I tried to crawl my way out of their hold, as pathetic as I may look, but I was dragged back by my feet.

“You think this is over?” Alicia taunted, she and her friends hovered over me, one of her friends, holding her phone camera at my face, taking photos of me.

“And what were you doing at the shop? Meddling again, aren’t you?” Alicia said. “Shopping for the banquet like you are the one planning it?”

“I am just trying to help,” I replied.

“Help?” She laughed. “You are acting like you are the one getting married, not me. This is my engagement, not yours.”

“You do not have to act this way, Alicia. I am here for Conner.”

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously. “Yeah, right. We both know you’re here to make yourself the center of attention. Look at you, trying to play the devoted mother while you scheme behind everyone’s back.”

I felt my fists clench. “You do not know anything about me. I care about my son’s happiness.”

“Oh please.” She stepped closer, while I tried to sit up. “You are just a lonely woman who can’t accept that your time has passed. Conner has me now, and I will not let you ruin this for him.”

“Stop it! You are being unreasonable!” I protested.

“You think this is a game?” Alicia’s eyes blazed with fury. “I’m the future of this pack, and you’re just a nuisance. Time to show you your place.”

She grabbed the collar of my blouse, hurled me up, and shoved me hard against the wall of the shop. “You need a reality check.” Her friends laughed, while they filmed me.

I pushed back, but she was strong, her grip had torn the sleeve of my blouse. “You’re crossing the line, Carol. You think this is about love? This is about power. You’re trying to take my place, and I will not allow it.”

“You’re being irrational,” I argued. “I just want what’s best for him.”

“Best for him? Is that why you’re here, buying things for a celebration you were not invited to plan? You think he needs you here? You’re just embarrassing yourself.”

“I am his mother,” I snapped. “I have a right to be here.”

Alicia leaned in. “You do not get to decide that anymore. You’re not in charge. You are just a meddler who can’t let go.”

With that, she pushed me again, and I stumbled to the floor. “Alicia, stop!” I struggled to get up, but before I could, Alicia yanked my blouse, ripping it apart, and exposing my underwear.

I cried, feeling the fabric tear again and my skin burned with embarrassment. “Smile, Carol!” one of them shouted as they filmed and laughed in the background.

“You’re too close to him, too attached,” she sneered. “It’s inappropriate. What are you, his wife? You think he needs you? You’re just a burden, why don’t you just go end yourself.”

“This is absurd. I care for him. I’m his mother. It’s my job.”

“Oh, ten let me remind you that you’re job is done.” She turned to her friends. “Hold her.”

They moved quickly, grabbing my arms and holding me in place. “What are you doing?” I yelled.

She lunged at me, fists flying, connecting with my side and causing me to gasp in shock. Each hit felt like a blow to my dignity as much as my body. Her friends tightened their grip, laughing as they watched.

“Alicia, stop!” I cried out, but she didn’t. She pushed me down, and I stumbled to the floor.

“Look at you,” she uttered satisfyingly. “You think you can come back here and be his mother while I’m the one who will be his wife? You’re pathetic. We don’t need you here.”

I gritted my teeth, trying to regain my footing, but she kicked me in the side, and I fell again. “This is a warning, Carol. Stay away from Conner. You’re nothing to him now. He has me.”

“You’re making a mistake,” I gasped. But Alicia only laughed, taking pleasure in my humiliation.

“Get her up,” she commanded her friends. They yanked me to my feet and began dragging me out.

“Let’s get you out of here. It’s time for everyone to see how pathetic you are.”

Alicia grabbed my arm, dragging me up from the floor. I winced as the torn fabric of my blouse exposed my chest, and I could feel the eyes of onlookers on me, judging, mocking.

“Let go of me!” I shouted, struggling against her grip while I tried to cover myself.

“Oh, but you’re coming with me,” Alicia said, her smile twisted with malice. “Let’s show everyone what happens when you try to interfere in our lives.”

Her friends followed, capturing every moment of my humiliation, their laughter echoing through the shop. “This is going to be good!” one called out, filming everything.

Alicia yanked my hair, forcing me to move forward. “You’ve overstepped, Carol. You don’t belong here anymore. It’s time for you to disappear.”

“You can’t do this! Let go of me!” I pleaded, but she did not listen.

“Why not? You’ve already made a fool of yourself,” Alicia taunted, tightening her grip. “Everyone thinks you are just a desperate woman clinging to her son.”

As we approached the exit, I caught glimpses of people watching — faces full of curiosity and judgment. No one stepped forward to help. I felt like a spectacle, a drama for them to enjoy, that even some of them brought out their phone and began filming us.

“Let’s take this outside,” Alicia said, dragging me out of the shop and into the open air.

“What are you going to do?” I demanded, fear creeping into my voice.

“Let’s see how well you swim,” she replied, a cruel smile spreading across her face.

Fear consumed me because I never knew how to swim. What did she mean by that?

With that, she pulled me through the woods just beyond the road, the laughter of her friends trailing behind us. My heart raced realizing the danger I was in.

“Please, Alicia! This is not necessary! Don’t do this.” I shouted desperately.

“Oh, but it is,” she said, pushing me forward, and dragging me further as I refused to walk across the road and to the thick woods beyond it.

“You need to learn a lesson. No one wants you here. And I’m here to make sure you understand that.”

The trees closed in around us, and I knew what they intended. “You can’t do this! Conner will—”

“Conner doesn’t care! He has me now, and you have no business meddling with us. You should get lost!” Alicia yelled.

I struggled against her grip, but she was merciless. “Let go of me! You’ll regret this!” I screamed, but the words fell on deaf ears.

“Too late for regrets, Carol,” she said, pulling me closer to the riverbank where the water flowed harshly with the strong current beneath it. No. This can’t be. I can’t swim. I trembled in fear and tears pricked my eyes.

“This is where you end,” Alicia whispered tauntingly to my eyes as she held both of my wrists behind my back. I struggled to get free, but I couldn’t fight back, she was too strong, and I was scared of what was before me — a rushing river that could quickly drown my helpless body.

Her friends laughed, holding their phones up to capture the moment. “Say goodbye!” one shouted.

Panic surged through me. They were not joking, they wanted to dispose of me, to make me vanish. I had to fight back.

“You’re making a mistake!” I cried, but it only fueled their amusement.

Alicia made me face the camera, holding my jaw tightly as I tried to wriggle my wrist out of her grip. “Look here. You should at least leave a message for me, your future daughter in law. Make it nice, so I could replay it on our anniversary.”

I tried to push her away, but she held me tighter and her other friend helped to hold me in place.

“Don’t be like that, mother in law. You should leave me a present, don’t you think? One that I could treasure forever… Though your disappearance would be enough already to be a gift for the bride—for me,” she taunted, chuckling evilly.

“No. You will never be the bride—”

“Enough,” Alicia hissed, ready to push me into the water. “It’s time for you to disappear for good.”

“Stop this!” I pleaded but Alicia dragged me to the shallow part of the water, the water current strong.

“You shouldn’t have returned if you wanted so bad to live,” she sneered, her claws digging under my skin, causing blood to trickle down the river.

“Hey, that’s enough!” a group of friends carrying picnic baskets arrived and intervened.

“This is none of your business.”

“She is bleeding already. You need to stop!” the guy who called out earlier insisted.

A girl came forward and threatened Alicia, “We will call the police. You are abusing her.”

“Shut up, b*tch!” one of Alicia’s friends yelled, holding the phone to film the girl as well, aiming to make shame her on video.

Alicia laughed mockingly, “Go on, call the police. And I’ll make sure your packs will suffer,” she threatened.

“What?” the innocent girl asked, glancing at her other friends who were also confused.

“I’m sure you are all aware of Silvermoon Pack, right?” Alicia smirked looking at their widened eyes as they stepped back in fear, recognizing the powerful pack.

Alicia continued, “I am the Luna,” she declared proudly, her head held high, “and with just one command I could tear your packs, leaving you all with nothing but labeled as rogues.”

“T-that’s not true,” another girl uttered, yet her voice trembled in fear and unsure.

“The Silvermoon Pack has no Luna yet. You are lying!” the man accused.

Alicia’s face darkened, her frown deepened and her claws dug deeper into my shoulders causing me to yelp. Then a sinister laugh came from her lips as she spoke, “I am engaged to Alpha Conner, and tonight will be our engagement party… Make sure you all attend so I can tear your throats afterward and burn your corpse for a sacrificial offering to the Moon Goddess,” she sneered.

And with that, I was pushed to the deeper waters as she let me go. “No. Help!”

I struggled as the strong current pulled me deeper. I held on a boulder with all my strength but my wounds and cuts worsened the pain.

“P-please, I beg you. Help me!” I begged but Alicia only smirked as she returned to the ground.

“It’s time to let go, mother in law. You must disappear quietly now.” Alicia turned her back, taking her steps as her friends followed her to leave.

“Alicia! Please, I don’t know how to swim. Help me.”

Alicia glanced back, and smiled wickedly, waving her fingers as she uttered, “Goodbye, Carol,” then they disappeared into the woods while I struggled to keep my grip on the stone.

I looked at the group who intervened earlier, “Please, help me. I-I’m Alpha Conner’s mother. Help me.”

“Fred, go help her,” one of the girls urged, and despite the man’s hesitation, he swam into the river and dragged me to the riverbank.

*****

I stumbled through the garden behind the pack house and quickly rested in the gazebo.

“Look who managed to crawl back,” Alicia spotted me with her friends. The engagement party hasn’t started yet. “You’re still alive?”

“Alicia, please… I don’t want any more trouble.”

“Oh, Carol, you are the trouble.”

“Alicia, what are you doing?” A woman came behind her—Paula, her mother. She glanced and recognized me. “So it’s true. You came back to ruin my daughter’s life.”

“I’m here for my son.”

“For your son?” Paula sneered. “The woman who can’t let go. The woman who thinks she’s still in control of the pack.”

Alicia shoved me back against the gazebo’s wooden rail, “Look at you, pathetic. Still clinging to Conner, as if you’re the one he’s marrying.”

“I’m his mother,” I said weakly, “I’m not here to interfere.”

Paula scoffed, “No. You returned because you wanna influence your son and control the pack. But you don’t belong here anymore. Alicia is going to be the Luna, now. Not you.”

Then she turned to Alicia, “Show her who’s the Luna.”

Alicia’s grinned. “With pleasure.” Then she began slapping, clawing me in the face, tearing my skin, and disheveling my hair.

“You think you can return and take over. Trying to act like you’re the one who knows best for him.”

“I’m his mother,” I insisted.

“You think we care?” she hissed. “You’ve done nothing but poison his mind.”

Alicia’s friends circled around us, smirking as they watched. “Come on, let’s see what she’s really made of,” one of them jeered.

Alicia turned to her friend, “Bring me a knife,” and her friend took a pocket knife from her bag.

My heart raced as Alicia held a small blade over my face. “Maybe now you will understand that you are not wanted here, Carol.”

“P-please, don’t…” but my words were cut short as Alicia pressed the blade to my cheek. I screamed in pain but she clamped her hand tightly to my mouth as she cut my skin.

“This is for thinking you could step into our lives,” Alicia whispered, my cries were muffled as I struggled from her friends’ hold. “Let’s see if you’re so proud of that face now.”

Alicia’s phone buzzed, and she answered on speaker.

“Alicia, has my mom arrived?” Conner’s voice. I jolted in surprise and hit a pot.

“What’s going on? What’s that noise?”

“Oh, nothing. I’m just teaching someone a lesson.”

“Teaching who?”