"Father!"

"Soft fang, you are not the commoner he knew! They picked you on a platter of gold, but I’m gonna show them that no one picks gold on the street!"

"Oh, my Moon Goddess! What are you planning to do, father?"

"Do not boycott the meeting and do not be afraid of anyone," he said, ignoring her questions. "Don’t worry, go with him. I’ll see you on Saturday."

"Alright, father," she said and kissed his forehead before leaving.

Their cars were already out of the basement, waiting for her. Brooklyn hugged her affectionately.

"He is kind, Emma and I like him," Brooklyn whispered, while they were still embracing.

"You are right. He doesn’t care about my social status. I love your mother too. She’s such a beautiful soul."

Emma smiled and she couldn’t talk because Brandon and Ken were standing in front of her, looking at her mouth. They knew Brooklyn was telling her something, but they couldn’t hear her because her face, which was on her shoulder, was facing her back. Brooklyn let go of her after a few minutes and they bade each other farewell. Emma was very excited because this is the life she had longed for.

"Come here, Moonheart," Brandon said happily and pulled her closer as the car drove out of the big compound. "I’m gonna deal with you this moonfall for leaving my side for two whole days." "What? Mother...," he playfully covered her mouth before she could say more.

A desperate bride welcomed them as soon as they walked into the lobby. She also tried to kiss Brandon on his lips and he frowned and pushed her away. Lunara deliberately fell and cried out as if she broke her waist. Brandon quickly held her hand and pulled her up again. He even tried to check if she sustained any injury. Emma couldn’t believe her eyes, and neither could she explain how she felt.

"Your presence nauseates me."

Brandon’s voice dropped low, calm but cutting.

"I detest it. Don’t come near me again. If you try, I won’t warn you twice."

The air stiffened instantly.

Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked toward the stairs.

Emma stood frozen, her eyes locked on Lunara.

Lunara’s lips curled, anger sharpening her voice.

"So that’s it? That’s all I am to you now?"

"I’ve been here since Friday, and you didn’t tell her I made you sick! We ate together last moonfall—did I suddenly become unbearable now that your secret bride is here?"

"Stop this pretense, Brandon. Tell her what she needs to hear!"

Brandon paused on the stairs.

Slowly, he turned his head—not fully facing her, but enough to silence the place.

His voice was controlled. Cold.

"Enough."

A beat of silence.

Lunara didn’t stop.

"Don’t shut me up. You didn’t correct me before—so why now?!"

Brandon finally looked at her properly.

"You were at the feeding table because my father sent a message through you. That is all."

Lunara’s jaw tightened.

"And the dinner?"

Brandon’s expression didn’t change.

"Obligation. Don’t make it anything it isn’t."

A step forward—slow, controlled. The air shifted.

"Don’t confuse proximity with permission."

Lunara’s eyes narrowed.

"You’re only saying this because she’s here."

Brandon’s gaze went colder.

"No."

"Because you’re irrelevant to this conversation."

A sharp silence settled.

Lunara’s pride cracked—but she pressed on anyway.

"You helped me downstairs. You checked on me. Why?"

Brandon’s gaze flicked to Emma—just once.

Then back to Lunara.

"Because I don’t tolerate problems in my house."

A pause. Cold. Final.

"Not because of you."

Lunara inhaled sharply.

"You think you can erase everything between us?"

That was it.

Brandon’s patience snapped—but his voice stayed dangerously calm.

"One more lie about me..." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

he stepped slightly forward

"...and I will make sure you regret it in front of this entire pack."

A pause.

The space froze.

Brandon turned away again, done.

"Stop imagining things that never existed."

And without another word, he walked up the stairs.

Emma fixed her eyes on her, imagining her going down on her knees to beg after Saturday’s meeting. A wicked smirk curved her lips. Lunara’s scowl caught her attention, and she turned to face her.

"Do you think being the High Fang Regent’s pup will make the king change his mind?" She grinned mischievously and Emma narrowed her eyes because she did not know how they were preparing. She did not have a single idea of the great news that awaited her and Theresa.

"Wait till Saturday... when the whole packland watches you fall."

"By the time we release what we have in store for you, even your so-called father will disown you in front of the entire packland!" She smirked again and turned to walk away.

"You are stepping on your toes! The hammer you lifted will only land on your toes! Your fall is gonna be likened to that of the Roman Empire! The whole packland will read our story! They are gonna see how you abandoned your life, and your destiny and keep forcing yourself into the heaven of your enemy. You want to steal my life because you want to be the Moon Luna by all means!!"

"This is my life...and you’re nothing but a... tres...passer." She stretched the syllables. "You are the one who abandoned your life and destiny and encroached onto my beautiful heaven. Everything was going as planned until you came in through the back door!! You will remain his secret bride as long as he wants. By the time he is done with you, no wolf will look at you twice! The whole packland knows he has just one mate, and that’s me! I am his fated bride and you are his secret! The king will never accept you as his moon Prince’s mate! He said over his dead wolf honor would he accept a cheap slūt like you! You will be disgraced if you don’t walk away with the little dignity you still have. I wonder why Brandon refused to tell you the truth. Probably, he doesn’t want you to be devastated," she smirked."

Naomi and Paige came out of nowhere and curtsied before Emma.

"Alpha’s mate, the alpha calls for you," Naomi said. She sighed and walked past them. She headed towards her chamber instead.

"Naomi! Naomi, don’t you ever call her that again. I am the only Alpha’s mate here!"

"If you’re truly the Alpha’s mate, why has he forbidden you from entering his chamber? And more than that, why does he push you away every time you get close to him?"

"Well, that’s what he wants you wolves to believe. I don’t need to go to his chamber to be intimate with him. You have no idea what goes on between us behind closed doors," she smirked.

Naomi did not look back. It was as if she knew Emma was ready to disgrace Lunara if she ever raised a fist at her.

"Naomi!" She called again and Emma halted and turned to Naomi.

"If she touches you, give her one crazy slap and nobody will interrogate you for doing that!" Emma said and Naomi nodded her head.

"This is my house and anyone who wishes to stay here must abide by my rules!" Paige and Naomi nodded and continued walking behind her.

She threw herself on the bed immediately as she walked into her chamber. She was extremely annoyed and she tried to suppress it but she couldn’t. The more she tried, the angrier she got.

"Alpha’s mate, your bathing water is ready," Paige announced. She also pointed at the intercom light. She looked up and ignored whoever was behind the light.

She entered her bathchamber and had a long bath. The music she asked Naomi to put for her could not get the anger she had in her soul out. She didn’t know why she felt so agitated. It was unlike her. She thought she really needed to see a healer, but how could she think of seeing a healer when she knew the cause of her agitation? "What is wrong with Brandon?" She mumbled with tears in her eyes.

She relaxed her head on the bathtub for more than twenty minutes with her eyes closed. She began to think deeply, going down to the first day Brandon visited their pack house. After a few minutes, the music stopped and called her back to reality. She came out of the bathtub, hung her towel, and began to walk towards her closet.

She looked at the figure that relaxed on her bed and walked past him without saying anything. He came down and grabbed her hand playfully. She quickly withdrew her hands from his firm grip.

"Don’t touch me again," she warned him, pointing a finger at him. He frowned, probably because of the seriousness he saw in her eyes.

"Moonheart...!"

"Leave my bedchamber; I don’t want to see you," she said, and continued walking towards her closet. He ignored her and followed her to her closet.

"What is it?"

She shunned his question and walked straight to her closet window.