Chapter 3

Scarlett Vance.

The heels of my boots struck the floor sharply as I walked into the clubhouse. I waved at some of the bikers and strippers by the entrance, who paid me homage.

Inside, red neon lights flashed. Loud music pulsed through the room like a heartbeat. Some strippers dressed in fishnets were on the stage, twisting around the pole, swaying their bodies rhythmically to the music, while others were straddling the thighs of men. The scent of cigar smoke and alcohol lingered heavily in the air.

Then I saw her.

Zara.

Walking toward me in slow, deliberate steps, just like she had walked into the warehouse in my previous life. Her hips moved with reckless abandon. The men stared at her, their gazes lustful and hungry.

“Babe… over here.”

“Let me take care of you.”

Of course, every man wanted her. She was the head stripper — the one sexy and energetic enough to drive even the strongest man crazy, especially when she was dancing on stage.

We had been friends since I was still the Pack’s slave. I thought she was the only one who stood by me against all odds… but now I saw it. Everything was fake. The smile. The reassurance. The sisterhood code.

“You look stunning in that dress, my Lady,” she said sweetly, pulling me into a side embrace before my mind could catch up.

I felt a jolt of disgust and disdain curl inside me.

This bitch had spat on my face and told me that I didn’t deserve to be Luna.

Suddenly, I pushed her off me and stepped back.

Because she wasn’t expecting my reaction, she staggered — and just as I thought she was going to fall, Luca appeared, his hand gripping her waist tightly.

For a moment, I saw the way their eyes locked in an affectionate gaze, their lips just inches away from each other.

“Why don’t you just kiss already?” I sneered.

My voice pulled them out of their reverie. They stepped apart, putting a noticeable distance between them.

Her mouth and eyes widened in disbelief. “What do you mean, we should kiss already? Why would I want to kiss your husband?”

I was tempted to reveal the fact that I knew they were fated mates, but I kept quiet.

“Yes, Scar,” Luca chimed in, clearly still angry that I had almost hurt his mate. “Why would we kiss? And besides, why did you push Zara like that? You know she could have gotten hurt, right?”

I shrugged, unbothered. “I didn’t push her. I just don’t want her hugging me ever again. It makes me cringe.”

Both of them exchanged confused glances.

“But Zara has always been your best friend, hasn’t she?” Luca asked.

“Not anymore,” I said bluntly, because the truth was that Zara had hurt me more than Luca ever had. She was like a sister to me… the only one I thought stood by me against all odds.

“Why?” she asked, her voice almost breaking with fake sobs. “We’re best friends, so why would you just wake up one morning and say we can’t be friends anymore?”

I didn’t answer. I just glared at her, chewing hard on the gum in my mouth.

Luca’s mouth fell open, his gaze burning into me in disbelief before he turned back to Zara. “I’m so sorry, Zara,” he said softly. “Please forgive my wife. She must just be tired.”

Zara nodded. “It’s fine, Prince Luca. I’m just hurt that she would want to break our friendship without any good reason.”

He faced me again, glaring. “Scar, I don’t understand why you’ve been acting so strangely today. But you really need to apologize to Zara. She has been nothing but kind to you.”

A bitter laugh bubbled in my throat. “Apologize?” The word made fury crawl down my spine. “You must be kidding. I would never apologize to her.”

His wolf growled faintly beneath the surface, and if this were the past, it would have sent chills down my spine. But now… I felt nothing at all.

He parted his lips to speak — but just then, Lyra, another whiskey girl, walked up to us.

She bowed deeply. “Princess… the Alpha wants his whiskey now.”

“Okay. Thank you.”

Then she walked away.

“Well…” I tossed my hair back. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to leave now. I have a task to complete.”

“Oh…” Luca’s expression brightened immediately when I mentioned a task. Of course, he knew it was his mission I was referring to. “Go ahead, sweetheart.”

I looked Zara up and down before turning and walking toward the counter. I grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass, placed them on a tray, and started walking toward the VIP lounge upstairs.

In my previous life, I had begun the seduction immediately. In this life, I would do the same… but I would turn the tables.

I would make him fall in love with me.

And this time, I would love him back — genuinely.

Taking a steady breath, I twisted the knob and stepped inside… with hope and determination to alter my fate.

The VIP lounge was dim, thick with cigar smoke and silence. Not the chaotic noise downstairs — this was controlled. Heavy. Predatory.

He sat alone on the leather couch.

The Alpha King.

The devil in Armani.

The great ruler of the RavenWolf Pack.

The most powerful, ruthless, and influential Alpha in the Western coastal regions.

A man who neither forgave nor forgot his enemies — and who ripped them apart with his bare hands.

You offended him, he came for you. He offended you, he still came for you.

A man who commanded an army of wolves. A god among monsters.

Alpha. Dominic. Vance.

Black leather jacket. Black boots. Diamond studs glinting faintly under the low light. His legs were slightly spread, one arm draped lazily across the backrest as if the entire room belonged to him — and it did. The other Alphas trembled at his feet.

Piercing gray eyes landed on me the moment I entered.

They didn’t roam.

They didn’t rush.

They simply assessed… slowly. As if he knew everything. The past. The present. The future.

My heart plummeted, and I realized I had always been attracted to him — I had just denied it.

Forty-nine years old, they said. But time clearly feared him, because he certainly didn’t look a day over thirty.

I swallowed, forcing my steps to remain steady as I approached the table. I placed the tray down carefully, refusing to let my hands tremble.

I had done this before…

So I could definitely do it again.