My father was stunned by the outcome. My stepmother, however, was beaming. She quickly pulled Chloe forward and began showering her with praise in front of Damian.

“I know you are all curious as to why I did not choose Elara.”

Damian gave a slight bow to the pack elders. My eyelid twitched.

“I will not marry a disloyal woman like her.”

Damian pointed a finger at me, his face a mask of righteous anger. The crowd erupted in murmurs.

“What nonsense are you spouting!”

My father, angered, was the first to speak. No matter what, I was still his daughter.

“Alpha Thorne,” Damian addressed my father, his tone polite but distant. “Please, do not be hasty. Hear me out. On several occasions, I have seen her cavorting with stray wolves from outside our territory. That is why I will never marry her.”

“Do you have any proof for such an accusation? How dare you slander my name!”

I forced myself to act like my younger self, not wanting Damian to suspect I was reborn, too.

“Would I, a Golden Lycan, need to slander you?”

My father glanced at me, hesitating. My stepmother shot me a venomous look, as if I had brought shame upon our entire family.

Before I could speak again, Damian continued.

“Even a high-ranking Silver Moon Alpha with a corrupt character will only birth inferior, mixed-blood pups. Let us all wait and see if my prophecy today proves true.”

Golden Lycans possessed the gift of prophecy, but it required a sacrifice of their own lifeblood, so it was rarely used.

With those words, the elders and clan members all began to point and whisper about me.

“Fine. Then let time be the judge of who is truly of an inferior bloodline.”

I held back my rage, forcing myself to remain calm. I would wait. The day his "Golden pup" was born, I would tear his hypocritical mask away.

Chloe’s wedding was a magnificent affair. Damian made sure it was a grand spectacle, and they became the talk of the Alliance.

As for me, thanks to Damian’s words, my reputation was in tatters.

The Alphas who had once come to my family seeking a marriage alliance no longer showed up. They were less concerned with my supposed “disloyalty” and more terrified of fathering a low-blood pup with me.

In the Werewolf Alliance, a Golden Lycan’s prophecy was no joke.

Fueled by Damian, the rumors grew wilder. They said I had slept with three stray wolves in one night. Some even claimed to have been with me, describing the scenes in vivid, disgusting detail.

My stepmother, convinced I was a disgrace, gave me nothing but sour looks. My father was at a loss.

I, however, didn't care. My last life had left me completely disillusioned with the idea of marriage.

Three days after their grand wedding, Damian and Chloe came for the customary newlywed visit. The first thing he did upon seeing me was sneer.

“Elara, I doubt any wolf would dare marry you now, would they?”

“Thanks to you, I can finally have some peace and quiet.”

Damian looked me up and down, then scoffed.

“Without a mate, your heats will only become more unbearable. Forget wild wolves—I’m afraid you’ll get so desperate you’ll screw any beast in the forest and birth some monster that’s not even a recognizable species. Now that would be a legendary joke.”

“He’s right, Elara,” Chloe chimed in from his side. “You can’t be picky anymore. Just find an Omega black wolf and settle. Otherwise, if you end up like that, you’ll be a laughingstock not just to our Alliance, but to every other race out there.”

Only married a few days, and already Chloe was his perfect mouthpiece. The two of them were a match made in hell.

Of course, Chloe and I had never been close.

My mother now was my father’s second wife. Chloe and I were only half-sisters, with no real affection between us.

“You two don’t need to worry about me. Worry about how that belly of yours is going to produce a high-blood pup. After all, a bloodline never lies.”

I lowered my gaze to Chloe’s stomach and curled my lips into a smile.

Damian’s eyes darkened, a murderous glint flashing within them.

“What are you talking about? Damian is a rare Golden Lycan! His pup will be a golden wolf at the very least! You’re just jealous he chose me, so you’re saying these nasty things to spite us!”

Chloe raised her hand to slap me, acting just as she always had, trying to bully me. I took a step back, having no desire for a petty squabble, and turned to leave.

“A barren failure who can’t even produce a pup.”