Reborn Prince, The Secret of the Silver Alpha

In my past life, my half-brother's wife gave birth to a legendary Silver Alpha, securing his place on the throne of our werewolf pack.

Meanwhile, I had pushed myself to the brink of exhaustion just to help Elara conceive. But all she brought into the world was a weak, mindless runt.

Elara loathed that pup's clumsiness. When the pup failed his first shifting ceremony, her shame turned into a murderous rage. She drew her blade and slaughtered our own child right there, then turned the steel on me so we could die together.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the Great Selection. This was the day the Silver Peak princesses chose their mates from our pack.

I watched as Elara stepped forward and, without a single second of hesitation, chose my half-brother, Caden. I knew right then that she had been reborn, too.

She thought that by choosing Caden, she would birthe a True Alpha and become the Luna Queen.

What she didn't know was that her body was fundamentally broken. Without my intervention, she was never meant to carry a child at all.

1

Our Shadow Creek Pack has always been known for its strength and high fertility.

Even the High King of the Silver Peak Pack, a legendary lineage, came to marry off his three daughters to our princes.

In my last life, Elara was the one who chose me. She claimed that as the eldest true-born princess, she was too good for a lowly bastard like Caden.

Her sister, Selene, had chosen Caden back then. She eventually gave birth to a gifted Dire Wolf pup that everyone adored.

Elara, however, only gave birth to a sickly runt. My father, the Alpha, hadn't cared much at first. He promised that if the pup survived his first shift, I would still be named the heir.

But that pup was born with a broken spirit. Naturally, the shifting ceremony was a disaster.

I wasn't even that sad about losing the title. From the very beginning, I never truly craved the throne.

But Elara lost her mind. She drove a silver dagger straight through our pup's heart.

I had knelt on the cold floor, begging her to stop, but I couldn't move her. The sight of that bloodstained fur still haunts my dreams.

And then, I woke up here. It's the day of the selection again.

My chest still aches where she stabbed me in that past life. Seeing her choose Caden today makes me feel a strange sense of relief.

Finally, that tragedy won't happen again.

But a part of me still feels a bitter sting of resentment. In our past life, that little pup was so sweet. He spent every night training until he collapsed, just to earn a single word of praise from her.

He never stood a chance against her ambition.

Elara never realized that her own body was the problem. Her father, the High King, was too afraid of her temper to tell her the truth.

I only found out much later.

That pup only existed because I had spent every single day nourishing her with my own Alpha essence and blood.

The hatred bubbled up inside me. I clenched my fists tight, hiding my emotions behind a mask of indifference.

King Marcus spoke from his throne. "I've heard the Shadow Creek Pack is blessed with strong bloodlines. These three men are the pack's princes. Daughters, choose your mates."

The High King only had daughters, so this alliance was everything. The men they chose wouldn't just lead our pack; they might one day inherit the Silver Peak territories too.

Elara stepped out first. Her eyes flickered over me with a look of pure disgust before she pointed firmly at Caden. "Father, I choose him."

Caden looked stunned. He couldn't hide the joy on his face.

As a bastard son, he had spent his whole life dreaming of overshadowing me. With the eldest princess by his side, his status would skyrocket.

He reached out and took her hand. Elara leaned into him, acting like a blushing bride.

"Elara, are you sure?" King Marcus asked, sounding skeptical. He knew how arrogant she was and wondered why she'd pick the lower-ranked brother.

"Yes, Father. I love him," she lied through her teeth.

In the last life, she chose me and ended up with a weak pup while her sister surpassed her. There was no way she would repeat that mistake.

The King saw her determination and didn't argue.

As I stood there, lost in thought, a finger pointed toward me. "Father, I want him."

I looked up. It was Selene, the sister who had married Caden in the previous life. She was giving me a soft, gentle smile.

I remembered that in my past life, we barely spoke.

But the choice was made. I couldn't refuse.

The King gave his blessing. The third sister, Jade, was paired with our youngest brother, just like last time.

After the ceremony, King Marcus dismissed us. I turned to leave with Selene, but two figures blocked our path.

It was Elara and Caden.

Elara looked me up and down, her eyes full of contempt. "Little sister, don't let a man's looks fool you. Some people are just pretty wrappers on a broken gift."

Selene might have looked delicate, but her words were sharp. "Sister, he is my mate now. You don't need to worry about what's inside my gift."

She basically told Elara to mind her own business.

Elara's face flushed with anger. "You ungrateful brat!"

She was used to being the boss. In a fit of rage, she raised her hand to slap Selene.

Selene winced and closed her eyes, but the blow never landed. I had caught Elara's wrist in a crushing grip.

"Silas! How dare you! Let go of me!" Elara shrieked.

"Insulting your hosts in public? Is this how Silver Peak royalty behaves?" I sneered. I leaned in close to her ear. "Or maybe you're just jealous because you know exactly what you're missing."

The hatred from my past life spilled out of my eyes.

Elara looked at me, and for a second, she looked terrified. It was as if she remembered the man I was before she killed me.

She jerked her arm away and stepped back. "Whatever. I won't lower myself to your level," she snapped before scurrying away.

It was almost funny. She actually felt fear.

Before they even left the hall, she and Caden were already draped over each other.

Jade, our younger sister, blushed and covered her eyes, though she peeked through her fingers. "Wow, Elara and her husband are so intense."

I knew better. She didn't love Caden. She just remembered that in the past life, Selene and Caden had the strongest pup.

She wanted to be the Queen, nothing more.

I watched them disappear around the corner. A warm, small hand slipped into mine. Selene smiled up at me. "Husband, shall we go home?"

I looked at this gentle princess and said nothing.

Back at my estate, the bedroom had been decorated for the wedding night.

The room was draped in deep reds and gold. It should have been a celebration.

But as I looked at the bed, my stomach turned.

In my last life, Elara was obsessed with getting pregnant. She practically kept me chained to the bed.

Even though werewolves have high stamina, she drained me completely.

I became a ghost of myself, pale and thin. And instead of worrying, she just used my weakness as proof that I was "useless."

She started to enjoy the cruelty. It left me with deep scars that haven't healed.

I looked at Selene. She was fragile, but it was only natural for a wife to want an heir.

After all, that was the whole point of this political marriage.

I hesitantly lifted her veil. Her eyes were shimmering with a soft expectation.

I waited for her to pounce on me, to demand what she was owed, just like Elara used to.

But she seemed to read the tension in my shoulders. She didn't touch me. Instead, she moved to her side of the bed and lay down fully clothed.

I had been holding my breath, waiting for the inevitable.

But Selene never brought it up. We just lay there in the dark, sleeping side by side.

Over the next few weeks, I finally started to relax.

We lived like a pair of old friends who happened to be married.

Selene wasn't a tyrant like Elara. We actually liked the same things.

When she gardened, I helped her pull the weeds. When I played the lute, she was the perfect audience.

I heard rumors from the palace that Elara and Caden were inseparable.

They spent every waking moment behind closed doors.

Elara had even ordered rare treasures from the Silver Peak mountains to "boost" Caden's strength.

If Caden so much as sneezed, Elara would summon the royal healers in a panic.

The townspeople were talking about how they were the perfect, most passionate couple.

I remembered that in the past life, Selene got pregnant with Caden's child after about a year.

I figured Elara was still in her "honey moon" phase of being nice to him.

But I knew her. That kindness had an expiration date.

I put down my paintbrush. The woman in my painting looked like a willow tree in the windDsoft and graceful.

I could see that Selene had some underlying health issues. It was probably why the Silver Peak royals struggled to have many children.

I hadn't decided if I should help her yet.

After all, the price for that help in my last life was far too high.

Selene walked up behind me and looked at the painting. "Your skill is getting better every day, Silas."

I reached up and smoothed a stray hair from her forehead. "It's easy when the model is so beautiful."

Selene's face turned bright red. "Oh, stop," she whispered. Then she looked away wistfully. "If you want to talk about beauty, Elara is the one who truly shines."

My heart grew cold at the mention of her name.

Elara was beautiful, sure. If Selene was a quiet pond in summer, Elara was a wildfire.

She was so beautiful that I had fallen for her instantly in my past life. I loved her so much I was willing to suffer for her.

But she crossed the line when she murdered our innocent child for a crown.

I closed my eyes, forcing the anger down.

When I opened them, I saw the sadness on Selene's face. She was smart; she could sense the weird energy between me and her sister.

I took her face in my hands. "Selene, look at me. In my eyes, you are the only one who matters."

Our hearts felt like they were finally beating in sync.

Before I knew it, she was sitting on my lap.

But as things started to heat up, the disgusting memories of Elara flashed in my mind. Panic gripped my throat.

I began to shake. I pulled away, unable to look at the disappointment I expected to see on her face. "I'm sorry, Selene. I... I can't."

There was no judgment in her eyes. She just rubbed my back gently. "Silas, I don't know what happened to you, but I'm okay with waiting."

Our bond grew even stronger after that.

We spent our days playing music and chess.

A few months later, the news broke that Jade, the youngest sister, was pregnant.

My father was thrilled. It was his first grandchild. He showered them with gifts.

He also started sending me messages, telling me to "step up." I felt a massive wave of guilt.

He probably didn't realize that Selene and I hadn't even finished the job yet.

On the night of the Summer Festival, I took Selene out to see the lights.

We ran into Elara and Caden near the town square.

Since we were all there, we decided to grab dinner together.

Caden looked great. He was wearing expensive Silver Peak silks and jewelry. He looked like he actually belonged in the Alpha line now.

Throughout the meal, they were overly affectionate, making loud, suggestive comments.

Selene and I just ignored them. We ate our food in peace while they put on their show.

After dinner, Caden whispered something to Elara. They both looked at me with nasty smiles.

Caden walked over to me while Elara pulled Selene aside.

Caden looked smug. "Brother, have you seen how Elara treats me? Father is even planning to make me a legitimate heir soon."

I didn't even look up. "Oh? Good for you."

"She said that once I give her a True Alpha son, the High King will declare our child the heir to the Silver Peak throne, too."

Caden sneered. "Being a prince of this pack is nothing compared to what I'll be."

I stayed calm. "Congratulations."

I wondered what his face would look like when he found out she was infertile.

My lack of reaction pissed him off. "You know, Silas... Elara hates your guts. I don't know what you did to her, but she thinks you're pathetic."

I rolled my eyes. "Why should I care? I'm not her husband."

"Even our younger brother has a kid on the way," Caden poked. "Maybe that sickly wife of yours is just as broken as she looks."

I smirked and fired back. "If you guys are trying so hard and still have nothing to show for it, maybe Elara is the one who's broken."

"How dare you!"

Caden snapped. It was clear I hit a nerve.

Werewolves are usually very fertile. The fact that they hadn't conceived yet was clearly eating at him, even if he was too scared of Elara to say it.

Caden was so used to being pampered by Elara that he forgot his place. He swung a fist at me.

I caught it and shoved him back. He tripped and fell onto the cobblestones with a cry.

Elara heard him and came running. She didn't ask questions; she just blasted me with her Silver Peak power.

Their lineage was strong for a reason. I was knocked back several feet.

A pair of arms caught me from behind. It was Selene.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded.

Elara started screaming. "Silas! You coward! How dare you lay a hand on him!"

"Are you blind? He swung first," I spat.

Caden played the victim, lying in Elara's arms. "Elara, it's not my fault. He was saying horrible things... he said you were barren. I just lost my temper."

Elara's face turned purple with rage. "You dared to curse me with infertility?"

That was her biggest fear. In our past life, she was mocked because of the weak pup we had. She lost her chance at the throne because of it.

I felt the hatred rising again. We were the victims in that life, not her.

She tried to crush me with her aura, making it hard to breathe.

But Selene stepped in front of me.

"Selene, move!" Elara barked.

Selene didn't move. She asked me what happened, and I told her the truth.

Selene turned back to her sister. Her voice was steady. "Elara, you protect your husband, and I protect mine. If you think Silas is lying, we can take this to our father and let him decide."

"You're choosing him over me?" Elara mocked.

She looked at me with pure disgust. "Don't say I didn't warn you. This man looks strong, but he's hollow inside. Expecting him to give you a child is a fairy tale. You'll regret this."

"One day, you'll come crawling to me for help."