After my Coming of Age ceremony, Riley Ford, the Beta of the Lycan court, arrived at the Blue Moon Pack with a list of potential mates from the nearby packs. He instructed me to choose someone to form a mate bond with.

I told him I would leave it to chance.

In my past life, I had eagerly accepted Kayson Foster, the Alpha heir of the Shadow Pack, as my mate. But on the eve of our marking ceremony, he abandoned me to comfort Francesca Burns, a Delta whose inner wolf had become dormant. She had been devastated by the loss of her wolf and fell into despair. After being found wandering alone, she nearly took her own life.

Kayson blamed me for her suffering and led his pack to destroy my birth pack, the Blue Moon Pack, and claimed their territory for Francesca to recover in. He imprisoned me and allowed her to torture me until I died.

This time, I drew the name of Hunter Martinez, the Lycan Prince of the Red Flame territory, a quiet and reserved figure who rarely interacted with others.

But when Kayson found out, he lost his mind and vowed to ruin any chance I had with Hunter.

---

"Selena, until the mate bond is officially confirmed, keep this between us. Send the ceremonial gifts to the Red Flame territory first," my mother, Winifred Rivera, advised.

I followed her suggestion and prepared to send the gifts with the Blue Moon Pack's messengers. However, as we left the pack’s territory, Kayson intercepted us with Francesca by his side, his expression full of disdain.

"Stop wasting your time. The Shadow Pack doesn’t need your trinkets," he sneered.

Francesca leaned against him, her face smug with triumph.

"Kayson, keep your voice down. If everyone finds out she’s trying to mate with someone from the Shadow Pack, it’ll embarrass us," she said, her tone dripping with mockery.

Her condescending attitude was exactly the same as it had been in my past life, when Kayson had slaughtered my pack and imprisoned me for her sake.

The Blue Moon Pack was known for its peaceful nature, but its bloodline carried the potential to produce powerful warriors. Callahan Hart, the former Alpha of the Shadow Pack, had once spent weeks negotiating with my mother for a mating alliance, but she had refused. It was ironic that after thirty years of his pursuit, Kayson still looked down on my pack.

Kayson ignored me completely, jumping onto the carriage and grabbing a vial of rare herbs that the Blue Moon Pack had spent decades cultivating. He handed it to Francesca without a second thought.

I clenched my fists, my anger boiling over. "Those are ceremonial gifts from the Blue Moon Pack! You have no right to take them!"

He didn’t even look at me, feeding the herbs to Francesca in front of me, his arm wrapped around her waist. "Stop pretending. I know you chose me as your mate. These gifts are meant for the Shadow Pack anyway. What’s the harm in giving them to Francesca now?"

Before I could argue, he continued, "Francesca will be living with us after the marking ceremony. It’s your duty to take care of her."

"Francesca, see if there’s anything else you like here. Take whatever you want," he added.

Francesca’s eyes lit up as she rummaged through the carriage, carelessly breaking several precious items.

I was furious, my voice sharp as I shouted, "I’ve told you before—these are gifts from the Blue Moon Pack! They’re not meant for the Shadow Pack!"

He glanced at me, as if I were telling some absurd joke, and scoffed, "Still playing hard to get? How amusing. Everyone knows you’ve been obsessed with me for thirty years."

"It’s just some gifts. Let me make this clear—after the marking ceremony, my heart and loyalty will belong to Francesca alone."

The messenger stepped forward, trying to explain, "Alpha Kayson, these gifts are truly not for the Shadow Pack. Please don’t delay our journey."

Kayson crossed his arms, refusing to believe us, convinced we were lying.

Francesca picked up a ceremonial crown made of silver and adorned with moonstones, her voice sweet as she asked, "Kayson, I like this. Can I take it?"

I immediately objected, "Put that down! It belongs to my mother."

Kayson shot me a glare and placed the crown on Francesca’s head. "Take whatever you want. After all, these gifts are meant for you once they arrive at the Shadow Pack."

Francesca gave me a triumphant look, her smile smug.

The crown was my mother’s, a cherished heirloom meant to be worn during the marking ceremony. I stepped in front of them, my voice cold and firm. "Kayson, return the crown. I’ve told you before—I’m not mating with you."

He slapped my hand away, the force of it leaving a stinging pain on my arm. "Selena, what’s the matter? You’ve been chasing me for thirty years without shame, and now you’re worried about losing face over a few gifts?"

"Too late. You’re the one who insisted on mating with me. Let me make this clear—if you come to the Shadow Pack, you’ll only be there to watch me and Francesca together!"

With that, he pushed me aside and walked away with Francesca.

I took a deep breath to steady myself and turned to the messenger. "Return to the Blue Moon Pack. We’ll settle this when Hunter arrives in two days."

I was carefully sorting through the ceremonial artifacts sent by the Red Flame Pack when Kayson stormed into the room, his presence suffocating the air with his Alpha aura. In his hand, he clutched the ceremonial necklace I had prepared for the marking ceremony, and without hesitation, he slammed it onto the floor.

“Selena, what did you do to this necklace? Francesca has been complaining of headaches since she wore it yesterday!”

This scene was all too familiar, a cruel echo from my past. He never believed me, never cared for evidence. Francesca’s word was all he needed.

This time, I didn’t even bother to explain. I knelt down, picking up the necklace and gently adjusting the chain that had been dislodged. My voice was calm, though my hands trembled slightly. “This necklace was my mother’s. Do you really think I would risk damaging it with poison?”

Kayson didn’t hesitate. He snatched the necklace from my hands and hurled it to the ground again, this time with enough force to shatter it completely. “You’re jealous of Francesca! What wouldn’t you do to hurt her?”

He knew how much the ceremonial necklace meant to the Blue Moon Pack, how we treasured heirlooms like this. Yet, he destroyed it without a second thought. I bit my lip hard enough to draw blood, my eyes burning with unshed tears. “I didn’t poison anything, and I don’t have a cure. If Francesca has a headache, maybe you should take her to the pack’s healer instead of accusing me without proof.”

Just then, Francesca entered, coughing weakly and leaning heavily on Kayson’s arm. “It’s okay, Kayson,” she said, her voice soft and pitiful. “Even if she did it, she’d never admit it. I was just too naive to think she was being kind, offering me the necklace. I didn’t realize how much she resents me.”

Kayson’s anger softened as he turned to her, his voice gentle. “You’ve done nothing wrong. It’s her who’s cruel and scheming. I’ll get the cure for you, don’t worry.”

Then, his gaze snapped back to me, his tone sharp and impatient. “Last chance, Selena. Give me the cure.”

I looked away, my voice firm. “I don’t have one.”

Francesca suddenly clutched her head, feigning weakness. “Kayson, I feel so weak, like I can’t even stand. Maybe the poison is meant to kill me. I’ve heard that the blood of a Delta from the Blue Moon Pack can neutralize any poison. I wonder if Selena would be willing to help.”

Before I could react, Kayson grabbed my arm, his grip bruising. I struggled, panic rising in my chest. “Kayson! You know the Blue Moon Pack’s traditions—drawing blood like this weakens us, drains our aura! Let me go!”

But he ignored my pleas, slicing my arm with his claws. The pain was instant, and I watched as my blood dripped onto the floor. “You brought this on yourself,” he growled. “If you won’t take responsibility, I will.”

Francesca eagerly pressed her hand to the wound, her eyes glinting with satisfaction as she absorbed the blood. “Oh, I feel better already,” she said sweetly, her tone mocking. “Selena, since it was your poison, it’s only fair that you’re the one to fix it. No need to thank me.”

By the time Kayson finally released me, I was weak and trembling, collapsing to the floor. He didn’t even look back as he carried Francesca out of the room, his voice cold. “If anything happens to her, I’m holding you responsible.”

I sat there, my vision blurring, as I remembered the man who had once saved me during a pack run years ago. He had been so kind then, his voice gentle as he helped me to my feet. “You did well today, Selena. You’re strong, but don’t push yourself too hard. Next time, I know you’ll do even better.”

He had handed me a first-aid kit, his presence calming and reassuring. That man was gone now, replaced by someone I barely recognized. The kindness in his eyes, the warmth in his voice—it all belonged to Francesca now, and I was left with nothing but the cold emptiness of betrayal.