Chapter 23 "Luna Emily, I respect that you are an Elder Luna but do you really have to be so harsh?" snapped, my tone sharper than I intended. "Alright, LExie made a mistake-but are you seriously going to pretend your son didn't do anything wrong?" Emily sneered, her wolf's aura pulsing cold and condescending. "Of course, he's not innocent That's why they're perfect for each other, don't you think?" Her voice was steady-too steady. That kind of calm only came from a seasoned Alpha female who'd survived war and betrayal. One who knew exactly how to slice you open with words alone. "Either they get mated quietly," she continued, "or they don't get to be together at all." The room felt colder. I glanced sideways at Lexie. Her eyes flashed amber, defiance rising like a storm beneath he polished surface. Even if all of us wanted her to marry Darius, how do we know if she was stil willing? Before she could speak, I gritted my teeth and relented, shame burning in my chest. "Fine. Nc mating ceremony." Emily let out a bitter laugh, her lips curling. "Well, you've already gotten what you came for. Nov get out. I don't want to see your entire family anywhere near my pack again." Robert, already humiliated, let out a low growl. But we both knew better than to challenge ar Elder Luna in her own territory. Without another word, we left-with Lexie silently trailing behind. Alpha Darius's POV The door slammed shut behind them. The silence afterward was suffocating. Finally, I spoke-my voice barely more than a whisper. "Mom... this wasn't Lexie's fault. Don blame her like that. She doesn't deserve it." Mother turned, her expression unreadable. Then her voice dropped to that dangerous register knew all too well. 'Only a fool like you would still believe her." She walked closer, pulling something out from the folds of her coat-a thick envelope. 'I had my trackers look into her life in France. Her scent trail was easy to follow. All thos powerful males she was 'involved' with? Most of them were already mated. And that girl? She' had her hymen restored more times than you've been to the infirmary, Darius." I flinched, 'I've been smart all my life. Strategic. Feared by packs across the continent. And yet I somehov raised a son who can't see through a wolf in sheep's skin." My chest tightened. I opened the envelope. Each photo inside was worse than the last. Lexie-naked in someone's bed. Lexie-flirting with a known rogue Alpha. Lexie-wearing a collar that wasn't mine. Every illusion I'd held about her... shattered. 7:08 pm A I thought she was inexperienced. Fragile. I thought the way she clung to me in heat, whispered my name like I was her first... was real. It was all learned. Practiced. Perfected. My claws shot out involuntarily, shredding through the envelope. "I gave up Avelyn for this?" I whispered. My voice cracked with rage. "Lexie... how dare you lie to me?" The bond between us-it was weak, but it existed. And now, it burned like poison in my blood. "I won't let you off so easily." Avelyn's POV I was surrounded by silks, lace, and the faint scent of rose oil. For days now, I'd been preparing for the mating ceremony Riven insisted on-a Luna coronatior that would shake the Northern territories. One that would be whispered about in every pack for decades to come. He was sparing no expense. The venue? A sacred mountain in Switzerland blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. The budget? Over 150 million dollars. It was excessive... but it was Riven. Always the Alpha who gave more than I knew how to receive. I'd tried to decline at first. "It's too much," I told him. "I don't need the world, Riven. Just you." But even Cecille had stepped in, her regal wolf energy enveloping mine as she gently took my hands. "Most women only choose their mates once in a lifetime," she said. "It shouldn't be something they're forced to shrink for. Let him honor you. Let him love you loudly." So I gave in. But as the ceremony drew closer, a shadow lingered in my heart. There would be no one from the Moonveils walking me down the aisle. No father, no mother. had severed those ties-ripped them out root and stem. And yet... On the day Claire and I went to try on the ceremonial Luna gowns-gowns stitched with silver thread and blessed by seers-I received a call. It was her My mother. Her voice, once so proud, now sounded small. "Avelyn, please... I need help." Claire frowned the moment I lowered the phone. "Don't tell me it was them again." I nodded slowly. "I need to go back to my parents' pack." Claire grabbed my hand. "Avelyn. No. After everything they've done to you... you don't owe them anything. Not even a drop of your magic. Let them deal with their mess." Chapter 23 213 93.7% 7:09 pm I smiled faintly. "She gave birth to me. Just this once... I'll repay her for that." Claire was already putting on her coat. "Then I'm coming with you. I don't care how fancy the Moonveils or the Nightbanes are-if anything happens, I'm not letting them touch a single strand of your hair." I exhaled. We changed out of our Luna gowns and summoned the guards. The moment we stepped into the black SUV, my heart beat faster-not with fear, but with something worse: The instinctual warning of a wolf walking back into the den that once wanted her gone. was no longer the same girl who'd once begged for scraps of love. was Luna-to-be. And the Moonveils, the Nightbanes... were about to find out what that meant. 7:09 pm