Freya POV

The great hall buzzed with excitement as the people partied.

In my previous life, I had been so angry and sulked all night at the party. I remember hearing whispers of other members of the pack calling me childish and doubting my ability to rule beside the Alpha. They had gathered around Amara who was sobbing and insisting she would leave and didn’t want trouble.

My wolf had warned me in my previous life about how Amara was a witch and might be a dark one at that but I was too occupied with being jealous that I didn’t listen to her. But this time, it’s going to be different.

My gaze trailed to where she was, tucked in a dark corner of the hall. A small smile played on my lips, no one was paying her attention. Rowan was done talking and was heading to the bar when I approached him, a big smile on my face.

“My love,” I rested a hand suggestively on his arm, pressing myself close to him “I can’t believe you’re here after all those long months. I missed you".

“Me too,” He chuckled, kissing my lips. “I’ll just have another glass of wine and go rest up. As much as I am enjoying this, my duties as Alpha resumes tomorrow. All the pack elders are full of your praises – they said you handled the affairs of the pack in my absence".

“I just tried my best,” I said and then in a low voice “The woman you brought with you… do you know anything about her?”

“Amara?” Rowan’s expression softened as he said her name. “She was held captive by the rogues. You cannot imagine the wicket things they’d all done to her. It’s a miracle she survived each terrible ordeal".

“Do you at least know a little of her background? Perhaps the name of her village or her family?” I pressed.

His brow furrowed, and I could see the irritation flickering in his eyes. “Freya, Amara has proven her worth. She saved many of our warriors' lives. Surely you can see that she is no threat.”

“I know, dear,” I said soothingly “But it matters. We – you know nothing about her".

Rowan’s jaw clenched as he exhaled through his mouth. “Don’t be like this, Freya. She needed a place to stay. The rogues had destroyed her village, she was wounded and the rest of the soldiers practically insisted that we bring her back with us. Why are you making an issue out of it".

“Because it feels wrong… she’s a stranger and…”

“Fine!” he gritted his teeth interrupting me. “I saved her because… because when I first saw her, she reminded me of you. She had the same innocence, the same vulnerability you once had".

The words stung more than I cared to admit. I took a deep breath, steadying myself. Arguing won’t get us anywhere.

“Rowan, there’s something you need to know. She’s a witch – not just any kind of witch, she’s a dark witch".

His eyes widened in surprise. After a few seconds, he scoffed and looked away. “Are you confusing being a healer or being a witch, Freya?”

“No!” I shook my head tightening my grip on his heart. “I mean what I said".

“How do you know that?”

“I can sense it,” I lied smoothly. “My wolf… She’s warning me. Amara might be dangerous. Maybe she was even a dark witch.

Rowan’s brow furrowed. “That’s a serious accusation, Freya. We can’t just turn away someone in need based on suspicion".

“I’m not saying turn her away,” I said quickly. “But perhaps we could find her a safe place elsewhere. With another pack".

“Enough,” Rowan cut me off. “We’ll discuss this later. For now, Amara stays".

As he walked away, my gaze met with Amara’s across the room. The witch’s emerald eyes glittered with something that sent a chill down my spine. ‘Challenge accepted,’ that look seemed to say.

That night, as we prepared for bed, I tried once more to reason with my mate. To my surprise, Rowan seemed more receptive. Gone was the coldness I had felt earlier.

“You may be right,” he admitted when I brought up the matter again. “We should be cautious. Tomorrow, I’ll make arrangements to send her to a neighbouring pack".

Relief flooded through me. “Thank you,” I whispered, reaching for him.

But as I tried to deepen our kiss, Rowan pulled away. “I’m tired,” he murmured. “Goodnight, Freya".

That was strange, Rowan would never turn down an intimate time between us.

The next morning, I woke to find Rowan already gone. When I finally tracked him down, my footsteps faltered when I saw him in a deep conversation with Amara in his study.

“Ah, Freya,” he said as he spotted me hovering at the door. “I was just about to send for you. There’s been a change of plans".

My heart sank. “What do you mean?”

“Amara’s staying,” Rowan announced.

First, why would he make a private discussion public and right in front of the same person we had talked about? It was so unlike Rowan.

“I’ve decided to make her an advisor to the pack. She would also join the pack doctors to…"

“What?” I exclaimed. “Rowan, we discussed this. You agreed -”

“I’ve reconsidered,” he said firmly. “Amara has knowledge that could be invaluable to us. Her skills as a witch could give us an edge over rival packs".

My gaze darted to Amara, who wore an expression of humbling gratitude. But beneath it, I caught a flash of triumph.

“My Alpha is too kind,” she murmured. “I only hope I can be of service to the pack that has so generously taken me in".

My wolf snarled. She's manipulating him. Can't you see it?

But arguing further would only make me look petty and paranoid. I forced a smile.

“Of course. Welcome to Silverfang, Amara".

I turned to leave, my mind reeling with several thoughts. My wolf whined in distress; something was very wrong.

I couldn’t connect with Rowan’s wolf… it was as if our mate bond was slowly thinning out… it was only a matter of time before it snapped completely… whatever Amara was doing was working effectively.

Freya POV

In the days following Amara’s arrival, Rowan became busy with pack matters.

Amara was getting used to the pack and oftentimes, I would see her talking and laughing with the pack staff, exactly how she had done in my previous life. But one of the things I didn’t give her this time around was attention.

I was cordial and polite to her… despite all her attempts to draw a reaction from me.

One of the days, Rowan called for a meeting with me and Marcus, his Beta. I arrived early, determined to stake my claim on the seat closest to Rowan. But as I entered Rowan’s office, the scent of lavender and something darker – I couldn’t tell what it was, assaulted my senses.

“Amara,” Rowan started saying with a big smile on his face as he rose to his feet, at the exact moment I walked in. “I’m glad you could join us".

My steps faltered. The witch perched on the edge of Rowan’s desk, leaning in far too close. At my entrance, she straightened, a picture of innocence.

“Luna,” she murmured with a slight bow of her head. “I hope you don’t mind my presence. Alpha Blackthorn thought I might offer some… unique insights".

My wolf snarled beneath my skin. ‘She doesn’t belong here!’

I remembered this scene all too well. In my previous life, I had walked into this and had insisted that she leave or I do. Rowan told me plainly that she wasn’t going anywhere and in a fit, I stormed out of his office boiling with anger.

Meetings after meetings, afterwards, I would walk out because Amara was there. The fact that I had been so jealous of her without thinking that she and Rowan could have taken things a step further.

But this time around, I was not going to make things easy. The more I interfere with Amara… the less likely her chances are to woo Rowan.

Forcing a smile, I took my seat. “Of course not. We’re grateful for any assistance you can provide".

Marcus arrived moments later, his brow furrowing slightly at Amara’s presence. Good, I thought. At least he was as unsettled by the arrangement as I was. This had not happened in my previous life though.

As the meeting progressed, I found myself constantly on guard. Every time Amara spoke, offering suggestions on pack defence or resource allocation, I noticed how tender her voice would sound and how Rowan’s face would beam with pride.

“Perhaps,” Amara said at one point, her voice honey-sweet. “We should consider reaching out to the Shadow Claw pack of an alliance. I’ve heard whispers of unrest in the northern territories".

My eyes narrowed. How convenient that Amara would have such specific information. “The Golden Claws have been our rivals for generations,” I countered “We need to be careful not to seem weak to them".

“Rowan frowned. “Freya’s right. We can’t risk appearing vulnerable, especially now".

A flicker of annoyance crossed Amara’s face, quickly masked. But I caught it. It was a small victory but it meant a lot to me.

As the meeting ended, Rowan cleared his throat. “There’s one more matter to discuss. But I’d like to speak with Amara about it privately first. Marcus, wait outside. I’ll call you back in shortly".

My heart clenched. “And me?” I asked, fighting to keep my voice steady.

Rowan’s gaze slid past me, already focused on Amara. “That will be all for now, Luna. Thank you".

The dismissal stung like a physical blow. In my past life, I had fumed and stalked out of the office to lick my wounds in private. But not this time.

I stood, drawing myself to my full height. “With all due respect, Alpha,” I said. Injecting steel into my tone. “As Luna of this pack, I have the right to be present for all discussions concerning our member's welfare".

Rowan’s eyes snapped to mine, surprise and irritation filled them. For a moment, I thought he might argue. But then, to my shock, he nodded curtly.

“Very well. Marcus, you’re dismissed. Freya, Amara, stay".

As Marcus left, closing the door behind him, I caught a flash of something in Amara’s eyes. Frustration or was it… fear?

“Oh, Alpha!” Amara said quietly “I just remembered now, I promised to teach the younger children how to weave and it’s almost time for the lesson. May I be excused?”

“Oh!” Rowan’s eyes flashed with disappointment. “Certainly, I’ll see you later".

She nodded, gave me a curt bow and then walked out of the office, swaying her hips. When we were alone, Rowan rose to his feet and murmured something about him changing his mind. But I was no longer the naive, trusting Luna I’d once been. I knew there was something more going on with them, although I wasn’t sure it had happened yet.

Not saying another word, I followed him outside. We met Marcus waiting anxiously in the hallway. He was surprised that the meeting had ended quickly.

“I’ll have further instructions for you soon,” Rowan said briskly “For now, double the patrols along our southern border".

Marcus hurried off to comply with the order.

That night, as Rowan slept beside me, I lay awake, piecing together the puzzle. In my past life, I’d been too blind, too trusting to see the affair between him and Amara growing right under my nose. It wasn’t until that fateful day that I was delivering soup to Rowan’s office… only to find him pumping into Amara who was wedged on his desk like his life depended on it – that the scales had finally fallen from my eyes.

This time would be different. This time, I’d be three steps ahead.

Over the next few weeks, I threw myself into every business in the pack with a fervour that surprised even me. I attended every meeting and inserted myself into every decision. If Rowan and Amara wanted to plot behind my back, they’d have to work a lot harder at it.

But it wasn’t enough. I could feel me and Rowan’s mate bond weakening day by day, Rowan’s gaze lingering on Amara…

It was only a matter of time before she took over him completely but before that, I needed to know why of all the Alphas in the region, she chose Rowan.