Chapter 1

In the Silverblade Pack, everyone knew my husband, Orion Vale, and I were a pair of mated enemies.

Because he was the mate I had forced into the bond.

Throughout our eight-year marriage, we spent every day wishing the other dead.

He poisoned my meals, while I slipped needles into his shoes.

I hated that years of love had failed to move him, because his heart had always belonged to another woman.

He hated that I used a debt of gratitude to bind him to me.

In his eyes, I was the one who drove the woman he loved to her death.

However, when Rogues attacked the Silverblade Pack and we were on the verge of capture, he gave me the only path to survival.

Then he used himself as bait to draw the enemy away.

"Victoria, run."

His body was covered in wounds as he turned back to look at me.

"I'm going to see Margaret. I hope we never meet again in another life. I only ever loved her."

When I arrived with the warriors of the Silverblade Pack, all that remained was his shattered, mangled body.

Later, I went alone into the Rogue camp and slaughtered every last one of them.

When my strength was finally spent, I fell into an eternal sleep, never to wake again.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to a time before we were ever marked. I found my father, Alpha William, and voluntarily refused the moonlit bonding with Orion.

"This time, I will take the undercover mission," I said.

"You want to take Margaret's place and go undercover beside the Wasteland Lord, and give up becoming Orion's mate?" Dad stared at me for a long moment, clearly unconvinced.

After all, everyone in the Silverblade Pack knew that I had never gotten along with my stepsister, Margaret Ashford. I had even beaten her up more than once.

I had also publicly declared that Orion Vale was the only mate I would ever have, warning off any her wolves who dared covet him.

No one believed I would give up the mating bond and volunteer to infiltrate the Rogues in Margaret's stead.

"Your moonlit bonding with Orion is only ten days away," Dad said. "Have you really thought this through?"

I paused briefly before answering in an even tone.

"You've always said that Margaret lost her father and that I should yield to her, right?"

A flicker of conflicted emotion crossed my father’s face.

Ever since he remarried, he kept telling me to rein in my temper.

He wanted me to take extra care of Margaret, afraid she might feel unwelcome in our home.

In my previous life, if I hadn’t reminded him that Mom died saving him, he would probably have changed the drawing result to my name without hesitation.

In the end, he canceled my moonlit bonding and wrote my name on the Rogue undercover list instead.

When I walked out of the Pack House, I ran straight into Orion.

In my previous life, he had rushed into the Pack House just like this, covered in mud, dropped to one knee in the office, and begged Dad to revoke Margaret's undercover assignment.

Back then, I had tied Orion up without hesitation and dragged him away.

After that, I had forced him to sign the mate bond with me.

This time, I merely rubbed my shoulder where he had bumped into me and stepped aside to leave.

Orion reached out and stopped me, a flash of anger and confusion crossing his eyes.

I brushed his hand away and got straight to the point. "The selection of the undercover agent by drawing lots is a rule of the Silverblade Pack."

His voice turned cold.

"Give me a little more time, and I will find the Rogues' weakness. Using a woman to infiltrate the Wasteland Lord and steal intelligence isn't the only option."

I smiled faintly.

The situation was urgent. There was no time to spare. If this dragged on, more Pack members would be dragged into the conflict.

Right now, choosing either Margaret or me to infiltrate the Wasteland Lord and secure critical intelligence was the path with the least sacrifice and the highest chance of success.

"Either Margaret or I will have to go undercover," I said coolly. "No matter how long you beg, that fact won't change."

He clenched his fist and swept me with his gaze. "As long as you don't stir up trouble in front of Alpha William, there might be another way."

Watching him defend Margaret so resolutely, I suddenly lost all interest.

I swallowed every word that had risen to my throat. "Suit yourself. The application has already been submitted. You'll be satisfied when the time comes."

With that, I strode away, leaving a stunned Orion behind.

I had originally planned to lay everything out in the open, but now I didn't feel like it anymore.

In my previous life, he wished for my death anyway. A little more hatred or a little less made no real difference.

On his wedding day, when he sees I’m not the one standing there, I suppose he’ll be glad.

In my previous life, he gave me the only path to survival, shoved me out of the encirclement, and bore every attack alone until he vomited blood and died. Thinking of that still made my throat tighten.

I had always believed that as long as I kept him by my side, things would eventually get better.

But he had chosen to leave me the chance to live and die alongside Margaret instead.

Since Orion saved my life in my previous life, I would consider this my repayment.