Alpha and Luna Rising

Chapter 5

June 18, 2025

Two Weeks Later

Ava's POV

News spread fast about Garrison and me being mates. I graduated with honors on June 6, and I haven't left the house out of fear because once word got around about Garrison and me being mates, threatening letters were slipped into my locker. Now they are being dropped into the mailbox. From my dad's office, I can hear him screaming, and from the side, I can listen to whom I believe is the Alpha.

To make matters worse, my brother sat us all down the day after graduation. The serious look on his face makes my heart drop to my stomach. Before he can say anything, I ask, “Garrison is going to reject me, isn't he?"

My brother shrugs his shoulders and says, "All I know is that Garrison told Luna about you being his mate. She told the Alpha, and he threatened to charge Garrison with treason and to sentence him to life in the dungeons if he accepted you. They haven't spoken since. Alpha and Luna suggested he take Aura as a chosen mate, which makes the situation even worse."

Dad growls and Aura whimpers before saying, "I want my fated mate, though."

"They are despicable beings to think replacing one daughter for another will make things right," Dad snarls.

My brother runs his hands through his hair, and Raine asks, "Are you okay, baby?"

"I hate that my best friend has to make a decision that directly impacts my sister, who has been hurt enough by this pack," my brother replies.

I get up and hug my brother. I also hug Aura. They fiercely hug me back. It felt like they were trying to convey their support and love to me in that hug. With calmness, I look at Aura and say, "No matter what you decide, I would never be angry with you," then turn to Will and ask, "Who will run the pack if Garrison accepts me?"

He lowers his head before mumbling, "Corbin."

"Whatt? First, they insult me by waiting to swap daughters around. Now he insults me by passing my son if his son doesn't do as told," he says, standing up with a red face.

Mom goes over to him and places a hand on his shoulder, gently pushing him back into his chair. It helps calm him some. It's not until I grab his other hand that his face goes back to normal, but a look in his eyes tells me that the anger is only simmering beneath the surface. Will looks at Dad and says, "We can talk later, Dad."

It's code for let's not talk about that in front of Avalon. My following words take my family by surprise. "Will, tell Garrison that he needs to stay out of the dungeons and lead this pack. Yes! I'm aware that means he'll have to reject me. I took that chance when I let Garrison court me. By stepping aside, all I ask is that his dad accept my rejection of the pack. I'll ride off to Stanford and not have to come back to this goddamn evil pack."

They raise their eyebrows at me. "What? I'm just tired of this pack's bullshit," I say before storming up to my room.

In anger, I tore down my countdown to my mating ceremony. Stupid. Stupid. I shouldn't have gotten my hopes up. Foolishly, I thought Garrison would accept me. Instead of carrying on in my rage, I breathe until I'm calm. To occupy my hands and mind, I make a new countdown that counts down to the day I leave this godforsaken pack.

The next several days pass in a blur, and now I'm standing in my room on the day of my mating ceremony, looking at myself in the mirror. I'm wearing this lavender floor-length dress and studying the makeup placed on my face causing me to not recognize myself. I must have zoned out because I feel arms wrapping around me. It's Aura, and I hug her back. "Aura and Av, will you get down here now, or we'll end up being late?" Mom yells.

Aura whispers, "You know she hates being late. Are you okay?"

I nod my head because I don't trust my voice. "Liar, but we are all here for you. Just keep that head up," she says as she pulls me out the door.

Mom wraps me in a hug and says, "I know today is not what you thought it would be. I love you, my sweet, strong girl."

We pile into the waiting car, and it takes us to the pack event building. I sigh before starting to reach out to open the door. It startles me when the door opens on its own. My dad stretches one of his hands, and I take it. He helps me out and hugs me. Next are my brothers, and soon my whole family surrounds me as we walk into the building together.

I gasp as I walk into the room. My family did a beautiful job with decorating. The room looks magical. I whisper a thank you to them. As we get closer to the front, Garrison catches my eye. He looks so handsome in his black tux. Under the tux jacket, he is wearing a blue shirt with a purple tie. He is standing next to his parents, and Star growls in the back of my mind. "Behave, please, girl. I don't like them either. However, I need you to get through this day with my head held high," I plead.

"I'm behind you, girl," she replies before falling to the back of my mind.

Once we are standing by Alpha and Luna, you can feel the tension filling the air. Garrison whispers in my ear, "Are you okay?"

I nod because I'm scared, and I don't want it to show in my voice. I can't help but notice I'm standing in the presence of Alpha and Luna, who made it known that they don't like me for no good reason, and I'm trying to keep myself together. "You got this. You are doing great," Star says.

"Welcome, everyone," the Alpha says with a gleeful smile plastered on his face.

"Shall we start the ceremony?" Luna chirps.

Garrison rolls his eyes before taking my hand. He gives it a quick kiss. Garrison sighs before saying, "Ava, I want to thank you for the chance to get to know you. You are a breath of fresh air and never wanted me to be somebody else."

"Son," Luna warns as the Alpha balls his fingers into fists.

"Mom, just let me say what I need to say," he says before continuing, "I don't care if it hurts either of your feelings," he says before turning back to me and saying, "I'd love nothing more than to accept you." However, your beautiful soul asked me to put the pack first by rejecting you, which keeps me out of the dungeons. Thank you for loving me as I am and protecting me by being brave enough to go through this rejection."

I never planned a speech but after hearing Garrison's words. I feel compelled to respond. "Thank you for being the only pack member outside of my family to show me kindness and support. You have given me hope for finding a chosen mate. You have also given me the confidence to leave this pack behind me when I leave and never look back. I know that you'll make a wonderful Alpha for this pack. So, you'll need a Luna that the pack will respect and support. We all know that they will never have any respect for me, despite having done nothing to harm anyone in this pack."

The smile fades from the Alpha's face. Luna smacks him on the shoulder. She looks as if she is holding back tears. Garrison places his hands on my shoulder to get my attention. Once he has my attention again, he bends down and whispers, "Are you sure you want to continue with the rejection?"

I see the concern shining in his eyes, and it almost makes me reconsider. A knock at the door pulls our attention to the end of the room. A trembling Omega walks in and stammers, "Sorry to interrupt, but there are several pack members here demanding to witness this ceremony."

"No!" Garrison yells.

The Alpha looks at the Omega and says, "Let them in."

Garrison looks at his father and says, "Mating ceremonies are supposed to be for friends and family only."

Luna says, "You're the Alpha, and pack members are family."

"You just want to humiliate Avalon even more. I wouldn't put it past you to have invited the whole pack," Garrison scoffs while my family nods their agreement.

All this does is reaffirm why I'm here in this hall, willing to get rejected. Through the knot in my vocal cords, I manage to say, "Yes, I'm sure. I'll never be safe in this pack."

My family nods in agreement. The Alpha tries to protest, but Garrison stops him with a glare. The Omega arrives with Marcus and a few cronies. Corbin stands up, goes over, and kicks Marcus and his friends out. Garrison and my family stare down the Alpha. Garrison snarls, "After today, you are no longer my father," and then turns to his mother before saying, "If you keep supporting him, you'll also lose me."

I grab and squeeze his hand before saying, "I apologize for causing all of this."

My family growls, but Garrison silences them before saying, "Their hatred is causing all of this."

Luna says, "I don't hate her."

My mom snarls while giving Luna a death glare and saying, "With all due respect, Luna, actions speak louder than words."

The Alpha crosses his arms in stubbornness. Garrison pulls me to him and whispers, "I, future Alpha Garrison McGuire of the White Mountain Pack, reject you, Avalon Stone, as my mate and Luna."

Pain radiates in my chest, and my knees start to buckle. The fact that Garrison is holding me upright keeps me from falling. He whispers, "I got you. Take your time."

The Alpha relaxes his folded arms and smiles, which gives me the strength I need. I steady myself, say a prayer to Selene not to mark Garrison, and whisper back, "Thank you for making this easier. Brace yourself because it is going to hurt. I, Avalon Stone, reject you, future Alpha Garrison McGuire, as my mate."

We both end up kneeling and holding each other's hands as the pain of our bond snapping courses through our bodies. Once the pain dies down enough, Garrison stands and helps me up. I start to leave the room because, as much as I love my sister, I'm not ready to witness her becoming my ex-mate's chosen mate and Luna. My dad comes to me and wraps me in a hug, whispering. "I know you believe what's going to come, but trust me and stay. I won't leave your side."

Will also pulls me into a hug as he whispers, "I'm also going to stay by your side."

Will releases me, and he and my dad take my hand, and we walk over to my family. The remaining family stands by us, leaving me in the middle. Garrison looks at me and says, "I know you are thinking I'm going to take Aura as my chosen mate and Luna. After being forced to give you up, I had to plan my next steps," before turning to his parents and saying, "Well, choosing Aura would be your dream come true. After hearing her express wanting to find her fated mate, I can't take that away from her. So, Aura, you are free to go search for your mate just as I've searched for a chosen mate over the last few weeks."

Luna walks up to Garrison, takes his hand, and asks, "Have you chosen her already? I thought you were concerned with our tie to the Beta family?"

He sighs before looking at his mother and saying, "Not that you or Dad actually care, but it has been Will and his father helping me look. I met with them shortly after Dad's command and your silent agreement. If forming an alliance that even Dad couldn't make doesn't prove I'm capable of running this pack, Alpha and Luna, nothing will."

Luna covers her mouth before composing herself and asking, "Who is going to be your Luna?"

Alpha snarls, "How did you ally with the Ocean Moon Pack?"

"Not that you deserve to know," Garrison starts his explanation before adding, "After having to reject my mate, I felt obligated to let Aura find hers. Will and Beta Stone were kind enough to help me find my chosen mate, who didn't want a mate or had lost their mate."

Luna smiles and says, "Did you choose Payton Downing? She is a fine choice, son."

"I agree with your mother, son," Alpha says.

Garrison growls but stops at the sound of a door opening. A beautiful, tall woman walks gracefully through the door and up to the Alpha family.

The woman sticks out her hand to Luna while saying, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Luna McGuire. My name is Payton Downing."

They shake hands, but Garrison interrupts by asking, "Where is your brother and beta?"

"They're touring the pack grounds with the current Gamma. I'd really like to meet this Ava person you, Beta Stone, and future Beta Stone have been talking so much about."

At Garrison's request, I take a shaky step forward and extend my hand. Payton surprises me by pulling me in for a hug and whispers, "Sorry you had to go through this. No one should lose a mate."

The hug should feel awkward, but instead, it feels warm and comforting, and it helps me gain a little confidence to say, "Thank you."

She lets go, and I feel two gentle hands on my shoulder. Garrison walks over and whispers, "I hope you find all the happiness in the world."

"Thank you, Garrison, and I wish you two all the best. Do you mind if I head home now?"

"Of course, you may head home. Sorry for keeping you here longer, but I wanted you to know that I wasn't planning to make Aura my chosen mate and Luna. I want you to have your whole family."

We shake hands, and I head out with my family. I ask for some space and go up to my room. Before crying myself to sleep, I thank the moon goddess for not giving Garrison a rejector mark.

Garrison's POV

The day after the fight with my parents. I'm still not talking to them, and I'm sitting with Will in my office. He tells me Ava wants me to reject her because she wants me to take over this pack. "Why is she thinking of this pack and putting it first? They could give two rats' asses about her," I snarl.

Will chuckles before saying, "She cares about you, dude. She doesn't want you to go into the dungeons. Besides, you are the best leader to move this pack forward, and she isn't blind to that."

"Speaking of moving this pack forward. Do you mind if I pull your dad into this meeting?" I ask.

He nods, and I pull at Beta Stone's thread in my mind and say, Beta Stone Will is in my office, and it will be my honor if you join us for this meeting.

Give me five minutes and I'll be there. Beta Stone links back.

About five minutes later, there is a knock on my door, and I say, "Come in."

In walks Beta Stone, and I gesture for him to sit by his son. As he sits, I take a deep breath to organize my thoughts. This man is more of a father figure to me than my father ever was. How could two parents force their child to do something they don't want to do?

I bow my head to Beta Stone and say, "Beta Stone, thank you for joining us. I want you both to know I did plan to accept Ava. However, my parents gave me an ultimatum. As a result, Ava has asked me to reject her. My parents want me to choose Aura as my mate to maintain peace between our families. However, Aura wants to find her fated mate. I will not take that away from her or force Ava to lose a sister. So, I need to find a chosen mate, and I would love your input."

"No offense meant, Alpha Garrison, but why ask us?" Beta Stone replies.

"Well, Sir, I haven't spoken to them since the night they gave me their ultimatum. I respect you, Sir, and I don't want this situation to create a rift between us. I value your opinion. I'm looking for a she-wolf who either doesn't want a fated mate or whose mate is deceased. I don't want to force anyone away from their fated mate like I was."

Will and Beta Stone nod. "There is one she-wolf that fits your description. She is the sister of Alpha Jaxon of the Ocean Moon Pack. They both lost their mates in a rogue attack a couple of years ago. Her name is Payton, if I'm remembering correctly. We have never had an alliance with the Ocean Moon Pack in our history, and this is an alliance even your father couldn't form."

I pick up the phone and dial the Ocean Moon Pack number. Alpha Jaxon answers, and we hash out a tentative alliance when Payton agrees to be my chosen mate. Jaxon and I hammer out the details of the coalition. Jaxon apologizes to both Betas, and we end the conversation.

Will leaves the office, and I look up to see Beta Stone looking at me, so I ask,

"Is there anything else you need, Beta Stone?"

"I just wanted to talk to you for a moment. I'd love your permission to leave the pack when and if my daughter does."

"I thought you would stay to help Will?"

"As much as I would love to help my son. I should also be there for my daughter. I'll always be available by phone."

He nods and says, "I'm so sorry, Sir. I truly hate this whole situation."

"I know you do, son. As a father, I hate that this situation is causing my daughter pain, but I also see the pain it is causing you as well. I truly dislike your parents for not seeing the pain they are inflicting on you both."

"I hope she finds the happiness she deserves."

He nods to me before leaving the office. Before I knew it, the day of my mating ceremony was here. Dread instantly fills me. I can't help but think, am I really going to reject my fated mate? I get dressed and make my way downstairs. I freeze when I see my parents standing at the dining room entrance, and I want to turn around and jump out of my window. Before I can turn around, my dad says, "Son, please join us for breakfast."

Mom looks at me with sad puppy-dog eyes, making it impossible to refuse to eat with them. I fight the need to roll my eyes. Instead, I thank the moon goddess for giving me Ava and apologize for having to reject her match. My mom comes over to me and says, "I can't imagine how hard today is going to be for you. Will you at least join us for breakfast?"

"Mom, please, I don't have it in me to pretend to be a happy family."

"Son," my dad growls in warning.

"Please," she pleads.

"I'm sorry, Mom. Maybe in time, but today of all days, I can't pretend."

Before I know it, I'm wearing a suit with a blue dress shirt and purple tie, and I'm standing in the hall waiting for Ava to arrive. My breath catches when I see Avalon enter the room. She is beautiful in this flowy floor-length lavender dress that matches my tie. I take a glance at my parents and see my mom's eyes widen in shock, and my dad's face turns into a scowl.

As Ava gets closer to me, I can feel her nerves radiating off of her. I check on her, and she nods. My dad starts the ceremony, but as we get to the rejection part, we are interrupted by Marcus and a few of his minions. I fight to keep the moment private, but I do my best to protect Ava when my parents overrule me. So. I whisper my rejection and tell her to take her time. Briefly, I hope that Ava has changed her mind; she tells me to brace myself and goes through with her rejection. We hold each other, letting the pain reside.

I ask Ava to stay so she can meet Payton and see that I didn't go through with choosing her sister. I'm giddy at knowing I one-upped my dad by allying with Ocean Moon. My giddiness doesn't last long when my parents are thrilled by my choice. I let Ava leave with her family and turn to Payton to ask, "Where are your brother, Jaxon, and his beta, George?"

"They are touring the pack with the gamma," she answers confidently, but she seems like she wants to say something else.

I smile at her and ask her, "Please, mind-link Jaxon and let him know I'd like to have a meeting with him?"

She closes her eyes, and I take this moment to reach out through the mind link to my dad's Gamma and say, 'Can you please show Alpha Jaxon to my office?'

"Yes, sir," he responds in my mind.

I look at Payton and can't help smiling at her, saying, "Shall we go meet your brothers?"

She nods her agreement, and I take her hand, which feels warm and comforting, like two destroyed souls finding each other. We walk to my office, making small talk, just getting to know each other.