Alpha King Heir Begged Me Back After I Mated to His Brother

"Zoe, I'm begging you. Marry Hadley."

"If you marry him, you'll be his only mate. The future Queen. Your pup will be the next Alpha King Heir. Every she-wolf in this territory would kill for what I'm offering you."

The familiar voice dragged me out of the bone-deep hatred I'd been drowning in.

I snapped my head up and stared at the Alpha King, who was practically pleading with me.

Everything he promised was what most she-wolves dreamed of. But it wasn't my dream.

In my past life, I'd said yes to the Alpha King. Because Hadley and I had grown up together. Because I'd loved him.

But after losing my child and suffering every humiliation he could inflict, I'd finally seen Hadley for what he was.

I was about to refuse the Alpha King when Hadley burst into the Throne Room.

His face was tense. He dropped to his knees in front of his father.

"Father! I don't want to marry her! I already have someone I love!"

My heart jolted.

In my past life, I'd agreed the moment the Alpha King asked. I'd rushed out of the Throne Room to prepare for the wedding.

I never knew I'd missed this little show.

Noticing my gaze, Hadley straightened his back even more. He looked like a man defending his honor against an unspeakable offense.

"Father! There's no such thing as a Gifted She-Wolf! My body is perfectly healthy! Any woman I take can bear my children! I don't need her!"

Hadley was brimming with confidence. I almost laughed out loud.

The Alpha King was begging me because he knew the truth. The Ashford bloodline was special. Without a Gifted She-Wolf, no she-wolf could carry an heir of the royal line.

In my past life, I was that Gifted She-Wolf. And even for me, bearing Hadley's child had nearly killed me.

Bowl after bowl of bitter herbal tonics. To open my body for conception, I'd let them put forbidden blood parasites inside me, let those things tear through my veins.

And after all that, all I got from Hadley was one careless sentence.

"I'm a man. Getting a woman pregnant is the most natural thing in the world. If anything, you should ask yourself why you can't conceive."

This scene was exactly like the one from my past life.

The Alpha King was shaking with rage at Hadley's words. He kicked Hadley square in the chest.

"You ungrateful bastard! You don't get a say in this! You will marry Zoe, and she will be your only woman! If you dare defy me, I'll -- I'll --"

The Alpha King couldn't finish the threat.

He only had two sons.

The other was the former Alpha King heir, Callum, who'd been injured in battle. The rumors said he could no longer function as a man.

If Hadley was gone too, the Alpha King had no one left.

Hadley knew this. He stood his ground without fear.

The Alpha King could only look at me.

After all, everyone in Ashford Territory knew I loved Hadley.

But I wasn't going to walk that same path again.

I shook my head and spoke to the Alpha King with absolute certainty.

"Your Majesty, I won't marry the Alpha King heir. I'm in love with Callum. We've already pledged ourselves to each other."