Chapter 2

When I walked into the ceremony hall, it was packed with males from every pack, their muscles bulging and the air thick with testosterone.

Unlike the past Rosalie, I didn't make things worse for her. Instead, I greeted them politely and explained that Rosalie was held up but would be here soon, asking them to wait a little longer.

They smiled and nodded.

All these male wolves were eager to find a mate, doing everything they could to impress me. If I were still the naive girl from my previous life, I would've totally fallen for their act.

But now, my heart felt heavy. I couldn't even force a smile.

I immediately spotted Rosalie's mate from my last life—Alpha Jacob Stone of the Stone Ridge Pack. He stood out in the crowd, calm and quietly commanding.

Unlike the other males, Jacob didn't bother trying to impress me. He kept his distance. If it weren't for that spark of awe in his eyes when he glanced my way, I would've thought he wasn't interested at all.

Just then, Rosalie burst into the hall, glowing and a little out of breath, sweat shimmering on her skin. When she saw the hall full of guys, surprise flashed across her eyes.

Did she really think I'd pull the same petty move she did?

Rosalie said, "Sorry, everyone. I've already got my heart set on someone, and I'm sticking with him."

Hearing that, the males looked a little disappointed, but then they turned their attention to me, even more fired up than before.

A flicker of jealousy crossed Rosalie's eyes as she pointed at Jacob, who was standing off to the side. "He's not bad at all, definitely worthy of my sister. Since our mom's gone, as her big sister, I'm choosing him for Clara."

Seeing that meaningful smile on Rosalie's face, I lowered my gaze, masking the complicated feelings inside me.

She wanted me to suffer the same fate she did in my last life.

Thanks to Rosalie's smooth talking, my marriage to Jacob was settled just like that. Dereck was annoyed that Rosalie had already chosen someone but still showed up at the ceremony, so he confined her to reflect on her actions.

I was literally counting down the minutes, watching the clock, knowing the Redsun Pack's envoy should be arriving any moment now.

But what I never expected was that, in this life, Julian, the Alpha himself, came in person to propose.

Dereck nearly jumped out of his seat when he got the news.

Our Silvermoon Pack's glory days were long gone. Even at our strongest, we'd never had a prestigious bloodline like the Redsun Pack show up in person for a marriage proposal, much less their Alpha heir.

Dereck bowed respectfully as he spoke to Julian. Rosalie had already been released and was standing beside him, giving Julian a lovestruck look. "I've been waiting forever for you. Dereck even locked me away."

Dereck and Julian both froze for a second at her words. Julian snapped, "Why did you lock up my future Luna?"

Julian was never one to take disrespect lightly, and he saw Dereck's move as a slap in the face.

Julian's face turned stormy, and Dereck started sweating bullets. He tried to say something, but ended up bowing his head, defeated. "I await your punishment, sir."

I couldn't stand seeing Dereck, who had watched us grow up, looking so humbled. I quickly stepped forward. "Your Highness, please let me explain.

"Rosalie already had someone in mind when she attended the selection ceremony. Dereck only acted to protect her reputation. Otherwise, the other packs would be mad at her."

When Julian saw me, a flicker of surprise and admiration flashed in his eyes. Noticing the interest in his gaze, Rosalie instantly latched onto his arm, batting her lashes and pouring on the charm.

Watching Rosalie behave so frivolously, Dereck's face darkened, feeling utterly defeated.