The Scorned Luna Lives Again!

Chapter Thirteen

When the auction ended everyone filed into a large ballroom. It was on par with royalty as a large crystal chandelier lit the room, the soft cream colored walls were decorated with deep red velvet drapes, lush bouquets of fragrant flowers filled the ornate wall sconces along the wall and there were large stained glass windows depicting victories for the ancient pack that once called this place home.

Omegas served a variety of alcoholic and non alcoholic drinks on trays and there were tables filled with the most decadent treats as far as the eye could see. Ashlyn didn't pay attention to the golden candelabras or the elegant centerpieces, her eyes were fixed on the food and soon she had gathered quite the haul for herself.

Content with her serving Ashlyn sat quietly to the side, eating her food and watching people. Soon She wasn't alone as Selena sat beside her, looking worn out and annoyed.

Ashlyn tilted her head as she watched Selena's fists clench and unclench. Her golden eyes were fiery as a group of males sent her taunting kisses and inappropriate gestures. She flipped her black hair over her shoulder and flipped them off but they only laughed at her fury.

"f*****g pigs" she growled in annoyance. She looked over at Ashlyn who sat carefree with a cookie in her mouth. This amused Selena as she chuckled softly. "Not one for appearances are we?" She said teasingly.

Ashlyn blushed a bit. It's true the other ladies hardly ate and what they did eat was light, dainty things but she had suffered enough in her past life trying to fit a broken mold. She resisted and sacrificed so much to be seen as a 'respectable' and 'noble' Luna but it meant nothing in the end so why repeat those same regrets?

With a smile Ashlyn finished her cookie, "Life is meant to be enjoyed, even in the smallest ways" she offered her plate to Selena who took a small pastry with a grateful smile.

"If my manager saw me eating this, he'd be furious." She said with a sad smile before biting into the flakey pastry.

Ashlyn remembered Selena had been abused by her brother who was her manager in the early part of her career. In the past Ashlyn had sponsored Selena for Marcus's company and when she rose in stardom so did his profits. She had been his biggest star but she left after a disagreement between them, some speculated she had seduced him to get to the top but Ashlyn knew Selena better.

Selena was a person of honor and integrity, it was more likely Marcus had let his new found success go to his head and tried to pass a move on Selena and threatened to black list her if she didn't comply. It was obvious to Ashlyn now that she knew the truth about Marcus, Selena had decided to leave showbiz with her head held high rather than to curry favor using her body. Selena had tried to subtly warn Ashlyn in the past but the rose colored glasses were too thick for her to understand at the time, now she could see the situation clearly and felt a sense of awe just being close to Selena.

The two ladies chatted idly, finding a lot of similarities and common interests between them. When Selena saw the necklace on Ashlyn's neck she was impressed by the craftsmanship and ingenuity as phoenix stone is tricky to work with for several reasons, some being that it's rare to find, brittle and if it's not handled right it can lose the light effect causing it to look like ordinary stone.

Ashlyn always had a delicate hand and extraordinary talents, a gift from her mother who was a renowned seamstress. Her late mother had such gifted hands it's said a tapestry embroidered by her would come to life, she passed her artistic talents onto her children.

After a few hours of chatting casually Selena suddenly looked disheartened, her voice soft and full of sadness. "I'm jealous of you Ashlyn...so talented and people have been fawning over your designs...i..i'm afraid I'll never be a big enough star to get away..."

Ashlyn looked at her with sympathy, "get away from what?" Ashlyn knew the truth from the past but she couldn't reveal that knowledge.

Selena sighed as she curled up tighter, "my family." She said quietly.

Selena's family only saw her as a pawn. After her mother died in childbirth Selena had been neglected and abused but once people noticed her natural beauty her father took sudden interest in her. He trained her to dance, act and even sing, keeping her on a tight training schedule that often left her exhausted and isolated. He even controlled her diet to ensure she maintained an 'optimal' weight for modelling and acting gigs. She was miserable but no one would see it, they only saw the glitz and glamour her father portrayed to the world.

Ashlyn grit her teeth, her heart aches for Selena. She tried to think of something to help her get away from her family sooner when she remembered a small film being produced by Starlight Industries. Small budget but the movie did so well the main female lead skyrocketed in popularity, had she not been caught in several scandals she would have been the number one starlet instead of Selena in the past.

"You should try out for Roses and Swords, I have a good feeling about it." Ashlyn said with a knowing smile.

Selena seemed skeptical, it was a low budget period piece but looking at Ashlyn's eager face she sighed softly with a smile. "Alright, I'll try it out."

After some more light chatter the two girls separated. Ashlyn found her brother who had begun networking her talents already, she had many wealthy butters eager to have a designer piece by her. One such was someone she never expected. Ryker Storm.

The fierce alpha of Crimson Fang Pack and CEO of Starlight Industries. He's not only a top tier alpha but also a ruthless businessman, he would have destroyed Marcus in the past had Ashlyn not been as naturally intuitive as she was.

Ashlyn had met once before, his cold silver eyes void of any semblance of warmth or humanity as he stood off to the side away from everyone. Despite his tundra-like temperament, there was a draw between them even in the past though Ashlyn would never act on such things. It was understandable to be drawn to him physically.

He had a warm, sunny complexion that differed from his cold sterling silver gaze, his long silky black hair was always neatly tied back, and he wore tailored suits that complimented his lean, muscular build. He stood at an impressive 6 ft 10 in which was tall even for an alpha. Physically he was a dream, it was easy to see why so many women pined for him, but his personality was less than desirable. He was known to be cruel and vicious in all aspects of his life, even socially he only had his beta as everyone else feared or disdained him.

When Ashlyn saw him again those same feelings of attraction had begun to stir, more powerfully than before. She gulped as she tried to compare herself, her cheeks a soft flustered pink color as she tried to avoid his gaze.

"H..Hello Alpha Ryker." She managed quietly.

He didn't seem to notice her nervous tone as his eyes focused on every aspect of her being. The way her golden curls caught the light and shined like spun gold. The warmth of her soft, golden complexion. The way her eyes shimmered like the finest quality polished rubies. He also couldn't help but notice the way her dress hugged her curves, the swell of her breasts tastefully visible as he looked down at her with a hunger he had never felt before.

Her scent filled his head, honey and fresh roses. Sweet and refreshing. He didn't realize his proximity until her shaken voice whispered his name in his ear. He jolted and immediately stepped back. He looked away feeling a mix of shame and longing to continue.

"My apologies, alpha Ashlyn." His tone was warmer than she remembered. Smooth and deep in a way that made her whole body quiver in a way she wasn't accustomed to.

"I..it's alright. I..I didn't mind..." She gulped down her drink and composed herself, looking up at him for the first time as the tingle of the champagne gave her a small boost of confidence. "How can I help you?"

He smiled a devilishly handsome smile that made her heart race before gently pinning her against the wall, enjoying the way her face turned beet red. "I'd like to commission something for a very special person, think you could handle such a task Alpha Ashlyn?"