The previous life, my mate, Carson Marshall, the Gamma of the Silver Moon Pack, had betrayed us all for Armani Gutierrez, a rogue spy. Not only did he share the pack’s defense plans with her, but he also abandoned his post to take her on a private outing. While they were away, rogues armed with the stolen information attacked our territory, breaching our defenses without a fight.
Joey, Carson’s younger brother and a loyal Delta, had been gravely injured defending the pack. I sent multiple urgent messages to Carson through the mind link, begging him to return and save us. When he finally arrived, the rogues were driven back, but the damage was done. Armani, meanwhile, met a tragic end—allegedly forced to jump off a cliff during the chaos. Before her death, she left a letter accusing me of orchestrating the attack to eliminate her and claiming that Joey and I had been unfaithful, even suggesting the child I carried was his.
Carson told me he didn’t believe her lies. But six months later, on the night of our child’s first moon, he set our home ablaze, his voice cold and filled with rage.
“You and Joey deserve to burn for what you’ve done to Armani,” he spat. “Go to hell and apologize to her.”
The flames consumed us all.
When I opened my eyes again, the sound of rogues attacking our territory echoed outside. I rushed to the front of the pack house, but I was too late. Joey lay on the ground, his shirt soaked in blood.
“Kamryn,” he gasped weakly, “why are the rogues attacking? Is Carson okay? Don’t worry about me—go help him!”
His concern for Carson, even in this state, twisted my heart. I forced myself to stay calm. “Carson’s fine,” I assured him. “Focus on yourself.”
The pack’s healer, Eliseo Ray, examined Joey and frowned. “He’s lost too much blood. We’re out of supplies to stop the bleeding. He has an hour at most.”
The rogues had us surrounded, and there was no way to get the necessary supplies. Devon Barnes, the pack’s Omega and caretaker, pleaded with me.
“Kamryn, we must send a message through the mind link to Carson. He’ll come back and save us!”
I shook my head. “Carson isn’t here. Even if he gets the message, he won’t make it in time. We need another plan.”
In my past life, I had followed Devon’s advice, sending message after message to Carson until he finally returned. But Armani had died during the chaos, and her letter had sealed my fate.
The memory of the flames still haunted me. Joey didn’t deserve to die for a lie. This time, I wouldn’t rely on Carson to save us.
A wounded guard stumbled into the room, clutching his arm. “Kamryn, the rogues are breaking through. We can’t hold them off much longer.”
Panic spread through the room. Devon turned to me, desperate. “Please, Kamryn, send a message through the mind link to Carson!”
Joey, barely conscious, echoed the plea. “Kamryn, send the message. Carson will come.”
I hesitated. In my past life, I hadn’t known the truth until it was too late—that Carson had given the pack’s defense plans to Armani, a rogue spy. He had left us vulnerable to the attack.
But I couldn’t tell them that. Instead, I nodded. “Send the message.”
I didn’t hold out hope for Carson’s return. Joey’s life was slipping away, and we couldn’t wait. I turned to Devon and the guards. “We can’t just sit here. We need to find a way out.”
Devon looked uncertain. “But how? The rogues have us trapped.”
Before I could respond, the guard who had sent the message returned, holding a note. “Kamryn, Carson replied.”
I took the note and read it, my heart sinking.
“Kamryn, you’ll do anything to keep me from Armani, won’t you? Even making up lies about rogues attacking and Joey being hurt. I regret ever taking you as my mate.”
Even though I had already given up on Carson, his words still cut deep. Joey saw my expression and tried to reassure me.
“Kamryn, he must have misunderstood. Let me send another message through the mind link.”
I stopped him. “You’re in no condition to move. We don’t have time for this.”
I led the group to Carson’s study and activated a hidden tunnel he had built for his secret meetings with Armani. It led outside the pack territory. I loaded Joey into a waiting car and drove toward the neighboring pack, the Shadowfang Pack, where Samson Silva, the Alpha, resided.
The Shadowfang Pack was only half an hour away. If we were fast, we could make it.
When we arrived at the Shadowfang Pack’s borders, the guards stopped us. I pleaded with them.
“The rogues have attacked the Silver Moon Pack! I need to see Alpha Samson!”
The guards were skeptical. “Impossible. The Silver Moon Pack is well-defended.”
I clenched my fists. “Carson Marshall, our Gamma, gave the rogues our defense plans. They’ve breached our territory.”
The guards exchanged worried glances and let us through.
But as we drove further into the territory, another car pulled in front of us, forcing us to stop. Joey groaned in pain as the sudden movement reopened his wounds.
I stepped out, ready to confront whoever had stopped us, and found myself face-to-face with Dakari Reyes, the Beta of the Shadowfang Pack and a childhood friend.
“Dakari!” I exclaimed. “The rogues have attacked the Silver Moon Pack! Joey’s critically injured. I need to see Alpha Samson!”
To my shock, Dakari’s expression was cold. “Kamryn, I know you’re jealous of Armani, but this is going too far. Carson already messaged me through the mind link. He’s with Armani, and you’re just trying to ruin their time together.”
I stared at him, disbelief turning to anger. “Dakari, this isn’t a joke! Look at Joey—he’s dying!”
Dakari shook his head. “I don’t have time for this. I have duties to attend to. Carson told me everything. You’re just causing trouble because you’re unhappy with him.”
He turned away, but I grabbed his arm. “Please, Dakari, just look at Joey!”
He shook me off, his voice sharp. “Enough, Kamryn. If you keep this up, Carson will only resent you more. And with your pregnancy, you should be more careful. Don’t let your jealousy cost you your child.”
His words struck like a blow, but I didn’t have time to argue. I got back into the car and drove toward the pack house, determined to reach Alpha Samson myself.
Dakari's words caused the guards escorting us to cast suspicious glances my way. I felt as though I had been plunged into an icy abyss, my fists clenching involuntarily.
I hadn’t expected Carson to be so ruthless as to try and cut off my escape route.
A weak groan from inside the car snapped me back to reality. Joey was in there, suffering. This wasn’t the time for arguments. I pulled back the car door to reveal Joey lying inside, his face pale and twisted in pain.
"Joey’s life is hanging by a thread. Even if you don’t believe me, I beg you to save him!"
The guards’ expressions softened slightly as they caught sight of Joey.
"That man really is the Gamma’s younger brother!" one of them muttered.
"He looks seriously injured. We need to get him to a Healer," another added.
"She’s the Beta’s daughter and the Gamma’s mate. She wouldn’t lie about something like this, would she?"
Their words gave me a sliver of hope. I turned back to Dakari, pleading. "Dakari, you’ve met Joey before. You can’t possibly mistake him for someone else. Look at him now—do you still think I’m lying?"
"The rogues have breached our territory. If we waste any more time, and something happens to the Alpha, none of us can bear the consequences."
Dakari’s expression faltered slightly as he took in my seriousness. He was about to step closer to inspect Joey when a mind link buzzed in his head.
My heart sank. Carson’s mind link.
Dakari’s face darkened with every word he received through the link. Suddenly, he slammed his fist into the car, the force nearly knocking me off.
"Dakari, have you lost your mind?" I snapped.
"You’re the one who’s lost it!" he roared, his eyes blazing. "You always seemed so refined, but who knew you’d stoop to such underhanded tactics?"
"Carson says you framed Armani, accused her of being a rogue spy, and spread rumors that he abandoned his post. And Joey? He’s supposed to be with the Alpha today, but you’ve gone so far as to hire an actor to play him!"
My voice was strained. "I’m not lying. If Armani hadn’t handed over the patrol maps to the rogues, how could they have replicated our defenses so perfectly? How else could they have breached our territory so easily?"
Dakari let out a cold laugh. "You’re still clinging to your lies!"
"If the rogues had truly invaded, how could you have made it here so easily to ask for reinforcements?"
"Because Carson secretly built a tunnel from our pack house to the outskirts to meet Armani!"
But my explanation only made his laughter grow more mocking. "Kamryn, you’re supposed to be the most intelligent wolf in the pack, but even your lies are full of holes. If Carson built that tunnel in secret to meet Armani, how would you know about it? And why would you keep quiet all this time? Do you really think we’re all fools?"
My face paled, and I leaned weakly against the car. How could I explain that I knew because I had lived through this before? If I told them I’d been reborn, they’d think I was completely insane.
"If you don’t believe me, fine. But please, save Joey. He’s still Carson’s brother!"
Dakari ignored my plea, his expression hardening. "As for the actor you’ve brought here, I’ll deal with him right now."
"No!" I screamed.