After Alaric and I were bonded, the woman he loved, Caelia, took her own life.
He hated me for it, and I was never one to back down.
So, for the next thirty years, the most venomous curse we threw at each other was, "May you die a terrible death."
The poison took hold after I drank a glass of water he handed me.
He wanted to kill me to avenge Caelia.
So, I held on until he came home, and with my last breath, I plunged a silver dagger into his chest.
But in my final moments, I heard him use the last of his strength to command his men, "The antidote... Give it to her... After I'm gone... find who's been poisoning her... And... when she wakes up, don't tell her... I was the one who saved her..."
Only then did I realize how terribly wrong we both had been.
When I was reborn, the first thing I did was accept an overseas architecture project.
I would travel far away, giving him the chance for a lifetime of peace with the one he truly loved.
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1
I opened my eyes to find myself in a warm embrace as someone gently spooned herbal soup to my lips.
When my gaze met Alaric's bloodshot eyes, we both froze.
This was the day after I had shattered my inner wolf through a series of breakdowns, all in a desperate attempt to force him into a bonding ceremony with me.
Alaric looked like he hadn't slept, a dark shadow of stubble clinging to his chin.
"Drink it yourself."
The moment he saw I was awake, the worry in his eyes vanished. He pushed me away, his familiar, standoffish aura snapping back into place like a shield.
"Alaric..."
My voice was a raw whisper.
"What?"
"Hold me again..."
The next second, I wrapped my arms tightly around him from behind.
I could feel the tension coiling in his muscles beneath my palms.
"Freya..."
He gripped my hands.
"A forced bond will never be a happy one."
"I know."
I pressed my cheek against his back, savoring the warmth of his body one last time.
"I've thought it through."
"Thought it through..."
His scoff was heavy with exhaustion.
"Isn't that what you say every time?"
He pried my fingers from his shirt, nudged me back onto the bed, and left without a second glance.
Just like in my past life, he slammed the door on his way out.
But he didn't know.
This time, I had truly thought it through.
I was the daughter of his late benefactor, the former Alpha of the Jeremy pack. I was a responsibility he could never shrug off.
But the one thing I shouldn't be... was his mate.
In this life, I understood.
I had to let go.
The communication crystal vibrated. It was a message from his Beta.
"Miss Freya, we've scouted Moonlight Lake."
"You always wanted to hold your bonding ceremony there, right? Should we book the venue?"
"Ask Caelia. Book it if she likes it."
His Beta sounded confused. "But... aren't you the bride?"
"Not anymore."
After ending the call, I contacted my company's project director.
"Are you absolutely sure you want to take this overseas project?" the director confirmed, for what felt like the tenth time.
I nodded. "I've made up my mind. I won't go back on it."
The director breathed a sigh of relief and quickly signed the transfer documents, as if afraid I would change my mind.
"The client has been asking for you specifically. A lot of people applied for this, but no one can replace you."
