Young Emma's voice was soft, almost breaking. "My moonlight." She spoke without lifting her gaze. "I want to go with you," she added faintly, her tone distant, as though her spirit had already begun to drift away.
Young Oliver stepped closer behind her, his presence warm against her trembling back, his breath brushing lightly against her neck.
"The she-wolf will only release you back to your birth Alpha," he murmured gently.
"I am afraid of the wolves who come to claim me, they might return," Emma confessed, her voice barely above a whisper, laced with fear.
"They will not trouble you again," Oliver assured firmly. "I have reached an agreement with Mrs. Nazar after offering her a payment scroll. You're to be moved into the main den chambers."
Excitement flickered faintly within Emma, yet it was not what her heart truly desired. Being with him—only that mattered. Tears continued to trail down her cheeks, silent and endless.
Oliver turned her gently, his touch careful, and wiped away her tears with a soft cloth.
"Since your Alpha claims he lacks the means to provide for you," Oliver continued, his voice steady with quiet determination, "I will send you to a mini-den within another pack. And since my Alpha refuses your presence in his den, I will relocate there as well. I will provide for all your needs."
Emma shook her head slightly. "Oliver… it is enough. You have already done too much and I wonder how you were able to pay for everything."
"You will find out soon. Just one final vow," he insisted.
She hesitated, then nodded. "Very well."
"I will repay every coin your Alpha spent on you. I will clear all your blood -mother's debts as well."
Joy surged through Emma's chest like a rising tide, lighting her gaze despite everything. Though she knew deep within that such promises might never fully come to pass, hearing them soothed her wounded soul. Her heart lifted, light and fragile, as though it had found a momentary escape from its cage.
They held hands as Emma led him toward the waiting vehicle that had brought him into the forbidden territory. Their fingers intertwined tightly, neither willing to release the other.
Letting go felt like tearing apart something sacred.
Yet… she had to.
She did not know then that it would be the final time their eyes would meet. She did not know that their parting carried the weight of a last farewell.
Emma broke down once more after he departed, but she forced herself to regain control. She swallowed her grief, masking it beneath quiet strength so no watching eyes would suspect the bond between them.
She could not risk her Alpha discovering that she had revealed the truth of her presence in that cursed territory.
Three sun cycles passed since Oliver's visit, and no word came from her Alpha or Luna.
Just as promised, Mrs. Nazar relocated her into the grand den within the main structure, placing her in one of the most lavish chambers.
The space was beautiful—too beautiful.
Yet none of it mattered.
All Emma longed for was to return to her true pack… to laugh again with her chosen pack.
On the fourth sun cycle, Emma lay within her chamber, watching moving images upon a glowing screen when a soft knock echoed against the door.
She lifted her gaze and saw only a partial figure—a head peeking in, the rest concealed.
"A she-wolf awaits you below," the voice announced before vanishing.
Emma slipped her feet into her soft footwear and began descending the stairs.
"Mother!" Emma cried out with sudden joy—
—but the moment shattered.
A fierce strike collided with her face, sending her stumbling as burning tears sprang to her eyes.
"Mother…" she whispered again, lifting her face in confusion and pain.
"Which wolf lay with you?!" Luna Theresa roared. "You disgraceful pup! Answer me!"
Emma's gaze flickered—and landed on Mrs. Yoone.
Understanding struck instantly.
The woman stood there, wearing a harmless smile that masked betrayal.
"Who is he?!" her mother continued, her voice echoing through the grand hall.
"I… I do not know him," Emma lied weakly.
Another harsh strike met her face.
"It is enough, Luna Theresa," Mrs. Yoone intervened, catching her hand mid-air.
"She was sent here to labor within the grain fields, not to entangle herself with wolves! She is barely fourteen winters!" her Luna snapped furiously.
Emma waited—expecting the truth of her age to be revealed.
But silence.
"Is that the tale he fed you?" The words slipped from Emma before she could restrain them.
"Silence!" her Luna snarled. "Do not force him to strike you again! Lunara would never sink to such disgrace! You are nothing but a dishonored she-wolf!"
Luna Theresa barked.
"Return upstairs. Gather your belongings. We depart tonight!"
"Tonight?"
The commanding voice of Mrs. Nazar filled the space as she descended with regal grace.
"Theresa," she addressed coolly, "your voice carries far. What has occurred?"
Silence answered her.
The air grew tense.
Emma's mother sighed heavily and dropped onto the seating. Her gaze shifted—and found Emma lingering.
"Are you deaf? Bring your belongings now!"
"Theresa," Mrs. Nazar said calmly, "though your disdain for this den is clear, she will not depart tonight. Should you wish to leave, do so. The she-wolf will be returned at first light."
"She leaves with me now!" Luna Theresa barked.
"Then do as you wish."
Emma hurried to her chamber, gathering her garments into a small travel pack. Her gaze swept across the room, ensuring nothing was left behind. She carried Amy on her shoulder
"Sweet pet, we're returning to our pack," she murmured, her fingers gliding gently through her cat's soft fur. The cat let out a soft, answering meow, leaning into her touch as if it understood every word.
By the time she descended, her mother was already storming toward the waiting vehicle.
Emma followed quietly.
Beside her trotted Amy, her companion creature, her excitement clear.
"Emma," Mrs. Yoone called sweetly, "will you not leave a message for the young wolf? He favors you deeply."
"Enter the vehicle. Now!" her mother snapped.
Emma obeyed.
The journey passed in silence.
Her mother muttered beneath her breath, sighing repeatedly until they reached their pack den.
It was deep into the night when they arrived.
Emma slipped quietly into her chamber and lay upon her resting place, her thoughts drifting back to Oliver.
That night…
That bond…
It had been the brightest moment of her life. Then she leaned in, her attention sharpening at the sound of hushed tones nearby.
She did not care what her Luna or Alpha believed.
She longed only to see him again—to stand beside him beneath open skies.
To see Brooklyn.
To thank her for believing in her truth.
"Alpha Daniel… she has lost her purity!" her Luna's voice rang out from below.
Emma froze.
"I sent her to labor—not to disgrace herself!" Alpha Daniel's voice thundered. "Why could you not wait until dawn?!"
"When the other came searching, I faltered," her Luna admitted. "I promised answers by morning. I could not risk Lunara's plans unraveling."
Emma's heart pounded.
Who had come seeking her?
"If she appears," Alpha Daniel said coldly, "tell her the truth of Emma's disgrace. They will never stand as pack-siblings again."
The door slammed.
Footsteps faded down the stairs.
Emma lay still in the darkness, her chest tight, her thoughts tangled between fear, longing, and the fragile hope that refused to die within her.