Chapter 2

The day finally came when my sister and I were set to activate our talents.

Alphas from every major tribe across the Beastman Continent poured in, crowding around our sacred altar until there was no room left to breathe. Because my sister and I were about to receive Heaven-blessed Breeding Talents, meant to help the beastmen carry on their bloodlines.

Before the activation even started, Lily was already swaying her hips like a snake, putting on a show for all those alphas, flaunting every bit of her charm.

She looped her arm through mine, her voice dripping with honey. "Seraphina, darling, you're still young. You don't understand how complicated this world is. Let me go first, and I'll save the best one for you."

That was exactly what she said in my past life. And she did pick the low-tier Surrogacy talent, leaving the high-tier Litter of Many for me. Back then, I was so grateful. I actually thought there was some real sisterly love between us. I never saw it coming, that from the very start, Lily planned to make me her stand-in, to take every single fall for her. She spent her nights tangled up with different beastmen, while I went through the agony of childbirth over and over again, becoming the filthiest woman in the eyes of every beastman on the continent.

Thinking about it now, a wave of hatred crashed over me. Since fate was giving me a second chance, this time I was going to rewrite my own story.

Right then, two golden rays descended from the sky. In front of us appeared the talent options, visible only to my sister and me.

With the memory of my past life burned into my mind, I lunged toward the light on the left. That should have been the low-tier Surrogacy. But when I got a clear look, I realized it was something else entirely, a Celestial-tier talent I'd never seen before in my previous life: Bloodline Evolution.

While I stood there frozen, Lily's muttering reached my ears. "Surrogacy? That means I don't have to go through the pain of childbirth? Perfect. I'll take it."

Hearing that, my confusion turned into pure exhilaration. Lily clearly wanted me to cover for her reckless affairs again, but this time I was going to break free from her grip for good. With this Bloodline Evolution talent, I'd never have to carry that stain again.

Without wasting a second, I quietly absorbed the Celestial-tier Bloodline Evolution into my body while Lily wasn't watching.

Lily took her Surrogacy talent, then turned to me with a probing tone. "Seraphina, I left the good one for you. What talent did you get?"

I lied to her. "Litter of Many."

A flicker of a smile darted across her face before she quickly smoothed it down.

Then Lily raised her voice, calling out to all the alphas around us. "Alphas, it's time for you to choose your mates. I'm Lily, I don't fight over anything. But my sister Seraphina has to be first at everything. So I gave up the higher talent for her. You should all consider her first."

That was exactly the speech she used in my past life, lifting herself up while throwing all the attention onto me, planting the seeds for what came later.

Right then, a powerful, towering figure stepped forward. He was clad in silver armor, my so-called mate from my previous life, Tyron Greyclaw. As a wolf alpha with ancient Bloodline, he held the highest claim to choose his mate among all beastmen on the continent.

His eyes landed on me. I quickly looked away. I didn't want him to pick me again. He was domineering and brutal. No matter how much I tried to explain in my past life, he'd already decided I was unfaithful, and he kept tormenting me over and over.

But he still walked up to me and took my hand.

Lily looked a little disappointed on the side. She'd thought her act of playing weak would make Tyron choose her. But Tyron had always valued bloodline and talent above all else. In my past life, if it hadn't been for Lily's jealousy driving her to make me carry nine dog-beast pups right away, if I'd first given Tyron a pure-blooded pup, maybe things would've turned out differently.

But none of that mattered anymore. This time, I wasn't staying with him.