Reborn And Remade: The Wolfless Bride's Revenge

Cori Stanton POV:

The shrill scream of the alarm clock dragged me from a black, dreamless sleep. My eyes snapped open. The scent of mildew and despair filled my lungs. I was in the attic bedroom of the Stephenson manor.

I suddenly realized that I had gone back in time, back to when I was twenty-one, back to that fateful turning point when I was forced to become a substitute bride. And back to the day Pierce Thorne, the man I loved, stood by and watched it happen, even encouraged it. Today, I am to be handed over to Calvin Ramirez-the Alpha Wolf King of the Ramirez pack-to undergo a "Life Stabilization" ceremony. The white dress hanging behind the door is my sacrificial gown.

The door was shoved open without a knock. My "mother," Brenda Stephenson, swept in, her face a mask of pinched impatience. Trailing behind her like a pale shadow was my "sister," Celeste Huff. And just behind Celeste, leaning against the doorframe with a look of feigned concern, was Pierce Thorne.

"Cori, what are you still doing in your pajamas?" Brenda's voice was as sharp as broken glass. "The Ramirez delegation will be here in half an hour!"

Celeste's eyes were red-rimmed, her expression a perfect portrait of sorrow. She tugged on Brenda's sleeve, her voice sickly sweet. "Mama, don't be mad at sister... It's all my fault. If I weren't too weak to withstand the Alpha King's powerful energy, sister wouldn't have to go in my place."

Pierce stepped forward, placing a comforting hand on Celeste's shoulder, his gaze briefly meeting mine with a flicker of something I now recognized as smug satisfaction. "Yes, Cori," he said, his voice soft, almost regretful. "Celeste is truly too delicate for such a burden. It's a great sacrifice you're making for the Pack."

I look at Celeste. Her sky-blue eyes sparkle with deliberately manufactured innocence, but deep within them I see the gleam of triumph and greed. Beside her is Pierce, the man who once promised me forever, now her accomplice.

Memories of my past life come flooding back like a tide: the details I deliberately ignored, the suggestive glances and accidental touches between him and Celeste, are now all crystal clear. I can even recall hearing Celeste's coquettish laughter and Pierce's low reply from below the attic on the night before I was sent away; only now do I understand that behind that laughter and reply was evidence of their illicit coupling behind my back-a blatant betrayal. That innocent face and his comforting lies kept me blinded until the very end.

My older brother, Beryl Stephenson, strode in after them. He positioned himself protectively beside Celeste, his glare landing on me like a physical blow. "What tricks are you trying to pull now, Cori? It's an honor for you to take Celeste's place. Don't forget you're just a wolfless!"

A wolfless. An Omega born without an inner wolf, a genetic dead end. In our world, it was the lowest possible status, a mark of shame. That was the label they had used to grind me under their heel for twenty years.

"Enough chatter," Brenda snapped, waving a dismissive hand. "This is for the good of the Pack, Cori. The alliance gifts from the Ramirez Pack will solve our group's financial crisis. You have to do this."

I leaned back against the dresser, my spine straight. I simply met their eyes, and the corner of my mouth curved into a cold, unfamiliar smile.

My stillness threw them off. Beryl, recovering first, took my calm for defiance. "What is that look on your face? Do you want me to-"

"I'll do it," I said. My voice was quiet, but it cut through his anger like a razor.

A collective sigh of relief filled the room. Brenda's features softened, assuming I had surrendered. "Well then, hurry up. Don't keep-"

"But I have a condition," I said, cutting her off again.

Brenda's face hardened instantly. "You're in no position to make conditions."

Celeste gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in feigned shock, but her eyes narrowed with calculation.

I let my gaze drift over the three of them, my blood-bound tormentors. "I want a Pack Separation Agreement, witnessed by a lawyer, and legally binding."

The room fell into a dead silence. To sever ties with a Pack was to willingly become a Rogue, a wanderer with no protection, no status, no family.

Beryl stared at me as if I'd lost my mind. "Are you insane? Without the Pack, you're nothing!"

A dry laugh escaped my lips, a sound that made them all flinch. "I'm already nothing, aren't I? A wolfless, ready to be sacrificed."

Brenda's eyes were locked on me, her mind racing. I could see the gears turning. The Ramirez alliance and their money were far more important than the fate of one useless "wolfless."

I delivered the final blow. "The agreement must be signed before the ceremony. Otherwise, I won't take a single step out of this room. You can try and see if a corpse can complete the ritual."

Celeste said, to try her sweet, manipulative poison one more time. "Sister, how can you say that? We're a family-"

I shot her a look so cold it stopped the words in her throat. She took an involuntary half-step back. Beryl's contempt was fading, replaced by a wary confusion. He had never seen me like this.

My fingers, hidden in the pocket of my worn pajamas, pressed the screen of my old phone, stopping the recording. I needed proof of their coercion.

Brenda's chest rose and fell in a ragged rhythm. Finally, she ground out two words through clenched teeth. "Fine. I agree."

The color drained from Celeste's face. She hadn't expected this. She hadn't expected me to fight back, and she certainly hadn't expected Brenda to yield.

I added coolly, "And one more thing. All alliance gifts sent by the Ramirez Pack belong to me, personally. That will also be in the agreement."