Chapter 1

The day I confirmed my mate at twenty, I was stunned to find the Moon Goddess had arranged two mates for me.

Alpha Amos put their photos in front of me: two heirs to the pack’s Alpha line. One was the proud and powerful Glen Wolfe, the elder brother, famed as the strongest werewolf in the north. The other was the quiet and mysterious Ryan Wolfe, the younger brother everyone whispered about because he still hadn’t awakened his wolf; they called him a useless runt.

“This is the Moon Goddess’s decree,” Alpha Amos said solemnly. “Whoever you choose will be your mate and the next Alpha of the pack.”

Without hesitating, I chose the younger brother, Ryan.

My choice shocked everyone. After all, everyone knew I was madly in love with Glen and that I would only ever marry him. However, they did not know the truth.

In my last life, I’d chosen Glen, only to discover he was having an affair with his secretary, Fawn Albertson. Alpha Amos flew into a rage and banished Fawn from the pack. Glen, convinced I had betrayed him behind his back, turned his hatred on me.

From then on, he deliberately made a show of being intimate with his mistresses in front of me, forcing me to taste the pain of the mate bond. I was tormented and humiliated by those mistresses until I felt less than dirt. When my unborn pup was poisoned by one of them and died, I couldn’t take it any longer. I chose to end my life.

I never expected the Moon Goddess to give me a second chance.

This time, I resolved to step aside so that Glen could be happy with Fawn.

However, he had also been sent back in time to relive his life, and instead of calm, he broke down.

...

I’d just stepped out of the council chamber when I ran straight into Glen Wolfe and his gaggle of bootlickers.

The moment they saw me, the young werewolves’ faces went sly. They closed in, forming a ring of ridicule.

“Well, if it isn’t Iris. Are you looking for Glen again? You even came all the way to the council hall to beg him, huh? I didn’t know you could stoop so low.”

Glen glanced at me with that same half-contempt and half-smug satisfaction look on his face. “What did you tell Alpha Amos? How could the Moon Goddess possibly name two mates at once? This has to be another stunt to force me to claim you, right? Your imagination is impressive.”

He leaned in, voice cold and amused. “Spare me. Even if the Moon Goddess stripped you off and put you in my bed, I’d still hesitate before I marked you. Beg anyone you like. It won’t change a thing.”

His scorn cut the same way it had in my last life. My love, my loyalty, and my sacrifices were worthless in his eyes.

I swallowed the sharp pain and forced my voice steady. “Alpha Amos summoned me. He said he’ll personally host tomorrow’s birthday celebration for me.”

At that, the men behind Glen froze.

“He said what? Alpha Amos himself is hosting it? For her?”

Of course, they were stunned. Alpha Amos carried weight no one questioned; he never meddled in trivial matters. He only stepped in for grave things, such as war, succession, and death. For him to personally host my birthday meant unprecedented favor.

They all remembered the rumors Alpha Amos had let slip about the Moon Goddess’s decree. I, Iris, had been named with two mates, and whoever I chose would inherit the Alpha seat of the Silver Moon Pack.

Shock gave way to a wave of brown-nosing smiles aimed at Glen.

“Glen, Iris loves you. Your Alpha seat’s secure!”

“Congratulations, Glen! Don’t forget us when you take the throne.”

Glen shot me a condescending look, a half-smile playing at his mouth. “Congratulations to you, Iris. After all these years pursuing me, your wish is finally coming true.” He spread his hands theatrically. “You must be over the moon, right?”

Then, he lifted his chin and announced to everyone present, “But before we become mates, there are terms I need to make clear. Even if we become mates, you won’t have any say in my private life. We’ll block each other’s mind link and go our own ways. Promise me that, and I might consider claiming you.”

My heart went cold. This wasn’t merely arrogance; this was sacrilege. Defying the Moon Goddess’s will and mocking the sanctity of the mate bond…

I felt a wave of disgust. How could someone I once adored speak like that?

A sharp clack of heels cut across the corridor. Glen’s secretary, Fawn Albertson, appeared holding a stack of documents, her face a little pale.

Glen immediately went up to her, and his tone instantly changed to a sudden warmth I had never heard for me. “Why are you here if you’re sick? Didn’t I tell you to rest?”

Fawn managed a fragile smile and said weakly, “This urgent document needs your signature. I was going to call, but I didn’t want Iris to misunderstand. She’s always so sensitive about me, so I came in person.”

Then, she coughed, covering her mouth.

Glen shot me an accusing look. “You always jump to conclusions, making every female werewolf in the world your enemy. Your jealousy is exhausting.”

After that, he took the folder from Fawn tenderly and slipped his hand into hers.

The intimate gesture was deliberate, like they were meant to be.

Before he left with her, he turned back and said to me, “Think about what I said. If you don’t, don’t blame me for being even harsher than last time.”

Last time?

My heart lurched. Could he have been reborn, too? No wonder his voice sounded so certain. However, this time, it wouldn’t go the way he expected. I would never choose Glen again.