Chapter 1

I’m Alpha Bruce’s only daughter, and the only female heir among our kind.

To protect me, my father trained seven warriors to guard me since I was a child.

Now I’m twenty-one, but I still haven’t found my mate.

So my father asked me to choose a fiancé from those seven warriors.

Without hesitation, I crossed out Liam’s name, the one I once loved the most.

In my last life, I was kidnapped by a pack of rogues at my engagement party. They stabbed me through the heart with daggers coated in deadly wolfsbane.

With my last bit of strength, I mind-linked my fiancé, Liam.

“Save me.”

But all I got was his cold reply:

“Nova, you’re Alpha Bruce’s daughter. A few rogues shouldn’t be a problem for you. Lily fell into the lake. I need to save her first.”

The wolfsbane spread through my body.

And when I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn—back to the day my father asked me to choose my fiancé.

The familiar list came into view, and I jolted awake.

The agony of wolfsbane burning through my body hadn’t faded yet when my father’s voice rang in my ears.

“Nova, I’m getting old. One day you’ll inherit my position as Alpha of the Ironwood Pack. Today, you must choose one of these seven men to be your fiancé.”

That was when it hit me.

I had been reborn.

Looking down at the list, I crossed out Liam’s name without hesitation.

My father froze.

“Nova… are you sure about this?”

“You’ve liked Liam since you were a child. He’s the Beta’s son and the strongest fighter among them. Why would you cross out his name?”

“Wait. I’ll have someone prepare a new list.”

I quickly shook my head and cut him off.

“Dad, I didn’t make a mistake.”

“The one I want to choose isn’t Liam. It’s Sawyer.”

The image of Sawyer flashed through my mind—the grief on his face after my death, the heart-wrenching howl that followed.

“But Sawyer is only an orphan. His combat ability…”

“Dad, I trust him.”

My father studied me for a long moment. Finally, he nodded.

“Nova, don’t announce this yet. I’ll make it official at the engagement party in three days.”

He paused.

“You still have three days to change your mind.”

After leaving my father’s study, I walked alone toward the lake at the edge of our pack’s territory.

That was when I ran into Liam.

Lily was with him.

The moment she saw me, Lily shrank behind Liam as if she were frightened.

Liam immediately pulled her in front of him and spoke gently.

“Lily, don’t be afraid. With me here, no one will bully you.”

Then he glared at me.

“Nova, even if Lily is just a maid in your house, you can’t treat her like this.”

I frowned in confusion.

This scene was completely different from my previous life.

At that moment, Lily raised her swollen, reddened hand and placed it on Liam’s arm.

“Liam… please don’t blame Nova,” she said softly. “I’m only an Omega. Baking bread for her is what I’m supposed to do. Even if she wanted to cut off my hand, I wouldn’t complain.”

For a moment, I froze.

I had never asked Lily to bake bread for me.

Only then did I realize she was playing the same trick again—pretending to be pitiful so others would sympathize with her.

Before I could explain, Liam exploded.

“Nova, listen carefully. Even if you choose me as your fiancé, I will never love a vicious woman like you!”

Then he gently stroked Lily’s injured hand, his eyes full of concern.

“Lily, you’re not lowly at all. You’re far nobler than people with rotten hearts.”

As he spoke, he cast me a look of pure contempt.

My chest tightened painfully.

In my past life… and in this one…

He had never believed me.

Suddenly, a figure rushed toward me with a knife.

I screamed in surprise, but my body reacted instantly.

A Rogue!

Drawing on years of training, I kicked the knife out of his hand and forced him to the ground.

Just then, Lily screamed and collapsed.

Another Rogue had slashed her leg.

Liam rushed to her side immediately, shielding her in his arms.

Watching him choose her again, my heart slowly turned cold.

In that brief moment of distraction, the Rogue I had knocked down lunged at me again.

His blade shot toward my chest.

But just before it could strike, someone suddenly appeared and kicked him to the ground.

I looked up and froze.

It was Sawyer.