Chapter 6

Inside Shaw Manor, the air was thick with tension, like the sea right before a storm hit.

Richard Shaw, Alpha of Stonecrest Pack, Duke of Stonecrest, sat in the main seat, dressed in his formal military coat, his face dark as thunder.

Kneeling on the floor before him was William, still in his everyday clothes, but the bruises and silver lash marks on his body were impossible to hide.

"You ungrateful pup!" Richard roared, slamming his teacup to the ground so hard that it shattered. "I told you to stay inside and reflect. So tell me, what exactly have you been thinking about?"

William bowed his head even lower, his voice rough and weary. "Father, I know I was wrong."

He didn't say that after days of being locked away, he'd found Emily's scent had seemed wrong at night, and once, he'd smelled me instead.

"You know you were wrong? I doubt you even understand what you did!" Richard was shaking with rage, pointing right at William's face. "Was your mistake saving someone? No. Your mistake was being a fool, failing to read the room, failing to weigh what's important.

"On the day of the mating ceremony, with so many packs watching, you abandoned your mate. You not only brought shame to Whitevale Pack but also disgraced our pack."

Richard was decisive on the battlefield and commanded respect in the Alpha Council. He understood better than any wolf the gravity of his son's reckless actions.

This wasn't simply a failed mating. It was a fierce rupture between the military faction and the civilian advisors. Edward's words before the Alpha King had threatened the very lifeblood of the military wolves.

An Alpha King had always dreaded Alphas who would wield unchecked power and ignore orders. William's actions were a glaring example of that very danger.

"The Alpha King didn't strip you of your command right then and there only because of your past achievements and the unwavering loyalty of Stonecrest." Richard's anger only grew. "But you? What have you and your clueless mother done?"

Then, a soft, trembling voice drifted in from the doorway.

"Richard, please don't be angry with Will. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have fallen into the lake at such a crucial moment. I brought so much trouble to Will and Stonecrest Pack," Emily said, her words laced with guilt and fear.

She stepped inside, dressed in a simple white gown, leaning heavily on Daisy for support.

Her pale skin was barely visible beneath the fabric of her gown, her body frail as though the wolf inside her was a restless, caged beast.

Daisy's heart ached the moment she saw William kneeling on the floor. She hurried over, helped him to his feet, and shot Richard a glare.

She said, "What are you doing? Will's still injured! He saved a life. How is that a crime? Should he have stood by and watched Emily drown?

"The real wolf at fault was Charlotte. She's so narrow-minded, always blowing things out of proportion. So what if he was a little late?

"Now she's made a huge scene, called off the mating, and had her father complain to the Alpha King, all so you could beat Will black and blue."

"What do you know?" Richard snapped, pointing at his wife, his voice trembling with anger. "You only think with your heart, not your head. You have no sense of pack politics."

"Well, that's exactly what I am," Daisy retorted, shielding William behind her with righteous indignation. "Emily's a wonderful girl, gentle, sensible, and well-mannered. Charlotte, however, is spoiled and arrogant, always throwing her weight around.

"Will, listen to me. You don't need a she-wolf like that. Once the gossip dies down, I'll make sure you mate with Emily."

"Mother, please stop!" William said, his face growing even darker.

Emily, standing nearby, couldn't help but let a flash of secret joy flicker in her eyes, but she quickly hid it under a mask of sadness and guilt.

She dropped to her knees, looking frail as ever, and her tears fell like broken beads.

"Richard, Daisy, please don't fight over me anymore," she pleaded, her voice trembling. "I'm nothing but bad luck, always bringing trouble to those around me.

"Will, you should go and bring Charlotte back. If you two can make up, I... I'll leave the city right away and spend the rest of my days in solitude, praying to the Moon Goddess."

As she spoke, Emily started coughing violently, as if she might cough up a lung.

She played the victim while pretending to step back. Her words, paired with her miserable look, hit William right where he was weakest. His wolf whimpered inside him, torn between guilt and instinct.

He hurried over to lift her up, his eyes full of worry and guilt. "Emily, don't say that. You're so fragile. If you left us, where would you even go?

"How could I let you live like that? None of this is your fault. I'm the one who messed everything up."

He glanced at the delicate she-wolf in his arms, then at his aggressive mother and raging father, feeling completely exhausted. His wolf was howling for him to choose, but he didn't know which way to turn.

He knew he'd wronged me, but seeing Emily like this, he couldn't harden his heart. Now, her approach and her voice had made the false bond return.

Richard stared at the scene before him, feeling like he might cough up blood. It was painfully clear now. His son was completely under Emily's spell. His wolf could smell the manipulation, but William's wolf was too confused to notice.

Richard slumped back into his chair, closed his eyes, and couldn't even stand to look at them anymore.

He said, "Enough. I'm done meddling. You two can sort out your own mess.

"But don't forget, Edward is not someone you can trifle with, and Charlotte is no pushover, either. The seeds you've sown today will grow into consequences you won't be able to handle."

With that, he stood up, swept his sleeve, and walked out, leaving behind nothing but chaos and absurdity in the room.

Daisy watched her husband storm out. Turning to Emily, she took her hand and spoke softly, "Don't worry, sweetheart. As long as I'm here, no wolf will dare bully you.

"That Charlotte? She's only putting on a show. I would like to see how a she-wolf dumped at the mating ceremony is supposed to survive in this city."