Chapter 1

I only learned on my deathbed that my mate, Alpha Aiden, had always loved my two-faced sister, Cora. And the heir I’d spent my entire life raising was his secret son with her.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at my Luna coronation ceremony.

“Tonight, under the watchful eye of the Moon Goddess, the Alpha will place the Luna crown upon his mate.”

From the sacred altar, the Elder’s solemn voice boomed.

Hundreds of pack members held their breath, waiting for the sacred moment.

Everything was exactly as it had been in my past life.

But I knew the truth. This honor was a mask for a lifetime of lies.

I had died once before.

Murdered on a cold winter night by the very boy I had raised as my own son.

The feeling of my bones snapping, my soul tearing from my body… the memory was still raw.

Now, the Moon Goddess has given me a second chance.

I was back, just before my official mating ceremony with Aiden.

Cora had already been mated to his brother, Rhys, for two years.

Even though we’d been in the Silvermoon pack for three years, Aiden had never touched me. He was waiting until after the Luna coronation.

I’d always told myself it was out of respect. A way to honor me.

Laughable.

It was just an excuse to keep sleeping with Cora.

And now…

Aiden stood before me, holding the moonstone-encrusted crown.

There was no love on his handsome face.

His golden eyes were filled with undisguised disgust.

I froze in shock.

In my last life, he hid that disgust behind a mask of cool indifference.

He kept up the charade of a respectful, if distant, marriage for decades.

But this time, he wasn’t even trying to pretend.

Could it be? Was he reborn, too?

It didn’t matter.

I would not be the fool I was in my last life.

I would not silently accept this crown of thorns.

Not for my family's honor.

Not for anything.

“No.”

My voice was quiet, but it cut through the silence of the hall.

The word was barely out of my mouth before a sharp pain pierced my soul—the phantom of our former mate bond, crying out in protest.

Aiden froze, his brows slammed together.

Everyone stared.

Murmurs rippled through the crowd, swelling like a tide.

“I refuse,” I said, lifting my chin.

I looked straight into Aiden’s shocked eyes and spoke, word by word. “I reject your mark. And I refuse to be your Luna.”

The hall erupted.

“Elena!” Elder Marcus shot up from his seat. “What madness is this?!”

Aiden’s face went from shock to pure fury.

He lowered his voice, a low growl only I could hear. “Are you insane? Elena, don’t you dare test me here.”

I slipped the Moon Goddess bracelet from my wrist.

The symbol of our betrothal.

I placed it gently on the altar.

“I’ve never been more clear-headed, Aiden. We are not meant to be.”

My gaze drifted past him, to the other side of the VIP section.

My sister, Cora, sat there, next to Aiden’s twin brother, Rhys.

Cora had her hand over her mouth in shock, but I didn’t miss the flash of pure joy in her eyes.

And her mate, Rhys… he looked bored with the whole damn thing.

He swirled the crimson wine in his glass, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

Aiden followed my gaze, and his face grew even darker.

He whipped his head back to me, his eyes burning. “What game are you playing now? Elena, don’t think I don’t know your schemes! Just like when you threw Cora under the bus to win the Blackwood Forest deal!”

For a second, the blood in my veins turned to ice.

The Blackwood Forest project?

That was a massive deal I orchestrated five years into our marriage.

And "throwing Cora under the bus" was a lie he’d been fed, a misunderstanding he held against me.

But right now, at this point in time, that project didn’t even exist.

I knew it.

He came back, too.

No wonder his disgust was so raw, so unapologetic.

In his reborn memory, I was a manipulative, wicked woman.

And his sweet, innocent Cora was the one he was meant to love.

Realizing this, I almost laughed.

“So,” I said, my voice calm, almost pitying. “Then what are you waiting for?”

A second later, it was as if he couldn’t stand to be in the same room as me.

He slammed the crown down on the altar and stormed away from the ceremony.

He didn’t return to his seat. He walked straight toward Rhys and Cora.

The hall descended into chaos.

Aiden stopped in front of Cora, his eyes blazing with a mix of passion and apology. “Cora. Come with me.”

Cora’s eyes welled with tears as she looked to Rhys for help. “Rhys, I…”

Rhys finally put down his wine glass.

He lazily glanced up at his brother, then at his mate, and let out a short, harsh laugh.

“You want her, brother?” he asked, his tone blunt and crude.

Aiden flinched. “This is between me and Cora.”

“Fine.” Rhys shrugged and stood up.

“She’s all yours. I’m sick of this whiny little crybaby anyway.”

He broke his bond with Cora without a second thought, like he was tossing away a piece of trash.

“But I’ll give you a piece of advice, Aiden,” Rhys said, leaning in close to his brother. His voice was just loud enough for those nearby to hear, full of theatrical amusement.

“Don’t be a fool, brother. You’re chasing a kitten and abandoning a lioness. A woman like Elena... she's a queen. She's the only one who can help you keep your throne.”

With that, Rhys whistled a tune and sauntered out of the hall.

He left behind a room full of stunned guests, and Aiden and Cora frozen, their faces a mixture of fury and humiliation.

In the end, Aiden ignored his brother’s warning.

He took Cora’s hand and, under the complicated stares of everyone present, made a very public exit.

I stood silently on the altar, watching it all unfold.

Good.

Aiden. Cora. Rhys. The players were all on the board.

The next morning, Aiden returned to the pack house with Cora on his arm.

He publicly declared that Cora was his chosen mate.

The Elders called an emergency meeting.

In the council room, Aiden sat at the head of the table.

Cora was beside him, a victorious smile on her face.

"About the Blackwood Forest energy project…" Elder Marcus began, clearing his throat.

"That project will be transferred to Cora," Aiden interrupted, his gaze sharp. "She is my mate, and she has the right to manage it."

"As for Elena, a rejected Luna has no qualifications to handle pack business."