Chapter 2

Father followed my advice and kept the news of me being Volf's arranged mate a secret.

Kael was still busy running around for Lyra's "fate", trying to persuade the elders to cancel the arrangement. He ignored the preparations for our marking ceremony as if they were nothing.

In my past life, I had fought with him countless times over this. I was furious that he cared so much for Lyra and so little for our ceremony. But no matter how much we quarreled, he never gave up on trying to change her fate.

This time, I acted like I knew nothing. I did not get angry, nor did I try to stop him. I stayed quietly in the castle, packing the things I would take with me.

With only two days left before I was to leave, the Night of the Full Moon arrived. Staring at the bright round moon above, I felt a tremor of fear about becoming Volf's arranged mate for the first time.

I knew little about him—only that he was powerful and dangerously possessive. Once I entered the Frostfang pack, would I still be free to hunt as I was now?

Carrying that unease, I went to the pack square, wanting to join one last hunt with the pack.

But as soon as I appeared, Kael arrived with Lyra at his side.

"Loria, I promised Lyra I'd let her join the hunt, but there aren't enough spots left. Could you willingly step back this time?" he asked.

Before I could even speak, Lyra's eyes filled with tears. "Forget it, Kael. Even though this is my last chance to hunt in the Silvermoon pack, since Loria wants to go too, it's okay. Don't make things hard for her."

Kael's temper flared. He glared at me with contempt.

"Loria! Can't you stop being so selfish? You'll have countless chances to hunt in the future, but Lyra's about to leave for the sake of peace between two packs! Can't you let her have this for once?"

In the past, I would have argued fiercely, but now, I simply nodded and stepped back.

"Alright," I responded.

His expression softened at once, a smile breaking across his face. Out of habit, he reached for my hand, intending to kiss the back of it.

"Loria, I knew you'd understand. After all, Lyra is only becoming an arranged mate because we're meant to be together. The least we can do is make it up to her."

I sidestepped and smiled. "You're right, Kael. We should make it up to her."

I slipped off my moonlight cloak and handed it to Lyra. "Wear this in the forest during the hunt. The moonlight cloak can hide your scent, so wild beasts won't track you. You'll be safer this way. I hope you both return unharmed."

"Loria, you'd really give this cloak to Lyra?" Kael's voice was warm with approval. "You've finally grown up. You understand me now. Don't worry, I'll hunt down a deer for you myself."

With great excitement, he draped the cloak around Lyra's shoulders, forgetting completely that it had been the first gift he ever gave me.

I looked one last time at the gathering of werewolves in the square before turning to leave. But Lyra's sudden sobs stopped me.

Her face had gone deathly pale, her breath coming in sharp gasps. She looked as though she were in agony.

"Loria, you knew snowmoon grass would trigger my asthma. Why would you dust the cloak with its powder?"

Kael tore the cloak from her shoulders and threw it to the ground. He gathered her into his arms, eyes fixed on me in bitter disappointment.

"Loria, I thought you'd finally come to your senses, that you understood how much we owed Lyra. Turns out you're still so selfish. She's about to sacrifice everything for our pack, and you would still hurt her like this."

The frost in his gaze overlapped perfectly with the way he had looked at me in my past life.

"If anything happens to Lyra, I'll never forgive you."

It was not true. I wanted to tell him Lyra never had asthma. I had given her a cloak, nothing more. There was no snowmoon grass powder on it.

I reached instinctively toward the torn cloak, but as I drew near, Lyra shrank back in fear.

"Keal, I'm sure Loria didn't mean it. I'm fine. Just put me down. I'll get better once I take some medicine."

Her frail voice made Kael's heart ache. He shoved me aside with sudden force.

"I won't let you hurt her again!" he growled. "Lyra, don't be afraid. I'll protect you."

Holding her close, he carried her away without a single glance at me on the ground.

Only when I caught Lyra's smug eyes peeking over his shoulder did the desire to defend myself drain away.