Chapter 195: He Never Showed Up
He crossed the distance without a word, pulled her in, and kissed her briefly—quick, familiar, like a habit that belonged to him now.
"See you later," he said softly against her lips.
Emma waited for his answer, but he said nothing. After a moment, she gave a small nod anyway.
Just like that, he was gone again, his guards moving in step behind him.
The chamber settled back into its rhythm.
Emma sank onto the couch, adjusting the fabric beneath her hands.
"Have you guys eaten?" she asked, glancing between them.
"Yes," Brooklyn and Elara replied at the same time.
Emma’s gaze lingered on Elara a moment longer.
"Did Bernard say anything after we left?"
Elara started to respond, but Brooklyn leaned back first, cutting in with a knowing tone.
"Nope. Nothing after that."
A slow grin curved her lips as she tilted her head.
"They dropped it," she added, a pause stretching just long enough to sharpen her meaning. "Spent the rest of the moonfall making love."
"Who told you?" Elara laughed, doubling over a little.
"I got bored. I came back."
"Oh my Goddess," she burst out, covering her mouth.
"Don’t worry," Lyn said, waving a hand. "I didn’t open the door. I just helped you guys close it properly."
Emma let out a short laugh.
Brooklyn stepped closer and held out a device. "You’ve got a message from Lunara."
Emma took it, thumbed it open, eyes scanning the screen.
"Twenty-eight hours," she muttered.
She tilted the device and let it drop onto the couch.
Brooklyn and Elara leaned in at the same time, shoulders almost touching as they read over it.
Elara’s brows lifted. "So what are we gonna do?"
"Call Bernard," Brooklyn said.
Before Elara could even reach for her device, the door shifted.
Bernard was already there.
He leaned against the frame, eyes moving over all three of them before he let out a quiet laugh.
"Moonfall, all," he said.
Brooklyn tipped her chin at a chair. "Sit."
He stayed where he was, shaking his head slightly. "I’m good right here."
Emma stepped forward a little. "We’re sorry. About the Last Moonfall. We need to talk. Please."
That got him moving. He shifted off the red marker on the floor, and the door slid shut behind him with a soft click.
"So," Emma said, watching him closely. "How are you?"
"I’m fine."
Silence stretched for a moment.
Bernard’s gaze flicked between them. "Lunara and her new moonmate are blackmailing me," he said flatly. "They told me not to tell my mate."
"What do they want?"
"They want me to come see them."
"I think one of the guards who came with us is feeding them information."
"No. Leo and Teddy don’t behave like that," he said sharply, head snapping up. "They’re loyal to our alpha."
"Then who’s feeding them information?" Emma asked.
"A beat passed. Bernard ran a hand through his hair, eyes narrowing as he stared at the floor, like it might give him an answer."
"Maybe Lunara planted something before she left the estate," he said.
Emma scoffed. "If she planted a spy device here, she and her moonmate wouldn’t be tracking me all the way to Milan."
Bernard finally looked at her. "What makes you so sure they were tracking you?"
"At the beach." Emma’s voice tightened. "The message came right after Brandon walked away. Like they waited for him to leave before sending it."
She paced a few steps, fingers curling at her sides. "Some wolf told them exactly where I was. And when my mate moved."
Bernard gave a small, humorless breath. "Lunara’s moonmate is a criminal. He can guess patterns. That’s all he’s doing."
"No, Bernard." Emma stopped walking. "When I was searching around, he texted me. Told me to stop looking."
Bernard tilted his head slightly. "Or he guessed again."
He let out a short laugh with no humor. "Elara, if a wolf told you they were watching you through your device, what would you do?"
"I’d look around," she answered immediately.
Bernard lifted his shoulders, glancing at Emma like that proved his point.
"Bernard, I know what I saw," she said, voice steady but sharp. "There’s a mole among us."
"There’s no mole," he said, shaking his head once. "She planted a device somewhere before she left. I’ll find it and remove it."
Emma’s eyes narrowed. "When?"
Bernard turned toward the window, jaw tightening. "Before the week is over."
"I’ve got twenty-six hours to see them. If you think she planted spyware, you need to find it before noon," she said, voice tight.
Bernard pushed his chair back and stood. "Alright. I’ll start now."
He paused at the door, fingers still on the frame. "And if there’s no mole in our midst, then he’s innocent..."
He stopped mid-sentence.
Emma tilted her head. "Innocent who, Bernard?"
He gave a short shake of his head. "Never mind." And he walked out.
The door shut behind him.
Brooklyn exhaled through her nose, eyes still on the door. "He might be right."
Emma turned sharply. "What’s going on? There’s something you’re not telling me."
Brooklyn didn’t answer right away. She grabbed a glass, turned it in her hand, then set it down untouched.
"I just hope he finds it," she said instead. "I don’t want you anywhere near Lunara and her moonmate."
"Bernard knows what he’s doing," Elara said, leaning back in her chair. "If anyone can trace it, it’s him."
She tapped the table lightly. "Just... eat something, Emma. Your breakfast’s going cold. We’ll deal with the mole or the spyware today."
Brooklyn was already on her feet. She didn’t wait for a response before heading out.
By noon, Bernard came back with a small device in his hand, wires and a blinking screen catching the light.
He didn’t speak. Just started moving through the chambers.
Emma and the others followed him to her chamber.
He stepped inside, scanned the space once, then sat on the edge of the sofa. The device beeped softly as he swept it across the chamber.
Nothing.
He leaned forward, checked again. Still nothing.
He stood, already turning toward the door. "Search Brandon’s chamber," Emma instructed him.
Elara and Brooklyn stayed back.
They watched from the hallway as he moved on with Emma.
Bernard stepped into the chamber and dropped onto the sofa. Emma leaned in, eyes fixed on the spy detector, but the blinking lights meant nothing to her.
He clicked it off, the soft hum cutting out. Then he rose to his feet.
Emma looked up. "Did you find anything?"
Bernard slid the device into his pocket. "Yeah."
She waited.
He gave a small nod toward the door. "But I’ll talk to my alpha first."
"You mean a wolf planted spyware in here?" she asked, voice tightening.
"I’ll report this to Alpha Brandon," Bernard said flatly.
"I’m his mate." She shook her head. "Lunara and the other servants don’t even get near this chamber. It’s just you, me..."
"And Alpha Brandon," he added without missing a beat.
Emma frowned. "That’s not what I meant. You found something..."
"This isn’t something to handle in here." His tone cut in, calm but firm.
He turned toward the door.
"Bernard, wait..."
He paused with his hand on the handle, not looking back. "I need to see Alpha Brandon first."
Emma stepped forward. "See him for what? You can just tell me..."
"Alone," he added, finally glancing over his shoulder.
The word landed heavier than expected.
Before she could press further, he opened the door and stepped out.
"Bernard? What did you..." her voice followed him into the hallway, but the door closed before she finished.
"Did he find anything?" Brooklyn and Elara asked the moment she stepped out of the chamber.
"Yes," she said.
"Then what was it?"
"He wouldn’t tell me."
Elara hurried after Bernard and caught his shirt. He stopped with a short laugh, turning just enough to draw her in. His hand lifted her chin, and he kissed her—quick, steady, like a promise.
"We’re in this together," she said. "Don’t shut us out."
Her grip loosened, but her eyes stayed sharp. "She has less than thirty hours to get to Lunara and her colleagues. You know what Lunara is like."
Bernard exhaled slowly.
"Alpha Brandon is coming home for lunch, right?" he asked.
"He is," Emma said quickly, already turning away. "The food’s ready."
"Good," Bernard said, adjusting his shirt. "Call me when he’s done."
He left without looking back.
The moment the door closed, all three of them were already moving—down the corridor toward the cookhouse where Mr. Richard was cooking, voices low, hands busy, the air tight with urgency.
Mr. Richard paused mid-motion, eyes flicking between them as if trying to read the sudden rush in the cookhouse.
Brooklyn was already at the tray, sliding it forward. Emma pulled out plates, stacking them too fast. Elara yanked open a cabinet and grabbed extra napkins, stuffing them into her hands like they had always belonged there.
"Ladies... what’s going on?" Mr. Richard asked, slow and careful.
"Nothing," Brooklyn said, shoulders lifting as she kept arranging the tray. "Just set the food here."
He let out a short laugh and took the dish from her anyway.
"Is he coming?" Elara asked.
Emma froze.
"I... didn’t call him."
Silence snapped through the cookhouse.
"What!" Brooklyn and Elara turned at once.
Emma reached for her device so fast it almost slipped. Her thumb moved across the screen, dialing.
On the other end, his voice came easy, calm.
"My moonblessed one."
"Starlit, it’s lunchtime. Come home."
A soft pause stretched on the line.
"Moonheart... look at the time. It’s just after one."
"That’s the new lunchtime," she said quickly.
A low laugh came through the speaker.
"You’re up to something. What is it?"
"You’ll see when you get here."
Nobody spoke for a few minutes
"Alright. Ten minutes."
"Five," she said immediately. "No...three."
"This is serious. I’m coming right now," he said.
The call ended.
Emma lowered her device and turned—Elara was already gone, along with the food.
Mr. Richard looked between them again. "What’s going on?"
"Nothing," Emma said too quickly.
"Is he coming now?" Brooklyn asked.
"Yes." Emma was already moving.
She rushed toward the feeding chamber.
Empty.
No Elara. No tray.
She stopped.
"Where is she?" she asked.
Brooklyn blinked, scanning the hallway. Then she pointed.
Elara was coming back, hands full again.
"Where’s the food?" Emma asked.
Elara didn’t slow down.
"I moved it," she said simply. "To the main feeding chamber."
Emma frowned.
"The executive chamber is for just two of you. There’s more of us." she shifted the tray higher on her arm and smiled. "We’re eating together. It’s been a while."
She walked past them like it was already decided.
Brooklyn burst out laughing.
"The banquet hall?" she called after her.
"No," Elara said over her shoulder. "The main family chamber."
Emma exhaled and shook her head.
"I’m going there," Brooklyn said, already turning.
Elara passed Emma again, another tray balanced in her hands, and kept walking toward the main family feeding chamber without slowing down.
Just then, Emma remembered she’d asked Evan to come over.
Her fingers hovered over her device.
He should’ve been here hours ago.
She lowered her hand. There was no point calling him now. If he wasn’t the traitor, then she had no reason to see him again.
Her device rang.
Emma glanced at the screen and answered.
"Morgan?"
"Emma, is Evan still at your house?" Morgan asked.
Emma frowned. "No. Why?"
"He told me around moonrise that he had an appointment with you."
"He never showed up."
Emma walked to the window. "I thought maybe he changed his mind. I expected him hours ago."
Silence stretched between them.
"But he told me he was already at your house," Morgan said.
Emma’s grip tightened around the device.
"Morgan, Evan never came to my house. Please stop bothering me."
She ended the call before Morgan could say another word.
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