I was the Saintess of the Southern Wolf Clan, fostered in the Northern Wolf Clan since childhood and raised alongside the North’s heirs so that we could develop bonds with one another. Whichever heir became my mate would gain the South’s support. The Northern Alpha had even announced that whoever bonded with me would inherit the North and become the new Alpha. In my previous life, I chose Beacher, the man I had loved for years. I even used the South’s secret arts to help him successfully inherit the position. But after becoming Alpha, the first thing he did was order my limbs cut off. Then he summoned a witch to seal me alive inside a coffin with magic. Afterward, he ordered the slaughter of the South. Not one of my eighty thousand clansmen survived. “Who ever wanted to be Alpha?” Beacher snarled bitterly. “If you hadn’t shamelessly insisted on marrying me, Betsy and I would have been together long ago, living happily ever after!” “You made Betsy die with hatred in her heart. Now you’ll learn what it feels like to suffer while waiting for death!” After being reborn, I returned to the day I was meant to choose my mate. This time, I decided to let them have each other. Seven days later, the Alpha issued two announcements. One named my future mate. The other named the future Alpha. Neither had anything to do with Beacher. So why were his eyes red as he knelt before me, begging me to marry him? ...... “Cheryl, take a careful look at my heirs. Which one do you like best? Which one would you choose as your future mate?” The Northern Alpha looked at me affectionately, his eyes filled with anticipation. The alliance through marriage between the Southern and Northern Wolf Clans had continued for a hundred years. In our generation, I was the only girl. Naturally, I had been raised in the Northern Wolf Clan from childhood alongside several of its heirs. The Alpha had always doted on me as well. But I knew perfectly well that his affection was not without ulterior motives. I represented more than myself. Behind me stood eighty thousand people of the South. Winning me meant winning the loyalty of all eighty thousand. That was why the Alpha had already announced that the mate I selected would become the next Alpha. The heirs whispered among themselves. “Everyone knows Saintess Cheryl loves Beacher. Today’s selection is nothing more than a formality.” “Beacher really is lucky. He’s neither the most handsome nor the most talented of the heirs, yet he somehow won Saintess Cheryl’s heart. Even the position of Alpha will fall straight into his lap.” “And despite that, Beacher walks around scowling every day as though Cheryl owes him something…” Everyone waited eagerly for me to say Beacher’s name. I glanced calmly in his direction. His face was expressionless, his gaze passing over the crowd to settle on Betsy below the platform. When he noticed me looking at him, he quickly looked away. A flash of disgust crossed his eyes. I laughed inwardly at myself. Beacher, if the power and prestige of becoming Alpha mean less to you than one woman, I won’t force you. This time, I simply won’t choose you. Smiling, I leaned toward the Alpha and whispered into his ear. His expression brightened. He nodded repeatedly before turning to glance at Beacher. Beacher’s face changed immediately. He pushed through the crowd and dropped heavily to his knees before the Alpha, bowing his head to the ground. “Alpha, I am willing to become Cheryl’s mate. However…” “I fell in love with Betsy at first sight, and I refuse to wrong her. If possible, after bonding with Cheryl, I hope I may also provide Betsy with a residence and allow her to…” “Enough of this nonsense!” Before Beacher could finish, the Alpha cut him off with a furious shout. His brows drew tightly together, his face reddening as his chest heaved with anger. “What status does Betsy possess that could possibly allow her to stand as Cheryl’s equal? You are an utter fool!” Beacher clenched his jaw as though reaching a momentous decision. “Betsy’s status may be lower than the Saintess’s, but that is precisely why I must protect her. If I cannot even defend the woman I love, how could I ever be worthy of becoming Alpha?” At his declaration, disappointment filled the Alpha’s face. The onlookers sighed one after another. “We thought Beacher was merely mediocre. Who knew he was also incapable of understanding what truly matters? Does the loyalty of eighty thousand Southern wolves and the position of Alpha sitting within his grasp really mean less to him than an ordinary woman?” “He must be certain Saintess Cheryl will marry no one but him. Otherwise, he would never dare make such an outrageous demand.” The Alpha sighed deeply and asked one final time, “Beacher, are you determined to marry Betsy?” Beacher slowly nodded. “Please grant us your blessing, Father.” Seeing that he refused to reconsider, the Alpha gave me an apologetic look. He then waved helplessly and announced in a grave voice, “Everyone may leave. The bonding ceremony will take place in seven days. Make your preparations.”
Beacher took the Alpha’s reaction as approval and immediately ran to the tearful Betsy. “Betsy, did you hear that? The Alpha didn’t object!” “In seven days, we’ll be together forever!” Tears in her eyes, Betsy nodded repeatedly. When she saw me passing beside Beacher, her smile instantly disappeared, and she timidly moved to bow to me. Before I could speak, Beacher pulled her upright protectively. “Cheryl, if you’re unhappy, take it out on me. Don’t treat Betsy coldly!” “Although you chose me, the Alpha just agreed that she could remain by my side with you. From now on, you’ll be my mate in name, while she’ll be the mate in my heart. You two must get along. Only then can I focus on being a good Alpha.” I blinked at him in confusion. I had not done anything. When had I treated her coldly? Besides, had he misunderstood something? The Alpha had only said that a bonding ceremony would take place in seven days. He had never said Beacher was the mate I had chosen. Seeing Beacher openly defend her, Betsy shyly tugged at his sleeve and advised him gently, “Beacher, as long as I can remain with you, I’m willing to follow you for the rest of my life without any title or recognition. Please don’t argue with the Saintess because of me…” Beacher gazed at her with tenderness and affection. “Silly girl. A witch once foretold that I would successfully inherit the position. Once I become Alpha, I’ll naturally be the most powerful person in the entire clan. Why would I need to submit to a woman like her?” He glanced at me, his expression filled with warning. “Cheryl, you had better behave yourself. If you remain obedient and sensible, I may still be willing to have a child with you in the future. Otherwise…” The threat in his words could not have been clearer. In my previous life, after Beacher and I bonded, Betsy accidentally fell into the water. Although she was rescued, she constantly yearned for Beacher. Her health gradually deteriorated, and within a few years, she died consumed by misery. Her death had nothing to do with me, yet Beacher stubbornly blamed me. “She fell into the water barely thirty feet from your residence. If you hadn’t deliberately pretended not to hear her and delayed the rescue, how could Betsy have died so young?” He blamed me for Betsy’s death and tortured me until I died. He even took his anger out on the South, turning all eighty thousand of my clansmen into restless souls. Yet this creature, incapable of distinguishing right from wrong, remained confident that he would become Alpha. It was laughable. Suppressing my murderous rage, I interrupted him. “Your devotion to Betsy is truly touching, Beacher. Allow me to congratulate you in advance. May you grow old together and have children soon.” Beacher looked me up and down in surprise, attempting to find evidence that I did not mean what I said. Before he could determine anything, I walked past him without hesitation and smiled at the man patiently waiting nearby. “I’ll be waiting for you in seven days.” “You won’t break your promise, will you?” The man smiled without speaking and gave me a solemn nod before leaving with the others. He had said nothing, but merely seeing his broad, powerful back was enough to make me feel safe. In my previous life, as Beacher nailed me inside the coffin and left me waiting helplessly for death, I vaguely heard the sound of fighting through my fading consciousness. It was Hubery, who had rushed back to save me. He screamed my name in anguish and risked his life trying to free me, only for Beacher to order his men to shoot him through with countless arrows. His burning blood seeped through the cracks in the coffin and dripped onto my face. It also fell upon my heart. Only then did I realize how deeply and silently he had loved me all those years. Beacher followed suspiciously. “Cheryl, what does it matter whether Hubery attends when we bond in seven days? When did the two of you become acquainted?”
Betsy’s eyes shifted before she rushed to answer on my behalf. “Beacher, Hubery is handsome, and he and the Saintess also grew up together. It’s perfectly natural for them to be close…” Beacher snorted coldly. “No matter how close they are, she must maintain an appropriate distance and remember proper boundaries. She shouldn’t behave like some shameless girl who seduces every man she sees!” I had endured enough of their insinuations and raised an eyebrow. “Haven’t you and Betsy been seducing each other for quite some time?” Betsy’s face instantly turned white. Beacher glared fiercely at me before immediately lowering his head to comfort her. The corner of my mouth lifted as I quickly walked away. When I returned home and saw the traces of Beacher filling every room, hatred surged within me. When we first met, he gave me a sprig of plum blossoms. Unable to bear throwing it away, I pressed it between the pages of a book and treasured it dearly. Yet not long after meeting Betsy, he gave her a priceless flower-petal-shaped gemstone. The painful contrast instantly made me realize who truly held his heart. I personally gathered everything connected to him. By the time I finished, I was so exhausted that I collapsed heavily onto my bed. Scenes from the final moments of my previous life haunted my dreams with terrifying clarity. When I woke again, three full days had passed. “Saintess, you’re finally awake! Who exactly did you choose as your mate? Why is everyone outside saying you and Betsy are both going to marry Beacher?” “You’ve been asleep these past few days, so you don’t know how wonderfully Beacher has been treating Betsy. Not only did he dig a lotus pond for her at his home, but he personally transplanted the lotuses beloved by the old Luna for Betsy…” “Betsy dislikes sweet food, so Beacher ordered that no desserts may be served wherever she is present…” “He even brought an entire wagon of expensive fabric from another clan to make new clothes for Betsy!” I suppressed the ache in my heart and forced a smile. My maid Amy looked at me in exasperation. “Saintess, how can you still smile at a time like this?” “Beacher treats Betsy like a priceless treasure. If you bond with him, won’t you only be making yourself miserable?” “That’s enough. Don’t worry. I didn’t choose him.” I smiled reassuringly at her, only for Beacher to push open the door just in time to hear me. Surprise flashed through his eyes before he gave a contemptuous laugh. “Cheryl, you’re jealous after seeing how well I treat Betsy, so you’re deliberately saying that to upset me!” I silently rolled my eyes. How had I never noticed before how shameless Beacher was? When I said nothing, he strode inside. “I came today to inform you that I moved half the treasures you brought from the South to Betsy’s home. You owe her that compensation…” My head snapped up, and I stared at him in disbelief. “Beacher! Those things were given to me by my father. They’ve been with me for more than ten years. What gives you the right to take them and give them to someone else?” I had left my home at a young age. Because my father worried about me, he carefully selected dozens of chests filled with precious jewelry and everything I loved for me to bring along. Those belongings carried all his love and longing for me. “I was merely giving you an opportunity to show goodwill toward Betsy. After all, once you marry me, you’ll need to get along with her!” Beacher spoke as though his actions were entirely justified. His shamelessness left me stunned. “We won’t take your belongings without giving anything in return. On our wedding night, I’ll enter your room and preserve your dignity as Saintess. However, I promised Betsy I would never touch you…” “So once midnight passes, I’ll go to Betsy’s room!” Beacher looked arrogant, as though he were granting me an enormous favor. I laughed coldly and met his gaze. “Beacher, return my belongings. I never said I would become your mate.”
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