Chapter 2

I ignored the officiating Elder shouting behind me and headed straight back to the suffocating Alpha mansion.

The first thing I did upon entering was rip off the elaborate gown—the one meant to symbolize my status as the "Luna-to-be"—and tossed it into the trash.

In my past life, I wasn’t just Ethan’s mate; I was his most loyal assistant, the sharpest weapon the Silver Moon Pack possessed.

To help him secure his Alpha status, I had rejected recruitment offers from countless top-tier packs. He had told me that running a pack was heavy work and he needed a partner who could stand beside him on the battlefield.

So, to match his pace, I clipped my own wings. I forced myself from a free-spirited ranger into a micro-managing administrator.

I remembered the breaking point in my previous life. Ethan had promised to take me to the Frozen Tundra to see the Aurora Borealis—a reward for a year of grueling work.

But on the day we were set to leave, Ivy sniffled and said she was afraid of the cold. He canceled the trip immediately. Instead, he took her to a warm southern valley for "convalescence," leaving me behind to guard the territory.

When a rival pack raided our borders, I was alone. I took three broken ribs and nearly froze to death in the snow defending his land while he played nursemaid to her.

I was done being the fool who burned herself to keep others warm.

Leaving Ethan was Step One.

I dug into the bottom of the safe and pulled out an invitation I’d buried a year ago.

It was from the "Winterborn Pack," the most powerful pack in the North. They had offered me the Gamma position—the lead warrior role—with authority second only to the Alpha.

I signed the document without hesitation and shoved it into my tactical rucksack.

Just as I clicked the final buckle shut, the bedroom door was blasted open by a wave of aggressive energy.

Ethan stormed in, his Alpha pheromones rolling off him in suffocating waves of rage.

When he saw me dressed in my tactical combat gear, the anger in his eyes looked ready to consume me. He rushed forward, snatched my backpack, and slammed it against the wall.

"Selena, is this your new strategy?"

"Humiliating me at the altar wasn't enough? Now you're playing the 'runaway mate' card?"

He sneered, glancing at the papers spilling out of the bag. "You think waving around some fake invitation from a rogue pack will make me panic? You think I'll beg you to stay?"

Ethan tugged at his tie, arrogance written all over his face.

"Did you forget? Without my scent to ground you, a dominant female like you won't survive your next Heat."

I looked at my scattered gear and asked calmly, "Who told you I was acting?"

Him and Ivy. One was a narcissist, the other a parasite. They didn't just suck my blood; in my last life, they took my life.

I had fought hard to be reborn. I had my combat strength back. Why the hell would I stay here and play nanny?

Ethan let out a cold laugh and opened his mouth to mock me further, but he was interrupted.

Ivy stepped out from behind him, carefully balancing a steaming tray.

The air instantly filled with the sickly-sweet scent of white tea and the bitterness of medicinal herbs.

"Ethan, please don't be angry," she said softly. "Selena is probably just emotional because of the failed ceremony. Her hormones must be imbalanced."

She looked at me with wide, teary eyes. "Selena, I asked the Pack Healer to brew this Calming Draught for you. I know I’m weak and I have no right to be Luna, but I just want everyone to be happy..."

Her voice trembled, perfect for a victim who was being oh-so-brave.

Ethan’s expression softened immediately. When he turned back to me, his face was ice-cold.

"Learn from Ivy. She’s frail, yet she’s dragging herself out here to make medicine for you. And you? You’re just being a brat."

I looked at the dark, murky liquid and felt a wave of nausea.

In my past life, she had brought me this same soup. It was laced with wolfsbane and suppressants to slowly drain my wolf’s strength, leaving me weak enough to be easily drowned in the sea.

I looked her in the eye. "I’m not drinking that. Get it out of here."

A flash of malice darted through Ivy’s eyes.

She stepped forward with the scalding bowl, acting as if she were trying to hand it to me, but she deliberately positioned her body to block Ethan’s line of sight.

"Selena, please, just one sip..."

Just as I moved to step around her, she flicked her wrist, splashing the boiling liquid all over her own chest.

"Ahhh!"

The bowl shattered on the floor.

Ivy collapsed into the shards, her chest instantly blistering red. She wailed, "Selena! If you didn't want it, fine! But why did you throw it at me... it burns... Ethan, save me!"

Ethan whipped around. Seeing the burns on her skin, his eyes bled crimson with killing intent.

He shoved me hard against the wall and scooped the screaming Ivy into his arms, roaring at me:

"Selena! What the hell is wrong with you?!"