Chapter 1

I had just swallowed the potion when a searing bitterness tore through my throat.

Before I could even catch my breath, the door swung open.

Alpha Hall walked in with a squad of guards at his back, and the new Luna, Kylie, trailed behind him like a delicate little bird.

"Bella. Go open the Moon Spring."

"Tomorrow is my binding ceremony with Kylie. I want you to perform the divination and the blessing for her."

My lips twisted. My body wouldn't stop trembling.

Memories from my last life slammed into me all at once.

I didn't speak. I just lifted my hands with effort.

My once-fair arms were now mottled with large black spots.

"Forgive me, Alpha."

I knelt low, my voice hoarse and broken.

"I've been poisoned. My power is drained. I can't do divination anymore."

The room went dead silent.

Hall stared at my hands, disbelief written all over his face.

Then his expression turned to stone.

"You think putting on a show like this will fool me? You think you can threaten me into calling off the binding?"

"You've been biased against Kylie from the start, nitpicking her at every turn! And now, to stop her from becoming Luna, you're pulling even this?"

"What, you think the pack can't hold a binding ceremony without its witch?"

Listening to his accusations, I felt nothing but absurdity.

Back then, Kylie had broken taboo and trespassed into the Moon Spring, nearly contaminating the sacred water. I punished her by making her scrub the altar, by the rules.

She slipped out of the pack on her own and colluded with rogue wolves. I caught her and dragged her back.

I was upholding the pack's order. But in Hall's eyes, it was all just me being cruel to Kylie.

In the past, I would have fought tooth and nail to explain myself.

But in this life, I just wanted to survive.

"Mercy, Alpha! I'm truly broken. My power is gone. I'm no longer fit to be this pack's witch, and I wouldn't dare show the slightest disrespect to the Luna!"

"Please, just let me go!"

Hall froze.

He'd probably never seen the once-proud head witch, revered by the entire pack, reduced to such a pathetic state.

He frowned, his voice dripping with reproach:

"Bella, you know better than anyone how much this binding ceremony matters to the pack. If Kylie doesn't receive the Moon Goddess's blessing, every wolf will look down on her, accuse her of taking the position illegitimately."

"Do you really want the new Luna to face controversy the moment she rises? Do you want to watch the pack descend into chaos?"

"Even if you have your reservations about Kylie, you should put the pack first. How can you throw a tantrum like this the day before the ceremony?"

A hand stopped Hall.

It was Kylie.

She tugged weakly at Hall's sleeve, her eyes welling up:

"Hall, don't blame the witch. It's my fault. My bloodline isn't noble enough. I don't deserve the Moon Goddess's blessing."

"If Bella isn't well, then let's not force it. Even without divination and blessing at the binding, as long as I can stay by your side, I'll take all the gossip in stride."

Hall's face darkened further, but looking at me, crumpled on the floor, he couldn't find the words.

He stroked Kylie's hair, soothing her.

Then he shot me a glare and turned to leave.

The door clicked shut. Silence swallowed the room again.

I slumped against the cold wall, my clothes soaked through with sweat.

In my last life, Kylie had colluded with someone to frame me in advance. She'd wrapped a battle-hardened Alpha like Hall around her little finger.

Her cunning had to be beyond anything ordinary.

I'd dodged the divination today, but with Kylie's methods, she would never just let it go.

As long as I held the witch's position, she would find a way to destroy me.

The thought sent a fresh shudder through my body.

The terror of burning alive clawed its way back up.

I grabbed the staff passed down through generations of witches and, dragging my weak body, made my way to the Council Hall.

I pushed the door open. Several elders were going over the details of tomorrow's ceremony. They froze at the sight of my ashen face.

I lowered my head, placed the staff on the table, and showed them the black spots on my arm. My voice came out strained:

"Elders, I ingested a poisonous herb by mistake. My power is gone. I can't divine anymore."

"Tomorrow's ceremony is critical. Bella begs to resign her post, so I don't hold back the new Luna's ascension."

"Please, choose someone else as the new witch."