"Azaria, isn’t Alpha Johan meant to be heading to the countryside? What’s he doing here looking for you?" My friend, a Delta in our pack, poked me sharply on the forehead when I didn’t reply.

"You better listen up; things might not turn out well once he’s gone. Don’t be naive! His mother’s been bedridden for years. Getting mixed up with him now is like jumping into the lion’s den!"

My hand holding the fork paused mid-air and trembled slightly. No one knew that I had lived this life once before.

In my past life, I died on the day Alpha Johan’s daughter got married. Back then, his mother, an Omega whom I had cared for over a decade, had passed away naturally. Johan had said to me, "All these years, I held off on rejecting our bond because of Mom. Now that the kids are getting married, it would be awkward for you to stay."

That night, my belongings were tossed out of the pack house. I agreed to the rejection but demanded the house and half of our savings. Since the house was a pack perk and the deed was already in my name, they argued that I hadn’t given the Snyder family any heirs and should leave with nothing. I refused.

Worried I’d cause a scene at their son’s wedding, they locked me in an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of our territory, where I froze to death on a bitter winter night.

I blinked away the tears welling in my eyes. My friend had warned me in my past life, but I hadn’t listened. The next day, despite Johan’s lukewarm protests, I hauled him to the pack elder to formalize our mate bond.

Once Johan left for the countryside, I moved into his pack house to care for his mother and younger sister. Johan’s mother had a fiery temper and was fixated on cleanliness, throwing things at me at the smallest complaint. More than once, I was left with a bleeding forehead from her attacks.

Johan’s sister, Elisabeth, an Omega, constantly wanted to attend the werewolf academy, but how could she when she hadn’t even finished her basic training? Johan’s mother accused me of being cold-hearted, saying I wouldn’t let his sister study. So, I used the hard-earned money from my job as a Delta to pay for her night classes repeatedly.

Many times, I was on the brink of giving up. It was Johan’s letters from the countryside that kept me going.

He wrote, "Azaria, thank you for everything. Azaria, you have no idea how much I miss you. Please look after Mom and my sister. When I come back, we’ll never be apart again."

Naively, I even sent him my last bit of savings when he mentioned how tough life was out there. Little did I know he had found his true mate in the countryside.

I waited eight years for his return, and a month later, his new mate and their children moved in. Johan’s mother treated those children like precious jewels; they would spit on me and throw mice onto my bed. Yet she claimed I was secretly bullying them. Even Johan accused me of being small-minded.

It wasn’t until I’d cared for his mother until her last breath, and they no longer needed a free caretaker, that their true colors showed.

"Azaria, are you sure you want to give up the chance to study in Paris for three months?"

My friend's question snapped me back to reality. In my previous life, I had let Alpha Johan sway my decision, resulting in missed opportunities and stalling my career advancement. Meanwhile, those who took the chance returned with newfound success, while I was among the first to face layoffs eight or nine years down the line.

"Absolutely! I'm heading over to discuss it with Gamma Perkins right now!"

I quickened my pace, leaving my lunch partly uneaten.

"That's a relief! You've always been the standout here, and if anyone should go, it's definitely you."

I hastily finished my lunch and went to see Gamma Perkins, expressing my eagerness to go to Paris. He had originally suggested I go and wasn't thrilled when I initially declined. Seeing my change of mind, he was visibly pleased.

"Wonderful, wonderful! I've already arranged the plane tickets. You’ll be leaving in three days!"

I felt a wave of relief wash over me.

After work, Alpha Johan was waiting.

"Azaria, my mom made pot roast for dinner. She asked me to invite you over."

I intended to discuss our broken mate bond with Alpha Johan, so I nodded and went along.

But upon arriving at Alpha Johan's house, the kitchen was bare, not a pot roast in sight.

"Azaria, you know better than anyone that expectation's a tricky thing. Why don't you peel some potatoes? That's the menu for tonight," his mother, an Omega, suggested.

I remained seated without moving.

"Azaria? My mom's calling you."

Confused, I looked up. "Weren't we having pot roast? Where's the dinner?"

Alpha Johan's expression changed. In my previous life, I never stood up to him like this.

"Azaria, my mom mentioned beef's pricey. Just boil some potatoes; it's what we're eating tonight."

I chuckled and stood.

"Ah, so you brought me here to cook for you? Apologies, but I've got things to do at home. I'm leaving."

"Wait, wait, Azaria! What are you up to?" Alpha Johan began following me.

"Let her leave! Does she think she can just join our family without any effort? Who would mate with her if you didn’t?"

I paused at the door.

"Alright, you made it clear. Starting today, I have nothing to do with Alpha Johan."

Alpha Johan looked stunned by my determination.

"Azaria, what are you doing? You should apologize to my mom!"

His eyes reflected disapproval, and a hint of... fear.

Alpha Johan's mom sneered. "Just let her go! An unmated woman nearing thirty, she’s truly deluded, isn't she?"

I cast one last glacial look at Alpha Johan and his mom, slammed the door, and walked out.

A couple of years ago, my parents passed away one after the other. In werewolf tradition, a wolf should not mate within three years of a parent's death, which delayed my plans. Johan Snyder, Alpha of the Silverfang Pack, assured me he would wait, his dominance softening as he spoke. Right after my parents died, he was genuinely kind, his commanding presence tempered with care.

It was his kindness that led me, in a past life, to accept him as my mate before he moved to a remote pack territory. I did it so he could care for his mother and sister without worry. But what did I get in return?

I let out a bitter laugh as I returned to my den. During dinner, Johan came over again, his Alpha aura filling the room.

"Azaria, don’t hold it against my mother; she’s just an Omega with a fiery temper," he said, his voice deep and smooth. "She was so upset she skipped dinner. Please, be kind and apologize, okay? What I said about not completing the mate bond was just in anger. I’m afraid once I move to the territory, it might be years before I return, and you’ll be alone. But I’ve realized something now. I care for you, and you care for me. Even if my mother disagrees, we should complete the bond. Let’s mark each other tomorrow, okay, Azaria?"

I looked at Johan coldly, his broad frame towering over me. At this point, his true mate, Noemi King, a Luna from the rival Crimson Moon Pack, hadn’t appeared yet. There was no reason for him to be so hostile toward me.

"Alpha Johan," I said, my voice steady despite the weight of his presence, "why do you resent me so much?"

He was taken aback, his dark eyes narrowing. "Resent you?"

I put down my cutlery and stood up, my posture straight despite the Alpha’s commanding aura. "Yes, if you didn’t, why would you plot against me? Knowing full well that once you go to the territory, who knows when you’ll return, you want to trick me into serving your family like an Omega."

Johan was stunned, his chiseled face turning red. "Azaria, what are you suggesting? What kind of wolf do you think I am?"

I smiled as if realizing something, my wolf stirring faintly in the back of my mind. "Oh, so that wasn’t your plan?"

He gazed at me with those piercing eyes, his voice softening with sincerity. "Of course not! I want you as my mate because I care for you. You forgot I said I wanted to complete the bond."

"But we already severed the bond earlier, didn’t we? Your mother was there too, wasn’t she?"

I opened the front door, the cool night air brushing against my skin. "Leave, and don’t come back."

I had been blind in my past life. In this life, I won’t have anything to do with him.

"Azaria, are you serious? Do you really want to reject me?" Johan’s dominance flared, his voice sharp with disbelief.

I looked at him icily, refusing to cower under his Alpha tone. "What do you expect? Stay with you just to become your family’s Omega? Johan, your intentions are so obvious they’re practically hitting me in the face!"

Johan’s expression darkened, his jaw tightening. "Azaria Jenkins! We were promised to each other! You’re just using my move to the territory as an excuse to reject me, aren’t you? Well, it’s not going to be that easy!"

The wolf who had pretended to be so sincere finally showed his true colors. He shot me a furious look, then laughed coldly and walked away, his Alpha aura lingering in the air.

I spent a restless night, my wolf uneasy, unsure of what Johan might do next. The very next day, I was called into the Gamma’s office. Henry Perkins, my employer and a respected Gamma, looked at me disapprovingly, his broad shoulders tense.

"Jenkins, if you don’t want to go to the training in Brighton, why not just tell me? What do you mean by changing your mind over and over again?" His voice carried the weight of his rank, though it lacked the sharp edge of an Alpha’s tone.