Chapter 2

DIANA'S POV

“Kill her!” Was the first thing I heard as soon as I opened my eyes.

With my eyebrows scrunching together and ready to turn into a frown, I stared around me, trying to discern where I was.

Last I remembered, I had been stabbed repeatedly by Francis but now, here I was kneeling on the floor in front of multitudes of people who all had angry expressions on their faces.

To top it off, there was no sign of injury on my body or even my stomach and I was getting confused.

Just then, another voice spoke from within the crowd before stepping out.

“No! Let her go. She is innocent. She never stole it!” Francis, who appeared a bit younger and softer than I had last seen him said. Our eyes met and he smiled at me.

At this moment, everything soon clicked in my head.

How could I have forgotten that this was where it all started? This was where everything began. Exactly two years back when I met him. I had been reborn! Reborn to right my wrongs and seek revenge and this time, I was going to show no mercy!

At this time, I was only twenty years old and Francis was Twenty-nine.

This was the time when he had saved me all for his benefit, and meanwhile, I had been oblivious to his plan.

“Why is he supporting her? Has she charmed him too with her voice? She is just an orphan. How dare she try to curry favor with the Alpha's son?” One of the unsurprisingly jealous females yelled from within the crowd.

If it wasn't for the fact that I was trying to keep up the image of pretending to be oblivious to Francis’ plan, I would have immediately agreed for her to take my place right this instant.

Like a movie, the betrayal of Francis replayed in my head. As I remembered his words, of how he had only been with me to get himself off, my hatred for him seemed to have a mind of its own, growing higher than I thought.

He stared down at me, smiling as he stretched his hand forth to me. It was taking everything I had in me for me not to slap his hand away from me and not to stab him back as he had done to me.

Doing anything rash at this point was more like digging the grave for myself since I happened to still be a nobody with no parents or relatives.

It was as a result of this that no one in the pack liked me and as a way to get rid of me, their best plan was to come up with a way to either have me sent out of the Prime pack.

At this period, Francis was yet to be crowned as the Alpha and it meant I had two years to go on with my revenge.

“Come on. I'm sorry about what's happening to you. You didn't deserve any of this. Jealousy can be bitchy sometimes,” softly, he said.

If it was the previous me, I might have immediately fallen for him seeing as he was speaking to me alone in this manner and had approached just me too.

Already knowing his intentions for saving me, just so could take better advantage of me, I pursed my lips, having a quick talk with myself.

Refusing his help would only mean getting sent out of this pack with no plan in mind which would also mean losing my chance to have revenge against both Francis and Kourtney.

Seconds later, I sighed internally, putting on the best fake smile I could form before placing my hand in his and accepting his help.

Much to the displeasure of the pack members, he pulled me away from there.

Once we were out of their line of sight, I forcefully pulled my hand away from his, not even trying to be subtle about it.

Within that brief moment, I saw a look of disgust and mockery flash in his eyes and there was no doubt those emotions were directed at me. How could I have been blind to this in my first life?

As fast as those emotions appeared on his face, they disappeared and if it wasn't that I was sure about that look, I would have thought I was hallucinating.

“Thank you for saving me back there. I would be on my way home now,” I said in one breath, immediately turning back and sprinting away.

I took off straight into the woods, ignoring Francis' call for me.

Once deep enough, I let myself go, enjoying the way the wind whipped around me, dancing and flowing around me.

Just at that moment, a strange scent suddenly hit me and my heart raced faster than usual.

I stared around, catching sight of a male figure that deftly moved around, making it obvious that he knew his way around here. Ignoring the strange feeling, I continued my run and by the time I was done, it was starting to get dark.

On cue, I began making my way back to the pack, to the tiny space I had created for myself which was my home.

Taking a run in the woods had calmed me and my mood had become lifted a bit.

Unfortunately for me, my joy was short-lived upon seeing Francis pacing in front of my little home, repeatedly tapping his foot on the floor.

What had he come for?

As soon as I asked myself this, I suddenly remembered this scene from my past that had led to the very one thing I was given no chance to properly regret or even celebrate over.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging into the palm of my flesh as it took me down memory lane.

“You've arrived. You didn't give me the chance to even speak to you the other time. I wanted to ask you for something,” Francis nervously laughed as he approached me with his hands held together behind his back.

I forced down the emotions that were threatening to spill out, pushing them aside while plastering on the most innocent look I could come up with.

“Sorry about that. I just needed to be alone. What was it you wanted to ask me for? How may I be of help?” I asked, batting my lashes at him repeatedly and smiling so wide that it felt like my cheeks were about to fall off.

Pretending to have fallen for him was more irritating than I imagined in my head and it was taking everything for me not to spit out my disgust.

“Would you please be my date to the annual Pack's party?” He asked, smiling widely at me before bringing out a bouquet he had unsurprisingly been hiding behind his back.

If it were the previous me, there was no doubt that I would have jumped on him, squealing joyfully but after knowing the true agenda behind his actions, I was resisting the urge to jump on him and tear him to pieces. Even my wolf didn't remain settled, scratching at the walls of my chest and wanting to be let out.

There was no way I was going to decline this request even when I already knew what it was going to lead to. Tonight was the night I had willingly slept with Francis and given myself to him stupidly but now, I wasn't going to make the same mistake.

With this in mind, I faked a joyous expression, pretending to be gasping for breath while smiling widely.

“Of course. I'm so happy. You don't have to wait for me to clean up. I'll come to meet you at the venue as soon as I'm done,” in what was supposed to be a giddy voice, I said, taking the bouquet from him.

For someone whose mind was as dirty as a stink, he looked far too happy.

“Great. See you in one hour,” he said before walking away.

The moment he walked out of my line of sight, I let the bouquet fall to the floor, intentionally stepping on it and allowing it to crumple beneath my feet.

One hour and thirty minutes later, I slowly walked into the large hall, ignoring the whispers and stares thrown at me.

Courtesy of the gown Francis had sent to me, as much as I hated him, it was the only proper clothing for a gathering like this and to avoid embarrassment for myself, it was best for me to put it on.

“She's so pretty!” One of the females whispered but it didn't evade my ear. With my head held high and my shoulders straight, I patted the unseen fold in the red knee-length gown. Since it was an off-shoulder gown, it only made my neck appear more taut and longer than it was, exposing my collarbone.

Just then, a figure appeared in my line of sight, standing in front of me as the hall went quiet.

How could I not know who was standing in front of me? There was no way I didn't remember the most powerful Alpha among every other one, including Francis' father.

The one standing in front of me, and staring at me with so much intensity in his eyes was none other than Alpha Nicolas Lane, Alpha of the Valkyr Pack.

The most powerful pack of all with a powerful Alpha.

As our eyes met, the same tug in my heart I had felt in the woods seemed to happen again and I couldn't exactly pinpoint what it was.

I managed to give a small bow before walking away, back to where I could hide myself in a corner where no one could spot me.

It had only been three minutes since I found peace to myself when Francis' grating voice entered my ears.

“You are so beautiful,” he said, standing behind me with his breath fanning my ear, irritating me.

I forced a smile on my face, turning to face him while keeping a distance between us.

“Thank you. You don't look bad too,” I managed to compliment.

Everything was all replaying like I had remembered it and right at this moment, Francis spoke again, confirming my intuition.

“Come on. Don't you want to leave here? I can take you somewhere more quiet,” he asked but without giving me a chance to reply, he was already pulling my hand, dragging me off.

I struggled to pull my grip away and even as I tried to scream, he blocked my mouth with his hand on it.

“Sleep with me and I will give you a place beside me when I become the Alpha of this pack,” he said in his soft voice.

Remembering my old self who had willingly given myself to him, I bitterly shook my head.

“No. I'm not interested,” I declined but as it turned out, Francis didn't do well with refusals.

“Well, then I guess I'll have to do this the hard way,” he said before gripping the side of my gown, tugging roughly at it while he tried to bury his face in my exposed neck.

I struggled against him, trying to bite his hand that was still covering my mouth.

“Hmmm,” I groaned in annoyance, fighting desperately but the next second, I felt his weight pulled off of me.

With a ragged breathing and an unfocused vision, I watched as fists flew and then Francis was laying on the floor, getting punched repeatedly with his blood splattering on the wall.

“Get off me, you bastard!” Francis screamed in horror but it was only after he fainted did my savior stopped.

Standing up, he faced me, only for me to realize it was Alpha Nicholas.

My eyes clashed with his deep black ones that seemed to be calling me in and just like before, my heart thrummed again, just as I watched him change into his other form before growling out “MATE!”

Tears brewed in my eyes at the realization that he was my second chance mate and accepting him meant I now had the full power to exert my revenge on Francis since he was like a mere fly compared to Nicholas.

With this in mind, I moved closer to Nicholas. Without wasting time, he grabbed my neck and dug his fangs into it, officially marking me.