It took me five days to get everything in place, but Wanda helped, so I wasn’t doing it all alone. My goal was to humiliate Hugh and Kathleen and make everyone aware of what they’d done to my son.

I told everyone the party was to celebrate Drew’s birthday and his accomplishments, so most were excited to come. It was also a great chance for networking. Alphas could meet, make friends and talk about alliances. I figured we'd have hundreds of attendees and I was pretty happy with that.

Respect and pride are everything for werewolves, especially Alphas. If Hugh lost respect from his pack and other Alphas, he'd face serious consequences and might lose his position. No one would be able to protect Kathleen then. I had to make sure everything was perfect so everyone would be on my side and I’d stay the Luna, the pack’s mother.

I was a bit worn out from my Luna duties and party prep, but I kept reminding myself it would all be worth it.

Two days before the party, I was busy with decorations when a loud commotion broke out. I headed over and found a crowd gathered at the gate.

Pushing through, I saw Kathleen yelling at an Omega maid who was on the ground, holding her cheek like she’d been slapped. I quickly stepped in and asked, “What’s going on here?”

“Good, you’re here! This stupid Omega wouldn’t let me in, talking all kinds of nonsense. Who does she think she is? This is practically my house too!” Kathleen yelled, pointing at the scared maid.

“Back off, Kathleen. She’s just doing her job. I told her not to let anyone in except the workers. This area needs to be prepped for Drew’s party,” I said, helping the Omega up.

“What? That’s ridiculous. Lacey, don’t forget, you may be the Luna, but your Alpha loves me more and things can change anytime. I can come here whenever I want and I don’t care about your weak, sickly son. He might as well die!” she snapped back.

"Watch your mouth, Kath! Get out of here, you’re not welcome!"

"Or what? What can a weak Luna with a weak son like you do? The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, it seems."

I clenched my jaw. "You want to know what I can do? This!" I slapped her hard, putting all my strength into it. She crossed the line by mocking Drew.

Kathleen was stunned and so was everyone else. I had never been violent before, but I didn’t care. She deserved it.

"You... you just slapped me? I’ll tell Hugh about this, just wait!" she said, fumbling for her phone.

Ignoring her, I told the crowd to leave and walked away, leaving Kathleen shaking. I went back to coordinating with the others and 30 minutes later, Hugh stormed in with Kathleen and Frankie.

He marched straight to me and all the Omegas stepped aside, scared of getting yelled at. "Lacey, are you crazy?" he yelled, stopping in front of me.

I looked at him calmly. "You look like the crazy one here, Hugh."

His eyes were wide and a vein bulged on his forehead. He looked furious.

"How dare you lay a hand on her?" he shouted, pointing at me.

"Oh, her? She caused trouble, slapped an Omega and mocked Drew. Ask anyone, there were plenty of witnesses," I said, finally turning to face him.

"So what if she hit an Omega? You can’t slap her, she’s—"

"She’s what?" I interrupted. "Remember, I’m the Luna here. Like it or not, I have a say in this house. She’s just a fallen Luna from another pack."

"I’m the Alpha and I want you to apologize to her now!" he demanded.

“No, Hugh. She’s right. I’m nobody here, I should’ve known my position,” Kathleen said, playing the pity card.

“Kathleen said Drew might as well be dead! She’s the one who should be apologizing,” I shot back.

“No, I… I didn’t say that. I never said that. Trust me, Hugh, I swear I’d never say something like that,” she quickly denied.

My eyes stung as I held back tears. No words could describe how much I hated this woman I used to call sister.

“You did! It’s up to you now, Hugh. Who do you trust? Me and our son, or this bitch?” I yelled.

He hesitated, then turned around and left. Kathleen quickly followed and the tension in the room dissipated. Everyone was whispering, but I told them to focus on the preparations.

Not long after, Wanda rushed over with a concerned look. She had heard about Hugh’s visit and wanted to make sure I was okay.

I smiled, grateful to have such a loyal friend. I assured her that everything was under control.

The hectic days flew by and soon it was the day of the party. The event was set for the evening, with a feast in the great hall and the backyard, under the moonlight. The moon is vital for us, as it’s our source of life and we hold significant events at night, especially during a full moon like tonight.

I wanted all the guests and the Moon Goddess, to witness today’s reveal. The house was bustling since morning and so was I. I had to make sure we had enough food, drinks and seating for everyone. This party had to be perfect.

In the afternoon, I finally saw Hugh arriving. But he wasn’t alone.

As expected, Kathleen showed up, smiling proudly with her bold makeup. She was clinging to Hugh’s arm while he held Frankie’s hand. If I didn’t know better, I’d think they were a happy little family coming to a party together.

It was clear to everyone in our pack that Hugh was seen more with Kathleen than with me lately, but no one dared to offend the Alpha, so they kept quiet.

I rolled my eyes at them and smirked. The show was about to begin.

At 7 pm, the guests started arriving, greeting me as they came in. Hugh took his seat at the center of the long table with Kathleen and her son on his right. I sat on his left and the seat where Drew was supposed to sit was empty. Hugh asked where Drew was and I said, “He’ll come at the end of the party.”

Hugh didn’t push further, probably knowing Drew’s condition had worsened the last time he saw him.

So many people came and greeted us. I had told them on the invitation not to bring any gifts; their presence was enough. Drew wasn’t here anyway, so gifts would have been pointless.

“Alpha Hugh, I’m so proud of your bright son,” an Alpha from a nearby pack said, patting his shoulder.

“Yeah, I heard he’s a great strategist and diplomat like you,” another Alpha added.

“I’ve heard about him at school. My son says he’s unbeatable. Can’t wait to see him grow up.”

“Apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, I guess. With such a great Alpha and wise Luna, no wonder he turned out like that.”

“Where is he? I want to see the awesome birthday pup.”

The flood of praise mostly went to Hugh and he was grinning from ear to ear. Kathleen, on the other hand, looked sour and uncomfortable.

“Thank you for all the kind words. Drew’s not well now, but I’ll bring him over later,” I said politely.

The place was packed with guests and the atmosphere was lively, full of laughter and smiles. Only a few of us knew the truth—that this party was for someone who was already dead. I mingled and chatted, but in the middle of the party, I couldn’t help but feel melancholy.

Drew wasn’t here to be celebrated by all these people. He couldn’t experience the party, laugh, or smile with us anymore. I excused myself to the restroom and finally let my sadness out, sobbing. The grief was still there, not moving an inch even after hatred had consumed my heart.

“Drew, don’t worry, son. Mom will give them what they deserve so you can rest in peace,” I muttered, wiping away my tears.

I fixed my makeup in front of the mirror and just then, Kathleen walked in. She stared at me and chuckled. “Great party, Lacey. Must have been tiring to prepare all this alone,” she said, emphasizing the last word.

“Laugh while you can, Kath,” I replied with a smirk.

“You’re so desperate. This grand party won’t win Hugh over, believe me. He never loved you or your sick son.” She walked into a toilet stall, but I wasn’t provoked. I knew the best part was yet to come.

After returning to the party, I continued to mingle with the guests. Some Lunas praised how good the party was and asked for tips.

At 8 pm, with the moon at its brightest, I called everyone to gather in the backyard. “Thanks so much for coming to this special party,” I started my speech.

I spotted Hugh and Kathleen in the crowd and continued, “As the Luna of the Scarlet Claws Pack, I’m really honored that you’re here to celebrate my son Drew’s birthday. He was such a bright and loving child.”

I paused, letting a smile creep across my face as I thought about Drew. “But unfortunately, he’s no longer with us.”

The crowd went silent, everyone looking confused and exchanging glances.

“Stop talking nonsense, Lacey! Where’s Drew? Why are you being so weird?” Hugh shouted, clearly angry.

“Yeah, why are you saying he’s not here, Luna?” someone else chimed in, puzzled.

Then, I sent a mind link to everyone there, showing a video of my last moments with Drew. It showed him crying for Hugh, his breath getting weaker and finally, his heart stopping. It also showed his body in the casket and his burial.

We had the power to send mind links, but saving a memory like this and sharing it with so many people took a huge amount of energy. Right after that, I collapsed on the ground and saw someone running toward me, but my vision was blurry.

It was Justin Bennett, my childhood best friend. We had been inseparable as pups. He was a strong warrior and one of the Alpha candidates but had been healing from severe battle wounds for years.

He had always been there for me and taught me so much, so seeing him now after all this time was a relief. Justin helped me sit up on the ground. Meanwhile, everyone who had seen my video turned their attention to me and Hugh.

“What are you trying to pull now, Lacey?” Hugh demanded, his face flushed with anger.

“She’s not lying. She’s telling the truth!” Wanda said, stepping out from the crowd.

Hugh laughed. “So this was your scheme from the start. Lacey, I can’t believe you’d go so far—faking memories and trying to make me look like the bad guy!”

I was feeling dizzy and my vision was still off. I rubbed my temples and said, “You can ask Rafael if you don’t believe me.”

At that moment, Rafael appeared with a jar. Hugh looked at him, clearly waiting for confirmation.

“Yes, Alpha. Drew passed away over a week ago. I tried calling you that night, but you didn’t pick up,” Rafael said, holding up the jar. “This is soil from his grave!”