Chapter 5

Lillian’s POV.

“Are you ready, ma’am?”

My driver’s voice jolted me back to reality as I fumbled with the door handle. Outside this door was what I’d spent the past five years preparing for.

My big reveal to the world as a new woman— not Aaron Moonstone’s mate, not Moonstone Pack’s docile Luna but as Lillian Darkfire, the woman who’s come back for what’s hers.

“Of course,” I gave a clipped response. “I’ve spent the past five years dreaming for this moment.”

I glanced at Celeste, my strong 5 year-old daughter, and gave her a peck on the cheek before giving the driver orders to get her in with the rest of the security guards. I couldn’t afford putting her in the spotlight as a matter of public scrutiny.

The driver alighted to open the door and I stepped out. The warm evening breeze hit my face with the thrill that came along the event. 

It was the annual Nighstspire Honor Night, the biggest event Nightspire where the elites of various packs were invited to celebrate their memorable achievements. 

The last time I’d attended this event, I was with a certain man, my cruel ex-mate Aaron Moonstone who did nothing but parade me around only to ditch me for some business talks with whoever was willing to indulge in his petty chatter about the price of gasoline. 

But this time, it felt different. I wasn’t anyone’s side piece anymore, I was a made woman— the Luna of Fangshade Pack and one of the most influential women alive. It felt good.

Cameras flashed around as all the reporters and photographers turned to me, each one of them trying to ger me to look into their camera. My securities tried pushing them away but I paused, signaling for Raymond, my head of security, to leave them.

Dorian, my husband, firmly believed that we live in a visual world. I had to let the reporters get a clean image of me— one to represent my being, a permanent imagery of me whenever they thought of me.

So, let them watch. It’s my moment. Let them capture.

Raymond seemed to understand, and he cleared the way for them to get clear pictures. For a moment, I thought to bask in the glory but the true glory was in there, at the main event. 

“Over here!”

“One question, Luna Lillian!”

I wasn’t ready to entertain questions, so I walked down the red carpet until a question came from the crowd of reporters.

“Five years ago, your husband had claimed you died in a bandit attack just near the borders.” I turned to the reporter, clutching my purse firmly to avoid exploding. “Not shortly after your demise did he claim Shantel Dickens as his Luna. Could there have been a mistake somewhere, Mrs. Moonstone?”

Reporters were ruthless, in a way. They always had the right words to tear you apart and make you run your mouth and ruin your life for their clicks. 

I’d seen the news on the day Aaron had openly admitted I was dead, and the body was so marred that it was hard to recognize.

I forced myself to calm down, and smiled at the brown haired reporter.

“I’m alive and well, am I not?” I tilted my head. “If Aaron Moonstone claims I’d died, then he’d be the one to clear the air.” 

I almost turned to leave, but I faced the reporter again as the camera flashes increased. “And it’s Darkfire, not Moonstone.”

Satisfied by their shock, I made my way into the hall and disappeared into the crowd of people shuffling in and out of the hall.

“Do you see him?” I asked Raymond who scanned the room for visuals on Dorian.

“No, but we’ll let you know once we do, Luna.”

I nodded and went ahead to the table designated for Fangshade Pack. Dorian had something more important to attend to in the Capital, so he’d left the Fangshade Pack earlier, hence why we traveled separately.

“Let me look at you.” A feminine voice drawled behind me as I grabbed a champagne-filled flute from a nearby bar. 

I whirled around to see Arielle, one of the influential Healers’ daughter. During my days in Moonstone Pack, she’d always come around for Aaron’s monthly checkups, and the maids had said she’d attempted to seduce Aaron on different occasions, most of which she succeeded.

My stomach turned in disgust at the thought of her getting down with Aaron, and so it was easier to face her.

“You know, just earlier, I’d seen that beautiful necklace and outfit on different blogs and wondered who it was. I had no idea it was you.” 

I looked down, satisfied by my wardrobe manager’s insistence that I wore a black gown, an ornate necklace and a simple purse with so many patterns to project my aura.

I forced a smile on my face and tried to walk away but she gripoed my hand firmly.

“You were never particularly fond of me, Arielle, so tell me what you want.”

Her countenance changed instantly into a sneer. “Why the fuck are you here, bitch? Didn’t you like how peaceful it was when you disappeared?”

Ignoring her questions, I taunted. “Is it the necklace? Do you want it?”

I moved closer to her, my lips against her ears. Arielle had a gaping wound above her vanity, and I knew just the right way to make the wound bleed. 

“You know, my mate got it for me. What a blessing he is— my mate. Now, you wouldn’t know what it’s like to have a mate, would you?”

Arielle’s eyes widened with shock and she gasped. “You bitch! How dare you—”

She grabbed a wine and tried to splash it on me but I stepped back, ensuring to maintain my taunting smile. 

“No love, let’s not make a scene,” I tutted. “The mate you’re yet to find could be anywhere here.”

Satisfied with her horrified expression, I walked out on her with my champagne in hand as I smiled triumphantly. It felt really good to pay people in their own coin.

“Well, well.” An all-too-familiar voice said behind me. “Look what the tides brought in.”

My heart sank. 

Shantel Dickens. Aaron’s secretary-turned-lover.

Right from the beginning, Shantel’s disdain for me was never hidden. Whenever she ‘brought’ files over to the mansion, she’d do her best to spite me and make life terrible for me and Aaron, he’d simply ignore my suffering. At one point, it felt like she's Luna and I was just the side piece.

Two ladies stood in my way, and Shantel strolled in the middle. I gripped my purse firmly and stepped back from them.

“Lillian Darkfire at Nightspire Honor Night,” Shantel drawled with a smirk. “We were all so glad when you left, you know. Which old Alpha did you sleep with, to get here tonight?”

Anna grabbed a flute and emptied the champagne at my feet, and then muttered an “Oops.” I gasped at her outrageous act and my hand sharply moved in response as I slapped her.

Gasps echoed across the room as crowds gathered around us. Did she really think she could get away with that?

“Sleeping with men for power might be your aesthetic, Miss. Dickens, but it’s never my thing,” I stated, stepping closer to Shantel whose face reddened with anger like she’d explode anytime soon. 

“You bitch!” 

Shantel made to slap me but her hand never landed. I looked up to see a figure holding Shantel’s arm in the air as a familiar deep voice hit me.

“I strongly advise against hitting my mate, Miss Dickens.”