Chapter 187: What Could Destroy Them
Emma climbed onto the bed the moment they stepped into their chamber. She curled onto her side, still in the same clothes.
Brandon scooped her up without a word and carried her into the bathchamber.
Steam filled the chamber. Warm water ran down her skin while he washed her gently, his hands careful and patient. Afterward, he dressed her himself and carried her back to bed.
Emma lay still, staring at nothing.
The video didn’t shock her because of what it revealed. She had already known the truth. What unsettled her was seeing it with her own eyes for the first time—a sight she had never wanted to witness.
Her fingers slowly tightened around the blanket.
Lyn was right.
Lunara was Daniel’s daughter in every way that mattered. The same cold look. The same cruel way of twisting the knife and watching it sink deeper.
She stared at the message on her device until the words blurred. Her fingers tightened around it, and a bitter laugh almost slipped out of her throat before she swallowed it down.
She had spent so long hoping Lunara would be different.
Brandon stretched beside her and brushed his lips against her temple. His fingers traced lazy circles on her arm while soft whispers filled her ear.
Usually, that would have worked.
Tonight, the words barely reached her.
Her mind kept spinning, searching for a way out of the mess waiting for them.
She shut her eyes.
Maybe if he thought she was asleep, he would stop distracting her long enough to think.
A warm breath touched her ear again.
"Open those eyes, Moonheart. Dinner’s here."
The mattress dipped as Brandon climbed off the bed.
She pushed herself up slowly and glanced at the tray beside the bed. The smell of food made her stomach churn. After forcing down a few spoonfuls, she climbed back onto the bed. Brandon watched her for a moment, then lost his appetite and pushed his tray aside.
The chamber doors opened.
Elara walked in like she owned the entire place, her heels clicking softly against the floor.
A grin spread across her face when she saw Emma.
"I think a certain wolf wants another trip to the beach."
Emma blinked at her. "Who?"
"Bernard," Elara said with another grin. "He was standing by the window staring at you two the whole time."
Emma barely reacted.
Right now, Bernard was the last thing on her mind.
Elara’s smile slowly faded. She tilted her head and studied Emma’s face.
"Emma... what’s wrong?"
She pulled the blanket higher over herself. "I’m tired. I just want to sleep."
"Then sleep," Elara said with a small shrug as she got off the bed.
Brandon stayed quiet the whole time. He sat back in the chair with one arm resting on the armrest, his eyes fixed on Emma.
"Elara, where’s Bernard?" he asked.
"He’s still eating. I only came to say goodnight." She flashed another quick grin, then headed for the door.
Brandon lifted a hand in response before his gaze drifted back to her again.
She slowly shut her eyes.
A few minutes later, she heard the rustle of clothes hitting the floor.
The air conditioner hummed louder, cool air spreading through the chamber. The mattress dipped behind her as Brandon climbed into bed.
Warm arms slipped around her waist beneath the duvet.
She stayed still.
Not long after, she felt the hard heat pressed against her backside.
Her fingers tightened slightly against the blanket, but she pretended not to notice.
The chamber fell quiet except for the soft sound of the air conditioner.
Hours later, Brandon’s breathing turned deep and even against the back of her neck.
She carefully lifted his arm from her waist and slipped out of bed.
She sat quietly on the sofa with the device still clutched in her hand while the pale light from the screen reflected across her damp eyes. The chamber had fallen completely silent except for the low hum of the air conditioner and Brandon’s steady breathing from the bed behind her.
She opened the sender’s profile again and stared at it for a long moment. The account had been created only a few hours ago. There were no pictures, no personal details, nothing that could reveal who was behind it.
Her chest tightened painfully.
She returned to the messages and read every line again, even though each word made her feel worse than before. By the time she reached the last message, tears had already gathered in her eyes. She blinked hard, but they spilled down her cheeks anyway.
Slowly, she turned to look at Brandon.
He was fast asleep on the bed, completely unaware of what was happening around him.
One arm rested above his head while the other lay across the empty space beside him where she should have been. The tension that usually stayed on his face was gone now, leaving him looking calm and almost innocent in his sleep.
That sight only made her cry harder.
Her father’s warning suddenly echoed inside her head so clearly that it felt as though he was standing right beside her again.
The moment the king accepts you, enemies will start digging into your life. They will search for anything they can use to destroy you or your mate.
At the time, she had thought he was only being overly cautious. She never imagined things would become this bad.
What Lunara and her moonmate had uncovered would not only ruin their reputation. It could destroy Brandon too. Enemies would not care about explanations or truth once rumors started spreading. They would judge first and listen later.
She covered her mouth as a shaky breath escaped her lips.
"No..." she whispered weakly. "No, this can’t happen..."
Her fingers trembled as she deleted the messages one after another until the chat was completely gone. Afterward, she tossed the device onto the table and leaned back against the sofa, staring blankly ahead while her thoughts spun wildly inside her head.
She tried to think of a solution.
Should she tell Brandon everything immediately?
Should she confront Lunara first?
Should she try to bury the issue before it spreads further?
Every question she came up with only created another problem.
Frustration slowly filled her chest until she dragged both hands through her hair and shut her eyes tightly.
"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered again, her voice cracking as the words left her lips.
The chamber gave her no answer.
After sitting there for what felt like forever, she finally stood up and walked slowly back toward the bed.
The mattress dipped softly beneath her weight as she slipped under the duvet beside Brandon. Almost immediately, he moved in his sleep and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against his warm body without even opening his eyes.
She froze for a second before slowly relaxing against him.
Her fingers curled lightly around the fabric of his thong while she rested her head against his chest. His heartbeat echoed steadily beneath her ear, calm and reassuring, but it did nothing to quiet the fear clawing at her mind.
She stayed awake through the entire moonfall, listening to the sound of his breathing while endless thoughts tormented her mind. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw disaster waiting ahead of them.
Only when exhaustion finally became too heavy to fight did her wolf slowly give in, and sometime in the early hours of the moonrise, she eventually fell asleep in his arms.
Monday moonrise, the rich smell of coffee drifted through the chamber and pulled her slowly from sleep. The warm scent curled around the chamber, but it did nothing to lift the heaviness sitting in her chest.
"Moonrise."
Brandon’s voice came softly as he pulled the curtains apart. Pale light spilled across the chamber.
She turned onto her back and looked at him. "Moonrise," she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.
He studied her for a moment. "Did you sleep at all?"
She gave a small nod and pushed herself out of bed.
"We’re climbing and rambling through the city today." A grin spread across his face as he stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist. His lips found hers, warm and lingering.
She kissed him back for a second before pulling away.
"I want to go home," she said quietly.
The smile on his face faded. "Why?"
His hand slid over her stomach, slow and protective, his fingers resting there as if checking on the pup again.
Emma stepped away from him. "I just... want to go home today."
He caught her wrist gently and turned her back toward him..
"Moonheart." His eyes searched hers. "Are you mad at me?"
She dropped her gaze to the floor. "No."
"Then what is it?"
She rubbed her fingers together and let out a shaky breath. "I can’t think straight here. Everything feels off."
His expression tightened slightly.
"It’s because of Lunara’s call, isn’t it?"
Emma stayed quiet for a moment before giving a small nod.
"Yes," she whispered.
"Will you forget about the call if we go home?" he asked.
She gave a small nod.
"Alright."
Brandon slid one arm under her knees and lifted her into his arms. Instead of protesting, she wrapped her arms around his neck. A faint smile finally tugged at her lips as he carried her toward the bathchamber.
It was the first real smile she’d shown since the traitor’s message arrived.
While she soaked in the bath, Brandon contacted Bernard and told him they were leaving early. Bernard immediately reached out to the pilot and the crew staying in another resting den. Not long after, the pilot called back with confirmation that the weather was clear and safe for flying.
By the time Emma stepped out, she moved around the chamber quickly, folding clothes and packing their bags.
A knock came at the door before Leo and Teddy entered. Each grabbed a bag without wasting time.
"Moonrise," Teddy greeted.
Leo greeted politely. "Moonrise."
Emma barely looked at them.
The silence stretched across the chamber.
Leo exchanged a glance with Teddy but said nothing more before they carried the luggage outside.
After the door shut behind them, Brandon turned to her.
"Moonheart," he said quietly, "why do you suddenly hate them?"
Emma’s hand stilled on the bag zipper.
"One of them is working against you," she said without looking at him. "I don’t know which one yet."
