I had walked through the gates of the Hale Pack's territory more times than I could count. Back then, I was Julian's sweetheart the she-wolf everyone believed was destined to be his Luna. There was no mark, no bond ceremony, but everyone already saw me as his.
Fate, however, had other plans.
I did become Luna Hale but not to Julian.
I became mate to his uncle, Alpha Lewis.
As we drove toward the pack mansion, Lewis spoke in that calm, steady tone of his.
"The bonding ceremony happened a bit suddenly," he said. "I've only just informed the pack elders. Tonight's gathering might feel… informal. I hope you don't mind."
"Not at all," I murmured. "Let me help you inside."
Maybe it was everything I had been through betrayal, exile, heartbreak but somewhere along the way, I stopped expecting loyalty from anyone. My family had abandoned me. Julian had turned his back. Yet through all of it, Lewis never stopped looking for me. He visited my grandmother when no one else did. That mattered more than I liked to admit.
It wasn't love. Not yet. Maybe not ever. But I wanted to take care of him. Maybe it was gratitude, or maybe my wolf simply recognized the strength in his aura the kind that once shielded me from ruin. Either way, it didn't change my purpose. I still had revenge to finish.
I pushed his chair reinforced steel instead of a wheelchair across the gravel driveway leading to the Hale mansion. My heels clicked sharply against the stones. The mansion loomed ahead, modern glass and steel mixed with ancient pack symbols etched into the walls.
At this hour, I knew Julian and James were likely at the pack offices. James's mate Lewis's stepmother, Vicky had moved back into the main house once Lewis returned. They spent every morning groveling before Elder Jeffrey Hale, the old Alpha, hoping to earn his favor.
Today, only Jeffrey and Vicky were home.
When we entered, Vicky was kneeling by the hearth, pouring herbal tea for the old Alpha. His silver fur shimmered faintly beneath his human skin proof of a wolf too powerful to ever fade.
I could barely hide the distaste that rose in my throat.
Vicky was the she-wolf James had chased for years. She had joined the pack already carrying another's pup but still insisted on mating in. James had fallen hard, forsaking his true mate until she wasted away from grief.
After her death, he paraded Vicky through the packhouse as his "true love."
Jeffrey never accepted her. Disgusted, he shifted his loyalty to Julian, grooming him as the next Alpha.
Vicky, of course, had taken in Camilla her daughter from another pack. Camilla despised me, so naturally, Vicky saw me as a threat too.
She always tried to act like the perfect Luna graceful, well-bred but I could smell her desperation beneath the perfume and silk. She flaunted her jewels, clinging to luxury like a wolf clings to her rank. Even knowing Jeffrey despised her, she still played the obedient daughter-in-law, terrified that Lewis might inherit everything and leave her with nothing.
Once, Jeffrey had favored me. He used to humiliate Vicky at the dinner table, saying, "No matter how much gold she wears, she'll never hide the scent of deceit."
But me he said I had the blood of true leaders. That I was the only one fit to carry the Hale mark.
That comparison must have burned Vicky's pride raw. She and Camilla made my life miserable back then.
I endured it once. I wanted peace. I didn't want to shame my mate or start pack conflict.
But this time?
This time, I wasn't here to be gracious.
Just before we entered the living hall, I glanced down at Lewis. "Alpha," I said quietly, "if one of your pack attacks me, am I allowed to fight back?"
He didn't even look up. "If you tear their throat out, I'll clean the mess. Do as you please I'll stand behind you."
That was Lewis. Even the old Alpha treaded carefully around him.
I stepped into the hall. My heels echoed sharply on the marble floor, every click a reminder I was no longer prey.
Jeffrey, older now and half-blind, squinted toward me. His voice carried the weight of command. "Are you the she-wolf they call Ashbourne?"
"Yes, Elder," I replied softly.
But as I moved closer, his cloudy eyes widened. Recognition flickered then shock.
"Elena," he breathed. "You've returned."
Vicky froze mid-pour. The teapot trembled in her hands, spilling steaming tea across the tray. The scent of fear hit my nose first sharp, sour, unmistakable.
Her face drained of color.
"You… you're supposed to be dead," she whispered, her voice trembling as if she were seeing a ghost.
Maybe she was.
I walked across the marble floor toward Elder Jeffrey and gave a polite nod. "Hello, Elder. I'm Riley."
His cloudy eyes blinked a few times before he reached for his glasses. When he finally looked at me, his whole body went still.
"Riley?" he repeated softly, studying me like he was seeing a ghost. His brows furrowed. "You look… just like her."
I tilted my head, feigning confusion. "Who do I look like, Elder? I've only just returned to the territory. I don't know much about what's happened while I was gone."
He hesitated. For a moment, I could hear the faint hum of his wolf energy shift through the air a ripple of power, old but still commanding. Then he straightened and masked whatever emotion had flickered in his eyes.
"It's nothing," he said quickly, brushing it off. But his gaze didn't move from my face. His eyes were full of unspoken questions.
I could tell, from the way his shoulders had been stiff when I walked in, that he had planned to keep his distance maybe even test me, intimidate me. But the moment he saw me, something inside him changed. His tone softened. The Alpha's chill melted away. His wolf recognized something in mine. The past, perhaps. Or a ghost he thought long gone.
Instead of the cold welcome I expected, he surprised me by speaking first.
"I heard about you and Lewis," he began, his voice low and measured. "We planned to hold an official bond ceremony first, but since both of you are already aligned, we won't oppose it. It may have happened fast, but we'll take care of the formal rites soon. You're part of this pack now. You won't be disrespected."
Then he turned slightly, gesturing toward a woman standing near the doorway. "This is your sister-in-law, Vicky."
The irony nearly made me laugh. Once, she had been introduced to me as my future Luna Julian's mate, the woman who thought she'd stand above me forever. Now, the Moon had twisted our paths until she stood beneath me in rank.
I smiled sweetly and stepped forward. "Nice to meet you, Vicky," I said, extending my hand. "I'm still new to many things here. I hope you'll guide me."
She didn't move at first. Her face was pale, and her eyes wide, as if she was looking at someone who shouldn't exist. After a long, tense moment, she gave a short nod, her hand trembling slightly as she took mine.
Jeffrey's sharp eyes noticed her hesitation. His aura flared faintly a reminder that even old wolves could still command obedience. "Go see where the others are," he ordered, irritation threading through his tone. "This is Riley's first day in the packhouse. No one should be absent."
Vicky's mouth twitched. "But, Elder," she began softly, "Camilla hasn't been well lately. She might not "
"Camilla?" he cut in, letting out a dry, humorless laugh. "That girl isn't even truly pack. Whether she shows up or not doesn't matter."
His words were harsh, but they didn't shock me. Jeffrey had never hidden his dislike for Camilla, especially after what she'd done years ago the whispers she spread, the betrayal that broke the bond I once thought unshakable.
Vicky's expression tightened, though she tried to hide it behind a polite smile. Camilla was her pride, her weakness. Losing the old Alpha's approval meant losing everything.
"This is an important evening," she said quickly, bowing her head. "I'll make sure she comes. I'll also check on the kitchen. Please make Riley comfortable."
I smiled, tilting my head slightly the perfect image of a polite Luna. "Vicky, you don't have to be so formal with me. We're family now."
I paused, pretending curiosity. "Oh, and who's Camilla? I'd love to bring her a gift next time I visit. It's only right to show respect to pack members."
Her polite smile faltered for just a second before she forced it back. "She's my daughter," she said shortly. "There's no need for gifts."
"Oh, your daughter?" I replied lightly. "Then that makes her my niece, doesn't it? With a mother as beautiful as you, I'm sure she's just as stunning. I can't wait to meet her."