Alessandra POV:

I scrambled out of bed and rushed to the full-length mirror.

The girl gazing at herself in the mirror was twenty-one years old. Her eyes were clear, her face still held a touch of youthful softness. There were no lines of grief, no shadows of betrayal.

My hand traced the curve of my cheek, then moved down to my flat stomach. The phantom pain of losing my child clenched in my gut, sharp and sudden. I swayed, gripping the edge of the dresser to keep from falling.

Breathe, Ally. Just breathe.

I took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing the wave of agony down. The vulnerability in my eyes hardened, replaced by something cold and sharp.

Downstairs, the argument continued. Karyn's voice, that smooth, deceptively gentle tone she always used, was persuading my father to cover Britany's expenses.

And Warren, my father, was caving. Just like I remembered. Weak. Always so weak.

Flashes of my time as a disembodied soul flickered through my mind.

I'd seen my own funeral. A quick, sparsely attended affair. My father couldn't even look at my coffin.

I'd seen Karyn and Britany afterward, toasting with champagne, celebrating the removal of an obstacle.

But the clearest memory, the one that burned itself into my soul, was of Alpha Collier Mays.

On a full moon night, he came to my grave alone. This man, known to the pack as the "Cold-Faced Alpha," a warrior feared by all, sat before my headstone for the entire night.

His "blind" eyes, a startling ice-blue, were fixed on the stone, as if he could see right through it, right to me.

My soul had heard his voice, a low, raw whisper, repeating the same words over and over.

"Mine... You were supposed to be mine."

The grief rolling off him in waves was a tangible force, heavier and more profound than my own death.

The memory jolted me back to the present. My heart ached with a sharp pang, not for myself, but for him. For his pain.

In my past life, we'd barely spoken. I knew he was the pack's strongest warrior until an injury took his sight, making him even more withdrawn and cold.

I had always been a little afraid of him. I thought we were strangers.

But he was the one. The one who had loved me in silence. While I was chasing a phantom, a lie named Julian, Collier was the one whose heart broke when I died.

The Moon Goddess had given me a second chance. I would not waste it.

A plan, bold and absolute, began to form in my mind.

Revenge. Yes. I would have my revenge. But as a lone Omega, my power was limited.

I needed an ally. A powerful one. A mate who would stand by me, who would never betray me.

Collier Mays.

The name was an anchor in the swirling chaos of my thoughts.

In my last life, he mourned me. In this one, I would go to him.

This wasn't about seeking protection. This was about forging an alliance. I had knowledge of the future. He had strength.

I would make him my Alpha. My mate.

And I would be his Luna.

The argument downstairs finally died down. I heard footsteps on the stairs. Karyn's.

I quickly wiped the tears from my face, schooling my features into a neutral mask. I slipped back into bed, closed my eyes, and feigned sleep.

I knew she was here to "comfort" me, because Britany had stolen my money to pay off her credit card. To help Britany avoid being scolded, she had to maintain her usual loving and kind stepmother mask in front of me.

The door creaked open. Her footsteps were soft on the rug, stopping beside my bed.

I could smell her perfume, expensive and cloying, a scent I now associated with the stench of deceit.

My fists clenched under the covers, nails digging into my palms. The small sting of pain was a welcome reminder.

Alessandra POV:

The mattress dipped as Karyn sat on the edge of my bed. She let out a soft, theatrical sigh.

"Ally, are you still upset about Britany?" Her voice was laced with that familiar, false concern.

I didn't move, a cold smile touching my lips in the darkness.

She reached out, her hand aiming for my hair. Just before her fingers could make contact, I "restlessly" turned over, facing away from her.

Her hand froze mid-air. I felt a flicker of her annoyance, but she quickly masked it.

"I know you're hurt," she continued, her voice a gentle murmur. "But Britany is young. She doesn't know any better. As her older sister, you should be more forgiving."

My eyes snapped open. I pushed myself up, sitting straight, and turned to face her.

Karyn flinched, startled by the cold fury in my gaze. For a second, she looked genuinely unnerved, but then she seemed to dismiss it as a trick of the dim light.

"I don't want to talk about her," I said, my voice raspy but clear. "Karyn, I want to talk to you about me."

It was the first time I hadn't called her 'Mom'.

Her expression tightened. "About you? What about you?"

"My mother, Ellery Melendez, left me an inheritance," I said, each word deliberate and sharp.

Karyn's pupils constricted. The practiced smile on her face froze solid.

"You've been 'managing' that money for me for ten years," I continued, standing up so I could look down on her. The shift in posture felt significant, powerful."Now, I need it back."

She recovered quickly, her face melting into a look of wounded disbelief. "Ally, how can you say that? I've been keeping it safe for you, for your wedding day..."

"I want it now," I cut her off. "I'm getting married. I need it for my dowry."

That stopped her cold. "Married? To whom? Julian? But he..." She caught herself, clamping her mouth shut before she said too much.

"That's none of your concern," I said, turning to my closet and pulling out one of the few nice dresses I owned.

The noise must have carried, because my father, Warren, appeared in the doorway. He frowned, seeing the tension between us. "What's all the shouting about?"

Karyn immediately seized the opportunity, turning to him with wide, tear-filled eyes. The perfect victim. "Warren, you have to hear what your daughter is saying! She's accusing me of stealing her mother's inheritance!"

My father's face darkened. He turned his anger on me. "Alessandra! Is that any way to speak to your mother? Apologize at once!"

I didn't even glance at him. My eyes were locked on Karyn. "Three days. You have three days to transfer the full amount to my account. If you don't, I'm filing a petition for property arbitration with the Elders' Council."

The mention of the Elders' Council made Warren's face pale. The public shame would be unbearable for him.

"You wouldn't dare!" he blustered.

"Watch me." I grabbed a small duffel bag from the back of my closet and started stuffing clothes into it.

"What are you doing?" Warren asked, his anger giving way to shock.

"I'm not staying here until I have my money," I said, my voice flat and devoid of emotion.

I walked straight towards the door, right between my stunned father and stepmother.

Karyn reached for my arm, but I stopped her with a single, icy glare. It wasn't the look of a twenty-one-year-old Omega. It was the look of someone who had seen death and come back. She recoiled as if burned.

"You'll regret this, Alessandra!" she shrieked at my back.

I didn't turn around. I pulled the door open, then slammed it shut behind me. The loud bang echoed through the house, a final, definitive end to the person I used to be.