Chapter 1

“Dad, I agree to hold the bonding ceremony with the three of us.”

As soon as the words left my mouth, my father's expression changed. His wolf ears gave a slight twitch, his eyes filled with shock and anger as they met mine. As nobles within the pack, the Barrow family's dignity couldn't be insulted, and my current concession was undeniably challenging his limits.

Our Barrow family is one of thefour great families in Evereth City. I graduated from Thalmaris Harvard Business School. When the time comes, not only will there be a full house of guests, but even our godfather from Uloris City and some notable families will attend.

The blow of my compromise wasn't just to my face, but also an opportunity for mockery towards all friends and allies of the Barrow family.

Alexander, however, had a face full of delight, his wolf tail unconsciously swaying with the excitement of prey about to be captured.

"Freya Barrow, I always knew you would agree. We've grown up together, and your heart is the softest. You would surely empathize with Heidi, who is alone."

"Don't worry, you'll always be the person I love the most. When Heidi has a child, she'll call you her aunt."

I lowered my gaze to conceal my overwhelming hatred; my wolf detected the stench of deceit emanating from him. Painful memories from a past life flashed before my eyes—my father's corpse, bruised and putrid. My wolf's claws tensed within my sleeves, almost piercing my palms, and the scent of blood made me more alert.

Staring at Alexander's shameless face, I was tempted to tear him apart on the spot, but my wolf soothed me, whispering that vengeance required patience.

I suppressed my rage and lifted him up with a smile. "Isn't it just a ceremony? As long as it makes you happy, I have no objections."

Alexander hesitated, studying me with questioning eyes, his wolf's pupils narrowing as if assessing my true intentions.

"Freya, are you just speaking in anger? If you don't want to, then, then I can exclude Heidi from participating and hold the bonding ceremony with just you."

He probed my reaction, but the flash of resentment in his eyes didnot escape my notice. Alexander understood the importance of this bonding ceremony.

The Blackwell family's factory was seized by the Elthenia government, and the compensation was pathetically low. The Blackwell family's financial chain was broken; one misstep could lead to bankruptcy and ruin.

He needed to rely on the Barrow family's support to bridge the gap and weather the crisis. Yet, in both past and present lives, he was hopelessly infatuated with Heidi's delicate helplessness, unable to see the broader picture.

"Alexander, how many years have we known each other? Do I seem angry to you?"

"You know I've adored you since I was young. I am thrilled to marry you. Moreover, you're kind-hearted, pitying Heidi, which shows your benevolence; it makes me glad."

Alexander's face immediately brightened with joy as he grasped my hand. His palm was warm, but it made me feel disgusted.

"Freya, having such a generous and virtuous mate is truly my good fortune."

"It's just…”

Alexander paused.

"Tomorrow is the bonding ceremony, and Heidi has nothing. How about you let her wear the wedding dress, and lend her the Queen's diamond necklace from the auction?"

"Heidi is alone without support. Ifshe dresses poorly and stands next to you, many will mock her."

My father was livid, nearly baring his fangs as he kicked Alexander out. Yet I smiled and said,

"Isn't wearing my wedding dress humiliating to Heidi? I'll have the designer make a custom diamond wedding dress for her overnight, ensuring she shines at the ceremony tomorrow."

"As for the necklace you mentioned, how about writing me an IOU? Consider it as the gift youbought for your sister; it's a token of your thoughtfulness."

Alexander hesitated for a moment. After all, this necklace was worth three billion dollars—a gift to the Queen of Thalmaris for her eighteenth birthday.

Seeing his hesitation, I quickly suggested,

"Alexander, it’s just going through the motions. We're mates, what’s mine is yours. The IOU will ultimately be yours. I'm considering your reputation. Giving a mate's necklace to a mistress always has gossip."

"Yes, Freya, you're indeed thoughtful."Alexander swiftly signed the IOU, eagerly took the necklace, and dashed out elatedly, his wolf tail held high, as if he had achieved victory.

I turned to my father, my wolf eyes flashing a hint of coldness,

"Dad, what do you think about us forming a bond with the godfather's family?"

Chapter 2

My father froze for a moment, his wolf ears slightly twitching, a flicker of astonishment passing through his golden eyes.

"Didn't you always despise Mason Dorne, calling him unkempt and clingy?"

I let out a bitter laugh, memories of my previous life swirling around me—after my death, Alexander discarded my body in a desolate field, leaving it to be torn apart by wild dogs. It was Mason, the boy I had once rejected, who disregarded all danger and charged into the pack to retrieve my ravaged remains. He even traded a land worth a billion dollars for Alexander's 'mercy,' allowing me tobe buried in a prestigious cemetery. As I watched him kneeling at my grave, his heart-wrenching sobs echoing in the night, I realized the one who truly loved me was never Alexander.

"Dad, Mason might be two years younger, but he's pure-hearted and doesn't have any ulterior motives. He genuinely cares for me—unlike some people, who start scheming before even forming a bond."

"And you know Mason's father well. Marrying into their family won't lead to any grievances."

Father pondered for a moment, his wolf tail gently swaying before his wolfish grin surfaced. He turned and began making calls. I stepped out of the villa to clear my mind, surrounded by red-walled greenery and lily blooms. Yet, my memory contrasted sharply with scenes of destruction and decay.

After I died, Alexander set my family's villa ablaze and scattered my father's ashes into the sewers. His ferocious expression loomed like a vengeful specter, "You arrogant old fool, if it weren't for you, Heidi and I would have had a family long ago without the barrier of life and death."

Tears streamed down my face as I traced the courtyard wall, leaving shallow claw marks on the stone. Agony swept over me, consuming every inch of my skin. I clenched my teeth, stifling the whimpering sounds, my wolf howling in fury.

Suddenly, the murmur of servants reached me from the shade of the trees, "Tonight, Alexander had audacity enough to demand the master allow his lover to join tomorrow's bond ceremony."

"What do you mean join? He plans to conduct the ceremony with the three of them—Alexander marrying his lover too."

"This is absurd. Having both the mate and mistress participate in the bond ceremony, it's a blatant insult to the master and the lady!"

"It's said Alexander doesn't want to marry the lady. The lady forced him into it, exploiting his current without self-respect. She'd end up fighting with the mistress over mate privileges in the future, begging Alexander just to spend a night with her."

Their talk grew increasingly vulgar and lowbrow, conjuring degrading images of me fawning at Alexander's feet for a mere glimpse of intimacy. Bitterness swelled within me, my wolf's ears ringing with their foul words. It dawned on me how far I had fallen in their eyes, though Alexander had pursued me initially.

The Barrow and Blackwell families were powerful and frequently conducted business. From childhood, Alexander and I were often playmates. He would sit beside me, attending meticulously to my every need—wiping soup spills from my clothes, handing me napkins, and chasing crickets in the garden.

As we grew older, he acted as my protector, driving away any unwelcome suitors. I pouted in protest, "Alexander, you've chased them away; how will I ever find someone to marry?"

His youthful shoulders pulled me into an embrace, "You can only marry me, so you won't be bothered by anyone else."

When I got into college, he celebrated my adulthood with fireworks all night. Under that dazzling sky, bright-eyed with excitement, he knelt down and slipped a ring onto my finger, his wolf gazing at me full of love.

But after meeting my roommate, the orphaned, woeful Heidi, hisheart utterly surrendered to her gentle and vulnerable allure. Her tear-drenched lashes captivated him completely. For Heidi, he forgot my birthday just because she had coughed a few times from a cold. Fearful of my potential jealousy, Alexander even purchased her a two-bedroom apartment near campus as a refuge.

I protested and raised complaints, but all I received in return was, "She's like a sister, I'm merely watching over her. Can't you stop being irrational?"

Repeated breakups and reconciliations, eventually leading to this irreparable downfall.

With a heavy heart, I headed towards the house, only to be met by Alexander's sudden appearance. He slapped me across the face with fury blazing in his wolf eyes, like a wild beast spiraling out of control.

Chapter 3

I stared at Alexander in shock, wondering what madness had overtaken him again. My wolf sensed the violent turbulence within him, his golden eyes glinting dangerously in the night.

"Freya, we agreed to hold the mate-bond ceremony together with the three of us tomorrow, but when I asked the officiant, he knew nothing about it. Are you planning to humiliate Heidi in front of everyone?" His fury was monumental over the ceremony's apparent lack of a third person presence. I had intended to step aside, allowing them to bond, so there was never a plan for a three-person ceremony.

"Dear sister, I understand you're upset that Alexander chose to protect me, but he truly sympathizes with my plight, wanting to give me someone to rely on. If you don't want me at the mate-bond ceremony, you could have said so directly, rather than creating a scandal tomorrow. The Blackwell family holds wealth and prestige. If mates bicker publicly, disregarding the bigger picture, how will Evereth City’s elite comment on Alexander? How will he show his face afterward?" Heidi's voice was as soft as a breeze, yet eachword struck deep, and then she knelt suddenly.

"Sister, please conduct the ceremony with Alexander peacefully tomorrow. I won't participate, just don't embarrass him publicly. If he trul1y cares for me, the ceremony is just a formality; I won't focus on such shallow titles." Her stubborn, yet plaintive words pierced Alexander's heart with each syllable, darkening his expression. His wolf roared in anger.

"Freya, must you be so aggressive? Are you determined to disgrace Heidi, forcing me to appear heartless and cruel? Who would dare to spend their life with someone as maliciously devious as you?"

Voices from neighboring families, having gathered by the villa's entrance, joined the servants in murmuring:

"The girl knows the Blackwell heir has someone else outside, yet she clings with hopes on their social standing."

"It's typical for a man to have a confidante. Being generous about it could save face at home."

"No wonder Miss Barrow is so fixated. They'vesomething for over a decade. Everyone in Evereth City knows if the Blackwells don't wed her, she'll have to settle into an ordinary family, leaving high society behind."

Those cutting remarks felt like daggers in my chest. Seeing me pale, Alexander assumed I was intimidated and smugly continued.

"Freya, I’m not heartless. As long as you remain calm and accept Heidi, I’ll wed you grandly tomorrow, making you my wife."

But in a past life, he was cruel beyond words, bringing about my father's demise and watching callously as his own son suffocated in the womb. His current pompous manner was more than ironic to me.

Perhaps my expression was too bitter, as guilt flickered across Alexander's face.

"Freya, I spoke rashly and went too far earlier. Believe me, you'll always be my principal wife. Heidi will continue addressing you as sister. I'll spend Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays with Heidi, and Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays with you. Is that fair? You're favored, so don'tact up."

His arrogance made me want to laugh uncontrollably. He truly thought himself a prize, expecting every woman to crave his company. It's true, in the previous lifetime, his vacations with Heidi angered me to the point of starving myself, crying, and demanding his attention. But this time, his dates and dinners with Heidi didn't concern me anymore. No good comes from trying to force affection from a heart that isn't yours.

"Enough, Alexander, it's late. We should rest to prepare for tomorrow's ceremony."

Seeing my ambiguous response, his face darkened as he leaned closer, menacingly threatening.

"You better stay in line and let Heidi have the ceremony. Otherwise, don't blame me if I call off the wedding and leave you humiliated in the hall."

"Freya, if that happens, it'll be the Barrow family's reputation that suffers. No one will dare to marry you afterward."

His wolf's icy gaze locked onto me.