In my past life, on the day of our bonding ceremony, Alpha Declan revealed his mate's mark to the world.

But it was not my name etched onto his skin—it was my sister Dahlia's, corrupted by a dark ritual.

When I stepped forward to confront him, our pack was attacked. Enemies armed with moon-forged silver weapons tore through our defenses.

The three of us died in the massacre.

When I opened my eyes again, I was reborn on the day of the bonding ceremony.

This time, I chose to let them be.

After helping the pack repel the foretold attack, I left, starting a new life in the human world.

I thought I would never have anything to do with them again.

But three years later, at an exclusive gala for the werewolf elite, I saw Declan and Dahlia again.

Dahlia looked at me, her eyes wide with surprise. "Aveline! What are you doing here?"

"I thought you were living in the human world."

Seeing my silence, Dahlia sneered.

"Don't tell me you couldn't survive out there and now you want to come back?"

Declan stood aside, disgust plain on his face.

"Even if you got on your knees and begged, I'd never let you back in the pack."

"Though, you might make a decent pack Omega. At best."

"You should leave. A gala of this caliber is no place for you."

A small, knowing smile touched my lips.

The reason I was here was simple: my mate is the new Ultima of the Werewolf Alliance.

And he had thrown this lavish gala just for me.

If I said the word, they would be the ones thrown out.

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1

Three days ago, I learned a secret.

My mate, Corbin, whom I had met in the human world, was the enigmatic wolf who had become the Alliance's Ultima in a single month.

At tonight's welcome gala, he would announce my identity.

He called it a gift to welcome me into his world.

Right now, he was backstage reviewing his speech. I leaned against his chest, content, feeling the deep rumble of his voice as he spoke.

He sensed my boredom and let out a low chuckle.

"Darling, why don't you go enjoy the party for a bit?"

"We still have some time before our entrance."

I nodded lightly.

I pushed open the doors to the banquet hall and stepped into a scene of breathtaking luxury.

I was about to mind-link Corbin to scold him for his extravagance when a commotion caught my attention.

It was Declan and Dahlia.

As a prominent Alpha and Luna within the Alliance, their arrival drew a crowd of admirers.

"It's Alpha Declan and Luna Dahlia!"

"We're so grateful for the defensive runes your pack shared! We don't know what we would have done without you!"

Faced with the praise, Dahlia said shyly,

"It was the least we could do. Packs should always help one another."

Declan stood beside her, politely greeting the Alphas of other packs.

When he saw me, Declan froze for a moment, then a cold sneer curled his lip.

"Aveline. You're actually here? You haven't changed a bit. Always wanting the best of everything."

"But you have no place at an exclusive Alliance gathering like this."

I nodded slightly, acknowledging the first half of his sentence.

I had always been the most outstanding she-wolf in the pack.

I deserved the best in the world, which meant my mate had to be the most powerful wolf of our generation.

In my past life, Declan's superb leadership and immense power had drawn me in, and I quickly chose him as my mate.

But when I arrived at our bonding ceremony, my heart soaring, I saw it: a mate's mark on his bare chest, twisted and corrupted by a dark ritual.

That mark was branded with Dahlia's name.

My world shattered. I lost control, my finger shaking as I pointed at Declan.

I even used my status as a mystic architect to threaten him.

"My talents and the defense secrets I hold are far superior to hers! You had better think this through!"

Yet, not only did he not back down, he held Dahlia even tighter.

He said that before Dahlia, he thought power and status were everything, but after meeting her, nothing else mattered.

That day, I became the pack's biggest joke.

A she-wolf rejected by her mate, a woman who only knew how to threaten others with her status and power.

I would never forget the triumphant, smug look on Dahlia's face as she nestled in Declan's arms.

She said, "So what if your talent is stronger than mine? I just have to lift a finger, and everything you have becomes mine."

Declan's voice pulled me back from my memories.

"Aveline, today is an important day for Ultima Corbin to celebrate his mate. Someone of your status is not fit to be here."

I tilted my head, looking at him.

"And what status is that?"

Before I could finish, a burst of laughter erupted from the crowd.

"Aveline, the rejected mate."

"You were exiled to the human world. What are you doing back here?"

"Do you really think you're still the high and mighty Alpha's daughter?"

I glanced at the werewolf who was mocking me.

I had once designed the defensive runes that saved his pack from annihilation.

Hearing the ridicule, Dahlia was clearly pleased.

She sauntered over to block my path. "Alright, everyone," she whispered, her voice oozing false sympathy.

"Aveline must have suffered out there to want to come back."

"Please, don't speak to her like that."

"We should all welcome Aveline's return!"

After her little speech, she took my hand, her tone cloyingly sincere.

"Aveline, come back. You don't have to feel embarrassed."

"This will always be your home."

Seeing the hypocrisy in her eyes, I pulled my hand back coldly.

"I'm not coming back."

My refusal made her face crumple, and her eyes instantly welled with tears.

"Aveline, are you still blaming me?"

"But you can't force love..."

Dahlia lowered her head, her tear-filled eyes and pitiful act making Declan's heart ache.

He quickly pulled her into his arms, comforting her softly.

"You're just too kind. That's why Aveline always bullies you."

Then Declan glared at me.

"The human world won't have you, and our pack won't take you back!"

Dahlia placed a hand on her chest, looking heartbroken.

"Aveline, back then you tried to threaten me and Declan by leaving, hoping to force him to accept you."

"But you know he only loves me. Your threats were useless."

"But, Aveline, no matter what, you'll always be my sister."

"Your appearance here proves you're not doing well out there. If you want to return to the pack, I can let bygones be bygones."

Listening to Dahlia's aggrieved voice, Declan roared.

"If you had any backbone, you wouldn't have come back!"

"Now that you can't survive out there, you want to crawl back to the pack and steal Dahlia's mate? Have you no shame?!"

At Declan's words, a murmur went through the crowd, and suddenly every eye was on me, filled with judgment.

"I thought she came back for a reunion. Can't believe she's here to steal her own sister's mate."

"It's a good thing Alpha Declan loves Dahlia."

The surrounding chatter made Dahlia's eyes grow even redder, and she once again stood before me.

"Please don't say that about Aveline. After all, she is my sister."

She looked at Declan with pleading eyes.

"Declan, it's alright. As long as you love me, Aveline's return won't really change anything..."

Declan caressed Dahlia's hair dotingly, then turned to me with a fierce gaze.

"For Dahlia's sake, you can return to the pack."

"But you will return as the lowest of Omegas."

Declan frowned, his hatred for me running deep.

He and I had once been deeply in love.

In the battles against our enemies, we trusted each other completely, our teamwork seamless.

He promised me he would be loyal to me for life.

I had excitedly brought the news to the pack elders.

At the feast celebrating us as mates-to-be, I was supposed to be the only one on his mind.

But Declan's gaze never once left my sister, Dahlia.

A knot of unease tightened in my gut, and I expressed my dissatisfaction to him that night.

But when I told him, his brow furrowed with impatience, his tone dismissive.

I brushed it off, assuming he was just exhausted from the long banquet.

I let him rest, never imagining it was the beginning of my tragedy.

On the day of our bonding ceremony, I saw the corrupted mate's mark belonging to Dahlia on his chest and furiously confronted him.

However, he just looked at me with cold eyes and said, "I will not let an ambitious she-wolf be my Luna! The Luna of this pack can only be your sister, Dahlia!"

I couldn't understand.

Why was the wolf who once praised my talents now attacking me with such vicious words?

Losing control, I rushed to the center of the ceremony, demanding to know if Dahlia had said something to Declan.

In the midst of the argument, enemies armed with moon-forged silver weapons suddenly breached our defenses, slaughtering everyone.

I fought with all my might but ultimately fell into a pool of blood, watching my pack members fall one by one.

I couldn't rest, even in death.

As one of the pack's mystic architects, I had failed to defend against the enemy.

How did they break through? I died with my eyes wide open, consumed by hatred and confusion.

So when I opened my eyes again, reborn, I chose to let Declan and Dahlia be.

I did not cause any trouble for Dahlia. Instead, I led the pack members in reinforcing our defenses, cautiously investigating every possible weakness, and ultimately, we slaughtered the invaders, preventing the disaster.

Watching the two of them successfully complete their bonding ceremony, watching the pack celebrate, I had no more regrets.

I decided to leave them behind and forge my own future in the human world.

But I never imagined they would twist my choice to leave into something so contemptible.

They called me a failure in love, believing I was expelled from the pack, forced into the outside world.

"Aveline, you are no longer the Alpha's daughter. You should lose that arrogant attitude."

Declan stood before me, his arm wrapped around Dahlia's waist.

Dahlia's eyes were red and swollen as she said with a sob, "Aveline, I don't care about your past with Declan. I can accept it."

"Come back and live in the pack, even if it's as an Omega."

After speaking, Dahlia looked me up and down.

"And by the looks of it, you still haven't found a mate, have you?"

"I know it's painful that Declan chose me over you. So, to make it up to you, Declan and I will help you find a mate."

"Given your status, you're past the point of finding an Alpha mate, but I'll do my best to find you a decent Beta."

Her words sounded so sincere, making many werewolves sigh at her thoughtfulness.

I couldn't stand to watch her act any longer and turned to leave.

But as I turned to go, I bumped into the banquet's centerpiece—the Starlight Projector—sending it crashing to the floor.

A heartbeat later, Dahlia's shriek tore through the hall.

She covered her mouth, pointing at the shattered crystal on the floor, and shrieked, "Aveline! That was the ceremonial centerpiece Ultima Corbin prepared for his mate!"

"What have you done?!"

Dahlia's cry immediately drew everyone's attention to me.

They looked at the shards on the floor, their faces pale with shock.

"Ultima Corbin is ruthless! The youngest and cruelest Ultima in Alliance history!"

"And he adores his mate! I heard a wolf barely brushed against his mate, and Corbin lopped off the guy's hand!"

I rubbed my forehead, recalling that this was true.

But that was because the wolf had gotten handsy.

Corbin had only told him to apologize, not knowing the man had dared to touch me.

When Corbin found out, he flew into a rage and cut off the hand that had touched me.

"If Aveline destroyed the Ultima's ceremonial centerpiece, will he kill her?"

I looked at the person who spoke, shocked.

In their eyes, was Corbin really that brutal?

I would have to talk to him about his reputation later.

However, the werewolves around me mistook my shock for fear.

Dahlia's eyes danced with schadenfreude, even as she feigned concern.

She nervously grabbed my hand. "Aveline! Run! I'll help you explain!"

Declan pulled Dahlia behind him in disgust.

"Leave her be, Dahlia! You're too kind!"

"Someone like her should have been dealt with long ago! If you help her, you'll be dragged down with her!"

At the mention of being "dragged down," the crowd instinctively recoiled from me.

However, Dahlia did not.

She shook off Declan's hand and anxiously pulled me along, her concern a blatant performance.

"Aveline, I'll get you out of here! I've always felt guilty that Declan abandoned you for me. So it's only right that I do this."

"The pack is doing well now. I'll go beg the Ultima for mercy later. He'll forgive your disrespect."

Declan sneered.

"Good thing I chose Dahlia. Otherwise, I wouldn't have even known when I'd be dragged down to my doom by you!"

Declan's words earned murmurs of agreement from several nearby werewolves.

"Alpha Declan's decision was the right one! It's a blessing our Luna is Dahlia!"

"Luna Dahlia is both beautiful and kind!"

I snorted, showing no intention of leaving.

Declan angrily grabbed my wrist and dragged me outward.

"Aveline! Dahlia is right! You're nothing but selfish!"

"Let me tell you, today is a special occasion. You're going to bring disaster upon our entire pack!"

His hypocrisy disgusted me, and I wrenched my hand from his grasp.

"Touch me again, and I can't promise what will happen to the pack, but I guarantee you'll lose your Alpha title."

"What?"

I rubbed my aching wrist, looking at the stunned Alpha.

"Get your filthy hands off me, Declan."

"And you, Dahlia. Drop the act. It's disgusting."

Dahlia froze, clearly stunned that I had called her out so bluntly. Fresh tears welled, clinging to her lashes.

"Aveline... I'm doing this for your own good... I'm worried about you. How can you say that to me?"

I sneered, my voice flat. "If you were really worried about me, why didn't I hear a word from you in the three years I was gone?"

"So why the phony act now?"