Four
GRETCHEN.
"Today, I am proud to announce the acceptance of the mate bond by my Luna, Emily Everson!" He declared, his voice booming with excitement.
The whole thing felt like watching a scene from a bad movie. My father stood on the stage, beaming like the sun with Emily beside him. It was unbelievable seeing my best friend of yesterday as my father's wife and Luna of the Pack. I'd tried my best to talk them out of this disaster, but none listened.
The way he looked at her made my stomach churn. It was as if she'd taken everything from me. The crowd erupted with cheers, but all I could hear was the pounding of my heart. She was the Luna now, something I wouldn't have ever imagined, not even in my wildest dreams.
My chest tightened as I watched her smile at him, her eyes sparkling with joy. How could she look so happy when everything about this felt wrong?
A few Pack members clapped while others exchanged uneasy glances. There was division in their expressions. Some were supportive, but others seemed shocked I couldn't blame them. I was shocked too.
"Is this really happening?" I whispered to myself. I'd lost my father to her. I'd turned away to leave, unable to stand the revolting disgust I'd just witnessed, when I bumped into someone.
It was Sean, her ex-boyfriend. He raised an eyebrow, then a smirk formed on his lips.
"Not a fan of the announcement," he asked, crossing his arms.
"Not at all," I snapped, my voice sharper than intended. "What are you doing here?"
"Just enjoying the show," he replied casually. "But it looks like you're not in a celebratory mood."
I scoffed, seething. "Why would I? My Dad is throwing his love around like candy, and she's just gobbling it up. It's disgusting."
He shrugged, pretending to think. "Yeah, I get it. It must sting to see your dad fawning over someone else, especially someone who used to be your best friend."
"Right?" I exclaimed, relieved that someone understood. "She's taking everything from me. He's giving her gifts, attention- everything I never got."
He looked at me thoughtfully. "And you're gonna let that happen? What are you going to do about it?" There was a trace of mischief in his voice and I knew instantly who it was meant for.
"Will you do something about it if I ask you to?" I asked, glancing around to make sure nobody was eavesdropping. Thankfully, everyone was still focused on the celebration.
"For the right price, yes." He didn't look at me as he said it.
I smiled, almost chuckling. This was good. But would it work?
He continued. "You could remind Emily of what she lost. I mean, you could team up with me. I could woo her again, make her remember what we had."
My pulse quickened at the thought. It would be more than satisfying. "You think that's gonna work?"
"Absolutely. She’s still got feelings for me. I know it. And if we play it right, we can split her and your dad apart for good."
I couldn't help the smile that kept escaping my lips, everything was suddenly getting a lot better than I'd expected.
"That sounds perfect. But how do we start?" He leaned closer, his voice dropping to a whisper.
"First, we need to make her believe that I'm genuinely interested in her. I'll shower her with attention, just like your sleazy dad does. And then-"
"Don't you dare call my dad sleazy." I glared at him.
He scoffed. "Then when she's vulnerable, we can strike."
I nodded, excited. "Let's do it. She can't keep my dad's all to herself."
As the gathering continued, I repeated those words to myself. I wasn't going to let her steal my father's love away. I'd do whatever it took to get her out of our lives for good.
Later that evening as I lay in bed, I couldn't shake the images of Emily and my dad laughing together. It felt like a nightmare. I remembered how he'd been there for me- before Emily. Before she had walked into our lives. Now, all that attention was gone. It was like I'd been replaced.
"I won't let her in," I whispered the words into the darkness as the determination flooded through me. I pictured the plan forming in my mind and then Sean’s energy. It excited me. This was my chance. If I could get Emily to doubt herself, to remember her past with him, then maybe I could pull my father’s attention back to things that really mattered.
I met Sean at the café in town the next day. He was already sitting at a table, casually sipping his drink. "Ready to put the plan into action?" I asked.
"Absolutely. I've been thinking about how to approach her.. I'll make it look like I'm interested in her. Invite her out, take her to places that remind her of us. It will be perfect."
"She has guards now. And my father is annoyingly protective. What if she doesn't want to go," I questioned, biting my lip.
"Don't worry. I'll make sure she's intrigued. We had a good connection once. I just need to remind her of what she's missing."
A smile made its way across my face as I thought about the possibilities. "And once she's back in your life, we'll create a doubt between her and your dad."
"Exactly. Once she sees that we're still close, she'll start feeling insecure about her place in your dad’s life." I felt another rush of excitement at the thought. This was my chance to take back what I had lost. "Let's do this, Sean."
"Leave it to me," he replied confidently. As we sat together, the pain started to lift. Maybe this was the way to reclaim my father’s love. I wouldn't let her win. She'd stolen enough from me already. This was just the beginning and I was determined to see it through to the end.