My eyes kept going back and forth to the ornate clock hanging on one of the Ballroom's Grand wall.

"What's wrong?" Rhys whispered in my ear before shaking hands with yet another Alpha couple.

The couple then turned to me before shaking my hands and schmoozing my ear off about this year's event.

It's been the same thing every year for seventeen years.

It's the night I've dread every single year since it was proposed

The one night in which our community comes together to throw a ball and commemorate all our fallen brethren that died during the Wolf Moon seventeen years ago.

Since Rhys and I are the current King and Queen of the Wolves, we are obligated to host and schmooze with all council members and wolves of our kingdom.

I love my people, I truly do, but there are just some wolves that I want to strangle with my bare hands because of their arrogance.

Just because we have more gifts than the average human doesn't make us better then them.

Power doesn't make us superior.

If we're being honest here, I think the power we have makes us weaker than the Humans. The power we have can bring us to our knees if we're not careful.

The Wolf Moon was the perfect example of that

I politely thanked the talkative couple and waved them on as they walked toward the open bar.

I sighed and slumped against my Mate

"Something's going to happen tonight" I worried my lip and I looked into his beautiful grey eyes "I can just feel it"

He gave me a lopsided grin, one that could melt my heart in two seconds flat, and caressed my very noticeable and pregnant belly

"It's just the hormones talking Princess" he kissed my cheek and continued to rub my stomach "They're making you anxious"

I scowled and pushed him away from me

"I know what hormones are like Rhys" I hissed at him as a nosy elderly couple passed by "Don't forget I gave birth to your son not so long ago"

"Six years is quite a bit of time Kass" he said softly "Besides, this is your second pregnancy and the Doctor told us that all pregnancies will differ from the first"

"I know what I feel Rhys" I seethed "And I'm telling you, something's going to happen tonight"

A hand grabbed mine and I felt smooth lips kiss my knuckles

I whipped my head away from Rhys and zeroed my eyes in on the male who was bowing and kissing my hand.

I pulled my hand out of his grasp and when he stood to his full to his full height, I took a step back in shock.

"Kass, are you okay?" My Mate asked as he stabilized me "Princess?"

The man smirked at me, his green eyes alight with mischief as he watched me freak out

"Do you...Do you not..." I stammered "See who's standing in front of me?"

Rhys gave me a confused look

"It's Alpha Leo's Beta" he said, glancing at the man "Easton, if I'm not mistaken?"

The man nodded at Rhys inquiry but kept his eyes solely on me

"No it's not" I said, gaining back my ability to form cohesive sentences "It's..."

"Queen Kassiopeia!" My adviser Sue ran towards me "All the guests have been situated and it is now time for the first dance"

Rhys held his hand out to me and nodded towards both Sue and the imposter.

"If I may Sir," The imposter cut in before I hand a chance to whisk Rhys away and call the guards "Isn't it tradition for the Queen to dance with one of her subjects first as a sign of humility?"

Rhys glanced at him before his eyes met mine

"It's okay" I gave him what I hope was a convincing smile "It is tradition after all"

"I'll be watching your every move" he said before caressing my cheek and kissing my forehead

He looked at the imposter and tapped the face of his new watch

"You have five minutes starting now"

The imposter smiled before guiding my onto the dance floor

My son was kicking me from the inside like crazy and right then I knew my assumptions about the imposter were correct.

My baby boy rarely kicked me like this, his pregnancy was much more calmer and far easier than Wyatt's, and the only time he really moved was when I ate ice cream late at night or drank ice cold water.

I nearly freaked out when I realized he wasn't moving like he should but my Doctor reassured me that it was perfectly normal.

He was just a really calm and lazy baby.

The stranger spun me on the dance floor and when we were facing each other, I decided to start my interrogation.

"Who are you and why do you look like my dead best friend?" I demanded and all but snarled at the stranger.

I looked around and noticed that everyone was watching me with smiles on their faces, even Taylor who I was sure would have noticed her dead brother out of his grave and dancing with me.

"They don't see what you see" the stranger sang in my ear as he glided me across the dance floor "They only see you dancing with Easton"

"Speaking of..." I hissed "What did you do to him?"

"Oh, don't get your panties in a bunch sweetheart" the imposter rolled his eyes "Dear ol' Easton got a bad case of food poisoning at the last minute and couldn't make it"

He spun me again and grinned

"Lucky for me, I guess"

"You still haven't answered my question" I stomped on his foot on purpose, messing up our perfect little dance

"Pregnancy brain sure has made you useless" he smiled at a few girls in the audience and they blushed "I always thought you were smarter than the average Dimitriou's I've met over the centuries"

"Hades" I whispered shakily

"The one and only pretty lady" he winked at me

I tried to rip my hands away from him but he held on strong

"I wouldn't do that if I were you" he sang cheerily "We wouldn't want a repeat of the Wolf Moon Massacre again now would me"

He nodded his head towards Rhys and my son who was talking animatedly to one of Taylor's twins.

"Especially since you have so much more to loose now"

His hand on my waist briefly slipped to my stomach, emphasizing his point about losing the most important things in my life.

"Did you come here to just torture me or did you actually have a purpose?" I said through gritted teeth

He pouted and my heart twang at Ethan's familiar pout.

Even though I knew he wasn't really Ethan, his facial expressions matched those of my deceased best friend. It didn't help that Hades chose to transform into the exact age when Ethan died seventeen years ago.

Way to add salt to the wound

Hades expression sobered up

"We both know why I came here tonight Kassiopeia"

My heart started beating faster at his statement

Oh God

I started to panic and out of the corner of my eye, I watched as Rhys gave our son to Taylor and made his way over to us

"Relax Koutávi" Hades said, gripping me tighter "And call off your skyláki"

I shot Rhys an easy smile and he halted in his path

"I'm okay" I mouthed to him "Just catching up"

He gave me a wary look but then made his way back toward our son

Hades took me toward the middle of the ballroom, away from any nosy ears

"I'm not giving you my son" I hissed "Take my life instead"

Hades spun me once again as the song began to slowly wind down

"It's not your child I came here for" he said, bowing to me and clapping with the rest of the audience as the song ended "It's theirs"

He gazed over my shoulder, his eyes focusing on something intently.

When I turned, I followed Hades line of sight and gaped in horror at who I saw standing there.

Kaden's eighteen year old daughter