Chapter 118 118

Chapter 118 118
When we finally pulled apart, the heavy, suffocating silence of the hall didn’t just break—it shattered. The crowd suddenly roared into life. It was a physical wall of sound, a mixture of screams, deep howls of approval, and a thunderous round of claps that echoed off the high ceilings. For a second, it was overwhelming, but I didn't pull away completely.

I leaned forward, placing my head against Adrian's chest. I wanted to shut out the noise of the world and hear only the steady, rhythmic sound of his heartbeat. It was fast, echoing my own, a reminder that underneath the titles and the history, he was just as humanly terrified as I was.

I felt his arm snake around my shoulder, holding me with a gentle firmness, while his other hand moved up to caress my cheek. His touch was hesitant, as if he were still waiting for me to pull back or strike him again, but he didn't let go.

I shifted slightly, looking up toward the front of the hall. My parents were standing together, holding each other tightly, their faces wet with tears of relief. Beside them, Silvia stood with her newfound mate. They were wrapped in each other's space, but their eyes were fixed on us, glowing with a warmth I hadn't expected. They were all smiling—really smiling. I looked at their expressions and felt a strange, tingly sensation in my chest. I didn’t know there was such a feeling in this world—this sense of being seen, forgiven, and accepted all at once. It was a dizzying kind of peace.

The music came back to life, the soft melodies from earlier returning to fill the gaps in the conversation. The guests, sensing the tension had finally diffused, went back to their own business. The atmosphere shifted from a courtroom back into a celebration. People began moving again, whispering to one another with smiles, the scandal of the moment turning into a story of reconciliation.

I slowly pulled away from Adrian to catch my breath. For a fraction of a second, he flinched, his eyes darting to mine with a flash of that old fear, thinking I was leaving for good. He regained his posture quickly, but the vulnerability was there. I wanted to reach out and assure him that I wasn't going anywhere not as long as he didn't give me a reason to—but I held myself back. I needed to move at my own pace.

He seemed to sense my hesitation and took a different approach. He reached his hand out, a silent invitation in his eyes, asking for a dance. I looked at his hand, then back at his face, and felt a genuine smile pull at my lips. I placed my hand in his and gave a small, firm nod. A broad, bright smile broke across his face—the kind of smile I remembered from the woods when we were children. He pulled me gently toward the center stage, and for a while, the rest of the pack house didn't exist.

I don’t know how much time passed as we moved together. The world felt blurry, filtered through the music and the steady presence of him. Eventually, however, the party began to wind down. The candles were burning low, and it was time to bid our guests goodbye.
That included Adrian.

As we stood near the entrance, Alexa was so relaxed and excited in my head that she seemed to be purring. She didn't want to let him go; her wolf instincts were screaming for us to follow him back to his territory. Adrian didn't say the words out loud—he didn't ask me to come with him—but his eyes were doing all the talking. They were pleading, searching my face for any sign that I was ready to return to the life we had once shared.

"I can't come with you now," I said, looking away from his intense gaze. I needed time to breathe in this new reality, to exist as my own person in my father's house before I could even think about being his mate again.

"It’s okay," he said softly. I looked back at him and saw that he truly meant it. There was no pressure, no Alpha ego demanding obedience. "I understand. I’ll wait for you, Ashley. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll be there."
I wanted to say a lot of things. I wanted to tell him I was scared, that I was hopeful, that I still remembered the boy in the woods. But nothing came to mind that felt right, so I simply bid him goodbye.
"Bye for now, my love," he responded.
My eyes went wide, and my heart did a strange little flip. Had he really said that? It felt so natural coming from him, yet so heavy with meaning.

Relax, Alexa, I thought, trying to steady my own racing pulse. You’re reading too much meaning into his every word.
You know... this is the second time you've accused me of that just today, Ash, Alexa defended, feigning a huff of annoyance. I could practically feel her rolling her eyes. I didn't argue back; I just smiled internally.

I stood in the doorway and watched as he got into the car. I stayed there until the tail lights disappeared down the drive. When I finally turned back toward the house, I realized I wasn't alone. My entire family—Mom, Dad, and Silvia—were standing there, watching me with knowing, tender looks.
I walked into their midst, and without a word, they surrounded me. It was a massive, tangled hug that smelled like home.

"I'm so happy for you, my babies," Mother said, her voice cracking with emotion. She held Silvia and me close, her hands trembling slightly. "You're both so much stronger than you know. You grew up without us, you found each other when we couldn't help you, and you conquered so much on your own. My Elena and Selena."
"I am proud beyond words, my girls," Father added, his deep voice vibrating with a rare softness.

We eventually pulled apart, and I looked at each of their faces. The weight of the last few years felt lighter than it ever had. "Let's just say... the Moon Goddess planned it all," I said.

"She sure did," Silvia added. Suddenly, her eyes lit up with a spark of energy I had never seen . She grabbed my hand and started pulling me back toward the stairs. "C'mon, we have a lot to talk about!"
I stumbled after her, laughing. The Silvia I was seeing right now was someone entirely new—a lively, girly version of my sister that had been buried under layers of survival and war. I had never seen her like this, and it made my heart soar. I was happy for her, for my parents, and for the first time in a long, long time, I was happy for myself.