Chapter 1

On the day of my Mate Ceremony, six Alphas from different packs showed up at my door.

They all claimed I was their fated mate, pointing to the ancient mate bonds connecting us.

They even produced keepsakes I had supposedly left with them years ago.

Kaden, my fiancé who arrived late to the ceremony, didn't hesitate for a second. Without asking for an explanation, he rejected me on the spot and beat me half to death.

The six Alphas joined in, laughing as they kicked me while I was down.

I died in that cold, hard dirt. I died not even knowing who they were, or how on earth I could be mated to six different men at the same time.

But then, I opened my eyes again.

I was back to April 30th.

The day before my Mate Ceremony.

***

####

"Go to sleep early, babe. Tomorrow, you’re going to be the most beautiful Luna in the world. Love you."

Kaden’s voice faded as the call disconnected. The dial tone echoing from my iPhone made me realize one thing—I was reborn.

In my past life, Kaden and I were deeply in love. Before our wedding, he wouldn't even touch me, treating me like the most fragile piece of glass.

But on the day of the Mate Ceremony, when those six Alphas falsely accused me, he didn't listen to a single word of my explanation. He lashed out, his boots raining down on me.

The terror in my heart right now outweighed the disappointment.

The most important thing was to cancel tomorrow's ceremony.

I walked down the hallway and knocked on my adoptive parents' bedroom door. When they opened it, surprise flashed in their eyes.

"Yara? Why are you still up so late?" Thomas, my adoptive father, asked.

"Mom, Dad, I want to cancel the Mate Ceremony tomorrow."

"What?!"

"Absolutely not! I don't agree!" Martha, my adoptive mother, reacted with strange intensity.

Since they took me in, they had never raised their voices at me. They had spoiled me, giving me everything I wanted.

Maybe they just thought I was being throwing a childish tantrum.

Thomas patted Martha’s shoulder soothingly, then turned to me.

"Yara, canceling a Mate Ceremony isn't a joke. We’ve already invited guests from all over. The feast in the Pack’s banquet hall is ready. We can't just call it off."

"Did you and Kaden have a fight? You're being too spoiled, sweetie."

I looked at them calmly. "Kaden is cheating on me."

In my past life, Kaden was not only late to our ceremony, but he also carried the distinct scent of another she-wolf.

"That's impossible. You must be overthinking things," Martha said, her eyes suddenly turning cold.

If this were the past, she would have dragged me to Kaden’s house to demand answers immediately. But now, she was shockingly defensive of him.

"Either way, I’m not going to the altar tomorrow. Please cancel it."

My adoptive parents had arranged this ceremony because Kaden was an orphan with no family left to help him.

"You cancel it now, and where does that leave our family's reputation?!" Martha snapped.

That line sounded so familiar.

In my past life, when those six Alphas accused me, everyone whispered behind my back. Martha had said the exact same thing: *"How could you do this behind our backs? You've embarrassed us!"*

Back then, I was too busy defending myself to notice how sketchy my adoptive parents were acting.

"How about this," Thomas chimed in, giving me a pointed look. "Since Kaden hasn't marked you yet, let's just go through with the ceremony first. If he really cheated, you can leave him later."

Martha quickly nodded in agreement.

"I’ve already posted a message in the Pack's Snapchat group," I said, my voice steady. "The ceremony is off. If the Elders or the Luna of our pack ask, I will explain it myself."

Without waiting for their reply, I turned around and walked back to my bedroom.

Having a second chance at life, nothing was more important than staying alive.

This time, I was going to stay as far away from those six mysterious Alphas as possible.

I spent the entire night tossed in nightmares.

My dreams were filled with shattered images—fire, screaming, and blurred faces.

Someone was calling my name, but it wasn't Yara.

I tried to see his face, but it was shrouded in mist.

Just before dawn, a howling wolf woke me.

The sound was distant, yet it echoed deep within my veins, like a call from the blood itself.

I sat up, drenched in cold sweat.

The moonlight was blinding outside my window.

Suddenly, a chilling premonition washed over me.

Those six Alphas... they were already on our pack's territory.

***

####