Breaking the First Bond

"The old agreement doesn't count. Alice is the woman I love. Even if we're bonded, I'll never love you!"

At the bonding ceremony, Loki Olson stood in formal attire, his face twisted with anger as he roared those words at me in front of all the guests.

My wolf spirit, Shadow, spoke inside my mind. "He must've been reborn, too."

I lowered my eyes and silently agreed with Shadow.

Looking at his face, still young yet painfully familiar, I felt a strange sense of disorientation.

I believed Shadow completely, because in my previous life, even after I had been Loki's mate for decades, he had never once truly looked at me.

In my past life, my father, Alpha of the Silvermoon Pack, had issued Loki a ruthless order while he was still a young man.

If he wanted to become the next Alpha, he had to marry me.

Back then, young Loki was full of ambition and determination. He wanted nothing more than to lead the pack to greatness, so he clenched his teeth and accepted the marriage.

Meanwhile, my sister, Alice Brewer, had been arranged to marry into the Goldlush Pack. She refused to leave and begged me to take her place, even threatening to end her life if I didn't agree.

As I was secretly in love with Loki, I refused Alice without hesitation.

I thought marriage would bring me the love I dreamed of.

Reality struck me hard instead.

Even after becoming the new Alpha, Loki never held a mating ceremony with me, even though I was his mate in name.

I managed the household for him with absolute devotion for decades and still couldn't earn a single word of concern.

I comforted myself more than once, telling myself that maybe Loki was simply too focused on growing the pack to care about romance.

That illusion shattered the year I turned 90.

By chance, I saw him enter a hidden room in the attic.

The walls were covered, floor to ceiling, with photographs of Alice.

Loki gently traced the picture frames, his eyes overflowing with love and longing.

That moment struck me like a bolt of lightning.

Loki wasn't incapable of love. He just didn't love me.

After decades of sacrifice, I still hadn't earned the pack's recognition, nor the love I had begged for my entire life.

Overwhelmed by grief and rage, I collapsed on the spot.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the bonding ceremony with Loki.

Watching Loki lose control in the center of the hall while the guests stared in shock, I called my father.

"Dad, I'm willing to take Alice's place and marry into the Goldlush Pack."

"Are you sure about this?"

Hearing my father's voice again after decades nearly brought me to tears.

"Yes, I've thought it through. Alice and Loki love each other. I can't be the villain who tears them apart. The new Alpha of the Goldlush Pack is also a strong and fearless warrior. I'll be happy there."

After hanging up, I looked toward the center of the hall.

Loki had his arm around Alice's waist, his face lit with the excitement of an inexperienced young man, not someone who had lived nearly a century in another life.

I said nothing and turned to leave the hall.

In this life, I chose to fulfill their love.

I would never repeat the same mistake.