Chapter 1

Elena's POV

"I'll allow you to choose your own death for the sake of our ten years of marriage," my husband Derek said, "You should feel grateful, Elena."

I looked at Derek standing before me. His face was completely cold as he said those cruel words.

I lowered my eyes and saw what had been placed in front of me.

A Rope. A knife. And a small cup of poison.

I didn't expect Derek would ask me to choose my own death one day.

Derek and I had been together since we were young. As his Luna, I had helped him rise from the Alpha of a small pack to the Alpha who controlled the largest land, army and grain reserves in the Southern area.

Later, after a series of disasters struck the Royal Pack, Prince Adrian died, and Prince Ryan gave up his claim to the throne. The election for Alpha King was opened to all Alphas once again. I stayed by Derek’s side day and night, helping him through the campaign, supporting him until he finally became the Alpha King.

I thought that after everything we had survived together, our marriage had become something unbreakable. But two days ago, someone had reported me of secretly connecting with the Lycan King and the Rogue King behind Derek’s back.

"There's been a mistake," I said, my voice shaking. "Whatever was reported — let me see it. Let me answer it."

"Elena, stop struggling. It's tiring to watch." Derek’s expression did not change. His voice was flat and impatient. “The investigation is already clear. I believe the evidence in front of me.”

Evidence? What evidence could be stronger than everything I had done for him over the past ten years?

I opened my mouth, desperate to explain again, but before I could speak, the door was pushed open.

To my surprise, my half sister Vivienne walked in.

She was dressed beautifully, her hair perfectly styled, her lips curved in a soft, cruel smile.

“Derek,” she said sweetly, “why are you still wasting time with her? Just tell her the truth. Stop letting her hope."

I froze.

“The truth?” I whispered.

Derek did not answer me. Instead, he reached out and pulled Vivienne into his arms and kissed her in the forehead. The movement was natural and familiar, as if he had done it countless times before.

My blood turned cold.

Derek then looked at me and said, “Fate might have kept us apart, but Vivienne and I have loved each other for over twelve years.”

For a second, I could not understand the words.

Then he continued. “Back then, Vivienne was forced to marry Alpha Prince Adrian. She had no choice. So I settled for you because you slightly looked like her,” Derek said coldly. “That was enough at the time.”

I stared at him, unable to breathe.

“Now Prince Adrian has been dead for a year. Vivienne is finally free. We can be together again, ” he went on. "So you have to die."

“So…” My voice came out hoarse. “The whole report thing was fake? You made it up just to kill me? Just so Vivienne could take my place as Luna Queen?”

Derek laughed. It was a short, cruel sound.

“What else did you think?” he asked. “Did you really believe I could love a wolfless like you? I was already merciful enough to marry you. But did you think I would ever let your wolfless blood pass on to my heir? I’m also afraid my kids might inherit that strange silver hair and red eyes of yours. These things keep reminding me you are not Vivienne.”

My heart stopped. “What… what are you talking about?”

His eyes swept over me with open disgust. "I had the kitchens put something in your morning tea. Years now. Just to be sure you could never get pregnant.”

Something inside me broke completely.

All those nights I blamed myself. All those times I cried, wondering why the Moon Goddess refused to give me a child.

It was all because of my dear husband drugged me behind my back.

I once believed he was the only light the Moon Goddess had left in my life.

I lost my mother when I was two years old. After my father, Alpha Marcus, married Cecilia, I was the forgotten daughter in my own home. With my silver hair and red eyes, I also looked like an outsider from the outside. When I was thirteen and everyone discovered I had no wolf, my father’s disappointment turned into disgust.

Then Derek came to me and pursued me. He told me I was precious. Told me the Moon Goddess must have brought me to him for a reason.

In return, I trusted him, loved him and gave him everything I had.

Because I had no wolf, I had grown up closer to the servants, the farmers, the guards, and the lower-ranked members of the pack than any noble girl ever would. I knew how the pack truly worked. I knew the price of grain, the condition of the fields, the structure of the guards, the weaknesses in management, and the needs of ordinary pack members.

After I married Derek, I poured everything I knew and everything I could into helping him run the pack. And he told me it had all been a joke?

I stared at Derek, and suddenly, through the pain, I remembered what he had just said. "Vivienne had been forced to marry Prince Adrian."

I let out a broken laugh. Derek and Vivienne both frowned.

“What are you laughing at?” Vivienne snapped.

“She told you she had no choice when she married Prince Adrian?" I lifted my eyes to Derek. "That’s funny. Because I remember how excited she was when she found out she was going to become Luna Princess. She even laughed at me about marrying the Alpha son of a small starving pack."

I turned to Vivienne with a cold smile. "Vivienne, you only crawled back to Derek because being the Luna Princess wasn’t as perfect as you imagined, didn’t you?"

Before Prince Adrian died, everyone knew Luna Princess Vivienne and Prince Adrian had already been living separately. I also met Vivienne several times at my home pack during those years. Every time, she complained a lot about the prince to her mother.

Derek's jaw set. He let go of her waist.

“Enough!” Vivienne screamed. Her beautiful face twisted with rage.

Vivienne clung to Derek. “Don’t listen to her, Derek. She’s just trying to slander me before she dies.”

Vivienne then turned to the warriors and snapped, “What are you waiting for? Make her drink it. Now!"

The warriors rushed forward.

I struggled with everything I had, but I was wolfless. No matter how hard I fought, I could not break free from their grip.

Then one of the warriors grabbed my jaw and forced my mouth open. Another picked up the poison.

The bitter liquid poured down my throat. I choked and coughed. No matter how hard I tried to spit it out, they held me down until every last drop was forced into my body.

The poison burned through me like fire.

I collapsed, my body convulsing in pain.

Derek stood there, holding Vivienne in his arms. Not once did he come toward me. Not once did he look regretful.

Hatred flooded through my chest, stronger than the poison, stronger than the pain.

If the Moon Goddess could hear me…Then let me do it again. Let me change everything.

If I got another chance, I would never love Derek again. And every sinner who destroyed me, I would make them pay.

My vision blurred.

Just before the darkness took me completely, I heard a woman’s voice. Gentle. Distant. Filled with pity.

“Poor child,” she whispered. “I will give you another chance.”

A soft light surrounded me. Then the voice spoke again.

“And the sinners, they will go back with you.”