Reborn As The Twin Wolves True Luna

Chapter 1 The chains around my wrists were cold. Colder than the stone beneath my knees. But neither compared to the eyes of the two men standing before me. Max. Bruce. My mates. My executioners. I lowered my head as the heavy doors of the Moonshadow Pack's council hall closed behind me. Hundreds of wolves filled the chamber. Alphas, warriors, elders, servants, and pack members stood along the walls, watching me in silence. No one spoke. No one dared. The only sounds were the crackling torches and the faint rattle of the chains around my wrists. "Lilly Starlight." Elder Rowan's voice echoed through the hall. I lifted my head. He stood beneath the silver moon emblem of our pack, his expression hard. "Do you know why you are here?" My throat tightened. "Yes." A murmur moved through the crowd. Traitor. Betrayer. Whore. The words weren't spoken loudly, but I heard them. I deserved some of them. Maybe all of them. My gaze moved toward the two men standing at the front. Max Blackthorn stood on the left. Tall, broad-shouldered, with dark hair and sharp features. His black Alpha coat was fastened at his throat, the silver insignia of Moonshadow gleaming against it. His face was emotionless. But I knew him. I knew the way his jaw tightened when he was angry. I knew how his hands curled into fists whenever he was trying to control his wolf. And right now, his anger was barely contained. Beside him stood Bruce. His twin. Bruce looked almost identical to Max, but his eyes had always been warmer. Once, those brown eyes had been my safest place. Now they looked broken. His gaze never left mine. "Bruce," I whispered. His jaw tightened. "Don't call me that." His voice was quiet. But it hurt more than a scream. My lips trembled. "Bruce..." "Enough." Max's voice silenced the room. He stepped forward. "Do you deny the accusations?" My heart pounded. I wanted to say yes. I wanted to scream that I had been manipulated. That Clarence had promised to protect me. That he had convinced me Max and Bruce wanted my power. That he had told me they would eventually destroy me. But I couldn't lie anymore. "No." A gasp swept through the room. Bruce looked away. Max's expression hardened. "You admit to betraying the pack?" My fingers tightened around the chains. "Yes." Bruce's shoulders stiffened. I could see the pain in his face. I wanted to beg him for forgiveness. Instead, I remained on my knees. Elder Rowan raised his hand. "Read the charges." A young warrior stepped forward with a scroll. "Lilly Starlight, Luna of Moonshadow Pack, is accused of conspiring against the Alpha twins, revealing pack secrets to an enemy faction, attempting to weaken the mate bond between herself and the Alpha twins, stealing the sacred Luna seal, and assisting the Fox Kingdom in its attempt to gain control over Moonshadow territory." Every accusation felt like another knife. I had done some of those things. Not because I wanted to destroy the pack. I thought I was protecting myself. Clarence had convinced me that Max and Bruce were dangerous. I had believed him. God, I had believed everything. My eyes moved through the crowd. Then I saw her. Margaret. My stepsister. She stood beside Clarence, wearing a pale silver dress. Her golden hair framed her beautiful face. She looked devastated. Like she was mourning me. But when our eyes met, the corner of her mouth lifted. Only slightly. My blood ran cold. I knew that smile. She wore it whenever she won. Then I looked at Clarence. The man who had once made me believe I was loved. His golden-brown eyes met mine. He looked sad. Almost heartbroken. "Clarence." He stepped forward. I stared at him. "Tell them." He frowned. "Tell them you asked me to do it." His expression remained calm. "Lilly..." "You told me to." He shook his head. "I never forced you to do anything." My heart stopped. "What?" "I loved you," he said softly. "I tried to warn you about them. But you wouldn't listen." "No." I shook my head. "You told me Max wanted my power." "I told you to be careful." "You told me Bruce hated me." "I said he was angry." "You told me to steal the Luna seal." Clarence looked toward the council. "I would never ask Lilly to steal anything." Liar. I looked at Margaret. Then I saw it. The Luna seal. Hanging around her neck. My heart stopped. "That's mine." Margaret touched it. "You gave it to me." "I gave it to Clarence." "And Clarence gave it to me." I stared at him. "Why?" Clarence didn't answer. "Why did you do this?" His expression changed. The tenderness disappeared from his eyes. "Because you were easy to fool." The world seemed to stop. "What?" He stepped closer. "You were so desperate to be loved that you believed whatever I told you." Tears filled my eyes. "I loved you." "I know." His smile was cold. "That's what made it easy." My heart shattered. "Did you ever love me?" "No." The answer came without hesitation. I closed my eyes. Everything suddenly made sense. The lies. The manipulation. Margaret. The stolen seal. The way Clarence had always encouraged me to distrust my mates. He had never loved me. Neither had Margaret. They wanted my inheritance. My position. My crown. And whatever power lived inside my blood. I looked at Max. "I'm sorry." He stared at me. "You should be." My tears fell. "I know." Then I looked at Bruce. He had tears in his eyes. "You were my mate," he whispered. My chest tightened. "My Luna." "I'm sorry." "You were the person I trusted most." I couldn't look at him. "And you chose him." I lowered my head. "Yes." "Why?" I had no answer. Because Clarence made me feel wanted. Because he told me what I wanted to hear. Because I was foolish enough to believe him. None of that could undo what I had done. Bruce wiped his eyes. "You always say you're sorry now." I looked at him. "Would you be sorry if you had won?" I couldn't answer. Maybe I wouldn't have. Maybe I would have continued hurting them until there was nothing left. Elder Rowan stood. "The council has reached its decision." The room fell silent. "Lilly Starlight is stripped of her position as Luna of Moonshadow Pack." My breath caught. "She is stripped of her inheritance and all rights to the Moonshadow throne." I closed my eyes. "And by order of the Alpha twins, she will be executed for treason." My heart stopped. I looked at Max. He didn't move. Then Bruce. His eyes were closed. The warriors approached. One unlocked my chains. Another grabbed my arm. I stumbled to my feet. Nobody stopped them. Nobody spoke. I had once walked through this pack while everyone called me Luna. Now they looked at me as if I were a monster. Outside, the full moon hung over the execution grounds. Its pale light covered everything. I stared at it. My mother used to tell me the moon watched over every Luna. "One day, Lilly, you'll understand why you were born different." I never understood her. I thought being Luna meant standing beside an Alpha. I never knew there was something more. The warriors forced me onto the execution platform. Max and Bruce followed. They were the ones who would end my life. My legs shook. I looked at Max. Then Bruce. "Max." He stared at me. "I know I don't deserve forgiveness." Nothing. "But if there is another life..." My voice broke. "If I get another chance, I won't betray you." Bruce's eyes filled with tears. "There won't be another life." I nodded. "I know." Max raised his hand. The warriors stepped back. I closed my eyes. In my final moments, I didn't think about Clarence. I didn't think about Margaret. I thought about Max bringing me flowers. Bruce making me laugh. The first time they called me their mate. The nights I had slept between them. The love I had thrown away. I had lost everything for a lie. "I'm sorry," I whispered. Then I said the words I should have said long ago. "I love you." Max froze. Bruce stared at me. Then the Alpha wolves attacked. Pain exploded through my body. I heard Bruce shout my name. And then— Nothing. I woke up screaming. I shot upright in bed, clutching my chest. I was breathing. My heart was beating. I touched my neck. No wound. No blood. Nothing. I looked around. A familiar room surrounded me. White curtains. A wooden desk. The old bookshelf my mother had bought me. The blue blanket on my bed. I knew this room. But it had burned down years ago. My breathing became shallow. "No..." I stumbled toward the mirror. A young woman stared back at me. Long dark hair. Pale skin. Blue-gray eyes. No scars. No blood. I touched my face. My hands were shaking. I looked younger. Much younger. I knew this face. I found out this room. I knew this day. My eyes moved toward the clock. Then I froze. Three years. Three years before my execution. Three years before Clarence betrayed me. Three years before Max and Bruce killed me. My knees gave out. I fell onto the floor. "I'm alive." My voice trembled. "I'm alive." I laughed. Then I cried. Memories crashed through my mind. Max. Bruce. Clarence. Margaret. The council. The chains. The execution. Everything. I remembered everything. This wasn't a dream. I had been given another chance. A second life. A chance to change everything. I slowly stood. My reflection stared back at me. The frightened girl I once was was still there. But she wasn't alone anymore. I knew the future. I knew every lie Clarence would tell. Every trap Margaret would set. Every mistake I would make. And exactly how I would die. This time, I wouldn't let it happen. A knock sounded at my bedroom door. I froze. Three soft taps. A pause. Then two more. My blood turned cold. I knew that knock. Clarence. My hand tightened around the edge of the table. The door opened. He stepped inside. Younger. Beautiful. Charming. The same man who had destroyed my life. "Lilly." My heart pounded. In my first life, this was the moment everything began. This was the moment I fell in love with him. Clarence walked toward me. "I've been looking everywhere for you." I stared at him. He smiled. "I have something important to tell you." I remembered his next words. Words that had changed my life. "I think you should stay away from the twin Alphas." I stared into his eyes. In my first life, I had believed him. This time, I smiled. "Is that so?" Clarence nodded. "Max and Bruce aren't what you think they are." I stepped closer. "You're right." His eyes brightened. "You believe me?" I smiled. But there was nothing warm about it. "Yes." He relaxed. Then I whispered, "Because I already know what you're going to do." His smile disappeared. For the first time, fear flickered in his eyes. I stepped away. "Welcome to my second life, Clarence." My heart pounded as I watched him. This time, I wouldn't be your puppet. This time, I wouldn't betray my mates. This time, Margaret wouldn't steal my crown. And this time... I would be the one who destroyed them.