"Moonheart, how did you transfer the video to a memory card?" Brandon asked, frowning in confusion. "Do you know the password?" There’s no way this should have been accessed so easily... unless someone inside allowed it.

"She is obsessed with you," Emma said flatly, almost coldly, "so I didn’t need to search for the password. You are her password." Emotions always leave traces... and hers were too loud to hide.

Lunara’s fists clenched, nails biting into her palms.

For a split second, it looked like she might lunge forward...if she moved now, she won’t be able to stop herself.

"Emma, for the last time, stop!" Lunara cried out, her voice breaking as panic and anger tangled in her chest. If she plays that... she’s finished here. But Emma ignored her and calmly connected the card reader to her laptop.

"Didn’t you hear what she said?" the king asked sharply. "

"She said stop." The King’s voice cut through the hall. He yelled, his authority strained by frustration and rising discomfort. This has gone too far... he should not have allowed it to reach this point. Emma paused, then slowly closed her laptop and stood up. She already knew why he was supporting her.

"You have no right over that footage!" Lunara snapped, her voice rising as fear threaded through her anger. "That’s mine!" Lunara snapped. "You have no right!"

"Brandon has a right over it, and he gave it to me," Emma replied calmly, though her eyes held a firm edge.

"There is no privacy here." Emma met her gaze. "Not for you.". This is why the Greendor Castle was built. You are supposed to move into it after your mating ceremony and enjoy privacy." Rules don’t bend just because you’re exposed by them.

"Do not play the video," Lunara said, her voice now trembling, tears slipping through as her confidence finally cracked. If that plays... I won’t survive what comes after.

"Then speak." Emma said quietly. "Or I will play it."

"My loyal maid was yours while you were still posing as the alpha’s real bride, so she told me everything, but I want it to come out of your lips. Do not try to lie. He is well known in the whole packland."

"Emma, why are you doing this? You are my only sibling. We grew up together. We are siblings and were once fond of each other! What have I done to you? The only crime I committed here is that I fell in love with your mate." She said with the most pathetic and innocent tone ever.

"We were never siblings." Lunara, you can’t have a dumb mule as a sibling; have you forgotten so soon?"

"I’m sorry! Please, forgive me," She sniffed and wiped off tears that kept flowing down her cheeks. She looked at Theresa who sat on the floor crying convulsively and she felt like changing her mind, but she needed to correct this once and for all. She kept sentiment aside and braced up. Honestly, it was one of the most difficult moments of her life, but she closed her heart the moment she remembered what she went through in their hands.

"No, Lunara or should I say Scarlet; I don’t have strength for forgiveness. I am just a butterfly with tiny wings. I’m not as strong as a bird like you," she said. She sat down again, opened her laptop and the video that was removed from her chamber began to play.

She was already moving toward the door, a faint smile touching her lips, when a gentle knock sounded.

She paused at once, excitement stirring across her face—clear enough to betray that she had been waiting for this moment longer than she had expected.

A tightness coiled in her chest, uncertainty creeping in as she wondered whether the moment would bring the relief she had long hoped for... or trouble instead.

Still, she reached for the handle and opened the door.

"Stop it! I’ll tell you the name of the Guyanese wolf!" she yelled, her voice trembling as she finally broke under the pressure. She could no longer hide it.

Emma guessed there was still a trace of goodness left in her; otherwise, she wouldn’t have tried to protect the king.

"Fine!" She snapped the laptop shut again and looked up at her, her hands trembling slightly as doubt crept in. What am I even doing? Am I betraying her or saving myself?

All eyes were fixed on her, the silence in the hall deepening and pressing down on her, making the weight of the moment even harder to bear.

"Alpha Julian."

she said slowly, her heart pounding as regret immediately followed the words, It’s out now... there’s no going back.

"What? Are you out of your mind?" the King yelled at her, his voice sharp like a whip, while she flinched inwardly. He was always going to hate this... but she had no choice.

"He is blackmailing me!" she blurted out, her voice cracking as desperation rose within her, Please... some wolf has to understand me."

"Will you shut your dirty mouth up? Did you just tell me he was blackmailing you?" the King snapped, and she swallowed hard, shame and panic twisting inside her, I’m making it worse... but I can’t stop now.

"What did you do? And why is he blackmailing you?" the High Luna asked curiously, her tone softer, while she hesitated, fear rising again, If I say too much, everything collapses...

"I...I..., she stammered, her thoughts scattering, I can’t find the right words..."

"Get out!" the King ordered, his authority shaking the throne hall, and she felt her confidence shatter a little more, So this is it... I’m already condemned.

"Wait, I want to know why he is blackmailing her," the High Luna tried to stop the King, her voice urgent, and for a brief moment she felt a flicker of hope, Maybe... Some wolves still want the truth.

"I said get out! You are such an idîot! I don’t want to ever see you in this kingdom again!" the King roared, and she flinched deeply, pain sinking in, It’s over... I’ve lost everything here.

The King continued yelling as Emma shut down her laptop slowly, her hands numb, and at that juncture, she felt she had corrected her mistake...but her heart whispered uncertainly, "Or have I just made everything worse?"

Lunara stood up and began to walk shamelessly down the hall. Her moonallies followed her. Princess Elara left the throne hall, probably to help her pack her things or mock her. Lunara walked past her father without looking at him. Theresa sat on the floor and continued crying. Some of Lunara’s moonallies came back and led her out of the hall.

"Hand them over to the fang sentinels immediately!" the king told the security warriors that held Daniel, Mrs Yoone and his sibling, Mrs. Nazar.

A murmur rippled through the entire hall, spreading like wildfire. The wolves exchanged stunned glances, unable to believe what they had just seen—or heard.

The security door opened wide and she could see some fang sentinels waiting impatiently for Daniel and his cohorts. She guessed Ashley called them before coming to the meeting.

Everywhere became as silent as a graveyard. She did not like what happened to Lunara and Theresa, but they would have constituted a lot of nuisance if they were not stopped. Ken kept wiping her tears.

"Go and prepare for your mating ceremony," the King murmured, giving her a dismissive wave.

The High Luna’s lips curved in triumph, but there was no warmth of celebration in her parents’ eyes...only unease, as if something about this victory felt wrong.

The King had once declared, over his dead wolf’s honor, that he would accept her. The memory lingered like a shadow no one wanted to name aloud.

She blinked in confusion, the thought striking her like a cold blade. Then... does it mean his dead wolf had spoken after all?

"No," Ashley said firmly, and the entire hall seemed to obey the silence that followed.

The King slowly turned his head toward him, eyes narrowing with a restrained frown...measured, dangerous, curious all at once.

"I have been the High Fang Regent for two decades," Ashley continued, his voice steady but edged with authority, "and I have seen things most of you wouldn’t survive hearing about."

A pause...intentional. Heavy. Like the throne hall itself was holding its breath.

"I made a decision long ago," he added, gaze sweeping across the gathered wolves, "that none of my moonpups would be active in politics."

The little time Emma spent with her father made her understand the kind of regent he is. He is a wolf of integrity and will never do anything that will hurt the feelings of others. She trusted him and was not dismayed by his words. He knew how much Brandon and Emma loved each other and the last thing he would do was separate them. She looked at Brandon, he was also relaxed. She guessed he knew him too.

"If this ceremony is to proceed..." Ashley said.

The hall went still. No one moved. Not even the King.

"You will listen to my terms."

And in that moment...

it was no longer the throne that held the power.