The Luna they cried monster

Plan in motion

Jake’s pov

"Think about it," Paul chuckled, his eyes gleaming with cruelty. "We make a huge public spectacle out of it. We let every single member of the Crescent Moon pack know that she is not going to the capital as a guest or an esteemed member of our pack. We announce to everyone that she is going away as a heavily punished prisoner to Magnus's pack, where she will face hard labor for the rest of her miserable life. By doing that, whatever stupid pride Calista has left will be completely shattered in front of her family and her peers."

I stood perfectly still, letting his words sink in. My mind started picturing the scene… Calista standing in the center of the grand ballroom, surrounded by hundreds of wolves who used to look up to her as the future Luna, being handed over like a piece of worthless, criminal property to the King.

"I know," I muttered, shaking my head slowly. "I know that would humiliate her. But at the same time, Paul, it’s just too much. It’s still too soft. I don't just want her embarrassed, Paul. I want Calista to suffer. I want her to bleed the same way she made me bleed on that floor."

"Don't worry about that," Paul said, waving his hand dismissively as he straightened up. "Calista will definitely suffer under the King. Magnus might have dropped the charges here to keep the peace, but he is still a brutal ruler. The stories I’ve heard of what he does to his prisoners still scare me till this day. Once she is behind the thick walls of the royal capital, she will be entirely alone. No family, no friends, no title. She will be a slave to the throne. You need to forget everything that Magnus might have told you in that room. He was just flexing his muscles because he’s the King."

"He told me she was going to work off her debt," I murmured, my jaw tightening as I remembered his growl.

"Exactly," Paul nodded eagerly. "So we just play along with his words, but we spin it to our advantage. We hold the party tonight because, let's be honest, this is the very first time Alpha King Magnus has ever visited this pack. We cannot look weak, Jake. We don't want the other packs in the territory to see us as poor, or to think we are in chaos because of a domestic dispute. We must look wealthy, organized, and powerful."

I took a deep breath, the anger in my veins slowly turning into a cold, calculating satisfaction. Paul was right. Image was everything in the pack territories. If we acted angry and bitter, we looked weak. If we threw a grand party, we looked like we were in total control.

"So the best move would be to hold a grand party for Alpha King Magnus to honor him as our guest," I said, a small, dark smile finally touching my lips.

"Yes!" Paul smiled, snapping his fingers. "A massive celebration. And then, during that period, at the absolute c****x of the party, we do the formal prisoner exchange right on the main stage. We will tell the pack that the prisoner is being transferred under Magnus's heavy punishment. We will make sure everyone understands exactly what happens when anybody dares to go against an Alpha in this territory."

I walked back to my leather chair, pulled it up and sat down slowly. I was careful not to stretch the stitches on my side. The burning pain wasn't bothering me much anymore. The thought of Calista's downfall was working like a great painkiller.

"Everyone will see her as a traitor, " I whispered. My smile grew wider as the plan fell into place perfectly. "Her father won't be able to say a word to defend Calista. She will be completely disgraced before she is even dragged into the King's car."

"Precisely," Paul said, bowing his head slightly. "Her name will be dirt in this pack forever. No one will ever look at her with respect again."

I leaned back against the cushions, feeling the familiar rush of control returning to my chest. "I see a lot of sense in that, Paul. You're right. This is exactly how we handle it."

"Should I start the preparations?" Paul asked.

"Yes," I nodded firmly, pointing a finger at him. "Go and prepare for the party immediately. Spare no expense. Bring out the best food, the best drinks, and decorate the grand hall. And make sure you spread the word about it to every single family in the territory. Tell them attendance is a must. Everyone needs to see the King... and to see the rogue b***h get taken away."

Paul smiled widely as his sharp eyes smiled too. He put his hand on his chest and bowed low.

"Consider it done Alpha Jake," he said smoothly. "By tonight the whole pack will know she did something wrong and everyone will use her to tell tales all year round."

He turned around, unlocked the wooden door and walked out of the study leaving me alone in the quiet room.

I looked at the fireplace staring at the glass and the dark blue ink still dripping down the bricks. I was not angry anymore. I felt a cold dark feeling that made my blood feel excited. I leaned my head back against the chair then laughed softly, a mean laugh that echoed off the walls.

"Enjoy your few hours of freedom, Calista,” I whispered to the empty room, my eyes gleaming with excitement. "Because tonight, I am going to watch the whole pack destroy whatever is left of you."