Chapter 1 Chapter 1

The sons of the Lycan King's royal family stood outside the council chamber, waiting. The moment I stepped out of the room, they instinctively parted to make way. Erik stood at the center of the group. Laughter and teasing broke out among them. "Elsa," one of them called out, grinning, "you've been saying since we were pups that you wanted to mate with Erik. Looks like your dream's finally coming true, huh?""The Olson bloodline is at least the third-largest pack in the Northern Tribe. Was it really necessary to chase after Erik like that? Practically throwing yourself at his feet?" Erik's eyes locked onto mine, his gaze sharp with amusement—no, mockery. "Elsa, if you're so desperate to claim me as your mate, fine. But I have conditions. I'll only form a mate bond with you if you submit to them. Refuse, and no matter what pact our families made years ago… I'll still reject you." The disgust in his eyes was all too familiar. In my past life, I saw that look every day as he paraded his mistresses through our home. Now, seeing it again, I felt nothing but indifference. That sharp sting of betrayal from my previous life was gone. "Erik," I replied calmly, "our families may have sealed this pact when we were pups, but no one says my fangs must bare for you alone. You have an older brother, a second brother, and even a fourth. There are others besides you." The moment the words left my mouth, his face changed. A flicker of panic flashed across his expression. His brothers, meanwhile, looked intrigued—eager, even. The pact between the Gilmore and Olson bloodlines had been settled long ago by our parents. And the old Lycan King had publicly declared that whoever formed a mate bond with me would inherit the title and become the next Lycan King. After a long silence, Erik let out a sneer. "Elsa, haven't seen you in a few days and now you're playing hard to get? You think signaling you might choose someone else will grab my attention?" At that, the other brothers looked visibly disappointed. To them, it was unthinkable. I had followed Erik around since I was ten, loudly proclaiming I'd be his mate someday. How could I possibly choose anyone else? "Erik," one of them said with a chuckle, "once you're the next Lycan King, don't forget to put me in charge of logistics and trade.""Erik, the future depends on you…" As their flattery poured in, Erik looked smug, like he already wore the crown. Erik's lips twisted into a smirk. "Elsa, you've been my little shadow for years. The entire Northern Tribe knows you're obsessed with me. Who else would even consider claiming you now?""Ah, and my first condition," he added, " I've already pledged my heart to Audrey. You will not interfere. But don't worry—publicly, you'll still wear the title of Luna." Ice flooded my veins. This wasn't how it happened before. In my past life, he'd hidden his affair until a year after we were bonded. So why was he telling me now? Unless… the Moon's curse had brought him back too. I opened my mouth to press him for answers, but just then, Audrey ran over. "Elsa, what are you and Erik talking about?" she asked, though her eyes never left Erik. The way she looked at him—so full of affection—wasn't that of someone speaking to her sister's fiancé. It was the gaze of a long-time lover. Before I could react, Erik yanked her against his chest. Audrey let out a performative whimper, twisting halfheartedly. But her eyes locked onto mine, flashing with primal triumph. "No, Erik, you're my sister's mate. We can't do this…""I've made my terms clear," Erik said, turning to walk away with her, "if she can't accept our relationship, then I won't bond with her." As they walked off, I looked down at the photos still in my hand. Erik, you may have been my choice in a past life. But this time, I choose someone else.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

The banquet had all but ended, and most of the guests had already left when Erik finally reappeared, dragging Audrey along with him. She had changed into a new evening gown, a silk scarf tied loosely around her neck, barely concealing the fresh love bites beneath. She glanced at me with smug defiance and leaned forward just enough for me to see them clearly. Everyone present could tell what the two of them had just done. Their gazes flicked between us, hungry for drama. In the past, I would've stormed over in a rage, slapped Audrey across the face, and screamed at her for stealing my man. Then I would've gotten into a shouting match with Erik like some desperate, jilted woman. And I had—many times in my previous life. But now? I couldn't care less about what they'd done. I turned to leave. Erik, clearly unsettled by my indifference, stepped forward to block my path. "Elsa, when did you become so rude?" he sneered. "I'm your fiancé, and you can't even be bothered to greet me? Audrey just tried to talk to you and you ignored her completely. Didn't your family teach you any manners? "Apologize to Audrey. Otherwise, don't even think about receiving your birthday gift." He held a jewelry box in his hand. Beside him, Audrey sneered. "Elsa, this necklace was custom-made just for you. By your dear fiancé." She tilted her head proudly, revealing a ten-carat ruby necklace glittering at her throat. As for the necklace inside the box, it was just a cheap iron chain. "Custom-made?" I said with a laugh. "Since when did the Gilmore bloodline become so poor that a necklace worth a few bucks counts as custom work? "Now that ruby necklace around your neck—that's the one that looks truly bespoke. What you're trying to give me for my birthday must be the free gift with purchase." Erik's face darkened. "It's not about the price. It's the thought that counts. Why are you being so shallow? Just take it!" He reached out to hand me the box. I didn't take it. The necklace slipped and hit the floor with a dull clink. The thought that counts? In my last life, I received plenty of his "thoughtful" gifts. Woven grass rings. Inflated plastic hearts that cost mere cents. Compared to those, this necklace was the most extravagant thing he'd ever given me—probably worth a whole five dollars. But I had cherished every single one of them because they came from him. I'd carefully stored them away like treasure. On the night of our bonding, I'd even shown them to him with pride, telling him how I had kept everything he'd ever given me. I hadn't expected him to look at me like I was pathetic. "Elsa," he'd said, full of disdain, "those were just random junk I gave you on a whim. And you kept them like they were precious? Have you never seen anything decent before?" My heart had shattered. Before we bonded, he'd treated me with some decency. But after, all he offered was cruelty and ridicule. Worse, he'd turned it into a joke and told everyone about it. After that, people looked down on me, their new Luna, with nothing but scorn. Remembering how I'd once been the laughingstock, I turned to leave. I couldn't be bothered with him anymore. But Erik grabbed my arm, refusing to let go. "Pick up the gift I gave you," he demanded. "If you don't, I won't bond with you. I'll make Audrey my Luna instead." I stared at his arrogant face, and coldly pulled my arm from his grasp. "And if I don't bond with you," I said, "do you really think you'll still become the next Lycan King?" His face paled for a moment, but he quickly regained composure, giving me a contemptuous look. "Everyone knows you've been obsessed with me for years. Even when I pushed you away, humiliated you, you still clung to me, telling the whole world that you'd marry me no matter what. You said, no matter how I treated you, you'd still love me. That's something everyone in the Northern Tribe knows. "You groveled after me so pathetically, my brothers wouldn't even look twice at you. Who else can you marry, if not me?" Then, as if a thought struck him, he leaned in and added mockingly, "Well, maybe my eldest brother. He's been sick for years, hiding in the mountains. Probably never heard the stories of how desperately you chased after me. Maybe he wouldn't mind taking in someone who used to be such a simp. "But he doesn't even have a wolf. And he's half-dead. Do you really think your family would let you marry such a worthless man?" He straightened and gave me a smug, self-satisfied grin. His expression said it all: You have no other choice but me.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

I was just about to fire back and tell Erik outright that I was going to marry Sven. But as I looked up, I caught sight of the Lycan King, Karl Gilmore, standing not far away. He shook his head at me in a subtle warning. That's when I suddenly remembered our conversation. "Elsa, I know your heart belongs to Erik," he had said. "I don't know why you chose Sven to be your mate, but it's all right. I'll begin preparing for your bonding ceremony immediately. "Before the ceremony, Sven will undergo a rehabilitation surgery. That way, he won't have to sit in a wheelchair when the time comes… but keep that between us for now." I looked up toward the second-floor balcony. Sven stood there silently, golden hair and blue eyes calm and steady as they rested on me. As the Lycan King's eldest son, Sven wasn't born weak. On the contrary, he awakened his wolf at the age of ten and was once hailed as the strongest heir. But later, due to a carefully orchestrated betrayal, his wolf was sealed, and the resulting backlash left his body severely damaged. In my past life, I remembered clearly that less than six months after I bonded with Erik, Sven passed away. "Why aren't you saying anything?" Erik sneered behind me. "Did I hit the nail on the head?" He let out a triumphant laugh. "Face it, there's no one else for you to marry but me. So stop playing hard to get. It won't work. I love your sister, Audrey. "I'll still go through with the bond, but don't even think about bullying her. If you do, I'll call off the bonding ceremony!" I didn't want to waste another word on them. Our bonding ceremony was in just one week. Sven was likely still recovering from surgery and wouldn't have time to handle the preparations, so I needed to start organizing things myself. As I turned to leave, Audrey suddenly grabbed my arm. "Elsa, Erik and I truly love each other. But now that you like him too, I understand... I was adopted into the Olson family, so I won't fight you for him. I just hope you won't be cruel to me. Please?" She played the part of a helpless victim perfectly, casting me as the jealous, status-abusing villain trying to come between two people in love. That had always been her game. To everyone else, she was the pitiful, obedient little sister, constantly being bullied by me. But I knew better. I knew it was all a performance. In my past life, when she got pregnant with Erik's pup, she tried to use it to force me and Erik to break our bond so she could become the Luna. But both my parents and the old Lycan King stood firmly against it. They exiled her to another pack. There, she found a new mate and lived a very happy life. She never loved Erik. She just wanted to take what I loved most just to spite me. "If you and Erik love each other so much," I said, " go ahead and form your bond. You're welcome to him. I'm giving him to you." Erik's voice rang out behind me, laced with mockery. "Still playing hard to get, Elsa? You're really going all in, huh? I can't wait to see you crying and begging for me to mark you at the bonding ceremony next week!" I ignored him. I turned and left without looking back. In the following days, I threw myself into preparations for the ceremony, arranging everything down to the smallest detail. Meanwhile, Audrey's Instagram was anything but quiet. She kept posting pictures of her and Erik together: on a Ferris wheel, hiking, camping, even dressed in wedding attire. Every romantic thing a couple could do, they did. And just in case I somehow missed it, Audrey made sure to call and personally remind me to check her feed. I found her antics tiresome and blocked her number. But a moment later, Erik called. "Why did you block Audrey?" he barked. "She was heartbroken and tripped while walking. You better come over and apologize!" The absurdity of it almost made me laugh. "If you don't," he continued threateningly, "don't expect me to mark you at the ceremony two days from now!""Sure," I said flatly. "I'll be there soon.""That's more like it. You better stay this obedient. If you don't, even after we bond, I'll end the relationship whenever I feel like it." He clearly thought he still had me under his thumb. I could hear the smugness in his voice through the phone. I hung up and blocked his number too, smiling coldly. Yes, I would go. But not to apologize. The old Lycan King had informed me that Sven's surgery had been a success. Before the bonding ceremony, we would publicly announce our relationship at our engagement party.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

When I arrived at the Gilmore estate, Erik was standing at the gate, clutching Audrey's hand. The two of them sized me up with mocking eyes. "Tsk, tsk… You say you won't choose me, but you're scared something might go wrong at the bonding ceremony in two days, huh?" Erik sneered. "So you had your parents pressure me into marking you during the engagement party instead? "You plan to get marked early so you won't have to worry about any last-minute surprises, huh? Elsa, I actually thought you had a backbone, that you might really refuse to be my mate. But turns out, all those harsh words of yours were just empty bluffs." As soon as the words left his mouth, he gave me a hard shove. Caught off guard, I stumbled and fell. A railing scraped my leg, leaving a shallow cut. "First, apologize to Audrey. Then write a statement promising never to bully her again. If you do, I'll dissolve the bond on the spot!" Beside him, Audrey put on her usual helpless expression, playing the victim. "Erik, it's okay… I'm not afraid of being bullied. As long as I can be with you, it doesn't matter if Elsa hits me or yells at me. I've gotten used to it. I'm just an adopted daughter of the Olson family anyway. "I just don't want her to drive me away. If that happens, I won't be able to see you again…" Her pitiful tone made Erik even angrier. Heart aching, he grabbed her hand protectively, then turned to me and kicked me twice for her sake. "That's for bullying Audrey! Apologize now or forget about being my mate! And don't even think about setting foot inside our house today! Tell your parents to stop trying to force me into marking you!" I slowly stood, ignoring the pain, and looked them both dead in the eye. "I told you I'm not choosing you as my mate. I've chosen someone else as my mate." Just as I turned toward the door, the old Lycan King appeared at the entrance. "What's going on here?" he asked sternly. "Nothing," I said with a calm smile. Behind him stood Sven, dressed in a deep navy suit. He had recovered from his surgery and was now able to stand. Regal and composed, he radiated the commanding presence of a future Alpha. But when he looked at me, his eyes softened with concern. His gaze dropped to my knee. "Elsa… you're bleeding," he said. He took out a tissue and offered it to me. Erik froze for a moment, clearly unsettled by his brother's tenderness. Then he stepped in front of me as if claiming ownership. "Sven, we haven't bonded yet. The engagement ceremony hasn't even started. She's not your sister-in-law—she's not your anything. There's no need to be so nice to her. She fell on her own. Serves her right." Then he leaned in and muttered in my ear, warning me, "I'll let this slide today. But if you ever bully Audrey again, I won't forgive you." Looping his arm around mine, he added loudly, "Come on. Our parents and all the guests are waiting. The engagement ceremony's about to begin." He was putting on a show of affection, but I knew better. This was nothing more than a territorial display—a message to Sven: She's mine. Back off. It was all just male ego. I gave a cold smile and pulled my arm away. Erik was as selfish as ever. He never loved me. All he cared about was securing the Lycan King's inheritance through our bond. Once he had it, he pushed me away with disdain—mocked me, ignored me, and humiliated me. The Lycan King's expression darkened. He stepped forward, took my hand, and placed it firmly into Sven's. Then he turned to Erik and said sternly, "Erik, it's true that our family and the Olsons have a marriage agreement, but the one destined to bond with Elsa is your elder brother. From now on, when you see her, address her properly. She is your sister-in-law."