Chapter 3

With Julian pushing things forward, Rosalie's ceremony date was locked in.

Rosalie's eyes sparkled with scheming as she suggested we hold our ceremonies together. She said I was her beloved sister. Now that she was about to become Julian's Luna, she wanted me to ride her coattails, so Jacob would know I had some serious backup.

Rosalie made it sound so heartfelt, and Julian looked at her with a much softer expression.

Dereck looked uneasy. The mate ceremony was the biggest day of a she-wolf's life, who was meant to be the only bride, the star of the show. Two brides on the very same day wasn't how things worked in our pack.

Besides, Rosalie was marrying the Alpha heir of the prestigious Redsun Pack. Her ceremony would be all fanfare and glory, way out of my league.

Just as he was about to say something, I pressed his hand and flashed Rosalie a smile. "You're so sweet, Rosalie."

When I caught Julian's unfiltered gaze, my smile slipped away. Rosalie gave me a sharp look and stepped right in front of him, blocking his view.

Just then, Jacob showed up with his gift. He'd honored the old ways, personally hunting a rare white stag as a gift for me.

In my last life, I got married in a hurry and never witnessed Jacob's ceremony with Rosalie, but I was pretty sure Rosalie received the same gift back then.

Rosalie's face darkened, clearly irritated that Jacob valued me so much.

I couldn't help but let out a dry laugh. She and Jacob weren't even mates this time, and she was still getting all worked up over it? Seriously, Rosalie was so petty.

Dereck was old. After the long day, he looked tired and went off to rest.

These days leading up to the ceremony, I felt genuinely happy. In my last life, I got married in a rush and was instantly caught up in all the Redsun Pack's traditions and rules.

But this time, I could actually enjoy the freedom and excitement that every female about to be married should feel.

I spent my days strolling through the Silvermoon Pack's territory with Jacob, while Rosalie was constantly clinging to Julian, spending all her time at his place.

Finally, the day before our ceremonies, Dereck called Rosalie and me into his room.

He pulled out a list of gifts and said to Rosalie, "Rosalie, your ceremony is a matter of pride for the pack, but Clara is our child too. I'd like to let her have more of the pack's blessings as well. Would that be alright?"

Rosalie's face went cold as she snatched the list from his hands. "No way! I'm marrying the Alpha heir of the Redsun Pack. I represent Silvermoon's reputation. My gifts have to be the best. Clara's just marrying into the Stone Ridge Pack. She doesn't need anything fancy."

She scanned the list, picked out the most basic one, and tossed it in front of me.

Dereck was clearly annoyed, but I just gave Rosalie a polite nod and picked up the list without fuss.

Dereck swallowed his frustration and looked at Rosalie, worry etched on his face. "It's been ages since our pack married into the Redsun Pack.

"Even if it's a union, we're nowhere near their level. If you end up getting pushed around over there, we won't be able to stand up for you. So you'd better watch your back."

Rosalie gave Dereck a look of pure contempt and let out a cold snort. "I know you are useless. Useless and obsessed with saving face! No one's going to push me around. But you, Clara... you're the one who should worry."

Rosalie's eyes sparkled with ridicule, like she was already savoring the thought of me suffering after marrying Jacob.

But honestly, I almost wanted to laugh. Did she really think that just because she saved Julian, she could easily give birth to a pure-blood heir and rise to the top as Luna? If only it were that simple.

For ancient bloodlines like the Redsun Pack, producing heirs was nearly impossible now. Their blood was so overpowering that most females simply couldn't survive it.

Sure, carrying a pure-blood heir was the highest honor, but every single day that child grew inside the mother, it was like her life was being sucked dry. And if the mother started to weaken, the Redsun Pack wouldn't hesitate to toss her aside to protect their precious heir.

Unless the mother's bloodline was just as strong, they wouldn't even pretend to care about her fate.

In my last life, I got lucky. Before I got pregnant, I stumbled across a Moonpetal Blossom. If I hadn't, I would've ended up discarded, just another tragic sacrifice for the pack.

But Rosalie had no idea. She was still lost in her little daydreams, and I was definitely going to let her keep dreaming.

Rosalie shot me a look and sneered, "Clara, Jacob's a real brute. Don't expect the pack to stand up for you. You'll have to suck it up. I was going to help you out, but you even tried to cozy up to Julian."

Right then, Jacob kicked the door open, his expression downright hostile as he glared at her.

Rosalie shuddered, but when she saw Julian standing behind Jacob, her eyes sparkled. She hurried over and grabbed onto Julian's arm.

Julian didn't even spare her a glance. Instead, he looked straight at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. "The Alpha of the Stone Ridge Pack is a brute? Why not marry me, Clara? I can give you and Rosalie equal status. Both of you can be my Lunas and serve me together."

Rosalie's expression changed in a flash upon hearing that.