3. Fresh start

Liberty pov

“Lib! Libby!!” the all to familiar voice of Cooper sounds. With a groan my eyes snap open as my heart races.

“Libby! Wake up you lazy pussy!” Cooper has climbed the stairs and is now in my room. He grabs the blanket and pulls it off of me. 

Ignoring him I put my head under the pillow. “Coop, just give me a few more minutes please.” I plead with him. 

“No can do, breakfast is in 10!” he cheerfully announces. 

“Okay, okay I’m coming….” I grumble feeling more confused and lost than anything else. 

/Naveah?/ I reach out to my wolf.

/I’m here Liberty,/ her voice sounds tentative.

/Was it all a dream? or a vision? or did it really happen? it all seems so real?/ 

/I can’t say for sure but what I do know is that the Moon Goddess isn’t pleased with our current way of doing things. We need to step up./

/Let’s go then,/ I swallow loudly. As I look in the mirror I see a faint scar on my neck.

When I touch it I feel silver burning and in my head I hear Selene’s voice: ‘It was real. This is your second and final chance. The scar is a memento of your past life. Only visible to you. Do not disappoint.’ 

I quickly put on my workout clothes and rush downstairs. Digging through my memories trying to figure out where in my life I am. I’m not yet in the Royal Academy but how long before that am I? Do I have time to train and prepare? To actually earn my place instead of using my fathers connections?

“Morning Dad! morning Mom! Morning Coopy!” I cheerfully greet everyone. 

“What got into you,” my father asks, surprise written all over his face. 

“I had a good night's sleep,” I reply. “What are today's plans?” I ask, still trying to figure out what day it is. Hoping that their answers will help me. 

“Cooper and I will be making a pre-selection from the candidates for the Academy trials in three months time,” my father pointedly says. I hear his irritation. We fought over this. He was willing to put me on the list if I stepped up. I said ‘yes’ did ‘no’.  

In my previous life I wanted to go to the Academy but I didn’t put in the work. I felt entitled to a spot because I was the Alpha’s daughter. To me it wasn’t about learning anything there. It was about finding my mate. I didn’t get selected due to my lack of talent and effort.

During my trial I learnt that my father had secretly added me to the list because he didn’t want to disappoint me. I never thanked him and took it for granted. Overwhelmed by sadness I think back to my bogus trial where this act of love from father to daughter was used as evidence that I was a spy working for my father. 

I swallow. I’ll have to change my tune and put in a lot of work.

“Dad.. I thought about what you said before. About having to earn my place and having to pull my weight. Naveah and I talked it through and you’re right. We don’t want to claim a spot on birth right. We want to earn our spot.” 

I’d expected my father to be proud of me, to pat me on the back but instead he says nothing. His jaw drops and then he pulls me into a crushing hug like never before. 

“Liberty, I’ve always loved you but right now you’re making me so proud! I’ll train you so you can close the gap with the others.”

When he holds me at arms length I see so many emotions in his face; pride, relief and happiness. Even if I fail again in this life at least I’ll know I’ve actually tried and that feeling alone makes me straighten my shoulders.

Basking in my fathers light I see my mother sitting at the table. She seems somewhat lonely, so I make eye contact with her and give her a small smile raising my brow.

“Oh honey,” my mother starts, swallowing hard, “you still have more than 6 months before you leave for the academy. My little girl is all grown up now.”  

Unsaid is she wants to keep me safe at home near her. That she wants me to be dainty and pretty. She’s always sheltered me. Her love left me ignorant and sheltered in my previous life. 

“Mom, I’m no longer your little girl. Even if I get a wonderful powerful mate who can provide for me and protect me I want to be independent. I want to be able to take care of myself.”I walk over to her and hug her. 

“Come on Libby, time to put your money where your mouth is,” Cooper taunts me, knowing fuly I’ll get a pummeling in sparring class. 

To my happy surprise Cooper takes it easy on me. Going through the basics of attack and defense. Sweaty, bruised and content with my hard work I walk back home to take a shower. My mind going through the memories of my time with Hartley. 

The handsome Hartley, second son of the Lycan King Truett and his chosen mate Samantha. King Truett’s fated mate and mother of the heir to the throne Maverick died shortly after giving birth. 

I remember Maverick being alive when I started at the academy but I only had eyes for Hartley. The memory of discovering that the handsome spare heir Hartley was my fated mate now leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. I was so proud when I discovered that I was mated to Hartley. I felt I deserved it, being the most beautiful alpha daughter of a powerful wolf pack. It really felt like the Moon Goddess was smiling down on me. This time I need to think of a way to prevent Hartley discovering that I’m his mate. The thought of hiding from our mate causes Naveah to whimper in my head. 

/Hartley betrayed us in the worst possible way!/ I angrily hiss at Naveah

/Maybe it wasn’t just him? Maybe we should have put in more effort? Kept a closer eye on him? I can’t and won’t believe he never loved us,/ Naveah insists.

/Maybe he loved us at one point,/ I concede, /but somewhere along the way he lost interest in us and let his mind be poisoned by that horrible snake Candy. I’m not willing to take the risk that if we mate with him again that we can prevent the plot Candy set in motion./ I angrily hiss back at her.

I need to carefully go through my memories to see who else I trusted and I shouldn’t have. Did I snub people who were open and honest because I thought of them below my station?