Chapter 1: Rebirth in the Moonlight
The first breath Selene took felt foreign.
Cool night air filled her lungs, carrying the scent of pine, damp earth, and the unmistakable presence of wolves. Her body tingled, the weight of consciousness settling over her like a slow-moving tide.
She was alive.
But she shouldn't be.
Her last memory was one of pain—betrayal, blood, and the suffocating agony of her mate's rejection. Damon, the Alpha she had loved, had tossed her aside for another, choosing power over their bond. She had died alone, heartbroken and stripped of everything.
Yet here she was.
Her fingers curled into the soft grass beneath her as she opened her eyes. Moonlight bathed the clearing in silver, illuminating the massive stone temple at the heart of her pack's territory.
The Awakening Ceremony.
Selene's breath hitched.
This wasn't just any night. This was the moment when young wolves gathered to meet their fated mates. The same night she had met Damon in her past life.
Her pulse thundered.
She had been reborn.
The realization sent a shiver through her. The Moon Goddess had given her a second chance, and Selene wasn't going to waste it.
She wouldn't let history repeat itself.
She pushed herself up, her long silver gown flowing around her like liquid moonlight. The festival was in full swing—wolves laughing, drinking, celebrating. Unaware that one among them had lived this night before.
"Selene."
Her stomach twisted at the sound of that voice.
She turned slowly, locking eyes with him.
Damon Blackwood.
The golden-eyed Alpha who had once held her heart—and then shattered it.
He stood tall, his broad frame wrapped in a midnight-black suit that clung to his powerful build. His dark hair was neatly styled, but his gaze burned with something feral. The bond between them crackled, electric and undeniable.
Selene felt the pull. The instinct to belong to him.
But she resisted.
She knew where this road led.
"Selene," Damon repeated, stepping closer, his voice softer this time. "I've been waiting for this night."
So had she.
But for a different reason.
Selene inhaled sharply, her fingers clenching at her sides. She had two choices—fall into the same trap or carve a new path.
And she had already made her decision.
"I—"
Before she could speak, the air shifted.
A new presence filled the space, suffocating, commanding.
The chatter died. Wolves turned, sensing the same thing she did—power.
Then, a figure stepped forward.
Selene's heart stilled.
The man was unlike anyone she had ever seen before. Dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit, he moved with the effortless grace of a predator. His jet-black hair was swept back, revealing sharp, striking features—chiseled jawline, high cheekbones, and piercing silver eyes that glowed in the moonlight.
His gaze locked onto hers.
A strange pull replaced the one she felt for Damon.
Something deep and primal.
The crowd murmured, confused. Uncertain. This man wasn't from their pack.
Damon stepped protectively in front of her, his golden eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"
The stranger smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets as he tilted his head.
"Killian Blackwood."
A ripple of shock passed through the crowd.
Selene's breath caught. Blackwood?
That name belonged to Damon's bloodline, but she had never heard of another Blackwood outside of his family.
Damon's expression darkened. "There is no Blackwood family besides mine."
Killian arched a brow. "Is that so?"
The tension crackled between them.
Selene's instincts screamed at her that this man was dangerous. But what terrified her more was that her wolf wasn't afraid.
Damon squared his shoulders. "Why are you here?"
Killian's gaze flicked back to Selene. "For her."
The words sent a shockwave through the gathering.
Damon's body went rigid. "She's my mate."
Killian chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Maybe." His silver eyes gleamed. "But she doesn't belong to you."
Selene's breath hitched.
Killian turned to her fully, his expression unreadable. "Tell me, Selene," he murmured, "does the bond feel the same as before?"
Her stomach twisted.
How did he know?
Selene had kept her rebirth a secret, yet this man knew something.
She wanted to deny it, but the truth was staring her in the face.
The mate bond with Damon—something that should have consumed her—felt weaker than before.
It was still there, but it wasn't unbreakable.
Her wolf wasn't answering it.
Killian smirked. "I thought so."
Damon growled. "Enough of this. Selene, come with me."
But she didn't move.
She had lived this night before. She had trusted Damon before. And she had paid for it with her life.
No.
Not again.
Selene lifted her chin, exhaling slowly.
Her heart thundered as she made the choice she never had in her past life.
She turned to Damon, meeting his furious gaze.
"I can't accept this bond."
The words shattered the silence.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Damon's eyes darkened, his wolf raging just beneath the surface. "What did you say?"
Selene stood firm. "I'm rejecting you."
The pack froze.
No one rejected a fated mate. No one defied the Moon Goddess's will.
Damon's face twisted with confusion, anger, and something else—something raw.
"You don't understand," he said, voice dangerously low.
"I do." Her voice didn't waver. "And I mean it."
This time, she wouldn't let anyone dictate her fate.
Damon took a step forward, but Killian's presence blocked him instantly.
For the first time, Damon hesitated.
Killian's silver eyes gleamed. "It looks like she's already made her choice."
Selene's pulse pounded.
For the first time in two lifetimes, she had taken control of her destiny.
And she wasn't looking back.
The silence after Selene's rejection was deafening.
All around them, murmurs broke out in hushed, disbelieving tones. No one had expected this. No one rejected their fated mate.
Yet she had.
Selene kept her gaze locked onto Damon's, her heartbeat steady despite the storm raging in his golden eyes. He wasn't used to being denied. As Alpha, he was accustomed to unwavering obedience.
But she wasn't the same naive girl from her past life.
Damon's hands clenched at his sides, his entire body tense with barely contained fury. "You're rejecting me?" His voice was quiet, but there was an unmistakable growl beneath it.
Selene took a slow breath, forcing herself to stand firm. "Yes."
A sharp gasp cut through the air. Someone whispered, "She's lost her mind."
Damon took a step forward, and the bond between them pulsed, desperate to pull her back in. Her wolf felt the ache, the instinct to belong, but Selene shut it out.
"I don't accept your rejection." Damon's voice was low, dangerous.
Selene had expected that. The mate bond couldn't be severed unless both parties agreed—or until something stronger intervened.
Killian Blackwood, the mysterious rogue with silver eyes, stepped forward. "She doesn't need your acceptance, Alpha," he said smoothly. "She's made her choice."
Damon's head snapped toward him, his golden gaze blazing with rage. "Stay out of this, rogue."
Killian didn't even flinch. "Or what?" He tilted his head, smirking. "You'll challenge me? Fight me in front of your pack over a mate who doesn't want you?"
Damon's growl reverberated through the air.
Selene felt the weight of dozens of eyes on her, watching, waiting. She had just done the unthinkable—defying the Moon Goddess's decree.
Damon would never let this go.
Not unless she left—now.
"I have nothing else to say," Selene murmured. Then, without sparing Damon another glance, she turned and walked away.
The crowd parted for her, wolves stepping back as she passed, as if unsure whether to admire her courage or fear the consequences of her actions.
But Selene didn't stop.
Not until she was outside, where the crisp night air filled her lungs.
She exhaled, closing her eyes.
She had done it.
She had broken free from the chains of her past life.
But what now?
Footsteps approached from behind. Selene turned, expecting Damon—expecting rage.
Instead, she found Killian Blackwood standing there, watching her with quiet amusement.
"You handled that well," he remarked.
Selene narrowed her eyes. "Why are you here?"
Killian smiled, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "To make sure you don't change your mind."
Her heart pounded. "Why do you care?"
Killian studied her for a long moment before answering. "Because you're not meant for him."
Selene's breath caught.
She didn't know why, but somehow, she believed him.
The first breath Selene took felt foreign.
Cool night air filled her lungs, carrying the scent of pine, damp earth, and the unmistakable presence of wolves. Her body tingled, the weight of consciousness settling over her like a slow-moving tide.
She was alive.
But she shouldn't be.
Her last memory was one of pain—betrayal, blood, and the suffocating agony of her mate's rejection. Damon, the Alpha she had loved, had tossed her aside for another, choosing power over their bond. She had died alone, heartbroken, and stripped of everything.
Yet here she was.
Her fingers curled into the soft grass beneath her as she opened her eyes. Moonlight bathed the clearing in silver, illuminating the massive stone temple at the heart of her pack's territory.
The Awakening Ceremony.
Selene's breath hitched.
This wasn't just any night. This was the moment when young wolves gathered to meet their fated mates. The same night she had met Damon in her past life.
Her pulse thundered.
She had been reborn.
The realization sent a shiver through her. The Moon Goddess had given her a second chance, and Selene wasn't going to waste it.
She wouldn't let history repeat itself.
She pushed herself up, her long silver gown flowing around her like liquid moonlight. The festival was in full swing—wolves laughing, drinking, celebrating. Unaware that one among them had lived this night before.
A memory flashed in her mind—her younger self, innocent, hopeful, staring at Damon from across the temple steps, heart racing as their bond snapped into place. She had been so happy.
And then…
Pain.
She shook the memory away, her fingers clenching into fists. Not this time.
A sharp scent filled her nose, familiar and intoxicating.
Damon.
Selene tensed as a deep voice cut through the chatter.
"Selene."
Her stomach twisted.
She turned slowly, locking eyes with him.
Damon Blackwood.
The golden-eyed Alpha who had once held her heart—and then shattered it.
He stood tall, his broad frame wrapped in a midnight-black suit that clung to his powerful build. His dark hair was neatly styled, but his gaze burned with something feral. The bond between them crackled, electric and undeniable.
Selene felt the pull. The instinct to belong to him.
But she resisted.
She knew where this road led.
"Selene," Damon repeated, stepping closer, his voice softer this time. "I've been waiting for this night."
So had she.
But for a different reason.
Selene inhaled sharply, her fingers clenching at her sides. She had two choices—fall into the same trap or carve a new path.
And she had already made her decision.
"I—"
Before she could speak, the air shifted.
A new presence filled the space, suffocating, commanding.
The chatter died. Wolves turned, sensing the same thing she did—power.
Then, a figure stepped forward.
Selene's heart stilled.
The man was unlike anyone she had ever seen before. Dressed in an impeccably tailored black suit, he moved with the effortless grace of a predator. His jet-black hair was swept back, revealing sharp, striking features—chiseled jawline, high cheekbones, and piercing silver eyes that glowed in the moonlight.
His gaze locked onto hers.
A strange pull replaced the one she felt for Damon.
Something deep and primal.
The crowd murmured, confused. Uncertain. This man wasn't from their pack.
Damon stepped protectively in front of her, his golden eyes narrowing. "Who are you?"
The stranger smirked, slipping his hands into his pockets as he tilted his head.
"Killian Blackwood."
A ripple of shock passed through the crowd.
Selene's breath caught. Blackwood?
That name belonged to Damon's bloodline, but she had never heard of another Blackwood outside of his family.
Damon's expression darkened. "There is no Blackwood family besides mine."
Killian arched a brow. "Is that so?"
The tension crackled between them.
Selene's instincts screamed at her that this man was dangerous. But what terrified her more was that her wolf wasn't afraid.
Damon squared his shoulders. "Why are you here?"
Killian's gaze flicked back to Selene. "For her."
The words sent a shockwave through the gathering.
Damon's body went rigid. "She's my mate."
Killian chuckled, but there was no humor in it. "Maybe." His silver eyes gleamed. "But she doesn't belong to you."
Selene's breath hitched.
Killian turned to her fully, his expression unreadable. "Tell me, Selene," he murmured, "does the bond feel the same as before?"
Her stomach twisted.
How did he know?
Selene had kept her rebirth a secret, yet this man knew something.
She wanted to deny it, but the truth was staring her in the face.
The mate bond with Damon—something that should have consumed her—felt weaker than before.
It was still there, but it wasn't unbreakable.
Her wolf wasn't answering it.
Killian smirked. "I thought so."
Damon growled. "Enough of this. Selene, come with me."
But she didn't move.
She had lived this night before. She had trusted Damon before. And she had paid for it with her life.
No.
Not again.
Selene lifted her chin, exhaling slowly.
Her heart thundered as she made the choice she never had in her past life.
She turned to Damon, meeting his furious gaze.
"I can't accept this bond."
The words shattered the silence.
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
Damon's eyes darkened, his wolf raging just beneath the surface. "What did you say?"
Selene stood firm. "I'm rejecting you."
The pack froze.
No one rejected a fated mate. No one defied the Moon Goddess's will.
Damon's face twisted with confusion, anger, and something else—something raw.
"You don't understand," he said, voice dangerously low.
"I do." Her voice didn't waver. "And I mean it."
This time, she wouldn't let anyone dictate her fate.
Damon took a step forward, but Killian's presence blocked him instantly.
For the first time, Damon hesitated.
Killian's silver eyes gleamed. "It looks like she's already made her choice."
Selene's pulse pounded.
For the first time in two lifetimes, she had taken control of her destiny.
And she wasn't looking back.
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