Chapter 4: My rebirth 

Gwen's POV

The frantic echo of footsteps approached rapidly, and my vision blurred as I began to lose consciousness. My breathing was shallow, and the last thing I could discern was a figure bending over me. 

“Luna, open your eyes!” a voice shouted urgently. It wasn’t Ryker’s voice; it was someone else. I forced my eyelids open and saw the gamma kneeling beside me. I didn’t know his name, but he was one of the pack’s most feared gammas. How did he find me here?

“Let me get you out of here,” he said, his voice unwavering even amidst the smoke.

I tried to respond, but my voice was just a whisper. “Gamma, why are you here? Leave me; I’m beyond saving.”

He kept his gaze locked on mine. “I’m not leaving you, Luna. We’ll find a way out,” he said firmly. He then carefully lifted me, wincing as he shifted the debris around. Pain shot through my leg, and I gritted my teeth, stifling a cry as I clung to him.

“Hold on, Luna,” he urged, his muscles straining under the weight of the fallen beam. The smoke and heat made every breath a struggle. He worked to free me, the building groaning and cracking around us.

“I can’t... It’s too heavy,” he gasped, his grip tightening on me. My vision started to blur from the pain. “Go, Gamma,” I whispered urgently. “Please, there’s no time.” I didn’t want anyone else to die because of me.

But he remained determined. Time seemed to stretch as he pulled me into a tight embrace. His voice, though steady, was filled with emotion. “I will always be by your side,” he vowed, not letting go. Tears streamed down my face, mingling with the smoke.

“I regret meeting you, Ryker! I wish I had never held your hands! I wish this was all just a terrible dream!” I cried out, my voice breaking. My hand clutched my stomach, feeling the loss of my baby...

“You will always have me,” his voice remained resolute.

“Why? Why are you doing this?” I asked, my voice trembling with the pain and confusion. I needed to understand why he was so willing to die with me.

“Because you’re my mate. I would love you even in death,” he said, reaching out to touch my face. The idea was surreal.

Just then, I closed my eyes, and the world around us erupted in a blaze. The explosion’s roar was deafening, and then... there was nothing but silence.

I never imagined that someone like him, whom I barely knew, would be willing to die with me. I wished for more time to comprehend what was happening, but it was over. The building had been consumed by flames.

~~~~~

I woke up slowly, feeling disoriented and confused. “What’s going on? Am I alive? That can’t be right,” I mumbled, trying to make sense of my surroundings. How could I still be alive?

I opened my eyes, squinting against the brightness. After a few moments, I adjusted, noticing the familiar ceiling of my room. “I’m in my room?” I whispered, bewildered. “How did I get here?”

I sat up carefully, feeling strangely unharmed. It was as if I had just woken from a deep, peaceful sleep. I looked at my arm where I had been injected before and found it pristine, with no injuries. “If I’m not injured, does that mean...?” My mind raced. “I must have been reborn!”

In shock, I leaped out of bed. “How could I have been reborn? Is this even possible?” I rushed to check the date on the calendar. It was indeed August 13th, 2017—I had gone back in time to when I was 18.

Just then, my maid Ella burst into the room. “Ella, is that you?” I called, tears filling my eyes as I moved toward her.

She looked at me with confusion. “Yes, and why aren’t you getting ready for your 18th birthday?” She asked. I didn’t answer immediately. Instead, I hugged her tightly. She was like a mother to me.

“If I remember correctly, she died in a fire in 2023 while trying to save me,” I thought, holding back tears. “Thank you for being alive!”

Ella looked startled. “You’re choking me,” she said as I reluctantly let go. “Anyway, whatever you’re doing is better than that fake friend of yours,” she scoffed, referring to Nicole.

“Was Nicole here?” I asked, recalling her betrayal. I didn’t think I could stand to be around her again. “Tell her I don’t want to see anyone right now. I’ll meet her at the ball,” I said dismissively.

Ella hurried out, and I turned to the mirror. My youthful reflection was radiant. Knowing I had the chance to change my past filled me with a new sense of hope.

As I headed to the car, the night sky was clear, the moon casting its gentle glow. I was going to the hotel where the party was being held, and I recalled every detail of that night. Being the daughter of the pack’s Beta gave me a sense of pride, but I knew I had to make different choices this time.

“My lady, why aren’t you going inside?” Ella’s voice interrupted my thoughts. I forced a smile. I wanted to tell her that I was nervous about the decisions I was about to make, but I remained silent.

“I’m going to rewrite my fate,” I whispered to myself and walked into the ballroom. The guests greeted me warmly, and soon Ryker and Nicole approached, as expected. Seeing them together stirred up anger in me, but I kept my composure. I was determined to get my revenge.

Ryker looked dashing in his blue tuxedo, and Nicole was stunning in her dress. They made a striking pair, but I knew Ryker didn’t deserve such admiration.

“Happy 18th birthday, Gwen!” Nicole said with a forced cheerfulness. “I love your dress. Can I get one like it?”

“Really? Are you obsessed with everything that’s mine?” I forced a smile, noting her flush of embarrassment. Before she could respond, I turned and walked away.

Ryker followed, trying to engage me in conversation, but I ignored him. “Do you want to dance?” he asked. I looked straight ahead, struggling to suppress the urge to lash out, but I remained civil.

Just then, my father took the stage. “Good evening, everyone! We’re here to celebrate my little princess, Gwen, and also to announce the engagement to the Ramos family.”

“Gwen, come up here,” my father called.

“Let’s talk after the announcement,” Ryker said confidently, assuming I would accept his proposal. I scoffed at his arrogance.

I walked towards the stage, contemplating how to alter my fate. As I passed, my gaze fell on Brian, Ryker’s brother, standing alone across the hall. I remembered him as the Alpha’s second son, a loner who had always been polite to me.

“A polite man,” I murmured to myself as I climbed the stage.

“Welcome, princess, and happy birthday,” my father whispered, handing me a microphone. “Who will you choose as your mate?” he asked.

“I get to choose?” I asked, astonished. My father nodded. In my previous life, I hadn’t been given that opportunity. “It could be anyone from the Ramos family, right?” I asked, and the crowd laughed.

“Yes, but everyone expects you to choose Ryker,” my father said. I sneered at his expectations.

“Then I choose... Brian Ramos as my mate,” I declared. The room fell silent. “Huh? What the heck!”