Chapter 3: Samantha's Arrival

It was during the day of our engagement ceremony when Jay met his true mate, Samantha Smith. She had nothing to offer to him politically or aesthetically. She was humble, naive, and plain-looking, yet for whatever reasons, everybody loved her.

Unlike me, Samantha lacked the grace, the wit, and the strength required of a Luna. She was barely able to take care of herself, let alone thousands in our pack. Still, regardless of all that, people whispered that she would be the perfect Luna.

I hated her.

She came into the world, and my world started to fall apart. High society no longer embraced me; it shunned me. My maids quivered in my presence no more but snickered behind my back. My jewelry disappeared. My dresses vanished in the night, and some were found with holes in them—and I was expected to replace them continuously, making me seem like an extravagance. And to top it all off? Women came to functions in the same gowns that I wore, which had been tailor-made for me. It was degrading. Every single time that happened, I would find Samantha and blame her for what was happening, not knowing my accusations furthered the view of me—a villainous woman who not only took Samantha's mate but also tortured her relentlessly.

The more I fought, the more distant Jay became. We were engaged, and with my father’s influence, Jay’s social standing and power in the pack rose greatly. His future was set. He was forced to choose me over his destined mate. A year after our engagement, under immense pressure from my end, we finally held our mating ceremony.

By then, my reputation had already been dragged through the mud. I was despised, ridiculed, and pitied. Aside from my bad reputation, my stepmother Agatha almost told everyone that I'm weak. She made the members of our pack disdain me as their leader. But none of it mattered—not when I saw the devastated expression on Samantha's face as Jay and I officially became mates. In that moment, I thought I had won. I thought that no matter what, I would be the one standing beside Jay as his Luna.

But I was wrong.

From the moment we were officially mates, Jay recoiled from me as if I were poison. He made it painfully obvious that he despised me. There was no soothing touch, no whispered sweet nothings—just icy stares and a smoldering hatred that burned between us. Still, I clung on, holding tight to that life so hard-won. I endured the whispers, the jeers of laughter, and the way Jay treated me as if I had leprosy.

For a year, I struggled to keep our fragile union intact, but I was growing weary. It was on the night of our one-year mating anniversary that I decided to let go. I couldn't fight this losing battle anymore; neither could I continue bullying Samantha.

That night, thinking it was an act of goodwill, I poured her a glass of wine for a peace offering. I wanted to end our rivalry, to finally put everything behind us. But the moment she took a sip, she collapsed, frothing at the mouth.

Panic set in. People screamed. Accusations flew. And just like that, my fate was sealed.

That was the end of Melody Madison—the wicked woman who stole another's mate, tormented the innocent, and finally, in one final act of malice, attempted murder.

"Mom, there's no need to panic. Perhaps Melody had a bad dream; that's why she appeared afraid of me," Jay said to Agatha.

Then Jay turned to Melody again, his tone low and reproachful.

“Mels, I told you to stop skipping breakfast. Can you see why now? ”

I looked at Jay just as Dr. Evelyn, Mary, and Agatha excused themselves from the room. My heart clenched when he spoke again. His tone was almost teasing, but it sent shivers running down my spine.

“I cannot have you die just a week before our engagement.”

When I looked at Jay, who had just entered my room, all I felt was fear. It flashed in my mind, like a cruel vision, the image of him slicing my father's neck. My hands clenched into fists, and I felt a cold dread wrap around me, suffocating. I closed my eyes.

"My… my father…" I managed to whisper.

Jay's face didn't change. "The Alpha hasn't come to see you. He may not have heard about the incident."

Lies.

“If he hasn’t come to me, then I must go to him.” I pushed the blankets off and swung my legs over the side of the bed.

Jay frowned. “You shouldn’t be pestering the old man at your age, Mels…”

He reached out, intending to steady me, but I flinched away before his fingers could graze my skin. The reaction was instant and involuntary.

Jay's eyes widened in surprise. "Melody?"

I scrambled back, putting as much distance between us as the room allowed. My breath came in short, panicked bursts.

“What is it? What’s wrong? ” His concern sounded sincere, but I couldn’t trust it. Not when the very sight of him was churning my stomach with fear and revulsion.

I shook my head, unable to form words past the lump in my throat.

“Please… just go,” I whispered.

Jay stiffened. For a moment, he looked like he wanted to argue, but something in my eyes must have stopped him. His jaw tightened, and with one last lingering look, confused perhaps, or even hurt, he turned and left the room.

The instant the door shut behind him, I burst into tears.

Tears cascaded down my cheeks in a merciless stream as my body quaked; I slid down against the bed frame. Sobs wracked my chest, and my hands clasped in the fabric of my nightgown. I had been given a second chance—a chance to live, to change things.

I wouldn't waste it.

The goddess had brought me back for a reason.

This time, I wouldn’t beg for love.

In the life I had left behind—the life that could still become my future—my father had died protecting me. A father I had never truly appreciated, a man I had always misunderstood… and yet, in the end, he had been the only one who had stood by my side.

I would not let my foolishness be the cost of his life again.

This time, I would alter the fate of the Madisons. This time, I would be different.