Candice flinches. “I’m so sorry to interrupt,” Candice says, voice sweet as poison. “I believe if you go around investigating pack members, it may sow more discord.”
She grabs my hand. “What if they target Selena more? Don’t you agree, Selena?” she asks with fake concern.
Candice’s fingers lace through mine, warm and familiar.
Rot,my wolf snarls.She reeks of it.
I know… Then why isn’t anyone else smelling it?
Because she’s wearing a scent suppressant… and layering something over it. Let me tear her apart.
Not yet.
“I’m so glad you’re finally speaking up, Sel,” she murmurs softly, her smile gentle, proud.
Her nails press just slightly into my skin.
“But be careful…” she adds, her voice dipping just enough for only me to hear.
“The pack doesn’t always respond well to sudden changes… Sel.”
In my previous life, every time she faked concern for me, I would agree with her, but this time…
“I agree...” Candice looks triumphant for a heartbeat. Then I continue, “with the Lycan councilwoman. I think we need a thorough investigation.” The color drains from Candice’s face.
That’s right,my wolf purrs.Time to hunt.
6
Rylan’s POV
It's been two months since we returned from our first lives. The air shifts before Ronan even walks through the door. Power announces his arrival, thick, oppressive, dominant, filling the space like a storm front. I lean against the far wall, arms crossed, watching the spectacle unfold as the Silver Moon Pack’s golden boy, my little brother, returns.
“Welcome back, Alpha-in-training!”
“How was Blackcrest Academy?”
“Did you crush the competition?”
They flock to him like desperate moths to a flame, offering adoration he’s done nothing to earn. My wolf paces beneath my skin, unimpressed. We’ve seen true leadership before, earned through blood and sacrifice, not manipulation and ploys.
Focus. Control. Remember why we’re here.
I scan the gathering, my attention razor-sharp until, there. Selena. Standing apart from the crowd, her posture straight, eyes clear. Something’s different about her. The last time I saw her, she was hunched, diminished, a frightened doe. Now she stands like a sentinel, observing rather than surviving.
That’s not the same girl.
My wolf stirs, pressing against my consciousness, remembering our first life with sudden interest.
Mine.
No,I push back.Not ours. Not anymore. Not yet.
The memory of my dead mate flashes, her smile, her scent of wildflowers and honey, her last breath in my arms. The guilt slices through me, fresh and raw. How can I want another when I failed her so completely?
Yet my eyes remain fixed on Selena. I can’t look away.
Ronan’s laughter cuts through the room. He tosses his jacket to some eager beta who catches it like it’s made of gold. Then his head snaps up, nostrils flaring. He’s caught Selena’s scent.
