Reborn, I Chose the Alpha King

My husband Elias is the heir to the Shadowclaw pack Alpha.

In the eighth year of our marriage, a group of Rogues ambushed the pack.

Elias and I both died in their attack.

When I woke again, we had returned to when we had just started dating.

In my previous life, we were married for eight years.

Our life should have been blissful, but he adamantly refused to have children.

Later, I accidentally learned that he still couldn't forget his first love, Serena.

I was his fated mate.

When he first met me, he broke up with Serena and swore on our wedding day that he would only love me for the rest of his life.

But I never expected that after marriage, he still loved Serena.

After being reborn, I decided to set us both free.

We severed our mate bond and never saw each other again, becoming strangers.

Eight years later, he had already become the Shadowclaw pack Alpha and announced at an inter-pack banquet that he and Serena would soon marry.

Seeing me still attending the banquet alone, he mocked me.

"Aisling, I know I'm charming, and you've loved me so deeply in both lifetimes that you can't help yourself, but you don't have to cling to me forever."

I pretended not to hear and took my son's hand beside me.

Elias's face instantly turned bloodless, his eyes bloodshot as he demanded:

"Didn't you say you'd only love me for life? How could you have a child with someone else?!"

Eight years later at the joint pack banquet, Elias and I met again.

After treating several patients in succession, I was dizzy with exhaustion. Without freshening up, I went straight to the banquet venue.

In the crowd, Elias and Serena stood at the center with their fingers intertwined, receiving adoration from various werewolves.

"Alpha Elias, you're truly remarkable! Under your leadership these past years, Shadowclaw pack went from nearly being absorbed to firmly holding the northern territory. You're a legend among us werewolves!"

"Of course! I heard the Alphas from several surrounding packs are lining up to form alliances with him but can't even get appointments. The meeting gifts alone are in the hundreds of thousands, worth years of our tributes."

"Alpha Elias, I have some resources. For old times' sake, help me out?"

Someone asked with a laugh: "Alpha Elias, seeing how sweet you and Serena are, are you getting married soon?"

Serena's cheeks flushed as she looked up at Elias tenderly. Elias squeezed her hand, his smile confident: "That's right, February 25th."

Everyone offered congratulations.

A werewolf suddenly asked: "Alpha Elias, you and Aisling were so passionate back in the day. Are you still in contact? I remember when you played guitar and sang love songs for Aisling in front of everyone!"

Hearing my name, Elias's smile froze for a moment, his lips pressed tight.

But Serena gripped his hand tighter, her voice gentle and gracious: "Elias and I are about to get married. What do you thinkhas he moved on or not?"

Everyone laughed and continued flattering them.

But I remembered that the "love songs" the old acquaintance mentioned were what Elias had stayed up countless nights training to prepare when he confessed to me.

In my previous life, at my 19th birthday party, I discovered Elias was my mate.

And then I completely fell for him.

He once cupped my face, his eyes blazing: "Aisling, I'll marry you, mark you, make you the Luna of Shadowclaw pack!"

I believed him and devoted myself wholeheartedly to him.

Unfortunately, in my previous life, he deceived me.

I walked into the banquet hall with a composed expression. Sharp-eyed old acquaintances immediately noticed me.

"Aisling! You're finally hereyou're late!"

"Hey, for such a formal occasion, why didn't you change into a proper dress? You just came in a casual shirt? Can't afford one?"

"Have you been living so poorly all these years? Do you need me to introduce you to a job?"

Several people who saw my simple clothing couldn't help but mock me.

From the moment I appeared, Elias's gaze locked onto me.

I nodded slightly at him as a greeting.

He froze, and those wolf eyes that once mesmerized me showed indiscernible emotions.

"Aisling, after all these years, you're still the same as beforeno ambition."

Serena gently took Elias's arm, looked me over, and said softly: "Elias, she hasn't had it easy, but we shouldn't keep rubbing salt in her wounds. After all, we're old friends."

She changed her tone, "But wearing this to a banquet... is a bit casual. A woman over thirty should know to dress decently. I have a spare dress in my car. I'll give it to you to wear so you'll at least look presentable."

Her words drew a few low laughs.

Indeed, at that moment I contrasted sharply with them.

Serena wore a haute couture gown, exquisite makeup, and a gentle smile. Elias was in a sharp suit, broad-shouldered and narrow-waisted, hair perfectly groomed, every gesture radiating elite sophistication.

And I had just finished an all-nighter treating injured werewolves after a Rogue attack. My face was exhausted, wearing a wrinkled cotton shirt and pants, travel-worn.

"Thank you, but no need." I politely declined and went straight to the buffet area.

Treating patients earlier had consumed too much energy. I was now hungry enough to eat an entire cow.

Just as I was focused on eating, Elias suddenly walked over and placed a check beside my hand.

Two hundred thousand.

"This moneyfor old times' sake, to help you out. You don't need to pay it back. Go buy some nice clothes, find a decent job, treat yourself well."

"Aisling, let the past be the past. Don't keep dwelling on memories."

"If back then... forget it, there's no point talking about it now."

"What matters is, don't give up on yourself just because I left, okay? You being like this makes things very difficult for me."

I set down my knife and fork and looked up at him in confusion.

I suddenly found it laughable. What sin had I committed in my previous life to make him so decisive yet "merciful" in abandoning me after rebirth?

In my previous life, we went from young and passionate to experiencing Shadowclaw pack's rise and fall together.

Shadowclaw pack was still a weak pack at the time.

Elias was still the Alpha heir, constantly working to become Alpha, while I wanted to become a doctor and was always studying medicine.

At that time, a highly skilled old doctor from another pack appreciated me and wanted to take me as a student. But because I loved him, I gave up the opportunity to advance my medical career and took on the pack's logistics and medical affairs early on, using my meager strength to support our territory and his reputation within the pack.

Time and again when he was injured in Rogue attacks and became dispirited, I shouldered all the treatment and recovery, coaxing and encouraging him with gentle words.

I thought he understood my love.

But when he was seriously injured once and urgently needed a rare herb for healing, and I showed difficulty because I couldn't gather enough resources for equivalent exchange, he smashed all the medical equipment on the spot.

He yelled at me with red eyes: "Aisling! It's all your fault! If I hadn't broken up with Serena, her family's resources would definitely have brought me great help. I would have already become Alpha! How could I not even obtain one herb!"

"Being with you was my biggest regret!"

Later, he became dispirited for a long time. His father almost gave up on him and chose another son as the Alpha heir.

And I was stabbed to pieces by his words of "regret," unable to sleep night after night.

But I didn't give up. I wanted to salvage things. I hugged him and begged in a low voice: "Elias, let's have a child, okay?"

But he pushed me away hard, his eyes full of disgust: "I hate you! Having a child with you would make me sick! I will never have a child with you in this lifetime!"

Those words were like ice picks piercing through me.

The day those Rogues attacked the pack, when their poisoned blade pierced my chest, I actually felt a sense of relief.

Now that we've both been reborn and tacitly chose to sever our mate bond and become strangersthat's fine.

I pushed the check back, my tone flat: "No need. I don't need charity from strangers, thank you."

Elias frowned, looking displeased.

"Aisling, what do you mean? I'm a stranger?"

I nodded: "What I wear is my freedom, and I can buy it myself. My job is also very respectable, not shameful. And I haven't failed to move on. Donate this money to werewolves who need it."

His fingers holding the check turned slightly white, but he stood there without moving.

Serena quickly walked over. Seeing the check, a flash of understanding crossed her eyes. Her face still wore a proper smile, but her tone had hardened: "Aisling, if you don't want money, surely you'd accept a real job? I know a medical clinic at a fringe pack that's short-handed. Five thousand a month. Not much, but you'd learn a skill and could eventually open your own clinic. I'll give you the contact information for the person in charge. How about it?"

I didn't even raise my eyelids and continued eating.

"Thank you, but I'm very satisfied with my current job and don't plan to change."

Werewolves watching the excitement chimed in: "Aisling, stop being stubborn. They're being kind to help youdon't be ungrateful."

"Exactly. Living like this, can't even afford nice clothes, coming to a banquetisn't it to make connections? The olive branch is right in front of you, and you're still acting proud?"

Serena's face was plastered with a fake smile: "Everyone, don't say that. Maybe Aisling really does like her current job." She turned to me, "Aisling, we're doing this for old times' sake. Don't be stubborn for the sake of pride."

I really couldn't understand where this sense of superiority in forcing money and jobs on people came from.

If we were being serious, all these people combined probably weren't as wealthy as me.

"Really no need, thank you."

Serena's smile remained unchanged, but the contempt in her eyes was undisguised.

Elias's knuckles turned white gripping the check, and he began sneering: "You're really pathetic! Given an opportunity and you don't know how to take itno wonder you're poor!"

This was like a signal. Several ill-intentioned werewolves gathered around.

A portly werewolf walked up to me swaying with a wine glass. His eyes looked me up and down lecherously: "Aisling, seeing you so pitiful makes me feel bad. How about thisyou let me touch your chest, and I'll give you a thousand. Too little? I'll add more."

Other werewolves laughed, and no one stopped him.

I frowned. This banquet was truly foul. If I weren't still waiting for someone, I would have left long ago.

I was about to call a server when Elias suddenly grabbed the man's wrist.

His presence dropped dramatically, displaying his Alpha authority, his face terrifyingly dark.

"What do you think this banquet is? If you want to throw your weight around, go somewhere else! She's not someone you can touch!"

The man winced in pain but didn't dare make a sound.

Serena grabbed Elias: "Elias! What are you doing!"

Elias's eyes were ice cold: "I'm helping out, can't you see? If you're going to act crazy, I suggest getting your head checked!" He then threw the man's hand aside.

The man didn't dare provoke Elias and could only glare at me viciously.

I was somewhat surprised and glanced at Elias.

He would actually help me?

Serena could barely maintain her gentle expression and stiffly changed the subject: "I heard the Alpha King and his family are also upstairs. We're lucky todaywe might get to see them."

The werewolves got excited.

"The Alpha King? That Caius who became Alpha King before thirty? I heard he married quite early, and the Luna Queen is so well protected she's never appeared publicly!"

"More than that! The Luna Queen seems to be a medical expert with quite exceptional medical skills!"

"We might see them in person today? What a treat!"

As the words fell, a group of Beta guards escorting a little boy about five or six years old walked into the hall.

The crowd instantly erupted.

"With this escort, it must be the Alpha King's son! He's so handsome!"

The lecherous werewolf from earlier sidled up to me again, lowering his voice with foul breath: "Aisling, if it weren't for Serena and Alpha Elias, how would someone like you ever be qualified to see such important people? If it were me, I'd have thanked them long ago. Just accept the arrangement obediently. Not only can you get that five-thousand-dollar job, but maybe..."

His gaze swept over me lecherously, "You could also receive my affection."

I glanced at him coldly, preparing to call the guards.

At that moment, the little boy being surrounded scanned the entire venue, and his gaze suddenly fixed on me.

His previously expressionless little face instantly bloomed with a huge smile. He broke free from the guards and ran toward me.

Under everyone's astonished gaze, he plunged into my arms.

"Mommy! I finally found you"