It was the day of the coming-of-age ceremony.

The ceremony had wrapped up, and the guests had trickled out when Iris finally strolled in, taking his sweet time with Ruby in tow.

Ruby was walking awkwardly, and Iris had some pretty obvious scratch marks on his neck.

Anyone with half a clue could have guessed what they had been up to.

In the past, that would have made me lose my cool.

One was a guy I had been crushing on forever, and the other was my half-sister.

'Even if you didn't love me, could you at least pretend to care about decency?' I stewed internally.

However, now, I barely gave them a second glance before I turned away to keep busy.

Iris caught my look, especially that brief pause, and quickly pulled Ruby behind him.

However, the angry outburst he had been waiting for never came.

His smile slowly turned into a grimace, like something was bugging him, and he could not help but throw a jab my way.

"You're not just pretending not to care because you're scared I'll change my mind, are you?

"Alright, you're playing it cool today. Since you know I will be the next High King, it's obvious I won't be tied down to just one girl for life. I'll have plenty of lovers," he boasted.

"However, you did good today. So here, this is for you."

He pulled out a fancy little wooden box from his pocket, but before he could hand it over, Ruby grabbed it.

"Wow! It's gorgeous!" Ruby's eyes lit up as she admired the gem. "Isn't this the true love gem from Lord of Winterhold? You can't even buy these!"

Iris, caught off guard, quickly said, "You like it? Then it's yours."

Ruby put on a show of hesitation. "I can't possibly take this. It's a special gift you picked out for my sister..."

Her words trailed off, but her eyes stayed locked on me, a smug smile playing on her lips.

Iris let out a carefree chuckle. "Keep it. I'll just whip up something else for her. She treasures anything that comes from me, anyway."

The room was filled with the low chuckles of the other clan heirs.

Just like that, a flood of memories I had kept locked away came crashing back.

I was transported to that snowy Christmas when I had trudged through the storm to give Iris a present, only to get soaked to the bone.

He tossed his cloak at me and casually said, "Don't catch a cold."

I had clung to that cloak like a priceless treasure, hiding it for years.

Until he caught me one day, secretly inhaling its scent.

His face turned stormy, and he shouted, "You're pathetic."

I turned beet red, from my cheeks to the tips of my ears.

The High King had to intervene, tapping him with his cane. "She's just a kid. Watch your words."

He shut up then, but he ensured the story spread to every heir of every clan.

I became the butt of everyone's jokes.

With that memory burning in my mind, I spun on my heel, ready to escape the party I had grown to loathe.

However, Iris stepped in front of me, blocking my path. "Leaving so soon? I know you aren't one to let things go. Do you really think I can't see right through you?

"You're nothing but a jealous, spiteful she-wolf."

He grabbed my wrist, but I yanked it back.

"Alpha Iris, you'd better watch your tone."

He let out a derisive laugh. "Watch my tone? You're the one who's been begging me to mark you. We're destined to end up together, so why play innocent?"

I met his gaze and said, each word deliberate and clear, "Who said I'd ever choose you as my mate?"

The room went dead quiet.

The wolves around me erupted in laughter, their howls echoing off the walls.

Iris's face was a mask of ice. "Who else could you possibly choose? You were so head over heels for me. Would you ever be happy to marry anyone else?

"I come from the Silvermoon Pack, the mightiest of all werewolf packs, and I carry the noblest Lycan blood. Sure, Alpha Damon's decent enough, but his lineage is nothing special, no match for mine.

"Apparently, his wolf is quite weak. He was poisoned with wolfsbane a few years ago. His stamina's never been the same since then.

"You really want to marry him? Be stuck with a weakling wolf for life?"

####CHAPTER-NAME:

Every eye in the room was on me, waiting for my answer.

Just then, Alpha Damon made his way into the hall, looking frail, struggling to walk at any speed.

Muffled laughter spread through the crowd as I was about to declare that I would choose to marry Damon. However, the High King's words echoed in my mind.

"If your heart truly lies with Damon, I'll honor your choice. However, keep it under wraps for now. Once the dust settles, the truth will come out."

I bit back my words, hesitating.

Damon caught my eye, his gaze filled with a sadness I could not ignore.

I got the High King's point.

With all those heirs from different clans watching, each hungry for power, I could not just blurt out my feelings.

So, I decided to let them think what they wanted and walked away from that choking atmosphere.

On the drive home, Ruby and I shared a car.

She flicked her wrist, and the gems in her box glittered so intensely I had to squint.

"So what if you marry Alpha Iris? His heart will always belong to me," she said, her voice dripping with challenge.

Ruby was like two different people. To the world, she was the picture of sweetness and innocence, but when we were alone, her true colors came out—sharp and dangerous.

I could not shake the memory of her previous life, wrapped up with Iris, nothing between them.

She was curled up in Iris's arms, a scared little wolf, while Iris clutched her close as if he was protecting her from me.

I felt like I would break down right then and there.

Later, my parents sent Ruby off to some small town and married her to a High Serpent King who was always off fighting wars. She had it way easier than I did.

However, I decided to let her stick with Iris in this life. I was curious to see how that would turn out.

"What do I care where his heart lies? If you're so into him, go ahead and let him mark you.

"I hope the Moon Goddess blesses you two," I said, though I did not mean it.

Ruby paused, then smirked and laughed. "Your blessings? No thanks, they might be cursed. However, no matter what, Alpha Iris is mine."

Thanksgiving rolled around, and my dad had me take a gift to the High King.

I walked into the royal court, and there was Ruby, all dolled up in a red dress and dripping with jewels, looking like a million bucks.

She caught my eye and gave me that little smile. "Sophie, do you like my dress? Alpha Iris gave it to me.

"I told him I wasn't into all this bling, but he wouldn't take no for an answer. He said I deserved the best."

I was annoyed and tried to walk away, but Ruby blocked my path.

"Sophie, can't we just talk? You look so down.

"I get it, it's tough. Feelings can be a real pain to deal with," she said, and then she started crying. However, it was all an act.

I tried to shove her aside, but she collapsed with a dramatic gasp, clutching her leg and wailing about the pain.

"Why did you hit me? I'm your little sister!"

Right then, Iris burst through the door, his eyes blazing as he took in the scene.

"Sophie, what the heck are you doing?" His finger was practically a claw as he jabbed it in my direction. "How could you be so cruel to your sister? That's just evil!"

I could not help it—I burst out laughing, looking from Iris to Ruby.

"Ruby, I have to hand it to you; your little act is pretty convincing. You're quite the piece of work."

Out of nowhere, a wolf's howl cut through the room.

Iris spun around, his hand a blur as it came down hard across my face, leaving a trail of scratches.

"Don't you dare talk about Ruby that way!" he shouted.

####CHAPTER-NAME:

The sting on my cheek felt like a burn, and my inner wolf seethed with anger.

I wanted to lash out, but a quick glance at the onlookers held me back. I had to get out of there.

Ruby smirked, clearly pleased with herself.

Iris, realizing he had lost his cool, reached out to help me up, but Ruby clung to him.

"Honey, my legs are hurting. Can you check on them for me?" she cooed, her voice feigning frailty.

The crowd watched, murmuring to each other.

"Sophie must be so desperate for a guy that she'd even take down her sister. That's low."

Iris's gaze was full of loathing.

"Sophie, what have you done? Getting your attention is the worst luck."

His wolf pack buddies snickered behind him, enjoying the drama.

"Sophie, you'd even go after your sister. If Alpha Iris had a circle of female friends, would you lose it?"

"Ha! Maybe Sophie could take on the whole pack. She might shred every girl that would dare hang around Alpha Iris."

Back then, I trained in combat just for Iris, vowing that if anyone tried to take him from me, they would regret it.

However, looking back, I was way out of my league.

While they laughed, Iris came up to me, an icy smirk playing on his lips. "Today, the High King will make our marriage official. Remember what I told you before."

His voice was like ice. "After we're married, we'll live separate lives. Play nice, and maybe I'll let you save some dignity in this marriage."

I was floored. How could the heir to our kind say something so outrageous?

He took my silence for consent, his grin growing wider.

"Just keep in line, and I won't let you embarrass yourself in public." He was sure I would fall in line.

Then came the sound of footsteps. The High King's right-hand man, his second-in-command, stepped out—with Damon, the werewolf, in tow.

He was not the sickly figure I remembered but was decked out in a deep purple suit with delicate gold embroidery that showed off his strong build.

He noticed the dried blood on my face, made his way through the crowd, and stopped in front of me. "You okay?"

My heart skipped a beat. It took me back to my previous life when I was helpless, and he was there.

"Sophie, what are you doing here?" He never used to call me Luna. I thought he had something against me, only to find out when it was too late that was not true at all.

"Does it hurt?" Damon's voice was soft and full of concern.

I looked up, and our eyes locked as a pang of bitterness hit me.

"I'm fine," I managed to say with a weak smile.

Then, Iris scoffed and said, "Why do you care if that hurts? Damon, she's going to be my wife!"

The second-in-command seemed slightly startled by Iris's words. However, he shrugged it off and said, "Let's head in. The High King's waiting for us."

As Iris strutted by me, he muttered a warning under his breath. "Don't forget what I told you."

He strutted away, looking smug as if he had the whole world in his pocket.

The guests had all filed into the great hall, where the High King sat in the place of honor. With a warm smile, he stood, took my hand, and led me to the platform.

"Today, I have a big announcement," he said, pausing to look around at everyone gathered.

"Sophie's 18 now, and as promised to her granddad, we will choose a suitable husband from the heirs of the four great clans. Whoever she marries will be next in line for my throne."

The High King's wealth was legendary, and his throne was the ultimate prize.

Desire was written all over the faces of the guests.

"Let's bring up the couple, and I'll vouch for them myself."

All puffed up and proud, Iris was already stepping forward, ready to climb onto the stage.

However, the High King stopped him with a smile and turned to Damon, who was standing off to the side.

Dressed to the nines, Damon was far from the weakling everyone remembered. He stood tall, his gaze steady, capturing everyone's attention.

He walked up with a crystal crown in hand.

"Sophie, my future Luna, come and join me," he said.