Chapter 3

I gasped awake, my heart hammering against my ribs like it was trying to escape. The afternoon sunlight streamed through the windows, casting golden patterns across the floor—the same floor where I had died just hours ago. My hands flew to my stomach, then to my head where the fatal wound had been. Nothing. No blood, no pain.

I was alive. I had been given a second chance.

And this time, I wouldn't waste it on tears and begging.

A soft knock at the door made me jump.

"Luna Hailey?" Mia's gentle voice called through the door. "May I come in?"

My throat tightened. This was it—the moment where everything had begun to unravel in my previous life. I smoothed my nightgown, composed my features, and called out, "Come in, Mia."

The door opened to reveal Nathaniel's half-sister, her kind face alight with the same excitement I remembered. The folder in her hands contained news that should have been joyous—would have been, in another life, with another mate.

"I have your test results," she said, crossing the room to sit beside me on the bed. Her eyes were bright with genuine happiness for me. "And I think you're going to want to sit down for this."

I was already sitting, but I nodded, forcing a look of curious anticipation rather than the dread and calculation churning inside me.

"Congratulations, Luna," Mia said, opening the folder to reveal the same report I'd seen just before my death. "You're pregnant with the Alpha heir."

In my first life, I had gasped with joy, tears springing to my eyes as I imagined Theodore's face when I told him. I had pictured our child, our future, the family we would build together. I had been such a fool.

This time, I let a careful smile spread across my face—not too bright, not too subdued. "Thank you, Mia," I said, my voice steady. "This is... wonderful news."

Mia's brow furrowed slightly, clearly expecting a more exuberant reaction. "Are you alright, Luna? This is happy news, isn't it?"

I placed my hand protectively over my still-flat stomach. "The happiest," I assured her. "I'm just... processing. It's a lot to take in."

She nodded, understanding softening her features. "Of course. It's life-changing news." She handed me the folder. "Everything looks perfect. You're about six weeks along. The Alpha will be thrilled."

I took the folder, my fingers tightening around it. "Yes, I'm sure he will be." The lie tasted bitter on my tongue.

As soon as Mia left, I moved quickly to the dresser, pulling out the bottom drawer where I kept my winter sweaters. I tucked the folder deep underneath the pile, where Theodore would never think to look. My child's existence would remain my secret—my armor against what was to come.

The rest of the afternoon passed in a blur of preparation. I cleaned the Alpha den meticulously, as if scrubbing away the remnants of my former, naive self. I prepared Theodore's favorite meal—roasted venison with rosemary potatoes and forest mushroom sauce—setting the dining table with our finest china and crystal glasses. Candles were arranged but not yet lit. Everything perfect. Everything a lie.

As the sun began to set, I changed into a simple blue dress that Theodore had once said brought out the color of my eyes. I applied light makeup, brushed my hair until it shone, and practiced my expressions in the mirror.

Shock. Hurt. Devastation. The performance of my life was about to begin.

The sound of Theodore's car pulling into the driveway sent a jolt through me. Not of hope or love this time, but of readiness. I moved to the kitchen, arranging myself by the counter, checking the venison one last time.

The front door burst open with a bang, followed by Theodore's booming laugh and Emma's higher, tinkling one. They weren't even trying to be discreet.

"Something smells amazing," Theodore called out, his voice carrying that false cheerfulness I now recognized as the prelude to cruelty.

I stepped into the entryway, my rehearsed smile in place. "Welcome home," I said, my eyes taking in the sight of them—Theodore's hand possessively on Emma's lower back, Emma's triumphant smirk barely concealed.

"Hailey," Theodore said, not 'my love' or 'Luna' or any of the endearments from our early days. "I see you've been busy." His eyes flicked to the dining room, noting the elaborate setup.

"I thought we could have a nice dinner," I said, my voice steady despite the rage and grief battling within me. "I didn't realize we'd have company."

Emma's smile widened, revealing perfect white teeth. "I hope there's enough for three," she said, her voice dripping with false sweetness.

Theodore cleared his throat, his expression shifting to one of determined resolve. "Actually, Hailey, I'm glad you've prepared something special. It seems appropriate, given that I have something important to discuss with you." He straightened, squaring his shoulders like he was preparing for battle. "I've been doing a lot of thinking lately, and I've decided it's time to make some changes in our relationship."

I waited, watching him search my face for signs of suspicion or distress. I gave him nothing but attentive silence.

"The thing is," he continued, emboldened by my apparent calmness, "our mate bond no longer serves my needs or the needs of this pack."

There it was. The rejection I had been preparing for. The words that had shattered my world once before.

"What are you saying, Theodore?" I asked, my voice small and trembling—exactly as he would expect.

He stepped forward, Emma clinging to his arm possessively, her eyes gleaming with victory. "I'm rejecting our mate bond, Hailey. It's over between us."

If it were in my first life, this moment would have broken me. Now, as I stared into the cold eyes of the man who would have let me die without remorse, I felt nothing but a grim satisfaction.

They might think they just started a game.

Unlucky them. Because they wouldn't know, that this time, I knew all the rules.