94: Emma

I woke with Theo's scent wrapped around me like a familiar blanket, his arm heavy across my waist. Sunlight filtered through the curtains, casting golden threads across the royal sheets that still felt foreign against my skin. Yesterday, we had announced our mating to the Kingdom, and today—today we would face the man who had tried to claim me by force.

My stomach clenched, not with fear but with something darker, more primal. Artemis stirred within me, her thoughts mixing with mine. ‘He will pay for what he tried to do to us.’

Theo's lips brushed the nape of my neck, warm and gentle. "Good morning, my Queen," he murmured, his voice still rough with sleep. The title sounded strange yet right coming from him, an intimate acknowledgment of what we had become to each other.

"Good morning," I replied, turning in his arms to face him.

His amber eyes searched mine, concern evident in their depths. "Are you sure you want to be part of this today?"

I nodded, my fingers tracing the curve of his jaw where my mark now resided, mirroring his on my own neck. "I need to look him in the eye, Theo. I need him to know he failed."

‘They see us now,’ Artemis commented. ‘They finally see our strength.’

Elijah came with us, his face set in a hard mask that reminded me so much of our father. He climbed into the car, nodding at Theo before turning to me.

"How are you holding up?" he asked, his voice gentle despite the rage I could sense simmering beneath.

"I'm ready," I replied, squeezing his hand. "I need to see this through."

The police station was a stark contrast to the elegant architecture of the Royal City—utilitarian gray stone and reinforced glass, designed for function rather than beauty. Inside, the air hung heavy with tension, scented with coffee, anxiety, and the unmistakable metallic tang of anger radiating from the werewolves and Lycans alike. Guards straightened as we entered, their gazes following our progress through the building.

We were led to a corridor lined with observation rooms, each with a one-way glass window looking into an interrogation space. Through one of these windows, I saw him—Benjamin Thorne. My breath caught in my throat. He sat rigidly in a metal chair, his hands cuffed to the table before him. Even in custody, his posture spoke of arrogance, of a man who believed himself above consequences.

Theo's hand found the small of my back, warm and steady. "Emma," he said softly, drawing me slightly away from the window. "You don't have to watch this. I won't make you be in the same room as him."

I met his gaze, drawing strength from the concern I found there. "I need to see this, Theo," I said, my voice steadier than I felt. "I need the closure."

He studied my face for a long moment before nodding. His lips pressed against my forehead, a benediction and a promise. "If you change your mind at any point—"

"I know," I whispered against his chest.

I settled into one of the chairs facing the one-way glass, two members of the Royal Guard positioning themselves at the wall behind me. Their presence was reassuring—solid, watchful sentinels.

Theo and Elijah exchanged a look before moving toward the door to the interrogation room. I watched them enter, observed how Benjamin's eyes narrowed at the sight of them, his nostrils flaring as he caught their scents. The door shut with a definitive click, and what happened next occurred so quickly I almost missed it.

Elijah's fist connected with Benjamin's jaw, the impact echoing through the speakers in the observation room. Benjamin's head snapped to the side, a trickle of blood appearing at the corner of his mouth. I winced, not in sympathy but in visceral response to the violence, even as Artemis growled her approval.

‘I'd do worse than punch him if I had the choice,’ she snarled within me. ‘I'd tear out his throat for what he tried to do.’

"I could have you charged for that, Alpha Maxwell," Benjamin said, working his jaw back and forth as he glared at my brother.

"I'd like to see you try," Elijah replied, his voice dangerously calm as he took a seat across from Benjamin.

Theo remained standing, a looming presence at Elijah's shoulder. "Now, let's discuss why you decided the kidnapping and attempted forced marking of my mate was an appropriate course of action."

Benjamin's lips curled into something between a smile and a sneer. "I have nothing to say to either of you."

"That's unfortunate," Theo said, his voice carrying that particular timbre of royal authority that made my spine straighten even though it wasn't directed at me. "Because we have quite a lot to discuss, Alpha Thorne. Starting with who was involved in your plot."

Benjamin maintained his silence, staring at a point somewhere beyond Theo's shoulder.

"Minister Krea," Elijah said, sliding a photograph across the table. "Minister Stavros." Another photo joined the first. "Minister Bennett. Lord Cassius. Alpha Michael Barker. Doctor Stone." The pictures formed a damning constellation on the metal surface. "All currently occupying cells similar to yours. All implicated in conspiracy against the crown."

Benjamin's eyes flickered over the images, his expression betraying nothing.