Chapter 1

In my past life, I spent nearly ten years by Alpha Edward’s side, living in what I thought was perfect harmony.

But when I turned twenty-eight, he suddenly confessed that he had fallen for a witch who came to our pack to sell herbs.

I thought it was just a passing infatuation, so I stubbornly refused to accept his rejection.

Unable to take my place, that woman left the pack. Not long after, news came that she had married someone else.

On the day she left, Edward was so distracted that he made a fatal error during a border patrol. It left a gap in our pack's defenses, allowing a rival pack to launch a surprise attack.

As the Luna, I did everything to calm the pack members and organize medical aid for the wounded. Yet, he blamed the entire defeat on me.

Eventually, he found the perfect excuse to publicly reject me in front of the entire pack.

Stripped of my Luna title, I was exiled from the territory.

I tried to contact David, but Edward had blocked all my lines of communication.

A lone rogue female couldn't survive long in the wild.

I died on a freezing winter night. No one knew, and no one came to bury my body.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the exact day Edward made his confession.

I started setting up the grill in the backyard at six in the morning.

I marinated the meat, tossed the salad, shucked the corn, and mixed the sauces.

For the entire day, I was trapped running back and forth between the yard and the kitchen.

Who would have thought I was once one of the strongest young warriors in the pack?

Edward had headed to the Pack House early in the morning, claiming he had an important meeting to attend.

So, I spent the whole day working alone.

My son, William, was the first to return.

The moment he walked in, he ran straight to Edward—who had just gotten home—and excitedly pulled a drawing out of his backpack.

"Dad, look! I drew this in art class. The teacher said it was the best one!"

Aside from basic werewolf lore and combat training, the pack school also offered some recreational classes.

It seemed today’s class was art.

I glanced over and saw three people in the drawing—William, Edward, and the blurry silhouette of a woman.

Edward patted his head. "Nice job, son. You're getting better."

My daughter, Sophia, walked in behind him, holding a lollipop.

She ran over and squeezed herself onto Edward's lap, saying in her sweet little voice, "Dad, I want that barbecue you made last time."

I stood by the kitchen door, watching them.

In this warm, picture-perfect family scene, I was the only outsider.

Soon, the meat sizzled on the grill, and dinner was served.

William was the first to raise his glass. "Dad, a toast to you! The tips you gave me for the game worked. I beat Tom!"

Sophia raised hers, too. "Dad is the best!"

After emptying her cup, Sophia took a bite of a grilled chicken wing and frowned. "Mom, this chicken is too dry."

They seemed to have completely forgotten that they were supposed to be celebrating my birthday tonight.

After dinner, while the kids watched TV in the living room, Edward called me out to the backyard.

He was silent for a long moment before speaking. "Claire, there’s... something I need to tell you."

"I’ve fallen in love with someone else."

I squeezed the beer can in my hand so hard it nearly crumpled.

"It’s Rachel," he added. "The witch who sells herbs to the pack. We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. I want to... make things official with her."

I stared at him, keeping silent.

After what felt like an eternity, I found my voice. "Do the kids know?"

"Not yet." He avoided my eyes. "But I want to get this sorted out as soon as possible."

I clenched my fingers around the fork in my hand.

Before I could say anything, William wandered out and asked curiously, "Dad, who are you talking about?"

"It's Rachel!" Sophia chimed in, running up behind him. "She took me to the amusement park last time and bought me balloons!"

"Whoa, Rachel is that nice?" William's eyes lit up.

Sophia clapped her hands. "Rachel said she’s going to be our new mom!"

The three of them virtually toasted to each other.

I just stood there with my head down, feeling like a complete stranger in my own home.

"Mom, don't be like that. Rachel is really sweet," William said.

"Yeah, Dad found someone he loves. Shouldn't you be happy for him?" Sophia added.

Their eyes were filled with judgment, looking at me as if I were being unreasonable.

I looked down at the cold barbecue on the table and let out a self-deprecating laugh.

Then, I looked up and spoke calmly.

"Fine. I agree."