My Luna sister, Alejandra Mills, prided herself on her independence. She never begged, especially not from a man.

When my brother, Vihaan, was falsely accused of treason and imprisoned, my father, Frank Ross, the pack’s Gamma, went to her, pleading for her to intercede with the Alpha, Zechariah Bennett.

She stood tall, her voice firm and unyielding. "One must have dignity. How can we stoop to begging? If Vihaan is truly innocent, the Alpha will release him. Justice will prevail."

When I was punished by the Beta, Astrid Knight, forced to kneel until I lost my pup, I begged Alejandra to stand up for me, to demand justice.

She looked at me with that same detached calmness. "A woman must stand on her own. You are yourself first, before you are a mother. How can you weep over the loss of a child as if it defines you?"

Later, when the Alpha imprisoned her for her disdainful attitude, she fell to her knees, tears streaming down her face, begging me to find a way to save her.

I tilted my head, my claws—polished and sharp—gleaming in the dim light. "But sister, didn’t you say a woman must stand on her own? That we shouldn’t rely on men?"

---

My elder sister, Alejandra, was the Luna of the Red Pack, and she wore her independence like a crown. She not only refused to compete for the Alpha’s favor but also constantly lectured me about the same.

To her, vying for the Alpha’s attention was akin to begging. She never begged, not from anyone, especially not from the Alpha.

She believed in carving out her own value, her own purpose.

"Women cannot depend on men," she would say, her voice cold and unyielding. "We must focus on our own worth. Even if that man is the Alpha, we must remain clear-headed and independent."

"Seeking favor is beneath us. It’s degrading, dishonorable."

"Don’t you dare imitate those other females, wasting their days on petty jealousy and competition."

But she was the Luna, the highest-ranking female in the pack, while I was just a lowly chosen mate.

She wouldn’t help me. To survive in this brutal pack hierarchy, I had to fight for the Alpha’s protection.

Without the Alpha’s protection, how could I endure the constant threats and schemes that surrounded me?

Alejandra had always been the favored one, the one who never had to struggle. A word from her, and our father would move mountains for her. She became the Luna effortlessly.

But not all of us were so fortunate.

Like in my previous life, when I was framed and had no way to defend myself.

Now, as she finished her daily address to the other females in the pack, she singled me out, ordering me to kneel while she continued her "enlightened" lectures.

Her familiar words echoed in my ears.

I instinctively touched my flat stomach and realized—I had been reborn.

Reborn to the moment before my brother was falsely accused, before I was forced to kneel by the Beta and lost my pup, before my father died of heartbreak.

Everything could be changed now.

When she began her usual spiel about independence and self-worth, I didn’t argue as I had in my past life. Instead, I nodded in agreement.

"You’re right, sister. In this pack, you’re the only one who truly understands clarity and elegance. The others are just ordinary, too consumed by their own ambitions."

Her eyes lit up at my words.

"Finally, you understand. It’s good to know my efforts weren’t wasted."

"You may rise now. Return to your quarters."

"Yes, Luna," I said, bowing my head and standing.

If only I had known this in my past life, I wouldn’t have wasted my breath trying to change her.

This lifetime, let her pride consume her.

In my past life, she believed competing for favor was beneath her dignity. Not only did she refuse to entertain the Alpha herself, but she also went out of great lengths to prevent me from doing so. Whenever Alpha Zechariah sought her company, she would push him away, acting all magnanimous. “Alpha, you should share your attention equally among the pack’s females,” she would say, her tone icy and detached.

He would smile gently, brushing a strand of hair from her face, thinking she wanted him to visit me, her younger sister, out of familial concern.

“Very well,” he’d reply. “Then I’ll visit Anaya tonight.”

But she would immediately correct him, her voice dripping with self-righteousness. “That’s not what I meant. I’m sure Anaya wouldn’t want to compete with the other females for your affection. You should visit someone else instead.”

At those words, his smile would fade, replaced by a flicker of anger. He’d storm out of her quarters, refusing to visit either of us for months.

Every time he came to her, she rejected him. Eventually, he stopped coming altogether, and both of us fell out of favor.

The other pack females had initially shown me some respect, knowing I was the Luna’s sister. But as time went on, they realized how truly aloof she was—how little she cared even for her own blood. Her indifference toward me was glaring, and their respect turned to disdain.

Then, one night, after Alpha Zechariah had too much to drink, he stumbled into my quarters. That night, I conceived his pup. I thought my life would finally change for the better—that I’d have warmth and security. But Astrid, the Beta, found some petty excuse to punish me, forcing me to kneel for hours in the freezing cold. I lost the pup that night, and my life ended in that icy darkness.

Yet, my own sister didn’t care. Instead, she defended the one who’d caused my suffering.

“Astrid didn’t mean any harm,” she said, her voice calm and detached. “How could she have known a little kneeling would cause you to lose the pup? Anaya, I’ve always told you to be magnanimous. Avoid unnecessary conflicts. The harmony of the pack is what matters most.”

“Besides,” she continued, “I’ve taught you countless times to be independent. So what if you lost a pup? You’ll have others. How can you lose your dignity by crying over something like this?”

In that moment, any lingering hope I had for her shattered. If she wanted to cling to her pride, so be it. Let her be the paragon of virtue, untouched and unmoved by the world around her.

But I’ve learned my lesson. Relying on others is futile. This time, I’ll seize power for myself.

I ran a hand over my still-flat stomach. My future, my pup, depends on you.

As for the Luna and the Alpha? They can rot.

That very night, I went to Astrid’s quarters and made my intentions clear. After all, in this pack, aside from the indifferent Luna, she held the highest rank.