloom at his feet, demanded an explanation, screamed, fought—

But I did none of those things. Instead, I stepped back, one foot after the other, retreating into the darkness as silently as I had come.

I inhaled sharply and reached for the other phone hidden in my bedside drawer. My fingers dialed the number with familiarity, and after a few rings, a voice answered.

“Olivia?” My father’s voice, deep and commanding, filled the silence.

I closed my eyes. “I’m coming home, Father.”

There was a beat of silence before he responded. “What about the ceremony? Did something happen?” He sighed then asked another question, “Are you certain?”

“Yes,” I said firmly.

I heard his exhale, a mixture of relief and something else—something unreadable. “Then come home. We’ll be waiting for you.”

A weight lifted from my chest. But before I could hang up, another call came through.

Alpha Theron. I hesitated for only a second before answering.

“Olivia,” his voice was smooth, confident. “Everything is ready. Just say the word, and we will ruin your mating ceremony with Alpha Sean as planned.”