Chapter 1

Natalia's POV

The ceremonial hall blazed with hundreds of candles. I stood at the center of it all, surrounded by the hushed whispers and expectant faces of our people, trying to steady my racing heart.

My memories came flooding back, the pain, the betrayal, dirt hitting my face as they buried me alive. But I was here now, alive, eighteen again, wearing the same damn ceremonial dress.

My father, Alpha Marcus, stood by the ancient moon altar, looking all important and commanding. His graying hair caught the candlelight as he raised his arms to get everyone's attention.

"Tonight, we celebrate not just my daughter's coming of age, but the future of our pack," his voice boomed across the hall. Every person hung on his words. "Natalia possesses the purest Alpha bloodline, and I have chosen the perfect mate to stand beside her."

No, no, no. My stomach twisted into knots. I knew what was coming next. The same words that had sealed my fate in my previous life.

"Damon of the Silver Crest pack," Father continued, gesturing toward the young man standing near the front of the crowd. "You are the strongest Beta of your generation. Your union with Natalia will bring forth the next great Alpha."

The crowd erupted in approving murmurs. I could see the satisfied smiles on faces throughout the hall, they all believed this was perfect, inevitable. The alliance between two powerful packs, the promise of strong offspring, the continuation of pure bloodlines.

But I knew better.

I watched Damon walk forward, cutting through the crowd like he owned the place. His hair was perfect, his clothes were perfect. To everyone else, he looked like the perfect guy.

"Alpha Marcus," Damon's voice rang out clear and strong. My breath caught in my throat. Here it comes. "I am honored by your offer, but I must respectfully decline."

The hall fell silent. Not a single whisper, not even the sound of breathing. It was as if time itself had frozen.

"I request permission to court your second daughter instead." His eyes found Stella in the crowd, and I watched my sister's face transform from confusion to stunned delight. "I choose Stella."

"What?" Father's voice cracked like thunder. "Explain yourself."

Damon straightened his shoulders, looking every inch the righteous warrior. "Natalia cannot shift, Alpha Marcus. She has no wolf form. How can someone without a wolf claim Alpha blood? She might not even be your true daughter."

The shocking voices were everywhere. People gasping, others looking at me like I was garbage, some already whispering about my bloodline being fake.

What fuck!! How could he say something like that at a time like this? Could he have been reborn too? In my previous life, during our brief, miserable marriage, I'd confided my deepest secret to him in a moment of vulnerability. I'd told him about my inability to shift, believing that my mate would understand and protect me.

Instead, he'd used it to destroy me.

"Is this true?" Father's voice was dangerously now. The temperature in the room seemed to drop several degrees. "Natalia, can you shift?"

Every face in the crowd was turned toward me. Some looked curious, others skeptical, a few already showing disgust. I could see the wheels turning in their minds, defective, wolfless, fake Alpha.

Just like before.

My throat felt like sandpaper. "I..." God, how do you tell a room full of werewolves that you're broken?

"Answer me," Father commanded, his Alpha authority pressing down on me.

"I can't." The words came out as barely a whisper, but in the deadly silence of the hall, everyone heard them. "I can't shift."

The crowd exploded. Shocked voices everywhere, people muttering about how disgusting I was, whispering about whether I was even Dad's real daughter. I just stood there in the middle of it all, watching everything fall apart just like before.

The crowd gradually dispersed, leaving hushed conversations and sideways glances in their wake. Stella had been whisked away by excited pack members, already being congratulated on her unexpected good fortune. The ceremonial hall felt cavernous now, with just Father and me.

The candles had burned lower, their flames flickering weakly.

"Eighteen years," Father said finally, his voice heavy with something between disappointment and disgust. "Eighteen years I've raised you, trained you, prepared you to lead this pack. And you're nothing but a wolfless."

I lifted my chin, meeting his gaze directly. In my previous life, I would have cowered, begged for forgiveness, promised to find a way to fix myself. But I knew now how this story ended. I knew what he was capable of when I failed to meet his impossible expectations.

"Father," I said, "I want to go to Sacred Grove."

His eyebrows shot up. "What?"

"I request permission to undertake the ancient ritual," I continued, the plan crystallizing in my mind as I spoke. "To prove my worth to the pack and seek the moon goddess's blessing."

Sacred Grove, the mystical forest at the edge of our territory where pack members went to commune with the moon goddess in times of crisis. It was dangerous, isolated, and perfect for what I had in mind. In my previous life, I'd been too scared, too desperate for his approval to leave. This time would be different.

Father studied me for a long moment. I could practically see him calculating the benefits, getting his embarrassing daughter out of sight, avoiding the awkward questions about my parentage, maintaining face by framing it as a spiritual journey rather than exile.

"Very well," he said finally. "Perhaps some time in Sacred Grove will help you... find yourself."

I bowed formally. "Thank you, father. I'll prepare to leave at first light."

This time I'm gonna get rid of all the shit Damon put me through.