Chapter 2

There was one more person on the lawn. It was a shewolf with a striking figure and long, wavy blonde hair.

Her features were sharp, but her demeanor was nothing like Sebastian's cold severity. Instead, she was patient as she guided Leo to rein in his aura. Whenever he stumbled, she reached out immediately to steady him.

That was Elina.

I didn't know how to define her. She had nothing to do with me. Yet, Sebastian and Leo were both intimately close to her. The air around them carried that enviable werewolf presence. It was also something I could never have.

It was already noon.

Thin wisps of smoke curled up from a chimney in the distance. The scene outside looked like a harmonious family of three. They looked so peaceful, almost idyllic in their little bubble.

I couldn't help but wonder whether they'd lived like this in my previous life after Sebastian had taken Leo and Elina back to Silverfang Manor.

I must have lingered too long, or my gaze was too intent as Sebastian noticed my presence.

A werewolf's senses were sharp. He picked up on the extra trace of scent in the air and lifted his head, looking toward the wooden fence.

There was irritation in his gaze at being disturbed. His amber eyes held a chill until he recognized me. Then, his expression shifted slightly.

"Faye?"

After being reborn, I had already forgotten what Sebastian looked like.

Decades had passed in my previous life. If I remembered correctly, the last time we saw each other was around these days. Now that I was finally seeing him again, it suddenly clicked.

So… this was what he looked like in the past. Huh.

When I didn't respond, Sebastian frowned faintly. He strode over to me and reached out, placing a hand against my forehead. "What happened? Your heartbeat is so slow."

I instinctively moved to avoid him.

Sebastian paused momentarily at that. A flicker of something dangerous, something almost possessive, passed through his eyes as his gaze turned darker.

…

Meanwhile, Leo had already retracted his claws. He was only four, but he could already control an Alpha's emotions with ease.

The moment he saw me, the smile on his little face disappeared. Instead, it was replaced by a proper, composed expression.

"Mama." He spoke politely, but there was a distance in his tone that didn't match his age. It was courteous, but it felt distant.

I used to think Leo had inherited Sebastian's disposition and that this was simply how he treated people. But after living through my previous life, I understood that wasn't true. He could be warm and playful, just not with me.

When he was with me, he always carried himself like a little adult. He was distant and polite. He had been the same in our final meeting in my previous life, cold as an iceberg.

He didn't call me Mama anymore at that point, but "that human."

"Father and I have both awakened our bloodline. We won't be swayed by emotions from someone with such weak blood. You're too weak. This bond will only drag you down. Let it go. It's better for everyone."

In my previous life, I waited for both father and son for decades, from my early 20s until my hair turned gray. Even when I was too sick to get out of bed, I held onto my last breath, refusing to let go. Only then did the broken door finally open.

I thought it was Sebastian, so I called out to him. Alas, my pleas were silenced by a cold voice.

"Father is suppressing a territorial rebellion in one of the extremely cold regions. No one is allowed to disturb him."

That was when I realized it wasn't Sebastian but Leo who had returned.

Pureblood werewolves didn't age. The grown Leo looked exactly like Sebastian in his 20s. I saw how those same cold, distant eyes rested on me, who had withered down to skin and bones as if he were looking at a stray dog on the roadside.

Leo said that this visit was his way of repaying the debt of my giving birth to him. He still had to return to the territory to handle the war. He didn't want me wasting more of his time than I already have.

Maybe it was anger at his words, or maybe I had simply reached my limit. Not long after he finished speaking, I closed my eyes.

…

And then I woke up in my younger body.

The sun was blazing outside, and I could hear the roar of engines beyond the windows. Today was the day Sebastian had announced the arrival of the pack's convoy. As for the 700 dollars, I had originally planned to use it to buy Sebastian a tie as a farewell gift.

But now that I had returned with the memories of my previous life, I wouldn't repeat the same mistakes, not again.