EMMA
The kitchen was dim and cold when I slipped in, barefoot and silent. My stomach twisted with hunger. I knew the maids kept leftovers here. I crept toward the pantry, my fingers brushing the edge of the counter, when a sharp, familiar voice cut through the silence.
Vera.
I froze mid-step and ducked behind a stack of crates. Her heels clicked across the tiled floor like knives.
"You will do it, Tyler," she hissed.
Tyler?
"Vera, this wasn't the deal—"
Vera's laugh was quiet, razor-thin. "Do not forget what I have on you. Or do I need to remind you what you really did the night the Moon Temple caught fire?"
The silence that followed was thick. I didn't breathe. My heart thundered. Moon Temple? That fire was years ago… Mom's guard, Tyler—what had he done?
"I didn't mean to—" Tyler started.
"You didn't mean to do it? Or you didn't mean to lie to Alpha Kai about it?" she snapped.
My blood ran cold.
She kept going, her voice honeyed now, too sweet to be safe.
"Don't forget you were also involved, and this wasn't what we had discussed!" Tyler sounded angry now.
"Do not dare raise your voice at me, Tyler. Don't forget that we stand at completely different positions, and from where you stand, you don't get to threaten me. I could crush you to dust in a heartbeat!" Vera shouted back.
Tyler sighed, understanding that Vera had the upper hand. "So what do you want me to do?"
Vera's silence dragged, heavy. "We'll fix it. Once she's marked fully… we transfer it."
"That didn't work last time," Tyler snapped. "You said it would, and yet—"
"She wasn't ready last time," Vera cut in venomously. "But now? With everything in place? This is just the beginning."
The beginning of what?
"She doesn't know what it is, what its capabilities are," Tyler said in a hushed tone.
"And she won't—unless you keep spilling your guilt like a cracked vial," she snapped. "Focus. Do your part. Or I'll make sure your Alpha hears what really happened that night at the temple."
Something inside me twisted. What really happened? Why did everyone have secrets?
"And don't contact me unless I summon you." She gave the final order, and they both exited the kitchen.
I came out of hiding, found the leftovers and headed back to my room, mulling over where to find my aunt
when I heard it.
"Emma…"
I whirled around, wondering where it came from and when it came again.
"Emma…"
Then I saw her.
"Aunt Layla?"
She stepped out from behind a pillar, cloak drawn tight around her like she'd been hiding. Relief washed over me so hard I nearly cried. "Aunt, where have you been? I've been asking everyone! They said you were resting, or that you weren't taking visitors. Your scent has been gone for days. What's happening? Why are they lying? Where have you been?"
She pulled me into a hug, and I sank into it. She felt like home and I had missed this feeling. Seconds passed, and she pulled away from the hug with her hands on my shoulders.
"There's no time," she said quickly, her voice low, eyes flicking over her shoulder. "Not now. What you need to know is: this—stay away from the east wing. Do you hear me, Emma? No matter what you hear. Don't go near it."
I blinked. "What? Why? Aunt, I don't—"
"I'm so proud of you," she said, cutting me off, her eyes suddenly glassy. "You've awakened your wolf, which means your strength is returning. But you need every ounce of it now, Emma. Every scrap."
I took a step closer, confusion wrapping around my ribs. "Returning? What do you mean? And strength for what?"
She took my hands. "I've been protecting you for years. I still am. But I need to find answers—things I should have known before. Things I should have told you."
"Aunt Layla—wait—what's going on? Are you in danger? Are you going to disappear again?" My voice cracked. "You're scaring me."
"Don't ask questions you don't want the answers to yet," she whispered, brushing a thumb over my knuckles. "Just know… danger is coming. From where you least expect it."
"Please…" I choked. "Just tell me what's happening."
"I'll come to you again. When I can." She pulled away, eyes shining. "But until then, trust no one."
She turned, melting back into the shadows before I could stop her. I was left standing in the corridor, alone, with fear licking at my skin. So many questions were on my mind. Where was she moved to? When next would I see her? As Aunt Layla negotiated the bend that led to the East Wing, I stood frozen in the corridor, her warnings echoing in my head like a chant.
"Stay away from the East Wing. Gather strength. Danger is near."
But then... something shifted.
The air around me thickened, and my pulse thudded in my ears, while the world dulled to a hush.
My knees buckled, and I braced myself against the wall, breath shallow. My veins pulsed with heat, but not from my mating heat. This one was mild. My fingertips tingled, and a shimmering ripple danced over my skin like moonlight skimming water.
Moon growled inside me, and I realised something. I was connected to someone else. No, not someone. People.
What just happened?
I pressed a hand to my chest to slow the racing thump. Moon was quiet now, curling inside me.
I didn't know what any of it meant—only that some people had reached for me, spoken through me, and then just… stopped. Like a thread yanked taut and abruptly cut.
I didn't understand.
Drawing in a shaky breath, I steadied myself and forced my legs forward, one step at a time, back toward my room. Whatever that had been, I'd have to survive long enough to find out.
That night, the wind howled outside my window like it knew something I didn't.
I was half-asleep, curled beneath the too-thin covers, when I heard the softest thud against the door.
I opened the door to find nothing—no figure, no footsteps. Just a small velvet box, deep crimson against the dark wood.
My breath caught. I picked it up and shut the door, pressing my back against it.
Inside it was a sleek glass bottle of perfume, identical to the one Vera always wore. Next to it, a single white hairpin. No note. No scent trail.
I brought the bottle to my nose. Catching a whiff, I froze. There was an acrid smell beneath the flowers. My stomach twisted in irritation. This wasn't perfume. It was laced with something else.
Is this how she's been doing it? Manipulating them… with scent?
The thought clawed at me.I tucked the bottle beneath a loose floorboard but kept the pin.
Who sent it and why?