"Deliver the messages. One to each Alpha," Emerald said in a clipped tone.
She removed the emerald ring from her finger and handed it to the young messenger standing at the threshold. "This proves the summons came directly from me. And make sure they know it's not a request. It's an invitation."
"Yes, Alpha." The boy bowed and darted off.
Darius leaned on the doorframe, arms crossed. "Is this what we're doing now? Private audience with each of your suitors?"
Emerald turned to him. "We're gathering intel."
His brow arched. "Is that what we're calling it?"
She smirked faintly. "Seeing Lucian today... how he stepped between me and Rick? That wasn't just instinct. That was power. Real power. And it made me realise something."
Darius waited.
"I don't have to play the victim anymore," she said. "It reminded me that the Moon Goddess may have given me bonds, but I decide how they're used. I could destroy Rick without lifting a finger. I just need to aim correctly."
"You want revenge?"
Emerald paused. "I want control."
Darius exhaled through his nose. "I don't know if I should be impressed or worried."
Emerald didn't answer. Her mind was already elsewhere.
Later, as she lay in her room, the moon casting pale light across her covers, her thoughts drifted back to Rick, specifically the way he had looked at her.
He didn't look threatened or angry.
Instead, he looked… amused, like it was still a game, and he was already three moves ahead.
Her chest tightened. He still thinks he owns me.
Viola growled softly from within.
"He doesn't," Emerald whispered. "He never will again."
—
By midmorning, all three Alphas had arrived.
Adrien was first, ever the early bird and ever the show-off. He strolled into the main hall like it belonged to him, handing off a bouquet of crimson roses to one of the guards with a wink and a "For the Queen."
Lucien followed closely behind, moving silently like a shadow. He appeared with no fanfare, but his presence was impossible to ignore.
Then Kieran came, walking with a rigid stance and a clenched jaw, always the soldier in a group of princes.
Emerald entered with all the authority of her crown, dressed in an emerald silk blouse with fitted dark pants and knee-high boots. Her hair was swept into a loose braid, strands falling strategically around her sharp cheekbones.
As soon as she was within earshot, Adrien greeted with a cocky grin. "Good morning, my precious gem."
Lucian simply nodded to acknowledge her presence, while Kieran greeted her formally, "Alpha."
Emerald's lips twitched. "Thank you all for coming."
"I assumed you couldn't resist us," Adrien said, settling into a nearby seat like he owned the place.
"I assumed you would be told to shut up eventually," Kieran murmured.
Emerald ignored the subtle tension building between them. "I appreciate your presence," she began. "And your patience. I've decided how I want to do this."
The three Alphas exchanged wary looks.
"I'll be meeting each of you individually. One-on-one."
Adrien perked up immediately. "Finally, some alone time."
"Alone time you might not survive," Kieran muttered.
"Can we focus?" Lucien said, irritation flashing in his cold eyes.
"Thank you," Emerald said, holding back a smile. "I've arranged for a little game to determine who meets me first."
Adrien lit up. "Obviously, I should… since I'm the most entertaining. We wouldn't want to bore our mate."
"She doesn't need entertainment. She needs stability," Kieran countered.
Lucian didn't even bother to argue. He just crossed his arms.
Emerald sighed and stood. "We're not doing this. You want to win me? Then win a game first."
She waved a hand, and a tray was brought forward with three covered chalices.
"You'll each pick one. Two are just water. One is laced with wolfsbane, just enough to sting your throat but not harm you. Whoever picks the wolfsbane goes first."
Lucian raised an eyebrow, his silver eyes cool. "You want us to poison ourselves?"
"Consider it a taste of how difficult I am," Emerald said with a soft smile. "Only the brave get to lead."
Adrien chuckled. "I swear, even your games are seductive."
Without hesitation, Lucian stepped forward first. He removed a lid, took a sip, and nodded. "Water."
Kieran moved next. He lifted a goblet, removed the lid, and drank.
The moment the wolfsbane hit his throat, he flinched—barely. His jaw tightened, and a faint wince tugged at his mouth. He didn't make a sound.
"Wolfsbane," he confirmed, voice slightly hoarse.
That left only Adrien.
He looked at the final goblet with mock betrayal. "So I'm just... leftovers now?"
Emerald gave him a look. "You can always forfeit."
Adrien placed a dramatic hand on his chest. "Perish the thought. But just so you know, watching you poison the man before me was not my kink... until now."
Lucian muttered something under his breath.
Emerald ignored them both. "Play nice, boys."
Kieran stepped back, still calm despite the sting in his throat. Adrien pouted but sipped anyway.
"Water," he confirmed. Then added with a grin, "But your smile? Deadlier than the wolfsbane."
Emerald turned away before they could see the corner of her mouth twitch. Ignoring Adrien once more, her gaze landed on Kieran. "Tomorrow. Surprise me."
Kieran gave a half-smile, just a slight curve of lips, and bowed his head. "I'll see you tomorrow, my lady."
Emerald offered a calm smile, hiding the butterflies in her stomach.
As the three men filed out, Lucian brushed past her deliberately, his hand grazing her waist. A shiver skated down her spine, followed by a wave of heat.
Emerald's stomach flipped, her thoughts flashing back to what he'd said the night before. "You are mine to protect."
She closed her eyes briefly, collecting herself.
Power.
She couldn't afford to forget it.
As she stepped into the hallway, her path intersected with two lesser Council members, old wolves in faded robes who immediately went quiet at the sight of her.
"Alpha," they both said in unison, nodding respectfully.
"Councilors," she greeted with a nod, then passed by.
But something in the way they glanced after her… made her skin crawl. A strange feeling gnawed at her chest.
"What were you whispering about?" she muttered under her breath.
Viola didn't respond, but Emerald could feel her unease, too.
—
That night, Emerald tossed her cloak onto a chair and dropped into bed, limbs aching from tension. Tomorrow, she'd begin a new game. One where she got to choose.
Let's see which one can match me best, she thought.
She rolled onto her side and stared at the ceiling.
"Which one of them will it be?"
No answer.
Eventually, exhaustion pulled her under.
—
A scraping sound jolted her awake.
Emerald's eyes flew open. The moonlight was soft through the balcony curtains… but something felt wrong.
Then she heard it again, a thud, like metal hitting stone.
She pushed off the covers and reached for the dagger under her pillow, already on her feet. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears.
A figure emerged from the shadows, climbing over the stone railing and slipping into her room through the balcony doors… silent, masked, and holding a gleaming dagger.
Whoever it was moved fast, but Emerald was faster.
She lunged, slashing upward. The clash of metal sent sparks flying into the darkness. The intruder stumbled back, giving her the chance to jump over the bed and create some space between them.
"You picked the wrong Alpha," she said coldly.
Emerald growled, the sound rumbling from deep in her chest. Viola surged forward, their instincts perfectly in sync. The masked figure lunged again, swinging the dagger in a quick, sharp motion.
But he missed… narrowly.
Emerald twisted on her heel, grabbed his wrist, and used his momentum to flip him hard onto the cold marble floor. The impact cracked the silence, his body slamming with a dull thud that rattled the room.
Before he could recover, she planted her leg to his chest, dagger pressed tight to his throat.
"Who are you," she hissed, "and who sent you?"