Where Can I Read 'After Nine Escapes I Chose His Brother'?

After Cain called off our mate-bonding ceremony for the ninth time—calling it off for the sake of his childhood sweetheart—the Alpha himself came to the Abel family estate to deliver an apology in person. "We are prepared to offer an additional 300kg of frost iron, three hunting territories west of Silvermoon Forest, and nine forges in the pack compound," he announced. "Consider this reparations for the nine broken betrothals." Before his words even faded, Cain's laughter crackled through the phone speaker. "Dad, is she honestly worth that kind of price? I could toss her a half-rotted beast bone soaked in moonlight and she'd still come crawling. You'd be better off funneling those resources into Lina's beast-training arena." The old Alpha ended the call without a second thought. His golden wolf eyes shifted toward me, heavy with visible unease. The gathered wolves stifled their snickers, their throats rippling with suppressed laughter. Every pair of eyes fixed on me, gleaming with anticipation of the show. They all expected me to swallow the humiliation, just as I always had. After all, every wolf in Silvermoon Pack knew the tale: I, the Abel family daughter, had been pining for Cain, the Alpha King's youngest son, for years. Pathetic and devoted. But I'd endured this exact scene eight times before. I was done with it. And more than that, I was done with him. A beat of silence passed. Then I lifted my gaze, searching the crowd until I found the one face Cain despised most: his older brother, Cass. A slow smile curved my lips. "Whoever I claim as my mate inherits the Alpha title," I said. "Does that promise still stand?"

I am Nova Silvermoon, Alpha’s daughter and the most powerful seer in three centuries. The Moon Goddess decreed my fated mate would be the next Alpha. In my past life, I rewrote fate to choose Kael Blackthorn who I’d loved since childhood. With my prophecies, I won him every war, forged him into the North’s most feared Alpha. On his coronation day, he chained me to the moonstone altar with silver, burning me alive. "I would’ve been Alpha without you!" he raged. "You exiled Lila!" In that searing moment, I understood: he’d only ever hated me. Reborn at the Moonstone Trial, I let fate run its course. He married Lila, who was a village songstress; I claimed my true mate. But why? Why when I finally walk away from him forever, he loses his mind?

My husband was not fully conscious from anaesthesia after waking up from surgery, and he started spouting nonsense. I laughed while recording his comical reaction, but while helping him into a chair, I paused when I heard him calling for his son. "Be a good boy, all right? Daddy is busy." My smile froze, and I was stunned. We had been DINKs for 10 years. When did he get a son? My hands trembled as I turned on his phone. It was the first time I was looking through his phone in our years of marriage. When I browsed the phone’s data, I found a private album filled with intimate photos of him with another woman and a child. It was a boy who looked very similar to him, and the timestamp on the photos indicated that the boy was three. All three of them were smiling happily, but their smiles hurt me. He had once told me with conviction that he hated kids and did not want to be tied down by family, which was why he convinced me to be a DINK. However, I now knew that he was not really sincere about being a DINK; he just did not want to have kids with me.

At the auction, Victor raised his paddle and won the twenty-three-carat rough pink diamond. He waved a casual hand. "It's for Lillian." Sitting beside him, I went still, a tremor running through me so faint no one noticed. Only then did he seem to remember me. "Use the leftovers for a pair of earrings," he added, almost as an afterthought. "Give them to Claudia." Later, I followed the family's orders and married him. I became the Donna of the Medici Family. We spent a steady, loveless lifetime together. On my deathbed, Victor held my hand and asked if I had any last wishes. I looked at my jewelry box. The top tray was filled with pieces made from his scraps, the leftovers from every gift he'd ever given Lillian. I drew my last breath without answering. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the moment the two Families were competing for the Medici Donna's seat. In my previous life, I'd held the Smith & Wesson, fired ten shots, and hit ten bullseyes. The old Don had named me the future Donna of his Family on the spot. This time, I let out a slow breath and pulled the trigger. I missed on purpose.

Damien had hunted down a rare white fox. "Skin it. Have the pelt made into a fur cloak and sent to Heidi." He tossed the dead fox to one of his men as he gave the order. The man nodded, but stole a glance at me. Only then did Damien seem to remember that I was the one he was engaged to. "Take what's left and make a hand warmer out of it. Give that to Lucienne." The whole pelt went to Heidi. The scraps from the belly came to me. Later, I became Damien's Luna. When vampires invaded our territory, I threw myself in front of a wolfsbane arrow meant for him. Damien held my hand and asked if I had any last words. I looked past him, at Heidi, draped in that white fox cloak, dazzling. I pushed his hand away. And I died. When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the Full Moon Gala. The Luna had moonstones brought out. She smiled. "Whoever has the purest bloodline becomes Damien's betrothed." I ran my fingers over the moonstone and lowered my head. A faint, dim light flickered across its surface.

I didn’t expect my marriage to end when it was on the verge of being saved. Noah Reece, my husband, married my best friend and divorced me. And on a cold night, I fell into the arms of a man I was never supposed to love. When I tried to run from him and what we were becoming, my past returned to claim me in the most tempting way, leaving me torn between two forbidden choices.