Since they are still trying to explain things to her… that means that they are still leaving a path open for reconciliation. And perhaps, just perhaps, when everything calmed down, they could talk again. Fix what was broken.
Become a family again.
It was naive.
She knew that.
But she couldn't stop herself from hoping.
Because was it really so easy… to throw away eighteen years of love and family bond?
Ashley chose to believe it wasn't.
Even if she had been hurt, deeply hurt, she still believed things could get better. That this… this was only temporary.
And if Nathan was telling the truth, if everything that had happened was only to help Maddison cope, then maybe… maybe she could accept it.
She knew what Maddison had gone through all those years. She knew how much pain she had endured. So if taking on even a fraction of that pain, pain that was supposed to be hers from the beginning, could help ease Maddison's suffering…
Then Ashley would willingly bear it. Maybe, if she endured enough… if she atoned for everything… Things would return to how they were.
And that thought.
That fragile, desperate belief.
Made warmth bloom in her chest, so overwhelming it nearly brought her to tears. She had thought she had lost everything. But now… it felt like she hadn't been completely cast aside after all.
Lost in that fragile happiness, Ashley drifted into her own thoughts. And failed to notice the way Nathan was looking at her.
"And, Ash…" Nathan's gentle voice filled the room once more, pulling Ashley out of her swirling thoughts. Her emotions were still raw, lingering just beneath the surface.
When he saw her attention return to him, he continued. "You should keep preparing for our mating ceremony," he said softly. "There are less than four weeks left now…"
Then he smiled and stepped closer. His hand rose to her head, resting there with familiar ease as he gently stroked her hair, just like he used to.
For a moment, Ashley felt as if something had exploded inside her.
Hope. Relief. Disbelief.
All at once.
She had already assumed that everything falling apart meant the ceremony would be called off. That, now that she had lost her standing… lost her value… Nathan would begin to reconsider.
After all, he wasn't just her childhood sweetheart. He was an Alpha. The interests of his pack should come first.
And yet.
Despite everything. Despite the rumors… the accusations… the stain on her name. Despite her being labeled as someone who had stolen another's life, an omega who couldn't even shift, someone no pack would willingly accept as Luna.
Nathan still chose her.
He still wanted to go through with it. The realization hit her all at once, overwhelming and consuming. If Nathan was willing to stand by her… to fight for their future. Then she wouldn't back down either. She would endure everything.
Fight through everything.
For him. For them.
Her chest tightened, emotions spilling over as she suddenly threw herself into his arms, like a little bird who was finding comfort from his arms. Ashley clung to him tightly, sobs breaking free as she buried her face against him, holding on as if he were the only thing keeping her from falling apart.
Nathan wrapped his arms around her, holding her gently as one hand came up to pat her head. "Alright… crybaby," he murmured softly. His voice was low, almost like a tender caress against her ear.
"I want you to be the most beautiful woman at our mating ceremony… my future Luna. The one who will share my bed every night… the one I'll wake up beside, and love until the end of my life."
Each word sank deep into her heart.
Ashley's sobs only grew heavier, her fingers clutching at his clothes as if afraid he might disappear. To her, those words weren't just comfort; they were a promise, a future she could hold on to.
Hope swelled inside her, bright and overwhelming.
Love for this man filled her completely, reaching its peak as her fragile world began to piece itself back together around him.
And just as he said. She could already see it. A future where they stood side by side… where she belonged with him.
A future she desperately wanted to believe in.
And so...
After everything had been said, after the "misunderstandings" were supposedly cleared, Ashley threw herself into preparing for the mating ceremony.
She moved forward as if nothing had changed.
When whispers followed her, she pretended not to hear them. When members of Nathan's pack showed their dissatisfaction, she turned a blind eye.
She held on tightly to Nathan's promises, to his words, to his warmth, believing that they would overcome this together. That, with enough effort, enough patience… things would return to how they used to be.
That one day, his pack would accept her again.
After all, even if she had failed to awaken her wolf, she wasn't useless. Her management skills were exceptional, her combat abilities far above most.
Nathan had given her confidence again.
And with that. She felt like she could face anything.
On the fourth day, she received a call from her mother, Luna Cynthia. It was brief, careful… but it only reinforced everything Nathan had told her.
And just like that, Ashley's fragile hope solidified into belief. Her family hadn't abandoned her. They were just… waiting for Maddison to get used to this arrangement. And so, she decided to wait too.
"Sweetheart, are you eating well?" Luna Cynthia's voice came softly through the phone, laced with familiar concern. "I know this has been hard on you… But please, just hold on a little longer, alright? Maddison has only just returned to the family, and she's still very agitated. Every time she sees you, she's reminded that the life she should have had… was yours. She can't handle that right now."
She paused, her tone turning gentler, almost coaxing. "So we had no choice but to send you to Nathan for the time being. But you two grew up together… You love each other. I believe he'll take good care of you, just like we always have."
A faint, reassuring warmth crept into her voice. "And besides, you're going to be his Luna. Staying there now will only help you adjust to his pack, won't it?"
Ashley tightened her grip on the phone, her chest trembling. The way her mother spoke, it was the same as before. Worried… slightly nagging… filled with that familiar, maternal warmth.
It made her nostalgic.
It reminded her of the times she was away at training camps, when her mother would call just like this, checking on her, fussing over the smallest things.
Hearing that tone again…
Slowly, Ashley began to let go.
What had happened before, the cold stares, the harsh words, the moment she was cast aside... She pushed it deep into the back of her mind. Reduced it to nothing more than an unfortunate… unavoidable nightmare.
"Alright, Mom… thank you." Ashley's voice softened, though she tried to keep it steady. "You don't have to worry about helping with the mating ceremony preparations. I know you already have a lot on your plate… especially with Maddison. You still need to guide her through Luna training and help her catch up."