Chapter 1 Chapter 1

It was strange. Everything seemed to have returned to three years ago. Just a moment ago, I had been tied to the cliff by Harry, my mate. Somehow, I went back to Harry’s and my mate bond ceremony. Teresa was standing before us. Her eyes were filled with tears. She looked at Harry and me with a mix of distress and anxiety. I tried to recall the memories from before. Three years ago, Harry and I started our mate bond. Teresa was his first love, but I had thought it was all over. I was wrong. Teresa rushed into our ceremony to stop us. Stephen, the Alpha of our pack, had specifically ordered servants to keep her out to prevent her from disrupting the ceremony. It wasn’t until Harry and I were at the bottom of the cliff, just about to mark each other, that Teresa suddenly jumped down from the top of the cliff, crashing right between us. I still remembered how Harry looked. He was heartbroken. Though he had insisted on finishing the ceremony with me, that one look told me he had always loved Teresa. Becoming my mate was merely because my family could help his family’s business. Later, he had hated Stephen and me for years. “Please, Ivy…” I was jolted back to reality. Suddenly, Teresa knelt before me. “Please,” she begged, “can you give Harry back to me? We’re the ones who belong together. Your family already has so many businesses and so much money. You have everything you could ever want. Harry is all I have. You can’t take him from me.” I was about to speak when Harry rushed over. He shoved me hard to the side. I nearly fell, but Stephen caught me just in time. Harry pulled Teresa into a hug. “Are you okay, Teresa?” he asked her, then turned to me. “Ivy, what are you doing to Teresa? I already agreed to be your mate, why would you make Teresa kneel like this, in front of all the pack elders? Don’t you think that’s going too far?” I watched as Teresa leaned into Harry’s arms. She said, “Harry, you can’t marry her. I’m already carrying your pup. Our pup can’t grow up without a father-wolf.” I saw a flash of joy flicker in Harry’s eyes, though he tried to hide it. He bent down to wipe Teresa’s tears, then glanced at her belly. “Teresa,” he said. “It’s okay, don’t worry. I’ll be the father-wolf to our pup. I promise.” Harry looked around at the pack elders, then turned to Stephen. “Alpha, I can’t go through with this mate bond ceremony today.” He shifted his gaze to me. “Ivy, we can’t be mates. I have someone more important now. Teresa needs my protection. Go tell the whole pack you’ve found another werewolf and don’t want to marry me. The mansion your parents prepared for us, and the luxury Maserati… We can split it fifty-fifty. The money deposited into our joint account… Unlike your family, my parents worked hard to save that money. Transfer half of it back to me, and we’ll be done.” My parents paid for the whole ceremony. They’ve also deposited $1 billion into our joint account. Harry said his parents were having trouble with their business. They only put $10,000 into the account. He wanted half of everything? Before he could finish, my hands shifted into wolf claws, and I slashed his face hard. Claw marks appeared on his skin. He was bleeding. The music stopped instantly, and every werewolf in the pack turned to stare. I took a handkerchief and wiped the blood from my claws. “What are you doing, Ivy? Are you insane?”“Harry, have you lost your mind?” I asked back. “You got another she-wolf pregnant before even becoming my mate. Do you think I’m an idiot? And now you want me to lie to everyone saying I cheated, so you can call off this ceremony? Do you really think I’m that easy to push around? Or did you just assume I would agree to anything you said?” I stepped toward Teresa. She stared at me in fear. Harry protected her into his arms. “Don’t you hurt Teresa!” His eyes were already turning red with anger. I pointed at Harry. “You’re a cheating werewolf. An irresponsible Beta. Why didn’t you say something earlier? You should remember how you even became a Beta in the first place.” I tore off the bride’s cloak and threw it into Harry’s arms. “Harry, even if you want to be my mate now, I won’t. I will never be your mate.” Harry stared at me in shock. I turned and walked away from the ceremony.

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

I left the ceremony and headed home quickly. I needed to make sure my parents were still alive and well. In my previous life, Harry had taken revenge on me by sabotaging my parents’ business. It drove them crazy. He even had them locked up in a madhouse. This time, since I hadn’t become Harry’s mate, none of that would ever happen again. When I got home, my father-wolf and mother-wolf looked at me with concern. They could tell I was upset. They told the servants to remove all the wedding gifts they had given us from our new mansion. The servants had them destroyed and thrown away. Because my parents didn’t want those things to make me sad. Soon after, the entire pack community learned about the abrupt end of my mate bond ceremony. They all knew about Harry’s affair and the pups he had with Teresa. It was utterly humiliating. Since Harry was still the Beta, this even began to affect my family’s business. Stephen called a pack leaders’ meeting. As the Alpha, he declared that he deeply detested Harry’s despicable act of destroying the sacred mate bond between two werewolves. He announced he would suspend all of Harry’s Beta duties, revoke all his current authority and forbid him from approaching me. He even demanded Harry compensating my family for all economic losses and my mental anguish caused by this incident. From that day on, Harry fell from power completely. To express my gratitude to Stephen, my parents prepared a suit of armor with anti-magic defense. I went to deliver it to him. But when I arrived at Stephen’s mansion, I saw Harry walking out the front door. His face was black and blue, his shoulders were covered in scratch marks and blood. His hair was messy. Clearly, he had been beaten by the guards and thrown out. I tried to avoid him, but he came up to me and grabbed my wrist. “You finally came to see me, Ivy,” he said. “I knew you would. I’m sorry, I was too selfish at the ceremony. I shouldn’t have spoken to you like that.” He paused, then added, “The Alpha punished me, and most of my business partners have cut off the business. I finally understand. I shouldn’t have been with Teresa. Our business and family interests are more important.”“Stay away from me, Harry.”“No. After Teresa gives birth to the pup, I’ll find them an apartment in the suburbs, so you’ll never have to see her. Just be my mate, okay?” I stared at him and shifted my hands into wolf claws again. “Are you looking for another punch from me?” Harry knew I wasn’t joking. I had always been good at hunting and fighting. He stepped back. “Calm down,” he said. “Do you think any other werewolf in the pack will want you? Fine, Teresa’s pup will call you mother-wolf. But the pup must be my first heir. Stop being angry about Teresa, she just loves me too much.” I couldn’t hold it back anymore. I lunged at him, slashing his face and body with my claws. “I said you’ll never be my mate! Are you out of your mind?” Then I heard footsteps behind me. I turned to see Stephen standing there, watching me. He made no move to stop me, but I suddenly felt my cheeks flush, as a red rose. I let go of Harry’s collar. His face was covered in fresh claw marks, his shirt was torn open. He laid on the ground. I stood up and picked up the gift box from the floor. I walked over to Stephen. “Alpha, this is…” Stephen interrupted me, “Come with me. I need to talk to you.” He turned and walked into his study. I didn’t look back at Harry and hurried after Stephen. The study smelled of bergamot. My favorite scent. Stephen looked at the blood on my claws, then handed me his silk handkerchief. “Wipe it off,” he said. “Don’t dirty your claws.” He stared at me. He almost made me flushed again. “What is it, Alpha?” I asked. “Our former Beta?” he said. “Do you still love him?”“No, of course not!” He nodded and looked at the gift box in my hand. “Then why did you bring him a gift?” I placed the box on the desk in front of him. “This is from my parents, Alpha,” I explained. “It’s for you. It’s a suit of gold armor with anti-magic defense. It was one of our most precious collections. And… thank you for speaking up for me at the meeting.”“It was the right thing to do. Are you sure you want to leave him?” He paused. “After all, you’ve liked Harry since you were young. The whole pack knows that.”“I already tried being with him once. In the end, he not only betrayed me, destroyed my family, but also kidnapped me to the cliff.” I froze. I had said too much. When I looked up, Stephen was staring at me in shock. “Wait,” he said. “Did you… also come back from the past?”

Chapter 3 Chapter 3

I looked at Stephen in surprise. But his eyes were dead serious. “You came back too?” I asked. He nodded. A wave of relief washed over me. It meant everything that had happened in my past life was real. If I hadn’t insisted on stopping the mate bond ceremony, my life would have ended up the same as the last time. Suddenly, a thought hit me. “What about Harry? Do you think he’s also back from the past?” Stephen shook his head. “I’m not sure. But it doesn’t seem like it. If he were, he’d definitely wait until he stole my Alpha’s position before making his relationship with Teresa public.” Stephen and I talked for a long time that day. We hadn’t been close before, but we chatted like old friends into the night, mostly about how to prevent the tragic ending of our past life from repeating itself. After all, Harry had poisoned Stephen’s wine, weakening him so he could challenge and defeat him in combat. Then Harry claimed to be the new Alpha and expelled Stephen from the pack. Now, even though Harry was with Teresa and had lost the Beta’s position, he might eventually try to do that again. So we decided to team up against him. A few days later, it was the birthday party of Nora, a highly respected elder in our pack. She was supposed to be the witness for Harry’s and my mate bond ceremony, and she had always liked me. At the birthday party, she took my hand tightly. “I’m sorry,” she said, “I misjudged Harry. I never would have agreed to be your witness if I’d known he already had a pup with another she-wolf.” She shook her head in disappointment. I covered her hand with mine and said, “It’s okay, Nora. You’re still the one I respect the most in the pack.” Just then, Harry appeared at the ballroom door. The entire room fell silent instantly. He held a gift in his hand and walked up to Nora. “Happy birthday, Nora. And Ivy,” he turned to me, “I know you’re still angry, but I really hope you’ll give us another chance.” The band played on as Harry pulled Nora onto the dance floor for a waltz. He was dressed in a burgundy suit. He mingled among the guests as if he were still the respected Beta he once was. During a slow song, he suddenly grabbed my arm and pulled a small box from his pocket. “Ivy, I’m sorry,” he said loudly enough for everyone to hear. “I was wrong about Teresa, about the pup. It was all my fault. But I beg for your forgiveness.” He opened the box to reveal a bracelet. “This was my mother-wolf’s wedding bracelet. Please, can we try again? Be with me?” Harry stared at me, as if he had never done anything wrong. Just then, his mother-wolf, Emily, walked over to me in an evening gown. “Oh, Ivy, let it go,” she said. “You two are meant to be. Our family’s business still needs your parents’ help, and you’ve known each other since childhood. It’s only right for you two to become mates. About that pup and his mistress? He’s a Beta. Many she-wolves will naturally be drawn to him. You must know you’re still the most important one to him. Hurry, forgive him now.” The crowd murmured. Some even began to cheer, urging me to forgive him. Harry’s father, Jack, stepped forward. “Ivy, you’ve known Harry since you were little, you know what he’s like. Forgive him, or at least give him a month to prove himself. Nora will agree to this.” I looked at Nora. She looked conflicted. Even the band started playing the classic mate bond ceremony music. The entire pack’s eyes were on me. Suddenly, a voice cut through the noise. Stephen stepped out of the crowd. “Don’t forget, mate bonds are sacred in our pack,” he said. “Harry already had a pup with another she-wolf. How can he start a mate bond with Ivy?” The crowd fell silent. “To survive in this pack, you must uphold the trust and purity of werewolf mate bonds,” Stephen continued, his gaze fixed on Harry and his parents. “If you can’t, you’re free to leave.” Harry’s parents bowed their heads. Stephen turned to Nora. “Our pack has never tolerated such disrespect for mate bonds, has it? If we make an exception now, what will others say about us, a pack full of cheaters?” Nora nodded quickly. “You’re right. Let the Alpha decide this matter.”“No. Nora, you’re the most respected!” Harry pleaded. “You can help me make Ivy forgive me.” Nora glanced at Stephen, then waved a hand. “I’m too exhausted. I need to go back to my room.” Before Harry could speak, servants helped Nora leave the ballroom. Harry turned to me. His eyes were burning with resentment, with exactly the same look he’d had the day he’d tied Stephen and me to the cliff. He still hated me. For the rest of the party, Nora didn’t return. Harry tried to chat with the guests, but most avoided him. After the party, I drove home. I’d just parked my Maserati and stepped out when I sensed a figure behind me. I turned. The werewolf threw a handful of herbal powder at me. It was the sleeping powder. It made me cough. My vision started to get blurred. Then everything went black.

Chapter 4 Chapter 4

I wasn’t consciousness until the stabbing pain in my wrists became unbearable. When I opened my eyes, I found myself hanging inside a dark cave. My wrists were bound by thorns. Teresa walked in, holding a torch. She stuck it into the wall to light up the cave, then approached me. She slapped me hard. “You’re awake, Ivy,” she said. “Are you insane, Teresa? I broke up with Harry! I told him I’d never be his mate. Why did you kidnap me here?”“So what? You’re not his mate, but because of you, he won’t be mine either! You humiliated him in front of the entire pack. You need to pay for this.” She grabbed my chin roughly and continued, “Cut the act. You know what happened in the last life? I died at your mate bond ceremony because of you. Harry loved me so much. Every day he was with you, he was thinking about me. I was lucky to survive this time, but now he won’t be with me!” I shouted, “That’s between you two!”“No! He even forced me to get rid of the pup in my belly, saying he must stay with you! You made the Alpha humiliate and abandon him! Now, you’re playing the innocent? Are you enjoying this, with the Alpha and the Beta both on your side?”“You want Harry? Harry is yours. Let me go!” She smirked. “Let you go? Since you like being with more than one werewolf so badly, I will let you have more! I’m recording everything. We’ll see if Harry still wants you, if the Alpha still helps you.” She set up a camera in front of me, then walked over and forced an herbal potion into my mouth. I couldn’t move. I instantly realized it was a lust potion. It would make me lose myself to lust. A burning sensation spread through my throat. My blood boiled and my vision became blurred. Six werewolves stepped in the cave. They tore my clothes. One even touched my face with his claws. I struggled, but the thorns dug deeper into my wrists. My wrists were bleeding. Two of them held my legs down, and I felt my strength fading as the potion took effect. I saw Teresa watching the camera with satisfaction. Just as I was about to faint, a figure burst into the cave. He shoved the werewolves aside, and his guards rushed in to drag them out. When the cave cleared, I saw it was Harry. He turned to Teresa and slapped her. “Who told you to do this?” he roared. “I’m sorry… I just wanted… if this happened, you would have to choose me!” Teresa whimpered. Harry slammed her against the cave wall, hard enough to crack the stone. Teresa was barely conscious. Her blood dripped from the back of her head. Harry turned back to me and said, “Are you okay, Ivy?”“Take me to the healer’s place! I need the antidote…”“Antidote?” He raised an eyebrow. “There’s another way to counteract the lust potion. You know…” I shook my head. “No, Harry, don’t.” Harry unbuttoned his shirt and rolled up his sleeves. He stepped closer. “Trust me, Ivy. We don’t need the healer or the antidote. This way, we’ll even have our own pup… You’ll have to be my mate then, won’t you?” He reached out and lifted my chin. “Even in this life, you can never escape me. You’ll always be mine, Ivy.” As my consciousness faded, it hit me. Harry had come back from past, too.