LOGINOn the day of my mating ceremony with the Alpha, everyone said the only reason I got to marry Adrian Hawthorne and become Luna was because my face looked so much like my sister's. At the ceremony, the ring engraved with her name and the slip when Adrian instinctively spoke her name during his vows. Every detail was a reminder that I was nothing more than a stand-in. But I had loved Adrian in secret for seven years. Even being his stand-in was enough for me. I told myself that was enough. Twenty years later, I happened to see him standing beneath the Moonlight Tree, praying to the Moon Goddess. "If only Vanessa hadn't died back then." His voice trailed off. A sharp pain shot through my chest. The world went black. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the beginning. Back to when I had just met Adrian for the first time. This had to be a gift from the Moon Goddess. A second chance. This time, I swore I'd never love Adrian Hawthorne again.
View MoreI had assumed that once Adrian agreed to the mating ceremony, Vanessa would have what she wanted, and they would finally leave me alone.The next morning he was at my door.He was sitting on my front step, looking exhausted."Adrian?" I frowned at him.He stood up slowly and held my eyes. "I'm doing the mating ceremony with Vanessa."He searched my face for a flicker of any kind. Anything.What he saw was relief. "Congratulations."It didn't feel like the kind of news that deserved congratulations to him. "I don't love her. But she's pregnant. I don't know if the child will make it, but I have a responsibility—"He didn't know how things had gotten this far either.It had all started with that one cursed heat.One wrong step, then another, and another, until there was no way back.He looked at me, his voice low. "Vanessa won't last long. After she's gone. Is there any chance for us?"Funny.In my last life, I spent twenty years with him. What I got at the end of it was: If only Vanessa
My father chimed in. "Selene, you're being so unreasonable. Your sister is dying, and you're still trying to take a man from her."My grip on the doorframe went white at the knuckles.I wasn't going to argue with these people. "If you don't leave, I'm calling the guards."I slammed the door.I had nearly enough evidence. All I needed now was the right moment to release it.When the buzz around Cassandra started to fade, my mother dropped her edited clip. The same second, I hit send on mine.Vanessa watched the wave of hate pour in for me again, and smiled."An Alpha's got your back. So what? She can shield you for a day. She can't shield you forever."Then the tide turned.The further down she scrolled, the darker her face got.[Wait. Isn't that witchcraft? Sacrificing one daughter to save another? What kind of mother does that?][If she knows she's dying, she should be focusing on treatment, not stealing her sister's man!]I had posted everything. Every conversation, every audio clip
The next morning at the hospital, something was off. My coworkers gave me strange looks. As I walked past, I caught the whispers."Is that her? She always seemed so kind. Who knew?""Wishing your own sister dead. You wouldn't say that to your worst enemy."I pulled out my phone. The first headline that came up: [HEAD HEALER CURSES OWN DYING SISTER STRAIGHT TO HELL!]The video showed a woman on her knees, sobbing, begging me for forgiveness. The clip ended on me: "You should've gone to hell long ago."I got it instantly. Vanessa had cut everything she'd said to provoke me, and left only my one moment of anger.I had a public profile in this pack. As Head Healer, the moment that clip went up, the views started piling on.The comments were brutal. Someone had already dug up the name of my hospital. By the time I checked, there were people outside the front entrance, holding signs.It started affecting hospital operations. Under public pressure, the director sent me home for a few days.Th
Deep in the woods, in the witch's house, Vanessa was running out of time.The witch came over to examine her and shook her head. "Your condition has worsened, and that potion forced a mate bond on top of it. If we don't get the sacrifice here soon, you have less than a month."That was when Vanessa actually started to panic. She lurched up and grabbed the witch by the collar. "You gave me that potion. Why is it making me worse?"The witch looked at her, unfazed. "You came to me wanting a fake-mark potion. I gave it to you. You didn't ask about side effects."That night in the forest, Adrian had held on to just enough of himself to refuse to mark her.Vanessa had no other play. She drank the potion and forged a mark of her own, becoming his fake mate.Now she was furious and frantic. She rounded on her mother. "He won't even talk to me anymore. What do I do? I'm not ready to die! Think of something."Her mother held her hand. "Sweetheart, calm down. Selene has guards on her constantly.
It was my parents.I was upstairs, about to come down, when I heard my mother's voice break. "It's all that cursed Selene's fault. My poor Vanessa. Why is she the one suffering? Why couldn't it be Selene who got sick instead?"My foot stopped on the stair.One witch's prophecy, with nothing behind i
Halfway through the banquet, Adrian's face changed. Vanessa had opened the mind-link. I couldn't hear what she said, but I saw the panic flash across his face."Selene, Vanessa's not feeling well, I have to get to the hospital—""Go. I'll get myself home."I cut him off before he could finish the po
Vanessa was already home when I got back, curled up on the couch with an apple, watching TV. Perfectly relaxed.Nothing about her looked sick.She glanced over and smiled. "What kept you?""It's late. Get some rest. You've got the banquet with Adrian tomorrow." Her tone was sugar-sweet, the concern
"There's a banquet tomorrow night. You'll come as my date. I'll pick you up myself."Adrian set the invitation on my desk and walked out before I could answer.I glanced at the date. Twenty-seven years ago. The year I first met him.He hadn't asked me because he wanted me there. My sister was too si












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