Chapter 161: Between Mating and Coronation
The reunion felt like one of the most beautiful moments in Emma’s life, like she had finally made it through something that once felt impossible.
The shock she felt when she figured out Lunara was sleeping with the king could not be explained.
She would have ended up as the king’s mate if her father hadn’t been thrown into the dungeon. That would have split the kingdom.
Lunara was just a tool in Daniel’s hands, used only for his advantage. She was happy he failed woefully. She was grateful to Allison for keeping that one piece of evidence that destroyed him totally. .
Emma exhaled softly ,eyes drifting away for a moment.
"I used to think a day like this would never come."
"What kind of day?" Brandon asked quietly.
She gave a small shrug. "The one where everything I went through just... stops hurting."
He stayed quiet, watching her.
She tilted her head slightly. "When I was younger, I used to write wishes for every moonfall before I went to sleep."
Brandon’s brow lifted. "Wishes?"
"Yeah." A faint smile touched her lips. "Things I didn’t think would ever happen.
They sounded stupid even to me sometimes."
"And now?" he asked.
Her fingers curled lightly against her lap.
"Now I don’t know when it happened... but everything I wrote down..." She paused, exhaling softly. "It’s all here."
Brandon’s voice lowered a little.
"Everything?"
Emma nodded. "Even things I stopped believing in."
A quiet beat passed between them.
"And Oliver?" he asked carefully.
Her gaze softened. "Yeah... he’s right here," she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips.
"Looking at me like I’m something impossible to handle."
A faint smile tugged at his lips. "Maybe because you are."
"I see... so nothing about me coming into your life was accidental."
"Yes, I couldn’t thank the Moon Goddess enough. Elara was right after all. She told me that the wishes of a pure heart never go in vain."
She lifted her face slowly and looked at her mate again. Their eyes met and he smiled and narrowed his eyes for her. She returned his smile and lowered her gaze.
They stood up to go after chatting about old times., the conversation fading naturally.
The king called her back and she turned and walked towards him. He gestured to her and she sat beside him.
"I have always wanted two female pups and I didn’t know Moon Goddess had answered my prayers a long time ago, but I was too visionless to see. He sent a moonheart who came to spread happiness to the royal family, but I was too blind to see the wonderful gift of the Moon Goddess." He held her hand with the same gentle care he always showed Elara.
"Here is where you truly belong. This is your home. You are flawless in every sense of the word. At any point in time, I want to always remember that you have a mother and father here who are ready to cheer for you in your victory.
Thank you, Emma, for holding us dear when we were too blind to see. Thank you," he said again, and kissed her forehead. She held him too and leaned on his shoulder. His kind words just lit up her entire day. No music had ever been as pleasant as the words he told her. Probably because it came out of the lips of a king who previously hated the sight of her.
"You are the weight of our packs, father. We will always look up to you, no matter how tall we grow. I’m proud of you," she said. He smiled and let go of her hand. They left Luna Alexandra’s chamber happily and were ready for Brooklyn’s bridal shower. Even though they knew they would arrive there later than scheduled, she was still happy.
"How do I ever repay you?" she murmured... as soon as she entered Brandon’s convoy.
He glanced over at her as the door shut.
"Pay me back?" A small scoff slipped out, but there was no heat in it.
His hand reached across and tugged her a little closer by the wrist. "Just sit still and don’t start talking like that."
She let out a small breath, settling back into the seat as her fingers stayed woven with his.
"Alright, let’s hit the road," she said, a small smile flickering toward him.
"This is not the convoy you came with?" He teased her with a smiling face and pulled her closer. He was as happy as she was.
She looked up at him, a small smile tugging at her lips.
"Guess I changed my ride," she said lightly, eyes still on him.
"My heart and yours won’t stop talking to each other. I wished you had been with us in Luna’s chamber and I was surprised when you appeared at the entrance."
"I felt it when I arrived at Brooklyn’s house and couldn’t get down from the car. I was so worried and I felt you needed my company. I told Maxwell to take me to the palace at once.
"Thank you for coming," he said.
His hand lifted to her cheek, and he leaned in. The kiss was slow and steady, lingering for a moment before he pulled back.
She stayed still for a second, eyes on him, then let out a soft breath.
"You’re welcome," she said quietly, a small smile tugging at her lips.
His device rang as they drove out of the palace. He looked at the caller and stared at her. She has seen a lot of surprises in her life recently and she’s used to surprises already. She wasn’t appalled by the weird expression she saw on his face.
"No, I haven’t talked to her yet."
"I’ll call you back," he said after a few seconds and hung up. He tossed the device aside. She waited for him to tell her who the caller was, but he kept quiet.
"Lunara wants me to talk to you..."
"I don’t want to hear about her," she interrupted immediately. She was not ready to talk to her yet. She needs some time to rest before engaging in any conflict again. Her interruption was followed by a long silence. She was surprised Brandon still looked a bit sad even though he tried to hide it from her, but she knew him very well. She became a bit worried and inquisitive.
"What does she want?"
"She needs the key to the house."
"She has my number. Why didn’t she call me? She’s still obsessed with you."she said with a note of involuntary jealousy in her voice.
"Moonheart, calm down. I saw her at the palace."
"What? Who let her in?"
"The high Luna, but I stopped whatever they were planning."
"Thank you. I’m jealous because of the look on your face. It seems you have deep compassion for her."
"Oh, so you can get jealous too." He smirked and leaned back in his chair. "I thought I was the jealous one."
She shot him a look, but he only shrugged.
"Still, I don’t feel sorry for Lunara."
"What’s the meaning of the look?"
"I just remembered Theresa immediately when I saw her call. She was cremated yesterday," he said quietly.
Her face changed immediately and she had deep sympathy too. She couldn’t believe some wolf she saw last Saturday had been turned into ashes.
"I’ll tell Faith to call her. She’s got the keys," she muttered, her voice low. "I don’t want you talking to her again... please."
He caught the shift in her tone. His hand slid behind her head and gently drew it to his shoulder.
"Hey..." he murmured, fingers still resting at the back of her head. "I’m not interested in her."
His thumb brushed lightly against her skin once before he eased back a little. "And I won’t talk to her. Not if it bothers you."
She let out a small breath, eyes lowering for a moment before she glanced back at him.
"Good," she said softly. "Because it does."
His gaze held hers for a moment, then softened.
"Then it’s settled," he said quietly. "No more of her."
A faint smirk tugged at his mouth. "If she shows up again, I’ll start pretending I don’t know how to spell her name."
A laugh slipped out of her before she could stop it. She shook her head, eyes still on him.
"You never make things easy."
He leaned in a little, brushing a loose strand of hair back from her face. "And yet you’re still here with me," he murmured.
Her smile lingered as she exhaled softly, the space between them easing into something warmer, quieter.
Inside the SUV, Brandon stared out the window longer than usual.
"You’ve been quiet," Emma said.
"My father thinks I should’ve done the coronation before the Royal mating."
Emma looked up from her device. "And?"
"It feels out of order."
"Whose idea was this?"
"The elders. Tradition."
Emma nodded seriously. "Ah. The ancient grumpy wolves association."
A laugh slipped out of him.
"I’m serious, Moonheart."
"I know." She nudged his arm lightly. "But you were already leading long before any wolf mentioned a crown."
Brandon looked at her quietly. "And after the mating?"
"Then you do the coronation after." She shrugged. "Still sounds right to me."
The corner of Brandon’s mouth lifted slightly as the convoy continued down the highway, carrying them closer to the Royal mating.
