Chapter 1

In my past life, my half-brother's wife gave birth to a legendary Silver Alpha, securing his place on the throne of our werewolf pack.

Meanwhile, I had pushed myself to the brink of exhaustion just to help Elara conceive. But all she brought into the world was a weak, mindless runt.

Elara loathed that pup's clumsiness. When the pup failed his first shifting ceremony, her shame turned into a murderous rage. She drew her blade and slaughtered our own child right there, then turned the steel on me so we could die together.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the Great Selection. This was the day the Silver Peak princesses chose their mates from our pack.

I watched as Elara stepped forward and, without a single second of hesitation, chose my half-brother, Caden. I knew right then that she had been reborn, too.

She thought that by choosing Caden, she would birthe a True Alpha and become the Luna Queen.

What she didn't know was that her body was fundamentally broken. Without my intervention, she was never meant to carry a child at all.

1

Our Shadow Creek Pack has always been known for its strength and high fertility.

Even the High King of the Silver Peak Pack, a legendary lineage, came to marry off his three daughters to our princes.

In my last life, Elara was the one who chose me. She claimed that as the eldest true-born princess, she was too good for a lowly bastard like Caden.

Her sister, Selene, had chosen Caden back then. She eventually gave birth to a gifted Dire Wolf pup that everyone adored.

Elara, however, only gave birth to a sickly runt. My father, the Alpha, hadn't cared much at first. He promised that if the pup survived his first shift, I would still be named the heir.

But that pup was born with a broken spirit. Naturally, the shifting ceremony was a disaster.

I wasn't even that sad about losing the title. From the very beginning, I never truly craved the throne.

But Elara lost her mind. She drove a silver dagger straight through our pup's heart.

I had knelt on the cold floor, begging her to stop, but I couldn't move her. The sight of that bloodstained fur still haunts my dreams.

And then, I woke up here. It's the day of the selection again.

My chest still aches where she stabbed me in that past life. Seeing her choose Caden today makes me feel a strange sense of relief.

Finally, that tragedy won't happen again.

But a part of me still feels a bitter sting of resentment. In our past life, that little pup was so sweet. He spent every night training until he collapsed, just to earn a single word of praise from her.

He never stood a chance against her ambition.

Elara never realized that her own body was the problem. Her father, the High King, was too afraid of her temper to tell her the truth.

I only found out much later.

That pup only existed because I had spent every single day nourishing her with my own Alpha essence and blood.

The hatred bubbled up inside me. I clenched my fists tight, hiding my emotions behind a mask of indifference.

King Marcus spoke from his throne. "I've heard the Shadow Creek Pack is blessed with strong bloodlines. These three men are the pack's princes. Daughters, choose your mates."

The High King only had daughters, so this alliance was everything. The men they chose wouldn't just lead our pack; they might one day inherit the Silver Peak territories too.

Elara stepped out first. Her eyes flickered over me with a look of pure disgust before she pointed firmly at Caden. "Father, I choose him."

Caden looked stunned. He couldn't hide the joy on his face.

As a bastard son, he had spent his whole life dreaming of overshadowing me. With the eldest princess by his side, his status would skyrocket.

He reached out and took her hand. Elara leaned into him, acting like a blushing bride.

"Elara, are you sure?" King Marcus asked, sounding skeptical. He knew how arrogant she was and wondered why she'd pick the lower-ranked brother.

"Yes, Father. I love him," she lied through her teeth.

In the last life, she chose me and ended up with a weak pup while her sister surpassed her. There was no way she would repeat that mistake.

The King saw her determination and didn't argue.

As I stood there, lost in thought, a finger pointed toward me. "Father, I want him."

I looked up. It was Selene, the sister who had married Caden in the previous life. She was giving me a soft, gentle smile.

I remembered that in my past life, we barely spoke.

But the choice was made. I couldn't refuse.

The King gave his blessing. The third sister, Jade, was paired with our youngest brother, just like last time.

After the ceremony, King Marcus dismissed us. I turned to leave with Selene, but two figures blocked our path.

It was Elara and Caden.

Elara looked me up and down, her eyes full of contempt. "Little sister, don't let a man's looks fool you. Some people are just pretty wrappers on a broken gift."

Selene might have looked delicate, but her words were sharp. "Sister, he is my mate now. You don't need to worry about what's inside my gift."

She basically told Elara to mind her own business.

Elara's face flushed with anger. "You ungrateful brat!"

She was used to being the boss. In a fit of rage, she raised her hand to slap Selene.

Selene winced and closed her eyes, but the blow never landed. I had caught Elara's wrist in a crushing grip.

"Silas! How dare you! Let go of me!" Elara shrieked.

"Insulting your hosts in public? Is this how Silver Peak royalty behaves?" I sneered. I leaned in close to her ear. "Or maybe you're just jealous because you know exactly what you're missing."

The hatred from my past life spilled out of my eyes.

Elara looked at me, and for a second, she looked terrified. It was as if she remembered the man I was before she killed me.

She jerked her arm away and stepped back. "Whatever. I won't lower myself to your level," she snapped before scurrying away.

It was almost funny. She actually felt fear.

Before they even left the hall, she and Caden were already draped over each other.

Jade, our younger sister, blushed and covered her eyes, though she peeked through her fingers. "Wow, Elara and her husband are so intense."

I knew better. She didn't love Caden. She just remembered that in the past life, Selene and Caden had the strongest pup.

She wanted to be the Queen, nothing more.

I watched them disappear around the corner. A warm, small hand slipped into mine. Selene smiled up at me. "Husband, shall we go home?"

I looked at this gentle princess and said nothing.