Alpha and Luna Rising

Chapter 6

June 18, 2025

Same Day

Jaxon's POV

I'm at the Green Mountain Pack to support my sister as she meets the future Alpha and his ex-mate, and the Beta is showing me around while I wait for them to be done. Once they are ready, he will show me to the future Alpha’s office so I can meet him. Despite having talked on the phone, I’m still nervous about meeting him in person. He sounds like a decent guy, but I wish I could have gotten Dad’s blessing for this alliance, as he wasn’t fond of Alpha Simon McGuire and Luna Claire McGuire.

It isn’t easy to focus on my thoughts because my wolf, Maverick, is pacing back and forth in my head. My patience is running thin, and I finally snap at him by yelling, “Will you stop pacing and calm down?”

After whining a few times, he finally says, “Sorry, I just feel antsy because something good is coming our way.”

“What do you mean?” I ask him.

“I feel as if our second-chance mate is coming.”

“I don’t want one. Haley was and is the only mate for me,” I snarl.

Mav whines in my head and retreats to the back after snarling, “If you want to be miserable and alone for the rest of your life.”

“Look, Mav, I’m sorry. It's just that Haley was my everything and gave me the two beautiful souls who have held me together this past year. I don’t want to replace her.”

Mav stays in the back of my mind, but I don’t have time to continue arguing with him as I'm entering an office. I see my sister, Payton, and her chosen mate, Garrison, sitting side by side on the couch. As I step into the room, Garrison stands up and offers me his spot and takes the chair across from Payton and me. As I got closer, the scent of pumpkin spice and cedarwood hit me. Mav starts pacing while repeating the word "mate."

“Dude, I can’t focus on that now. Can I please get to know Garrison, who chose my sister to be his mate? I want to make sure she will be happy. Especially after losing her fated mate in that rogue attack that claimed Haley.”

“Can we at least ask about Mate or go find her after?” Mav begs like a dog with a bone.

“You know that I don’t want another mate, Mav, chosen or fated. I know Payton felt the same, so I'm surprised she agreed to this.”

Mav sulks back to the back of my mind. I look at Garrison and say, “Why does it smell like pumpkin spice and cedarwood in here?”

Payton sniffles and chuckles before saying, “You're right, bro, it does, and I think it is because of my chosen mate.”

Garrison hangs his head and sighs. Payton comes over, sits on the arm of the chair, and takes his hand. “Garrison, you were in a tight spot. I know you wanted to accept her and feel bad about hurting her.”

“I’m no better than my parents and most of this pack,” he yells, interrupting Payton.

I stand and look at Payton before saying, “This alliance is off, and we are leaving. No one is ever going to disrespect you like that.”

Payton puts a hand on my shoulder before saying, “No, I’m not leaving, and I will go through with the ceremony. I’m not going to let Avalon be hurt more by losing her sister. They bully her in this pack. His parents don't like her. His dad threatened to hand the pack over to his gamma and put Garrison in the dungeons for treason if he accepted Avalon. They also wanted her sister Aura to be his chosen mate to save face with the Beta family.”

I sit back down and look at the floor, searching for something to say. Garrison says, “You are probably smelling my ex-mate on me. Though to me, she smells different. She is the little sister of my future beta. As I was courting Ava, I got to know and care for her. I also learned she wants to be a doctor despite being bullied by most of the pack. I know you lost your mate during the rogue attack last year and fear that you will only add to her pain. All I can hope is that you will give her a chance before rejecting her.

Mav perks up at hearing about our mate. I must say, hearing her story breaks my heart. Did Dad know about what was going on in this pack, and is this why Dad didn’t like Simon or Claire? Before I can get any answers, I hear Mav ask, “Please, can we give her a chance? We don’t have to decide right away. Let’s take it slow.”

Next thing I know, my sister has my hand. “My dear brother, I know what losing Haley did to you, my niece, and nephew. Just because you let someone else in doesn’t mean you have to stop loving her or forget about her. I want you to be happy, and so would Haley.”

“I’m not going to pressure you, Alpha Jaxon. Just know that I will help you meet her if you wish, as my only regret is having rejected her. Though I’m hopeful that I will have a good future with your sister, who is also an amazing lady,” Garrison says while offering his hand.

Garrison and I settled in after shaking hands. We make small talk as we get to know each other better. The more I learn about him. I start to become comfortable with Payton and him being mates. All I want is for her to be happy, and watching them together gives me hope for the first time since Adrian died that Payton will be joyful again. Then her words play in my mind. Mav says, “I know losing Haley felt like losing half of you, as I feel the same way as you. Just because we let someone else in doesn’t mean we have to forget her or stop loving her. Let’s meet Avalon and take it one step at a time.”

“Okay, bud, but we have to do this together. If I meet Avalon, you have to give her wolf a chance.”

“Deal,” he yips before spinning in circles.

We talk for a few more minutes, and I wait for my opening once the conversation dies down. I clear my throat and say, “Garrison, I would like to take you up on your offer.”

He closes his eyes, and I assume he is linking to my mate, Avalon. Payton takes my hand and squeezes it. It’s her way of offering me comfort. As we wait, silence fills the room until the creaking sound of a door opening fills the room. Our eyes go to the door, and in walks a petite lady who is holding the hand of a tall gentleman. Mav starts to growl in my head, and I ask, “What’s up, bud?”

“Someone is holding a mate’s hand,” he says.

Before I can say anything to Mav, Garrison says, “Thanks, Will, for bringing Avalon.”

Will responds, “What is so important that I had to bring my traumatized sister to the back house?”

I’m surprised at the disrespect this Will guy is showing, but happy Mav is no longer growling. Garrison sighs before saying, “Will, I get your concern. That’s why I asked you to bring her up. There is someone who would like to meet her.”

Payton stands up and says, “Will, I give you my word that Avalon is not at risk of any harm,” before she points to me while continuing to say, “This is my brother Jaxon, and he would like to meet Avalon because.

Before she can continue, I raise my hand and say, “Avalon is my second chance, mate. Garrison and Payton have told me a little bit about her, and I would like to get to know your sister, please.”

Will shakes his head and sighs before saying, “She already went through one rejection today. She doesn’t need another,” before turning to Avalon and saying, “Let’s go, sis. You’ve been through enough for several lifetimes.”

“Sorry, Jaxon, I just can’t go through another rejection or suffer any more pain,” she says before turning around and walking out the door with her brother.

I’m in shock, and Mav is sitting in my mind, speechless as we watch Avalon leave the room. I can’t help but think what a force of nature she is and how strong she must be. The next thing I’m aware of is Garrison jumping out of his seat and running out of the room. I look at Payton, and she shrugs her shoulders. Then her eyes glaze over, and she stands up and comes over to me.

“Please stay calm, but Will and Avalon, as they were leaving the pack house, came across some pack members. Those members ended up taunting her, and she ran off,” Payton says calmly.

“Does anybody know where she is?” I ask.

“Will and Garrison are looking for her right now.”

“I’m also going to go look for her,” I say before heading out the door.

Ava’s POV

At home, I’m relaxing on my bed while listening to music when Will enters my room and tells me to change because we have to go to the pack house. So, I quickly change and meet Will downstairs in our entryway. Will grabs my hand, and we head out of the house.

“Why do we need to go to the pack house, Will?” I ask with a trembling voice.

“Garrison’s mind linked me to ask that I bring you to his office in the pack house, as there is someone there who would like to meet you. That is all I know.”

For the rest of the way to the pack house. Together we walk up to Garrison’s office, and Star starts going stir crazy in my mind. “What is going on, Star?” I ask her.

“Something good is coming our way. I can feel it.”

“What is coming our way? You are being so cryptic.”

Before Star can respond, I smell this incredible scent of coffee and vanilla. My heart flutters while my palms start to sweat. No! No! This isn't happening again today. I think to myself. What’s the matter, Av? Will link me

I link back: Just nervous; Star and I are smelling our second chance, mate.

That is awesome, Av.

What if his pack bullies me, or worse yet, he rejects me?

That’s their loss. You’re a wonderful person who will be an exceptional doctor one day.

Thanks, bro.

Before he can respond, we are at Garrison’s office door. Will opens it, and we walk in. Garrison and Will exchange words, and Payton steps in to try to calm the situation. She is about to say that I am Jaxon’s mate, but he interrupts her and says it himself. Jaxon asks me for a chance to get to know him, and I freeze, so my brother declines the offer before I’ve made up my mind. However, the doubts I felt on the way here once I smelled Jaxon crept back into my mind. Before leaving the office, I turn him down and walk away with Will.

Just as we are at the exit of the pack house, Marcus and a bunch of his cronies block it. They start calling me shrimp, runt, he-she, pathetic for trying to get Garrison back, reject, and unwanted.

I hold it together until the pathetic, rejected, and unwanted parts because it hits right at my fresh pain. My pain and I are expendable because I didn’t matter enough for them to care.

“Enough as your future Beta, I order you all to disperse,” Will yells.

It's the first time I've ever seen my brother lose his temper and use his Beta authority in the pack. I feel water start to pool in my eyes, and I don’t even stop to think. I know I refuse to let them see me cry. I shift and take off into the woods. Will hollers my name, but I ignore him. I don’t stop running until I’m out of breath. As I pause to catch my breath, I realize where I am and head to Garrison’s secret spot. I pray that nobody finds me for a while because I need some time to think.

My first decision is to leave this pack as soon as possible. Screw waiting for the semester to start at Stanford. My next decision isn't so easy to make. It's about whether to give Jaxon a chance. Before I can decide, a branch snapping has me jumping and spinning around, looking for the source of the noise.

Slowly out of the woods strolls a large white wolf, with a black spot shaped like a kite-cut diamond with its top broken. I go up and pat its snout, as I feel this wolf is Jaxon’s wolf. He takes a few steps into the woods, and the next thing I hear is the sound of bones breaking. From where the wolf went into the woods, Jaxon appears wearing shorts. He sighs in relief before saying, “Thank god, you are safe. I heard some pack members gave you a hard time. I’m here if you want to talk. Will and Garrison are worried about you, so you should let them know you’re okay.”

“Thank you,” I reply before closing my eyes to link with Will, and I ask him to let Garrison know I’m safe.

I walk over to the bench that holds some of the best memories, now with new meaning. Jaxon comes over and asks if it’s okay to sit next to me. I nod my head yes, as I don’t want to be alone, but I’m still trying to decide if I should give him a chance. I don’t know where to begin with him. So, as I thought about how to start my story, Jax sat beside me, not pressuring me to speak and just letting me come to him. “What do you think, Star?” I ask my wolf.

She replies, “I like him. He is here but not pushing for anything. Maverick, his wolf, has been trying to reach me. We did agree to take it one step at a time. Let’s start by talking and seeing if a friendship grows.”

“Catch you later, Star,” I say before looking at Jaxon and saying, “I’m doing alright; I just didn’t want them to see me crying.”

Jax nods. “Why not go home? Why come here?”

“I just needed a moment to clear my head, and besides home, this is the second place that I feel safe in this pack,” I say with a sigh at the end.

“May I ask why this place makes you feel safe?”

“Every time Garrison and I were able to get together, he would bring me here. He treated me with kindness and thoughtfulness. Besides my family, he was the first person in this pack to get to know me. Everyone else just called me names like "shrimp," "runt," or "he-she." Some would even trip me, push me into lockers, or cause other physical harm. Alpha and Luna don’t care about me enough to put a stop to it.”

“You speak fondly of Garrison despite the rejection.”

“Garrison didn’t want to reject me. His father was going to hand the pack over to his gamma and lock him in the dungeons for treason if he accepted me as his mate. Garrison showed kindness, compassion, and support during the rejection. I’m not trying to say that it doesn’t suck that Garrison and I didn’t have any choice in the decision about our relationship.”

“Garrison mentioned to me that you want to be a doctor.”

I smile for the first time all night. “Yeah, the pack doctor has been kind and wonderful to me, which inspired me to become one. She has been watching over me since birth because, in case you haven’t noticed, I’m shorter than your typical werewolf, and my wolf is the size of a typical wolf. I have a genetic disorder called Turner syndrome. It leaves me unable to have children.”

I pause to give Jax a chance to take in the info. “You really have been through a lot. My sister and I both lost our mates in a rogue attack last year. I have two beautiful children. A boy, who is three years of age, and a little girl who is one and a half years old. Where are you planning on going to school?”

“I got accepted on a full ride into all of the medical schools I applied to, but Stanford is the one that I chose. I made that choice when I told Garrison to reject me because I can’t stay in this pack anymore.”

“There is another option I’d like to offer you. If you feel comfortable enough, I’d like you to move into my pack. You could go to any number of medical schools. We are near Yale Medical School. I know it may seem like a big step, but you can either stay in a separate room on my floor, if that would put you more at ease.”

“I do want to give you a chance. However, I’m nervous that your family and pack won’t like me.”

Before Jaxon can respond, we are interrupted by the sound of twigs breaking, and we turn to where the sound comes from and find three wolves coming out of the woods. The tallest wolf is black with tints of red and brown. Next to them is a grey wolf with white and black highlights, which is very recognizable. The third wolf is pure brown. I go up to Will’s wolf, Axel, and pat his head. I feel a nudge on my back. I whisper to Axel, “Is that Damien behind me?”

Axel nods, and I turn around and rub Damien’s snout. From the corner of my eye, I see Jaxon go up to the pure brown wolf and pat its head before saying, “Hey, Freya. Glad to see you.”

Eventually, the wolves step back into the woods to shift and put on clothes. Will, Garrison, and Payton come out, and we all exchange a hug. Will lingers by my side, glaring at Jaxon. Garrison puts a hand on Will’s shoulder and says, “Will, I know you’re trying to protect your sister. I don’t want to see her get hurt again, but I also don’t want her running off on her own again.”

I go up to Will and take his hands. “You are the best big brother a girl or wolf can ask for. Jaxon has been nothing but kind and respectful. He never made me talk until I was ready and had me reach out to you. It’s because of him that I’m ready to go home and talk to the whole family.”

Will walks up to Jaxon and reaches out his hand. They shake hands, but before parting, Will says, “Thank you, Jaxon, for taking care of my sister tonight.”

“You're welcome; your sister is an amazing lady and will make an amazing Luna one day, but no pressure meant for her,” Jaxon says.

“I thought Ava would make a great Luna as well, and I mean no disrespect to your sister,” Garrison says.

Will chuckles before asking, “Can I take my sister home now? Jaxon, my family may want to meet you once they find out the news.”

“May I have your number before you leave?” Jaxon asks me.

I nod, and Jaxon and I exchange numbers before Will and I head home. Once we enter through the main door, I get a hug from every family member. “Please don’t scare us like that again, young lady,” Mom scolds.

“May we go to the living room, and I’ll explain everything,” I request.

It takes me a few moments to collect my thoughts and figure out how to express them. My family waits patiently for me to start. “ So, Garrison linked Will because he wanted me to meet Payton’s brother, Jaxon. It turns out Jaxon is my second-chance mate. As Will and I are leaving, we get surrounded by Marcus and his gang. They start in on taunting me until Will forces them to stop. I didn’t want them to see me cry, so I ran until I was out of breath. So I stop to catch my breath and realize that I’m close to this spot that I love. To clear my head and make a couple of decisions, I continue to this spot. A few minutes later, Jaxon’s wolf, Maverick, finds me and goes to shift back. Jaxon joins me, and we chat for several moments before Axel, Freya, and Damien find us. They go and shift back, and Will, Payton, and Garrison join us. We all chat for a few minutes before Will and I leave to come home.”

“That’s incredible that you found a second chance, mate, honey,” Mom says.

“I need to meet him to make sure he is good enough for my daughter,” Dad says.

I chuckle before saying, “Will already gave him a tough time, Dad, so play nice.”

“I was just doing my brotherly duty, Av,” Will quips.

“Just as I’ll be doing my fatherly duty,” Dad warns.

I groan before dropping the offer bomb on them, “Jaxon let me know that he would love for me to come live in his pack. I could live in a separate room on the alpha floor, though it makes me nervous being so close, as I don’t want to move too fast. He did mention that his pack is close to Yale Medical School.”

“That’s one of the schools you got accepted into, isn’t it, sis?” Aura

I take a deep breath because I keep going back and forth between Yale and Stanford. “It is,” I reply.

“Why the hesitation, sis?” Jameson asks.

In response, I blurt out, “Stanford is across the country, and it provides less risk of running into anyone from this pack, but it's further from my family. I have a chance to get out of this pack and be closer to home, but I’m scared of running into anyone from this pack.”

Jameson and Will come over, and each takes a hand. It’s Tessa, who is quiet and doesn’t often speak unless you talk to her, who surprises everyone by saying, “It would be surprising if you weren’t nervous or scared. I don’t want to speak for everyone, but I know I’d love to have you closer. If you accept Jaxon, you will never be left alone or have to fend for yourself ever again, as you’ll be under Jaxon’s pack protection.”

The rest of my family agrees with Tessa in hoping that I would be closer. They also added that it was my decision and that there was no pressure from them. With the weight of this decision hanging on me, I decide it's time to go to bed and hope that it brings me some clarity.