Chapter 2

ADIRA'S POV 

“Mommy! Mommy!” I heard Lumina's voice calling out to me. 

She was barely able to make out the words properly.

But wait…

How come Lumina is alive? How come I can hear her? ...

Are we in the other realm now?…

“Adira!” The voice of an angry man yelled, forcing me to confront reality.

My eyes opened and immediately snapped shut at the blinding lights. I slowly opened them again, blinking rapidly, disoriented and confused.

“Adira!” The voice came again. Louder and angrier this time.

My eyes snapped open, and slowly the images around me started to come alive. I looked around at the crowd gathered in the hall. Everyone’s eyes staring back at me in confusion and irritation.

“Adira, are you okay?” Came the familiar voice of Ryder's grandfather, filled with concern.

My eyes snapped to him. And there he was seated on his throne with Mrs Willow beside him, also on her throne. Her face scrunched in a deep scowl and anger. 

Only the throne of Ryder was empty.

“What is wrong with you! You are embarrassing everyone!” He snapped. 

I turned to my side, and there he stood… Ryder.

The irritation on his face was clear. He was beyond pissed. 

“What the fuck is going on?” I muttered to myself. 

Just then someone tugged at my hand. I looked down to find Lumina, looking up at me with doll eyes.

She is smaller than I remember… What is going on?

I immediately picked her up and hugged her tightly. Seeing her beautiful face not filled with smoke and black like charcoal brought tears to my eyes. 

“You are okay… you are alive…” I muttered repeatedly, hugging her tightly.

“What is wrong with you?” Ryder whisper-yelled angrily. 

My eyes snapped to him. Searching his eyes, I saw the hatred I had come to know. 

“Adira”, Grandpa Alan (Ryder's grandfather) called out to me again.

I turned to him. 

“I will ask you again,” he said. “Will you marry my son?” he asked.

My eyes went wide. I looked at Lumina and then at Ryder.

On a closer look I finally noticed that Ryder looked younger than I last remembered. My eyes glanced around the hall at the scowling and irritated faces. 

And then it clicked…

This is exactly two years ago when I was asked by Grandpa Alan to marry Ryder in a hall filled with people. People who hated me.

The moment that caged me to this family for the rest of my life until I died a horrible death with my daughter.

I was back to life… I got a second chance at life…

I gasped loudly as it finally dawned on me.

The memories of my death flooded into my mind: the burning sensation, the pain of Lumina’s cries and screams. And the moment I begged helplessly for a second chance at life. 

A chance to get my revenge on everyone seated here. The anger I felt at the time of my death started to fill me again.

I looked at Ryder, and he looked back at me with the same eyes. I looked at his mum, and she had the same deep scowl.

Just then I saw Claudia, Ryder's pregnant cousin, walking towards me with a bowl of food. I kept my eyes on her as she got closer to me.

“It's really happening,” I muttered to myself.

She smirked and intentionally missed a step and fell towards me. Just then I shifted, and everything inside the bowl poured on Ryder. 

Her eyes widened in shock as she realised what had happened.

I burst into laughter as I noticed a leaf sticking out from Ryder's hair.

The hall was completely still as I crackled with laughter, but I didn't care.

In my past life, it had happened exactly like this, but instead of Ryder, it was me, and Lumina had been the one downed with everything in the bowl, and he had done nothing.

Everyone had claimed it was because she was pregnant, and pregnant women need to eat. That was why she was carrying the bowl of food. They made excuses for her instead of telling her to apologise.

And I had still stupidly accepted to marry Ryder.

“What the fuck! Have you lost your mind?” Ryder yelled. 

Murmurs and snickers filled the hall.

“I… I… I am sorry.” Claudia stuttered. “It was a mistake… It wasn't supposed to be you…” she started to say but suddenly shut up as she realised she was about to give the secret away.

I turned to Mrs Willow. She was the one that had instructed Claudia to do this in my last life. Just to disgrace me

The anger in her eyes deeply satisfied me. 

“And why are you laughing? Is this funny?” Ryder yelled at me. 

But I could see the embarrassment hidden in his eyes and also a bit of shock at my reaction.

I smirked. “It is funny. It is so funny that I will still be laughing about it next year.” I replied.

He was taken aback by the answer. He opened his mouth to say something but closed it as no words came out.

“I can't believe I condoned all this nonsense before now.” I gritted out. “There is nothing special about you, absolutely nothing.” My voice filled with anger, mixed with detest.

His eyes widened in shock and disbelief.

I turned to Grandpa Alan. “To answer your question.” I yelled at the top of my lungs for everyone to hear. “I will not marry your grandson.” 

He sprang up from his chair in sheer shock. “What?” he yelled.

At the same time, Ryder's face snapped to mine. His eyes wide like saucepans.

But instead of relief that I was rejecting him, he looked angry.

“How dare you reject my son!” Mrs Willow’s voice thundered in the hall.

My eyebrows furrowed. “Why are you angry? You never wanted me to marry your son.” 

I smirked. “Why? You hate that I am the one rejecting him and not the other way around? 

You don't think I am worthy of rejecting your son?!” I yelled.

“Well, surpriseeee! There is nothing special about your son. Just as he is the son of an alpha, I am also the daughter of an alpha! Just as he is alpha to his pack, my father also desires me to become alpha after his demise.

So no! There is nothing special about your son!” I yelled.

I heaved, panting heavily as I finally felt the weight get off my chest.

I felt free…

I felt powerful.

Mrs Willow stood there watching me speechless. She stumbled backwards in shock and fell into her chair.

“Adira… What is this? What is going on with you?” Grandpa Alan asked softly. 

He also looked speechless and in shock, but his eyes still showed kindness, like in my past life.

I breathed out heavily. “I am sorry, Grandad Alan, but I am done putting up with this. No one here actually wants me here…” 

“But I do… You belong here; your daughter belongs here.” He said softly.

“No… I don't. And even though you care about me, you couldn't protect me…” I said, barely above a whisper. 

I could still remember the emotions I went through in my past life. The pain and heartache 

I closed my eyes, and when I opened them again, it shone with confidence. I stood taller, my shoulders squared with confidence. 

“I will not! Marry Tyler, Alpha of the Lunar-Guard pack. I will not be his Luna, and I wish to have nothing to do with this family.” I declare with a voice unwavering.

“That is unacceptable!” Grandpa Allen snapped, finally raising his voice. “You will marry my grandson, and you and my great-granddaughter will remain in this pack.” He ordered.

I smirked. “You don't own me.” I said to him, 

“Neither do you…” I said to Ryder.

“You are only being given this opportunity for the sake of Lumina! Get off your high horse and stop this pretence.” Ryder yelled in my face, fists clenched at his side.

“I think you have mistaken my silence for submission. I won’t marry a man who once let me burn. You are no man to me.” 

Gasps filled the hall. People are stunned by my audacity.

Something flickers in Ryder's eyes. Embarrassment? Humiliation? Fear? Shock? Maybe a bit of all.

But I didn’t care. I spun around and walked out of the hall with my daughter in my arms and my shoulders held high.