Alison’s POV
I woke up to the first rays of sunlight filtering through the curtains, but the light did nothing to chase away the heavy dread weighing on my chest. My heart thumped erratically, a wild rhythm of anxiety that refused to settle. Today was the day. The Ancestor’s Ceremony.
“Please, Moon Goddess, I prayed silently, staring up at the ceiling. Help me get through this. Help me prove myself”
The quiet plea echoed in my mind as I forced myself to get out of bed. My feet hit the cold floor, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to calm the tremor in my fingers.
The bath was lukewarm, but it did little to ease the knot in my stomach. I scrubbed every inch of my skin, as though washing away my doubt and fear. As I slipped into the dress I’d carefully chosen… a soft, flowing cream-colored gown with intricate embroidery symbolizing the ancestors, heard the door creak open.
I stiffened. Only one person entered my room without knocking.
“Xander,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper.
He stood in the doorway, his broad shoulders filling the frame. His dark eyes, so often unreadable, softened when they met mine. My heart clenched. We hadn’t spoken much since the disaster at the last gathering. The distance between us had felt like a canyon, impossible to bridge.
“Morning,” he murmured, stepping inside.
I turned away, focusing on the mirror as I fixed my hair, trying to ignore the way his presence stirred my wolf. She pushed at the edges of my control, urging me to go to him, to touch him, to let him in.
But I couldn’t. Not yet.
“I know we’re not on the best terms,” Xander said, his voice closer now. I hadn’t even noticed him moving toward me. “But I wanted to say I’m sorry.”
I froze, my hands stilling in my hair. Slowly, I turned to face him.
“For what?” I asked, though I already knew.
“For not standing up for you,” he said, his gaze steady but filled with regret. “I should’ve said something. I should’ve defended you.”
A lump formed in my throat, but I swallowed it down. His words were what I’d wanted to hear, but they didn’t erase the sting of his silence when I’d needed him most.
“I’ll do better,” he promised, stepping closer. “I won’t let you face this alone again.”
The warmth of his arms wrapped around me before I could respond. My body tensed at first, but his scent… earthy and familiar melted my defenses. I rested my head against his chest, allowing myself a moment of weakness.
“Are you ready for today?” he asked softly, his chin brushing the top of my head.
I pulled back, meeting his gaze. “I think so,” I said, though a sinking feeling still lingered deep in my gut.
“I believe in you Ally, see you outside” he said before kissing my forehead and walking out
The walk to the ceremonial grounds was tense. As I passed members of the pack, their whispers followed me like a dark cloud.
“I heard she’s been in contact with Alpha Kendrick, you know,” one voice murmured.
“Really? What if she’s really spying for him?”
“Wouldn’t be surprised. She’s not one of us after all.”
The words cut deeper than I wanted to admit. I kept my head high, pretending I didn’t hear them, but each comment chipped away at my confidence. What baffles me the most was how they knew about Kendrick contacting me
By the time I reached the gathering, I was a bundle of frayed nerves. The grounds were beautiful, a testament to the sleepless nights I’d spent overseeing every detail. The decorations hung from the trees like shimmering stars, and the scent of freshly cooked food filled the air.
For a brief moment, I allowed myself to feel pride.
The ceremony began blissfully, with the elders leading the rituals and pack members participating with enthusiasm. I stood at the edge of the crowd, watching, hopeful that perhaps things might go right for once.
But the feeling didn’t last.
It happened so fast. One of the large decorative stands, laden with symbols of the ancestors, wobbled precariously. The sound of cracking wood pierced the air, followed by a collective gasp.
“No!” I screamed, rushing forward as the stand collapsed.
It was too late. The heavy structure crashed down, hitting a little girl who had been standing nearby.
Chaos erupted.
The child’s wails of pain echoed as pack members scrambled to help. Her parents knelt by her side, their faces pale with fear.
“This is unacceptable!” someone shouted.
“She can’t even organize a simple ceremony!”
“This is what happens when you put an incompetent person in charge,” another voice hissed.
I stood frozen, my heart pounding. My breath came in short, panicked gasps as the whispers grew louder, harsher.
“She’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
“She’s not fit to be Luna.”
“Omega Caitlyn would never have done this.”
The comparison stung like a slap to the face. Tears blurred my vision, but I refused to let them fall.
Before I could gather myself, a hand grabbed my arm, pulling me roughly.
“Inside. Now,” Katherine’s cold voice commanded.
I stumbled after her, barely able to keep up as she dragged me toward the pack house. Her grip was unrelenting, her nails digging into my skin.
The moment we were inside, Katherine rounded on me, her eyes blazing.
“This,” she spat, motioning toward the direction of the chaos outside, “is the final straw. I gave you a chance, Alison. I gave you the opportunity to prove yourself, and you failed. Miserably.”
Her words were like daggers, each one piercing deeper than the last.
“I-I swear… I didn’t know-” I began, but she cut me off.
“Don’t you dare make excuses,” she snapped. “You’re reckless. Incompetent. And you’ve embarrassed this pack more than enough, you need to leave now!.”
Tears spilled over despite my efforts to hold them back. “I didn’t mean for this to happen believe me!,” I said, my voice trembling.
“Meaning isn’t enough,” Katherine hissed. “Action is what matters, and you’ve proven time and again that you can’t handle the responsibility of being Luna, I wonder why Xander still sticks to a walking disaster like you.”
The weight of her words crushed me, and I felt my knees buckle. Before I could fall, a firm hand gripped my shoulder.
“That’s enough Mother,” Xander’s calm voice said, cutting through the tension like a knife.
I turned to see him standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable.
“Mother, I appreciate your concern, but I won’t have you berating her like this,” he said firmly.
Katherine glared at him, her lips pressed into a thin line. “This is out of your hands Xander, she is leaving the pack this instance… ”
“She’s going no where mother,” Xander interrupted, his tone leaving no room for argument.
Katherine huffed, but she stepped back, her icy gaze still fixed on me.
Without another word, Xander took my hand and led me out of the room.
The pack house corridors blurred as he pulled me along. My tears fell freely now, silent and hot against my cheeks.
“Xander,” I whispered, my voice breaking.
He stopped abruptly, turning to face me. His hands cupped my face, his thumbs brushing away the tears.
“Let’s get you to your room, we will talk later,” he said softly, his voice filled with sincerity.
But his words couldn’t erase the whispers, the judgment, or the crushing sense of failure.
As he led me down the hall, one thought consumed me, I was done for.