Chapter 3

Elena's POV

"Father, please," Vivienne said. Her eyes filled. She had practiced the look. "Derek and I have loved each other since we were children. I just — I couldn't say anything before, because I knew you want me to marry the prince. But I can't lie to myself anymore- " She turned and gave me the tender look she only ever used in front of an audience.

"It's true, Alpha Marcus," Derek said quietly, bowing his head. "I only pursued Elena because she looks a bit like Vivienne."

"You little fool," Cecilia hissed. She was off the couch now. "Vivienne. Do you understand what you are saying? You are engaged to the royal Prince. You do not throw it away for —" She looked at Derek. "For a small pack Alpha's son with no name."

"I've already married Prince Adrian once in my last life, mother," Vivienne said, voice started shaking. "He was cold and ruthless, barely spoke to me. He had a son who hated me. He refused to give me another child. He had a terrible ex who came back from somewhere, and she would not leave us alone. The Alpha King and the Luna didn't care what I said. Then Adrian put me in prison and left. He died on the battlefield and I was a widow at thirty, with nothing."

"That's nonsense. Probably just a dream you know-"

"It was real! "Vivienne wiped her eyes carefully so as not to smudge her lashes. "I think moon goddess sent Derek and I back to start over with each other."

I had heard every line of that speech in my last life during the few times I went back to my home pack after I married Derek. Vivienne came back a lot to complain with her mother.

Now I watched her pretty face crumple against Derek's chest. I watched Derek smooth her hair.

Confirmed.

They had been sent back too and thought it was a blessing from the moon goeddess?

I chuckled.

It came out small and cold, and it surprised me as much as it surprised them. Derek's head snapped up. Cecilia's mouth shut. Even Vivienne — who never broke character — paused mid-tear.

"What is funny, Elena?"

Vivienne and Derek thought he could still be the Alpha King this time and marrying him could easily make Vivienne the Luna Queen like I did.

The truth was: Derek's pack was still a mess when I married him. It was me. I worked day and night, using everything I learnt from the pack staff to turn his pack into the largest and the biggest in the south. I networked with countless people and wrote multiple successful public speeches to make his campaign smooth.

Vivienne probably assumed Derek had become the King on his own. Derek probably assumed Vivienne, as the favored Alpha daughter at home, would know more than I did.

Well. Both of them were wrong.

"Nothing," I said. "Go on."

"Father," Vivienne said, her voice trembling but firm, "if you can’t cancel my engagement with the Prince, then… then I have no choice but to kill myself."

Vivienne suddenly pulled out a knife and pressed it to her throat.

Cecilia gasped, but she dared not move closer.

Even thought I knew Vivienne was just bluffing and her hands were already shaking, I was surprised that Vivienne was this much determined to marry Derek.

Marcus stared at Vivienne with a face I had not seen on him before. He did not believe a word of her dream. But Marcus loved and spoiled Vivienne.

Marcus turned to me, his usually cold expression softened by a flicker of hesitation.

"Elena… could you…" Even a father as distant as Marcus seemed to struggle with the words.

Vivienne and Derek both turned their gazes toward me.

"It's fine, Father," I said softly. "I won't marry a man who already loves my sister."

I lowered my head, letting a hint of sadness show. My instincts told me it wasn’t the right time to reveal that the Moon Goddess had sent me back too. Not yet.

Marcus exhaled. He had aged in the last two minutes.

"Then it is settled. Vivienne, you will marry Derek. Tomorrow I will sit with you and his father and we will discuss this."

Vivienne immediately threw the knife aside and leapt into Derek’s arms.

Cecilia rushed forward, quickly checking Vivienne for injuries.

"I hope you don't come to regret this, Vivienne," I said calmly.

She dabbed carefully at eyes that had stopped leaking. "Thank you, sister. Never." Her voice was bright. Too bright. "We will become the mighty King and Queen. You will see."

Good luck to her.

That left one problem.

The royal pack.

Marcus pulled out his pocket watch and stared at it. The royal wedding had been set for Saturday. Today was Wednesday. He was going to have to call the royals and inform them that the wedding needed to be cancelled.

It couldn't be easy.

"There is no other option," he said, more to himself than to anyone. "Maybe I should ask if Elena can be the bride."

"Oh, Father, no." Vivienne's voice climbed back into theatre. "Even though the prince is no good, the Alpha King will never accept a wolfless girl as Luna Princess. You'd humiliate the whole royal family. "

"I agree," Cecilia said quickly. "Surely the Queen —"

"It's fine. I have to make the call now," Marcus said.

He left the parlor.

"No one wants you. Again," Cecilia said to me, as if it had only just occurred to her.

"Derek never wanted her," Vivienne corrected her. "He always wanted me."

I almost said it.

I do not want a husband at all. I have lived ten years married. The next ten I will spend with my own name.

I did not get the chance.

Marcus came back through the parlor doors with the phone still in his hand.

"The Queen," he said, "has agreed."

The room went quiet.

"What?" Vivienne said.

"The Queen has agreed," Marcus said again. "Prince Adrian has been informed that his bride is now Elena."

This was new.