I Rejected the Alpha After Rebirth—And Married His Brother

The bonding ceremony began. I, Serena Winterborne, stood in a white ceremonial gown as two men with identical faces stood right in front of me. Every member of the pack waited for me to choose my true mate. Damon Blackwood and Dorian Blackwood were twin brothers. In my past life, I smiled and walked over to the man on the left, calling out his name. "Damon." He'd been wonderful to me after the ceremony, staying close whenever he could. But when Raven Thornfield, Damon's childhood neighbor, saw us embracing, she boarded a black ship and vanished into the dark tides of the Sea of Curses. She never came back. Damon lost his mind completely after that. He dragged me to Wolffang Cliff and hurled me off the cliff without a second thought. He said, "If you hadn't recognized me at the ceremony, I could've traveled the packs with Raven. She wouldn't have been swallowed by those dark tides! Serena, why did you have to tell us apart?" The moment I fell, I saw another figure leap off the cliff right behind me. It was Dorian, the younger twin, diving down to catch me. The Moon Goddess sent me back this time—dropped me right into this exact moment, when everyone waited for me to choose my mate. I knew exactly which was which. But this life, I'd chosen the other twin instead. "My mate. I've found you." I broke into a bright smile and threw myself straight into the arms of the man on the right. My arms looped around his neck; I breathed in his unique scent and leaned in to feel the steady warmth of his chest. The black wolf inside Dorian stirred violently. Dorian's arms tightened around me in an instant, holding me so close it felt like he wanted to merge me into his own flesh—raw, greedy possessiveness rolling off him. He lowered his head, his lips brushing lightly against my ear, his voice trembling with uncertainty. "Are you sure about this?" I pressed my fingertips flat against his chest. His heartbeat thundered loud enough to drown out everything else. "I've never been more sure of anything in my life." To my left, Damon's shoulders relaxed noticeably. He shot Dorian a subtle glance, silently telling him to stick to the plan. I saw every bit of it as clear as day. I'd been blind to all of this in my past life—but not anymore. Damon urged us to go and finish the ceremony, saying he'd stay behind to change into his formal robes privately. I linked my arm through Dorian's, and I could feel every muscle in his body go taut with tension. We stepped out of the preparation room, and Raven was standing right in the hallway. She stared straight at Dorian's face, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. "Congratulations, Damon." Her tone dripped with mockery—loud and clear—as if sneering at me for picking the wrong person. Back in my past life, Raven had run off in tears at this very moment. She'd lied to Damon, claiming a family emergency, and told me not to worry about her at all. It wasn't until Damon pushed me off the cliff that I learned the truth—he and Raven had made a secret pact long ago. They'd made a wish to the Moon Goddess at the Blood Moon Ritual. If I failed to tell the twins apart on the day of the ceremony, Damon would take Dorian's identity and sail with Raven into the Sea of Curses, wandering and visiting packs across the open ocean. It was his way of repaying Raven for all the years she'd quietly stayed by his side. Whether I guessed correctly or not had never mattered to him—it was never part of his plan. I turned to Raven this time and gave her a calm smile. "Thank you. And I wish you luck... finding your own mate soon." Raven's smile froze for a split second, then slipped right back into her usual arrogant grin. Dorian's arm tightened around me slightly. His thumb brushed slowly back and forth over the inside of my wrist—a silent gesture telling me he was with me. Hundreds of eyes in the Moonlight Hall locked onto us as we walked toward the altar. Carved into the moonstone platform were the words Damon Blackwood and Serena Winterborne. The real Damon sat in the third row of the audience, with Raven leaning lazily against his shoulder. One of his arms wrapped around her waist, his fingers drifting gently up and down her thigh. He looked completely detached, like the ceremony had nothing to do with him at all. Elara Lambert, the high priestess of the ceremony, began reciting the oath to the Moon Goddess. Silvery moonlight poured down from the dome above, falling over our clasped hands. Dorian's palm burned hot against mine, his knuckles tightening slightly—as if he feared I'd disappear into thin air. It was Damon standing in this spot in my past life. He'd pulled me into his arms and held me tight, scared out of his mind of losing me. I could feel his wolf's anxious restlessness inside him as he shook and said in a broken voice, "Serena, you're my one and only Luna." Elara announced the new mates to embrace. Dorian pulled me into his chest at once, one hand firm on my waist and the other resting gently on the back of my head. My cheek pressed against his chest, and his heartbeat boomed like a war drum, reverberating straight into my bones. The sharp scent of pine and fir wrapped around me, stirring my inner wolf, Cassia, awake. She let out a low rumbling whimper inside me, craving to draw closer, to bind our souls completely. I glanced over his shoulder and locked eyes with Damon. Damon's hand slipped away from Raven's waist instinctively, his Adam's apple bobbing. He tore his gaze away right after, telling himself the man on the altar was only Dorian—there was no reason for him to panic. Raven caught the flicker of unease on Damon's face, and her expression turned dark instantly. She shot me a fierce, hateful glare before calling out to the crowd. "Let the new mates share a kiss! The Moon Goddess will shower them with her blessings." She started clapping and cheering first, and the other guests quickly joined in, loud cheers and applause filling the hall. Damon shot to his feet in a rush, grabbed Raven's wrist, and forced her back into her seat. He called out sharply toward the altar. "The ceremony's already done. There's no need for a kiss." I caught Damon's flustered panic out of the corner of my eye, and a quiet surge of triumph bubbled up inside me. I reached up without hesitation, hooked my fingers into Dorian's collar, and pulled him down toward me. His pupils blew wide instantly, amber eyes blazing with raw fire. Then I leaned in and kissed him. I nibbled gently on his lower lip, slipping my tongue past his parted lips to taste the crisp pine scent on his breath. I teased him with a soft suck of his tongue before pulling back slightly. Dorian froze for half a second, then slammed his hand against the back of my neck and crashed his lips back down on mine. The kiss turned deep and desperate, as if he meant to devour me entirely. His fangs grazed lightly over my tongue, leaving a faint, sharp sting—and my wolf, Cassia, let out a loud, satisfied howl inside my mind. A low, barely restrained growl rumbled from the audience. "Serena!" It was Damon's voice, loud and raw. Every single guest in the hall turned their heads to stare straight at him at once.