My sister and I fought for ten years for the Alpha heir, Cassian Blackwood.
In the first cycle of the Moon Goddess's reincarnation, I became his Luna as I wished.
After we became mate, everyone said he loved me terribly, which was why he was able to have six Alpha offspring in seven years.
When the seventh pup was about to be born, my inner wolf was too weak to respond to me, yet he chose the pup over the mother and forced me to drink three bowls of wolf poison.
He told me the truth just before he closed his eyes.
“Back then, you weren’t the one I wanted to mark. Since you willingly accepted the Mate Contract, you deserve to be nothing more than a breeding Luna.”
“Now that I have enough pups, you’re no longer of any use to me.”
I died filled with hatred.
In the second cycle of the Moon Goddess, I gave the Mate Contract to my sister.
“Go ahead, he loves you.”
I thought this time everyone would be happy.
But five years later, a pack warrior returned a large water tank containing my sister, who had been tortured into a useless wolf.
Her wolf core was destroyed, her limbs were broken, and she lost her eyes, but her voice remained as clear as ever.
She burst into tears in front of me.
“Selena, Cassian doesn't love me at all. He's not even trying to mark me. He said the only thing I could show off was this Moon Voice, and he wanted me to sing moon songs to him day and night.”
“If I complained even once, he’d torment me.”
“Last night, he said he'd had enough of listening to moon songs, and if the pack warrior hadn't risked his life to save me, I wouldn't be back.”
But my sister was too badly injured and died less than two months after returning home.
When she opened her eyes again, it was already the third cycle of the Moon Goddess's reincarnation.
My sister and I looked at each other, bewildered, as the mate contract delivered by the Blackwood Pack arrived.
Who exactly was this guy trying to mark?
***
My mother looked at the nameless Mate Contract, just as confused as we were.
She cautiously asked, "Is Selena the Alpha heir to be registered in the Luna Registry?"
I was Selena Silvermoon.
The reason my mother thought of me first was because Cassian Blackwood and I were childhood sweethearts.
All the wolves thought we were a match made in heaven by the moon goddess.
I used to think that way too. But now, I understand everything.
The person Cassian truly loves was not me.
While I was still in a daze, Cassian nodded and calmly uttered two words.
“Could be.”
Now my mother was even more confused. She frowned slightly and said, "Alpha heir, you can just answer ‘yes’ or ‘no’."
“What do you mean by ‘could be’?
Cassian remained expressionless, then answered, “What I mean is, I can mark Selena.”
I finally came to my senses and refused without hesitation. "I will not form a bond!”
The nightmare of the first cycle of the Moon Goddess's reincarnation was still vividly imprinted in my mind.
Back then, Cassian had answered Mother the same way.
But I mistakenly thought he was just shy, which was why he expressed his love for me in such a subtle way.
Afraid of embarrassing him, I urged my mother to agree without thinking.
After mated into the Blackwood Wolf Pack eight years ago, nothing unusual happened.
The only thing that I found a little overwhelming was the matter of carrying offspring.
Cassian coaxed me into thinking he liked pups and wanted to make Blackwood Pack's Alpha bloodline thrive. So he didn't give me a chance to catch my breath.
Every time I finished my postpartum confinement period, he would start tormenting me.
And so, I gave birth to six pups over seven years.
The wolf clan of Moon Capital gradually changed from praising my fertility to envying the inseparable bond between me and Cassian.
Influenced by the rumors, I naturally assumed that Cassian loved me so much that he wanted to have pups with me.
Until the winter of the eighth year.
After giving birth to my seventh cub, I suffered a postpartum hemorrhage due to my weakened state.
Pack healers were doing their best to save him, but Cassian suddenly waved them away.
Before I could ask, he personally poured three bowls of wolfsbane medicine into my mouth.
Only on his deathbed did he let me die knowing the truth.
“Selena, I don't love you. You were the one who accepted the Mate Contract. I simply didn't want to disobey the blood pact recognized by Moon Law.”
