“When the moon goddess designated Catherine and my brother as fated mates, I said nothing. But she was always meant to be mine.” “We were each other’s first love.” “Now my brother is dead. She can finally be mine, and no one can say otherwise.” My fiancé, Killian, has been kneeling outside my father’s estate for three days and three nights. He begs me to reject him of my own accord so that he might marry Katherine instead. “Elara, you are the heir to the Red Moon Tribe. You possess everything; I beg you—reject me. Let Katherine be my mate.” In my previous life, I refused. Consequently, on the very night of the bonding ceremony meant to unite Killian and me, Katherine swallowed silver-poison and took her own life. For this, Killian loathed me to the very bone. After we completed the marking ritual, he never entered my bedchamber again. Later, building upon the foundation provided by my family, he finally secured a firm foothold for the Graystone Pack. He forced a draught of wolfsbane poison down my throat, watching as I writhed in agony on the floor, and snarled through clenched teeth: “You are the one who killed Katherine. Once you are dead, your corpse will be hung high in the Red Moon Tribe’s territory. That will be the punishment for your father.” In this life, I gazed at the man kneeling before the estate gates and smiled. “By the Moon Goddess above, I, Elara, hereby reject Killian as my mate.” …… “Elara, Killian has been kneeling out there for three days now. Is this his way of trying to force your compliance? The audacity!” “He wants to marry his own brother’s mate—a desire for which his own father already gave him a sound thrashing. Now he’s playing the pitiful victim to pressure you. Does he really think our tribe is a pushover?” My maidservant, Rosie, stormed into the room, her face flushed crimson with indignation. I recalled the day Killian first arrived at my father’s doorstep, pleading with me to dissolve our betrothal. The news that the heir to the Graystone Tribe had been kneeling for three days and three nights had already spread throughout the entire territory of the wolf packs. A large crowd of wolves had gathered at the gates, pointing fingers and whispering amongst themselves. Standing just inside the doorway, I let out a long, slow breath. Killian had no choice but to come to me. To marry one’s own brother’s former mate—that was a scandal. The Alpha and Luna of the Graystone Tribe would never agree to this. But if *I* were the one to reject him—if I broke off the engagement of my own accord—then he could claim that *he* was the one who had been cast aside. That way, his parents would have no grounds to object. And so, he knelt here, pressuring me—using the very persona of elegance and grace I had once cultivated for myself—to force my consent. A woman clad in white approached Killian and knelt down beside him. As Killian recognized the newcomer, his face filled with a mixture of heartache and urgent concern. “Katherine, what are you doing here? This has nothing to do with you. I will speak to Alala personally. You are frail, and your wolf spirit is unstable. Go back at once.” Katherine shook her head, tears streaming down her face. “Killian, this is simply my wretched fate. Please, stop pleading on my behalf.” “Alala comes from a noble lineage; how could she possibly understand my suffering? My mate is dead, and my own family refuses to take me back.” “Yet, even so, I cannot bear to see you hurt yourself like this just to protect me.” Killian caught her just before she collapsed. “Katherine, I swear I will look after you for the rest of my life. My brother is gone; protecting you is now my duty.” The moment he saw me step through the gates, he immediately raised his voice. “Alala, you are the daughter of the Red Moon Tribe’s Alpha. You know the difference between right and wrong. Look at how Katherine suffers—I beg you, release me from our engagement and allow me to be with her.” I fixed my gaze upon the gray garment Katherine was wearing. Everyone around her assumed she dressed so plainly out of mourning—as a tribute to her late husband. But no one else noticed the true nature of that garment—a fabric so rare that, throughout the entire tribe, scarcely a handful of people could ever hope to possess it. Killian guarded her as if she were a precious treasure; she looked nothing like a woman who had ever known hardship. My wolf, Laura, let out a furious growl.
I looked calmly at Killian. “Killian, Katherine is your brother’s mate. How can you do this to him?” “Kaden fought for the pack and was ultimately killed by a pack of strays. Every wolf in this territory respects him for his loyalty and bravery.” “Who dares to mistreat the mate he left behind? Can’t the Alpha of the Greystone Pack even protect his own daughter-in-law?” “Or is it that since Caden’s death, everyone in your pack has come to look down on her? If I join the Greystone Pack, I will personally ensure she receives the respect she deserves.” “Besides, when news of Kaden’s death reached the pack, I heard Katherine was so overcome with grief that she fainted on the spot. Everyone praised her loyalty—and how long has it even been?” “And now you want to marry her? Have you thought about the consequences?” Killian was blinded by emotion, but the Alpha of the Greystone Pack was not. So the moment Killian said he was taking Katherine away, he was beaten senseless. But as soon as he could stand, he crawled to my father’s doorstep. Killian held Katherine tightly, looked up at me, his voice full of sincerity. “Elarra, she was meant to be mine. It was the Moon Goddess who made a mistake; that’s why she became my brother’s destined mate.” “Now, because of this, she can never be anyone else’s partner. I cannot abandon her.” “In the Greystone Tribe, without a husband to rely on, she’ll be the subject of constant gossip. With her frail body, she simply couldn’t bear it.” Katherine wiped away her tears. “Miss Elara, I should die. That would be the easiest solution. But Killian won’t let me; he insists I stay by her side.” “Fate has been so unfair to both of us. You’re about to marry into the Greystone Tribe. Or could you let me stay by Killian’s side? I swear, I’ll never compete with you for him—you’ll always be his one and only partner.” “I don’t want anything else. I just want to stay by his side.” After she spoke, her voice choked up, and her body swayed as if she might collapse at any moment. Tears fell one by one, each landing with perfect timing. Their performance of grief was so convincing that the crowd began to whisper, filled with sympathy. “Poor Katherine. Her husband died right after they were married. He left her with nothing.” “Couldn’t Elara just let them be together?” “But if she accepted Katherine’s proposal, who knows who would be in charge of the Greystone Clan in the future? A man blinded by love will always choose the woman he favors, not his destined mate.” The murmurs grew louder. My wolf inside me let out a cold laugh. In my previous life, the scene Killian and Katherine staged right here at this door completely crushed what little dignity I had left. I had been stubborn back then, refusing to reject him. Katherine used her death to turn my bonding ceremony into a disaster, giving Killian a reason to remember her forever—and to hate me forever. In this life, everything starts anew. I will not let them succeed. “Killian, what are you doing?” A shrill shout rang out from behind me, and the crowd parted to make way. It was Luna Victoria of the Greystone Clan. I’d summoned her before leaving. She arrived just in time. She glared at Killian, her eyes brimming with disappointment. “You are the heir to the Greystone Clan. Your every action reflects on the pack’s honor. Do you have any idea what you’re doing?” Katherine cowered behind Killian, trembling all over, and called out softly, “Luna.” Luna slapped Katherine across the face. “Ever since the day you joined the pack, I’ve treated you like my own daughter. But the moment my Caden died, you turned around and seduced my youngest son. You want to be the heir’s mate? Fuck off.”
Katherine wept, her face streaked with tears. “Luna, Killian and I truly love each other. Caden and I have dissolved our bond; I am free now.” Victoria snapped, “Caden’s body still hasn’t been recovered, and you’re already so eager to find your next partner?” Their urgency was, of course, because they couldn’t wait any longer. It wasn’t until after Katherine died in my previous life that I learned she was carrying Killian’s child. That was why Killian had poisoned me so viciously. They were in such a hurry because if they didn’t get married soon, Katherine’s pregnancy would be impossible to hide. Killian shouted, “Mother, you only have eyes for my brother. Have you ever thought of me?” “Back then, the Moon Goddess designated Katherine for my brother, and you wouldn’t let him refuse—even though he clearly didn’t love her.” “Later, because of the concept of destined partners, you insisted I marry Aelara.” “Now I’ve compromised, but I’m simply asking that Katherine stay by my side. Must you be so heartless?” Hearing this, I raised an eyebrow and cut him off: “How can the status of a mistress be worthy of Katherine? She should be your partner.” As soon as I finished speaking, a look of surprise and delight flashed across Killian’s face. He tilted his head back and laughed aloud: “Elarra, you’re actually willing to give up the position of partner for Katherine?” “Everyone says you’re smart and gentle, but I never expected you to be so magnanimous.” My mother, who had been rushed out of the manor, hurriedly cut me off: “No, Elara, you mustn’t act on impulse. Your betrothal to the Greystone Clan isn’t something you can change with a single word.” “Besides, if Killian were to do something like this before your marriage, your father and I would certainly not accept it so easily. You must not act recklessly; this concerns your entire future.” Having said that, Mother turned to Killian: “Killian, you’ve forced Elara to accept Katherine staying by your side. Such disloyalty is truly despicable.” “And now you’re using public opinion to pressure Elara into agreeing.” I calmed my mother’s anger and stepped forward to look at Katherine. “Katherine, are you certain you want to become Killian’s mistress? To give up all the glory you shared with Caden?” Katherine nodded. “Yes. I only want to be with Killian for the rest of my life.” “I don’t care if he’s the heir, nor do I care if I can become the Luna of the Graystone Tribe. We simply love each other with all our hearts and want to be together.” I looked at the two of them. “Caden’s body isn’t even cold yet. As his widow, can’t you even wait until his body is found?” Katherine just covered her face and wept, not answering a word. Killian frowned at me. “You need only agree to let Katherine stay. You needn’t concern yourself with anything else.” “My brother is gone, but the living must go on. Is that not so?” I tilted my chin up slightly, looking at them with contempt. “Killian, I never imagined you were such a despicable man. To marry his partner so soon after my brother’s death—how could someone like you possibly deserve to have me as your wife?” “By the Moon Goddess, I, Elara, refuse to let Killian become my partner.” “Now just go ahead and marry your Katherine—whether as a partner or a mistress. From this day forward, we have nothing to do with one another.” My wolf, Laura, let out a triumphant howl deep within my heart.
Watch👉 https://cps-front.novelix.live/app-api/ext/new/20260701xADbzzGxwk 🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “Novelix” app 🔍 search for “ni045997”, and watch the full series ✨! #Novelix
Leave a Reply