u/aloriaki

On the 27th, I found these babies under my lawn mower. I made darn sure it was only the 4 before I mowed my lawn, but they had to be 4 weeks. They did have full bellies when I found them, so I knew mom was around. I put the babies in a cover box in my back porch with a live trap and food. But she stole them and got away.

Today, I was outside and heard someone mew. So I found this one and took her inside. She's eating soft food, so I'm not guilty about not giving her back to the mom.

I want to catch the mon, but I don't know where the other babies are yet. I couldn't find them and looked all day.

Unfortunately, a hurricane is coming this evening/weekend, so I hope they get through alright. I put a carrier out on the porch for her to relocate to. I hope she brings the others.

Because I think y'all would appreciate this more than Royal Road has (I'm Kaira Loi there. Here's the link https://www.royalroad.com/fiction/185080/its-my-party-one-shot). I kept getting ads for these webnovel apps and all the sample stories were the same. Here's what I really wanted to read.

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The irony that “It’s My Party” was playing on the radio the moment I saw them wasn’t lost on me.

I sat back in my seat, knuckles turning white on the steering wheel as I tried to calm myself. Everything in me wanted to throw my door open, storm across three lanes of traffic, and scratch their eyes out. Across the street, at the café we met at, he was shoving his tongue down my stepsister’s throat like he was trying to get the last of the pudding out of a cup.

My inner wolf was growling and howling like mad.

After all, Rob and I were supposed to be Fated.

I’d always thought that was stupid. All the other girls I grew up with were absolutely besotted with the idea of having a Fated Mate. A soulmate who was supposed to be your equal and partner and fated by the Goddess Diane.

But here I was, stuck in rush hour traffic, watching my supposed soulmate give my stepsister a tonsil exam like he was the worst ENT to ever lose his license. Meanwhile Lesley Gore wailed about her betrayal like it was the soundtrack and I was suddenly in a movie scene.

The car behind me honked.

I looked up at the light and realized I was holding up the lane and sped forward with more aggression than necessary. I needed to go somewhere. I needed to think.

Six years we’d been together.

Tonight, he was officially supposed to take over duties from his father, the Pack Alpha of Everbright. I’d been training as Luna for just as long, since, as Fated Mates, it was expected.

I let out a primal scream of rage, my claws tearing the leather cover on the steering wheel. Six years of my life wasted. “He’s gonna pay for this!” I shouted as I blew past the ticket booth in the parking garage. Thankfully it was automated by license plate. My car was registered, so I wouldn’t get any fees for parking, but it was normally polite to stop and say something to the person manning the booth. What made it worse was that Lyla was my friend.

She would understand once I told her…

On cue, my phone rang.

I hit the button to pick up on the handsfree.

“What happened?” she asked. “You looked like you’re going to tear someone apart.”

“I am going to tear him apart. And her. They’re going to suffer. I saw Rob and Veronica at the Pause Café.”

“Oh… Oh no… Oh shit. Veronica was saying she had news she was going to share at the ceremony tonight, didn’t she?” Lyla reminded.

And I’d thought I couldn’t be more mad.

“Please park. Right now,” Lyla requested.

I pulled into a handicap space, shaking with rage. Lyla was right. Veronica had been… cagy, lately. All chirpy and wiggly and secretive. I’d thought it was weird, but dismissed it. I’d dismissed it because she was my stepsister, and even though she’d been vile toward me growing up, I’d thought she’d grown the hell up in the last three years since moving across the country to attend art school or whatever it was she’d been blowing her daddy’s money on lately.

But now it was coming back to me. Veronica only got like that when she was gearing up to ruin someone’s life.

I’d been on the receiving end of it a few times, but I honestly hadn’t thought she’d stoop this low.

I hit mute on the phone and screamed, thrashing in the car so hard it shook. Someone passing behind me slowed down to look, then hurried on as they decided to mind their own business.

Once I got it out, I unmuted to finish speaking to Lyla. “Is your couch free tonight?” I asked, voice calm.

“I’ll get the ice cream. But uh… what are you going to do?”

“It’ll be in the news,” I said cheerfully. “I’m going to properly park now. I need to get ready.”

“Okay… Please don’t get arrested…” Lyla sounded worried, but she let me hang up. Pulling out of my temporary spot, I headed up two more floors to my designated spot.

**

The ceremony was exactly as I’d planned it.

Flawless.

Alphas and their Lunas had gathered from all the neighboring packs, carefully seated at tables that promoted conversation and didn’t instigate any old rivalries. Other guests included the rich and famous humans Rob had insisted on inviting. Humans and Lykan were aware of each other but had separate governments for obvious reasons. The Humans honestly thought our ways were backward and primitive, but their government was rife with corruption and stupid paperwork, so who was right? I’d spent months agonizing over the guest list, decorations, and hors d'oeuvres. The only thing I’d changed was a last-minute addition to the ceremony. I’d, of course, let Luna Karen know. Rob was oblivious as usual. I was the one who handled these things and he trusted me to get it done.

I stood beside Rob, smiling at all the right times to make him look cool, competent, and powerful. The night was going fantastic and honestly, it was a shame.

But, as Ms. Gore said, “It’s my party.”

I had no plans on crying, though.

My inner wolf was pacing in circles, growling low. She couldn’t contain herself the way I was being forced to.

Rob leaned in close to whisper in my ear, “This is going amazing.” His arm around my waist squeezed.

I nodded.

“Can’t believe you got Patina Albany to show up,” he added.

That had been a minor miracle. I’d not known the actress had any care for Lykan politics, but I guess she was interested in the other guests who were attending, since she’d spent all evening talking to a movie director who was well known for action films.

I caught it from the corner of my eye. He was looking at Veronica again.

My stepsister was hovering nearby, blocked by people asking about her shiny new ring. She smiled coyly, making lots of gestures that flashed her hand. I couldn’t see it clearly from where I was, but I suspected it cost the exact ten thousand that had been charged to Rob’s card recently. She’d dressed to the nines, trying to outshine me. I recognized my mother’s necklace, too. That was supposed to be mine, but clearly, she’d sweet-talked Mom into giving it to her. Or stolen it. That was also a possibility. Veronica had gotten away with sticky fingers before. Usually, she was sneaky enough to blame it on other people, which were calculated attacks on girls she didn’t like. I wasn’t going to cry about it, though. I’d already promised myself that. At least, not until later. With my best friend, over a pint of Bonny and Jen’s and the world’s worst movies.

Rob shook the hand of another Alpha.

“Pleasure to meet you,” Rob said without introducing me. Again. Now it would be awkward if I spoke up.

I decided to anyway. “I’m Elantra, his Fated Mate.”

The Alpha looked taken aback by the interruption. I stared him in the eyes. He decided to be polite and acknowledge my presence with a nod. “Well met.”

Rob looked slightly pained at being called out and glanced aside. Looking at Veronica again, I assumed.

My eyes scanned the crowd for a quick assessment. Mom and my stepfather were here, too. Mom was misty-eyed, which could mean anything, honestly. My stepfather was another Alpha. He, of course, looked self-important and proud. Veronica was his little baby who could do no wrong, of course, so when things went down, he’d come to her rescue, even if it was at my expense. Mom wouldn’t hesitate to throw me under the bus to save face. She’d lucked out in nabbing an Alpha for her second mate after my father died. I fully admitted that I’d made good use of the man’s money and status to secure an education for myself, but that was as far as my gratitude went. He was not my father, and I only tolerated him enough to be polite. It wasn’t that I was a lone wolf who could ignore the orders of an Alpha. I just had a spine and brains to think for myself.

Veronica gave up trying to get close to Rob and joined our parents. One hand resting on her flat stomach, she held her ring out to show Mom.

“I love you,” Rob said, surprising me. “You know that?”

I looked up at him, somehow controlling my face into a sweet smile. I couldn’t let it slip and ruin things early. My party had to be perfect. The evening had gone well so far. I spotted the event coordinator at the edge of the stage waving to get my attention. The meet-and-greet was over now. Veronica hadn’t gotten the chance to ruin things. I’d had strategic people deployed to keep her occupied. This was my party, after all, and if it was going to be ruined, it would be ruined on my terms.

“It’s time for the ceremony,” I said.

He took a steadying breath, nodded and we headed for the stage. He hesitated at the foot of the stairs, then looked at me as I stood beside him. His eyes slid past me to someone else. I didn’t have to look to know who it was. He had to take me, though. I was his Fated Mate, after all. His Luna-to-be and everyone knew it.

“After this is over, I need to talk to you.” He glanced away.

He offered me his arm and together, we ascended. The guests grew quiet, collecting at their seats to watch the ceremony.

Rob’s father made one final speech about how happy he was that his son was going to take over running the Pack. The man had a lot of plans involving golf clubs and mai tais on the beach. This got a chuckle from the men in the room, of course. The Luna Karen of Everbright politely clapped where she stood off to the side of the stage. She hardly looked enthused with her mate’s plans.

I felt a little bad about what I was about to do. After all, some of the people here had just come out to have a good time. But that was short-lived. Pete had always been something of a manchild. He made being Alpha more than a role. He used it as an excuse to do whatever he felt like doing and left his staff, and more importantly, his Luna to clean up after him. Karen wasn’t blameless, either. She had been overbearing in her lessons on how to handle pack business. Honestly, her attitude was far too much for what the role required these days. There were support staff, and I was clearly more than capable of putting together a celebration of sufficient grandeur and pomp without breaking the bank.

Further, the looks Karen had been throwing my stepsister all night let me know that she knew Veronica’s little secret.

Once the speeches were over, I took the microphone.

“Rob,” I said warmly. “As your Fated Mate, I have a few words.”

Pete, of course, looked irritated that a woman was talking, but he couldn’t hush me without making himself look bad, so he just smiled and nodded like he was giving me permission. Rob glanced around nervously, spotted Veronica, and looked kind of pained. I’d just announced to the whole room what exactly I was. Dumping me now would destroy his reputation, even if he did it in private, as was likely his plan. Rejecting a Fated Mate was rejecting the Goddess’ plan for you. It was a violation of sacred bonds.

But so was cheating.

Undaunted, I continued. Clicking the remote for the projector screen above us, I said, “We’ve been Fated Mates for six years, and in that time, I’ve learned a lot. I learned what it means to be a leader.” I stood facing him, commanding his full attention while the slideshow of stills I’d caught on my dash camera played. The room was silent. “I’ve learned what loyalty and commitment are. But most importantly, I’ve learned what it truly means to be a Fated Mate and Alpha. So, thank you. And from the bottom of my heart: I, Elantra Smith, reject you as my fated mate. May you and my stepsister live miserably for the rest of your days.”

Rob soundlessly dropped to the floor.

The microphone didn’t.