Chapter 1

My twin sister Elena and I were mated to the Alpha twins and we both got pregnant within a month. Only the first pup born between my sister and me would become the pack’s Alpha heir.

My sister got pregnant a month before me and she was supposed to give birth to the heir first, but I went into labor prematurely a month early.

But when I was about to give birth, I chose to sit in a chamber filled with special potions that suppresses contractions.

Because in my previous life, my Alpha mate Marcus had dragged me into wolfsbane-laced water to delay my labor. He told me to wait until Elena gave birth to his brother Gabriel’s pup because Gabriel died saving his life.

But in the end, both my pup and I had died there.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day of my premature labor.

To avoid the same thing happening again, I had to proactively use a non-toxic solution to delay labor this time.

I called for Pack Healer Mara and told her to pour in the last dose of the potions.

The healer tried to stop me repeatedly.

"Luna, you've already used nine doses. Even though this potion is non-toxic, one more will be too much for your wolf to handle."

"Trust me, Mara. This is the only way to survive."

Before Mara could respond, the door was smashed open with tremendous force.

I didn't even have time to say a word before I was roughly pushed down into the water.

Alpha Marcus waved his hand, and someone behind him brought forward a large bucket. "I found the most powerful witch to concoct this potion," he announced. "It delays labor and has no side effects - it'll keep you going for a while."

The people behind him immediately poured in the contents of the bucket!

"Ahhh—!"

A bone-deep pain shot through my lower body as I realized what had happened - this wasn't the safe potion Marcus thought it was. It was wolfsbane, burning through my system.

"Marcus!" I gasped through the pain. "The potion - it's been tampered with! This isn't what the witch made - it's wolfsbane!"

I curled up in agony, shaking violently.

Seeing my face turn white as paper, something complicated flashed in Marcus's eyes, and for a moment he looked worried.

"Stop lying. Don't think I'll withdraw this potion so you can give birth to Pack Heir early. Do you think I'll fall for your tricks again?"

Again. The word stung because I knew what he was referring to - Elena's lies about me "deliberately" pushing her down the stairs last month, causing her to bleed. She'd sobbed that I was jealous and wanted to hurt her pup.

I'd tried to explain that she'd tripped on her own gown, but Marcus had looked at me like I was a monster.

The same man who once stood in the rain for three hours holding my favorite roses, refusing to leave until I forgave him for missing our dinner date.

I trembled, trying several times before I could get out a complete sentence.

" The pup is already coming... With this much wolfsbane, he'll die!"

Marcus clearly realized this was possible too.

Hesitation had just appeared on his face when my sister Elena came out, holding her belly and sighing.

"Marcus, don't be angry. My sister is probably just too nervous. But it's so strange - I just ran into her at the Central Mall last week. She was shopping for a long time and seemed very energetic. How could she suddenly go into early labor? Could there be... some misunderstanding?"

My eyes widened.

She was lying!

Ever since I got pregnant, I hadn't even left the pack house. How could I have possibly gone to the Central Mall!

But Marcus believed her. His face instantly darkened, and he poured all the remaining fifty doses of wolfsbane extract into the ceremonial chamber.

"You really haven't changed. Nothing but lies!"

" Marcus, do you really think I would lie about our pup? " I smiled bitterly.

Hesitation had just appeared on his face when Elena suddenly clutched her belly with a pained expression.

"Marcus... oh! I think... I think the baby is coming too!" She gasped dramatically, leaning against the doorframe.

Instantly, all hesitation vanished from Marcus's face, replaced by pure panic and devotion.

"Elena! Are you alright? Here, let me carry you." He rushed to her side, lifting her with the same gentle care he once reserved for me.

He carried Elena away, leaving me alone with the burning wolfsbane. He didn't care at all about the streams of blood flowing from my body, nearly turning the wolfsbane water red.

I was weak from the pain and poisoning.

My pup sensed the danger and fought desperately to be born. But the wolfsbane had completely suppressed my contractions. He could only thrash helplessly inside me, trapped and suffocating.

I used the last of my strength to drag myself out of the chamber toward the large ventilation grate on the far wall.

Marcus had installed that opening specifically for me, claiming he was worried I might suffocate in the sealed chamber.

I couldn't comprehend it. Just few years ago, Marcus had pursued me relentlessly to claim me as his mate. He'd written countless love letters swearing his eternal devotion.

This was the same man who used to read bedtime stories to my belly every night, who'd decorated an entire nursery by hand because he wanted everything perfect for our child. The man who'd once told me, "Our pup will be so lucky to have you as a mother, Aria. You'll love them the way you love me - completely, unconditionally."

But ever since Gabriel died saving Marcus's life a month ago, everything changed. Marcus blamed himself, and somehow Elena's grief-stricken presence filled a void I couldn't. She'd cried in his arms about losing her mate, and Marcus's protective instincts had shifted entirely to her.

The breaking point came when Elena claimed I'd pushed her down the stairs. "She's jealous, Marcus," she'd sobbed. "She can't stand that you care about me and my pup. She wants us gone." Marcus had believed every word.

That night, he'd moved into the guest wing. The man who once couldn't sleep without holding me suddenly couldn't bear to be in the same room.

In my previous life, everything happened so fast. I'd collapsed helplessly in that burning wolfsbane chamber, unable to use the mind-link due to the wolfsbane effects.

My phone had been right there, barely half a meter away, but I could only stare at it as death claimed me.

This time was different.

I fought through the agony and managed to grab my phone with trembling fingers. But when I tried to call for help, nothing happened.

No signal. Nothing.

Marcus had activated a signal jammer. He'd thought of everything.

But I still entered a mysterious code on my phone.

It was an old emergency protocol my father had taught me years ago - one that could bypass most interference. It was something we'd established when I first mated into the pack, but I'd never needed to use it.

I hit send just as footsteps echoed outside the chamber door.

"Sister-in-law?"