Chapter 203: Before the Sacred Vows
The bachelorette party ended at 1:50 am. Brandon and some of his allies dropped Emma and Brooklyn off at her father’s house where the dowry ceremony and exchange of ritual gifts would take place and they drove straight to the palace. Everything she needed had been sent to her father’s house.
The High Fang Regent’s house was decorated with different kinds of flowers and fancy lights and that made the whole place look almost unrecognizable. She walked around the house, admiring the decorations.
"Emma, you need to rest and get ready for your day," Brooklyn said and dragged her away.
Emily crossed the chamber as soon as she heard their voices.
"Oh, you’re home," she said, pulling them into a quick hug.
"Moonrise, Mother," they said at the same time.
"Brooklyn, where’s your mate?" Emily asked.
"With Brandon," she said.
"Alright. Sleep well, dear."
"Sleep well, Mother." She gave a small nod and headed for her chamber.
Emily turned to Emma, taking her by the arm and guiding her down the hall.
They reached her father’s executive lounge. The door closed softly behind them.
Ashley was still in the lounge when she stepped in.
Moonrise father... you’re still awake?"
He looked up, a slow smile forming. "Yeah. Waiting for my soft fang. Miss you, dear."
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead.
"I missed you too, Father."
She moved closer and settled beside him.
Ashley lifted his head from his seat. "Soft Fang. How did it go?"
"It went well, Father." She exhaled, shaking her head a little. "I almost lost it though... because of the game his crazy moonallies made us play."
Ashley leaned back slightly. "What game?"
"Bachelorette party... Moon game."
His brows lifted. "And?"
She let out a small laugh, one hand briefly covering her face.
"Imagine asking Brandon to use his teeth... to pull the garter off my thighs."
Emily burst out laughing, stepping back like she might actually fall over.
Ashley let out a slow laugh too. "Did he do it?"
"You should’ve seen him," she said, still smiling. "He enjoyed it."
Ashley shook his head, leaning back into his chair. "These pups..." He laughed under his breath. "Turning a simple bachelorette into chaos."
"Soft Fang, go freshen up. Today’s your day. And trust me... it’s going to be worse than that bachelorette chaos."
"What? Are you saying..."
He waved it off with a small laugh. "I’m joking. Go rest."
He turned toward his chamber, Emily at his side, her hand still in his.
"Father... Mother... wait."
They both paused and looked back
"What is it, Alpha’s Bride?" Ashley asked, a teasing smile tugging at her lips.
Emma shifted her weight. "My legs hurt... I need a massage."
"Go freshen up. Vanya will take care of you."
"Alright, Father," she nodded and headed in the direction of the entrance and soon was in her chamber.
The bath was already drawn when she stepped in.
She slipped under the water, quick and quiet, steam fogging the mirror.
Vanya waited outside her chamber when she came out. A few firm strokes later, she left her settled.
She sank into the pillows, exhaling as her head hit the softness.
Her eyes stayed open.
She reached for her device and called Brandon.
The screen lit up almost immediately—loud music in the background, voices spilling over each other. He looked exhausted, leaning back in a chair like he’d been dragged into the moon against his will.
"Starlit?" she called.
He squinted at the screen. "Moonheart? I can’t hear you—hold on."
Some wolf shouted behind him. He turned his head, jaw tightening a little.
"I’ll call you back," he said into the device, pushing himself up.
She watched him stand and walk out, the noise fading as he stepped into the hallway.
"Better," he muttered once it was quieter. "Say that again."
She laughed softly. "I just wanted to see if you’re alive."
"I am... barely."
His footsteps echoed as he headed down the corridor toward his chamber.
"Moonheart," he said when he finally reached his chamber, pushing the door shut behind him. "Sleep."
He dropped onto the bed and tossed the device aside.
She smiled at the screen for a second longer, then ended the call.
She woke up on Saturday moonrise feeling tired and a little disoriented. She tried to hit the ground, but she was so tired. She covered herself and went back to sleep.
At 8: am, Emily, Brooklyn, and some of her moonallies entered her chamber. Emily shifted the duvet to see her face.
"Emma, the royal house will be here in less than thirty minutes for the dowry ceremony, blessing from the Moon goddess, Moon priest, and of course, our veneration.
"The royal family decided to come early since you and Brandon will be crowned as the new Alpha and Luna today, right after the royal mating ceremony. Then you’ll be leaving for Monaco, and your book signing starts at four. Everything is happening today! Soft Fang, you have only twenty minutes to get dressed."
Emily yanked the duvet off the bed completely.
"Moonrise mother, she greeted, got down immediately and ran down to the bathchamber.
She barely touched her food after the bath, picking at it without real interest before eventually pushing the plate away as her thoughts drifted elsewhere, leaving her with that strange lightness in her chest that made it hard to focus on anything in front of her.
Outside her chamber, voices moved quickly through the hallway, and even before she opened the door she could hear Emily trying to keep things in order while Lyn kept slipping laughter into everything.
"Hold still, we’re not done yet," Emily said, her tone firm and kind.
Brooklyn laughed right after her. "She’s not going to sit still anyway, you’re wasting your breath."
"Just ten more minutes," another voice added from somewhere near the mirror.
"I said I’m fine," Emma called out, though her voice didn’t slow anyone down, and no one actually stopped what they were doing.
By the time she stepped back into the chamber, Nicole’s bridal team had already taken over completely, filling the space with soft sprays, brushes moving through her hair, pins clicking gently as they worked around her without pause, until she finally settled into the chair and her eyes drifted up toward the mirror.
She stopped.
Something about the reflection made her still for a moment longer than expected as she leaned slightly forward and murmured, "...Wait."
Behind her, Emily leaned in closer, watching her through the mirror as she said, "Don’t move," while Brooklyn stepped back with her hands on her hips like she was inspecting something she already approved of, saying, "Yeah, don’t ruin it now."
Emma blinked slowly at her reflection, studying it as if it didn’t quite belong to her, before finally letting out a quiet, almost uncertain, "That’s... me?"
"That’s you," Emily answered with a soft smile that spread through the chamber as the others reacted at once, voices overlapping as Brooklyn waved some wolf forward for the camera and Nira already reached for her device saying, " I will post it, royal page first," while another immediately protested, "Wait, no filters."
Emma shook her head lightly, a small laugh slipping out as she looked away from the mirror and muttered, "You guys are crazy."
At exactly 9:30, the gates shifted outside, and Brooklyn was the first to notice as she hurried toward the window, whispering, "They’re here," while Emily followed close behind her, pressing forward and saying, "I see them, move."
Emma came after them more slowly, stopping just behind as they crowded the glass like pups trying to catch the first glimpse, and when she finally spoke her voice was softer, almost careful, as she asked, "Where is he?" even though no one answered her right away.
Emily glanced back at her after a moment and said, "He’s probably already inside," but Emma’s eyes still stayed on the courtyard a little longer, searching anyway.
They guided her down afterward to her father’s private lounge, where the atmosphere shifted the moment she stepped inside and conversation lowered into something more controlled, more ceremonial, until her eyes landed on Brandon and everything else seemed to fall back.
He was already there, waiting.
The moment he saw her, he stood, and their eyes met across the lounge in a way that made everything else feel distant, before he crossed the space in a few unhurried steps and stopped in front of her without hesitation.
He leaned in and kissed her briefly, not lingering long enough to turn it into a performance, just enough to make it feel like a habit between them, before pulling back and meeting her eyes again with a small wink that made her look away with a faint smile she couldn’t quite hide.
"Sit," A moon priestess said gently from the side, and she was guided into the chair.
Gifts began to come in after that, one after another, filling the lounge with movement and voices as people stepped forward to present them, announcing their names and houses while placing boxes and envelopes before her, until the high Luna herself approached with a thick envelope and placed it into her hands.
Emma held the envelope carefully, her fingers tightening around the thick paper as curiosity tugged at her. For a moment, she glanced down at it, tempted to open it right there.
Emily noticed immediately and leaned closer.
"Open it later," she whispered.
Emma looked up and nodded. She laid the envelope on her lap for a moment before a servant stepped forward, picked it up, and carried it away with the rest of the gifts.
Around her, voices continued to rise and fall as gifts were presented and congratulations exchanged, but the sounds seemed distant somehow, as though her thoughts had already drifted beyond the lounge and toward everything waiting ahead.
Before long, Brandon rose from his seat.
His gaze found hers immediately.
He crossed the lounge without hurry and stopped in front of her, extending his hand.
"Come on."
Emma looked at him for a moment, then slipped her hand into his.
His fingers closed around hers, warm and familiar.
Without another word, he guided her through the lounge while conversations gradually softened around them. The crowd parted, making way as they approached the pack elder seated calmly on the floor at the center of the lounge.
The closer they drew, the quieter the atmosphere became.
Emma felt her heartbeat quicken.
This was it.
The moment they had been moving toward all along.
Hand in hand, they stepped forward and stopped before the pack elder.
Then the lounge fell silent.
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