Chapter 1

I rejected my fated mate before our mating ceremony.

"I will choose Arthur," I announced, my voice cutting through the tension in the room. "The cursed Alpha of the Blackwood Pack."

My father stared, his face pale with shock. "Samara, are you insane? He's a savage from the Black Forest! He'll tear you to shreds!"

I sat on my high-backed throne, my hands folded perfectly in my lap.

"I'm sure."

"This is madness!" my father yelled, shooting to his feet. "You're fated mates! The Moon Goddess decided it!"

A small, cold laugh escaped my lips.

Nyx's bloodthirsty roar echoed in my head. “Tell these fools the Moon Goddess makes mistakes!"

"Sometimes, the Goddess is wrong." I said.

My father took a deep breath and slowly sat back down.

"My child, tell me why."

I closed my eyes. The memories flooded in.

Our Crescent Moon Pack dominates the territories for one reason: our sacred, power-enhancing elixirs. And I am the heir who perfected them. A prodigy. The prize every Alpha craves.

I felt the pull to Ethan. The undeniable mate bond. I wanted him, and only him. I was supposed to announce it at the ceremony in three days.

But ten days ago, everything changed. Ethan lured me to the Misty Forest with the promise of an unforgettable mating gift. I was so excited. Instead, a rogue pack attacked us there.

I was unconscious before I could even reach for his hand.

I woke up. My own wolf, Mia, was quiet. But there was another one. Nyx.

She was screaming in my head.

"You're finally awake! Reject Ethan now! Arthur is the one you have to choose. That attack? It was Clara's fault. Her and Ethan. She's jealous. She wants you dead so she can have him!"

I couldn't believe it.

Clara? My most trusted Omega?

How?

Nyx sensed my doubt.

She shattered my reality, forcing a vision into my mind—a memory from another life.

It was our third mating anniversary.

I had just created Stardust, my masterpiece.

It could boost a wolf's power by fifty percent. A game-changer.

But at the celebration, Clara handed me a drink.

It was poisoned.

My wolf went wild. My body burned. I was dying on stage.

The pack guards froze. The other Alphas watched like vultures, ready to claim what was left of me.

Only one wolf moved. A dark shadow. Arthur.

He wrapped his power around me, trying to calm my senses. But I was too far gone.

The cursed Alpha poured his very life essence into me. All of it.

I survived. But I was broken. My wolf was gone, my gifts shattered. I was exiled, forced to live as a powerless human.

And Ethan? My so-called fated mate?

He was in the shadows, crushing his lips against Clara's.

"It's done, my love," he whispered to her. "Once I have her formulas, everything she has will be ours."

They were already bound to each other. They played me from the start.

The vision was too much. But I couldn't be sure. Could I?

The Alpha who swore he'd die for me. The Omega who swore her loyalty.

Could they really betray me so cruelly?

But now… I couldn't risk it.

My eyes snapped open.

"I have my reasons."

I stood and walked to the floor-to-ceiling window.

"In three days, at the ceremony, I will announce my choice."

"Samara—"

"My decision is final." I turned back to him. "As the heir of the Crescent Moon Pack, it is my right."

My father was silent for a long time.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure."

I left my father's study and walked out of the manor.

Footsteps followed behind me.

I didn't need to turn. I knew that scent.

Mint and amber, laced with the sour stench of ambition.

Then I caught it.

A faint scent hiding underneath. Vanilla. A cheap, cloying vanilla that clung to only one person I knew—Clara.

How had I never noticed it before?

"Samara."

Ethan's voice came from behind me.

My own wolf, Mia, purred with joy.

The mate bond yanked at my soul, an invisible chain begging me to close the distance between us.

But Nyx roared, "Don't turn around! Don't look at him! His eyes are full of lies and schemes!"

My head split with pain. Two wolves, two warring emotions, tearing me apart.

I bit my lip, hard, forcing myself to stay calm.

"What is it?" I asked without turning.

"You know what." He came to stand beside me, his handsome face fixed in its usual smile. "I heard you and your father just settled on your choice for the ceremony."

I turned to face him. He was still perfect, a statue carved in the sunlight. Golden eyes, a sharp jawline.

This face was once my entire world.

Now, it just made my heart ache.

When did you decide to kill me? Is it happening now?

He reached out to touch my face.

Nyx howled in my soul.

"He's still faking it! In our last life, he mated with that Omega bitch again and again behind your back! He waited for you to weaken, then stole your gift for her!"

I stepped back, avoiding his hand.

"Tear him apart! Do it now!"

I took a deep breath.

"Ethan," I turned to him fully. "When we were attacked... you were unharmed, but I was hurt. Was anyone else there? Like... Clara?"

His eyes flickered.

"What are you talking about, Samara? Why would a delicate little Omega like Clara be anywhere near that mess?"

He looked at me with fake devotion. "I'm sorry. I failed to protect you. I let you get hurt. But it was an accident. It won't happen again."

"Really?" I smiled, but it didn't reach my eyes. "Because you smell like her. Vanilla."

His smile faltered for a second, but he stepped closer again. "I probably just brushed past her in the hall. You're overthinking things. You know I love you. After the ceremony, we'll be mated, right?"

I stared at his hopeful face, and all I felt was pain.

If Nyx's vision was real... then I had looked at him just like this in my past life. Waiting for him to save me.

And he crushed me with despair.

"We'll see at the ceremony."