Chapter 2
1830 Words
Sara's POV.
The icy splash of water hit my face, jolting me awake.
I gasped, sitting up straight in bed, my heart hammering in my chest. My skin felt damp and cold, the water dripping from my hair as I stared around in confusion.
This wasn’t the hard ground where I had fallen. This wasn’t the place where I had died. My hands instinctively flew to my stomach, searching for the pain, for the blood, but I felt nothing.
“Today is your sister’s wedding, and you’re still in bed?” A sharp, angry voice pierced the silence, making me flinch. “How jealous and cruel can you be?”
I turned toward the voice, my eyes widening. A man and a woman stood before me, their clothes plain and average, but their expressions were anything but kind.
The woman’s arms were crossed over her chest, her lips pressed into a thin line, while the man’s face twisted with irritation.
My breath caught in my throat as memories crashed into me. Jason’s cold glare. Morgan’s cruel smirk. The pain of falling down the stairs, the sharp ache of my baby being ripped away from me.
And then... the light. The words echoed in my mind like a haunting whisper: “You have 185 days.”
If I wasn't there anymore, it only meant one thing…
“I’ve been reborn,” I whispered, my voice trembling with disbelief as it dawned on me.
“What nonsense are you mumbling now?” the man snapped.
I turned my attention back to them, my brows furrowing. “Who are you?” I asked, my voice shaky with confusion.
The man’s face darkened, his voice rising. “Are you pretending to forget us now, Sara? How useless can you be, speaking to your parents like that?”
Parents? My heart skipped a beat. In my past life, I had been an orphan. Jason and I met when he came to visit my orphanage with his wealthy parents.
How could I have parents now? My mind spun with questions, trying to piece together the impossible. Had my rebirth not only brought me back to life but also rewritten my entire world?
I barely had time to process the thought when the door slammed open. A young maid burst in, her face pale and panicked.
“What now?” the woman—my supposed mother—snapped, turning toward the maid. “You should be helping Lady M get ready for the wedding, not barging in here like this!”
The maid wrung her hands nervously, her voice trembling as she stammered, “I-I’m sorry, High Lady Becca, but… Lady M is nowhere to be found.”
A heavy silence filled the room. My “mother” and “father” exchanged worried glances, their faces pale.
“What do you mean?” Lady Becca hissed, stepping closer to the maid.
“I searched everywhere, High Lady,” the maid explained. “Lady M is gone. We don’t know where she is. And If we don’t find her, the Lycan King will think our family is mocking him. It could mean death for all of us.”
The mention of a Lycan King made my chest tighten. My confusion deepened as I turned to them, my voice hesitant. “Who is Lady M?” I asked.
No one answered me. My supposed parents ignored me entirely, too wrapped up in their panic.
Lady Becca’s voice rose in frustration. “We need to find her immediately! She is meant to marry the Lycan King. Without her, we’re doomed!”
The man—my “father”—gritted his teeth, his gaze darkening with resolve. “There’s no time. We have no choice… Sara will have to take her place.”
“What?” I blurted out, my voice shaky.
Becca shook her head furiously. “No! That’s out of the question. I won’t allow it. It’s Lady M’s right—my blood daughter’s right—to marry the Lycan King.”
“Then where is she, Becca?!” the man roared, his voice booming. “Why did she run away? We don’t have time to argue. Sara must marry him, or we’ll all face the consequences.”
Becca’s protests faltered, her face etched with helplessness. Meanwhile, my pulse thundered in my ears.
Me? Marry a Lycan King? I barely understood what was happening, but before I could protest, the man turned to the maid.
“Dress her. Now.”
The maid bowed quickly. “Yes, High Lord Ash.”
“No, wait!” I tried to speak, but no one listened.
Becca glared at me, her mouth a thin, angry line, while the maid grabbed my arm and pulled me toward a nearby dressing area.
My mind raced as the maid worked quickly, wrapping me in an elaborate gown that shimmered like moonlight.
The dress was heavy, the material stiff, but I barely felt it. My thoughts were a storm, tumbling one over the other.
I had been reborn, given a second chance, but this wasn’t what I expected. I had parents now. I was being forced into a marriage I didn’t understand.
A Lycan King? What kind of man was he? And why had Lady M run away?
By the time I was fully dressed, I felt like a puppet being moved on invisible strings.
My heart pounded as the maid led me to the entrance of a grand hall. I stood there, frozen, my palms clammy, my chest tightening with nerves.
Lady Becca was by my side now, gripping my hand tightly. Her nails dug into my skin as she leaned close, her voice a hiss. “You better not ruin this. This is our only chance to save the family.”
As the doors swung open, I hesitated. My feet felt like they were glued to the floor. The atmosphere was almost suffocating, as dozens of eyes turned toward me.
For a moment, the crowd was silent, their whispers swallowed by shock.
I could see it on their faces. Confusion. Disbelief. This wasn’t the bride they had been expecting. I wasn’t Lady M, the woman who was supposed to stand here.
My heart pounded wildly in my chest as Mrs. Becca leaned in close, her icy breath grazing my ear. “Remember,” she whispered coldly, “no matter what happens, my child will return to take her place. Don’t get comfortable, Sara.”
Her words stung, a cruel reminder that I was just a replacement. My hands tightened around the bouquet of flowers in my trembling fingers.
I felt like a fraud, standing here in someone else’s gown, about to marry someone I had never even met.
With a deep breath, I forced my feet to move forward. Becca walked beside me, her grip firm on my arm, but when we reached the podium, she let go.
She left me standing there, alone.
I tried to steady my breathing as I stared at the ornate altar ahead, its golden decorationz shimmering in the light.
My pulse raced, my legs trembling under the weight of it all. This wasn’t the life I had wished for when I was reborn. This world felt foreign and unforgiving.
Then, the doors creaked open again.
I turned to see him. The Lycan King. Darius Night, as the maid called him earlier.
He strode into the hall, tall and powerful, his every step commanding attention. His dark hair framed a sharp, chiseled face, but his expression made my blood run cold.
His brows furrowed, his eyes narrowing with confusion—and anger.
He stopped abruptly when his gaze fell on me.
The frown deepened, his jaw tightening as though he was fighting back a storm of emotions. My breath caught in my throat.
Would he turn around and leave? Call off this wedding? I almost hoped he would.
But he didn’t.
Instead, he walked toward me, each step deliberate, his piercing eyes locked on mine. The closer he got, the more my instincts screamed at me to run.
But I couldn’t move. I was rooted to the spot, staring up at him as he finally stopped in front of me.
His hand reached out, strong and steady, and took mine. His touch sent a jolt through my body, like electricity sparking through my veins.
I swallowed hard, watching in disbelief as he bent slightly and bowed his head.
The hall erupted in whispers, but I could barely hear them over the roar of blood in my ears.
And then it happened.
Our hands were cut, the blood ritual binding us together. The instant our blood mingled, I felt it—a pull deep inside me, like an invisible thread connecting us. My wolf stirred awake, howling in recognition.
He’s my mate.
The realization hit me like a strong wave, but it was clear from his expression that he didn’t feel the same. His eyes remained cold, detached, as though this was nothing more than a formality for him.
The ceremony ended, and before I knew it, I was being escorted out of the hall. My new husband—no, my mate—walked beside me, silent and imposing.
The ride to his mansion was a blur. I barely noticed the grandeur of the estate as the large doors opened before us. All I wanted was to be alone, to make sense of the chaos in my mind.
But then, I saw him.
Jason.
My body froze, my heart pounding so hard it hurt. He stood in the entryway, his face calm, his posture confident. He walked toward us, bowing respectfully to Darius Night, the Lycan King.
“Jason?” I whispered, my voice trembling.
He looked up at me then, a smirk playing on his lips. His gaze was sharp, mocking. “You seem to know me well, replacement bride.”
His words cut like a knife. Replacement bride. That’s what I was to everyone, wasn’t I? My fists clenched at my sides, shame and anger swirling inside me.
But before I could say anything, Darius’s voice thundered through the area, making the walls seem to shake.
“Never speak to her like that again!”
Jason flinched, his smirk faltering as Darius stepped forward, his towering presence dominating the room.
“She is my Luna,” Darius growled, his voice low and dangerous. “And you will show her the respect she deserves. Is that clear?”
Jason hesitated for a moment before bowing his head. “Yes, Your Majesty.”
Darius turned to me then, his expression softening just slightly. He didn’t say anything, but the way he held my gaze sent a shiver down my spine.
As Jason stepped back, I felt the weight of Darius’s words sink in. Luna.
I was no longer just Sara. I was the Luna of the Lycan King—and nothing in my life would ever be the same.
- Writer
