Mrs. Thompson inclined her head.

"Yes. That bond is not just connection—it is leverage. Use it wisely, and nothing in that space will be able to overwhelm you."

A quiet stillness settled over the lounge as Emma absorbed her words, her thoughts shifting, aligning, sharpening.

"And the wolf?" she asked after a moment. "If I reach that point again... if I’m close..."

Mrs. Thompson’s expression grew more serious.

"Then don’t hesitate," she said firmly. "Don’t question yourself. And whatever you do... don’t back away."

Her eyes locked onto Emma’s.

"You stand your ground until the truth finally has nowhere left to hide."

Emma’s fingers curled once more, this time steady, deliberate.

"...and what if it fights back?" she whispered.

A faint, knowing look crossed Mrs. Thompson’s face.

"Then," she said quietly, "you’ll finally understand what’s waking up inside you."

The words lingered, quiet but heavy with meaning.

Brandon’s hand remained on Emma’s shoulder, solid, unyielding.

And for the first time since the vision, Emma no longer felt like she was falling into the unknown.

She felt like she was walking straight toward it... willingly.

"I think that will be all for now," Brandon said as he sat down beside Emma.

"Alright, Alpha. It was an honor spending time with you," she said, rising to her feet. "Remember, I’m always at your service."

"Thank you," Emma murmured softly as she relaxed against Brandon’s chest, finally letting herself breathe.

Silence settled heavily between them before Brandon finally broke it.

"Moonheart," he murmured softly, his voice warm enough to melt through the silence.

"Hm," she replied, her response absent, almost automatic, and she still did not look at him.

Brandon studied her in silence, his gaze lingering on her profile as a faint crease formed between his brows. The ease that usually colored his expression faded, replaced by something more attentive, more cautious.

"We will be traveling to Monaco next week," he said, watching her closely. "We can get our mating outfits and any other accessories you desire."

Emma stayed quiet, her expression unreadable as his words faded into the silence.

His thumb began to trace slow, absent patterns over her knuckles, a quiet attempt to draw her back to him, but she did not respond. The lack of reaction unsettled him more than any words could have.

"What’s really bothering you?" he asked at last, his voice quieter now, edged with concern. "If you do not want Monaco, then tell me where you would prefer we go. Milan,Seoul, New York, Paris. Just tell me."

Emma exhaled softly, her fingers curling slightly in her lap before she finally spoke.

"Shopping is the last thing on my mind right now."

The words landed heavier than she intended.

Brandon’s expression changed—not sharp, but quieter, more focused. "Then stop circling it and tell me what it is."

Her fingers tightened against her dress. For a moment, she didn’t speak. When she finally did, her voice had changed.

"I want a mating date that belongs to me."

That made him still completely.

"I’m not taking Lunara’s date and pretending it’s mine."

Silence stretched between them—thicker this time, heavier.

"So tell me the truth," she said, her voice tightening. "Is the king canceling Lunara’s mating or not?"

The lounge remained quiet and undisturbed, yet the atmosphere inside had changed completely, heavy with unspoken tension.

"And announce ours instead."

"I don’t want it to bother you that much," he said, watching her closely, as if trying to read what she wasn’t saying.

She held his gaze for a moment, unmoving, then her voice came out sharper than intended.

"Is he calling off the mating or not?"

He didn’t respond.

The silence that followed felt heavy—tight, controlled, and almost hard to breathe in.

And it unsettled her more than any answer could have.

Her jaw tightened slightly, but she said nothing else, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing her press further.

When she returned to her chamber, Nina was the first to greet her. The moment she saw her, her eyes lit up.

"You’re back!" Nina gasped, rushing forward with bright eyes and barely contained excitement.

"I want to see Mother," she admitted quietly, her voice already filled with longing.

Emma’s hand came to rest briefly at Nina’s shoulder, steadying her with quiet ease.

"Alright," she said after a pause, glancing toward her. "We will both go. I’m missing our parents too."

Something softened in the air at that, though she did not comment on it.

Later, she took a quiet bath, letting the warm water ease the tension she had carried all day. When she stepped out, the intercom was blinking, but she didn’t answer it. She already knew who it was—and she wasn’t ready for him yet.

She lay back on the bed instead, staring at nothing in particular, her thoughts drifting but never settling.

The door opened minutes later.

Brandon stepped in without announcing himself, moving with the quiet certainty of an alpha who no longer needed permission to enter Luna’s space. He joined her on the bed, close enough that his presence settled beside her like something familiar, unavoidable, and deeply bound to her.

He leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss against her lips.

But she turned her face away just enough to avoid kissing him back.

A brief stillness passed between them.

It wasn’t anger or rejection, but something quieter than both—and far more difficult to define.

"Moonheart," he said quietly, his thumb brushing once near her wrist before he withdrew his hand,"Stop shutting me out, please."

I’m going to discuss the mating date with my father on Thursday."

She didn’t answer.

Her eyes stayed on the ceiling, but her silence was no longer empty. It was measured.

After a moment, he exhaled softly and shifted the mood deliberately. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

"Come. Let’s go eat. Our dinner is getting cold."

"What do we have for dinner?" she asked at last, still not turning toward him.

"Your favorite."

A silence stretched.

"No," she said, finally sitting up slightly. "I want Gold-leaf chocolate desserts."

He studied her face for a second, the faintest trace of amusement breaking through his restraint.

"Alright," he replied simply. "You’ll have it once we get to the feeding chamber."

She frowned faintly as she leaned back again.

"My legs are exhausted. I can barely walk.

"Can you give me—"

She didn’t get to finish. Brandon had already swept her into his arms, effortless and sure.

"The massage can wait," he said, tightening his hold on her. "Right now, you’re eating first."

"I’m not about to stand there and let my mate and pup go hungry," he declared dramatically.

A startled laugh escaped her as her hands grabbed onto his shoulders while he carried her out of the chamber.

He did not look down at her, but his mouth curved slightly anyway.

After dinner, he lifted her without a word and carried her straight to his chamber, setting her down only long enough to sit behind her on the bed. His hands moved to her legs, slow and steady, thumbs working into the tightness, pressing, easing, sliding upward before returning again, patient and deliberate. She shifted under his touch, her fingers curling slightly into the sheets as his hands lingered, unwilling to pull away even when they should.

When he finally stretched out beside her, it took only moments for his arm to fall across her and his breathing to settle, deep and even, sleep taking him without resistance.

She remained still beside him for a while, watching him in the dim light.

Only then did she shift closer, quietly, as if deciding something she was not yet ready to name.

The Nightclaw estate was quiet, the kind of deep, settled silence that came after midnight when even the guards moved softer and the packland seemed to hold its breath.

Emma slept beside Brandon, curled slightly into him, one hand resting loosely over her belly. The steady rhythm of her breathing matched his, calm and undisturbed.

Until it didn’t.

Her eyes snapped open.

The shift was instant. Her breathing faltered as she pressed a hand against her belly., her fingers curling tightly. A sudden, restless energy moved beneath her skin. It wasn’t pain or fear, but a strong, overwhelming awareness that settled deep inside her, impossible to ignore.

Her wolf was responding to a hidden threat.

She pushed herself up, her gaze locking toward the door, her wolf going still as the feeling pulsed again, stronger this time, urgent, like a warning she couldn’t ignore.

Beside her, Brandon moved.

He woke the second her wolf tensed, instinct dragging him out of sleep. In one smooth motion, he was up on his elbow, eyes already scanning her face.

"Moonheart," he said, his voice low but sharp with alertness. "What’s wrong?"

She didn’t answer right away.

Her attention was somewhere else entirely, one hand still resting protectively over her belly.

"I’m not sure," she said quietly, her voice steady but tight. "But something doesn’t feel right."

Brandon straightened immediately, all focus shifting to her. "Talk to me."

She swallowed and gave a small shake of her head.

"My wolf is restless," she whispered, her voice tightening.

Her thoughts were still trying to make sense of it, but her wolf had already decided— something’s wrong.