The Luna He Never Wanted

In my past life, I bonded with my fated mate, Alpha Byron. Shortly after, his first love, Cassia, nearly died from a self-inflicted wound from a silver-coated blade. That tragedy ignited a decade of hatred from Byron toward me.

I was a dutiful Luna, quietly enduring his cold indifference.

Yet, all I ever received from him were icy glares.

"I wish it had been you."

But when Rogues invaded, he took a cursed dagger meant for me, collapsing at my feet.

As he lay dying in my arms, he used his last ounce of strength to push away my comforting hand.

"Althea," he whispered, "if only fate had never forced us together..."

At his funeral, the Pack's Elders were heartbroken.

"Byron, this is all our fault."

"We shouldn't have forced you into a bonding ceremony with Althea."

"If only we'd respected your wishes and let you be with Cassia, maybe things would have ended differently."

Almost everyone blamed me for his death.

"The Alpha saved you three times. He gave you everything."

"Why do you only bring him disaster?"

Everyone regretted supporting my bond with Byron. Even I regretted it.

Finally, in immense pain, I ended my own life with a silver dagger at the foot of the Moon Goddess's statue.

But the Moon Goddess gave me another chance, allowing me to be reborn before our bonding ceremony.

This time, I decided to grant him his wish and let him have the happiness he craved.

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1

I was reborn on the day we were meant to announce our bonding ceremony.

The moment he appeared, he accused me of forcing his hand.

"You've got some nerve, Althea," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Running to the Dycan King to pressure me."

"Do you really think becoming my mate will make you happy?"

Byron's familiar voice cut through the haze.

I groggily opened my eyes, staring at him in a daze.

He stood before me, hands tucked casually into his trouser pockets, his eyes filled with undisguised mockery.

He looked so much younger than the man he would become in ten years.

Back then, Byron had just come of age, his Alpha wolf newly awakened.

The Moon Goddess had truly given me another chance.

Swallowing the bitter taste in my mouth, I drank in the sight of him.

"You don't want to bond with me because the one you truly love is Cassia, right?"

A bitter laugh escaped him.

"What if I do? My wolf has already chosen you as my fated mate."

"The Elders and my parents are also in favor of you becoming the future Luna."

"Can you change their minds?"

I said earnestly, "I can."

My parents had sacrificed their lives to protect the Dycan King.

When he learned I had a fated mate, he announced that if Byron and I were to bond, he would exempt the Ironwood Pack from twenty years of taxes and provide support in territory and resources.

He even promised to attend our bonding ceremony.

For a small, remote pack like Ironwood, this represented immense benefits and the highest honor.

But I could also ask the Dycan King to revoke his decree.

Byron was stunned for a moment, then laughed in exasperation.

"So you are using the Dycan King to pressure me."

"For the good of the Pack, everyone, including my parents, is forcing me to bond with you."

"I can't fight them, and now you're telling me you can easily change their minds?"

"Althea, I don't have time for your games."

"Go and invite the Dycan King. Tell him our bonding ceremony date has been set."

With that, he turned and walked toward the shade of a tree.

Today was supposed to be the day we announced our union.

We were supposed to have an audience with the Dycan King and invite him to our bonding ceremony.

But this time, I wasn't going to do that.

Seeing the disgust in his eyes, my heart ached as if pierced by needles.

Across two lifetimes, I had loved Byron.

He had saved me multiple times, risking everything.

I had mistaken that for him having feelings for me, too.

Coupled with his wolf choosing me as his fated mate, I had gladly requested the Dycan King's blessing, hoping to become Byron's mate.

I thought I had found true love.

It wasn't until the moment his first love harmed herself—and his own wolf instantly weakened—that I finally understood. His coldness morphed into outright hatred, and I realized he'd likely never loved me at all.

My love was torture to him.

His dying words, "I wish fate had never bound us together," completely broke me.

After countless prayers to the Moon Goddess in my past life, I was truly given a chance to start over.

In my previous life, Byron saved me three times.

So this time, I would grant him the three wishes he regretted most in his past life. Then, I would leave him for good.

After that, we would go our separate ways.

He wouldn't die at thirty-five because of me, and we could both be free to find our own destinies.

The Moon Goddess had told me that rebirth came at a great cost.

But if it meant Byron could live, I was not afraid of any price.

I went to see the Dycan King and told him I was giving up my chance to become Byron's mate.

I asked him to attend Byron and Cassia's bonding ceremony instead, while begging him to uphold the promised territory and support for the Ironwood Pack.

The King considered it and agreed, signing a special document for me.

I knew Byron's three regrets; they were written in his journal, which he read every day in his past life.

"Regret bonding with Althea. Regret not fighting the arrangement. Regret not saving Cassia."

Now, his first regret was resolved.