Elara sat curled up on the bed, staring blankly at nothing.
Emma sighed and walked back. She climbed onto the bed beside her and started talking about random things—old school mories, silly pack gossip, the ti Leo fell into the fountain during training.
Little by little, Elara’s shoulders loosened. A tired laugh slipped out of her.
Not long after, her words began to slur.
Emma pulled the blanket over her and brushed the hair from her face. She stayed in the chair beside the bed, watching until Elara’s breathing turned soft and steady.
When she finally returned to her own chamber, the silence pressed hard against her chest.
She lay down, but sleep never ca.
The intercom light blinked once.
She stared at it.
Brandon.
The light blinked again.
Emma turned her face away and pulled the blanket higher. After a while, the light stopped flashing.
The next moonrise—Friday, a day before the three-day vacation and bridal shopping—Emma woke early and took the dogs around the estate. By the ti she returned, sweat clung to the back of her shirt.
After a quick shower, she tied her damp hair up and headed straight for the study chamber, a stack of unfinished files tucked under her arm.
She switched on one of the computers on the table and opened the reservation Bernard had made earlier.
The soft tap of boots echoed down the hallway.
Her fingers slowed on the keyboard.
"Moonrise, Alpha," Bernard greeted.
No answer ca back.
Emma’s mouth twitched faintly. Either Brandon ignored him again or gave one of those silent nods he liked doing.
A second later, the study door opened.
His scent drifted into the room before he even reached her.
Cold fingers brushed the back of her neck.
She tilted her head up and smiled. "Moonrise."
"Moonheart." His thumb rubbed slowly against her skin. "I tried talking to you last night, but you ignored ." He leaned closer. "And don’t tell you were asleep. I knew exactly when you left Elara’s chamber."
Emma lowered her eyes to the screen again. "I’m sorry."
He studied her face for a mont, then let it go with a quiet sigh.
"Alright." His gaze moved to the computer. "What are you working on?"
"Just confirming the reservations," she murmured, eyes still on the screen.
Brandon leaned closer.
"He’s not going with us," he said flatly. "Make sure his na is removed."
Emma clicked through the list. "I already removed them."
His eyes narrowed. "Them?"
"Elara too." Her fingers paused over the keyboard. "She’s leaving for the palace this moonrise. She wants to see her healer."
Brandon straightened slowly. "Is she sick?"
Emma swallowed. "She’s been struggling with depression for winters."
"That’s not true!" His voice cracked through the chamber.
She flinched but stayed quiet.
"Where is she?" he asked sharply.
"In her chamber."
He dropped his briefcase onto the reading table with a dull thud and stared at her like he was trying to make sense of what she’d just said. His hands settled on his waist for a second before he dragged one down his face.
"Co on," he muttered, reaching for her hand. "Let’s go see her."
Emma hesitated.
His fingers tightened gently around hers.
She pushed back her chair and stood.
They walked out together, his hand still wrapped around hers. Halfway down the hallway, Brandon glanced at her.
She wasn’t talking much. Not teasing him. Not leaning into him the way she usually did.
Even the way her hand rested in his felt different.
They walked straight into Elara’s chamber without knocking.
Elara glanced up from her device when the door opened. Her eyes moved over both of them before dropping back to the screen.
"Hi, Princess," Brandon said with an easy smile, like nothing had happened.
"Moonrise," she replied flatly.
Brandon pushed her legs gently aside and sat on the edge of the bed. Emma stayed near the door, arms folded loosely across her chest.
He placed the back of his hand against Elara’s neck.
"I still don’t believe you’ve been dealing with depression all this ti and never told ."
Elara slowly lowered the device into her lap.
"You don’t stay close enough to know what goes on with anymore," she said quietly.
Brandon’s smile faded.
"You drifted away from ." She looked at him then, eyes shining faintly. "And now you’re surprised I didn’t tell you?"
The chamber fell silent.
"You weren’t here, Brandon."
Her fingers twisted tightly around the sleeve of her shirt.
"I can’t even bla you," she whispered, staring down at her hands. "You found your mate. You got the life you wanted."
Her voice cracked at the end.
"And ?" She let out a small laugh that sounded nothing like laughter. "It’s like I disappeared."
Brandon didn’t say a word.
He just sat there staring at her, his hand slowly falling from her neck to his lap.
Brandon’s jaw flexed. He opened his mouth, closed it again, then dragged a hand through his hair.
"That’s not fair," he muttered.
His eyes lifted back to hers, the anger gone from them now.
"I didn’t pull away because I stopped caring." His voice dropped lower. "I pulled away because every ti I looked at you, I knew sothing was wrong, and I had no idea how to fix it."
He took a step toward her before stopping himself.
"But don’t sit there acting like you an nothing to because I handled things badly."
Elara said nothing.
Her thumb kept moving across her communication device.
Brandon watched her for a mont. "When did this start?"
"Five winters ago."
His head jerked up. "What? Elara—"
She shrugged lightly without looking at him. "I already told my healer I’d see him this moonrise. I want to go back to the palace."
Brandon stared at her like the answer hit harder than he expected.
"What triggers it?" he asked quietly. "Do you know?"
Elara leaned back against the headboard and gave another small shrug.
"No."
"Alright," Brandon said quietly as he stood. "I’ll co see you at the palace tonight."
Elara gave a small nod and looked back at her device.
Emma stayed still.
That was it?
No ntion of Bernard. No ntion of the mating law hanging over every wolf’s head.
Her chest tightened.
As they stepped out of the chamber, Brandon reached for her hand again. Emma let him hold it until they got to the door, then slowly pulled her hand free.
He stopped walking. "What is it?"
"I want to talk to her."
Brandon looked at her for a second. "We need to talk first."
Emma pressed her lips together.
Finally.
They walked the rest of the way in silence and entered the feeding chamber. Brandon pulled out a chair and sat across from her.
"What do you want to tell ?" she asked.
He leaned back slowly, eyes fixed on her. "What’s wrong with you?"
"Nothing."
Her gaze slid past him toward the far wall.
Silence stretched between them.
Brandon didn’t move right away. He just kept looking at her, calm and steady, like he could see straight through the answer she’d given.
Then his eyes returned to her face again, waiting.
"You need to eat before you go back to her," Brandon said, sliding the plate closer. "You’re pregnant, Moonheart."
Emma barely looked at the food. "I’m not hungry."
"You’re carrying another life inside you."
"We’re not hungry," she repeated.
Brandon leaned back in his chair and licked slowly across his lower lip. His eyes drifted to the table for a mont before returning to her face.
"You know you and our pup are the two most important wolves in my life." His voice ca out tired. "Why are you both doing this to ?"
Emma said nothing.
He scooped up another spoonful and held it toward her.
She didn’t open her mouth.
Her eyes stayed locked on him, hard and steady.
"Elara isn’t important to you too?" she asked quietly. "Tell ."
Brandon lowered the spoon.
"Moonheart, I don’t want Bernard’s issue becoming another problem between us."
Emma gave a short laugh under her breath.
"You’re treating him this way because he’s a commoner." She sat back slowly. "Funny how quickly you forgot your mate is a commoner too."
"Don’t do that."
"No." She shook her head. "I’m serious. Commoners deserve to love and be loved too."
Brandon rubbed both hands over his face.
"Moonheart, why are you pushing this?" He dropped his hands and looked at her again. "The king will never allow it. Asking him to give Elara to Bernard is like asking him to leave the High Luna. It’s impossible."
He pushed the untouched plate aside.
"We’ve barely had peace since we got mated." His voice softened. "For once, I just want to enjoy my mate. I want quiet. No fights. No scandals. Just you and our pup."
Emma folded her arms.
"The royal house is already all over social dia and every newspaper in the kingdom," he continued. "We’ve trended enough."
"Then let it trend one more ti," she said lightly.
Brandon stared at her.
The silence stretched so long the ticking clock on the wall beca loud.
Finally, he exhaled.
"What do you want to do?"
"Support Elara," she said, voice steady now. "She stood by you when you were mated to a commoner. Stand with her. Not because I’m telling you to... but because she’s in love. Because she deserves that chance too."
Brandon held her gaze. His chest rose and fell once, slow.
He reached for her plate again, then stopped.
"Eat your breakfast," he said quietly. "We’ll talk tonight. Properly."
Emma didn’t move.
"Bernard is leaving this moonrise, and Elara is going back to the palace."
Brandon’s eyes dropped to the table. "Tell them to wait."
He reached for the spoon without looking up.
"I’ll call Elara’s healer here. Just eat."
The spoon hovered in front of her.
Emma kept her hands folded in her lap.
"I’ll starve," she said under her breath, eyes on the plate, "if Elara isn’t okay."
The spoon stopped midair.
Brandon slowly lowered it back into the bowl.
His voice ca quieter now. "Has it really gotten that far?"
He pushed the plate aside.
"We’re talking tonight," he said.
"About what?" Emma finally looked at him.
Brandon didn’t blink.
"About Elara and Bernard."
Silence held the chamber.
Then a soft knock ca at the door.
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