Chapter 1

"Sign it, Lena."

Alpha Richard Whitfield slid the exile order across the heavy oak table. The harsh scraping of paper against wood echoed like a death knell in the silent council hall.

I didn't move. My gaze drifted past him, landing on the leather sofa opposite us.

Lily had her face buried deep in Marcus's chest. Her shoulders shook violently as she sobbed, gasping for air. "Marcus, this is all my fault... I shouldn't have touched those files. Now Lena is paying the price. What are we going to do?"

Marcus, my boyfriend of five years and the Beta of our pack, was comforting her.

Right now, he was rubbing Lily's back with a tenderness I had never seen him show me.

Then, he looked up. The warmth vanished from his eyes, replaced by a cold, condescending glare. "Lena, stop making a scene. Lily didn't do it on purpose. She’s only twenty-two. She didn't know any better."

Alpha Whitfield tapped the table, his deep voice dripping with menace. "Lena, you are the Head of Patrol. The intel leaked from the border you were guarding. Three of our warriors are critically injured. The entire Crimson Pack demands justice."

"Her father is Alpha Thomas Hart of the Silver Creek Pack," Marcus chimed in, his tone dripping with fake concern. "Our pack's supplies for the next winter rely entirely on their trade routes. Lena, just think of the pack..."

"Shut up," Alpha Whitfield snapped at Marcus, who instantly closed his mouth. The Alpha turned back to me, his voice softening slightly, though his tone remained absolute. "Lena, you’ve served this pack for five years. I’ve treated you well. If you resign quietly today, I will make sure you get a generous severance. A graceful exit is best for everyone."

Looking at the three of them, I suddenly laughed.

I laughed so hard tears almost came to my eyes.

Memories of my past life sliced through my mind like a rusty blade.

The exact same words. The exact same betrayal.

In my first life, I had screamed and cried like a lunatic. I swore on my wolf that I hadn't leaked the intel. I begged them to look at the security footage, but Alpha Whitfield claimed the cameras had "conveniently" malfunctioned.

I had grabbed Marcus's hands, begging him to believe me, but he had coldly shoved me away. He had stood before the entire pack and labeled me a traitorous thief.

They forced me to take the fall.

Shortly after, Alpha Whitfield banished me from the territory.

Branded as a traitor, I had nowhere to go. On a freezing, rainy night, hounded by rogues, I threw myself off a cliff.

The sickening crack of my bones shattering against the rocks—I could still feel that agony in my marrow.

And what about them? Lily’s trade routes secured the pack’s future. Marcus and Whitfield climbed to power over my dead body.

Marcus even became the designated heir to the Silver Creek Pack.

But the Moon Goddess had given me a second chance. I was right back at the moment of signing.

"Lena..." Lily peeked out from Marcus's arms, her eyes red and teary, but I caught the mocking triumph hidden in her gaze. "Can you ever forgive me?"

My laughter faded. I looked at the three of them as if they were already dead.

"Sure."

I reached out, grabbed the pen, and popped the cap off.

Marcus blinked, clearly surprised by how compliant I was being today. Relief washed over his face. "Lena, I knew you’d understand. Don't worry. Once this storm blows over, I’ll—"

*Scritch. Scratch.*

With two sharp strokes, I signed "Lena Shaw" across the exile order.

The nib dug so deep it nearly tore the paper.

Lily’s fake sobbing stopped instantly. Her eyes widened in shock.

I flicked the signed order right into Alpha Whitfield’s face.

"What do you think you're doing?!" Alpha Whitfield roared.

Ignoring him, I reached into my canvas bag, pulled out another pre-prepared document, and slammed it onto the table.

"Look closely. This is my official resignation."

I leaned over the table, hands planted on the wood, looking down at the three cowards. "You don't get to exile me. I quit. And as for the charge? I'll take it."

With that, I turned toward the heavy double doors of the council hall.

"Lena! Watch your attitude!" Alpha Whitfield bellowed behind me. "Do you have any idea what leaving the pack means? You will be a rogue! No pack will ever take you in! You won't survive a week out there!"

I gripped the brass doorknob, not bothering to look back. "Save that warning for your own gravestone."