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On my eighteenth birthday, Alpha called me up in front of the whole pack and told me to choose—one of his sons as my mate. Whichever I chose? He'd be the next Alpha. I didn't flinch. I picked Cassian, his eldest. The room went dead silent. Everyone knew I used to be stupidly in love with Kaius, the younger one. I'd confessed at every pack dance. Took a silver dagger for him once. Cassian? Coldest, meanest wolf we had. Total menace. No one got close. But they didn't know the truth. In my last life, I was bonded to Kaius. On the day of our Bonding Ceremony, he slept with Lena, my cousin. My mom lost it. Shipped Lena off to Duskwolf Pack to get bonded to their Beta. Kaius? He blamed me. Paraded in she-wolves with Lena's same ice-blue eyes. When he found out I was carrying his pup, he made sure I saw him with every one of them. It was torture. When labor hit, he locked me in the dungeon. Blocked everyone out. My pup got crushed. I died hating him. Maybe the Moon Goddess felt sorry for me—she gave me a second shot. I came back. This time? I let Kaius keep Lena. Didn't think he would ever regret it. Chapter 1 At eighteen, I was given a choice—mate with one of Alpha Theron Blackwood’s sons. In my past life, I chose Kaius. It was the worst decision I ever made. He destroyed me. This time, I selected Cassian—the ruthless one, the one known for his icy brutality. What I never saw coming? Kaius remembered everything too. *** I had just left the council hall, cutting across the packed-dirt training yard, when I saw him. Kaius was in the middle of a sparring session, a circle of pack warriors watching him. A flash of steel. His curved hunting knife slipped from his grip. It skidded across the ground, stopping just inches from my worn leather boots. He didn’t look up. His voice was a cold command. “Pick it up.” The surrounding wolves went still. All eyes turned to me, hungry for the spectacle. I recognized this play. In my last life, he made me his personal servant. Chapter 2 I didn't move. My heel ground deeper into the gravel. "You dropped it," I said, my voice devoid of inflection. "You pick it up." The training ground fell into a sudden, profound silence. Even the wind seemed to hold its breath. Kaius's head snapped up, his eyes igniting with pure, unadulterated fury. "What did you just say to me?" A low whistle cut the air from the side. "Damn, Aria. New strategy? Weren't you practically glued to him just the other day? Now you're putting on airs?" Another voice, louder and more mocking, joined in. "Come on, girl. You were his biggest fan. Following him around like a lost puppy. You think your dead father would be proud of this little performance?" Before I could even draw breath to retort, a new sound sliced through the thick tension. Soft, uneven footsteps. Liana limped into the clearing. Her leather skirt swayed against her knees. A dark, ugly stain of blood bloomed on one pant leg. She lowered herself with a wince, catching her lower lip between her teeth. Her hand trembled visibly as she reached for the fallen blade. A sheen of cold sweat glistened on her pale skin. Kaius's gaze instantly locked onto her. He lunged forward, his fingers closing around her wrist. Panic, raw and undisguised, bled into his tone. "I ordered you to rest. Who gave you permission to be out here?" Then he whirled on me, his eyes blazing. "Look at her! Liana is injured, and she still tries to help. And you? You just stand there like a petulant child? No sense of duty. No honor." The scoff that followed was thick with contempt. "You just came crawling out of my father's office, didn't you? What is it this time? Playing the pity card again? Dragging up that old story about your father taking a blade for him? Begging him to force me into being your mate?" His lips curled into a sneer. "You're pathetic, Aria. Always with the guilt. Always with the schemes. You've tried every trick in the book to tie me down." My fingers clenched in the fabric of my sleeves. My voice remained flat, a stark contrast to his heat. "I didn't say a word. The Alpha summoned me. He's decided to host my coming-of-age ceremony himself." The air in the clearing crackled, sharp and electric. "The Alpha is hosting her ceremony?" A wave of movement swept through the watching wolves as they swarmed around Kaius. Their voices were suddenly full of syrupy flattery. "Congratulations, man! If the Alpha is personally hosting her ceremony, he's practically announcing you as the heir!" "Don't forget about us when you're the next Alpha!" Kaius's chin lifted. A smug, satisfied look began to seep through his lingering scowl. Then his predatory gaze sliced back to me. "Regardless," he said, his tone dripping with condescension. "Let's be perfectly clear. If we do end up bonded, you stay out of my business with Liana. Know your place. Or else…" He paused, letting the threat hang. His eyes darkened. "I will reject the bond. I won't be your mate. Unless you want a repeat of what happened last time." My chest constricted violently. What in the goddess's name did that mean? Did he… remember something too? Without another word, he bent and scooped Liana effortlessly into his arms. He turned and strode away, not granting me a single backward glance. The whispers started up immediately behind me. Then the snickers. Then the full-blown laughter. I stared at their retreating backs. Then, a quiet, humorless laugh escaped my own lips. Perfect. I wasn't planning to bond with you anyway. Chapter 3 The day of my coming-of-age ceremony arrived, and Kaius made his entrance late, with Liana clinging to his arm. Her lips were noticeably swollen, and fresh, angry scratches marred the skin above his collarbone. Wolves standing nearby exchanged knowing glances and sly smirks. There was no mystery about what they had been doing before arriving. In my previous life, I would have charged forward in a rage, tearing away their pretenses, demanding to know why they would disgrace me at my own ceremony. Now? I let my gaze slide over them once, then looked away as if they were nothing more than dirt beneath my heels. Kaius noticed that brief, dismissive glance. His arm shot out, pulling Liana protectively behind him. When I showed no reaction, no flinch, his confidence wavered. A low, mocking laugh escaped him. "What's this, Aria? Playing the virtuous saint now because you're afraid I won't choose you as my mate? Don't be foolish. Tell you what…" He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper, his eyes raking over me with open disdain. "After the ceremony, meet me behind the northern ridge—at the hot spring. Come as you are. If your body proves… worthwhile, perhaps I'll consider letting you share my bed." Liana pouted dramatically, tugging at the sleeve of his jacket. "Kaius, how can you say such a thing? Isn't my body far superior to hers?" Kaius grinned, pinching her cheek playfully. "Of course you are, my sweet. A thousand times better. That hot spring? It's reserved for you. I even had special herbs added to the waters. I was merely waiting for your leg to heal completely." Liana's face lit up with triumph, and she shot me a look of pure, unadulterated smugness. The surrounding wolves erupted into raucous laughter—whistles and crude jokes cutting through the air like thrown daggers. That sound was a trigger. Memories from my past life crashed over me. He had done this before—publicly humiliated me in front of the entire pack. Treated me like a disposable plaything. I had trembled with helpless fury. He had merely laughed, claiming my shame excited him. Once, someone had dared to speak in my defense. Kaius had shut them down instantly, labeling me a desperate heat-chaser who begged for his leftover affection. It was pathetic. I turned on my heel to leave—but his hand shot out, fingers closing like a vice around my wrist. "Still putting on this act?" His grip tightened, threatening to bruise bone. "A wolf of your… standing can't hide what you truly are." I wrenched my arm free, my knuckles turning white with the force. "Mind your tongue." He smirked, undeterred. "Respect? Didn't you spend your entire life begging for a bond with me? If you're so eager to crawl into my bed, why pretend to be innocent now?" "Who said anything about forming a bond with you?" Silence descended, sharp and sudden as a blade against a throat. Then—laughter. Loud, ugly, echoing from all sides. Kaius laughed the hardest. "Not bonding with me? Then with whom? The entire pack knows you'd die for me. What—Cassian?" He let out a derisive snort. "Cassian has been rotting away in the Black Forest for years. Everyone says he's gone completely feral. He skinned a Shadowclaw wolf who challenged him and left the carcass hanging from a tree as a warning. "Are you planning to bond with HIM? Trying to get yourself killed ahead of schedule?" Chapter 4 “What, cat got your tongue?” Kaius sneered. “All that fire a moment ago, gone? Or are you finally feeling some fear?” Liana slipped in, her voice dripping with false sweetness. “Aria must have remembered the stories about Cassian.” She gave Kaius’s sleeve a delicate tug, but her eyes were daggers aimed at me. “If she truly bonds with him, they might not even find enough to bury.” A wave of laughter followed. A few young wolves whistled in agreement, the sound grating. In my past life, I would have flown at her, hands in her hair. But now? Everything was different. “My choice is none of your concern,” I said, my voice steady and cold—even I was surprised by its calm. Liana’s sugary smile faltered. Then she clutched her chest, a fit of coughing shaking her slender shoulders. “Aria, please don’t be like this,” she whispered, eyes instantly glistening. “I was only worried for you… You did take that hunter’s silver blade for Kaius, after all.” I turned to leave. Her sharp gasp came first. Then her wine cup slipped—and as it fell, she threw her weight against me. The next moment, she stumbled backward as if shoved, landing on the floor with a theatrical thud. “Aria!” Liana’s wail pierced the hall, tears already tracing paths down her cheeks. “Even if you despise me, you can’t push me! My leg—it hurts terribly!” Kaius’s expression darkened instantly. He stepped between us, a wall of protective fury. “Really, Aria? Are you that jealous now?” He scooped her up as if she were made of moonlight, his eyes filled with pained anger. “She’s your SISTER!” Liana was merely my cousin, a distant relation on my mother’s side. But since she came to live with us, everyone assumed otherwise. Peeking over his shoulder, Liana shot me a triumphant smirk. I couldn’t help it. A short, bitter laugh escaped me. “I never laid a hand on her.” “Still lying?” Kaius’s hand shot out, gripping my wrist painfully tight. “The entire pack knows you’re eaten up with jealousy over Liana. If you hadn’t clung to me back then, I wouldn’t have given you a second glance.” Liana tugged at his arm, her voice a trembling whisper. “Kaius, don’t. Aria is just… upset. She always believed you would choose her.” Soft words. They cut deeper than claws. The whispers began again—the same ones from before. That I was forcing the mate bond, hiding behind my late father’s name. That I couldn’t stand my own “sister.” These rumors, spread by jealous she-wolves, clung like mud—filthy and impossible to fully wash away. Kaius’s rage finally snapped. His hand rose—and connected with my cheek in a sharp, stinging slap. “You will learn your place. Touch Liana again, and I will cast you out of Silverfang Pack myself.” Chapter 5 The slap burned across my cheek. The heat spread fast. My first instinct was to strike back. I saw the guests moving in my peripheral vision. This was my coming-of-age ceremony. A public fight would disgrace the Arlington name. Liana remained half-hidden behind Kaius. That smug smile never left her lips. She pressed herself against his chest. The move looked practiced. Kaius’s hand hung in the air. He might have realized his mistake. His throat worked as if struggling to speak. But Liana rose on her toes. “Kaius,” she whimpered. “My leg… it hurts so much. What if it’s permanent?” Her fingers wrapped around his wrist. She pulled his focus entirely to her. The whispers around us grew louder. Their stares felt like physical blows. “No class. Attacking her own cousin over a man.” “As if she ever stood a chance. Kaius would never pick her.” Kaius shot me a look of pure contempt. “Why are you just standing there?” he snapped. “If Liana is seriously hurt, you’ll pay for it.” His friends chimed in immediately. “Apologize to Liana!” “You think your father’s sacrifice buys you a claim on our future Alpha?” I remembered it all. The years I spent molding myself for Kaius. Training until I bled to scare off any girl who looked his way. I mistook obsession for love. Now it just felt pathetic. He stepped closer. His eyes held a feral, vicious glint. “Father is announcing our engagement soon,” he said, voice low. “Be smart. Know your place.” Then, quieter, dripping with arrogance, “Once the bond is official, I’ll grant you a suitable rank. Just stay out of my way with Liana.” I held his gaze. I didn’t blink. A long, low horn blast echoed through the hall. The Beta entered. “Miss Arlington,” he announced. “It is time.” His aged eyes found the mark on my cheek. A flicker of sympathy passed through them. Behind him stood a figure cloaked in black. The hood was drawn low. A sharp jawline was visible beneath it. A sword with intricate silver markings was strapped across his back. A wolf fang pendant swung from his neck. It seemed to pulse. Cassian Blackwood. Theron’s firstborn. Freshly returned from the Black Forest. A dead silence fell. Some younger wolves in the front nearly stumbled. A wine goblet clattered to the floor. Liquid splashed into the fire pit with a sharp hiss. Even the Beta flinched. Everyone knew Cassian’s reputation. He had just flayed a challenger from the Shadowclaw Pack. The scent of blood still clung to him. Cassian stopped directly in front of me. His blade spun once in his hand. The scabbard tapped my arm lightly. “What happened to your face?” His voice was cold, serious as a blade. His icy gaze dissected me. I looked into those deep blue eyes. And I saw it. The memory. Him, blood-soaked and feral, bursting into a dungeon. Holding my lifeless form as if his world had shattered. He had gone rogue for me. “It’s nothing,” I said, forcing a smile. I tried to turn my face. Kaius snorted and stepped between us. “Cassian,” he said. “Aria is my concern. Don’t trouble yourself.” He puffed out his chest. “She will be my mate soon. I’ll handle her.” The Beta opened his mouth to intervene. Cassian silenced him with a single glance. He pushed back his hood. His features were all harsh angles. His expression was even sharper. “Father sent me,” Cassian stated. “Said the Arlington girl’s ceremony is pack business. Let’s go.” I walked past Kaius. My steps were measured and firm. He leaned toward Liana and muttered, just loud enough for me to hear, “See? She still knows how to follow orders.” Chapter 6 Kaius was radiating arrogance. It was as if he could already feel the weight of the Alpha crest resting against his skin. That feeling didn't last. The moment the pack assembled in the great hall, Theron descended from the dais. The ancient scepter, carved with the fangs of legendary wolves, was firm in his grip. His silver-white hair gleamed under the torchlight. He was over a century old, yet his presence was that of a living myth. He took my hand, his smile warm. "Today is significant," he announced, his voice echoing through the silent hall. "Aria has come of age. As I vowed to her father, she will now choose one of my sons as her mate. The wolf she selects will be the next Alpha of Silverfang." Whispers erupted instantly. Leading the pack was more than a title. It was absolute power. All speculation about the succession was now laid bare. Eyes darted across the room, many landing on Kaius with a mix of expectation and resentment. Yes, they all recalled my past, foolish devotion to him. "Now," Theron said, giving my hand a final pat. "Let the chosen step forward. I will bear witness." Kaius straightened his spine, his chin lifting in a gesture of pure triumph. He began to move, already savoring his moment. Theron raised a hand, halting him. Then, the Alpha turned. His gaze shifted, softening as it settled on the shadows near the great stone hearth. Cassian. He had changed into the formal ceremonial attire. His dark hair was pulled back, revealing the severe, handsome lines of his face. In his hands, he held a cluster of Moonpetals. Their soft, ethereal glow was a piece of the cedar forest brought indoors. He walked toward me, each step measured and sure. He stopped directly before me. "Are you ready, Aria?" His voice was a low rumble, devoid of doubt.

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