Chapter 1

The day after the mating announcement was made, I ran into Kay and his Gamma guards at the edge of the training grounds.

"Hey, Alpha, look who's here," one of the Gamma guards nudged Kay with his elbow, his tone laced with suggestive amusement. "Your 'future Luna.'"

In an instant, all eyes from the nearby warriors landed on me.

Kay turned, crossing his arms, those perpetually arrogant gray eyes sweeping over me with clear impatience.

"Ella," he began, his voice icy. "Using the Alpha King's promise to force my hand? Lia was right. You'll stop at nothing to get what you want. Your methods are vicious."

My chest tightened at the mention of Eli, who also belonged to Stormfang Pack. No matter how prepared I was for this, the undisguised hate in Kay's eyes still felt like a needle, pricking at the memories of my past life.

I took a deep breath, forcing down the surge of emotion and keeping my voice steady. "I think you've got it wrong. The one I chose isn't you. It's Eli..."

"You're insane?!" Kay cut me off with a low growl the second the words left my mouth. "That bastard? That half-bred mongrel? You'd rather choose him?!"

Eli had more talent than Kay. It was an open secret in the pack, and the sharpest thorn in Kay's side.

He had hated his older brother ever since they were pups.

"This is my choice," I stated calmly. "You always complained about me clinging to you, right? Consider your wish granted. There's nothing between us anymore. You can be with Lia, openly and without shame."

The final scene from my past life unbidden flashed in my mind—Kay and kissing behind the safehouse door, his resolute back as he pushed me toward the rogue wolves, and the fleeting, triumphant look in Lia's eyes as he held her.

Kay seemed to be enraged by my calm. He scoffed, jumping to his own conclusions. "Ella! When are you going to stop this act?! Following me around saying you want to be my mate, and now you're playing hard to get? It's pathetic!"

I wrinkled my nose in disgust. "Alpha Kay, I'll say it one last time. My intended is Eli. This has nothing to do with you..."

Just then, a choked voice cut in.

"Ella..."

Lia emerged from who knows where, her eyes red as a rabbit's, with perfectly placed tears glistening on her cheeks. She was always like this, showing up at just the "right" moment.

"Sister," she said timidly, tugging on Kay's sleeve, her voice thick with tears. "You're only saying these things because Kay was helping me get familiar with the New Moon hunting grounds yesterday and couldn't make your coming-of-age ceremony, right? You like Kay so much, how could you ever really choose someone else? It's my fault. If I've ruined your relationship because of me, then... maybe I should just leave Stormfang Pack."

Before she could finish, she covered her face with her hands and began to sob quietly, her shoulders trembling—a picture of fragile helplessness on the verge of breaking.

The act worked immediately. Some of the anger faded from Kay's face, replaced by a look of 'I knew it'. He didn't, in his heart of hearts, believe that I would give up on him—a noble Alpha heir—for a banished half-breed.

He pulled Lia into his arms, assuming a protective stance. "Don't be ridiculous! Where would a delicate omega like you go? Stay in Stormfang Pack. I'll protect you."

Then, he turned back to me, his arrogance returned as if he were bestowing a favor. "As for you, Ella, if you stop this ridiculous performance and apologize for your insolence, I can still accept you as my Luna."

He was always like this—so full of himself, convinced that I would choose him no matter what.

"A ridiculous performance?" I repeated his words, my voice colder than I expected it to be. "Kay, you really are full of yourself. You think I chose Eli because you took Lia to the New Moon hunting grounds—that I'm supposed to be in charge of—and she, like an ignorant pup, broke the traps, letting three prize deer escape, and *I* was the one who got punished for poor supervision?"

Kay's brow furrowed, seemingly caught off guard by my bringing up old history.

I took a step closer, my gaze flicking to Lia, who was peeking at me from behind her fingers. "Or was it because she 'accidentally' shattered the silver-infused healing salve the lead healer had been working on for half a month? And you, our esteemed Alpha, ordered me to take the blame? What was your reason again? Oh, right—'Ella, you're stronger. You can handle the punishment. But Lia's just an omega. She'll fall apart.'"

Kay's expression darkened, his tone warning. "Wasn't that the right thing to do? As the future Luna, it's your duty to bear the weight of the pack! Protecting the weak is our creed! Ella, I didn't think you'd be so petty and narrow-minded! If you don't change these malicious ways, how could I ever dare make you the Luna of Stormfang?"

"I said, I don't want your Luna position!" My voice rose a notch, drawing more pack members to stop and watch. "I chose Eli because I see you clearly. And you, besides using Eli's birth as an insult, what else can you do? Casually mocking a warrior stronger and more gifted than you just because he's a half-breed? Does that hide your own incompetence and jealousy?"

"Better?" Kay's eyes flashed as if I'd struck a nerve. He shoved Lia aside and took a step forward, his nose nearly brushing mine. "His mother was nothing but a lowly stray! A mistake my father made when he was drunk! My mother was an noblewoman from an ancient bloodline! My father made the right choice for the pack's future, for pure blood! That abomination should never have been born! His blood is tainted!"

His words were like venom in the air.

I knew this story. Eli's mother was my father's true fated mate, but in the face of power, even a fated mate was just something to be discarded.

"So," I gave a cold laugh, meeting his enraged gaze, "in your eyes, blood and status are everything. Then why would you think a woman you call 'driven by benefit' would give up a 'noble' Alpha like you for a 'tainted' half-breed? What's the logic here, Kay? Has your arrogance stripped you of all basic reasoning?"

Kay was stunned by my question, his face flushing red.

He stared at me, his chest heaving, unable to comprehend or accept my choice.

Finally, as if he'd found the only possible explanation, he spoke with absolute certainty.

"You're just playing games! You're doing this to get my attention, to punish me for being close to Lia! Ella, I know you too well. You can't really choose him! When you've had enough of this and crash and burn, you'll come crawling back to me! I'll be waiting for that day!"

He paused, his gaze turning malicious. "But before that, I'm warning you. Stay away from Lia. If I find out you're causing her trouble out of jealousy, I won't go easy on you!"

With that, as if he'd successfully issued a threat, he put his arm around the weeping Lia and turned to leave, striding away and leaving his bewildered Gamma guards behind.

In the instant they turned, when Kay wasn't looking, Lia shot me a glance. It was incredibly brief, but it was filled with triumph and provoke.

I just stood there, watching them walk away.