Reborn to Switch Mates

Lyra's POV

"I want Damon!"

My sister Sera announced loudly, like she'd just won the lottery.

【This time I'm definitely going to be Luna!】

Her thoughts echoed triumphantly in my head. I looked at her calmly, barely stopping myself from rolling my eyes.

Well, well. Looked like Death had given me an unexpected gift—I was reborn AND got mind-reading powers as a bonus.

Honestly, this was basically cheating.

Standing before us were two men: Alpha Kane from the Shadowclaw Pack, and his brother Beta Damon. Kane looked like a walking freezer, while Damon was giving Sera that "gentle" smile I'd seen countless times before.

Oh honey, if only you knew what's really behind that smile.

"Sera, are you sure?" Father asked, clearly confused.

Of COURSE he was confused. My "brilliant" sister was passing up an Alpha for a Beta?

Sera put on that nauseating shy act: "I think Damon suits me better. He seems more... gentle and caring."

Gentle and caring. I almost burst out laughing right there.

Only I knew why Sera was making this choice. In my past life, she'd rushed to marry Kane, only to discover this Alpha was colder than the Arctic. She ended up getting kicked out of the pack for cheating. What goes around comes around.

And me? I married the "gentle and caring" Damon. Everyone in the pack said we were the perfect couple.

Later, Kane suddenly died during border patrol, and Damon inherited the Alpha position. My status in the pack skyrocketed overnight, making me the true Luna.

That had driven Sera completely insane. She poisoned my food, and with her dying breath told me: "Why do you get everything I wanted?"

This time around, my genius sister was obviously going to "learn from her mistakes."

【Let Lyra suffer with that ice cube! I'm going to live the pampered life!】

Look at her go.

"Then Lyra will mate with Kane," Father announced.

【Perfect!】 Sera's mental celebration nearly gave me a headache.

"I accept," I said calmly, walking toward Kane.

His Alpha presence hit me like a wall, so intense I wanted to drop to my knees. Now I understood why past-life Sera had been crushed under this pressure.

But whatever. It wasn't like I was actually planning to spend my life with him.

I tried reading Kane's thoughts, but got nothing. This guy's mind was more secure than Fort Knox.

In contrast, when Damon looked "gently" at Sera, his thoughts came through crystal clear:

【What a clueless little thing.】

That familiar contempt made me sneer inwardly.

Enjoy your "prince," dear sister. Soon you'll learn that fairy tale princes are often the best actors playing demons.

"Ceremony in three days," Kane said coldly, then turned and walked away.

I followed his steps, calculating in my mind.

Either way, marrying a block of ice was a thousand times better than marrying a wolf in sheep's clothing.

The day after the ceremony, Kane vanished.

"Border conflicts. I need to handle it personally." He didn't even look at me before leaving.

Classy move, Alpha. Disappearing the second day after mating—I had to give him credit for that timing.

According to pack tradition, the new Luna had to pass challenge trials on the full moon to prove her worthiness. And now my "loving husband" was nowhere to be found.

People gathered in a circle around the training ground, whispering among themselves.

"How could Kane leave at a time like this?"

"The Luna Challenge is so important, and the Alpha isn't even here?"

"Guess he doesn't really care about this mating."

I stood in the center, not surprised at all. I'd already experienced Kane's coldness.

"Oh my, Lyra," Sera's voice suddenly chimed in. "Such an important moment, and Alpha still couldn't make it back?"

She walked over arm-in-arm with Damon, wearing a mask of fake concern.

【Let's see how she handles this. Without the Alpha here, she can't maintain any Luna authority.】

"What could be SO important that Alpha had to leave his bride on their second night?" Sera continued her act.

The murmuring grew louder. Several Elders frowned, clearly displeased with Kane's absence.

I took a deep breath: "As an Alpha, Kane is protecting all of us. Even if he can't be here, I don't mind."

"A true Luna should understand and support her mate's duties, not worry about personal matters at a time like this."

As soon as I finished speaking, the Elders nodded approvingly.

Sera's smile froze instantly.

【Damn it! That was actually a good response.】

"Sister is absolutely right," she said through gritted teeth. "We should definitely support Alpha's decisions."

Elder Marcus stepped into the center: "Under the Moon Goddess's witness, the new Luna's challenge ceremony officially begins. According to tradition, any pack member may issue a challenge to test the Luna's qualifications."

The crowd fell silent, waiting for the first challenger.

I scanned the area, already knowing what was coming.

Three, two, one...

Sure enough, Sera stepped forward first.