Chapter 1

The Moon Goddess gave me a second chance at life.

But she gave one to my mate, Alpha Caiden, too.

In my first life, he chose to save me and our unborn heir.

His childhood sweetheart Doris died, and his love curdled into a resentment so cold he fed me to a starved bear.

This time, when Doris pushed me from a cliff, he made a different choice.

He left me, his pregnant mate, broken and bleeding in the cursed wilds.

“Ignore her. She's just a distraction to slow you down from reaching Doris.”

He thought I would perish.

He was wrong.

I survived, severed our bond, and patiently waited until I could shatter his world with the truth.

When his precious Doris was exposed as a murderer, he crawled back to me, his mind finally broken by regret.

“Lidia, please give me another chance. Let us start fresh.”

But I just smiled, my hand resting on the pup he thought was long dead.

“Don't be ridiculous. I will never be shackled to you again.”

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1

After the Moon Goddess granted me a second chance, my mate, Alpha Caiden Twilight, would regret prioritizing his childhood companion, a choice that ultimately drove him mad.

In my past life, Caiden chose to save me first, driven by the instinct to protect his unborn heir. But by the time he went back for his childhood friend, Doris Rageclaw, the bear had already left her grievously wounded. From that day forward, Caiden’s love curdled into a cold resentment he aimed squarely at me.

Three weeks later, he imprisoned me in a deep pit, then unleashed a wild bear that had been starved for half a month.

I cried out in terror, but Caiden’s cold voice drifted down from above. He declared, “Lidia, you worthless half-blood. You let Doris die, and now you’ll know what it’s like to be torn apart.”

Ultimately, I was mauled to death by the beast, and my body, along with our unborn child, was consumed. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day of the attack.

A piercing ache radiated through my entire body as I regained consciousness, finding myself at the base of the Broken Fang Cliff in the Celtic Twilight Forest Park. The soft, damp earth beneath me had broken my fall.

I was a highly skilled Tracker for the Twilight Pack, and three months pregnant with the Alpha’s heir. I should have been on light duty at the packhouse, but Caiden insisted I guide his childhood friend, Doris Rageclaw.

I protested, "I carry your heir. Why must I escort Doris into the wilds?"

Caiden replied, "If Doris’s usual tracker wasn't on another assignment, I wouldn't ask this of you, Lidia. Besides, you're only in your first trimester. The fresh air will do you good."

Furiously, I refused, "I am not going."

"Go, or we will have this conversation before the Elders," Caiden threatened.

I had no choice but to agree.

In my previous life, I had taken Doris on a patrol through the safer parts of the forest. However, she took advantage of my momentary distraction to venture into the Gloomfang Wilds, a forbidden territory teeming with cursed creatures, Wraithfog, and dangers.

I couldn't abandon the she-wolf of an allied pack, so I followed.

When we reached the Broken Fang Cliff, Doris claimed to see a rare herb at the base, and I leaned over to check. Suddenly, she slammed her body into mine, sending me over the edge.

Doris sneered, "Lidia, just die. Once you're gone, Caiden will finally be mine."

Fortunately, the soft ground at the cliff's base spared my life.

Enduring excruciating pain, I searched for half an hour among the decaying leaves before my fingers brushed against my memory crystal.

In my past life, upon waking, I had been desperate for rescue. Only after Caiden found me did I realize the crystal was missing. Without it, my Alpha dismissed all my explanations of the truth.

I clutched the memory crystal, relieved to find the obsidian shard unscratched.

I habitually carried the enchanted crystal during patrols as evidence in case of unexplainable events.

I now understood that Doris had attempted to murder me in the wilderness because she had previously explored this area for her research. However, she overestimated her abilities. The Gloomfang Wilds was a treacherous maze; even after dozens of patrols, one could easily get lost without a pack tracker, which explained her own predicament.

After tending to my mangled leg at the cliff's base, I immediately followed the route I had taken in my previous life to exit the territory.

This time, I wanted nothing to do with Caiden and wouldn't seek his help.

Reaching the familiar, twisted oak, I faced two paths. Previously, I had chosen the left one, which led me astray before I used my satellite phone to call Caiden for assistance.

This time, I opted for the right path.

After walking about three-quarters of a mile, I encountered a sudden unnatural chill as white Wraithfog rose from the ground.

I stumbled back quickly.

The fog was supernatural; inhaling its vapors would drain my life force.

Forced back to the twisted oak, I checked the sky: the sun was sinking fast. The Gloomfang Wilds would be dark within the hour. At night, the territory was infested with dangerous creatures and became unnaturally cold. Losing body heat could be fatal for me and my pup.

With no alternative, I took the left path. After about an hour, darkness fell. I climbed a towering pine to search for a signal. My ruggedized satellite phone’s battery was nearly dead, clinging to its last two percent.

Luckily, as before, I reached Caiden at the last moment.

"Caiden, I'm in the Gloomfang Wilds, likely southeast of our territory, within 5.5 miles upstream of the Bloodfall River. I need help," I pleaded.

Caiden responded, "How could you, my pack’s best tracker, get lost? You are cruel. How dare you lead Doris into the Gloomfang Wilds? Are you trying to kill her? I see through your lies. Stop pretending. We will settle this when you return. For now, I'm going to rescue Doris."