Chapter 199: Don’t Leave Me
Ken and Brooklyn spent the Moonfall celebration with them.
The house was rarely quiet. Laughter drifted from one chamber to another as jokes flew back and forth. More than once, Emma had to wipe tears from her eyes after laughing too hard.
What stayed with her most was the way Ken and Brandon treated Bernard. Neither of them ordered him around or spoke down to him. Bernard sat with them, ate with them, and joined their conversations like everyone else.
More than once, she caught Elara watching the group with a small smile on her face.
On Monday moonrise, she sat in her chamber with Elara, examining the mating ring that had been delivered during Moonfall.
The ring sparkled under the light as she slowly turned it between her fingers.
"It’s beautiful," Elara said, leaning closer.
She smiled and ran her thumb over the band.
Brooklyn and Ken were still asleep, while Brandon had already left for work.
A notification suddenly flashed across her device.
She glanced at the screen.
The territory security service was requesting a meeting.
She approved the visit.
A few minutes later, she left Elara in the chamber and headed downstairs.
The moment she stepped into the antechamber, the security warriors rose from their seats.
"Moonrise, Mrs. Frostbane," one of them said.
Emma looked from one face to another. Every one of them was smiling.
"Moonrise, everyone," she replied as she motioned for them to sit.
The warriors settled back into their seats.
"How are you doing today?" one of them asked.
She took a seat across from them.
"I’m doing great. How about you?"
"We’re doing great too."
The warriors exchanged quick glances.
Then one of them leaned forward slightly.
"Mrs. Frostbane, we’re here on behalf of your sibling."
Emma’s fingers tightened around the armrest.
"What happened?" she asked. "Is she dead?"
The last time the security department had contacted her, they said her sibling was receiving treatment at one of their medical facilities.
The officer shook his head.
"No. She’s alive. She’ll be appearing in court tomorrow, and she has requested to speak with you. Would you like to talk to her?"
She didn’t even hesitate.
"No."
"We conducted an extensive investigation at your former residence," the officer continued. "After reviewing the evidence, we reached a conclusion. She also confirmed our findings."
She leaned back slightly.
"What did you find?"
"Mr. Damon is not her moonmate. And she never intended to blackmail you. According to our investigation, she was forced to do so by Mr. Damon Frostbane."
A short laugh escaped her.
"Then she can tell all that to the judge."
The smiles on the officers’ faces faded.
"I don’t care whether she’s guilty or innocent," Emma said. "She accessed the palace server, copied the footage, and used it to blackmail me and my mate."
She shook her head.
"And now you’re telling me she never planned to do it? You expect me to believe that?"
No one answered.
"Like I said, she can go to court tomorrow and prove whatever she wants to prove. I honestly don’t care."
The officer folded his hands on his lap.
"We would still like you to visit her when it’s convenient for you."
She stared at him for a moment. It was as though he hadn’t heard a word she had just said.
The antechamber fell silent.
A few seconds passed before she finally stood.
"I’ll discuss it with my mate and get back to you."
The warriors rose as well.
"We’ll be on our way, Mrs. Frostbane," one of them said.
She gave a brief nod.
"Thank you."
The officers turned and left the antechamber.
She remained where she was, staring at the doorway long after they were gone.
Then she reached for her device.
If the investigation had uncovered something big enough to make the security department push this hard, she wanted to know what it was.
She called Brandon and told him everything.
"No, Moonheart. We have a meeting with the High Fang Regent and the Chief of the Kingdom’s Security at four. Whatever they found concerns us too."
"Alright."
"Do you want to see her?" he asked.
She lifted one shoulder. "I’m just curious."
A small smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I know. Just be careful."
She nodded at the screen before ending the call.
An hour later, Brooklyn and Elara joined her in the new limousine Brandon had gifted her. He’d insisted she focus on their royal mating preparations and leave everything else aside for a while.
The chauffeur pulled away from the estate and headed straight for the Security Department.
When they arrived, Leo and the other guards fell in behind them as they entered the building.
A security officer led them to the visitors’ waiting area.
Several minutes later, Lunara was escorted inside.
Emma almost didn’t recognize her.
The tangled hair that had hung around her face was gone, cut short. The filthy bandage stained with dried blood had been replaced with a clean one. Even so, the hardness in her eyes remained.
"Why do you want to see me?" Emma asked without sitting.
She studied her for a moment.
"How are you?" she asked quietly.
Emma’s expression didn’t change.
"Why do you want to see me?" she repeated.
Lunara met her gaze.
"I want to say I’m sorry for everything I did to you," she said.
"I don’t need it," Emma replied.
"Emma, please. Forgive me."
"I will never forgive you, Lunara Greens! You are evil!" she snapped.
Lunara lowered her eyes.
"I know. Please forgive me." Her fingers twisted together in her lap. "Life hasn’t been easy since I left the palace. Wolves hate me. They throw things at me whenever they see me. I can’t go out and work. I can’t even go out and buy the things I need." Her voice wavered. "I don’t know how much longer I can keep living like this."
"Whose fault is that, Emma?" Elara shot back.
Lunara swallowed hard.
"My fault. It’s my fault." She nodded slowly. "I regret what I did every single day."
"I’m glad you know that." Elara let out a sharp breath and looked away.
"Elara, please. I’m sorry."
"No." Elara’s jaw tightened. "Don’t call my name."
Emma watched her for a moment before speaking.
"Lunara, you had enough money ,gold, and silver in your account to take care of yourself until the wolves moved on. What happened to it?"
"Damon transferred it all to his account." Lunara looked down at her hands. "I didn’t even spend two percent of it on my mother’s funeral. He took everything and kept asking for more."
Emma frowned.
"Why did he transfer all your money to his account?"
"He wanted me to join him and stop the royal mating." A bitter laugh escaped her lips. "When I refused, he started blackmailing me."
"Why did he want to stop the royal mating?"
"He wanted the king to name his twin brother heir apparent." Lunara lowered her eyes to her hands. "He also planned to kill the king."
Her fingers tightened together.
"When I refused to help him, he tied me up and beat me. He searched my bags, found the footage, and started blackmailing me with it. He took everything valuable I had, but I still wouldn’t support him."
She swallowed hard before continuing.
"My moonally threw me out because I never reported him to security, no matter what he did to me."
A shaky breath escaped her.
"I moved into our house, but he followed me there too. He kept threatening to kill me if I didn’t do what he wanted. Every moonfall..." Her voice faltered. "He forced himself on me."
She wrapped her arms around herself.
"Sometimes he locked me up without food for an entire day."
Silence hung between them for a moment.
"On Sunday moonrise, he slammed my head against a wall." Lunara touched the side of her head. "I blacked out. When I woke up, one of his healers was treating me. He wouldn’t let me see my own healer."
She blinked rapidly and looked away.
"I agreed to work with him because I didn’t know what else to do anymore." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Emma, that was never what I wanted."
Emma stared at her.
"What were you doing with the footage if not to blackmail us?"
Lunara’s gaze fell to the floor.
"I copied it from the server before wiping it."
"And kept it," Emma finished.
Lunara nodded.
"To blackmail us."
"No." Her head snapped up.
"Then why did you copy it?"
Lunara’s lips parted, but no words came out. She looked away again.
"I..." Her cheeks burned. "I liked watching it."
The chamber went still.
"I’m sorry."
Emma’s voice cut through the hall like a blade drawn too fast.
"You enjoy watching others suffer, don’t you?" Her gaze held steady on Lunara, unmoving. "Do you even understand what your relationship with my mate has done to him?"
Lunara stood near the edge of the hall, fingers clenched together as if holding herself upright was becoming difficult. Her eyes dropped to the floor.
"I didn’t know he regretted it," she said softly. "He was the one who came to me first."
A sharp breath left Emma’s nose. She shifted her weight, arms folding across her chest.
"He came to you because you never stayed away from his chamber," Emma said, her tone tightening. "You kept circling him... waiting. And when he was at his lowest, you took your chance."
Lunara’s shoulders dipped further, like something invisible had pressed down on her.
"I’m..." Her lips parted, then closed again. When she spoke, her voice barely carried. "I’m sorry. Please... forgive me."
Brooklyn stepped in closer, her shoes brushing softly against the floor.
"Who hijacked the wristwatches the prince ordered?" she asked, eyes narrowing.
Lunara hesitated, swallowing hard as if the name tasted bitter.
"Damon," she finally said. "He’s been watching Brandon and the king. He always knows where they are... I don’t know how he does it."
No one spoke after that.
The silence stretched, thick and uncomfortable, pressing against the walls until even breathing felt louder.
Emma pushed back her chair.
The legs scraped against the floor as she stood, smoothing her outfit with slow, controlled movements that didn’t match the tension in her eyes.
"Then I’ve heard enough," she said at last. Her voice had cooled, distant. "I hope you have a good lawyer when you stand in court."
Lunara gave a faint nod. "Yes."
"Good luck, then."
She turned.
Her hand had barely reached the door when—
"Emma... wait."
Something in Lunara’s voice made her stop.
Her voice cracked. The anger was gone, replaced by a fear she couldn’t hide.
Emma turned her head slightly.
Lunara had moved.
She was no longer standing.
She was on her knees.
"Please," Lunara whispered, looking up through wet lashes. "Please forgive me."
Emma didn’t move. She just looked at her.
And for a moment, the hall shifted—not in sound, but in memory.
Lunara wasn’t supposed to look like this.
She used to walk into halls like they belonged to her. Chin high. Steps unhurried. Men used to turn their heads just to watch her pass.
Emma’s gaze flickered.
Theresa.
The memory came uninvited, sharp and sudden. Theresa’s smile. The way she used to speak about Lunara with admiration that never fully faded, even when others grew jealous or
bitter.
If Theresa were here... she would have broken at this sight.
Emma’s throat tightened.
Lunara’s hands trembled against the floor.
"You’re all I have left now," she said, voice cracking as tears slipped down her cheeks. "Please don’t leave me. If you do... I won’t survive it. "If you walk away, I won’t survive it."
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