Chapter 1

1.

In my past life, on the day my sister and I attended the coven's Pairing Ritual, I saved a fallen vampire prince.

To repay my kindness, the moment he returned to his clan, he announced I would be his future bride.

A year later, I gave birth to a pureblood heir, the only one in the entire vampire kingdom.

The prince was ecstatic. On the day he was crowned High Prince, he sealed a Blood Bond with me, making me his eternal mate and Queen. I was admired by all.

My sister, however, chose to marry a powerful werewolf alpha, only to become the most overlooked of his many lovers.

She was driven mad by jealousy. During the coven's Full Moon Festival, she pushed me from a towering cliff, sending me to my death.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the Pairing Ritual. My sister was already sprinting toward the spot in the Shadowwood Forest where the vampire prince lay wounded.

I knew then that she had been reborn, too.

But she didn't know the truth. Becoming the prince's bride is easy.

Winning his heart and bearing his child? That's a fate worse than death.

…

A witch's power is born from desire; it's an ancient law etched into our very blood.

Once a witch comes of age, the potent magic within her grows restless, craving a powerful mate to achieve balance. Without one, she will be consumed by her own untamed power in the long, lonely nights.

The coven elders, fearing we would cause trouble with reckless affairs, commanded that our first act of adulthood be to choose a suitable partner, solidifying our alliances with other clans through marriage.

We had just arrived at the sacred grounds today, before we even had a chance to look over the array of powerful men before us.

The girl next to me nudged my arm.

"I saw your sister Elara on the way here," she whispered. "She was running into the Shadowwood Forest like a madwoman. Is she not joining the ritual?"

Her words confirmed it.

It wasn't just me who had come back. My dear sister had returned from the grave as well.

She was rushing into that forest for one reason: her dream of becoming a wealthy, powerful queen.

Before I could answer, a dark wind howled outside, and the sky filled with storm clouds.

The world plunged into darkness. Several ornate, black-and-gold carriages pulled by Nightmare Steeds descended from the sky. A host of vampire envoys appeared before us, announcing the prince's decree.

My heart sank. I knew this scene all too well. Prince Alaric was coming to claim his "savior."

In my last life, my sister had deliberately made things difficult for me, sending me into the Shadowwood Forest to pick Moonpetal Flowers for her.

By a twist of fate, I stumbled upon a man who had been ambushed by his enemies and lay unconscious on the ground.

My first thought was to use my witch's life-giving energy to heal him, and in doing so, satisfy my own primal, carnal desires.

I never expected that when he awoke, he would place the royal signet ring of the vampires in my hand.

He not only revealed his identity as a vampire prince but also sent a message through his bloodline, declaring me his future mate.

Our coven's status was middling at best; we had never been granted such an honor.

I had no choice in the matter. My fate was sealed in a few short words.

Although vampires are the monarchs of the night, they hold a dark secret.

To conceive a pureblood heir, the mother's own life force must serve as nourishment for the fetus growing inside her.

But the vampire bloodline is overwhelmingly dominant. Women of ordinary races simply cannot withstand it.

Most die after a few months of pregnancy, their life force completely drained, taking the child with them. But by some miracle, I survived.

I gave birth to the only pureblood heir of that generation. The High Prince was overjoyed and immediately sealed an eternal Blood Bond with me.

Decades later, when Alaric inherited the throne, I naturally became his one and only Queen, enjoying endless wealth and glory.

As for my sister, who had chosen the werewolf alpha, she learned he was a notorious womanizer with countless lovers. She could never become his true "Luna Mate."

Seeing her only once a month, how could she ever satisfy the desires burning inside her as a witch?

She spent her days drowned in her own sorrow, living a life of misery.

Finally, on the day of the Full Moon Festival, she lured me to a cliff's edge and shoved me off.

I will never forget the feeling of absolute despair as I fell.

Suddenly, flanked by the coven elders, Alaric appeared before the crowd, holding my sister's hand with a look of deep affection.

"Elara's kindness is unmatched. She saved me in the forest," he announced. "From this day forward, she is my chosen bride."

I knelt according to custom, as my sister gazed down at the crowd, unable to hide her smug satisfaction.

But in the shadows where she couldn't see, the corners of my lips curled into a smile.

Oh, my dear sister. If you're so eager to die, I'm more than happy to help you along.