"SURPRISE!"

The lights come on and everyone jumps out of their hiding spots, screaming out their surprise and Hailey joins them. Kiara was so taken back by the outburst that she stepped back, stumbling a bit.

"Oh my goddess! Are you all trying to give me a heart attack?"

"Haha, a Luna can get no such thing but tell me babe, are you surprised?"

"Happy birthday Queen Valdrough!"

Many people come up to her, to greet the queen, cutting off hers and Marquése's conversation. They give her their many well wishes, some she had never seen before but Kiara thanks them each nonetheless.

Obviously most of them had heard the many whispers of what was happening in Pack Vencer and they were more than happy to come and experience it for themselves.
They all wanted to see if the rumors were true and they would very soon.

After the people went back to their eating and other activities, Kiara turns once again to face Marquése, glaring up at her big-headed mate.
She wondered if his ears were damaged somehow.

"You look absolutely beautiful by the way."

"Thank you."

The tone of her voice didn't match her words and Marquése grew concerned. However as soon as he sees her eyes lower to slits, a look he was all too familiar with, he immediately knows that he is in trouble.

"I'm sorry, ouch, ouch..."

Kiara snatches the man by his ear, pulling him away from the ridiculously large crowd and towards the outside of the pack house.

If his ear wasn't damaged before, she sure as heck was damaging it now.

"Correct me of I'm wrong but I'm pretty sure that I told you I didn't want a big party, in fact I told you that I didn't want a party at all!"

"I know but..."

"But what? You opted for an enormous one instead?!" Kiara stomped her feet on the ground like a child, watching as another car rolled in through the arched drive way.

"Opps look like we miss the big reveal..." she hears them say as they cruised on in.

"You have got to be kidding me."

"Hehe," he laughed nervously,
"Look I'm sorry ok, I know you said that you didn't want to do anything but that's just the point, you want to stay inside and just always be sad or something-"

"Excuse me what did you just say?!"

"Shít, look I'm sorry, that was poor word choice on my part but-"

"No buts, you can walk around like you feel nothing about this loss but I do! My apologies that me being sad about loosing my child is such an inconvenience to you."

She spits the words so harshly that they fly like daggers, slicing through the air and through his skin. Marquése holds onto his chest when his breaths begin to get labored, a product of his falling tears.

He watches as she walks away, not believing that it was his mate that had wounded him so.

Kiara walks back in the house to see it full and bustling with life. Hailey had now changed into her party dress, addressing everyone at the door and welcoming them to the party.

"Everyone! We will be moving to the throne room as more people are arriving and the space is getting quite limited."

She watches as the people from various packs disperse, going to the much larger room.

"I can't believe you helped him pull this off, I told you I didn't want to have a party."

"Yes I heard what you said but I didn't believe it because we know you and our friend never gives up an opportunity to go to a party."
Khal cuts in

"Well then I guess things change..."

Kiara walks away and Hailey and Khal watches her back as it retreats in the direction of the stairs.

Kiara had received the last of her birthday wishes as the people clear out the main pack house. As soon as she places her foot on the step however, a force pulls her body backward, turning her around and then shoving her back into the wall.

The color in the eyes of the man was his first giveaway and immediately she knew who it was.

"Don't you ever say something like that to me again!"

The growl leaves Marquése's mouth along with his heavy breaths. He didn't know when his body and emotions had decided to change from sadness to anger but they did and the next thing he knew he was stalking towards their home.

"How could you even think those words much less to let them escape your mouth?"
She kept quiet staring up into his livid red eyes as his hold on her neck remains.
It wasn't tight or overly aggressive in any way, just done as a means to keep her body in place.

"I may not know what it feels like physically to loose a child but I know what it feel like emotionally, mentally, and it fucking hurts.
It hurts way more than you could possibly imagine because I had to sit there and watch nearly both of you die. I've survived with it longer than you have so maybe before you go around throwing your petty fucking insults you look around and see that all we're trying to do is make you happy."

The angry male releases his mate's throat before walking away in the angriest way possible. She was so shocked at what he had said that it seemed to pull her back into reality.

That was the first time he had cursed at her since their time in the woods. After that he had never in the slightest bit been aggressive or disrespectful towards her but now she had deserved it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"I want to thank everyone for coming I know most of you have travelled from far, even without having the smallest idea of who I am but let me introduce myself. I am Marquése Blood, King and Alpha of Pack Vencer.
I know this is my mate's special day but it's none the less a special one for us all as I get to meet the people of the many other packs in our area. I think it is good for people to be connected and I also know that some of you have a secret agenda for accepted my invitation."

Marquése jokes and the crowd laughs, joining in on his humor,

"The rumors have spread far and wide but if you really want to hear about that you'll have to stay later for the fun!" He laughs

Marquése keeps a smile on his face to appease the crowd, a fake one nonetheless, one that Kiara recognizes immediately, even from her place at the door.

She watches as her mate works the crowd, talking up the other Alphas of packs. Seeing him interact with the people so effortlessly, to the untrained eye, made it seem like he didn't get affected by anything at all.
It seems as if he was the happiest person in the room but in fact he was hurting inside as well and she should have known better than to say what she had said.

She walks towards him, cutting through the crowd, much so as her guilt seems to cut through her stomach.

She holds her head down for some time, trying to not trip over her feet but when she raises her head again he was gone.

Where did he go?

"Queen Valdrough" someone in the crowd stepped into her path, stopping her movements forward.

"Hello, who are you?"

"Oh my apologies, I'm Dale, Alpha of The Woods Pack. Very nice to make your acquaintance"

As soon as he finishes his sentence her eyes catches on to the back of her mate's body, disappearing out the side door and a particular brunette bítch trailing behind him.

"Um it was very nice to meet you but I have to go, please excuse me."

Kiara walks away from the ominous man, stomping into the direction the two disappeared to.

If he thinks that just because they had a fight he was allowed to go shack up with some random she-wolf he had another thing coming. She would tear them both apart if they so much as touch each other.

Kiara bursts through the door behind them causing it to slam into the side and make a loud banging noise.
Marquése turns around immediately at the sound, surprised at the sight before him.

"Kiara? What are you doing out here?"

"Maybe I should be the one asking you that question, so let me ask it. What in the hell are you doing out here Marquése?"

He heard the accusations in her voice long before she completed the sentence and he didn't like it.

"Are you serious right now? Go back inside Kiara."

"I will do no such thing. What are you doing out here, with her of all people?"

"Kiara-"

"It's 'Queen' or 'Luna' to you and don't you ever forget that!"

"I'm sorry my queen." The girl hangs her head in shame and Marquése realizes that Kiara wasn't going to let up so he did the only thing he could in that moment.

"Aubrey, go back to the party I will carry the boxes myself."

"Yes my king."

Silence reigned as Aubrey walks back to the throne room.

Kiara felt like a complete idiot when she heard about the boxes, not believing that she had let her mind run wild like that. On the other hand Marquése had his back turned to her, he couldn't find it in himself to look at her in that moment.

"Marquése I'm... I'm sorry-"

"What did you think we were doing out here?" He cut her off with a question

"I-I don't know, I was just upset."

"You are upset?" He asked turning around in anger,
"What do you think I am then, when you all but accuse me of cheating on you."

"I didn't do that-"

"Didn't you? Cause that's sure as hell what it feels like."

Marquése throw his words at her before walking away, abandoning the task he was once set on doing.

Kiara watches as he walks away from her, the guilt she felt eating at her once again.