Chapter 1

After my rebirth, the first thing I did was deal with my mother’s Moon Goddess Blessing Emblem.

It was a platinum brooch set with a sapphire, with our family’s lunar crest engraved on the back.

It was not only my mother’s keepsake, but also the symbol she wore during the Marking Ceremony when she served as the former Luna — a token carrying both our bloodline and the Moon Goddess’s blessing.

For any wolf clan, this emblem was the equivalent of proof of identity and power.

I took it from the bottom layer of my jewelry box, my fingertips brushing over its familiar, icy patterns. Then I turned and locked it away in a bank’s secure vault — somewhere no Gamma attempting to tamper with it using silver poison or spells could reach.

In its place inside the jewelry box, I left a replica.

It looked almost identical, but the lunar crest on the back had been replaced with a Reversal Sigil — an ancient wolf curse meant to strike back at those who coveted it.

The next day, Amy came.

She was a Gamma, from an ordinary background, yet through coquettishness and flattery, she’d long been a constant presence at Alpha Roger’s side.

I stood at the door, watching her carry a bouquet of pink roses, her smile sickly sweet.

“Selina, I was passing by, so I thought I’d come see you,” she said, her eyes already darting around my home like a predator picking out prey.

I let her in. She walked straight to the display cabinet in the living room, where several of my mother’s keepsakes were arranged — including the replica brooch.

“This brooch is beautiful,” she said, covering her mouth as her eyes gleamed with greed. “It belonged to your mother, didn’t it? I’ve seen something like it in the pack archives. They say a Luna who wears it brings her family good fortune and the Moon Goddess’s protection.”

My grip on the coffee cup slowly tightened.

In my previous life, she had said the exact same thing.

I had just lost my mother then, my mind clouded by grief, and I mistook her false kindness for comfort — foolishly lending her the emblem.

After that, my life fell into ruin — my mind-link would inexplicably fail, I was isolated in territory meetings, and in one border skirmish, I was grazed by a silver arrow.

“It was my mother’s,” I said evenly, not taking her bait about ‘good fortune.’

But Amy pressed on. She leaned closer to the cabinet, her fingertip pointing at the brooch. “It really suits you. But I have an important banquet tonight. Could I borrow it? Just once — I’ll be careful.”

Her gaze was that of a child longing for a gift, but I remembered all too well how, in my past life, she had wrapped the brooch in red velvet, whispering a Gamma family incantation under the moonlight. That chant, laced with fine silver dust, could slowly corrode the wolf nature of its wearer.

“This is my mother’s keepsake…” I let a troubled look cross my face.

The doorbell rang. I opened it to see Alpha Roger of the Silverclaw Pack holding a bottle of red wine, amber eyes glinting with a relaxed smile.

“Looks like I came just in time,” he said, stepping in and casually draping an arm over my shoulder.

Amy immediately turned to him. “Alpha Roger, I wanted to borrow Selina’s brooch for the banquet tonight — there will be many important guests. But she doesn’t seem very willing.” Her voice carried just the right amount of grievance.

As expected, Alpha Roger’s brow furrowed.

“Selina, it’s just a brooch. Amy isn’t an outsider — what’s the harm in lending it once? She’s doing it for the good of the pack.”

His words bypassed the mind-link barrier between us, landing coldly in my ears.

Watching them play their parts together, I felt the same bitter amusement as I had in my past life. No matter what Amy did, he always sided with her, even if I was the one wronged.

I gave a light cough, pressing a hand to my forehead. “I got caught in the rain yesterday — my head hurts a bit.”

Alpha Roger merely glanced at me, his tone perfunctory. “Oh. Then drink some hot water and rest later.” He immediately turned back to Amy. “What time does the banquet start? Do you need me to take you?”

That look extinguished the last bit of warmth in my heart. I took a deep breath and said to Amy, “Fine.” I sighed, retrieving the replica from the cabinet. “You can borrow it for one night. But be careful — it’s important to me.”

Amy’s eyes lit up. She took it and pinned it to her velvet evening gown. “Thank you, Selina!” Her fingers slowly stroked the back of the brooch — where the lunar crest should have been, but now held the Reversal Sigil. She didn’t notice a thing.

Alpha Roger smiled. “That’s better — pack members should help each other.”

Amy twirled in front of the mirror, smiling in smug delight. “I should get ready. I’ll return it later.” She left with light, eager steps.

After she was gone, Alpha Roger picked up his coat from the sofa. “I’ll take Amy to the banquet. Might be late getting back. Go to bed early.”

He didn’t even ask how bad my headache was.

I tugged at the corner of my lips without replying. He never wanted to see her true nature — perhaps he didn’t dare, or perhaps he simply never cared about the Luna’s feelings.

That night, I sat on the sofa scrolling through my phone, picturing Amy. She would no doubt find a secluded spot and use the moonlight to complete her Gamma spell. Unfortunately for her, what she held was only a replica — and under the Moon Goddess’s gaze, the sigil on its back would awaken.

At dawn, the doorbell rang. Amy stood there pale-faced, eyes bloodshot. She handed me the brooch stiffly. “Thank you, it’s beautiful,” she rasped, forcing a smile.

“Did the banquet go well?” I asked casually, taking the brooch.

Her gaze flickered. “It was fine.” She left quickly, not looking back.

Closing the door, I looked down at the brooch — the Reversal Sigil had turned black, a sign the curse had taken effect.

Under the moonlight, silver runes of the pack’s lunar communication slowly shimmered on my phone — the Gamma family had been officially stripped by the Alpha Council of their trade privileges and their control over the northwest hunting grounds, rich with the prey they relied upon to survive.

I walked to the window, gazing out over the wolf lands bathed in moonlight. My fingertips stroked the brooch as my lips curved into a cold smile.