Filed to story: In the Shadow of the Past Luna (Lily & James)
Forty-five minutes later, Sheila’s older sister encouraged her to go to the stage to get a better view of the event. Sheila did not need to be told twice; this was a day that she had been dreaming of for years. She quickly snuck onto the stage, hiding behind the red curtain that currently hid the wedding arch from the audience. She moved the curtain just slightly so that she could peek out. Awe-struck, she stayed and continued to watch.
Meanwhile, Stephanie had just arrived. She had gone to the pack as planned, but found that almost everyone was gone. Placing her suitcase on the bed in her old room, she found the invitation to the wedding memorial waiting for her. She was immediately enraged, and quickly headed to the opera house to stop the event.
Dressed in blue jeans, a sweatshirt, and a black bob wig-her normal traveling attire when trying to hide her identity- she made her way there, not even bothering to properly park her car. The security guards did not bother to question her until she got close to the stage, but at that point, Nick’s mate and Sheila’s older sister Jenny-who must have recognized Stephanie despite her outfit- told the guards to let her through. 2
Stephanie was so blinded by her anger towards Sheila that she did not question why Jenny seemed unsurprised that she was alive and well. Instead, Stephanie simply demanded that Jenny show her where
Sheila was. Jenny ushered Stephanie to the stage and then stepped back.
Separately, Jenny mind-linked members of the Movement to let them know that the plans had just changed. She asked that sound be cut to the front-stage microphones and that all of the back-stage microphones-where Sheila and Stephanie now faced each other- be turned on. Finally, she begged that no one be allowed to intervene until further order. 1
Receiving confirmation from members of the Movement -and a few choice curse words from James- Jenny sat down in a nearby chair. She was close enough to see everything play out in real time, but far enough to not be in the way. Jenny smiled as she watched her two long-term enemies angrily glare at each other, and she prayed that the drama and revenge would be just as sweet as she had dreamed.
Soon, the sound of two she-wolves yelling and cursing at each other filled the opera house. As the alpha and beta couples listened, they and everyone else- found themselves frozen in place. They could not have intervened even if they wanted to; they were too shocked by the sound of the voice that they had not heard in over six years, and shocked too by the revelations that were quickly coming out during the course of the she-wolves’ argument.
(Author POV)
Stephanie and Sheila continued to glare at one another. Given the way that the stage was set up -with thick red curtains on either side of them- they had no idea that anyone else could hear them. Nor did they realize that Jenny had her cell phone recording their interaction and live-streaming it, meaning that everyone in the opera house and backstage could not only hear the interaction, but also watch it.
even
Of course, if Stephanie and Sheila knew, it is doubtful that it would have changed anything. The anger and resentment flowing between the two of them was palpable. This was a stand-off many years in the making.
Sheila broke the silence first.
“Well, well. The wicked witch of Spain has finally returned,”
Sheila said sarcastically.
Stephanie moved forward and slapped Sheila hard.
“YOU TOLD THEM THAT I WAS DEAD??????”
“No, I did not. They came to that conclusion on their own.”
“BUT YOU LET THEM THINK THAT? What happened to the kidnapping note? And the scene we set up?”
“What happened to being home in two years, Stephanie?!?!!?! Did you really expect everyone to wait around for OVER SIX YEARS while you f&&ked some human in Spain? What did you expect to happen?
The pack and James moved on.
AND
“YOU TOLD ME THAT THEY WERE OUT SEARCHING FOR ME! AND I SENT LETTERS! WHAT DID YOU DO
WITH MY LETTERS?!?!?!?”
“Those letters were ridiculous! You are lucky that I did not give them to anyone! ‘Dear Family and James, I love you so much. Blah, blah, blah. My kidnappers say that they may let me go home in a few months. Blah, blah, Blah. Please continue to search for me and keep my memory close to your hearts. I hope to come home soon. Did you actually expect anyone to believe that nonsense?”
“So it was better to let them think that I was dead?!?! Was this always your plan? To kill me off and steal my mate? And take my position as luna?!?!?! Do you even care about this pack? About what the Goddess wanted?”
“Oh give me a break, Stephanie. Do not get all high and mighty on me. You wanted to fake your own kidnapping so you could get away. You did not care about this pack. If you did, you would have stayed. But you didn’t.
Do you know what could have happened if they believed you had been kidnapped like you wanted them to believe? The clues you left would have led them to blame another pack! War could have been started and wolves could have died!
And for what? So that you could have time to ‘find yourself? So that you and Antonio could have thr eesomes and travel the world and have a ha lf-breed pup? That is ridiculous! I was the one who stayed, Stephanie. I took on the responsibility of taking care of your mother and her business and of helping with this pack and taking care of James.”
“And James?”
Stephanie repeated with venom in her voice.
“And James,”
Sheila confirmed with a sneer. “He’s an even better f&&k than your father. Or your brother.”
“YOU B&&TCH!!!”
“What? Upset that you have not been able to taste from those pots? Well, I hate to tell you, but you missed your chance. I am marrying James today, and there is nothing that you can do to stop it.”
“HE IS MY MATE!”
“And he is my baby’s daddy!”
“You are pregnant?”
, Stephanie gasped.
Sheila smiled triumphantly. “Jealous? My pup is not going to be a ha lf-breed like yours! My pup will be alpha of this pack!”
“Bullsh&t! We both know that James would not touch you even if you came stamped and sterilized.”
“Things have changed while you have been gone, Stephanie,”
Sheila taunted. “Poor James was S0000000000000000 sad when you left. He would not come out of his room for months. But I helped him, just the way you and I used to help those old geezers in the care home. You put on their loved one’s dress, the appropriate wig, you start playing with their balls, and BAM! Instant bliss.”
in
“YOU ARE LYING, SHEILA! I KNOW YOU ARE!”
Stephanie screamed in rage.
“Am I now? Well, I guess you will never know. Because you see, I am going to marry James today, Stephanie. And he is going to mark me, and we will live happily ever after. If you want, you can be my maid of honor. Although… you will need new clothes. What the f&&k are you wearing, Stephanie? I thought you were living with a rich human, not a homeless man.”
Stephanie glared at Sheila. “You will never get away with this, Sheila! James will never marry you! He will take one look at me, and smell my scent, and it will be all over for you. He will want his mate! Not you!”
Sheila started laughing. “Oh, about that. You know how I said things have changed? Yeah, you aren’t his
“OF COURSE, I AM HIS MATE! WE HAVE KNOWN THAT FOR YEARS! James and I have loved each other since we were kids!”
“You really think James is going to want you now? After you had a kid with a human? And after you. your own death? And after I tell him everything that you did?!?!?”
“James will never believe you! No one will. I am innocent!”
“Oh, so you did not fake your own death? Sheila continued to taunt.
“NO! I DID NOT FAKE MY OWN DEATH, YOU B&&TCH! I FAKED MY OWN KIDNAPPING!”
“And of course you couldn’t even get that done right!”
“That was YOU, Sheila. I trusted you! You are the one who messed this all up!”
“Actually, that was me,”
a voice from across the stage said softly.
Sheila and Stephanie spun around. “Jenny?”
they said in unison.
Jenny slowly approached the two of them.
“Did you really think I didn’t know?”
“Know what?”
Stephanie asked in both confusion and fear.
faked
(Author POV)
“Did you really think that I didn’t know?”
Jenny asked.