Ivy’s POV
The sleek black SUV hummed beneath me as Grant navigated the winding roads away from my personal hell. Each mile that passed allowed me to breathe a little easier, like poison slowly leaving my system.
"You okay over there, Princess?" Grant’s deep voice broke through my thoughts. My father’s Beta had always been like an uncle to me, even during the years I barely saw him.
"I’m fine," I lied, staring out the window. The trees blurred together, green smudges against a blue canvas.
"Your father wanted to come himself," Grant said, his knuckles white against the steering wheel. "Alpha Rober wouldn’t allow it. Said it would be ‘too disruptive to pack dynamics.’"
I snorted. "Translation: he’s afraid my father would take one look at that place and burn it to the ground."
Grant’s lips twitched. "Your father does have a certain… intensity when it comes to you."
The road curved sharply, and I caught my reflection in the window. I looked different somehow – older than eighteen, despite my youthful face. Death and rebirth will do that to you, I supposed.
"Princess," Grant began carefully, "your father received some concerning reports. About a certain wolf showing interest in you."
My chest tightened. "Warren."
"Yes." Grant’s eyes flicked to me briefly before returning to the road. "Is that why you wanted to leave so suddenly?"
I closed my eyes, memories of my murder flashing through my mind. The pain. The betrayal. The life of my unborn pup extinguished before it had even begun.
"It’s complicated," I whispered. "I’ll explain everything to you and Dad when we get there. I promise."
Grant nodded, not pushing further. This was why I trusted him – he knew when to wait.
We drove in silence until we reached a small private airstrip where my father’s jet waited. The Silvermoon pack insignia gleamed on its tail in the afternoon sun.
As we boarded, my mind raced with plans. I needed to be smart this time around. No more naive trust, no more blind faith in fate.
"Grant," I said once we were airborne, "I want you to teach me about pack business."
He raised an eyebrow. "Pack business? That’s not usually what teenage girls want to learn about during summer vacation."
"I’m not a usual teenage girl." I leaned forward, my voice firm. "I need to know everything – finances, territory management, alliances. All of it."
Grant studied me for a long moment. "Your father always said you were special. That you had the makings of a true Alpha." He nodded slowly. "Alright, Princess. I’ll teach you. But may I ask why the sudden interest?"
I stared out the window at the clouds below us. "Because I’m not going back to that pack. Not ever."
"Your mother—"
"Will understand," I finished. "She sent me away to protect me. She knows I’m safer with Dad."
The flight attendant approached, addressing me with a respectful nod. "Would you like anything to drink, Princess?"
"Just water, please." I turned back to Grant after she left. "I need to be independent, Grant. I need to be strong enough that no one can hurt me again."
Something in my voice must have worried him because he reached across and squeezed my hand. "Ivy, did someone hurt you at that pack?"
I swallowed hard. "Not yet. But they would have."
The rest of the flight passed with Grant giving me a crash course in pack economics. I absorbed every detail, filing away information that had seemed boring in my first life but now represented survival in my second.
When we landed, my heart began to race. Standing on the tarmac, tall and imposing, was my father. Alpha Cody Hayes commanded respect with his mere presence – broad-shouldered, dark-haired, with the same amber eyes I inherited.
The moment I stepped off the plane, his serious expression melted into a smile that transformed his entire face.
"Ivy," he breathed, opening his arms.
I didn’t hesitate. I ran to him, breathing in his familiar scent of pine and leather as his arms enveloped me. For the first time since my rebirth, I felt completely safe.
"Dad," I whispered, tears threatening to spill.
He pulled back slightly, cupping my face with his large hands. "Let me look at you." His eyes searched mine, concern etching lines around his mouth. "Something’s different about you."
I nodded, unable to speak past the lump in my throat.
"Come," he said, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. "We’ll talk in my office."
The Silvermoon pack house was exactly as I remembered – a sprawling stone mansion nestled against the mountains, surrounded by lush forest. Wolves nodded respectfully as we passed, curious eyes following the Alpha’s daughter who hadn’t visited in years.
My father’s office was a sanctuary of dark wood and leather, with floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the pack grounds. He closed the door behind us, activating a privacy spell with a flick of his wrist – a subtle reminder of our family’s hidden magical heritage.
"Now," he said, settling into the chair beside me rather than behind his intimidating desk. "Tell me what’s happened."
Grant leaned against the bookshelf, his arms crossed. "Whatever it is, Ivy, no matter how crazy it sounds, we’ll believe you."
I looked between them – my father and his most trusted friend – and felt something crack inside me. The dam I had built to hold back my trauma began to crumble.
"It’s going to sound insane," I warned, voice trembling.
My father took my hands in his, his grip warm and steady. "Ivy, I’ve seen things in this world that defy explanation. Nothing you say could make me think you’re crazy."
A tear slid down my cheek. "What if I told you I’ve lived this life before? That I died at twenty-four and somehow woke up on my eighteenth birthday with all my memories intact?"
Instead of dismissal or concern, I saw recognition flash across my father’s face. His grip tightened on my hands.
"Then I’d say welcome to the club, my daughter," he whispered. "And I’d tell you that you’re finally home."