Emma leaned against the stone wall of the bathing chamber, gathering the strength to walk past the Alpha. But her strength kept slipping as Lunara's Luna Broadcast continued echoing through the chamber.
She was a curvy she-wolf, her hips full and round, always swaying beneath loose ceremonial robes. That was why she preferred fitted Luna gowns, tailored skirts, and warrior-cut denims that honored her wolf form.
The immaculate white bathing wrap tied across her chest was short because of her height. She could not walk past Alpha Brandon without it seeming as though she was deliberately tempting her Alpha.
She leaned against the bathing chamber door and pretended to watch Lunara's Pack Broadcast, hoping the Alpha would leave the Luna quarters. But he remained relaxed on the mating chamber, showing no sign of leaving. It felt as though venom was being forced down her throat.
"Sixty nights more, my Lady," Mrs. Emily, Lunara's attendant wolf, said after fastening a seductive rose-colored night robe around her.
"I cannot wait, Mrs. Emily. I cannot wait to seal the mating vows and move into the northern packStronghold, Santorini" Lunara said, gazing through her chamber window.
The crystal screen shifted to reveal the Santorini Stronghold, golden torchlights blazing across its marble towers. The Stronghold, built with ancient pack glory and dominance, had been prepared exclusively for the Crown Alpha Heir and his chosen mate. They would claim it after their mating ceremony beneath the Full Moon.
"Has the High Luna chosen a title for you?" Lucy, the Pack Broadcast host, asked.
"The High Luna granted me the right to choose my own title," Lunara replied as she settled before her vanity mirror and began applying ceremonial markings to her face.
"Have you chosen one?"
"Yes," Lunara smiled proudly.
"Will you share it with the Territory?"
"Of course. They have followed my journey. I will not keep my loyal wolves in the dark. I have chosen to be called…Moon Lady of Santorini!" Lunara announced with delight. Her attendants shrieked in excitement within her lavish Luna chamber.
"Now it is time to respond to messages from the Territory," Lucy continued. "As your mating day approaches, how does the Crown Alpha feel?"
"The Crown Alpha can hardly wait," Lunara replied with a wild smile.
"He is eager," Mrs. Emily added knowingly. Lunara turned to her with a soft, pleased expression.
"Oh… you noticed his eagerness last night?"
"It was obvious. Every wolf noticed. He greeted me before I could lower my head in respect," Mrs. Emily grinned.
"He joined me at the Executive Lounge after the morning feast yesterday. I was surprised. He shared many tales of territory matters, and we laughed endlessly. I looked at his sharply carved cupid's bow and felt the urge to give him a kiss… but I restrained myself," Lunara laughed.
"My moon Lady, you must not move too close to him. The flesh is weak, yet you have both preserved your purity. Your mating robe is white. It symbolizes an undefiled bond."
"Thank you, Mrs. Emily. The Crown Alpha and I are strong. We will not yield to desire before the Full Moon Ceremony."
"Not with the look I saw in his eyes yesterday, my moon Lady." They all laughed.
"Despite sibling rivalries, a she-wolf asks whether you will unite with your sister to make your mating ceremony grand," Lucy added.
"Absolutely not! I have no sister. Emma Greens is not my sister. She stopped being my sister nine winters ago when she visited a distant blood-relative and lost her purity to a wandering rogue she had just met within the territory. Recklessness does not run in our bloodline. I cannot call a she-wolf who leaps from one male wolf to another my sister. I do not know what wolves see in her plain face and uneven wolf form. Perhaps her exaggerated curves," Lunara sneered.
"She was banished from the Academy Den for misconduct. She always ranked last in her trials, so no territory guild would claim her. Now she hides behind scroll writing, dreaming of becoming a bestselling chronicler. Imagine a she-wolf who struggles to spell her own name writing territory scrolls," Lunara mocked. Laughter filled the chamber, except from Anna and Elara, who had just entered.
"I told my mother I do not want her anywhere near the Alpha's Keep during my mating ceremony. She will not attend. Emma Greens carries misfortune. Even her birth parents rejected her at birth. Do not call her my sister again."
Tears streamed uncontrollably down Emma's cheeks. She forgot she had been guarding her curves from the Alpha's gaze. She walked stiffly past Alpha Brandon and entered the walk-in closet.
She stood near the tall window, clutching her bathing wrap tightly as sobs shook her body until she nearly collapsed from the force of them.
After several minutes, she felt the Alpha's strong hands attempting to loosen her grip on the fabric. She resisted weakly, but his Alpha strength overpowered hers.
Alpha Brandon removed the wrap and tossed it onto the resting couch. He retrieved a cream silk night robe from the hanger and carefully dressed her himself.
"Would you like to speak?" he asked, his Alpha voice low and steady as he looked into her tear-filled eyes, his hands resting inside the pockets of his sleep trousers.
She shook her head, her body still trembling. He removed his hands from his pockets and placed them firmly on her shoulders.
"Listen to me," he said gently. "Wolves will always attempt to make you feel lesser, but no wolf can make you feel inferior without your permission. Do not accept the lies spoken over your name. You know your wolf better than anyone. Believe in your self. Let trials sharpen you, not shrink you."
He pulled her into his chest. She relaxed against the solid warmth of his Alpha body and felt an unfamiliar peace settle within her wolf.
Her heart whispered to her: You are protected. Your Alpha will not let harm reach you. You are safe in his stronghold.
She wrapped her arms around him and held tightly. He brushed damp strands of hair from her face while she buried herself in his chest for long minutes.
When her trembling finally ceased, he guided her to the mating chamber and tucked the covers around her. He switched off the crystal screen and lay beside her.
"I wish to remain here tonight. Does it trouble you?" he asked softly.
She turned her face away from his intense Alpha gaze.
"I want to be alone," she whispered.
He remained silent for a moment.
"It is well. I will return to my chamber," he said quietly before leaving the Luna quarters.
His words had steadied her restless mind. Whether he was merely acting kind or not, his reassurance had calmed her wolf.
She stared at the glowing wall lantern in her chamber, her thoughts turning toward her territory scroll. She had to prove Lunara wrong.
She had to prove to the entire Territory that she was not what Lunara claimed.
She feared Alpha Brandon might question her about the rogue mentioned in the Broadcast. She did not know how to reopen wounds she had buried for years.
She prayed the Alpha would not ask.