Reborn: Twin's Cursed

~ Chapter 1: Shattered Crown ~

Lia

 The knife felt heavy in my hand, the cold steel biting into my palm as I stood in the shadowed corner of the grand hall. My eyes burned, locked on Liora my twin, my mirror, my thief. She stood radiant in a silver gown, the Northern Pack’s luna crown glinting on her head.

 The crown that should have been mine. Alpha Liam’s arm rested possessively around her waist, his smile sharp enough to cut. That smile was supposed to be for me. He was supposed to be mine.

 The hall buzzed with pack members, their laughter and clinking glasses mocking the storm raging inside me. No one noticed the blade hidden in the folds of my dress. No one saw the plan I had carved into my heart. I took a step forward, my heels clicking against the polished floor, the sound swallowed by the crowd’s chatter.

My pulse thundered, but my face stayed calm a mask I had perfected over months of humiliation.

 Liora turned as I approached, her eyes bright with that infuriating innocence. “Lia!” she called, her voice warm, oblivious. “You came!” She reached for my hand, but I sidestepped, forcing a smile that felt like glass in my mouth.

“I wouldn’t miss it,” I said, my voice sweet enough to choke on. “My sister, the Luna of the Northern Pack. I’m so… happy for you.” The lie tasted like ash. I glanced at the knife, still concealed, and my fingers twitched.

“Maybe when I’m Luna of the Eastern Pack, you’ll celebrate with me.”

 Her smile widened, trusting, radiant. If only she knew why I was here. If only she saw the hatred coiled in my chest, ready to strike.

 I flicked my gaze to Liam, standing beside her, his dark eyes glinting with pride as he watched her. Not me. Never me. That look should have been mine—his love, his devotion, his everything.

 I stepped closer, close enough to smell her perfume, close enough to feel the heat of her body.

“Liora,” I whispered, pulling her into a hug. Her arms wrapped around me, soft and unsuspecting. My lips brushed her ear. “I hope you have a happy life. I’m sorry it has to end here.”

 Her breath hitched, but before she could speak, I drove the knife into her side. A gasp tore from her lips, sharp and raw, as I twisted the blade deeper.

 She stumbled back, clutching her stomach, blood blooming like a rose against her silver dress. The crown slipped from her head, clattering to the floor. The hall fell silent, gasps rippling through the crowd as guards surged forward.

 I turned to Liam, my voice a snarl. “You should have been mine! She took you from me!” His face twisted shock, rage, grief but I didn’t care.

 The knife was still in my hand, slick with her blood. I pressed it to my throat, the edge biting into my skin.

One quick slice, and pain seared through me, hot and final. I collapsed beside Liora, her lifeless eyes staring into mine as my vision faded to black. . .

 I jolted upright, gasping, my chest heaving like I had been drowned and dragged back to life. An alarm clock screamed from the bedside table, its red numbers glaring: 6:00 AM. My hands flew to my throat, expecting blood, but my skin was smooth, untouched. I stumbled to the mirror, my reflection staring back wild-eyed, pale, alive. I should have been dead. I was dead.

“What the hell…” I whispered, my voice trembling. My fingers traced my face, the same sharp cheekbones, the same dark curls as Liora’s.

 But I wasn’t in that hall. I was in my room. The date on the calendar by the mirror stopped my heart: the day of the marriage selection ceremony. The day my life shattered.

 A knock at the door snapped me out of my daze. “Miss Lia,” a maid’s voice called, soft but urgent. “Your father requests you get ready. The Alphas of the Northern and Eastern Packs arrive today. One of them will be your mate.”

 I stared at the door as she retreated, her footsteps fading. My mind raced, piecing it together. The full moon. The ceremony.

 Alpha Keal, the man who had made my life a living hell, chosen for me while Liora got Liam. But I remembered it all every betrayal, every tear, every stab of the knife. I had been reborn.

 A laugh escaped me, low and jagged, as I turned back to the mirror. “I’m back,” I whispered, my reflection smirking. “This time, Liora, you won’t take him from me.”

 I tore through my wardrobe, tossing aside the modest dresses Father preferred. My hands found a sleek black gown, low-cut and daring, clinging to every curve. If I was going to rewrite my fate, I would do it looking like a queen.

 I slipped it on, the fabric cool against my skin, and pinned my curls into a cascade that screamed defiance. Today, I would claim Liam. Today, I would win.

 Downstairs, Father and Liora waited in the grand foyer. Father’s stern face softened as he saw me, but his eyes held that calculating glint I knew too well.

 Liora, in a soft blue dress, gave me her usual smile—bright, trusting, infuriating. She had no idea I had lived this day before, no idea I had already killed her once.

“You look beautiful, Lia,” she said, stepping closer. “Are you nervous?” I forced a smile, my heart twisting with a mix of guilt and rage. “Not at all,” I lied. “I’m ready for this.”

 The heavy oak doors swung open, and my breath caught. Liam and Keal strode in, their presence filling the room like a storm. Liam, tall and golden-haired, radiated charm, his smile disarming yet sharp.

 Keal, darker and broader, carried a quiet intensity, his eyes scanning the room before landing on me.

My stomach flipped, but not from desire. memories of Keal’s cold indifference in my first life burned too deep.

 My Father stepped forward, clasping their hands. “Alphas Liam and Keal, it’s an honor to welcome you to the Western Moon Pack. Today, we solidify our alliances through marriage.”

 My heart pounded as Father turned to us, his voice steady. “I’ve spoken with both Alphas, and we’ve agreed on your matches. Lia, you will go with Alpha Keal of the Eastern Pack—”

“No.” The word burst from me before he could finish, sharp and final. All eyes snapped to me Liam’s curiosity, Keal’s unreadable.

 I stepped forward, my chin high, my voice steady despite the fire in my veins. “I'm sorry father but I reject Keal. I choose Liam.”

~ Chapter 2: Shattered Dreams ~

Lia

 The silence in the room was deafening, every eye pinned on me after my words sliced through the air.

Father’s face twisted, his cold gaze boring into me as though I had spat on his honor. “What is the meaning of this, Lia?” His voice was low, sharp, a warning I knew all too well.

 I lifted my chin, my heart pounding but my resolve ironclad. “I’m making my choice,” I said, my voice steady despite the storm raging inside me. “I want Liam. Not Keal.”

 Before Father could respond, Liora’s soft voice cut in, calm and infuriatingly selfless. “It’s okay, Father,” she said, her blue eyes flickering to me and then to Keal. “I’ll go with Keal. It’s no trouble.”

 I bit back a smirk. She had no idea what she was signing up for—Keal’s cold neglect, his wandering nights, the humiliation that had crushed me in my first life. Let her have him. Let her suffer.

 Father took a deep breath, his jaw tight as he turne