Chapter 2
535words
First, I needed to learn more about the wolf clan's secrets. My previous ignorance about werewolf culture had made me an easy target for Ryan and Rosie's manipulation.
"Ryan," I murmured one night, tracing patterns on his chest as we lay together, "I want to learn more about the wolf clan."
"Why the sudden interest?" Ryan asked, his body tensing slightly beneath my fingers.
"Well, I'm about to become the Alpha's mate," I smiled innocently. "Shouldn't I understand your customs and traditions?"
Ryan kissed my forehead, his lips lingering a moment too long. "You're right. But some things are best learned after the bonding ceremony. All in good time, my love."
I laughed coldly inside, knowing exactly what the bastard was hiding—after the full moon mating ritual, a human mate of the Alpha would gain partial wolf abilities, including enhanced senses and accelerated healing. In my previous life, Ryan had kept me in the dark, fearing I would become too powerful to control.
"What about Princess Rosie?" I asked casually, dropping the name like a bomb. "I've heard she's quite beautiful... and powerful."
Sure enough, Ryan's body went rigid for a heartbeat. "Rosie?" he scoffed, recovering quickly. "She's just another pack member. Nothing special. Don't waste your thoughts on her."
I nodded as if satisfied, but I knew their relationship ran far deeper than he was admitting.
Over the next few days, I shadowed Ryan whenever possible, tracking his movements like prey. I discovered he and Rosie met almost nightly in a secluded cabin, their behavior leaving no doubt about their relationship.
One evening, I made a show of packing a small bag. "My cousin is ill," I told Ryan with practiced concern. "I need to visit her village. I'll be gone three days." Ryan's face showed appropriate disappointment, but I caught the flash of relief in his eyes.
I made a great show of leaving but doubled back through the forest. That night, as I suspected, Ryan went straight to Rosie's cabin.
Crouched beneath an open window, I heard every damning word.
"In a month, you'll be shackled to that human bitch," Rosie spat, her voice dripping with jealousy. "Are you really going through with it?"
"Don't be stupid," Ryan laughed coldly. "She's just a means to an end. I need her to strengthen our position with the humans. Once she pops out a half-breed brat to prove it's possible, she's expendable."
"What about me?" Rosie whined. "You promised I would be your true mate. Your Luna."
"Of course, my love," Ryan purred, using the exact tone he used with me. "When the time is right, I'll dispose of her and claim you properly. No one will keep us apart."
Even expecting it, the words felt like daggers in my chest. Despite being reborn and knowing Ryan's true nature, hearing his betrayal firsthand reopened wounds I thought had healed.
But quickly, pain crystallized into cold fury. In this life, I wouldn't be that pathetic, deceived girl. This time, Ryan and Rosie would taste the bitter poison of their own medicine.
