Chapter 153: The King Loosen Up
Brandon’s convoy drove out at 8:00 a.m. on Wednesday to see the high Luna. Emma was still asleep when he left the estate. Lately, her pregnancy had made it difficult for her to get out of bed, and he hated that there was so little he could do to help.
Emma was his everything.
The moment she walked into his life, the constant pressure in his chest had quieted. Even on the worst days, one look at her could loosen the tension in his shoulders.
Life with her never felt dull. One minute they were laughing over something stupid, the next she was curled against him while he worked, stealing his attention without even trying.
Sometimes Brandon would look at her and wonder how he ever survived before she came along. With Emma beside him, the pack no longer felt heavy on his back. It felt manageable. Untouchable. Like the whole pack sat firmly in his hands.
A small smile tugged at his mouth. He reached for his device, unlocked it, and typed out a quick text to her.
He did that a lot.
No matter how busy he was, his mind always drifted back to her.
He hadn’t spoken to the King since last Saturday. Every time Elara crossed his mind, the King followed right after. The old wolf cared about him and Elara like they were part of his own blood, and he knew showing up without speaking to him first would not sit right with him.
His thumb brushed the face of his wristwatch as the kingdom walls came into view.
8:07 a.m.
The King wouldn’t open his duty chamber until ten, but he still decided to check there first. Maybe the old wolf had returned early. Maybe he was avoiding sleep again.
The convoy rolled through the northern entrance, tires crunching softly over gravel. Guards straightened immediately as the vehicles passed. The fountain near the garden shimmered under the golden lights, water spilling quietly into the stone basin.
The moment the vehicles stopped, he pushed the door open and stepped out.
Cool moon air swept against his face.
He adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, glanced once toward the palace windows glowing in the distance, then started walking across the garden path without waiting for any wolf to announce him.
Leo and Max followed quietly behind him as he walked down the long hallway leading to the King’s duty chamber. Their footsteps echoed against the marble floor while the wall lights cast a soft glow through the corridor.
Brandon slowed near the door.
It was open.
His brows pulled together for a second before he stepped inside.
The King sat behind the large wooden desk with one hand resting against his temple. Papers lay scattered in front of him, untouched.
At the sound of footsteps, he slowly lifted his head.
His eyes locked on Brandon.
For a moment, he simply stared, unmoving, like he was not fully sure the wolf standing there was real.
The dim light in the chamber only made the exhaustion on his face more obvious. Dark circles sat beneath his eyes, and the lines around his mouth looked deeper than before.
"I thought you had forgotten me," he murmured.
His fingers tightened slightly against the armrest as he looked away.
The words were quiet, but the strain behind them landed heavily in the chamber.
Brandon’s chest tightened.
He took a few steps forward.
"Moonrise, My High Alpha King."
"Moonrise to you too," the King replied softly.
He lowered his eyes to the papers on the desk, though it was obvious he was no longer reading a single word on them.
"Sit," the King said, pointing lazily toward the sofa beside him.
Brandon lowered himself onto the couch while Leo and Max stayed back near the door.
The King picked up a file from the desk, flipped it open, then closed it again without reading a line. Silence stretched between them like neither wolf knew where to start.
Brandon rested his forearms on his knees and finally broke it himself.
"How are you doing, father?"
"I’m great." The King gave a small nod, though the tiredness in his eyes said otherwise. "And you?"
"I’m fine."
The King rubbed his thumb slowly against the edge of the paper in his hand.
"How’s Emma?"
Brandon’s expression softened a little.
"She’s fine too."
A dry chuckle slipped from the King’s throat.
"I know she hates me."
Brandon let out a quiet breath and leaned back slightly.
"Hate?" A faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I’m not even sure that word exists in her vocabulary. That wolf would probably feed her enemies before fighting them."
The King snorted softly and shook his head.
"I noticed." His eyes finally lifted toward Brandon. "You’re lucky, pup."
For a moment, the heaviness in the chamber eased.
Then the King slowly swiveled his chair to face him fully.
The movement was quiet, but Brandon’s shoulders stiffened anyway.
"What do you think about the condition her father gave you?" he asked.
"The task itself isn’t hard," the King said quietly, dragging a hand down his face. "If I were just another Alpha, I would’ve done it already."
He pushed back from the desk and began pacing slowly across the chamber.
"The whole pack watches me, Brandon." His boots stopped near the window. "Every move. Every word."
He let out a humorless laugh and folded his arms tightly across his chest.
"I may not be the cruelest wolf in the kingdom, but the moment I stand before every wolf and confess..." He shook his head once. "That’s all they’ll see."
His jaw tightened.
"Wolves who’ve done far worse will stand there acting righteous." He glanced back at Brandon. "They’ll tear me apart just to feel clean themselves."
The King turned away again and stared out into the dark courtyard below.
"And what about the she-wolves involved?" His voice dropped lower. "Have you thought about them?"
His fingers curled against the edge of the window frame.
"They’re still young. They have lives ahead of them." He swallowed hard before continuing. "You think they want the whole kingdom whispering about what happened?"
"How many are there?" Brandon asked quietly.
The King stayed silent for a moment before answering.
"Two."
Brandon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
"Who’s the second she-wolf?"
The King lowered himself back into his chair and exhaled slowly.
"Helena."
Brandon leaned back against the sofa, his brows pulling together.
"You once asked me to choose between Helena and Lunara." His gaze stayed fixed on the King. "Why?"
A tired smile crossed the King’s face, though it disappeared just as quickly.
"Because both of them wanted you." He tapped his fingers lightly against the desk.
"And somewhere in their heads, they convinced themselves the easiest way to reach you was through me."
Brandon’s jaw tightened.
"I’m guessing she told her father about you and Lunara." He paused briefly. "That’s where the blackmail started."
"Yeah." The King gave a small nod and looked down at his hands.
"With his position in that territory..." he muttered, "and his pup already happily claimed now..." His fingers rubbed slowly against each other. "A public confession would destroy too much."
Brandon stayed quiet for a second before speaking again.
"Emma already talked to her father." He lifted his eyes to him. "He still insists you tell the High Luna."
The King immediately shook his head.
"Brandon... I can’t."
His voice cracked slightly at the end.
He pushed his chair back and stood again, pacing once before stopping near the desk.
"Since you want to step down..." He swallowed hard and finally looked at Brandon.
"I’ve decided to support your decision."
"You still need to open up to Luna." Brandon rested his arms on his knees and looked at him steadily. "She deserves the truth."
The King stayed quiet.
Brandon continued anyway.
"No wolf is above mistakes, father. When we mess up, we can’t just walk away and act like nothing happened." He rubbed his palms together slowly before lifting his eyes again.
"We admit it. We learn from it. And we make damn sure we don’t repeat it."
The King let out a long breath through his nose and nodded faintly.
"Yeah... you’re right." His voice came out rough. "I’ll tell her everything when I’m ready."
Brandon studied him for a moment.
"Father..." His brows pulled together slightly.
"You love her so much. What happened?"
A bitter smile tugged at the King’s mouth.
"Our love has always been one-sided."
He leaned back in his chair and stared at the chandeliers for a second before speaking again.
"She doesn’t love me at all."
"You know that’s not true."
The King shook his head immediately.
"No." He laughed softly, but there was no humor in it. "She claimed me because I was the heir apparent."
His fingers tightened around the armrest.
"She wanted to become High Luna."
His eyes drifted toward the doorway, distant and tired.
"She comes into my chamber and starts trouble over the smallest things." His jaw tightened. "Every single time."
He looked down at his hands.
"It’s like she keeps pushing until I finally tell her to leave."
"Since when?" Brandon asked quietly.
The King gave a tired laugh and dragged a hand across his beard.
"Since the day she claimed me."
