Reborn To Walk Away This Time

My mate, Alpha Declan, brought his pregnant childhood sweetheart, Cassia, back to the Pack's manor, and I didn't stop him.

Because I was reborn.

In my last life, I tried to stop them, causing Cassia to have a miscarriage. For that, Declan hated me to his very core.

He even planned to be with Cassia after the agony of our severed mate bond killed me.

Since the Moon Goddess has given me a second chance, this time, I've decided to let him have his way.

I will sever our mate bond with my own hands, create opportunities for them to be alone, and then quietly withdraw.

I gave them everything they wanted.

But why, after I finally walked away, did Declan hunt for me across the globe like a man possessed, begging me to return?

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1

The moment I stood in the foyer and saw my mate, Declan Rathborne, the Alpha of the Sterling Ridge Pack, stride in with that she-wolf, I knew I had been reborn.

"Anya, this is Cassia Lockwood," he said, his tone deceptively casual as he unfastened his cloak.

"A friend I grew up with. Her Pack was slaughtered by rogues, her parents are gone, and she's pregnant with a pup. She's all alone now."

His gaze swept over me, tinged with a warning. "She'll be living with us from now on. As the future Luna, you'll take good care of her."

Cassia glanced at me cautiously. "Hi, Anya."

"I hope I'm not intruding…"

My eyes fell to her neck. There, hanging on a chain, was a moonstone pendant glowing with a soft blue light.

It was the Pack's heirloom, passed down through generations—an honor reserved for the future Luna.

Now, it hung around her neck.

In my past life, the sight of that heirloom—which should have been mine—hanging on Cassia's neck had ignited a furious jealousy within me. I thought she was here to steal Declan from me.

The next morning, I offered her a sum of money and told her to leave. I said it wasn't right for her to stay here while pregnant with a pup.

I never imagined she would panic on the road that day and suffer a miscarriage.

She lost the pup, and the accident left her unable to ever conceive again.

After that, Declan lost his mind.

His eyes turned bone-chillingly cold. "Anya Dawnstrider, I've had enough. I can't believe you'd actually drive away a pregnant she-wolf."

He never smiled at me again. Not once.

From then on, I took care of Cassia every single day.

I cooked for her, cleaned for her, and handled everything.

I lived on eggshells, hoping Declan would eventually forgive me.

But the pressure and the weakening of my inner wolf finally broke me. I fell gravely ill as my inner wolf weakened. I thought that might finally soften his hardened heart.

But all he said was, "When you die, I'll be with Cassia. I'll take care of her. I'll help her move on from the pain of losing her pup."

Since the Moon Goddess had given me a second chance, I was determined to let them have each other.

So when Declan once again said Cassia would be living with us, I just listened calmly.

Declan seemed to be waiting for me to explode. When I said nothing, he frowned, a flicker of impatience in his eyes.

"Cassia's pregnancy is unstable because of the shock she went through. This moonstone has a calming effect on the spirit. I'm just letting her borrow it for a few days," he explained, a hint of guilt in his tone he failed to hide.

"It's fine," I cut him off, my voice as calm as still water. "If it has a calming effect, then just give it to her. The pup is innocent, after all."

My swift agreement caught him completely off guard.

Declan froze. Cassia froze too, a flash of astonishment in her eyes.

He had been pestering me about it for days, and I had refused him every time.

"You're not angry?" he asked.

I gave him a faint smile. "You're right. She's a poor thing who has lost her parents and is carrying a pup. We have a duty to protect the weak. Why would I be angry?"

Declan stared at me, his eyes fixed on my face. "You really don't care?"

Of course, he didn't believe me. He stared hard, as if searching for any trace of jealousy on my face. But he found none.

Everyone knew how deeply I once loved him.

Back then, I would flash my claws if another she-wolf so much as glanced at him. He was mine.

Now? I simply held out a parchment scroll I had disguised as a property transfer, folded to show only the signature line.

"I've taken a liking to a manor. I'd like to transfer it to my name as a place to recuperate. You know how busy Pack affairs have been lately. I need a little space."

He paused, then let out a self-satisfied chuckle.

"That's it? No other conditions?"

He signed it without a second glance or a shred of suspicion, using his Alpha's seal.

The moment that golden seal was imprinted, my wolf howled within me.

Freedom.

It was an application to sever our mate bond.

In seven days, when the red moon rose, the sacred mate bond between Declan Rathborne and me would be severed completely.

I stuffed it into my bag and walked out without looking back.

Declan blocked my path, frowning. "Where are you going? Didn't you say you weren't angry? Are you leaving?"

I looked him straight in the eye. "Didn't you ask me to take care of Cassia? I'm going to get her some supplies for her pregnancy."

His expression softened, and a flicker of guilt even appeared in his eyes. "Thank you, Anya. She likes sunlight rose-scented aromatherapy, and her pajamas must be pure silk. Also, she only drinks tea brewed with morning dew. Don't get it wrong."

A sharp pain lanced through my chest.

He remembered everything about her. Every scent, every habit. We had been together for three years, yet he had never bothered to learn these things about me, his own mate.

Yes. He really did care for her.

I nodded. "I'll remember."

I smiled and turned to leave.

Seven days.

In seven days, he would be nothing to me.