"I still think your problem is that you overthink everything," Nessa said, balancing a spoonful of honey over her tea. "You can't even enjoy a perfect beach day without spiralling after."
Emerald snorted, flipping through a stack of scrolls on the low table between them. "Says the woman who cried over burning toast last week."
"That was an emotional day," Nessa shot back. "And I stand by my right to mourn the toast."
It had been two days since Emerald's ride with Adrien, two days since the almost-kiss turned into a full-on firestorm. And since then? She'd buried herself in strategy, scouting reports, and council rot.
She hadn't let herself think too hard about Adrien. Or Kieran. Or Lucian. Not while the assassin was still missing.
"On a different and serious note," Nessa continued. "You haven't brought up any of the guys since your last date. Not once."
"Because I have bigger things to worry about than which mate set my blood on fire the most," Emerald muttered, tossing a report aside.
Before Nessa could respond, a knock came at the door.
One of the hall guards leaned in. "Alpha, there's someone asking to see you. Darren, Beta of the Blood Moon Pack."
Emerald's face went cold. "Rick's Beta?"
"Yes, Alpha. He says Alpha Rick wants to see you."
Nessa immediately stood. "Say no."
Emerald exhaled through her nose but didn't say anything at first. "Wait."
Nessa turned back to her, eyes narrowed. "You're not actually going to meet him, right?"
Emerald lowered her mug. "I think I am."
"Are you insane?"
"Possibly." Emerald stood and stretched. "But if I ignore him, it makes me look like I'm hiding. And I don't hide."
"You don't need to prove anything to him. Especially not Rick."
Emerald shook her head. "It's not about him. It's about me. And power. I walk away now; it'll be twisted into weakness. Trust me, I know Rick that much."
"Still," Nessa snapped. "You don't owe that man a single minute… not even a second."
"I know, Ness. But he's probably not expecting me to come, especially alone. Time for a little surprise."
Emerald reached for her boots, then turned to the guard whose head was bowed low. "Where?"
"Just outside the estate, near the northern grove."
"That's close," Nessa muttered. "Too close."
"I'll call if anything happens," Emerald promised, grabbing her jacket and heading for the door. "Don't worry."
Nessa didn't argue further, but her jaw clenched like she wanted to. "Call me."
"I promise."
"No, I mean it. I have a blade with his name on it."
Emerald smirked faintly. "I know."
—
Rick waited exactly where the guard said he would, just outside the northern grove, beneath the crooked branches of an old pine. He was dressed well, of course. Leather coat, boots polished, a smug smirk stretched over his jaw like it belonged there.
Emerald approached with her arms folded and her aura tightly reined in.
"Emerald," he said, as if her name were still his to say.
She didn't respond, just stared until he shifted uncomfortably.
"Thanks for coming," he said finally.
"You're lucky I did."
Rick chuckled lowly. "Still trying to act strong, I see."
"Still wasting my time, I see."
He stepped a little closer. "I just wanted to talk."
"I doubt that."
A flicker of something passed over his face. "You enjoying the attention, then?" he asked. "Multiple Alphas circling you like hounds?"
Emerald's brow arched. "That why you called me out here? Jealousy? That's pathetic even for you."
Rick's smile faltered. "You don't even see what you've become, do you?"
"What I've become?" Emerald repeated in mock laughter. "You mean strong? Free? Not yours?"
"You betrayed me," Rick snapped suddenly. "You ruined everything. We had a perfect life—"
"Our life was anything but perfect. It was a cage," Emerald said coldly. "And I'm glad I broke the lock."
He stepped back like her words struck him. "You'll pay for what you did to Alia."
Emerald's eyes narrowed. "That threat better not be as stupid as it sounds."
Rick didn't reply.
She let the silence stretch, then turned on her heel. "We're done here."
—
"You're okay?" Nessa asked the second she stepped through the gates.
"He spewed his usual crap," Emerald said, brushing past. "Tried to make it about Alia. About ownership. He's not worth the breath."
"Idiot."
"Mm."
She didn't elaborate, more than that, and Nessa didn't push. They both understood the game Rick was playing: trying to get under her skin, trying to assert dominance.
He was grasping at a power that was no longer his.
That night, the estate felt unusually quiet. The halls were silent, like it was the middle of the night and the world simply paused, holding its breath.
Emerald couldn't fall asleep. There was something strange in the air that night. She felt a tingling sensation at the back of her neck, as if something wasn't right.
The hours ticked by. The moon had already crossed its highest point in the sky when Emerald finally slid out of bed and stepped into her boots. The guards posted at her door were in the midst of a mid-shift change—one heading down the hall, the other not yet at his post.
Convenient.
She quietly stepped into the hallway, her instincts on high alert. Something felt off.
She caught a faint but sharp smell that reminded her of metal or something rotten.
Her wolf inside her reacted immediately.
Emerald followed the trail, her bare arms prickling with cold as she passed through the back corridor and into the garden.
Then she saw it.
A body.
Slumped near the eastern tree line, half in shadow. The smell of death was unmistakable in the air. Blood soaked the grass in thick, dark pools. The face, which was only lit by the moon, was twisted in pain.
She recognised him immediately… the assassin.
Dead, ripped open from the gut, his limbs splayed unnaturally.
Emerald stumbled back a step, her hand flying to her mouth.
He was already decomposing, with flies buzzing around his open wounds and pale skin. He hadn't been dead for long… maybe a few hours. Just long enough to rot in the open.
She turned sharply, about to call for help, only to collide with something solid… muscle solid.
A chest.
She froze.
A man stood behind her. He was tall and had broad shoulders, wearing unusual dark clothes that seemed to cling to him like shadows. She didn't recognise him; definitely a stranger.
She stepped back instinctively. "Who the hell are—"
She didn't get to finish her sentence as the figure moved fast. Too fast.
Before she could react, he grabbed the back of her neck, pulled her closer and crashed his lips on hers in a forceful, passionate kiss that felt like he was claiming her.
Emerald shoved at him hard, fury exploding through her limbs.
He stumbled back a step, licking blood from the corner of his mouth where she'd bit him.
Her voice was sharp and full of anger. "How dare you—?"
His eyes sparkled like silver.
Then, he let out a deep growl.
Just one word.
Quiet.
Wild.
"Mate."
Emerald felt a chill run through her entire body.