CHAPTER 133: OWE A FAVOUR...

Emerald lay on her back, the sheets tangled loosely around her legs. Ares’ arm was draped across her stomach, his skin warm against hers.

For a while, neither of them spoke.

Then she turned her head, studying his sharp profile. "Seriously, though... do you have any news?"

He gave her a sidelong glance. "About?"

"You know what I mean. You’ve got ears everywhere," she pressed, narrowing her gaze. "Don’t tell me you haven’t heard anything worth mentioning."

For a heartbeat, his expression didn’t change, but she saw it. The faint sharpening of his gaze, a subtle awareness flickering there.

Still, his voice stayed casual. "Nothing worth your time. Adrien seems... happy with his new bride."

Emerald didn’t show any reaction on the outside, but inside, her stomach felt tight and anxious. She thought about the word "happy" and how it weighed heavily on her, like a heavy stone in her chest. She didn’t welcome that feeling.

She let her eyes drift back to the ceiling, masking whatever had just cut through her. She said nothing.

Ares studied her for a moment that stretched longer than it should have. Then, faintly, he smirked. "That reminds me, you still owe me a favour."

She arched a brow without turning her head. "Oh? And what exactly is this favour?"

"When are you coming to see my world?" he asked.

Her head turned sharply toward him. "I told you, I’m not doing that anymore. I have duties as Alpha. I can’t just disappear whenever it suits you."

"That’s part of my favour," he said, as if it was the most obvious, non-negotiable thing in the world.

Her sigh was long and resigned. "When?"

Ares rolled onto his side, propping himself on one elbow. His other hand traced a slow, idle path along her bare arm, the calloused pads of his fingers brushing against her skin in a way that made it harder to keep her thoughts straight.

"Focus on your pack for now," he murmured. "When the time’s right... I’ll let you know."

Silence settled again, thicker this time. Emerald’s thoughts began to wander, tumbling over themselves, circling back to questions she’d been holding back for a while. Eventually, she couldn’t keep one of them in any longer.

"Ares," she began carefully, "are you really cursed?"

His brow lifted, faintly amused. "Where’s that coming from?"

"You have to give me answers at some point," she said. "You’ve been back for months, and I still know nothing about you."

The faint curve of his lips this time wasn’t humour; it was something darker, something tired. "I wouldn’t fully call it a curse," he said after a pause. "But... in a way, yes."

Her blood ran cold. The old story she’d read in that book resurfaced in her mind, vivid as if whispered in her ear. The one detail she’d never been able to forget, the part about his mate breaking the curse.

Her voice softened, almost hesitant. "Your mate would break the curse... but how?"

He didn’t answer immediately. When he finally spoke, his voice was calm, but steady in a way that felt deliberate. "I’d die before hurting you."

Her eyes narrowed. "That’s not what I asked."

"There’s more to it than you can understand," he said, his tone slipping into something firm and final. "More than I’m ready, or able, to explain. I’m bound, Emerald."

She studied him for a long moment, searching for cracks in his composure, then switched tactics. "Fine. Yes or no answers."

Ares smirked faintly, almost entertained. "This should be good."

"Could it kill me?"

His hesitation lasted just long enough to make her chest tighten. "...No."

"Are you sure?"

"No."

Emerald exhaled slowly, looking away, the tightness in her chest refusing to ease.

Ares’s arm slid around her waist, his hold warm and solid. "There’s still a missing piece," he said in a low voice.

Her eyes flicked back to him. "What piece?"

"The Moonstone," he replied simply.

—

Far away, in the heart of Rick’s pack, the sound of laughter and music spilled out into the courtyard.

The feast was in full swing. Tables groaned under the weight of roasted meats, fresh bread, and bowls of spiced vegetables. Lanterns hung from the rafters, casting golden light over the crowd.

At the centre of it all sat Rhiannon, her smile polite but never quite reaching her eyes.

Rick was at her side, pouring her another drink, talking animatedly to the guests. He’d gone all out for her return: musicians played in the corner, children darted between tables, the air thick with the scent of food and the hum of conversation.

Alia sat across from her, and though she smiled when spoken to, her gaze kept returning to Rhiannon like a cat watching a mouse.

The longer it went on, the more Rhiannon’s fingers twisted in her lap, the more her smile tightened.

Finally, she pushed back her chair. "I think I need to lie down."

Rick’s head turned immediately. "What? No, it’s your party."

"I’m just... not feeling well," she said quickly, forcing a small, apologetic smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes.

Rick’s brow furrowed in concern, but after a beat, he nodded. "Alright. Rest, then. We’ll keep the celebration going for you."

As she rose from the table, she could feel Alia’s eyes on her, watching, and following until she was out of sight.

—

Her room was exactly as she’d left it earlier, the faint perfume of clean linen still in the air.

She shut the door behind her and dropped onto the bed, the muffled music from downstairs drifting faintly through the floor.

For a moment, she just stood there, her back to the door, shoulders sinking under a weight she didn’t name.

Then, moving slowly, she crossed to the bed and sat on the edge. The silence was almost too complete, and it pressed against her in a way that made her feel even more alone.

After a while, she pushed herself back up and walked to the dresser against the wall. She pulled open the top drawer, the familiar creak sounding louder than she expected in the quiet.

Inside, her clothes lay neatly folded, exactly as she’d left them, except her hands weren’t searching for clothes. She lifted the stack, exposing the hidden space beneath.

The spot.

The place she’d kept it.

Her fingers froze as she realised the drawer was empty... The Moonstone was gone.