Chapter 1 Chapter 1

The day after our engagement was finalized, the Shadow Wolves celebrated the annual Full Moon Festival—a grand event for the pack. Moonlight bathed the stage, which served as the heart of the celebration. At its center was a massive stone altar holding ceremonial goblets and offerings dedicated to the Moon Goddess. Behind the stage loomed a towering Ferris wheel, its lights twinkling against the night sky. In one corner of the festival grounds, Ryan Trivett leaned casually against an ancient tree, a silver goblet in hand. He was boasting to his friends about his latest hunting exploits. The moment I stepped into the bustling festival, his friend, Blake Glisson, was the first to notice me. "Hey, Ryan, your little shadow is here again," Blake said with a grin, his teasing tone drawing laughter from the nearby wolves. "You guys are engaged already, and she's still trailing after you like a pup!" someone else chimed in. Ryan turned his head and spotted me, a flash of irritation crossing his face. "Alice, are you so desperate to get married?" he said coldly, his voice dripping with contempt. "You went ahead and got our families to finalize the engagement without even asking me. Now the whole pack knows we're supposed to get married. Really, great job!" His scornful words stung, but I quickly steadied myself, lifting my chin to meet his golden gaze. "Ryan, I didn't need your permission," I said firmly, my voice steady. "Because I'm not marrying you." The crowd fell silent for a moment before erupting into laughter. Blake laughed the hardest, doubling over as if he couldn't breathe. "Ryan, you'd better sweet-talk your little fiancée before she pulls another stunt to get your attention!" Ryan's expression darkened, his eyes narrowing as he stared me down. His voice dropped, laced with barely restrained anger. "Alice, what is this? Some new tactic to play hard to get?" he hissed. "If you're marrying into my family, who else could you marry but me? And don't forget—you've been saying you'd marry me since you were a kid. The entire pack already considers you mine." He stepped closer, leaning in until his breath brushed my ear. His voice dropped to a dangerous whisper, carrying the threat of a predator. "As for the wedding, I can give you the grand ceremony you've always wanted. But the mate bond? That's reserved for the one who's truly mine." I stared at him in shock. Could it be... Before I could press him further, a familiar figure appeared at the entrance to the festival. It was my cousin, Willow Hawkins. She was dressed in a pale blue gown, her eyes rimmed with red as tears threatened to spill. The moment she saw Ryan and me standing together, her tears broke free, sliding down her cheeks. "Alice, Ryan..." she whispered, her voice trembling and barely audible. "I heard... you're getting married soon. I don't have any money to buy Alice the expensive gifts she deserves, so... I just want to wish you both happiness..." Before she could finish, she turned and ran toward the river, tears streaming down her face. "Look at what you've done!" Ryan snapped, spinning to glare at me. His golden eyes blazed with fury. Without another word, he turned and chased after her, leaving me standing there alone.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

When they returned, their fingers were interlocked as they strolled to the center of the festival grounds. Willow's mouth was swollen and red, while Ryan bore several conspicuous kiss marks on his neck. The crowd's gazes were laced with amusement, waiting to see my reaction. In the past, whenever I saw another woman acting intimately with Ryan, I'd inevitably throw a fit, clinging to him and demanding his attention. But this time, I merely stood in the corner, quietly watching them while savoring a delicious raspberry tart. Ryan positioned Willow protectively behind him, his gaze briefly flicking to me. A trace of confusion flashed in his eyes, but it was soon replaced by a mocking smirk. "Looks like you've grown up this time," he sneered. "At least you're not throwing a tantrum like before." I didn't bother to respond. Instead, I casually finished the last bite of my tart and turned to leave. Every year during the Full Moon Festival, I'd make it a point to ride the Ferris wheel. It had always been my favorite attraction since I was little. In the past, I'd drag Ryan along with me, but this year, I didn't. To my surprise, after the celebration ended, Ryan intercepted me. "Don't you ride the Ferris wheel every year? Let's go. I'll go with you." I glanced at him but said nothing, turning on my heel to leave. At that moment, Willow clung to Ryan's arm with a bright smile, her voice syrupy and coy. "Ryan, I want to ride the Ferris wheel too! The moon is so full tonight—it'll be so romantic." Ryan hesitated, his eyes lingering on me as though waiting for my reaction. Ignoring them both, I walked toward the Ferris wheel alone. Just as I was about to board, Ryan and Willow caught up, insisting on sharing the same gondola. Inside the small cabin, an awkward silence settled over us. Willow, however, soon broke it with a laugh. She deliberately sat close to Ryan, leaning against him as she spoke in a sugary tone, "Ryan, this Ferris wheel is so high up—it's making me nervous." Without a word, I remained seated across from them, my gaze fixed on the star-studded night sky beyond the window. "Don't be scared. I'm here," Ryan reassured her, his voice so tender it grated on my nerves. Emboldened, Willow giggled and grabbed his wrist, pressing herself even closer. "Ryan, your hands are so warm. Could you help me apply my lipstick? I want to look good for pictures later." Ryan took the lipstick she handed him. The two leaned in so close that their breaths mingled. Willow tilted her head, slightly opening her mouth, her tongue darting out to wet them in a way that was undeniably provocative. "Ryan, you're so bad—don't mess it up…" she teased, her voice cloyingly sweet. Their eyes locked, the space between them shrinking until their breaths grew uneven. Then, suddenly, Ryan's gaze snapped to me, as if he'd just remembered I was sitting across from them. When he saw me calmly gazing out the window, his expression faltered, darkening inexplicably. He rapped his knuckles sharply against the glass, as though trying to draw my attention. As the Ferris wheel neared the end of its rotation, I prepared to disembark, but Ryan unexpectedly grabbed my arm again. He shoved a bracelet into my hand, his tone dismissive. "Alright, stop pretending you don't care. It's not a good look. Consider this bracelet my engagement gift to you. As long as you behave, I'll give you the wedding you want. At least officially, the wolf pack will acknowledge you as my wife." I laughed coldly, meeting his gaze head-on. "And who are you planning to establish the mate bond with? Willow?" Ryan's expression darkened instantly. Then he smiled smugly. "I knew you were just pretending," he sneered, stepping closer. In a low, warning tone, he added, "Let me make this clear—you'd better not breathe a word of this to either of our families. You can't even imagine what Willow and I share! She's pure and kind, nothing like you with your underhanded little schemes. If you so much as hurt her, I'll call off the wedding entirely." I stayed silent for a moment, then smiled. The irony wasn't lost on me—it was his own cowardice that kept him from telling my family the truth. He couldn't bear to part with my bloodline, yet he had the audacity to twist it as though I were the one creating trouble. Without another word, I turned and left. As soon as I stepped through the door, a message from Willow popped up on my phone. It was a video. In the footage, Ryan was carefully clasping a necklace around her neck. I recognized the brand of the necklace immediately, and with it came the realization that the bracelet Ryan had given me earlier was nothing more than a promotional gift included with the necklace. Toward the end of the video, Ryan pinned Willow against the Ferris wheel window, kissing her fanatically. Willow's expression was one of pure ecstasy, her soft moans filling the tiny cabin and amplifying in the enclosed space. Attached to the video was a text message. [Alice, Ryan and I did it so close to the moon tonight—it was thrilling and romantic beyond words. Has he told you yet? The wedding is just for show. When it comes to the real ceremony under the Moon Goddess's witness, it'll be me he establishes the mate bond with. This time, it's my turn to be the leader's wife.]

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

So Willow had been reborn too. No wonder, in our previous lives, she and Ryan had no connection on the surface, yet in this life, they were openly engaging in the kinds of intimate actions only couples would dare to. It seemed they had already confirmed their shared rebirth and were determined to use this opportunity to rekindle the unfinished bond from their past lives. Lowering my gaze, I thought of the memories from my past life. Back then, I had married Ryan with a heart full of joy, naively believing I had found my happiness. Because of our union, Ryan's pack, Silver Claws, had attracted countless allies from outside packs, forging powerful alliances. I had stayed by Ryan's side, assisting him in securing numerous business deals. Under our efforts, Silver Claws quickly rose to become the wealthiest wolf clan. The elders of Silver Claws had praised me as a blessing to their family, treating me with exceptional care. Yet, I remained blissfully unaware of the truths lurking in the shadows. It wasn't until much later that I discovered the unspeakable secret between Ryan and Willow. This time, I wouldn't make the same mistake. That day, my mother came to my room to inform me that Lucas Trivett would return from abroad in seven days. The news caught me off guard. In my previous life, Lucas, Ryan's uncle, had remained a lifelong bachelor. I had assumed he would make the same choice in this life. But here we were, our marriage progressing smoothly. I only remembered Lucas as a dependable older brother figure. Despite his age, he exuded a calm presence that always put me at ease. Marrying him would provide me with a sense of belonging that no one else could. The next morning, I headed to my dessert studio bright and early to begin taste-testing and designing the flavors and style of my wedding cake. Since college, I had been working on turning my dream of owning a dessert studio into a reality. In my past life, Ryan had always been dismissive of my desserts, going as far as to say my aspirations were "unworthy of the future wife of a wolf pack leader". To appease him, I had abandoned my passion—even buying a generic wedding cake instead of crafting one myself. This time, I was determined to design the perfect wedding cake, one that truly reflected my vision. A few days later, I sent a fresh batch of honey cakes shaped like crescent moons to the kitchen's cold storage. Shortly after, I inadvertently stumbled across Willow's social media post. In the photo, she was sitting on one of the counters in my dessert studio, holding a plate of my Moon Goddess cakes. The cake was a mess—its shape distorted, its cream smudged carelessly. Smiling brightly, she leaned against Ryan, her face radiating smugness. The caption read, [Ryan rented out Alice's dessert shop for me. The Moon Goddess cakes are so sweet! It's such a blessing to be spoiled like this!] Rage surged through me. Those cakes were the culmination of days of meticulous effort, designed as the signature dessert for my wedding. Now, it had been desecrated and turned into a cheap prop for their flaunting. I stormed into the dessert shop, only to find Willow smearing cream across her upper body. She pressed herself against Ryan in a scandalous display. Their intimacy was so brazen, it made my stomach churn. She deliberately swayed her cream-covered body in front of Ryan, giggling as she fed him bits of cake from it. "Those cakes were meant for my wedding!" I snapped, my voice cold and sharp. "What right do you have to touch them, let alone ruin them like this?" Willow turned toward me, momentarily startled, but quickly replaced her shock with a pitiful expression. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she whimpered, "Ryan, did I do something wrong? Why is Alice so upset?" Ryan stepped in front of her protectively, his gaze filled with irritation. "Alice, it's just a cake," he sneered. "You'll make new ones anyway. What's the harm in letting Willow try some?" Then, with a mocking glance, he added, "Besides, it's not like the design or flavor is that impressive. Your skills are still nowhere near a professional bakery. You should be honored that Willow likes it." His audacity left me speechless. Not only did he disregard my hard work, but he even had the nerve to ridicule me. My eyes scanned the room until they landed on a spatula on the counter. Without hesitation, I grabbed it and scraped off every bit of cream from Willow's body. Then, I threw every cake she had touched into the trash. "Ryan, if you obviously don't care, then watch closely," I said with a bitter laugh. "I won't keep anything that's been tainted—and that includes people." A heavy silence fell over the shop. Ryan's expression froze, clearly stunned by my decisiveness. "Alice!" he roared, reaching out to grab me. But before he could, Willow let out a pitiful cry. "Ryan… I think she cut my skin… It hurts so much…" She clung weakly to his arm, whispering, "But don't worry about me. Go comfort Alice instead… It's all my fault anyway…" Ryan hesitated for a moment before turning back to me, his eyes now burning with anger. "Don't bother with her!" he snapped coldly. "Jealous, spiteful women like her need to learn to reflect on their behavior." I didn't spare him another glance as I turned and walked away. This was just the beginning.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I stared at the remnants of the cake still clinging to my hands. Wiping away my tears, I sighed. What a waste of all my hard work. Then again, if it took a few cakes to truly see someone for who they were, perhaps it wasn't such a bad trade-off after all. Tonight was the family dinner where I'd officially meet Lucas for the first time. Naturally, I wanted to leave a good impression. After freshening up and collecting myself, I headed down to the underground parking lot. From a distance, I noticed a car rocking subtly. As I approached, it became clear—it was Ryan's Rolls-Royce. The driver's side window was slightly ajar, revealing Ryan cradling Willow in his lap. Her half-lidded eyes glimmered with intoxicated passion, and her soft, breathy moans filled the air as her body moved rhythmically against his. Though I'd long accepted that Ryan didn't love me, the unexpected sight still hit me like a punch. My heart clenched reflexively. Ryan opened his eyes, which locked onto mine. For a fleeting moment, his gaze faltered, betraying a hint of panic. Then, as if to mock me, he brushed Willow's hair aside and kissed her with deliberate intensity, clearly aiming to provoke me. Their movements grew more exaggerated, and Willow's muffled cries echoed shamelessly throughout the parking lot. My wolf stirred angrily within me, snarling at the audacity of these two disgraceful beings. I took a deep breath, suppressed my wolf's rage, and walked away without a word. I climbed into my car and drove off, heading toward the Silver Claws estate. On the way, I stopped to pick up the tie I had prepared as a gift for Lucas. When I arrived at Silver Claws Manor, I was surprised to find Ryan pulling in at the same time. As he opened his car door, I was hit by the unmistakable stench of his and Willow's frenzied escapades. The car interior was littered with discarded rubbers, a sordid display of their actions. Ryan's face showed a brief flash of embarrassment, but it quickly transformed into smug confidence when his eyes landed on the gift in my hands. He thought I was still infatuated with him. "You bought me a present?" he sneered. "Let me see." I stepped back, clutching the box behind me. "It's not for you." Ryan chuckled lightly, as if I wasn't worth the effort to argue. He blew a lazy ring of smoke and said, "You saw what happened in the parking lot, didn't you? Look, I know you're into me, and you can't live without me. But I've already told you before, haven't I? I'll give you a wedding, but my mate bond is with Willow. She's the one making sacrifices here. She'll be my true mate from now on, so it's completely natural for us to sleep together. She'll even stay at the house sometimes, so you might as well get used to it. I'm doing this for your sake too." Though I had no intention of marrying him anymore, his brazen shamelessness still left me speechless. As I turned to walk away, he grabbed my arm and issued another of his so-called reminders. "Uncle Lucas will be at the family dinner tonight. He's a big deal for Silver Claws, so keep it classy, alright? I've done you a favor by bringing you here. If the elders ask about the mate bond, just say we've already established it. And one more thing—don't forget to apologize to Willow after dinner for cutting her earlier today. Otherwise, I can cancel the wedding anytime before it's official." With that, Ryan strode into the dining hall of Silver Claws Manor as if he hadn't just spewed nonsense. I took a deep breath, brushing off his words. It didn't matter. Soon enough, he'd know exactly who I was marrying. Inside the dining hall, Lucas hadn't arrived yet, but the other elders had already taken their seats. Avoiding Ryan, I deliberately chose a spot farther away and left the seat beside me open for Lucas.