Celeste POV: I bolted upright on the sweat-soaked mattress, gasping for air as my fingernails dug deep into my palms. The bloody memories of my past life—of Darrin Fisher draining my fortune and feeding me to a monster—still tore at my nerves. I stared at the frayed linen canopy above my bed. The damp, moldy scent of the Wiggins castle side-wing filled my lungs. I was alive. I had actually returned to the day before my betrothal was finalized. The wooden door flew open, its rusted hinges screeching. My personal maid, Daisy, rushed in with red-rimmed eyes and a trembling voice. "My Lady! Something terrible has happened!" I immediately pressed my index finger to my lips, signaling her to lower her voice and keep off the pack mind-link. Pulling a coarse linen cloak over my shivering shoulders, I kept my tone icy and flat. "Speak quietly. What happened?" Daisy dropped to her knees by the bed, gripping the wooden frame as tears spilled onto the footrest. "Ruby, the maid serving Lady Carlie, just broke into the treasury! She stole the ice-blue wolf pelt token!" My heart skipped a beat. I quickly lowered my eyelashes to hide the flash of shock in my eyes. In my previous life, my half-sister Carlie had despised that token because it belonged to Darrin, a poor commoner scholar. Why would she steal it now? An image flashed through my mind: Carlie's mangled body in the Montgomery castle, mauled to death by a vicious bastard hound. A chilling yet thrilling realization settled in my chest. Carlie making such an abnormal move, completely different from who she was in her previous life... could she have been reborn as well? Seeing my silence, Daisy stomped her foot in panic. "My Lady, that pelt is the betrothal pledge from Master Darrin! She is trying to steal your marriage! We must go to Elder Janyce and report her at once!" I reached out and pressed my hand firmly against Daisy's shaking shoulder. Feeling her tense muscles beneath my palm, I spoke with quiet authority. "We will do no such thing. If she wants that wolf pelt, consider it a scrap I threw to a begging dog." Daisy snapped her head up, staring at me in disbelief. She opened her mouth to argue, but the freezing glare in my eyes forced her to swallow her words. I threw off the covers and stepped onto the stone floor. The cold crept up my bare ankles, sharpening my mind. Walking over to my worn vanity, I pulled open a hidden bottom compartment and took out a small silver pouch carved with Moon Goddess blossoms. A heavy, bitter herbal scent instantly filled the room. In our werewolf kingdom, a wolf's rank and scent are determined by bloodline at birth, and a Royal Healer with White Wolf blood is a priceless treasure the crown would kill to control. To survive as a motherless daughter under my greedy father's roof, I had used secret herbs since childhood to mask my noble White Wolf aura, disguising myself as a weak, scentless Omega. I scooped a dab of black ointment from the silver pouch and rubbed it behind my ears and along the pulse on my neck. The paste stung my skin, locking away my natural frost-lily scent. Picking up a wooden comb, I smoothed my silver-white curls until I looked every bit the frail, harmless Omega. Turning back to the stunned maid, I gave my order. "Help me dress in my plainest gray gown, Daisy. We are going to the Great Hall to watch a show." I walked down the dark, damp corridor, my hem brushing against rough stone walls as the morning fog drifted through the arrow slits. The loud voices from the main building grew clearer with every step. Reaching the Great Hall, I pushed open the heavy oak double doors. The groaning hinges drew every eye in the room toward me. In the center of the hall stood Carlie, dressed in a flashy crimson satin gown beside her mother, the concubine Brenda. Wrapped tightly around Carlie's right wrist was the ice-blue wolf pelt token. Carlie tilted her chin up and deliberately shook her wrist in the air, her voice dripping with arrogance. "Good morning, Sister. You look terribly pale. Did you lose something precious and toss and turn all night?" I stopped three paces away from her. My gaze swept calmly over the fur that had once been my death warrant, and a faint smile touched my lips. "If you like it so much, Sister, you may keep it as a toy. It is only a dead skin." Carlie's smug smile froze. Clearly, she had expected me to weep and fight her. Gritting her teeth, she sneered. "Stop pretending you don't care! Once Master Darrin passes the Royal Scholar examination, this pelt will be my ticket to becoming a High Lady at court!" Watching her cling to the illusions of our past life made my stomach twist with cold amusement. In the previous timeline, Darrin had only passed that exam because I spent my mother's entire fortune bribing the chief examiner. Without my gold, he was nothing. Lowering my head to feign sorrow, I stepped back into the shadows. At the head of the hall, Clan Elder Arthur slammed his walking stick against the stone floor, his brows furrowed in anger as he glared at Carlie. "Outrageous! A betrothal token is not a trinket you can snatch at will! Return it to your elder sister immediately!" Carlie instantly threw herself at Elder Arthur's knees, squeezing out a few crocodile tears. "Elder Arthur, I truly admire Master Darrin! My sister is sickly and weak—how could a frail Omega like her ever support a future Royal Scholar?" Her mother, Brenda, dropped to her knees beside her, dabbing her eyes with a silk handkerchief. "Please, Elder! Carlie's heart is set on him. Have mercy and fulfill her wish!" Elder Arthur's beard trembled with rage. He raised his stick to strike them, but I stepped forward, my voice soft yet clear enough to cut through the noise. "Please calm your wrath, Elder." Under the shocked gazes of the clan members, I sank into a standard court curtsy. "Since my sister and Master Darrin share such deep affection, I am willing to step aside and bless their union. I would never let our pack suffer embarrassment over a marriage dispute." Elder Arthur stared at my pale, composed face and let out a heavy sigh. "You have suffered a grave wrong, good child." Carlie scrambled up from the floor, her eyes gleaming with wild triumph and undisguised contempt. I ignored her gloating stare and turned toward the tall stained-glass windows overlooking the winding driveway outside the castle. Just then, an armored guard sprinted into the hall and dropped to one knee, his iron plates clanking against the stone. "Report to the Elder! Master Darrin's carriage has arrived at the castle gates!"

Celeste POV: The guard's announcement barely faded before the heavy crunch of iron-rimmed wheels grinding against gravel echoed from outside. Through the open doors, I watched a shabby carriage bearing the faded crest of the Fisher family roll to a stop at the bottom of the steps. The carriage door opened, and Darrin stepped down. He wore a well-pressed but threadbare gray linen robe, with his signature gold-rimmed monocle perched on the bridge of his nose, projecting the image of a gentle, humble scholar. As he crossed the threshold into the Great Hall, his scent hit me—a foul mixture of cheap ink and rotting wood. My stomach lurched violently, acid rising to the back of my throat. I balled my hands into tight fists inside my wide sleeves, driving my nails into my palms to suppress the urge to vomit. Taking a half-step backward, I moved out of range of his disgusting odor. Darrin offered a modest smile, walked to the center of the hall, and bowed deeply to Elder Arthur at the high seat. "Respected Elder, forgive my sudden visit. I have come today to honor the marriage contract between our families." As he straightened up, his gaze slid right past me in the dim corner and locked onto Carlie, who stood dazzling in her crimson gown. Carlie practically threw herself forward like a preening peacock. She raised her hand to flash the ice-blue wolf pelt wrapped around her wrist, making her voice sickeningly sweet. "Master Darrin, you must be exhausted from your journey." Darrin's eyes zeroed in on the pelt. Behind his glass monocle, a greedy glint flashed in his narrow eyes before he quickly masked it. Clearing his throat, he turned to Elder Arthur with a look of feigned confusion. "Elder Arthur, why is my betrothal token on Lady Carlie's wrist? If my memory serves, the contract was made with Lady Celeste." Elder Arthur's face turned livid. He slammed his walking stick down, opening his mouth to reprimand Carlie for her theft. Before the old man could speak, I glided out from the shadows. Keeping my eyes downcast, I spoke in a breathy, fragile voice as if a gust of wind could knock me over. "Master Darrin, my health has been failing lately. A weak vessel like me is simply unworthy of your grand future." Darrin turned his head to look at me properly for the first time. Taking in my bloodless lips and plain gray dress, a look of pure disgust flickered across his face. I caught every bit of his disdain and sneered inwardly. In our world, a werewolf without an inner wolf is called wolfless—an inferior being who can never shift or use the mind-link. Darrin was a crippled wolfless who hid his impotence and lack of a wolf behind books, yet in my last life, he had tricked me into handing over every gold coin I owned. In this life, he wouldn't get a single copper from me. Carlie seized the moment to loop her arm around Darrin's elbow, pressing her chest against his sleeve as she whispered in a low, suggestive tone that my sharp ears easily caught. "The token is in my hand! If you don't marry me, I will tell the Royal Court that you bought leaked exam questions on the black market!" Darrin's spine stiffened. He knew that if he were reported, all the hard work he had put in over the years would be wasted. Turning his hand, he grasped Carlie's fingers and rubbed his thumb across the back of her hand. Lifting his head, he put on a mask of deep devotion and dropped to one knee before Elder Arthur. "Elder Arthur! Since Lady Celeste is unwell and the Moon Goddess has guided my token into Lady Carlie's hands, I beg your permission to take Lady Carlie as my bride instead!" Gasps echoed through the hall. The minor elders sitting along the walls exchanged shocked glances, stunned that this common scholar had the audacity to switch brides on the spot. Concubine Brenda covered her mouth with her handkerchief, knocking her forehead against the floor in excitement. "Elder! This is truly the will of the Moon Goddess! Please grant their wish!" Blood rushed to Elder Arthur's face. He pointed a trembling finger at Darrin's nose and roared. "Absurd! A pack marriage contract is not a child's game! Do you think you can swap brides at will and trample the honor of the Wiggins pack underfoot?" Seeing the Elder's fury, Carlie stepped in front of Darrin, jutting her chin out defiantly. "Elder Arthur! Master Darrin is going to be the Chief Royal Scholar! My marrying him will bring glory to our entire pack!" Standing to the side, I watched the two traitors who had ruined my past life cling to each other like drowning rats. My chest felt remarkably light. Stepping forward again, I bowed deeply to the Elder, my tone earnest and faultless. "Elder Arthur, my sister speaks the truth. Master Darrin has a bright path ahead of him, and I cannot bear to hold him back with my illness. I beg you to let them wed." Elder Arthur looked at my submissive posture, his eyes filling with pity and guilt. He let out a long, defeated sigh, slumping back into his high-backed chair as if he had aged ten years in a second. Darrin stood up, brushed the dust from his robe, and gave me a smug, patronizing smile. "Lady Celeste, I shall remember your generosity." Swallowing my nausea, I gave a slight nod and immediately looked away, unwilling to let his filthy face linger in my sight. Carlie puffed out her chest like a victorious hen, shooting me a triumphant glare as though a noble coronet already sat upon her head. Just as this farce was about to end with the Elder's reluctant nod, the heavy, rhythmic thunder of approaching hooves echoed from outside the gates. An overwhelming aura of high-ranking werewolf dominance rolled into the hall, rattling the stained-glass windows in their lead frames. The chatter in the hall died instantly. Every wolf present held their breath under the suffocating pressure creeping through the doors. A guard stumbled over the threshold, scrambling on hands and knees as his voice cracked with terror. "Elder! A carriage bearing the crest of the Montgomery Duchy has just stopped at our gates!" At the mention of the name Montgomery, every drop of blood drained from Carlie's face. She lunged sideways and dug her fingernails into Darrin's arm like a vise.

Celeste POV: The guard's terrified shout hung in the frozen air of the Great Hall. Elder Arthur shot up from his high-backed chair so fast that his walking stick clattered to the stone floor unnoticed. Heavy, measured footsteps echoed outside. Two knights in black plate armor pushed open the massive oak doors from the outside, letting a blast of freezing wind and the scent of cold iron sweep into the room. A tall man in a sharply tailored black tailcoat strode across the threshold. Pinned to his chest was a silver wolf-head badge—the emblem of the Montgomery Duchy. It was Thomas Price, the Duke's head steward. The heavy, suffocating aura of a high-tier Beta rolled off him in waves. Every commoner and low-ranking Omega in the hall instinctively bowed their heads in submission. Beside Darrin, Carlie's knees buckled, and she nearly collapsed onto the floor. Thomas swept his cold gaze across the room before stopping on Elder Arthur. He gave a stiff, textbook noble bow, though his voice held zero warmth. "Good day, Elder Arthur." Elder Arthur wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, forcing a dry smile. "Steward Thomas, what an unexpected honor for the Wiggins pack. What orders does His Grace, Duke Montgomery, have for us?" Thomas reached into his coat, pulled out a parchment scroll sealed with dark red wax, and unrolled it with both hands. His booming voice filled the rafters. "By order of His Grace, Duke Montgomery, I am here to select a pure-blooded Omega from the Wiggins pack to wed the Alpha Heir, Lord Bryant, as his fated Luna." Dead silence fell over the hall. Everyone in the kingdom knew that Lord Bryant was a violent, arrogant fool who kept a favored mistress outside the castle. Marrying into Northwind Castle of the Montgomery Duchy was a death sentence for any noble daughter. Thomas rolled up the parchment and fixed his hawk-like eyes on Carlie, whose crimson dress made her stand out in the center of the room. His voice dropped to a chilling command. "His Grace heard there are two unwed Omegas of age in your pack. Which one of you will step forward to accept this honor?" Carlie began to shake violently from head to toe. I knew she was reliving the nightmare of her past life, where she had been torn apart by hounds in that very castle. She let out a piercing shriek. "No! I won't marry him!" Losing all composure, she wrapped both arms around Darrin's neck, her nails ripping through his gray linen robe as tears and snot smeared across her face. "Master Darrin, save me! Tell him we are already betrothed! You just swore to marry me!" Under the crushing Beta aura of the Duke's steward, Darrin's face turned as white as chalk. His legs trembled visibly beneath his robe, and he reached up to pry Carlie's fingers off his arm. Feeling him pull away, Carlie panicked. She yanked the ice-blue wolf pelt off her wrist and slammed it against Darrin's chest, hissing low enough that only those of us standing close could hear. "Don't forget what I just said!" Darrin's pupils shrank to pinpricks. Murderous rage flashed in his eyes, but he clenched his jaw, forced a hideous smile, and wrapped his arm around Carlie's trembling shoulders. Taking a shaky breath, Darrin bowed his head toward Thomas and spoke in a tight, strained voice. "Steward Thomas... forgive me, but Lady Carlie and I have already bound our marriage contract before the elders." Thomas narrowed his eyes, looking down at the pathetic pair with a mocking sneer. "A mere commoner scholar dares to snatch a bride chosen by the Montgomery Duchy?" Elder Arthur looked ready to faint. Terrified that offending a Pack Alpha Duke would bring annihilation upon our clan, he hurried forward with his hands raised. "Calm your wrath, Steward Thomas! This... this is merely a misunderstanding!" Standing quietly in the shadows, I watched Carlie chain herself to a vicious, wolfless fraud just to escape her old grave. A wave of pure satisfaction warmed my cold fingertips. Believing she had escaped death, Carlie peeked out from behind Darrin's shoulder and shot me a gloating, malicious look. Her eyes practically screamed that it was my turn to go die in her place. I met her gaze and curved my lips into a gentle, almost grateful smile. Thomas turned his sharp eyes toward me. He looked me up and down, taking in my faded gray hem and pale cheeks. His brows drew together in obvious displeasure. He let out a cold snort, making no effort to hide his disdain. "Is this the only other Omega left in the Wiggins pack? In werewolf mating, the Alpha's Bite during the Marking ritual requires strong stamina. With a body this frail, how could she possibly survive the Alpha Heir's mark?" Elder Arthur choked on his breath, cold sweat soaking through the back of his tunic. The survival of the entire Wiggins clan hung by a thread. In the middle of the suffocating silence, Concubine Brenda's eyes darted around. Stepping forward, she plastered a fawning smile across her heavily powdered face. She pointed a manicured finger right at me and spoke loudly to Thomas. "Steward Thomas, do not be fooled by her thin frame! Lady Celeste is the legitimate firstborn daughter of our pack leader's late wife! Her bloodline is far purer than my Carlie's!" I lowered my lids to hide the frost in my eyes. To protect her own daughter, Brenda was shoving me straight into the furnace—which was Tuesday's work for her, and music to my ears. At the mention of "legitimate firstborn," Thomas's expression softened slightly. He looked at me again, his gaze shifting from disgust to cold calculation. I took a steady step out of the shadows and walked to the center of the hall. Keeping my spine straight, I sank into a flawless court curtsy before him. Lifting my chin, I looked straight into his eyes and spoke in a calm, even voice. "Steward Thomas, I, Celeste, willingly accept His Grace's arrangement." A flicker of surprise crossed Thomas's stern face. Clearly, he hadn't expected a fragile-looking Omega to answer without a single tear. After a brief pause, he gave a slow nod.