Reborn As The Twin Wolves True Luna

The First Choice

Chapter 4

The footsteps outside the hidden room stopped.

Lilly's heart slammed against her ribs.

Someone was standing on the other side of the door.

She looked at Max.

Then Bruce.

Neither twin moved.

For a moment, the three of them stared at one another, the silence becoming heavier by the second.

Lilly's fingers tightened around the edge of the old wooden table.

In her first life, she had been careless.

She had trusted the wrong people.

She had spoken when she should have remained silent and remained silent when she should have spoken.

This time, she would make different choices.

A soft knock sounded.

"Lilly?"

Margaret's voice.

Lilly's stomach twisted.

Of course.

She had almost forgotten how often Margaret appeared at exactly the wrong moment.

Max's expression hardened.

Bruce glanced toward the door.

"Your stepsister?" he asked quietly.

Lilly nodded.

"She must not know we're here."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Because she will eventually help Clarence destroy us.

The words almost escaped.

Lilly swallowed them.

"Because..." She searched for an excuse. "She worries too much. If she finds me here, she'll tell my father."

Max studied her.

"You seem very certain."

Lilly met his eyes.

"I am."

Another knock.

"Lilly? Are you inside?"

Margaret sounded concerned.

Lilly knew that voice.

She had heard it countless times in her first life.

The gentle voice.

The worried voice.

The sisterly voice.

All lies.

Lilly turned toward the twins.

"You should leave through the other passage."

Bruce frowned. "You're staying?"

"I'll handle her."

Max's eyes narrowed.

"Are you sure?"

Lilly nodded.

She was surprised by the question.

In her first life, Max had rarely asked whether she was all right.

Not because he didn't care.

Because she had never allowed him close enough to see when she was falling apart.

This time, she noticed everything.

The concern in his eyes.

The slight tension in his jaw.

The way Bruce stood closer to her than necessary.

Small things.

Things she had been too blinded by Clarence to appreciate.

"I'm sure," she whispered.

Bruce looked like he wanted to argue.

Max touched his shoulder.

"Come on."

Before leaving, Bruce looked at Lilly.

"Don't stay here too long."

Something about the way he said it made her chest ache.

Not an order.

A warning.

A concern.

Lilly nodded.

"I won't."

The twins disappeared through the narrow passage.

A few seconds later, Lilly heard the hidden door close.

She took one deep breath.

Then another.

She rearranged her expression.

Fear disappeared.

Guilt disappeared.

She became the Lilly everyone expected to see.

"Lilly?"

"I'm coming."

She opened the door.

Margaret stood outside.

Her beautiful face carried a worried expression.

"There you are."

Margaret immediately reached for Lilly's arm.

Lilly stepped away before she could touch her.

Margaret's smile faltered.

Only for a second.

Then it returned.

"Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

"I couldn't find you anywhere."

"I wanted some fresh air."

Margaret glanced past her.

Toward the darkness behind the door.

"What were you doing in there?"

Lilly smiled.

"Looking for something."

"What?"

"Nothing important."

Margaret's eyes narrowed slightly.

Lilly noticed.

In her first life, she never noticed the small changes in Margaret's expression.

Now she saw everything.

The curiosity.

The calculation.

The fear.

Margaret was wondering whether Lilly had discovered something.

Lilly almost smiled.

Good.

Let her wonder.

"Come," Margaret said. "Clarence has been looking for you."

At the mention of his name, Lilly's body instinctively stiffened.

Margaret noticed.

Of course she did.

"Are you angry with him?"

"No."

It was the first lie.

Margaret smiled.

"Then why are you avoiding him?"

"I'm not avoiding him."

"You haven't spoken to him properly all morning."

"I've been busy."

Margaret tilted her head.

"With what?"

Lilly looked at her.

"Things that don't concern you."

The words were sharper than she intended.

Margaret blinked.

Lilly immediately softened her expression.

"I'm sorry. I'm just tired."

Margaret studied her for another moment.

Then she reached for Lilly's hand.

"You know you can tell me anything."

Lilly stared at their joined hands.

A memory surfaced.

Margaret crying beside her bed.

Margaret telling her Clarence loved her.

Margaret encouraging her to trust him.

Margaret telling her that Max and Bruce would never truly accept her.

And Lilly had believed every word.

Her hand slowly curled.

She pulled away.

"I know."

Margaret smiled.

"Good."

They began walking back toward the estate.

Lilly remained silent.

For years, she had believed Margaret was her only family.

Now she understood something terrifying.

Sometimes the person standing closest to you was the one holding the knife.

By the time Lilly returned to the main estate, the training grounds were already crowded.

She could hear the clash of swords and the growls of wolves from the courtyard.

She stopped when she saw Max and Bruce.

The twins were sparring.

Lilly had seen them fight countless times in her first life.

But watching them now was different.

They were younger.

Less burdened.

Alive.

Max moved first.

His sword cut through the air with brutal precision.

Bruce blocked it and countered.

The two moved like they shared one mind.

One attacked.

The other anticipated.

Steel struck steel.

The surrounding warriors stepped back.

Lilly couldn't look away.

Then Bruce glanced toward her.

His blade lowered slightly.

Max noticed.

"Focus," he said.

Bruce smirked.

"You're the one distracted."

Max turned.

His eyes landed on Lilly.

For one brief second, neither of them looked away.

Lilly's heart skipped.

Then Max looked away first.

"Again."

Bruce laughed.

"You really are distracted."

"Again."

They resumed.

Lilly watched quietly.

She remembered what happened years later.

Max's cold expression when he sentenced her.

Bruce's broken eyes.

The blood on the execution platform.

She closed her eyes.

No.

She wouldn't think about that.

Not now.

"Lilly."

She opened her eyes.

Bruce stood in front of her.

He had apparently finished training.

A thin sheen of sweat covered his skin, and his dark training shirt clung to his shoulders.

Lilly immediately looked away.

"Hi."

Bruce smiled.

"You've been watching us."

"I wasn't."

"You were."

"I was thinking."

"About what?"

"You."

The words escaped before she could stop them.

Bruce froze.

Lilly froze.

Max, standing several steps away, slowly turned toward them.

Lilly's face burned.

"I meant—"

Bruce's smile widened.

"About me?"

"No."

"That's unfortunate."

Lilly stared at him.

Was he flirting with her?

Bruce laughed.

"I'm joking."

She wasn't sure whether she believed him.

Max approached.

"What were you talking about?"

"Nothing," Lilly said quickly.

Bruce grinned.

"Lilly was thinking about me."

Max gave him a flat look.

"She wasn't."

"How do you know?"

"Because she's smarter than that."

Bruce laughed.

Lilly couldn't help smiling.

The sound surprised her.

It felt strange.

Light.

She hadn't smiled like this in years.

Max noticed.

His expression softened for the briefest moment.

Then it disappeared.

"Are you hungry?" Bruce asked.

Lilly nodded.

"A little."

"Come eat with us."

She hesitated.

In her first life, she would have immediately accepted.

Then Clarence would have appeared.

He would have whispered that the twins were only trying to control her.

She would have believed him.

This time, she made a different choice.

"Okay."

Max looked at her.

Something unreadable passed through his eyes.

Then he nodded.

"Let's go."

Lunch was surprisingly peaceful.

Lilly sat across from the twins at the long dining table.

She kept expecting someone to interrupt.

Clarence.

Margaret.

Anyone.

But nobody came.

Bruce talked about training.

Max complained about the council.

Lilly listened.

For the first time, she realized how little she had known about them.

Not because they had hidden themselves.

Because she had never tried to understand them.

"You aren't eating."

Max's voice pulled her from her thoughts.

Lilly looked down.

Her plate was almost untouched.

"I'm not very hungry."

Bruce frowned.

"You've barely eaten all day."

"I'm fine."

Max's eyes remained on her.

"You keep saying that."

Lilly looked up.

"Because I am."

"No."

His answer was quiet.

Certain.

"You aren't."

Her breath caught.

Max leaned back.

"You've been different since this morning."

Lilly's fingers tightened around her fork.

"Different how?"

"You avoid Clarence."

"Is that a problem?"

"No."

His eyes remained fixed on hers.

"It's just strange."

Bruce nodded.

"You used to follow him everywhere."

Lilly looked down.

"I've realized I don't know him as well as I thought."

The twins exchanged a glance.

Max's expression became guarded.

"Did something happen?"

Lilly wanted to tell them.

She wanted to scream the truth.

Clarence will betray us.

Margaret is working with him.

You will kill me.

I already died once.

But they would never believe her.

And even if they did, what then?

She had no proof.

Not yet.

"Nothing happened," she said.

Bruce watched her carefully.

"Then why does it feel like you're saying goodbye to something?"

Lilly's throat tightened.

Because I am.

To the girl I used to be.

She forced a smile.

"Maybe I'm growing up."

Bruce smiled faintly.

"Maybe."

Max didn't smile.

He continued watching her.

Lilly knew that look.

He was trying to solve a problem.

And right now, she was the problem.

That evening, Lilly returned to her bedroom alone.

She locked the door.

Then she opened the small drawer beside her bed.

Inside was a silver pendant.

Her mother's pendant.

In her first life, she had never cared much about it.

Now she remembered something.

Clarence had once asked about it.

He had wanted to know where she got it.

At the time, she hadn't thought anything of it.

Now she wondered why.

Lilly picked it up.

The pendant was cold.

Almost unnaturally cold.

She turned it over.

There was a tiny symbol engraved on the back.

A crescent moon surrounded by three stars.

She had never noticed it before.

Or perhaps she had simply forgotten.

A knock came at the door.

Lilly quickly closed her hand around the pendant.

"Who is it?"

"Me."

Bruce.

She opened the door.

Bruce stood there holding something behind his back.

"What are you doing here?"

"I brought you something."

He revealed a small plate.

Bread.

Freshly baked.

Lilly stared.

"You brought me bread?"

"You didn't eat lunch."

"I ate."

"Three bites."

She smiled.

"You counted?"

"Maybe."

He handed her the plate.

"Eat."

Lilly accepted it.

Their fingers brushed.

A strange warmth traveled through her hand.

Her wolf stirred.

Lilly froze.

Bruce's eyes changed slightly.

For one heartbeat, neither of them moved.

Then he stepped back.

"Good night, Lilly."

"Good night."

He turned.

"Bruce?"

He looked over his shoulder.

"Thank you."

His smile was soft.

"You're welcome."

The door closed.

Lilly leaned against it.

Her heart was racing.

Not because of fear.

Because for the first time since her rebirth, she felt something she hadn't expected.

Hope.

She looked down at the bread in her hands.

Then at the silver pendant.

Maybe her second life wasn't only about revenge.

Maybe it was about discovering the things she had been too blind to see the first time.

She crossed the room and placed the pendant on the table.

The moment moonlight touched it, the engraved symbol began to glow.

Lilly stepped back.

Her wolf stirred violently.

A whisper echoed inside her mind.

Find the truth before they do.

Lilly's blood ran cold.

Before who?

Clarence?

Margaret?

The council?

Or someone else?

The glow disappeared.

She stared at the pendant.

Then she heard something outside her window.

A low growl.

Not human.

Not wolf.

Something deeper.

Something unfamiliar.

Lilly slowly approached the window.

Below, in the shadows of the garden, two pale eyes stared back at her.

Then they vanished.

Lilly's heart pounded.

Someone had been watching her.

And suddenly, she understood.

Her second life had already begun changing things.

But perhaps she wasn't the only one who remembered.