Reborn On My Sister's Wedding Day

Lyra Vale woke with a sharp gasp, her body jolting upright as if she had been dragged violently from the depths of darkness. Her chest heaved. Her lungs burned. For a moment, she could still feel it. The agony. The tearing pain that had ripped through her soul when she shattered the mate bond. Her trembling fingers clutched the sheets beneath her. Warm. Soft. Clean. Her breath caught in her throat. This wasn’t right. Because the last thing she remembered… was dying. Snow had been falling that night. The kind that drifted silently from the sky, soft and cold, blanketing the forest in white. Lyra had been running. Barefoot. Bleeding. Her thin dress clung to her body, torn in several places where claws had ripped through the fabric. Behind her, the sounds of wolves echoed through the trees. Not wild wolves. Pack wolves. Sent after her. Sent by the man who was supposed to protect her. Her mate. Her husband. Alpha Malrik Duskryn. “Run,” her wolf had whispered weakly in her mind. But Lyra already knew she wouldn’t escape. She was too injured. Too weak. Always too weak. The first wolf lunged from the darkness and slammed into her side. Lyra cried out as sharp teeth tore into her shoulder, dragging her down into the snow. The second wolf followed instantly, claws raking across her back. Pain exploded through her body. She tried to fight them off, but her wolf barely had the strength to respond. A pathetic omega wolf. That was what everyone called her. The wolves finally stepped back. Their job was done. Because someone else was coming. Slow footsteps approached through the forest. Calm. Unhurried. Like a predator who knew his prey could no longer run. Lyra forced her blurry vision upward. Alpha Malrik stepped into view. Tall. Broad. His dark hair fell loosely around his shoulders, and his crimson eyes gleamed with cruel amusement. For a moment, he simply stared down at her broken body lying in the snow. Then he laughed. A low, mocking sound. “You actually tried to run.” Lyra’s chest rose and fell weakly as she struggled to breathe. “I… I couldn’t stay anymore…” Malrik tilted his head slightly. “You couldn’t stay?” he repeated. His boot pressed against her stomach suddenly, forcing the air from her lungs. Lyra gasped in pain. “You are my Luna,” he continued coldly. “My property.” “You don’t get to leave.” Tears slipped down Lyra’s temples, disappearing into the snow beneath her. “I never wanted this marriage,” she whispered hoarsely. Malrik crouched down slowly in front of her. His eyes were filled with contempt. “Neither did I.” His hand shot forward, gripping her chin tightly. “But do you know what makes this even worse?” he continued. Lyra’s vision blurred. Malrik’s grip tightened painfully. “You’re weak.” The word landed like a blade. “Your wolf is pathetic.” “You’re not respected.” “You’re not feared.” “You’re not even loved.” Each sentence struck deeper than the last. Malrik shoved her head back into the snow. “Why would I want a Luna like you?” Lyra’s fingers curled weakly into the freezing ground. She had asked herself that same question countless times. Why had fate tied her to a monster like him? But the truth was even crueler. He had never chosen her. He had been forced to marry her. Because of what happened on that day. The day of Elara’s wedding. The day her life had been destroyed. Lyra’s breathing grew shallow as the memory flooded back. Her stepsister’s sweet smile. The glass of wine Elara had handed her. “You look nervous, Lyra,” Elara had said softly. “Drink this. It will calm you.” Lyra had trusted her. Like a fool. Minutes later, the heat began. A strange fire spreading through her veins. Her head spinning. Her thoughts becoming hazy. She had stumbled down the hallway toward Elara’s room, desperate to lie down. Then the door had opened. Alpha Malrik stepped inside. His breathing was heavy. His eyes dark. Neither of them had been thinking clearly. And before Lyra even understood what was happening— The doors burst open. Gasps filled the room. Elara stood there with half the pack behind her. Tears streaming down her face. “I can’t believe this,” she whispered. Everything after that happened quickly. Accusations. Shame. Humiliation. Her father’s cold voice declaring the only way to fix the scandal. Marriage. Three days later, Lyra became Alpha Malrik’s Luna. And her nightmare began. Back in the forest, Lyra coughed violently. Blood spilled from her lips. Malrik watched her with bored indifference. “You should have known better than to run,” he said. Lyra forced herself to look up at him. “You beat me,” she whispered. “You tortured me.” “You treated me like an animal.” Malrik shrugged. “You’re weak. Weak things break.” His hand lifted slowly. A cruel smile spread across his face. “I reject you.” The words echoed through the frozen forest. “I reject you as my Luna.” Pain shot through Lyra’s chest as the mate bond fractured violently. But something inside her snapped. A sudden, fierce determination. Her voice trembled, but she forced the words out. “No.” Malrik frowned. “What?” Lyra’s icy blue eyes burned with something he had never seen before. “You don’t get to reject me.” His expression darkened. “You’re going to die anyway,” he said coldly. “If you break the bond yourself, it will destroy your heart.” Lyra knew that. She could already feel the fragile thread connecting their souls. But living under his control… Was worse than death. Her voice was barely a whisper. “I reject you.” The bond shattered. Pain exploded through her body like lightning tearing her apart from the inside. Malrik’s eyes widened. “You i***t!” he snarled. “You’re killing yourself!” Lyra collapsed onto the snow. Her heartbeat slowed. Her vision dimmed. Above her, the moon shone brightly through the trees. Cold. Distant. Watching. Tears slid down her face. “Moon Goddess…” she whispered weakly. Her voice trembled. “If you can hear me…” Her chest struggled to rise again. “Please…” “Give me another chance.” Darkness swallowed everything. Lyra jolted upright in bed. Air rushed violently into her lungs. Her heart pounded wildly against her ribs. Her entire body trembled. For several seconds she couldn’t move. Couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t think. Because she was alive. Her hands slowly moved to her chest. No wounds. No blood. No broken bones. Her fingers tightened around the bedsheets. Soft cotton. Warm sunlight poured through the window. Birds chirped faintly outside. This wasn’t the freezing forest. Her eyes darted around the room. The familiar furniture. The lavender scent. The tall mirror beside the wardrobe. Her father’s mansion. Her bedroom. Her breath caught. “No…” she whispered. That was impossible. Because she had left this house years ago. The day she was forced to marry Malrik. Lyra stumbled out of bed and rushed toward the mirror. The reflection staring back at her made her freeze. Silver-grey hair fell loosely around her shoulders. Her icy blue eyes looked wide with shock. Her skin was flawless. Untouched by scars. Untouched by suffering. Younger. Much younger. Her heart began to pound faster. A knock sounded suddenly on the door. “Lady Lyra?” A maid’s voice called from the other side. “The wedding ceremony will begin soon.” Lyra’s stomach dropped. Wedding. Slowly, realization spread through her mind. Today. Today was the day everything began. Elara’s wedding day. The day she was drugged. The day she was framed. The day her life was destroyed. But this time… Lyra remembered everything. Her reflection stared back at her. But the timid girl who once lived inside those eyes was gone. Something colder had taken its place. A slow breath left her lips. “So… this is my second chance.” Her fingers curled slowly into fists. Elara’s smiling face appeared in her mind. Malrik’s cruel laughter. Her father’s cold judgment. All the pain. All the betrayal. Lyra’s lips curved into a faint, dangerous smile. “Not this time.” The game had begun. And this time… She was ready.