CHAPTER 50: AN UNCOMFORTABLE BREAKFAST

"Have a seat."

Emira looked at the man as she entered the dining room and then quickly turned her eyes away. The room was quiet, and there was no one else present except Prince Kael. His presence filled the space, heavy and unyielding, and it made her stomach tighten with worry. She had hoped Prince Zen would be here.

Hurriedly, she sat down, afraid that even the smallest hesitation might anger or offend him. From the corner of her eye she saw his hand shift, and stiffened, bracing herself for the worst. But instead of touching her, he only placed a bowl of porridge in front of her. She breathed a sigh of relief.

Emira blinked at the sight, unsure what to make of it. She glanced up at him, her lips moving quickly. "Th-thank you," she murmured, and lowered her head again. Taking the spoon in her hand, she began to eat in small, careful bites, forcing herself to swallow despite the knot in her throat.

She had barely taken more than a few mouthfuls when Prince Kael’s voice cut into the silence."Now that you have broken all ties with the Moonville pack, how will you get your revenge?"

The words struck her like a blow. Emira froze, her spoon halfway to her lips. The porridge she had just swallowed seemed to turn against her, sliding down the wrong way, and she coughed violently. Her chest burned as she tried to catch her breath while her eyes watered. Only after a long, struggling moment did she manage to clear her throat and raise her gaze to him but then quickly looked away, feeling guilty

"Your Highness, I... I don’t know what you are talking about." Her voice shook slightly, but she forced the words out, hoping they would buy her time. Though what she would say, she had no idea.

Her thoughts were racing. How did he know? How could he have guessed at something she had never spoken aloud? Did he know about her mother? Did he know why she truly wanted to escape the pack? What was she supposed to do now? How was she supposed to move forward.

Just then, Prince Kael gave a short, sharp scoff. "You take us for fools, Emira? Of course you want revenge. I can feel the anger in you every time you think of them. You were ready to give up your life to escape their grip, but instead of letting go, you summoned the shadow wolves. You pledged yourself to them, to us, without knowing or even caring what the consequences would be. Why else would you want to live if not to destroy those who wronged you?"

Her heart lurched, but then a thin thread of relief slipped through her fear. He didn’t know the truth- not all of it. He was only guessing and judging on the basis of his own experience. His words struck close, but they were not the whole of it. He thought she wanted revenge for what she had suffered at their hands...

"I don’t want revenge for their treatment of me," Emira said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I just... I just wanted to live." At least that part was true. She didn’t want revenge for herself. But for her mother. And she did want to live so that part was true as well, right?

The silence that followed was heavier than before. She felt the weight of his eyes on her, probing, searching, as if trying to peel back every layer of her soul. She forced herself to keep her face calm, her breathing steady, though her hands trembled beneath the table. If he sensed the lie, there would be no saving her.

At last, Prince Kael leaned back slightly. His expression did not soften, but his words carried a cool finality as he nodded and said, "It is good then, if you don’t go seeking revenge."

Emira tightened her grip around the spoon until her knuckles whitened, then gave a small nod. She would not let his words touch her. He didn’t need to know what she carried in her heart. Her vow was hers alone. And she had time in the world. She’d waited so many years, she could wait more.

The rest of the meal passed in silence. She ate mechanically, never once lifting her eyes again, while his quiet presence loomed across the table.

Just as she was about to finish and escape, he broke the silence," We will be leaving for Stormhold Pack Territory in an hour. Be ready."

Emira nodded, "Yes, your highness."

"Do you need something from the Moonville Pack before we leave."

Emira looked up," Are we still on Moonville Pack land?"

Prince Kael shook his head," No. But we are close. The rest of my people have already gone forward but you were in your first heat and it would not have been safe to take you where there were other male wolves present. So, we kept you here."

Emira nodded at that, feeling even more hopeful of the future," Thank you. For everything."

With that, there was silence once again but then Prince Kael sighed and said," Do you have any questions that you want to ask?"

For a moment she hesitated, then lifted her eyes again. "And... Prince Zen? Where is he?"

Kael’s eyes hardened at the question, his jaw tightening. When he spoke, his voice was cold. "He is already gone. You wanted him to be here?"

Emira’s breath caught, but she shook her head hurriedly and stood up. "No no. I.. I was just curious, your highness. I’ll go and get ready now."

Hurriedly, worried that the breakfast that she had eaten might actually come back up, Emira quickly washed her hands and wore her shoes. For a moment, she wondered if she should go back and take out the box she had buried there but then shook her head. No. It was safer to leave her box there than bring it here and let it be exposed to the Princes’ scrutiny.