Chapter 2

Lorelei I jolted awake to the thunderous pounding on my bedroom door, my heart racing wildly in my chest. For a moment, I lay there disoriented, staring at the familiar ceiling of my room in the Frostfang Pack compound. My room. Not the operating table where I'd drawn my last breath. "Open this door right now, Lorelei!" Alpha Harvey's voice boomed from the hallway, his fist continuing to assault my door. "We have important matters to discuss!" I sat up slowly, pressing my palm against my chest where the silver scalpel had pierced my skin. There was no wound, no blood—just smooth, unbroken flesh. My fingers trembled as I touched my neck, finding it free from the burning silver collar that had suppressed my healing abilities. "I'm... alive?" I whispered in disbelief. The last thing I remembered was the cold operating table, the searing pain of silver poisoning my blood, and the hateful faces of those I once called family watching me die. Yet here I was, back in my bedroom at the Frostfang compound. I started trying to sense Hati, but felt only emptiness where her presence should have been. The silence within me was deafening. "Hati?" I called mentally, desperate for her comforting growl. But...nothing. The door rattled violently as Alpha Harvey continued his assault. "Don't make me break this door down!" he threatened. A quick glance at my phone confirmed what my instincts were already telling me—I had returned to the day before my forced marriage to Keith Vanderbilt, the Alpha of the Silvervein Pack. The Moon Goddess had granted me another chance. The price was Hati's sleep. I wasn't going to waste this opportunity cowering in fear or begging for mercy. This time would be different. This time, I would fight back. I strode to the door with newfound determination, a plan already forming in my mind. Before opening it, I grabbed my phone and set it to record, slipping it into my pocket. When I flung the door open, Alpha Harvey's hand was raised mid-knock, his massive frame filling the doorway. His eyes widened momentarily, clearly surprised by my swift response. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice steady and cold. Alpha Harvey pushed past me into my room, his aggression filling the space. I remembered how I had once feared him, how I'd shrunk away from his towering presence. Not anymore. "Pack your things," he commanded, gesturing toward my closet. "You're getting married tomorrow." "To Alpha Keith Vanderbilt," I stated rather than asked, watching his reaction carefully. Alpha Harvey's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "So you already know. Good. That makes this easier." "Who told you?" I pressed, pretending ignorance of the scheme I'd discovered in my previous life. "Mother made the arrangements. It's a great honor for our pack," Alpha Harvey replied mechanically, avoiding my eyes. "The Silvervein Pack needs a Luna who can give them strong heirs." I smiled thinly. "And Winnie couldn't possibly fulfill that role, could she? Despite being groomed as the perfect Luna since childhood." Alpha Harvey's face darkened. "Watch your tone. This isn't about Winnie." "Isn't it?" I challenged, stepping closer to him. "Let me guess-is Winnie acting all pathetic in front of you guys again and you are easily fooled by his childish acting." Alpha Harvey lunged forward, grabbing my arm with bruising force. "You will do as you're told! Your duty is to serve this pack!" In my previous life, I would have submitted, terrified of his strength and anger. But I was no longer that frightened girl. Seventeen years among Rogues had taught me how to fight, how to survive. With practiced precision, I twisted out of his grip, using his momentum against him. I pivoted and swept his legs from under him, sending him crashing to the floor with a satisfying thud. Before he could recover, I pressed my knee against his chest, pinning him down. "Don't ever touch me like that again," I warned, my voice dangerously low. Alpha Harvey stared up at me in stunned disbelief. No one in the pack had ever challenged him physically, least of all his supposedly weak sister. "Where did you learn—" he began, but I cut him off. "I'll agree to the marriage," I stated calmly, releasing him and stepping back. Alpha Harvey scrambled to his feet, his pride visibly wounded. "You'll... agree?" "Yes," I confirmed, watching confusion replace his anger. "But I have conditions." The door swung open again, revealing my mother, Luna Judy Sunderland, the Luna of the Frostfang Pack. Her golden hair was pulled into its customary tight bun, her expression cold and calculating as she surveyed the scene. "What is going on here?" she demanded, her gaze darting between Alpha Harvey and me. "Lorelei just assaulted me," Alpha Harvey growled, straightening his clothing. Luna Judy's eyes narrowed as she turned to me. "Is this true, Lorelei?" "Self-defense," I replied evenly. "But it doesn't matter. I've already told him I'll agree to marry Keith Vanderbilt." Suspicion flashed across my mother's face. "You're being surprisingly cooperative." "Don't worry, Mother," I said, emphasizing the title with subtle mockery. "I understand my duty to the pack. I know what's expected of me." "Good," Luna Judy nodded, though wariness remained in her eyes. "The traditional bride preparation ceremony will begin tonight. You'll be cleansed, blessed, and—" "No," I interrupted firmly. Luna Judy blinked, clearly unused to being contradicted. "Excuse me?" "I said no," I repeated. "I'll marry Keith Vanderbilt, but I won't participate in any pack ceremonies." "That's not your decision to make," Luna Judy snapped. "Tradition dictates—" "Tradition?" I laughed bitterly. "Was it tradition that kept you from searching for me when I was kidnapped as a child? Was it tradition that made you welcome me back with suspicion and contempt seven months ago?" My mother's face paled. "You don't understand—" "I understand perfectly," I cut in, meeting her gaze steadily. "This family, this pack—you've made it abundantly clear that I don't truly belong here." Alpha Harvey shifted uncomfortably. "That's not—" "Save it," I said, holding up my hand. "I've agreed to the marriage, which is what you want. But I have one condition." Luna Judy crossed her arms. "What condition?" "After the ceremony, I formally cut all ties with the Frostfang Pack," I declared, watching their expressions carefully. "I won't be returning here. Ever." "That's preposterous!" Alpha Harvey exploded. "You can't simply abandon your pack!" "Watch me," I challenged. "I'm willing to be Alpha Keith Vanderbilt's Luna, but I refuse to maintain any connection with the Frostfang Pack. Consider it my divorce settlement from this so-called family." Luna Judy's calculating mind was clearly working overtime, weighing the benefits against the costs. I knew what she would conclude—my compliance with the marriage was worth more than my continued presence in the pack. Besides, once I married Keith, I would technically become a member of the Silvervein Pack anyway. "Fine," she eventually agreed, her voice cold. "But you will conduct yourself with dignity tomorrow. The reputation of our pack depends on it." "I always do," I replied with a humorless smile. "I'll have the wedding attire brought to you," Luna Judy continued briskly. "The ceremony is at noon tomorrow. A car will take you to the Silvervein territory." "I can manage my own preparations," I insisted. "Just make sure the car arrives on time." Without waiting for a response, I turned away and began pulling clothes from my closet, placing them methodically into a suitcase. I could feel their eyes on me, assessing this new, unfamiliar version of the daughter and sister they thought they knew. "What happened to you?" Alpha Harvey finally asked, genuine confusion in his voice. I paused, considering his question. What could I possibly say? That I had died at their hands and been granted a second chance? That I remembered every betrayal, every cruelty they had inflicted upon me? "Let's just say I've finally seen things clearly," I replied, zipping up my suitcase with finality. As they left my room, I allowed myself a moment to breathe. The absence of Hati's presence was concerning, but I couldn't dwell on it now. My wolf had somehow given me this second chance—I wouldn't squander it. Tomorrow, I would face Keith Vanderbilt, the intimidating Alpha of the Silvervein Pack. In my previous life, I had been terrified of him, of being used as nothing more than a breeding vessel for his heirs. This time would be different. I would negotiate from a position of strength, not weakness. "Thank you, Hati," I whispered to the empty room, hoping my wolf could hear me somehow. "This time, we'll write a different ending to our story."