"If the Moon Goddess ever wanted to test my patience, this is it."
Emerald dropped onto the velvet lounge in her room, boots kicked off, cloak hanging from one shoulder like she couldn't even be bothered to remove it properly.
"Three mates? If I blink any harder, I might pass out from the fantasy overload."
Emerald raised a brow at Nessa, who lay sprawled across her bed, face buried in a pillow as her legs kicked lazily in the air.
"It's not a fantasy," Emerald muttered. "It's chaos. Literal, territorial, muscle-ridden chaos."
Nessa lifted her head. "Yeah, but it's sexy chaos. Three sexy, powerful, dangerous Alphas. Emerald, this is not chaos or a curse; it's a celestial gift."
Emerald groaned and rolled her eyes. "It's not a gift. It's a migraine in tailored suits."
Nessa smirked. "No. I have migraines. You have heat radiating off you like you stepped out of a supernatural love triangle… or is it square?"
Emerald rolled her eyes and tossed a pillow at her cousin. "I'm not interested in love, Ness. Not now. I've got a kingdom to run and a council full of crusty old wolves breathing down my neck."
"That doesn't mean you can't enjoy the perks," Nessa grinned. "I mean, gods… Adrien's voice alone could make a nun wet, and she would drop her robes on the spot."
Emerald snorted. "You've got issues."
"And Lucian? That whole silent, shadowy death stare thing? It's hot."
Emerald gave her a flat look.
"And Kieran? Broody, cold, mature… but in that 'I'll build you a house with my bare hands and then brood about it for a decade' way. If I had even one mate like that—"
"Viola would go feral," Emerald said dryly.
"Damn right she would," Nessa sighed dreamily. "Meanwhile, you've got three. And you're just gonna… what? Use them?"
Emerald shrugged. "I'm not making them do anything. They're the ones showing up like dogs in heat."
"That's not a no," Nessa pointed out. "What does it even feel like?" she asked, voice dropping. "Having three?"
Emerald hesitated, then dropped onto the couch beside her cousin. "It's overwhelming," she admitted.
"Being in the same room with them? The pull is… intense. They each affect me differently. Like different chords of the same song, and my body doesn't know which to dance to. And every second, Viola's howling like she wants to drag me into heat."
"Which one sings the loudest?" Nessa teased.
"Depends on the moment," Emerald muttered. "Adrien's fire, Kieran's control, Lucian's… shadows. Every time I move, they're there… like gravity. But I can't afford to fall."
"Because love's a distraction," Nessa said with a nod, "but power's the point."
"Exactly."
"So… fun?"
Emerald threw another pillow at her.
Nessa caught it midair, laughing. "Sorry, not sorry. If the Moon ever throws three mates at me, I'm not complaining."
A sharp knock on the door interrupted their conversation.
Darius stepped inside, arms folded, eyes serious. "Council wants to see you. Today."
Emerald stood. "Now?"
"They didn't exactly ask for permission. It's best not to keep them waiting."
"Perfect," she muttered under her breath.
Nessa gave her a wink. "Go melt their wigs, my Queen."
—
Emerald walked beside Darius down the dark marbled corridor, head held high. Her emerald cloak trailed behind her like smoke.
"You don't have to let them provoke you," Darius said softly. "You're the Alpha now."
"And they'll test me anyway," Emerald replied. "Might as well pass with fire."
They reached the double doors to the council chamber. Darius pushed them open.
The Elders were already seated—eight of them in total, each wearing dark robes with silver cuffs. Emerald recognised most of them from her father's time.
Elder Malric. Elder Sorn. Lady Eldara. All with faces carved from stone.
None of them looked pleased.
She stepped forward and took the seat at the centre of the circular table. Darius remained standing behind her.
"Alpha Lycanis," Elder Malric greeted, his tone just polite enough to avoid insult. "Thank you for joining us."
"Of course," Emerald replied coolly. "It's always a pleasure to be summoned without prior knowledge."
That earned a few stiff expressions.
"We have concerns," Elder Sorn said.
"Shocking," she deadpanned.
"You left the pack years ago," Elder Eldara said. "Chose to abandon your duties. All for a man who not only humiliated you—but cast you out."
Darius's eyes narrowed. "She returned and claimed her birthright. Her past has no bearing on her ability to lead."
"She is Alpha now," another Elder added cautiously. "But the Council deserves an explanation."
Emerald leaned forward, chin lifted. "Then let me be clear. I left to follow the bond, the same one the Moon Goddess gives to every wolf. I loved him, I trusted him… and I paid the price. But I made that choice."
She paused, letting her words settle.
"And now I've made another one. I came back—not to beg, not to crawl—but to lead. I'm not here to ask for your approval. I'm here to lead this pack into its next era. If you want to drag me through my past to make a point, go ahead. But I won't be shamed for surviving."
Emerald didn't blink. "I left to find something I believed in. I came back to protect something I will not lose again."
Elder Malric's jaw tensed.
Lady Eldara sneered. "Spoken like a woman drunk on her new throne."
Emerald tilted her head. "Spoken like a woman who's tired of listening to hypocrites. Tell me, Eldara, how's your daughter doing?"
The woman stiffened.
"Oh," Emerald said, her voice like velvet wrapped around a dagger. "That's right. She ran off with a rogue last year. I'm sure she's thriving."
Gasps rippled around the table.
Lady Eldara's face went pale. "You dare—"
"I dare, because I'm not the only one here who's made choices. So let's not pretend like I'm the first wolf to follow their heart. Or the last."
Darius shifted beside her, half-smiling.
"If that's all," Emerald said smoothly, rising to her feet, "I'll be on my way."
She didn't wait for their response.
—
They left the room in silence. Once outside, Darius let out a breath. "That could've gone worse."
"They're already against me," Emerald said. "Why play nice?"
Darius eyed her. "Be careful. The Council has forced Alphas to step down in the past. If they think you're a threat—"
"I am a threat," she said. "And they should remember that."
She paused, then added, "Keep someone on them. I don't trust their wrinkled faces and pretty words."
Darius nodded. "Already done."
—
Elsewhere, deep in a candle-lit room, someone dipped a feathered quill into a pot of ink.
"To Lady Alia of the Blood Moon Pack,
You were right.
She didn't stay dead. She's growing wings.
A female Alpha has been unheard of for over three centuries. And now she returns… stronger, with not one, but three powerful mates at her feet.
If she keeps rising, you won't just lose Rick. You'll lose everything.
It's time to finish what you started."