Chapter 1 Chapter 1

In my last life, my mate craved one thing, the Alpha King's throne. He used a dark witch’s potions twisted my body, forcing it to carry the first hybrid she-wolf. I gave him a daughter. But the poison rotted me from the inside out. I died on my coronation day. I opened my eyes. I was back. The day the Alphas chose their Breeding Mothers from the human world. I gasped for air, the ghost of my own death still choking me. A sharp voice cut through the haze. "I choose Alpha Colton!" My sister, Selena. In our last life, she chose the wealthy Alpha Baton without a second thought. I saw the ambition in her eyes. The hunger. I knew. She was back, too. She rushed to choose Colton, all because she died before me. My poor sister has no idea at all what has happened to me. "Are you mad, Selena?" Mother’s voice was a frantic whisper. "Colton's lands are a frozen hellscape! You can't throw your life away! We already have a sacrifice. Ronnie is enough." Same words as last time. The same casual dismissal. In their eyes, I was always disposable. The one who was just "enough.""I don't want Baton. He'll never be Alpha King. Only Colton can bring our family glory. Please, Mother, let me go." Selena whined, collapsing into our mother's arms. A cold laugh escaped my lips. She thought marrying Colton meant birthing a female hybrid. That she would be queen. So naive. Glory? The memories flooded back. Colton’s nightly rituals. The glint of the silver needle. The poison burning through my veins. My body withered while the child inside me thrived, fed on pure evil. I gave him the first she-wolf in a century. I remember my coronation. The Alphas bowed before me. Then I coughed up blood and collapsed on my throne. A queen for only a moment. “No!” I stood up, my voice shaking but firm. “I refuse. I won’t choose any Alpha.” These wolf Alphas see us human Breeding mothers as nothing more than cattle anyway. After a death that horrific, all I want is to escape. Mother’s face turned ugly in an instant. “Ronnie! How dare you!”“Ronnie,” Selena said, a flash of triumph in her eyes as she faked a concerned tone, “this is our family’s duty…”“Shut up!” I snapped. “If you want to leap into that fire pit, be my guest. But you are not dragging me down with you!”“Insolence! Utter insolence!” The family’s Grand Elder coughed, his body shaking with rage. “This is not your choice! Since Selena is willing to fight for the family’s glory, you must take what is left!”“What choice is left?” I asked coldly. The elders looked at each other. “The Shadowclaw Pack,” a voice said from the corner. “Their Alpha, Huxley, is still without a mate.” The entire hall fell deathly silent. Shadowclaw. The pack whispered to be cursed. Their people can’t complete their shift, forever trapped in a twisted state between man and beast. They’re seen as deformed monsters by all other wolves. “I’d rather die!” I turned to run, but two tall guards grabbed me in an instant. The Elder gave a cold wave of his hand. “Knock her out. Send her over. The wealth we get in return will keep our family prosperous for another decade.” Something hard and cold struck the back of my neck. As my vision faded to black, the last thing I heard was Selena’s fake, sweet voice. “Oh, Ronnie, do take care of yourself…” When I woke up, I was in the back of a rickety, broken-down carriage. The air stank of sulfur and desolation. I’d been thrown out like trash at the border of the Shadowclaw Pack’s territory. The place was even bleaker than the stories. Bare rock, twisted dead trees. Every gust of wind sounded like a monster’s howl. The horrifying rumors about this pack swirled in my head. They drank blood and ate raw flesh. Brutal and merciless. Maybe my fate here would be even worse than my last life… Then what was the point of being reborn?! The memory of the potions eating me alive, combined with the horror of this place, made it hard to breathe. Fear wrapped around my heart like vines. No. I can’t just stay here and wait to die. There’s still time! Under the cover of night, I stumbled out of the crumbling stone hut where I was hiding and ran for the deep woods. But I only got a few steps before a colossal shadow fell from the sky, swallowing me whole. He towered over me like a mountain, at least seven feet tall. Half-man, half-beast. Just like the legends said. A monster. In the dark, his molten gold eyes locked onto me, filled with the predatory pressure of a hunter sizing up its prey. “Trying to run?” His voice was a low, rough growl that vibrated through my bones. My legs turned to jelly. I took half a step back, and his huge hand flashed out, closing with terrifying precision around my slender neck. I’m dead. That's the only thought in my head. This will be worse than dying at Colton’s hands. Sheer terror froze me solid. I forgot to even breathe. He wasn’t squeezing, but I could feel the sharp tips of his claws prick the skin over my pulse—a silent promise of the absolute power he held over my life. He leaned down, his hot, feral breath washing over my face. “Nothing that belongs to me,” he rumbled, “has ever escaped.” As I squeezed my eyes shut, expecting to be torn apart, my eyes flew open again. I saw it. The mark on the inside of his wrist. Three interlocking crescents, encircled by ancient runes. That mark… I’ve seen it before. At my damned coronation in my past life. As I was dying, writhing in agony from the dark potions, a hand reached out from the crowd and pressed a vial into mine. A life-saving potion. That potion was the only reason I lived long enough to see my daughter born. Back then, I only caught a fleeting glimpse of the very same mark on my savior's wrist. The monster everyone feared… was the stranger who had shown me a moment of mercy in my darkest hour. And now, in this life, he was my mate. Alpha Huxley.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

Huxley seemed to freeze for a second. But just as quickly, the flicker of emotion in his molten gold eyes vanished, replaced by an icy indifference to everything. His grip on my neck vanished, only to be replaced by a hard hand clamping around my arm. He pulled me into a stone hut that looked ready to collapse. “Stay.” He bit out the single word, then turned and disappeared into the night, as if I were nothing more than a troublesome package. I expected this hut to be a living hell. I was wrong. A fire pit in the center of the room chased away every bit of the chill. The walls were carved with ancient totems I didn’t recognize. In the corner, a bed of animal furs looked impossibly clean. Outside was a wasteland. Inside was a warm home. For the first time since my rebirth, the tight knot of fear in my chest loosened just a little. A few days later, an invitation arrived. The Welcoming Feast. All Alphas were expected to attend with their new mates, to show off their prizes. Huxley didn’t even glance at it, tossing the gold-leafed invitation straight into the fire. “We’re going.” I snatched it back from the flames. His golden eyes flicked to me, a hint of curiosity in them. I needed to go. I needed to see Selena with my own eyes. To watch my foolish sister walk so proudly toward her own destruction. At the feast, Colton and Selena were the center of attention. The moment Huxley and I appeared, we became the main attraction for a different reason. A joke. Huxley ignored the scornful looks, walking directly to the darkest corner of the hall to lean against the wall. I’d just picked up a glass of wine when Selena glided over. "Well, look what the cat dragged in," Selena's voice cut through the hall. She wore a gown of ice-blue silk, studded with rare ice crystals, each one worth a fortune. Custom-made by Colton to show off his new "prize." I wore a simple black coat, the only decent thing I’d brought from home. "I thought you'd be too ashamed to come," Selena said, walking toward me. She raised her voice so everyone could hear. "After all, being chosen by a pack of monsters must be humiliating, right?" The werewolves around us began to whisper. I glanced at her face. The makeup couldn't hide the dark shadows under her eyes, or the pale line of her lips. Colton had already started. "You don't look well, Selena," I said quietly. Her smile faltered for a second. "I'm just so excited. Colton says I'll be pregnant soon. Our child will rule all the packs.""Rule?" I scoffed. "Or be ruled?""You're just jealous." Selena smugly stroked her flat stomach, as if a future Queen was already there. "Poor Ronnie. Living in the wastes with a bunch of beasts. You'll probably never even get pregnant." The crowd snickered openly. The same werewolf nobles who once flattered my family now looked at me like I was a clown. "At least I..." I started to argue, but she cut me off. "At least you what? At least you're alive?" Selena's smile turned venomous. "Sometimes, Ronnie, being alive is a fate worse than death. Especially for trash that's been thrown out. A monster's plaything.""And where is your monster? What, too ashamed to show his face, so he left you all alone?" Seeing that I wasn’t responding, Selena grew bolder. She leaned in close, her voice a venomous whisper. "Admit it, Ronnie. You're so jealous you could scream. Everything you have now is just my leftover trash!" I looked at her smug, gloating face and suddenly, a slow smile spread across my lips. I met her eyes and said, my voice low and clear: "Enjoying my leftovers, sister?" The smile on Selena's face shattered. "What did you just say?!" she screeched, like a cat whose tail has been stepped on. She lunged, her hand grabbing my arm, her nails digging into my flesh. In the blink of an eye, the shadow from the corner was standing in front of me. Huxley. He didn't even glance at Selena. He simply extended two fingers, and as if plucking the wings off a fly, his fingers closed around her wrist like a steel trap. "Ahhh!" Selena screamed in pain, her hand flying off me. "Let go! You filthy monster!" she shrieked, her voice a cocktail of shock and rage. "You and your whole cursed pack belong in a gutter to rot!" Huxley was completely unfazed by her insults. Not a single ripple of emotion crossed his face or his molten gold eyes. He didn't care. But I did. I took a sharp step forward, planting myself in front of Huxley. I faced Selena’s twisted expression, my voice colder than hers. "Shut your mouth. Don't you dare talk about him like that." Selena was stunned speechless, probably shocked that I would defend this"monster." And I could feel it clearly—the statue-like body behind me went completely still. Just then, Colton arrived, surrounded by a crowd of admirers. He moved like a king, basking in their flattery. "Colton, it looks like the title of Alpha King is yours for the taking!" one Alpha toasted, sucking up. "None of us can compete with your methods!" Colton swirled the wine in his glass, a smirk on his face. "The throne has always belonged to those who are willing to do whatever it takes." His gaze swept the room, finally landing on us. He strolled over, completely ignoring Huxley and me, and gently pulled a shaken Selena into his arms. His hand rested on her waist, like he was displaying a perfect masterpiece. "My Luna," he murmured, his tone gentle but his eyes full of menace, "your destiny is to be a queen. Why waste your time on losers and monsters?""Losers and monsters." The words were aimed at us like daggers. With Colton backing her up, Selena's arrogance soared. She nestled against him, as if she were already on the throne. She looked at me, her eyes dripping with contempt and victory. "Did you hear that, Ronnie? Some people are destined to stand at the top of the world. And you? You and your monster belong in a dark corner, waiting to die." I'm done with this pathetic circus. "Let's go," I said to Huxley. He gave me a long, deep look. There was something in it I couldn't quite read. Then, he nodded.

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

As we walked through the forest, Huxley suddenly spoke. "I'm giving you a choice. Leave or stay." Huxley stood on a cliff's edge, looking down at his pack's home in the valley below. I expected to see crumbling huts and starving people. The sight stunned me. Neat stone houses lined the hillside. A grand hall stood in the center, surrounded by lush gardens. Pack members worked in the fields. Children played by a stream. This wasn't an abandoned wasteland. It was a hidden paradise. The real Shadowclaw territory. "You've been hiding this?""The strong don't need to prove anything." Huxley leaped from the cliff, landing solidly on a rock below. I followed behind him, stumbling. He was there in a heartbeat. A large hand shot out, wrapping around my waist to steady me. Even through my clothes, I could feel the heat of his body. "Careful," he murmured, his voice low in my ear. I looked up at his face. Up close, his half-wolf features weren't terrifying. There was a wild charm to them. "I can take care of myself," I said. "I know." He let go, but stayed close as we walked. "But I want to." My heart skipped a beat. The pack was kind to me. No scornful looks. No malicious gossip. The old women taught me to cook their local dishes. The young mothers shared tips on raising children. "Luna, will you be joining the hunt?" a young pack member asked. "The hunt?""It's tradition," Huxley said, walking over with a silver bow in his hand. "Mates hunt together. To prove their trust in each other." I took the bow, feeling its weight. "I've never hunted before.""I'll teach you." The forest was more dangerous than I imagined. Huge shadows moved through the treetops. The howls of beasts echoed in the distance. "Stay quiet," Huxley led the way, his every move filled with a deadly grace. "The boar is just ahead." I raised my bow, aiming for the wild boar rooting in the brush. But just as I was about to shoot, a massive silver wolf burst from the side. It wasn't after the boar. It was after me. I cried out, losing my balance and falling. The wolf lunged, its jaws wide open. "Ronnie!" In the next second, Huxley was in front of me. In a blur of motion, he shifted. A giant wolf, twice the size of the attacker. Gray-black fur, golden eyes, and an overwhelming aura of power. He swatted the silver wolf with one paw, shattering its spine and sending it flying. The wolf let out a dying howl and vanished into the forest. Huxley turned. He didn't shift back right away. The giant gray-black wolf walked heavily toward me. He lowered his massive wolf head, nudging my cheek gently with his wet nose, checking if I was okay. The rage in his golden eyes was gone, replaced by a focused, clumsy tenderness. "Hurt?" His voice was a low rumble, even in his wolf form. "No." I stared at him, my heart pounding. Then I reached out and touched the coarse fur on his nose. His golden eyes flickered. The huge wolfish body began to shrink under the moonlight. He shifted back into his tall, powerful, half-human form. He stood over me, still radiating that animalistic pressure. "You're not afraid of me?""No." I got to my feet and stood on my toes, leaning closer. "I'm afraid of losing this." His breathing hitched. His golden eyes burned with a suppressed hunger. "Ronnie, are you sure? Once we start, there's no turning back.""I'm sure." He kissed me. The kiss was savage. Searing. A raw, undeniable claim. He nipped at my lips with his teeth. His tongue, rough and hot like a wild animal's, pried my mouth open. His arms were like steel bands, locking me against him. I could feel the rippling muscle and hot blood beneath his half-human skin. This wasn't a human's kiss. It was a beast marking his territory. As we came together in the moonlit forest, I finally understood what a true union was. Not a cold ritual, not a painful bargain, but the soul and body's most primal surrender and possession. The power roiling inside him could have torn me apart, but he held it back with sheer will. It became a searing tenderness instead, branding me deep in my soul. "My queen," he growled, his voice thick with reverence. "My... fate." I stayed. Without a doubt. Whatever happened, this time, I wouldn't be a sacrifice for an Alpha King. Three months later, a piece of news rocked the werewolf world. "The Icefang Pack's Luna is pregnant!" Messengers ran from pack to pack, their voices trembling with excitement. Colton threw a massive party to celebrate, inviting representatives from every pack. Huxley and I received an invitation. "We're not going." Huxley crushed the invitation in his fist. "No," I said, smoothing down the simple dress Huxley had made for me. "We're going. I want to see just how my 'poor' sister is doing." The Icefang hall was glittering with lights. Selena sat on the main throne, one hand on her slightly swollen belly, a triumphant smile on her face. But I saw her weakness immediately. No amount of makeup could hide the dark circles under her eyes or the deathly pale of her lips. Colton was pumping her full of stimulants to fake her health. "Ronnie!" She saw me and stood up. "You actually came! Come see, I'm going to be a mother!" She thrust her belly forward, her eyes gleaming with triumph. She walked up to me, her gaze sweeping dismissively over my flat stomach. Then she glanced at Huxley beside me. "Can you smell that, Ronnie?" she said, taking a dramatic breath. "It's the smell of life. The smell of power. And you… all I smell on you is the dust of the wastes and the reek of a monster." A ripple of suppressed laughter went through the crowd. S elena's vanity swelled. Her smile grew more vicious, her voice louder. "Don't you worry, though. When I'm crowned Queen, I won't forget you. I'll grant you a respectable position. In the palace, you'll be in charge of cleaning up my daughter's—the future Queen's—droppings." She let out a sharp, cackling laugh. "As for your monster," she sneered, pointing a disgusted finger at Huxley, "I might be merciful enough to give him the largest cage in the royal menagerie. It would be a novel amusement for my court, to see what a true freak of nature looks like." I fought the urge to gag. The moment she got close, I smelled it. The familiar, cloying scent of dark magic and decay. The smell of death. It was even stronger now.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

Six months later, the news arrived. Selena had given birth. “The Luna! The Luna has given birth!” A messenger burst into our territory, his voice trembling with excitement. “It’s a female! The first female heir in a century!” The news spread like wildfire. I stood on the watchtower of the Shadowclaw territory, looking toward the Frostfang Pack. The celebratory fireworks were even more brilliant than the ones for me in my past life. Huxley came to stand beside me, taking my hand. "She did it.""Yes," I said softly, my voice filled with a complicated mix of emotions. "She did it." She successfully walked right into my old trap. It was the same for me. After the agonizing birth of my daughter, I was pushed to the pinnacle of glory. And then I withered away. Colton's dark rituals only produce one outcome: a female heir. It was a law he'd proven with countless lives. Too bad for you, Selena. Your time is up. Three days later, all the Alphas gathered at the Moon Goddess Temple. It was the most magnificent ceremony in a hundred years: the Moon Goddess's blessing for the newborn female. Selena sat beside Colton, holding the swaddled baby. Her face had a feverish, unnatural flush, but she couldn't hide her pride. The drugs they've given her made her seem energetic, but I knew her body was on the verge of collapse. “Witnesses!” Colton announced, his voice booming. His eyes burned with the madness of a man about to rule the world. “Today, we witness history! This child will change the destiny of the wolf world!” Thunderous applause. Everyone stared at the baby with feverish devotion. “Now,” the High Priestess said, raising her scepter, “bring the daughter of the moon to the Stone of Truth, so the Goddess may witness her purity and nobility.” For a split second, I saw panic flash across Selena’s face. But pride quickly replaced it. She thought this was the final test before she became Queen. She looked at Colton, her eyes full of love and expectation. “Go on,” Colton urged, a hint of impatience in his voice. Trembling, Selena carefully carried the baby toward the massive black stone at the center of the altar. The Stone of Truth—a relic left by the Goddess herself. No lie can hide in its presence. She held the bundle high and placed it on the stone. Everyone held their breath. The moment the infant touched the stone, it didn't just glow. It erupted. A blinding, silver light exploded outwards, but this was no gentle blessing. This was a shriek of pure light, a violent repudiation. A light that burned away all lies. The magical shimmer concealing the infant's nature—the very illusion that marked her as female—shattered like glass. Before the horrified eyes of every pack, the "female" baby's true form was laid bare. "A boy!" someone screamed. "It's a boy!" The temple fell into a dead silence. Even I was stunned. How?