Chapter 1

Bella’s Pov

"I, Bella Brown, reject you, Barnett Morris, as my mate." At that very moment, I rejected my hard-earned second chance mate and forever abandoned the chance for happiness.

My name is Bella Brown, the daughter of the Alpha of the Red Moon pack. I have two older brothers, and my parents and brothers all dote on me. This affection is not indulgence; I was raised with good values and taught to treat every member of the pack equally. I attended the morning member training punctually, and years of training have molded me into an exceptional female warrior.

Just now, I forced back my sorrow and turned down my second mate. This truly is a laughable and tragic story. My first mate was a playboy named Gray Norman. Gray was the Beta of the Maple pack, renowned as a virgin hunter. He rejected me, citing that he hadn't had enough fun yet.

After losing the first chance, I told myself to be strong. He was merely a Beta playboy, someone who had been with multiple she-wolves. Being rejected by such a person was not worth my sadness. With the company of family and friends, I quickly pulled myself together.

A year later, my older brother's friend, Barnett, was invited to our pack. The moment he appeared, my wolf went wild, crying out, "mate, mate, mate." Barnett was the heir of the Silver Wind pack, with shimmering golden hair and warm blue eyes. He could hold his own against my big brother on the training grounds, and I was completely captivated by him.

Everyone was happy for me, and I secretly sighed in relief because second chances like these were incredibly rare. In our pack, there were she-wolves who never found their second mates after rejection and spent their lives lonely. Over the past year, I often dreamed of being alone at family gatherings while my brothers' fated mates and their little pups happily gathered together, leaving me with a terrible sense of loneliness.

Barnett and I quickly fell deeply in love, like all fated mates. Tall, handsome Barnett treated me well; he was my prince charming, and he was the heir of the Silver Wind pack, a pack that had been allied with our Red Moon pack for generations. We seemed like a match made in heaven.

One month ago, Barnett proposed to me, and I gladly accepted, looking forward to becoming his Luna and giving birth to three little wolf pups for him. Tomorrow, the wedding is going to take place, and I'm feeling a mixture of anticipation and nervousness.

I gaze at the shining Luna dress in my closet, unable to help but daydream about the wedding tomorrow. It’s so beautiful, and I will be the most beautiful and happiest bride in the world. 

Ding!

It's a message from Barnett, asking me to meet him in the familiar little forest. I look at the screen with a silly smile – he must be missing me. With all the wedding preparations, we haven't seen each other for several days.

I quickly get myself ready, passing through the pack and walking down the path that will lead me to our agreed-upon spot.

Walking along the lush, verdant path, I softly hum the song that will play at the wedding tomorrow.

As I catch sight of the tall figure ahead, I immediately quicken my pace and run over, "Barnett!"

"Bella."

"Hi, Bella," a woman's voice.

I didn't expect there would be someone else standing next to him—Theresa. I furrowed my brows.

"Why are you here?" She shouldn't be appearing here with Barnett. Theresa has always been Barnett's close friend, and I used to feel jealous of their relationship, but Barnett assured me they were just friends.

"Don't be upset with her," Barnett scolded me. "I invited her."

"What?" I thought he invited me out on a date the day before the wedding because he missed me. What is he up to?

"Don't fight because of me; I asked Barnett to bring me here," Theresa softly said. "It's all my fault." Her eyes immediately reddened.

Theresa's words might sound like she's trying to reconcile things, but I felt extremely uncomfortable with her words.

Barnett tenderly rubbed Theresa's head to console her. I saw his hand even wrap around her shoulder, and Theresa nestled herself in Barnett's embrace. I couldn't help but widen my eyes. My fiancé was being so intimate with someone else right in front of me, and a surge of anger welled up within me.

"What the hell is going on with you two?"

"Bella, watch your words," Barnett glared at me angrily. "I am the Alpha."

"Not my Alpha," Barnett was about to inherit the position of Alpha of the Silver Wind Pack from his father, but I wasn't afraid of him. My father was an Alpha, my brother was the next Alpha in line, and I, too, carried the blood of an Alpha in my veins.

"Why are you here?" Barnett's strange behavior had already given me an ominous feeling.

"To talk about something."

"Say it," I stared directly into Barnett's eyes.

Barnett fell silent for a moment, then spoke, "Theresa is pregnant with my child."

"What?" I could hardly believe it. The day before my wedding, my fiancé was telling me that another woman was carrying his child.

"YOU BETRAYED ME," I shouted in anger.

"Please forgive him; he was drunk and mistook me for you," Theresa feigned concern.

"Shut up!" I coldly glared at Theresa.

"This isn't Theresa's fault, blame me," Barnett said while shielding Theresa behind him. His defense of her stabbed at my heart deeply. Unexpectedly, Theresa stepped forward, grabbing my hand. "Bella, please forgive Barnett. I will leave and never come back."

"Stay away from me," I pulled my hand away from Theresa's grip.

"Ahhhhh, my baby," Theresa fell to the ground.

I hadn't used too much force just now. How could she fall like that? I instinctively looked at Barnett, and my eyes met with his cold, icy gaze fixed on me.

"B-e-l-l-a," Barnett gritted his teeth at me. His eyes had turned golden-yellow due to anger. His wolf was emerging. Did he want to kill me for Theresa?

"She fell on her own. I didn't use much force just now."

"It's all my fault. I got pregnant with your child without permission. Bella has every right to be angry. Don't blame her," Theresa stood up with Barnett's support, sobbing as she apologized.

"How could you be so malicious?" Barnett accused me without hesitation, "I was even planning to let you raise Theresa's child so you could continue being my Luna."

Let me raise this illegitimate child. Has Barnett lost his mind? I had thought that the second chance mate was a blessing from the Moon Goddess. It's clear now that Barnett is just a scumbag. Did he really think I would accept his ridiculous proposal for the so-called Luna position?

"I will never accept an illegitimate child."

"You better think carefully. If I reject you, you will never have another mate for the rest of your life. You'll live in eternal solitude."

Barnett's words weighed heavily on my heart. Indeed, finding a second mate among werewolves was already a stroke of luck. A third mate didn't even exist in the equation. If he rejected me today, it meant that I would forever lose my mate, reliving the nightmare of being rejected by my first mate over a year ago.

But do I really want to let Barnett and Theresa trample upon my dignity as the Alpha's daughter?

Absolutely not!