Selene's POV:

Beneath the glittering crystal chandeliers, golden light spilled across the grand hall, weaving restless shadows through the sea of guests.

The deep crimson gown hugged my figure as I stepped through the entrance, and the lively chatter around the room abruptly faded into stunned silence. Every gaze seemed to lock onto me at once.

In my previous life, I had always stood quietly behind Theron with my head lowered, shrinking myself until I was little more than a shadow at his side. This time, however, confidence steadied every step I took as I moved forward with calm, effortless grace.

At the center of the room stood Theron. His broad frame towered over the crowd, the oppressive Alpha aura surrounding him so powerful that every Omega instinctively lowered their eyes in submission.

Wrapped around his arm was Sylvia, dressed in the same flowing white gown I had worn in my past life. She smiled at him softly, pretending to look pure and innocent.

Without the slightest ripple in my expression, I walked directly toward them, perfectly composed from the inside out.

"Theron," I called, my tone crisp and icy enough.

Both of them looked over at once.

The instant Sylvia noticed the blood-red gown draped around me, shock flickered across her face, quickly followed by a sharp stab of jealousy.

A second later, she slipped back into her usual weak, innocent act and pressed herself tighter against Theron's arm.

Keeping my composure, I stepped closer and offered her my hand with a graceful smile. "You must be the Gamma student Theron told me about—Miss Sylvia Howe, correct? I'm Selene Hart, Theron's mate… and the Luna of the Darkclaw Pack."

Sylvia's smile stiffened instantly, and the hand she had extended hung awkwardly in the air with a faint tremble.

Back in my previous life, she had humiliated me in front of everyone. This time, though, I had no intention of giving her that chance again.

Theron's expression dimmed, something unreadable twisting behind his eyes as he looked at me like he couldn't figure out who I'd become.

"Enough already, Selene," he said flatly, his tone edged with irritation. "Everybody here knows you're my Luna. Quit making such a scene."

At that moment, soft orchestral music drifted through the grand hall. One by one, werewolves began stepping onto the dance floor with their partners.

Theron's gaze settled on me again.

As his mate and the Luna of the Darkclaw Pack, I was supposed to be the woman he invited for the opening dance.

Yet he remained perfectly still, showing no intention of offering me his hand.

Catching the chance instantly, Sylvia wrapped herself around Theron's arm with a bright smile. "Come dance with me, Alpha. I practiced some new moves just for you."

After that, she glanced at me with fake innocence shining in her eyes. "You don't mind, right?"

Calmly, I stepped aside and gave a faint shrug. "Go ahead. Enjoy yourselves."

A flicker of surprise crossed Theron's face, but he didn't say a word.

He guided Sylvia onto the center of the dance floor.

Together, they moved beneath the glowing lights with effortless chemistry, their bodies far too close for comfort.

Sylvia carried herself like she already owned the title of Luna, leaning close to whisper into Theron's ear before breaking into soft, delighted laughter every few moments.

Theron made no effort to stop her. Right there in front of the entire crowd, he even lifted a hand and gently brushed his fingers through her hair.

Murmurs immediately rippled across the crowd around me.

"Look at the Luna of the Darkclaw Pack. So what if she dressed herself up? Her mate still doesn't give a damn about her."

"How embarrassing. Her mate throws his money at his mistress, and she still sits there acting proud."

Every mocking whisper drifted clearly into my ears, sharp and cruel. This time, though, none of it touched me.

I watched the entire scene with detached calm, absentmindedly running my fingertips across the cover of the auction catalog. I hadn't walked into this place to compete for Theron's attention. Something as cheap and worthless as his affection no longer deserved even a second of my concern.

The Crescent Party's final event was the auction.

My attention had been fixed on a worthless-looking piece of land called Shadow Hollow.

To everyone in the room, it was nothing more than a worthless stretch of dead land, a desolate wasteland wrapped in rumors of bad luck and curses. Memories from my previous life told me something no one else in that room knew. Within three years, future expansion projects would turn Shadow Hollow into the largest transportation hub in the region. Nearly eighty percent of all trade between the packs would eventually flow through that land.

As the final note of music faded away, the grand hall slowly brightened beneath the crystal chandeliers overhead.

The auctioneer made his way onto the stage and brought out the item I had been waiting on from the start.

"And now, our final event of the evening—auction of the deed to Shadow Hollow. Bidding will begin at five hundred thousand. Place your bids!" the auctioneer called out, his booming voice echoing through the glittering hall.

Silence answered him. Only a few mocking snickers drifted through the crowd.

To everyone there, the land was nothing but worthless wasteland no one would ever buy.

"Five hundred thousand," I said calmly, lifting my paddle without the slightest hesitation.

The instant the words left my mouth, Theron's entire body seemed to tense.

A heartbeat later, his furious voice slammed into my mind through the Mindlink.

"Selene, have you completely lost it?" Disgust laced every word he spoke. "That land's garbage. Don't humiliate the Darkclaw Pack in front of everyone."

I glanced at him and collided with the fury burning in his eyes. Inside the mental realm, the crushing force of his Alpha aura slammed into me like a tidal wave, trying to drag me to my knees and force my submission.

"That's none of your concern." I shot back, my voice sharp with frost.

"Drop the paddle," he ordered sharply. The pressure from his Alpha aura intensified through our mate bond, sending a stabbing pain through my head and awakening the instinct to obey him.

Breathing hard, I forced myself to endure the agony ripping through my head. Then, without hesitation, I severed the Mindlink connecting me to Theron.

Theron's face drained of color. Shock blazed across his features as he stared at me like he couldn't believe what I'd just done. Cutting off the Mindlink was an open act of defiance against an Alpha's authority. Between mated werewolves, it might as well have been a declaration of war.

"Six hundred thousand." A low, velvety voice drifted through the hall, smooth as silk yet carrying a dangerous edge that sent a chill down my spine.

Startled, I turned toward the far side of the hall. A man sat alone in the shadows.

Dark purple velvet draped over his tall frame, while long silver hair spilled across his shoulders. Even from a distance, an oppressive aura rolled off him. Every inch of him screamed danger.

He was none other than Draven Nightshade, the Alpha of the Umbra Pack.

Rumors claimed his wolf was terrifyingly powerful, and everyone knew he and Theron were sworn enemies.

Hardly anyone who witnessed his transformation ever made it out alive.

He ruled the underworld like a king born from darkness.

"Seven hundred thousand," I forced out through clenched teeth as I lifted my paddle once more.

"One million." Draven spoke lazily, almost bored, yet those dangerously mesmerizing eyes never left me for even a second.

The moment our gazes locked, an icy chill crawled down my spine. It felt as though some ancient predator had fixed its sights on me, and every drop of blood in my body turned cold. His stare held no trace of mockery—only a dark, unsettling curiosity, sharpened by something dangerously predatory.

For one breathless second, my thoughts scattered, and my heart began pounding against my ribs despite myself. It wasn't fear—it was a strange pull that seemed to echo from deep within my soul.

"Two million," I said, forcing my voice steady as I lifted my paddle again.

"Three million." A faint, amused smile curved his mouth, but his eyes never once left mine.

The entire hall exploded into chaos.

Nobody had imagined the Luna of one pack and the Alpha of another would clash so fiercely over a stretch of land everyone considered worthless.

"Four million!" Grinding my teeth, I threw out my final bid.

A low, amused laugh slipped from Draven's lips. At last, he looked away from me and lifted one elegant hand in a lazy gesture, signaling that he was backing down.

"Sold! Shadow Hollow now belongs to Luna Selene!" the auctioneer declared.

Exhaustion washed over me as I leaned heavily against the chair, my hands damp with sweat.

A sharp, icy shiver suddenly crawled down my spine. Without noticing when exactly, Theron had moved behind me without making a sound. He bent close, the heat of his breath ghosting against my ear while barely contained rage rolled off him in waves.

"Four million for a worthless stretch of land? Looks like you've finally gotten bold, Selene." Keeping his voice low enough that no one else could hear, he added with cold menace, "Listen to me carefully. You're paying for this out of your own pocket. I'm not throwing away a single cent on your pathetic little stunt."

Selene's POV:

I had barely made it out of the party venue before two figures stepped directly into my path.

A dark storm brewed across Theron's striking face, while Sylvia clung tightly to his arm, staring at me like I'd completely lost my mind.

"What the hell are you trying to pull, Selene?" Though Theron kept his voice restrained, the fury simmering underneath every word was impossible to miss. "Four million for a worthless patch of land? You don't know the first thing about investments. You're obviously doing this just to stir up trouble. Do you even realize how ridiculous you've made the Darkclaw Pack look in front of all of Northreach?"

"Exactly," Sylvia chimed in gently beside him, her voice dripping with fake concern. "Four million... do you realize how much that is? That kind of money could freeze the pack's expansion plans for an entire year. Even if you wanted to get Alpha's attention, you shouldn't risk the pack's future over something so reckless."

Staring at the two of them standing there together, I almost wanted to laugh at how shameless they were.

Back in my previous life, words like those would've crushed me. I would've panicked and been desperate to explain myself.

Now, though, the whole accusation sounded downright ridiculous to me.

"His attention?" A faint laugh slipped from my lips as my eyes drifted past Theron and settled squarely on Sylvia. "For starters, I bought that land under my own name. It has absolutely nothing to do with the Darkclaw Pack. And besides…"

I tilted my head slightly, my tone light and almost careless. "To me, four million is barely more than spare change. Did you somehow mistake that amount for a fortune?"

The color instantly drained from Sylvia's face. She had grown up in an ordinary family, and the only reason she had managed to stay close to Theron was because of her Gamma status and the weak, delicate persona she played so well. In her world, four million wasn't just a large amount of money—it was an unimaginable number.

"It's just a little pocket money to a powerful pack. Plenty enough to build a brand-new restroom, wouldn't you say, Selene?" The mocking remark drifted over from the side.

Felix Marsh, the Beta of the Umbra Pack, lounged casually against a stone pillar a short distance away, lazily flipping a gold coin through his fingers with a crooked grin.

His words instantly wiped away the last traces of color lingering on Sylvia's strained face.

Then, a series of heavy footsteps echoed across the floor.

Draven strode toward us.

Even without moving a muscle, Draven exuded a crushing pressure that instantly tightened the air around him.

The terrifying dominance rolling off him was far beyond what Sylvia could handle. Her legs gave out beneath her, and she nearly collapsed into Theron's arms.

A glacial look slid across Draven's face as his eyes brushed past Sylvia before settling directly on Theron. A mocking smirk tugged at his lips. "Mr. Blackwood, don't tell me this fragile lady is your mate. She looks like she'd collapse from a strong breeze."

Dark irritation flashed across Theron's expression.

Almost instinctively, he grabbed my wrist and pulled me against his side. "This is my mate, Selene."

Felix suddenly slapped a hand to his forehead, putting on an exaggerated look of shock. "Ah, so the woman in the red dress is the real Luna? My mistake. For a second there, I thought the Darkclaw Pack had changed its traditions and started letting their Alpha flaunt a lowly Gamma student around public events while the actual Luna got shoved into the background."

Rage instantly darkened Theron's expression. The veins at his temples throbbed violently as he spun toward the Beta of the Darkclaw Pack beside him. "Take Sylvia back. Now."

With wounded eyes, Sylvia looked toward Theron one last time, but under everyone's scornful gazes, she could only leave in humiliation.

"Well then… until next time," Draven murmured lazily. His dangerous eyes settled on me as he spoke, amusement dancing faintly at the corners of his lips.

The second Draven and Felix vanished around the far end of the corridor, I violently shrugged Theron's hand off me.

For a brief moment, he looked stunned. Then the fury burning in his eyes flared right back to life. "Selene, since when did you start associating with Draven?"

"And why exactly should I report that to you?" I rubbed at the angry red marks around my wrist and let out a cold, mocking laugh. "You showed up tonight with your mistress, and I don't remember receiving any explanation for that."

"I already had Beta notify you..."

"Did you notify me of details about the event, or were you really trying to tell me not to show up?" I didn't give him room to explain himself and immediately pressed the matter.

For a long second, Theron said nothing. Then he suddenly closed the distance between us, one powerful hand sliding behind my head as he dragged me firmly against his chest.

Warmth and the sharp, masculine scent of him surrounded me instantly, stirring the dangerous instinct buried deep between mates. Somewhere inside my mind, my wolf whimpered softly with aching desire.

"So that was it?" he murmured, his deep voice smooth and intoxicating near my ear. "Everything you pulled tonight... was just to make me notice you again?"

Slowly, his palm traced down my spine with deliberate familiarity, and the intimate touch sent an uncontrollable tremor through my body.

Before I could react, he kissed me.

There had been a time when I longed desperately for tenderness like this. Back then, this was the kind of warmth I would have sacrificed anything to keep.

His kiss deepened with sudden intensity, carrying his overwhelming desire to reclaim his hold over me. His tongue swept past my lips, stealing every shaky breath as his possessive kisses left my chest tight and burning.

"Give in to him... He's your mate..."

A wild, desperate whine tore through my wolf, the bond between mates pulling at me so fiercely it nearly crushed the last of my restraint. Before I even realized it, my hands had slid up onto his broad shoulders.

The moment I nearly gave in to his kiss, the image of that blood-soaked birthing bed suddenly resurfaced in my mind, together with his merciless voice saying, "That woman and her child mean nothing to me."

A crushing wave of heartbreak suddenly wrapped tightly around my chest, leaving me unable to breathe.

Using every ounce of strength I had left, I shoved him away.

Without the slightest hesitation, I raised my hand and slapped him hard across the face.