Alison’s POV
The garden had always been my solace from the day I arrived here, a place where the chaos of the pack house couldn’t quite reach me. The early morning air was crisp, carrying the faint scent of dew-kissed flowers and the earthy aroma of freshly turned soil. I sat on the stone bench, my fingers tracing patterns on my skirt, my mind a whirlwind of doubt and pain.
Every harsh word spoken during the meeting echoed in my head like a cruel symphony. Katherine’s cold, unforgiving tone. The smugness in Caitlyn’s grin. The silent judgment of the elders.
You’ll get one last chance.
The weight of those words was crushing. What if I failed again? What if this time, I couldn’t claw my way back? My chest tightened, and I buried my face in my hands.
A soft crunch of footsteps behind me jolted me out of my spiraling thoughts. My head shot up, heart racing.
“Miss Alison.”
I turned to see Luke, Xander’s Beta, standing a few feet away. The golden morning light illuminated his sharp features, his dark eyes calm yet unreadable.
“Luke,” I said, surprised. He rarely sought me out. In fact, Luke was the one person in the entire pack whose feelings about me were a complete mystery. He never voiced his disapproval like the others, but he’d never supported me either. He was an enigma.
“Mind if I join you?” he asked, his voice even, polite.
I blinked, startled by his request. “Uh, sure. Of course.”
He walked over, the gravel crunching under his boots, and lowered himself onto the bench beside me. For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence between us was oddly comfortable, yet charged with unspoken questions.
“How are you holding up?” Luke asked finally, his tone soft but curious.
I hesitated. I could have given him the rehearsed response I’d perfected for situations like these… “I’m fine, thank you.” But his calm gaze held no judgment, only patience. It made me falter.
I exhaled slowly. “If I’m being honest… not great. I feel like I’m trying to swim upstream while the entire pack watches, waiting for me to drown.”
Luke nodded, his expression thoughtful. “That’s understandable. You’ve had a lot thrown at you.”
His lack of pity in his tone caught me off guard. He wasn’t consoling me or making excuses. He was just… stating a fact.
“Can I ask you something?” he said, his dark eyes steady on mine.
“Sure,” I said hesitantly.
“Have you ever considered standing up for yourself? Not just to the elders or Katherine, but to the pack itself?”
His question hit me like a slap. “I’ve tried,” I said defensively. “I’ve done everything I can to prove myself, but they aren’t budging.”
Luke tilted his head slightly. “Sometimes it’s not about grand gestures or proving much. It’s about connection.”
“Connection?” I echoed, frowning.
He leaned back slightly, his posture relaxed but his gaze intent. “Have you tried connecting with the pack members? Not as their future Luna, but as Alison? Talk to them, listen to them, help them.”
I blinked, caught off guard by his suggestion. “I… I don’t think they want anything to do with me.”
Luke’s lips quirked into the faintest of smiles. “You might be surprised. Start small. Visit the pack schools. Talk to the kids. Help the less privileged. Sometimes, it’s the little things that matter the most.”
I studied him, searching for any trace of insincerity in his expression, but there was none. His words stirred something in me, an ember of hope I thought had long since burned out.
“Do you really think that would work?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
He shrugged. “It’s worth a try. At the very least, you’ll be showing them who you really are. And that’s more powerful than any title or ceremony role.”
For the first time in what felt like days, a flicker of determination sparked within me. Luke was right. I couldn’t keep waiting for approval to be handed to me on a silver platter. I had to earn it.
“Thank you, Luke,” I said sincerely, meeting his gaze. “I really needed to hear that.”
He nodded, a small, approving smile tugging at his lips. “Good luck, Alison.”
With that, he stood and walked away, leaving me alone with my thoughts. But this time, the crushing weight of doubt had lifted, replaced by a fiery resolve.
Back inside the pack house, I headed straight for the kitchen. The aroma of fresh bread and simmering soup greeted me as I entered, the kitchen maids bustling about in their morning routines.
“Everyone, listen up,” I said, my voice firm but kind.
The maids froze, their eyes wide as they turned to face me.
“We’re going to cook lunch for the pack schools tomorrow,” I announced. “And I want it to be special. Something they’ll remember.”
There was a beat of silence before one of the maids, a middle-aged woman named Marcy, stepped forward hesitantly. “You mean… all of the schools, Miss Alison?”
“Yes, all of them,” I replied.
“But that’s a lot of food,” another maid murmured.
“I know,” I said, my tone firm. “That’s why I’ll be helping. I’ll be cooking alongside you. But I don’t want this getting out yet. If I hear even a whisper of this outside this kitchen, the one responsible will regret it. Understand?”
They nodded quickly, murmuring their agreement.
“Good,” I said, my tone softening. “Now, let’s get started with prepping necessary things for the main cooking tomorrow.”
As they began gathering ingredients, I gave them detailed instructions, my mind racing with plans. I didn’t just want to feed the pack’s children. I wanted to connect with them, to show them that I cared, not as their future Luna, but as Alison.
Back in my room, I stood before my closet, sifting through my clothes. I needed something practical yet approachable, something that would make me seem less like the distant figure they viewed me as and more like someone they could trust.
Finally, I settled on a simple pair of jeans and a soft, pastel sweater. As I pulled my hair into a loose ponytail, I caught my reflection in the mirror.
My eyes, though still red-rimmed from the tears I’d shed, held a new light. Determination.
“This is just the beginning,” I murmured to myself. “They’re going to see me for who I really am. Not just Xander’s charity case mate. Not Caitlyn’s competition. Just… me.”
I glanced out the window, the sunlight streaming through the glass like a promise.
It wasn’t going to be easy. But for the first time, I felt ready to fight, not with words or power plays, but with the strength of my heart.
“Moon Goddess,” I whispered, closing my eyes. “Help me show them. Help me make this right.”
When I opened my eyes, the spark of hope inside me burned brighter than ever.
I wasn’t just fighting for my place in the pack anymore. I was fighting for myself. And I was done letting fear hold me back.