The One Who Returned To The Past

Chapter 01

Annika stayed still.

She just stood there while staring at the scene before her.

Jackson, her husband of five years and the man she trusted more than anyone, was now standing in the middle of their pack house with his arm wrapped around another woman.

A pretty girl with luscious black hair and sparkling blue eyes. Even the rags she was wearing couldn't hide her real beauty. When their eyes met, the girl gave Annika a quick look. For just a second, Annika thought she saw a smirk on her face.

"My love..." Jackson softly said.

His voice was the same as always. It was calm and full of that tone he used when he wanted her to stay gentle. Annika looked at her husband straight to his eyes.

"I need to tell you something important..." Jackson slowly began. "I've found my true mate. Her name is Katherine."

The room fell silent.

Every single person nearby stopped what they were doing. All eyes turned toward their Alpha, his Luna and the woman standing between them. The air felt heavy as if even breathing would break something fragile.

Annika's throat closed up. Her body refused to move. She could hear her loud and frantic heartbeat.

Then Jackson spoke again.

"Listen..." he said. "I know we're chosen mates and I'll always respect that for the rest of my life. You will always be my Luna and my other half. But ever since my wolf saw Katherine, he's been restless. If I reject her, it will hurt the pack. He can't handle the bond breaking and that will weaken us all. You can understand that, right?"

Annika couldn't help but smirked. Isn't that his usual excuse?

Annika had known Jackson since she was a child. Her father was a powerful Alpha and Jackson's father was his closest confidant. From the moment she was old enough to understand what mates meant, Annika always heard people had been talking that she and Jackson were destined for each other.

They were perfect for each other.

Jackson was handsome and brave while she was kind and clever. Everyone said they were proof that love could conquer anything.

And Annika wholeheartedly believed it.

From a young age, she trained to become the perfect Luna for their future pack. She studied everything from leadership, diplomacy, finance and the responsibilities of a pack leader's wife. She wanted to make her future husband proud of her and her achievements.

She wanted to serve her people well.

So when she turned eighteen, she was ready to stand beside Jackson as his Luna for the rest of her life.

But his eighteenth birthday had come first.

Annika still remembered that morning as if it had happened yesterday. She had been so nervous and so excited that she barely slept. The moment she heard he had arrived, she ran downstairs to greet him. Their eyes met and her joy turned to confusion.

Something was missing. The spark that she had dreamed about since she was little. The same spark everyone told her while telling the story how they found their mates.

It wasn't there.

"...We are not mates, are we?" she quietly asked.

Jackson stared at her for a moment before he sighed and pulled her into his arms.

"We are not the fated ones." he said.

They stood like that for a long time while holding on to each other as if they could change fate by sheer will.

Then he lifted her chin and looked her in the eyes.

"But it doesn't matter, Anne. I choose you. I will always choose you. You are my chosen one. No one else could ever replace you."

Those words had meant everything the world for her.

Soon, their families had already started planning for their wedding. Annika was the only child of her father. So he decided Jackson will take over their pack in the future. Their marriage would not only unite two powerful packs but also secure their legacy.

Jackson asked her to wait until she turned nineteen while saying he wanted her to try to find her true mate before she married him.

And she did.

For an entire year, she traveled with him to other packs while searching her fated mate. But when no bond appeared for either of them, they decided to marry.

And they were happy.

At least, she believed they were.

After their marriage, they built one of the strongest packs in the region. Annika worked tirelessly to be the perfect Luna everyone admired. She was kind, wise, responsible and fair.

At the age of twenty-four, she had earned respect from Alphas twice her age. A lot of people admired her. They envied what she and Jackson had.

But after all of that, Annika was now watching her husband hold another woman like she didn't exist at all.

Her eyes slowly swept across the room. Her people looked stunned while whispering among themselves. But one man wasn't surprised. It was Jackson's Beta and secretary. He stood at the back while his arms folded on his chest. It was as if he had known this was coming all along.

Annika's heart pounded painfully in her chest. But she remained calm while staring at all of them. She was now staring not just at betrayal.

Because she had already lived this day.

Before all of this, Annika had been crawling through the dirt in a dark forest and covered in blood. She could hear the growls behind her. There were a pack of wolves chasing her. She tried to run but her body wouldn't listen anymore. Her legs were severely injured and her vision blurred. And soon, several sharp teeth sank into her legs and tearing through her flesh.

It was too painful.

The scent of blood filled the air.

It was her blood.

Annika tried to shift but couldn't do it anymore. Someone had drugged her before this. Her strength was already gone. She was just trapped in her human form.

Soon, a familiar voice echoed through the darkness.

"You can scream all you want. No one will hear you anyway."

Annika froze. She knew that voice.

It was Katherine.

"K-Katherine?!" she gasped. "Y-You... Why are you doing this? You already took everything from me!"

The black wolf beside Katherine growled. His eyes were glinting in the dark. Annika tried to see who he was but her vision kept fading.

"Well... I have my own reasons." Katherine said with a smirk. "And I don't need to tell all of it to you. You will die here, Annika."

"They will find out the truth!" Annika cried. "You will never succeed!"

Katherine let out a cruel laughed.

"Oh, dear. Can't you see it? I already won."

She pushed Annika to the ground and turned to the black wolf beside her.

"Kill her." she said. "And make sure no one would find her body after."

Annika couldn't move. Her body felt heavy. Her strength was gone. She could only watched with her blurry eyes as Katherine walked away from here.

A single tear rolled down Annika's cheek. It wasn't fair. She did not deserve this kind of life.

'If I had another chance... I will...'

Annika closed her eyes. She could feel her heart beating so fast despite her poor situation. Then she felt a gentle warmth spreading to her body.

"Kill her!" Katherine shouted.

Soon, the black wolf bit her neck and everything went dark.

When Annika opened her eyes again, she gasped loudly.

She was back inside her home. The familiar scent of sandalwood filled the air. The old furniture she had loved so much was in its proper place. The light was warm and everything was so peaceful.

Then Jackson walked in while holding Katherine in his arms.

The same scene.

The same words.

The same time.

Annika could vaguely understand what was happening. Was it all a dream? Did the Moon Goddess pitied her and decided to gave her another chance? Or maybe she was just hallucinating?

But still...

'Of all the moments in my life, she sent me back to this one. The very same day everything fell apart!'

Annika closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

And when she opened her eyes, she wasn't the same woman who had stood here before. She knew what would happen next. She also knew how it all ended.

So she straightened her back and lifted her chin. The she looked at them with a calm expression in her eyes.

"I know this is so sudden." Jackson started again. "But please understand me."

Annika almost laughed at that.

"My love, I know what we agreed on. But my wolf can't take it anymore. You are my Luna, my best friend and my everything. You are also my wife who always want what's the best for the pack. Katherine was severely abused in her old pack. She treated like a slave and I couldn't leave her there. My wolf would never forgive me."

Then he let go of Katherine and stepped closer to her. He took her hand and placed it on his cheek. Then he gave her a pleading look.

"Please, my Luna." he softly said. "Let her stay here. If I left her, my wolf will never feel at ease. Just let her live peacefully with us."

Annika stared at him. This is the same man she once loved and devoted her life with. He still looked the same in her eyes. But now, she finally saw him clearly for the first time.

Soon, her lips curved into a faint smile. Her voice was calm when she spoke.

"Never."

That single word echoed through the room. It was sharp and final.

Everyone froze. Jackson blinked his eyes and unsure if he had heard her right.

But Annika stood tall in front of them.

This time, things would be different.