2

Raven

“Congratulations, dear friend! You’re getting married today!”

Lila’s shrill voice pierced the fog of my deep sleep, jolting me awake. I blinked, disoriented, staring up at the familiar ceiling of my bedroom.

Wait… my bedroom?

“Lila?” I croaked, my throat dry and voice groggy. I sat up, the blankets slipping from my body. I blinked rapidly, my heart racing as I tried to gather my bearings. My mind struggled to connect the dots. The last thing I remembered was lying on the cold pavement, blood seeping from my body, my vision fading as the life was drained from me.

Yet here I was, alive, in my bedroom, Lila standing at the foot of my bed, grinning like a Cheshire cat.

“Of course, Lila,” I murmured, rubbing my temples. But then it hit me—this isn’t right. My pulse quickened, panic swelling inside me. I died. I was hit by a car. I was bleeding…

I looked around wildly, expecting to see some sign of a nightmare or hallucination. But no, everything seemed normal, exactly as it was before the disaster of a night I had planned a year ago. My eyes darted to Lila, who was still smiling brightly as if nothing had happened.

“You’re so lucky, Raven,” she said with a sigh, picking up a brush and dragging it through her hair lazily. “Mated to the great Alpha Emerson Blackwood. And today’s the big day! Everything will be perfect. I can already see how happy you’ll both be together.”

Her words rang in my ears like a mocking bell. The same words she’d said before—before she betrayed me, before she twisted the knife in my back and revealed her affair with Emerson. My heart raced, but my mind raced faster. This can’t be real.

“Lila,” I said slowly, my voice steadier than I expected, “what’s the date today?”

She looked at me, puzzled, as if I’d asked a ridiculous question. “The date? Raven, seriously? It’s January 24, 2023. Your wedding day! The day you’ve been waiting for!”

January 24, 2023.

The date rang in my head like a gong, and the room seemed to spin around me. It was the same day. The same damn day. The day I married Emerson. The day everything fell apart. But how was that possible?

I inhaled sharply, my chest heaving. The Moon Goddess… She had answered my desperate prayer. I’d begged for a second chance—to make them pay, to exact my revenge. And here I was, reborn on the very day that had marked the beginning of my demise.

I looked at Lila again, seeing her for what she truly was. A liar. A betrayer. My so-called best friend, who was sleeping with my husband behind my back. The rage that boiled inside me was unlike anything I had ever felt before. But I kept my face neutral, refusing to show her the fire that burned inside me.

“Lila,” I said sweetly, suppressing the venom in my voice, “you must be so jealous.”

She blinked, confused. “Jealous? Why would I be jealous, Raven?”

I smiled slowly, watching her. She had no idea. She didn’t know I remembered everything. She didn’t know I knew exactly what she was going to do to me.

“Because,” I said, my voice dripping with fake sincerity, “you must wish you had what I have, don’t you? To be mated to Alpha Emerson, the love of my life.” I paused, watching her reaction carefully. “It’s okay to feel envious, Lila. It’s only natural.”

Her eyes narrowed, her smile faltering slightly, as if she couldn’t understand why I’d suddenly become so condescending. But she covered it up quickly, brushing off my words with a laugh.

“Oh, Raven, don’t be silly. I’m so happy for you. Why would I ever be jealous of you?”

I stared at her for a long moment. She didn’t know it yet, but this would be her downfall. Emerson’s downfall. Both of them.

I rose from the bed, keeping my composure as I dressed. The anger bubbling in my chest only gave me more clarity. I know exactly how this plays out. But this time, things would be different. This time, I wouldn’t be the one heartbroken and betrayed.

Lila’s rambling voice faded into the background as I descended the staircase, my eyes scanning the scene below. There, in the living room, stood Emerson, dressed sharply in his black suit. He looked just as he had that day—handsome, charming, every inch the Alpha he was born to be. Beside him stood Marcus Greer, my old mentor, the only man I felt like I could trust implicitly. He was shaking hands with a few pack dignitaries, laughing warmly, as if this day was simply one of celebration. And of course, tonight was supposed to be a day of celebration.

But I saw everything with new eyes now. Emerson. His stupid betrayal and affair with my own best friend. How had I been so blind?

The guests gathered downstairs noticed me as I stepped into the room, their chatter falling silent. Emerson turned toward me, his expression softening as he saw me. He walked toward me, a smile on his face, reaching for my hands as if nothing had changed.

“Raven,” he said warmly. “You look stunning. I’m so lucky to have you by my side today.”

Lucky? You have no idea.

I stared into his eyes, remembering everything—the lies, the betrayal, the divorce papers he had handed me later that night. But this time, I wouldn’t be caught off guard. I would be in control.

I pulled my hands away from him and turned to face the room. My heart pounded in my chest, but I felt powerful, invincible even. I had been given a gift. I had been given a chance to rewrite my fate.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” I said loudly, my voice cutting through the silence like a blade. “I have an announcement to make.”

Everyone stared at me, including Emerson, whose smile wavered as he realized something wasn’t right.

“I’m canceling the wedding.”

A collective gasp rippled through the room, and Emerson’s face fell into confusion and shock. “What are you talking about, Raven? You’re canceling the wedding?”

I turned to him, my eyes cold and unforgiving. “That’s right. This wedding is over before it even begins. I won’t be marrying you.”

His mouth opened, then closed, his eyes darkening with anger and disbelief. “Raven, what the hell are you doing?”

I stepped closer to him, lowering my voice so only he could hear. “I am doing what I should have done a long time ago.”

He froze, his eyes wide with shock. “Raven, I—”

I didn’t give him the chance to finish. I turned away, my gaze sweeping over Marcus, Lila, and the rest of the room. “There’s no need for a party,” I said icily. “This day marks the end of a lie, not the beginning of a new life.”

Marcus narrowed his eyes confusingly at me, and Lila’s face paled. They knew something was wrong—very wrong—but neither of them had any idea what I was capable of now. This was only the beginning.

Without another word, I strode out of the room, the stunned silence of the guests following me as I left. My heart pounded, adrenaline surging through my veins. I had just thrown the first punch in a battle that was far from over.

And I couldn’t wait to see what would happen next.

Let the games begin.