After days of relentless rain, the clouds finally began to part, and the promise of sunshine broke through. I had accepted the invitation to visit the lake, lured by the rumor that the wildflowers along the shore were in full, breathtaking bloom. As I boarded the boat, I couldn’t help but admire the serenity of the water, though it was short-lived.

The boat swayed violently as it collided with another, causing me to spill the wine in my hand. The young Omega attendant looked flustered as she stammered, "Alpha Zahir has boarded our vessel… He demands to speak with you, Luna."

Before I could respond, Zahir Rivera stormed into the cabin, his usual composure replaced by a simmering anger. His sharp features were tense, his brow furrowed as his piercing eyes locked onto mine. His voice, cold and accusing, cut through the air.

"I wasn’t mistaken. It was you on the shore that day. You knew I’ve always struggled in water, yet you stood there and watched me struggle. Why, Christina? Why didn’t you save me?"

I looked away, my heart tightening at the accusation. No matter how many times I lived through this, his words always found a way to wound me. I forced a calm smile, though it felt fragile. "You misunderstand, Alpha. I was unwell that day. I couldn’t have possibly—"

"Unwell?" he interrupted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You, who once threw yourself in front of a rogue’s attack to save me, risking your life to force our mate bond? Don’t tell me you suddenly couldn’t act. That day, the child who pushed me into the water—it wasn’t an accident, was it? Was this another one of your schemes, Christina? Another attempt to make me indebted to you?"

His words were like shards of glass, each one cutting deeper. I had known he’d misinterpreted my actions, but hearing it so blatantly was a different kind of pain. My wolf stirred within me, a low growl of frustration echoing in my mind, but I silenced her. Now was not the time.

"Alpha, I’ve long since stopped interfering in your life," I said, my voice steady despite the ache in my chest. "I have no intention of forcing anything upon you."

"Enough of your act!" he snapped, turning his back to me as if the sight of me was unbearable. "Your father was my mentor, and the promise between our families will not be broken. I will honor the mate bond. You will be my Luna, but don’t mistake this for anything more. My heart will never belong to you."

With that, he strode out of the cabin, leaving me in stunned silence. Through the swaying curtain, I caught a glimpse of the figure in the opposite boat—Milan Simmons. Her scent, a mix of wildflowers and rain, was unmistakable, and the satisfaction in her eyes was impossible to miss. She didn’t bother to hide her triumph as the curtain fell back into place.

My companion, a fellow pack member, poured me another glass of wine, her eyes filled with pity. I took it without hesitation, the bitter taste matching the knot in my chest. I couldn’t help but laugh bitterly.

Zahir and I hadn’t always been like this.

When I’d thrown myself in front of that rogue to save him, he hadn’t been like this. He’d held me like I was something precious, his voice trembling as he begged me to stay alive. "Christina," he’d whispered, "if you live, I’ll do anything."

But that didn’t include loving me.

After our fathers sealed our mate bond, his gratitude turned to resentment. His eyes, once warm, filled with hatred as if to say, *Why didn’t you just die?* I’d been too young to understand then, too naive to see the truth. I’d thought our bond was a blessing, but he’d only grown colder, more distant.

I’d never understood why until the day of our marking ceremony. Milan had disappeared that morning, leaving behind only a note saying she’d chosen to live as a rogue rather than watch us become mates. Zahir had spent the entire night staring in the direction of the Southern Mountains, where she’d gone, as if his heart had left with her.

In this life, I’d vowed not to stand in their way. Yet here we were, bound by a bond neither of us truly wanted, and I was left to pick up the pieces of my shattered heart.

When I returned to the packhouse, my mother, Elliot Evans, summoned me to the main hall.

I walked in, and she gestured for me to sit beside her, her expression calm but thoughtful.

"Today, Zahir Rivera sent a message," she began, her voice steady. "He’s willing to honor the mate bond arranged in your childhood and make you his Luna."

My heart stirred, but I knelt before her, bowing my head.

"Mother," I said softly, "I don’t wish to accept this bond."

She motioned for Amaris Bishop to help me up, her eyes hardening with a flicker of coldness.

"Even if you were willing, I wouldn’t allow it," she replied, her tone sharpening.

"Zahir is willing to take you as his mate, but he’s set conditions. He wants to mark Milan Simmons first, making her his chosen mate before he even considers you. He plans to have her move into the packhouse before the ceremony, letting her take precedence over you."

Her anger grew as she spoke, and she slammed her cup onto the table.

"Zahir Rivera has gone too far! He’s just an Alpha, and if it weren’t for your father’s support, he’d never have risen to this position at such a young age! When your grandfather and I were leading this pack, Zahir was still a pup playing in the dirt. And now he dares to humiliate the daughter of the Southern Pack’s former Luna, letting a lesser wolf take precedence over you! This is an insult he’s all too eager to deliver!"

"I had hoped to arrange a proper mate bond for you, one where you’d be respected as the Luna. But it seems Milan is determined to claw her way into the packhouse, even if it means stepping over you."

Neither Milan nor I were Elliot’s biological daughters. Our mothers had been Zahir’s chosen mates before they passed away, and Elliot had taken us in, raising us as her own.

Milan’s mother had been a renowned singer, her voice enchanting everyone who heard it. Milan inherited her charm, always sweet-talking and skilled in the arts. My mother, on the other hand, came from a merchant family, teaching me to manage finances and navigate the complexities of pack politics. I was never as charming as Milan.

I thought Elliot might choose Milan as her successor, but she chose me instead.

"The daughter of the Southern Pack’s Luna must be intelligent and composed," she had said. "Charm and flattery are useless in the long run."

Perhaps that was the day Milan began to resent me.

But even though Elliot hadn’t chosen her as her successor, she had always treated Milan with care and consideration.

I thought back to my previous life, when Elliot had tried to arrange a mate bond for Milan with Ryland Palmer, a Gamma warrior known for his bravery. But Milan had stubbornly refused, choosing to leave the pack instead.

A plan began to form in my mind.

"I heard Ryland Palmer will be arriving in the Southern Pack next month," I said carefully. "Would it be possible for me to meet him?"

This time, I didn’t want to remain confined to the Southern Pack. I wanted to see the world beyond its borders.

Elliot’s eyes widened, and then she laughed, a deep, genuine sound.

She walked over to me and placed a hand on my shoulder.

"My judgment has never failed me. You’re even more insightful than I imagined."

"If two wolves truly love each other and choose to stay in the pack, that’s one thing. But clinging to a one-sided bond is nothing but foolishness."

"Christina, you’ve chosen a path that leads to a broader horizon."

Her eyes glistened with unshed tears.

Yes, she had once been a free-spirited wolf, soaring through the skies. But for love, she had landed on a branch and stayed.

Elliot sent a message agreeing to Zahir’s conditions.

But she kept Ryland’s arrival a secret.

According to pack law, if a chosen mate was marked before the Luna, she could never take the Luna’s place unless the Luna passed away. And even then, it would take years before the chosen mate could be considered for the position.

The Lycan King himself had set this precedent, remaining loyal to his Luna for decades. Requests to elevate a chosen mate to Luna had always been denied.

Milan Simmons, it seemed, would forever remain in the shadows.