Chapter 20 Two hours into the winding mountain drive, the sleek black car finally pulled through the iron-forged gates of the Ashton's ancestral Packhouse. The scent of pine mixed with magic-the old kind-drifted faintly through the air, tinged with the raw power of generations of Alpha blood. The gates creaked open like ancient jaws parting to swallow us whole, revealing a path lined with glowing lanterns and enchanted stones that shimmered under the moonlight. The driveway stretched endlessly before us, glowing as bright as day, and still, it wasn't enough to prepare me for what lay ahead. Riven-Alpha Riven Ashton-wasn't just a powerful man. He was the Alpha of the Ashton Pack, the ruling Alpha family of the Northern Territories. I'd always known his kind belonged to a higher tier of existence, but now... now I felt it in my bones. When the car stopped outside a mansion that looked more like a temple built for gods than for wolves, Riven stepped out first. He reached for me, offering his hand. His touch was warm and commanding-just enough to still the tremble I tried to hide in my fingers. exhaled slowly and looped my arm through his. "I can do this," I whispered more to myself than to him. 'You already are," he murmured, his lips brushing the top of my head. A dozen staff-some humans, others wolves masked in humanoid glamour-stepped forward in perfect unison, bowing low. 'Alpha. Luna." The word hit me like a jolt to the chest. Luna. I wasn't even officially mated yet, and still... they ecognized me as one. hesitated. Riven felt it. He curled an arm around my waist and whispered into my ear, "This place already nows who you are. You belong here, Avelyn. Stop running." The foyer opened up into a grand hall lined with stone walls veined with veins of gold and >bsidian. The scent of aged oak, burning firewood, and old magic lingered thick in the air. Despite being a "family dinner," the place radiated the atmosphere of a royal gathering. The chandelier hanging above glittered with diamonds and moonstone, casting beams across the oom like falling starlight. Packs from neighboring clans, Ashton blood kin, and high-ranking council wolves all mingled in hushed reverence. As we stepped in, every conversation halted. All eyes turned to us. To me. leaned into Riven slightly and whispered, "They're calling me Luna... but we haven't even completed the bond." He smiled faintly, voice calm and absolute. "It's only a matter of time. They sense what I already know." We crossed the room slowly-my heels clicking softly against the marble. Riven slowed his pace to match mine without hesitation, anchoring me with every step. Happy Rejection My Alpha 1/2 87.7% 7:06 pm At the far end of the room, a woman sat on a carved throne of midnight wood. Regal. Ageless. Powerful. Her silver hair was swept back into a braided crown, and her posture exuded Alpha dominance without a single growl. A ring of noblewomen surrounded her like stars orbiting a moon. Riven inclined his head slightly. "Mother," he said. She looked up. Cecille Ashton, Luna Dowager of the North. Her eyes were sharper than any blade, and when they landed on me, I felt the full weight of her scrutiny, that was enough to make my heart thud painfully against my ribcage. "So," she said slowly, her voice like velvet over iron. "You're Avelyn-the Moonveil girl who rejected her pack." Riven answered smoothly, "And your future daughter-in-law." The other women in the room straightened visibly. Some eyes narrowed. Others lit up ir surprise. But no one dared speak. Cecille studied me. "I heard you cut ties with your blood. That's a heavy move for a wolf. Most would call it dishonor." My palms began to sweat, but I met her gaze. 'They gave birth to me," I replied, my voice firm, "but they didn't raise me. They betrayed me Luna. My bond with them was broken long before I walked away. And I don't live by the judgmen of wolves who never knew my truth." The silence in the hall deepened. You could hear the embers crackling in the hearth. Then, to my astonishment, Cecille let out a low laugh. It wasn't mocking-it was approving. She ose slowly, the room parting like water around her. 'You're the second she-wolf in this room who had the spine to say something like that," she saic with a gleam in her eye. blinked. "Second?" She stepped forward, sharp heels echoing on stone. "The first... was me." My breath caught. 'I severed my bond with my birth pack before I married Riven's father," she said. "They called me ungrateful. They cast me out. Said no Luna would ever rise from a dishonored daughter. But your mate's father stood by me. Chose me. Just like my son has chosen you." My chest tightened as the truth settled in. Cecille Ashton placed a hand on my shoulder. "Strength recognizes strength. And you've got the kind that can't be taught. I may be Alpha Dowager, but this house will follow you as Luna-because I will." The room exhaled at once, and Riven's hand found mine again, his thumb brushing the back of Chapter 20 7:07 pm For a second, I just... froze.