Chapter 1

All the Alphas from every pack gathered to witness my choice.

Everyone already knew my heart belonged to Damian. Today was just a formality.

I was about to name my mate when the Omega at Damian's side started crying. He grabbed my arm, his voice cutting:

"I know you're going to pick me. But let's get one thing straight—Allison's the one I love. You want to be my mate? Then you accept her. That's the deal. Take it or leave it."

"You get the title. You get the status. Everything that comes with being my Luna. But she stays, and she comes first. Got it?"

Damian didn't hold back. Unlike last life, he laid it all out right there at the ceremony—not like he was asking, but like he was delivering a verdict.

The Alphas in attendance went dead silent—then chaos broke.

"Everyone knows the Rivera girl is a rare white wolf. Her pups will be top-tier Alphas, every single one. Whoever mates her becomes the future Alpha King."

"And look at her—the Moon Goddess must've carved her by hand."

"A wolf like that, blood like that, Is Damian insane?"

"Poor Rivera girl. Her own mate doesn't even want her."

The whispers circled. Everyone was certain I'd name Damian—they'd all seen how badly I'd fallen for him.

In my last life, I worshiped Damian as my savior.

White wolves are rare, which means my life was never peaceful.

I got snatched by rogues once.

They bled me dry, tore me apart, left me barely breathing.

I was moments from being dragged into the Black Forest when Bloodmoon's patrol found me.

The wolf leading them was sharp, commanding—everything a hero should be.

My eyes were damaged. I could only make out his silhouette.

He cut down the rogues holding me. Pulled me from the silver cage.

Then more rogues swarmed in. Outnumbered, he fought through them anyway, dragging me with him.

"I'll get you home safe." Those were the last words I heard before I blacked out.

I never knew how we made it out. When I opened my eyes, I was home, with my father's worried face hovering over me and my mother sobbing at my bedside.

They told me the Alpha King's son led that patrol. The one who saved me.

The Alpha King had two sons. The elder was a ghost—violent, cold-blooded, a wolf everyone feared. The other one? Respected. Noble. Strong.

When I recovered, my family and I went to the palace to thank him.

That was my first time meeting Damian. His face matched the blurry memory of my rescuer. So I believed—he was the one.

When the Alpha King gave me the choice between his two sons, I didn't hesitate. I picked him.

I thought I'd found my fated mate.

Then, after our bonding ceremony, I discovered he'd been tangled up with Allison the whole time.

The Luna Queen found out and had Allison exiled, ripped them apart.

Damian blamed me for everything.

He stopped coming home. Drowned himself in a parade of she-wolves—all of them with Allison's same ice-blue eyes.

When he found out I was carrying his pup, he made sure I watched him with every single one.

I lived in agony.

Somewhere in all that suffering, I stopped seeing my rescuer in his face.

This time?

This time, I'm not choosing him.