Claiming Emerald: Four Alphas At Her Feet
Chapter 70: Under Arrest...

Chapter 70: Under Arrest...

"Talia?" Emerald blinked.

The girl stood pale and trembling at the door, her eyes wide with something between fear and urgency.

Emerald opened the door fully and pulled her inside quickly before anyone in the hall could see. The moment the door clicked shut, she turned to face her. "What happened?"

Talia took a sharp breath, then another. "I... I was on the second floor, by the west corridor. I was cleaning, I swear, no one noticed me as no one usually goes there this late. I—I heard someone talking on the phone."

Emerald guided her toward the bed. "Okay, sit and take deep breaths. You’re safe. What did you hear?"

Talia sat down hard, clutching the folds of her skirt. "He was saying something about... trying again. That the first attempt failed, and this time they had to make sure it didn’t. He sounded angry... like really angry."

Emerald paced a bit, stopping in front of her. "Do you know who it was?"

Talia looked up and nodded once, the name falling out like a weight. "Elder Pierce."

Emerald’s stomach dropped, but she kept her face composed. "You’re certain?"

"I’m sure it was him. I recognised his voice; I’d know it anywhere. I panicked and left before he saw me. I didn’t stay to hear the rest, I swear. I just ran, but... it was definitely him."

Emerald took a breath, nodded. "That’s exactly what I needed. You did good, Talia."

Talia looked down. "I should’ve stayed longer."

"You did exactly the right thing." Emerald crouched in front of her. "And I promise, you’re protected. You’ll be kept out of this. But don’t stop listening... I’m sure he’s not working alone."

Talia nodded slowly, but just as she stood to leave, she paused. "I just remembered something."

Emerald’s head lifted. "What?"

"He said something about a meeting. Tomorrow night, outside the east gate. I don’t know who with. But... he’s meeting someone."

Emerald’s mind was already racing.

Talia left quietly after that, and Emerald didn’t waste another second.

She picked up her phone and texted: Pierce is our guy.

The reply came in less than a minute. Come to my room. Quietly.

Emerald slipped through the quiet halls, past flickering lanterns and drawn curtains. When she reached Lucien’s door, she knocked lightly. To her surprise, it opened right away.

Lucien’s room was dimly lit by a single lantern when Emerald slipped inside. Lucien stood barefoot, hair still damp from a shower, shirt undone, sleeves rolled up, tension written across his face. "You’re sure?"

She closed the door quietly behind her. "Positive. I have a reliable source. She overheard him on the phone."

"Pierce?" Lucien asked, lowering his voice. "What exactly did he say?"

"They’re planning another attempt. And he’s planning to meet someone tomorrow night, outside the gates."

Lucien’s eyes darkened. "Bastard."

"He’s angry... reckless, and that works in our favour."

Lucien moved to the desk, hands gripping the edge. "And you’re sure your source is reliable?"

"Hasn’t been wrong yet."

He looked back at her, nodding once. "Then we prepare."

They spent the next hour hunched over maps and parchments, planning every angle, cross-checking gates rotation. They plotted blind spots, discussed who to trust with guard assignments, which, in the end, was no one, and decided they’d stake it out themselves.

"No one else," Lucien repeated. "Not even the guards. We can stationed a few out of sight, cloaked in darkness, but that’s it."

"No weapons unless necessary," Emerald reminded. "We need him alive."

"And talking," Lucien added.

They reviewed the timing, the paths, the fallback signals.

By the time they finished discussing everything, it was almost dawn. They were still in his room, and while the silence had grown thicker between them, it didn’t feel awkward.

Lucien turned toward her, his voice softer. "You should sleep."

Emerald looked at the bed. "And where, exactly?"

He raised a brow. "I’m not that big."

She gave him a look. "You don’t snore, do you?"

"No promises."

She shook her head, but climbed in beside him. "One night. Don’t make this weird."

Lucien chuckled low in his throat. "Never."

They lay back, not touching, just close enough to feel each other’s warmth. Emerald didn’t remember falling asleep, but at some point, exhaustion won.

Viola stirred in her mind hours later.

"Well well well," the wolf drawled. "Look at you, curled up with the ’murderous Alpha’ like it’s a gods-damned romance novel."

Emerald groaned softly and cracked an eye open. "It wasn’t like that."

Lucien was still asleep beside her, breathing steady, brow relaxed in a way she’d never seen before.

"Tell that to your heartbeat."

She slipped out of bed quietly, brushing her fingers through her hair as she tiptoed back to her room.

The rest of the day felt like a blur. Meetings, watch schedules, and casual chatter drifted by without much impact. But through it all, one thought stayed clear in Emerald’s mind: tonight, Pierce would guide them to the truth.

And maybe, finally, they’d see the real enemy.

The moon was high and half-covered by clouds when Emerald and Lucien took their places at the east gate.

They were cloaked, hidden in the treeline, far enough to remain unseen, but close enough to observe and strike if need be.

They didn’t speak.

Emerald had two daggers strapped to her thighs, one to her back. Lucien had his short blade and a coil of enchanted rope.

At midnight, Pierce showed up, glancing around with a nervous look on his face. He tugged his cloak tighter to shield himself from the chilly wind. As he paced back and forth, he kept looking over his shoulder, his body tense, like he was waiting for something... someone.

"He’s tense," Emerald noted.

"He should be."

They stayed in position, waiting. One minute passed. Then two. Five minutes ticked by, followed by ten. But still, nothing happened.

Emerald whispered, "He’s waiting. Where’s the other one?"

Lucien scanned the shadows. "No movement."

After almost an hour, Pierce began to pace; he checked his watch and muttered under his breath.

"He’s getting ready to leave," Lucien said.

Emerald stepped forward. "Then we should apprehend him."

They emerged from the trees as Pierce turned away from the gate. The moment he saw them, he froze. "What the hell—?"

"Pierce!" Lucien called. "Don’t move!"

"What is this?" Elser Pierce asked, his face twisting into a snarl.

"You’re under arrest," Lucien said, drawing the rope from his belt. "Step forward."

"On what grounds are you arresting me?" Pierce spat. "This is nonsense!"

"You’ll answer that question in the council chamber," Lucien replied. "For conspiracy. For treason. For attempted murder."

Pierce’s face flushed red. "You have no proof!"

Lucien’s voice was ice. "Oh, but you’ll confess. And you’ll tell us who you were meeting."

Emerald replied. "Don’t make us drag you."

Pierce’s eyes burned. "You think you can intimidate me? You, of all people? You’re a fraud! A savage! You never deserved this pack!"

Lucien didn’t flinch.

Pierce took a step forward, hands curled into fists. "Everything we did was to restore balance. You’ve destroyed everything this pack stood for. We were just... paving the way for our true leader."

Lucien’s brow darkened. "Who?"

Pierce’s mouth shut tight. He didn’t answer.

Emerald stepped forward. "Tell me who. Who’s pulling the strings?"

Pierce was intentionally quiet, and the smile on his face only made Emerald uneasy.

Lucien raised a brow. "No name? No backup? Looks like your allies are smarter than you."

Pierce sneered. "You’ll regret this. Both of you. Do you hear me?" His voice rose. "You’ll regret coming here, as you’ll die beside him."

Tip: You can use left, right keyboard keys to browse between chapters.Tap the middle of the screen to reveal Reading Options.

If you find any errors (non-standard content, ads redirect, broken links, etc..), Please let us know so we can fix it as soon as possible.

Report