A few minutes after Emma ordered her adoptive parents escorted out of the Alpha estate, the air in her chamber felt lighter. She had refused to grant them audience. With quiet authority, she had instructed her assigned pack guards to send them beyond the estate gates. She did not wish to see them—not today, not after everything that had shifted within her.
The heavy oak bedroom door creaked open once more. Emma slowly turned her head toward the entrance. Healer Ben stood at the doorway, offering a professional yet warm smile. She attempted to return the gesture, but her lips refused to cooperate. Her body was still tender from the intensity of her union with Alpha Brandon, and her emotions were even more fragile.
"May I come in?" Healer Ben asked gently, stepping just inside the threshold.
Emma nodded faintly. "Yes."
Healer Ben entered fully, his medical case in hand. A male nurse followed respectfully behind him. Mrs. Thompson quietly shut the bedroom door and leaned against it, observing in silence.
"How are you feeling, Luna Emma?" Healer Ben asked, kneeling slightly to examine her knees, which bore faint marks from the earlier passion and kneeling posture.
"I'm fine," she responded calmly, though her eyes flicked toward Mrs. Thompson with unspoken questions. She wondered why she had not been informed that the estate physician wished to see her. Mrs. Thompson gave a small shrug before slipping out of the chamber, perhaps misunderstanding the intensity of Emma's stare.
"Alpha Brandon contacted me earlier," Healer Ben continued carefully. "He mentioned he lost control of his instincts and was concerned he might have been too rough. Would you allow me to examine you properly?"
Emma's posture stiffened slightly. "No… he didn't hurt me. I'm fine."
She bore minor bruises—remnants of overwhelming passion—but she refused to let it appear as though she had been forced. The truth was far more complicated. She had desired him just as fiercely. The warmth of their bond still lingered on her skin like sacred fire. In a strange way, the tenderness reminded her of belonging.
Healer Ben studied her expression, then nodded. "Very well. Do you require an emergency contraceptive?"
Emma lifted her chin with quiet pride. "No. I am his mate… his Luna. There is nothing to prevent."
"Understood," Healer Ben replied. "As the Alpha's appointed physician, I remain exclusively at your service. If you feel discomfort or anything unusual, contact me immediately."
"Thank you for coming," Emma said softly.
"You are most welcome."
Healer Ben and the assistant exited the chamber, their footsteps fading down the corridor.
Emma reached for the intercom resting on her bedside table and summoned her attendants. Her appetite had vanished earlier after confronting Brandon's visiting she-wolves, but after the depth of connection she shared with her Alpha, hunger returned—not only for food, but for comfort. She also longed to sink into warm water and let her body relax.
Naomi and Paige entered shortly thereafter, carrying a breakfast tray adorned with fruits, herbal tea, and fresh bread. They moved efficiently, filling the large marble bathtub with steaming water, dropping in scented bath crystals and essential oils infused with calming herbs used by the pack's healers.
When the bath was ready, they called her gently.
Emma rose from the bed and sensed something within her had shifted. Brandon had awakened something powerful inside her. For the first time, she felt fully claimed—not as a guest in the estate, but as the rightful Luna. Her steps carried newfound grace. She walked with subtle confidence, her posture straight, her movements fluid and assured.
The hot water enveloped her like a royal blessing. She allowed herself to unwind as tension melted from her muscles. The ache in her knees softened. The steam carried the scent of lavender and cedarwood, soothing both her body and her restless wolf spirit.
When she emerged, she felt cleansed—renewed.
A vibration from her phone drew her attention. She retrieved it from the bed and saw a message from Brandon.
"Emma… I'm sorry. Please forgive me."
She tossed the phone aside with deliberate indifference, though anger was not what she truly felt. She was unsettled by how abruptly he had left the chamber earlier. It had been unlike him. Still, she sat gracefully at her vanity table and enjoyed her breakfast, deciding that regardless of whispers about another Luna, her feelings for Brandon were real—and powerful.
She walked into the dressing chamber. Naomi and Paige had already replaced the bedding Brandon had disturbed beside the sofa bed with fresh linens. The two attendants were whispering among themselves but immediately fell silent upon Emma's arrival.
She fixed them with a sharp glance and turned toward the clothing rack. She knew exactly what they had likely concluded. The scent of newly sealed mating still lingered faintly in the room. She did not appreciate the possibility of gossip spreading across the estate corridors.
"Listen carefully," Emma said firmly. "I consider you friends. If I hear rumors about what happens between my alpha and me inside our private chambers, I will ask Bernard to reassign you immediately."
"We are sorry, Luna Emma," they replied in unison, bowing their heads respectfully.
She gave a small nod and focused on selecting her attire.
"Luna Emma, your phone is ringing," Paige announced softly.
"Bring it to me."
Naomi hurried to retrieve the device and handed it to her inside the dressing chamber. Emma glanced at the caller UD Edith, their former neighbor and casual friend. She hesitated. She had not informed any neighbors of her marriage into the Northern Region pack. They would surely feel betrayed.
The call ended. It rang again immediately.
Emma inhaled and answered. "Hello, Edith."
"Emma! Where have you been?" Edith's voice sounded urgent.
"I… I…" Emma faltered.
"We are at the hospital. Your mother fell down the stairs."
Emma's heart slammed violently against her ribs. "What? When?"
"Just now. No one was home, so I called the paramedics immediately."
"Which hospital?"
"Latex Medical Center."
"I'm coming right away."
She disconnected the call and pressed the intercom.
Bernard responded promptly. "Yes, Luna?"
"I'm leaving the estate. Inform the driver immediately," Emma said, her tone carrying subtle authority she had not possessed before.
"Will you take your guards?" Bernard asked cautiously.
"For what reason? I don't need them."
"Luna, the Alpha—"
"Call the driver," she interrupted and ended the communication.
She seated herself before the mirror. Without instruction, Naomi began styling her hair elegantly, securing it with polished silver pins. Paige selected appropriate jewelry from the velvet-lined box—nothing too extravagant, but dignified enough to reflect her new status.
Once ready, Emma exited the chamber swiftly. The estate driver was already waiting outside. She considered informing Brandon of her departure but decided against it. Let him wonder for once.
A newly assigned guard stood beside the passenger door. She halted, studying him.
"Luna, please allow me—"
"Fine," she gestured impatiently.
He opened the rear door respectfully. Emma entered the vehicle, and it pulled away from the estate gates smoothly.
As the estate receded behind her, her heart pounded—not from fear of the hospital, but from the looming confrontation awaiting her. Her father and sister would undoubtedly create drama, as they always did.
Yet this time, she was not the same Emma who had arrived timid and uncertain.
She was Alpha Brandon's claimed Luna.
And she now had a pack guard at her side.
For the first time, she did not dread confrontation.
Instead, she welcomed it.