Chapter 6
I settled into the plush leather seat of the Alpha King’s private plane, still feeling unreal about everything that had happened.
Just hours ago, I was watching Ethan run desperately across the ground as my helicopter lifted off. Now I was flying toward a completely different future.
Royal Beta James approached me with measured steps. His posture was respectful, almost
reverent.
“Your Majesty,” he said, bending slightly at the waist.
I blinked in surprise. “James, you don’t need to-”
“You are to be our Queen,” he interrupted gently. “The King has instructed that you be treated with the utmost respect from this moment forward.”
My chest tightened. After years of being treated like an afterthought, the formal respect felt foreign.
James reached into his jacket and withdrew an ornate velvet box. “His Majesty has prepared a gift for you.”
I looked at the box curiously. “A gift?”
“Please, open it.”
My fingers trembled slightly as I lifted the lid. 1nside, nestled in cream silk, was the most stunning ring I had ever seen.
A five–carat blue moonstone sat at the center, surrounded by diamonds that caught the airplane’s lights and threw brilliant sparkles across my face. The band was platinum, elegant and timeless.
I gasped despite myself. “It’s beautiful.”
“Look at the inscription,” James said softly.
I lifted the ring carefully. Engraved in delicate script along the inner band were the words: *Emma & Grayson*.
My heart skipped. “When… when was this made?”
James smiled knowingly. “The King commissioned this piece three years ago, Your Majesty. He has been waiting patiently.”
Three years ago. That was when Grayson had first expressed his desire to make me his Queen. When I had rejected him because my wolf had already chosen Ethan.
He had been waiting all this time.
I slipped the ring onto my finger. It fit perfectly, as if it had been made specifically for me. Which, I realized, it had been.
“The King knows you well,” I murmured, still staring at the ring.
“He pays attention to details that matter,” James replied. “Especially when it concerns you.”
I looked up at him. “Thank you for this.”
As the plane continued its journey, I noticed something strange about our flight path. I had
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expected to fly directly to the Royal Territory, but we seemed to be heading in a different direction entirely.
“James,” I called out. “This doesn’t seem like the direction to the Royal Territory.”
He turned back to me with that same knowing smile. “The King has prepared something special for your coronation ceremony.”
“Coronation ceremony?”
“We are flying to the Maldives, Your Majesty. His Majesty thought you might appreciate being crowned Queen in a place that holds special meaning for you.”
My breath caught in my throat. The Maldives.
That had been my dream honeymoon destination. Something I had mentioned to Ethan countless times, begging him to take me there after our mating ceremony. He had always promised “someday” or “after things settle down with the pack.”
But Grayson remembered.
“How did he know?” I whispered.
“The King makes it his business to know what would make you happy,” James said simply.
I touched the moonstone ring on my finger, feeling a strange warmth spread through my chest. After years of feeling invisible and unimportant, someone had been paying attention to my dreams.
The plane began its descent, and I pressed my face to the window. Below us stretched pristine white beaches and crystal–clear turquoise water. It was even more beautiful than I had imagined
But as we landed and I stepped off the plane, what took my breath away wasn’t the scenery.
The warm ocean breeze carried an intoxicating scent that made my heart stop–moonlight
roses.
These ethereal flowers only bloomed under the full moon, their petals shimmering with an otherworldly silver glow. They were impossibly rare and expensive. Most werewolves would never see one in their lifetime.
Yet here they were, thousands of them.
Elaborate archways of moonlight roses created pathways across the entire island. They adorned every surface, their heavenly fragrance filling the air. The moonlight made their silver petals glow like captured starlight.
I had mentioned loving these flowers exactly once, in passing, during a casual conversation years ago. I never expected anyone to remember, let alone to fill an entire island with them.
Each rose probably cost more than most pack members made in a month. Yet they had been arranged as if they were common wildflowers.
“Oh my goddess,” I breathed, covering my mouth with my hands.
James watched my reaction with obvious satisfaction. “The King wanted your arrival to be memorable.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “This is… this is incredible.”
“I am glad it pleases you, Your Majesty. I must go meet with the King now to inform him of your
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safe arrival. Someone will escort, you to the resort shortly.”
I nodded, still overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding me. “Thank you, James.”
He bowed slightly. “It is my honor to serve you, my Queen.”
After James left, I walked slowly along the moonlight rose pathways, breathing in their intoxicating scent. For the first time in months, I felt something besides pain and emptiness.
I felt… cared for.
The luxury resort came into view as I rounded a bend in the path. Even from a distance, I could see that no expense had been spared. The building seemed to glow with an inner light, its architecture blending seamlessly with the natural beauty of the island.
As I approached the lobby, I noticed something that made me stop in wonder.
High–level healing gems had been strategically placed throughout the space. Amethysts, moonstone, and selenite crystals caught the light and cast gentle, therapeutic energy into the
air.
I could feel their healing properties immediately. The constant ache in my shoulders from stress and silver poisoning began to ease. My wolf, dormant since the pregnancy, stirred slightly for the first time in weeks.
“How did he know?” I whispered to myself.
Grayson seemed to understand my needs better than I understood them myself. The healing gems weren’t just decorative–they were medicine for wounds I hadn’t even realized needed healing.
I walked deeper into the lobby, feeling my muscles relax for the first time in months. The soft chiming of crystal wind chimes mixed with the distant sound of waves, creating a symphony of peace.
For a moment, I allowed myself to imagine what life might be like with someone who paid such careful attention to my wellbeing.
But just as I was beginning to feel hopeful, a familiar voice shattered my peace.
‘Emma?”
My spine went rigid. My good mood evaporated instantly.
I knew that voice better than my own heartbeat.
Ethan.
