Chapter 2

I jolted awake, heart hammering against my ribs.

The forest was gone. No blood moon, no claws, no Dashiell's arctic stare. Instead, crystal chandeliers bathed me in golden light, and the air hummed with laughter and the clink of champagne glasses. Rose petals scattered across marble floors.

Silvermoon Estate's grand hall. My 21st birthday ceremony.

My coming of age.

"Impossible," I breathed.

But my pulse thrummed strong and steady beneath my fingertips. Real. Alive. I stared down at unmarked hands, smooth skin where claws had torn flesh. The pearl-white ceremonial gown I'd worn that night—that foolish night—flowed around me like liquid moonlight.

The memories hit like a physical blow. Dashiell's beautiful lies. Vivienne's poisoned laughter. Marcus's fangs at my throat. Every betrayal burned fresh and sharp.

I was back. Back to where the nightmare began.

"Sera? You look like you've seen a ghost." Father's voice, warm with concern.

I met his worried blue eyes—so trusting, so unaware that one of his daughters was sharpening knives in the shadows.

"Just nervous," I managed, forcing steadiness into my voice.

His smile was gentle as he squeezed my shoulder. "Choosing a mate is overwhelming, I know. But remember—this is your choice. No one else's."

If only you knew someone's been making my choices for me.

The hall buzzed with anticipation. Clan members clustered in elegant groups, champagne flutes catching the light, everyone waiting for the ceremony to begin. Their faces glowed with excitement, completely oblivious to the web of lies about to unfold.

Then I saw him.

Dashiell moved through the crowd like he owned it, that devastating smile I'd once melted for playing across his lips. Omega girls tracked his every step with hungry eyes, but his attention was fixed on me.

"Sera." His voice was dark honey, the same tone that used to make my knees weak. "You're radiant tonight."

A year ago, I would have blushed and stammered. Now bile rose in my throat.

"Thank you." Ice could have formed on my words.

Confusion flickered across his perfect features. He reached toward my face. "Are you feeling alright? You seem—"

I stepped back before he could touch me. That's when I felt it—something oily and invasive sliding against the edges of my mind, probing for cracks in my defenses.

Mind control.

Last time, I'd been completely defenseless. I'd mistaken the artificial euphoria for love, never realizing I was trapped in a cage of his making.

But death had changed me. The memories of my past life formed a barrier he couldn't penetrate.

Try all you want, I thought with savage satisfaction. Those days are over.

"Sera?" His brow creased as the mental pressure intensified. I could feel his power battering against my consciousness like waves against a seawall.

But I wasn't that broken girl anymore. I was something harder. Something dangerous.

"I'm perfect," I said, meeting his eyes without flinching. "Never better."

Wariness crept into his expression.

Good. Be afraid.

"Everyone, please!" Father's voice boomed across the hall. "The choosing ceremony begins now!"

Conversations died as hundreds of eyes turned to me. This was pack law—when the Alpha's daughter came of age, she chose her mate from all available suitors. The choice would reshape alliances, determine futures, shift the balance of power.

I found Caspian lurking near the back wall, trying to blend into the shadows. Still that overlooked Omega in his simple black suit, brown hair falling into intelligent amber eyes. A year ago, he'd been invisible to me.

Now I knew better. When everyone else had betrayed me, only Caspian had tried to warn me. Only he had cared enough to risk everything.

Time to rewrite history.

"Sera," Father said softly, "make your choice."

Silence stretched taut as a bowstring. I felt the weight of expectation, especially from Dashiell. He stood at the front of the crowd, radiating confidence, certain of victory.

After all, how could his puppet choose anyone else?

I walked forward with deliberate slowness, savoring each step. Let them wait. Let them assume.

Dashiell's smile turned predatory. "Come on, beautiful," he murmured. "You know who you belong to."

I stopped directly in front of him. Whispers rippled through the crowd—everyone knew what came next. The beautiful Alpha and his destined mate, just like in the fairy tales.

I reached out, watching triumph blaze in his eyes.

Then I turned and walked straight to Caspian.

"I choose Caspian Ashford."

The hall exploded.

"What the hell—"

"Has she lost her mind?"

"An Omega?"

"This can't be happening!"

Dashiell's snarl of rage echoed behind me, but I didn't look back. I only had eyes for Caspian's shocked amber gaze as I extended my hand.

"Are you... certain?" His voice barely rose above a whisper.

"I've never been more sure of anything." I took his trembling hand in mine, feeling the warmth of his skin, the slight calluses from his work.

This time, I would protect what mattered. This time, I would destroy my enemies completely.

The crowd eventually dispersed, though heated conversations continued in hushed clusters. I knew my choice had shattered expectations, especially for those who thought they held all the cards.

I excused myself to find Vivienne, but really, I wanted to see how my enemies were handling their first defeat. Being reborn had given me the ultimate advantage—I knew their playbook by heart.

I slipped through the corridors to Vivienne's private study and pressed myself against the wall outside her door.

"This is impossible!" Dashiell's voice cracked with fury. "My control over her was absolute!"

"Keep your voice down." Vivienne's tone was sharp as a blade. "Maybe that Omega has some kind of protection, or she's wearing a charm."

"I don't care what's blocking me," Dashiell snarled. "Tomorrow I'll hit her with everything I have. She'll break."

"Careful," Vivienne warned. "Father can't suspect anything. We still need her cooperation to secure my inheritance. Actually, her choosing an Omega might work in our favor—Father will be furious. She'll be desperate to prove herself."

I pressed my back against the cold stone wall, hands clenched into fists. They weren't giving up. Which meant I needed to be ready for their next move.

But everything had changed. I wasn't their helpless victim anymore.

I was their reckoning.

Every lie they'd told, every drop of blood they'd spilled, every moment of agony they'd caused—I would repay it all with interest.