Alpha's Secret Bride-Chapter 90: The Luna on Trial Before the Alpha Throne

The screening process, which lasted about forty-five seconds, ended and she saw herself in the Throne Hall of the Alpha King. Her wolf-heart skipped as she looked around the Throne Hall that dripped in gold, silver and diamonds, glowing like it had been blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. It was the biggest and the most beautiful she had ever seen.

She looked around her; she didn’t see the golden carriage Mrs. Thompson told her about. She said the high-security door would automatically transfer her to the carriage, but she didn’t see anything. She looked at the extreme that was about a hundred feet away from the entrance and shuddered, her wolf instinctively sensing the overwhelming aura that lingered ahead.

The royal throne, which was under a diamond canopy, was set up with elaborate pomp, raised with steps made of shiny silver stones that shimmered like moonlit frost. It had two entrances covered with floor-to-ceiling crimson and golden drapes. About ten wolves sat close to the royal throne, their auras thick with authority, but the Alpha King was not there yet.

With her face full of strength and dazzling determination, she lifted her right foot and it was followed by her left. She heard a sound behind her when she had taken more than fifteen steps and turned. It was the golden carriage descending slowly from Goddess knows where, glowing faintly as if guided by unseen celestial hands. She couldn’t go back again. Mrs. Thompson never told her that she must wait for it to descend. She said Emma would be automatically transferred to it. It wasn’t her fault. She shrugged, turned, and kept her face and shoulders high, her wolf pride refusing to bend.

She was halfway through when the Alpha King entered from one of the entrances that was close to the royal throne with his royal guards, their presence heavy and commanding. His king’s attire exudes glory and grace, radiating dominance that pressed against every wolf in the hall. Her heart skipped when he sat on his throne and fixed his piercing eyes on her. Any verdict given by the king while sitting on that throne cannot be disputed. Those judged by the Alpha King are punished without a jury, as his word is law bound by ancient wolf traditions.

Everyone, including Lunara and her mother, stood up and bowed. He waved at them and they sat down again. Lunara’s face held some note of mockery as she stared at Emma, but she didn’t care. Her mate once told her that no one has the right to make her feel inferior without her consent. Which literally means that she’s the only one that can make herself feel inferior. Now she understood what he meant by ’knowing and believing in herself is the beginning of wisdom.’

She kept encouraging herself as she walked towards them. About twenty unblinking eyes that were fixed on her could not make her shudder any more, not even with the weight of their wolves pressing silently against her spirit.

"Good day, mother," she waved at her mother when she walked closer to them. She sighed and looked away as though she didn’t know her. She hadn’t seen a reason to stop regarding her as her mother until that day. She guessed that was the humiliation Naomi overheard them discussing on the communication device. She quietly offered herself a seat.

"If you ever make me wait for you, you will be perpetually prohibited from entering this royal throne hall!" The Alpha King said with a loud baritone voice that echoed like a command through the souls of every wolf present.

"I’m very sorry, your High Alpha King," she said with her head lowered to show that she was truly sorry for coming late.

"Who do you think you are? A High Luna?"

"That’s what she calls herself, your High Alpha King," Lunara said, and she was not reprimanded for talking while the king was still talking.

"Look at me when I’m talking to you! Would you?"

"Yes, your... High Alpha King," she stammered, lifted her face, and fixed her eyes on him. She couldn’t believe she was staring at the same king who was pleased with her for being the driving force behind his prince’s excellence. The Alpha King sighed and waved at the council’s spokeswolf.

"What’s your name?"

"Emma"

"What’s your surname?"

Lunara and her mother turned their heads and fixed their eyes on her, their wolves practically waiting to pounce on any chance to humiliate her if she ever mention their surname.

"Just Emma."

"Alright"

"Did you read the letter we sent to you?" Ashley Ashford asked after waving at the spokeswolf to hold on for a while, his tone carrying the weight of authority.

"No alpha," she responded, looking into his eyes. She could see the resemblance between him and his weird he-wolf Ken,who left her mansion a few moon ago, the same sharp gaze and commanding aura.

"Why?"

"The letter was received by my mate and he told me just the date and time."

"Do not refer to him here as your mate. What both of you did cannot be accepted as a lawful mating in this kingdom. He is the Moon Prince of the kingdom and he is not supposed to get mated without the king’s authorization! He owes his subjects an ethical royal mating!" Ashley Ashford said, looking directly into her eyes, his voice carrying both anger and royal decree.

"He is my mate until proven otherwise by law."

"You will certainly hear from us!"

"What time did he tell you?" The spokeswolf took over again.

"Noon."

"What time did you get here?"

"Ten minutes past twelve."

"Why?"

She had nothing to say, so she kept her mouth shut, her wolf restless but restrained.

"Well, according to the letter we sent to you, you are expected to be here today in the company of one of your parents or guardians. We want them to witness the fair hearing and the verdict. Where are they?"

His words were followed by a dead silence as she tried to formulate a perfect response, her mind racing while her wolf remained alert.

"Young she-wolf, where are your parents?" The Alpha King asked, as if he didn’t know she was adopted by the same she-wolf who just shunned her greetings.

"I’m sorry, your high Alpha king. My mate didn’t tell me the contents of the letter. I didn’t know I was supposed to come with any of them. I promise I will come along with one of them at the next meeting."

"Next meeting? Are you saying we should reschedule the meeting?" The spokeswolf asked.

"Yes."

The spokeswolf looked at the Alpha King and they made eye contact, an unspoken understanding passing between their wolves. He turned and faced her again.

"Alright, we will reschedule. We are going to meet again next Saturday. I hope seven days is enough for you to convince your parents or guardian to come with you."

"I need more than a week, Beta," she said boldly. There was no point accepting what she knew was impossible, her wolf refusing to submit to false hope.

"No!" Lunara objected, her voice sharp with dominance. The spokeswolf waved at her to calm down.

"How many weeks do you need?"

"Three weeks."

Lunara looked at the spokeswolf and shook her head, her expression tightening with disapproval.

"The Prince has a mating ceremony in five or six weeks and the news about his mating bond is one of the top searches across the wolf kingdom. The royal house’s communication page has a lot of messages from wolves who want to know what is happening. We need to resolve this issue as early as possible and address our pack." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"You have just fourteen days! Don’t come here without any of them and if you miss the next meeting, you will be considered a major distraction in the Moon Prince’s life and I will freeze you out of this kingdom, the estate, and all properties that belong to the royal house," the Alpha King said, his voice final like a death sentence. Lunara smirked victoriously because she knew even one winter wouldn’t be enough for her to find her blood-mother. She guessed denying that she was not her blood was the humiliation Theresa and her she-wolf, Lunara planned.

"One more thing. Don’t ever raise your fist at her. I’m sure you don’t want her to look pathetic on her mating day," the Alpha King said and stood up immediately, his presence lifting like a storm receding. No one moved or said anything until the king and his council used different exits, their departure leaving behind a heavy silence.

To avoid any crisis, she stood up as soon as the last council member left the Throne Hall and began to walk swiftly down the hall as though someone was after her, her wolf urging her to escape the suffocating tension. Lunara left her mother behind as she tried to catch up with her. She stretched her hand and grabbed Emma’s necklace from behind and she almost suffocated to death. She halted and tried to remove her hand but she held it so tight with frustration and accumulated anger, her wolf lashing out violently.

"Show me your strength now and I will show you the stuff I’m made of!" Her voice echoed in the hall like a challenge between wolves. "I did not retaliate when you hit me a few moon ago because I have respect for Moon Prince Brandon! Hit me again! Hit me again!" She continued yelling, dragging and tightening her grip on Emma’s necklace to hurt her more.

"Let... go... " she tried to talk, but she couldn’t, her breath fading as her wolf struggled against the choke.

"No! You must hit me!" She screamed and pulled the necklace and she almost fell, her control slipping into pure aggression.

She held the front side of the necklace to stop it from strangling her. The necklace split up into two and the front side fell into her palm. She turned and gave her a deafening slap on her cheek and she staggered back and fell, holding a part of her necklace that was in her palm. Her mother quickly ran towards her. Lunara stood up again and ran after Emma. However, the automatic door closed before she could get in, sealing Emma away from her rage. She quickly used the second door.

Outside the Throne Hall were Princess Elara and Emma’s guards. They all fixed their eyes on her when she came out with a red face contorted with rage, her wolf still unsettled. Lunara sighed when she couldn’t do anything and walked angrily towards the southern entrance of the mansion. Her mother walked past Emma after staring menacingly at her without saying anything and hopped into her car.

"What is wrong with them?" Princess Elara asked, her brows knitting with concern. She stared at the half of the necklace she was holding and remembered what her mate told her, her wolf stirring with unease.

"Why is your neck red?"

"She almost strangled me."

Elara sighed and grabbed her hand. "You need to see the High Luna before you leave."

"Did she want to see me?"

"No, but just do it for the sake of her Moon Prince. She is your mother-in-law you know," she shrugged and began to drag her in the direction of the High Luna’s chamber, her grip firm yet reassuring.