Chapter 251
Chapter 0251
“Do not take another step forward until I tell you to,” James says in an eerie voice.
My feet freeze in place. I try desperately to move them, but I cannot. This time it is not shock stopping me; it is something else. Has James been made alpha already? If so, why did no one tell me?
my fated
“Understand this, Stephanie. Even if our parents had been right about us, EVEN IF you were r
do mate, I would not want you. After all that you have done, after all the wolves that you have hurt, you not deserve to be mated to a ranked wolf, and you certainly do not deserve to be luna of this pack. You will, however, be getting your just rewards soon.”
With that, James turns around and continues to lead Lily to the stage.
I feel like I have been slapped hard. I look around and notice for the first time that everyone in the hall is
staring at me.
Great, just great. There are almost 500 witnesses to my embarrassment. Where is my mother? Where is
Sheila?
I turn to walk away. To my relief, my feet allow me to retreat. I will go find my mother and find a way to fix this. I remember her telling me that if James refuses to forgive me for faking my kidnapping and having Jackson, she had a backup plan. It is time to find her and figure out what that plan is. Maybe the plan can
help me get justice against Lily too.
I take about ten steps before I feel a strong grip on my shoulder. I turn around and find my brother Nick looking back at me. Oh, thank the Goddess. I immediately hug him and start crying into his chest. My tears are not my actress tears; these are legitimate tears of heartbreak like I have never felt before.
“Oh, Nick. Thank the Goddess you are here!!! Did you see what James and Lily just did to me?”
Nick nods. “Yes, I saw.”
“What is happening, Nick? Please!!! Tell me what is happening?!?!”
At first, Nick does not say anything. I look up at him, and he has a strange look on his face. There is sympathy and pain… but something else as well. I do not know what it is.
“Nick?” I ask in confusion. “What… what is going on? What is happening?”
“What should have happened a long time ago, Stephanie,” he says softly.
His comment does not make any sense to me, but before I can ask another question, I hear James’ voice, Nick gently spins me around, and I see James and Lily standing side by side on the ballroom stage.
“Good evening, everyone,” James bellows into the microphone. “I am pleased to welcome you to
tonight’s f
festivities. The ballroom looks beautiful; there is no doubt that a lot of hard work has gone into
making tonight a very special night. Please, before we get started with this evening’s agenda, join me in
giving a round of applause to the all of the dedicated staff who have worked incredibly hard to make
tonight so special.”
Most people around me begin to clap, including Nick.
am getting more and more confused. Why are we thanking staff members? We have never done that in
the past. Is that a new thing? Why would we thank staff when my mother and I were the ones who made
all the arrangements? The staff may have done the labor, but everything they did was our idea.
And what the f&&k agenda is James referring to? The only agenda for tonight was celebrating my
homecoming and my engagement to James.
The clapping ends before I can make sense of everything.
“Now, with that, let’s move to the next stage of tonight’s celebration. I would like to begin by inviting a
number of very special wolves to come forward.”
Special wolves? What special wolves? He and I are the only “special wolves” supposed to be here.
A curtain behind James lifts, revealing a large box with seats in it. There are three tiers, each with around
six seats in it. It resembles a human jury box or a makeshift orchestra seating area. This was not part of
our plan. What is going on????
“Let’s start with the members of the werewolf council,” James announces.
There is applause as they take the stage. James directs them to sit in a set of chairs on the other side of
the box.
“Now, let’s bring up some other wolves that I know you all know very well. Margie, Robert, and Stephanie
Brogan, please take the stage.”
I do not move. No way am I heading, up to that stage unless someone tells me what is going on.
“Margie, Robert, and Stephanie Brogan, take the stage now,” Lily says into the microphone. “You can take
a seat in the jury box.”
Suddenly my feet begin moving against my will. What, is happening?!?!?!
Next, James and Lily ask Alpha Randall and Luna Jane to take the stage, as well as Sheila, and a half
dozen other individuals that I know my mother has on her payroll.
I look at my mother in confusion. She looks worried.
“I do not know,” she replies. “But do not worry. Whatever is going on, they will not get away with it. I got Neil on our side yesterday. We are going to be fine.”