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.