Claiming Emerald: Four Alphas At Her Feet
Chapter 96: The Moonstone...

Chapter 96: The Moonstone...

Emerald didn’t sleep really that night.

The words from the message kept running through her mind like a broken record: I have everything I need. Game on.

By the time the sun peeked through the curtains the next morning, she was already dressed and out the door.

If Darius or anyone wasn’t going to tell her what she needed to know, then she’d find it herself, even if she had to dig it out.

She walked down to the library located under the eastern tower. The archives were filled with centuries-old scrolls, books, and tomes that hadn’t been touched in decades. She wondered if anyone even remembered the information stored on these shelves.

She didn’t stop to greet anyone, or even wait for tea or breakfast. She just went straight to the lower stacks, eyes scanning the walls.

The keyword was stone. Or maybe legacy? Or moonstone?

She started pulling anything remotely relevant.

Three hours later, she surrounded herself with a pile of old texts, but she had hardly made any progress.

Most of the material was useless: fables, tall tales, and children’s stories about glowing stones and forgotten gods. Nothing felt relevant to the heavy words Darius had shared with her.

Emerald sighed and flipped through another half-rotten binding. Dust filled the air, tickling her nose, but she pushed on. She turned one page, then another, and...

She froze.

The next page was missing, with only jagged edges left behind. But the page that was still there had a partial drawing of a glowing red orb, looking like a flame captured inside a crystal.

Her pulse quickened.

There were no words, just a faint outline of a hand underneath the picture, as if it was trying to reach for it.

She stared at it for a long moment.

She didn’t know what it was... not exactly. But her gut twisted in warning, and she felt something inside her stir. Viola was pushing uneasily at the surface.

This had to be it, and only one person could confirm it.

She closed the book, tucking it under her arm, and turned on her heel towards Darius’s room.

—

Darius’s room was on the west end of the estate, just a few doors down from her own. When she knocked, she expected to wait. But the door opened almost immediately.

He was already dressed in a grey shirt, dark pants, and polished boots. For a man who had barely been out of bed the night before, he looked like he hadn’t missed a beat.

"Well," he said, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "You’re up early."

"Yeah... I couldn’t sleep."

He gestured for her to come in. "I didn’t think you would." He nodded to the empty seat across from him. "Sit. Unless you’re here to throw another traitor at me."

"Tempting," she muttered, sitting down. "You look better."

"Don’t sound so surprised," he said, moving toward the small table near the fireplace. "The healers do more than hover, you know."

Emerald folded her arms. "You seem in a good mood today."

"Let’s not pretend you’re here for my charming banter." He leaned back, eyeing her. "What’s on your mind?"

She paused. "You’re... surprisingly chipper."

"Well, considering I’m not dead," he said dryly, "I figured I’d enjoy it while it lasts."

Emerald snorted. "So what now? You gonna start running around again?"

"Give me a few more days," he replied. "I’ll be doing laps around the estate. You’ll see."

She smiled faintly. "Good to know."

He sat down, motioning to the seat across from him. "So, what brings you here? Let me guess. You’re here to tell me that you’re continuing what I now call "Your Mates Tour".

Emerald narrowed her eyes. "My what?"

"You heard me." He leaned back with a sly look. "You’ve spent some time with Lucien in his pack, you’ve got the rest of them dropping in with half a smirk and glowing eyes."

"I am not..."

"I’m just saying," Darius interrupted. "It wouldn’t be fair to the others if you only went through it with one."

Emerald groaned. "You’re impossible."

He grinned, clearly enjoying himself. "Just trying to keep things equal. Can’t have anyone crying favouritism."

She gave him a dry look. "It’s not a tour. Or a contest."

"Of course not." He chuckled. "Still, you should be careful. With charm like that, you might start a war without lifting a finger."

"I’ll make sure to write an apology letter in advance."

He laughed again, a full one this time. "There she is."

But the moment of levity faded as Emerald pulled the book from under her arm and placed it on the table between them.

"I found this," she said.

The smile dropped from Darius’s face. "You’ve been digging," he said flatly.

"I had to." She looked him dead in the eye. "You reacted like you’d seen death itself when Octavian mentioned that stone. I know you’re trying to protect me, but I’m not a kid anymore. I’m Alpha now, and if I’m going to lead, I need to understand what the hell we’re up against."

He didn’t answer.

"Uncle."

Darius stared at the illustration for a moment longer, then leaned back with a sigh. "You’re right," he said finally. "You do need to know."

She waited, watching as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The stone," he began, "has gone down in our history for generations. Most believed it was myth... exaggerated tales passed down to scare or impress the young."

Emerald leaned forward. "But it’s real."

"It’s very real," Darius said. "It came into our possession about a century ago. We didn’t publicise it. The Elders chose to hide it, to store it far beneath the crypts, where only a handful knew."

She felt a chill creep up her spine. "What does it look like?" she asked softly.

Darius hesitated. "A red glowing orb," he said finally. "Like a crystal bleeding from the inside."

"That’s the same as what’s in the image," Viola whispered.

Emerald didn’t say a thing.

"I checked the crypts yesterday," Darius continued. "It’s gone. Quince must have had it on him for a while now. But wherever it went, it’s not with him anymore."

"And what does it do?"

Darius didn’t answer immediately; his eyes darkened, and then he replied. "Nothing good."

Emerald felt her stomach tighten. Just two words, but they sent a chill through her. She glanced out the window, her thoughts spinning.

In Alia’s hands... she could feel the danger like smoke before fire. That kind of power, used by someone twisted enough to manipulate an entire territory, could destroy everything.

There were few artefacts left in their world; most had been lost to time or locked away, and fewer still were known to be truly dangerous.

Emerald had prided herself on being up to date with the history of their kind, the lore, the bloodlines, the relics.

But not once... not once, had she heard of the Moonstone.

That dark red orb.

How had it stayed hidden this long? And why now?

Emerald stood up suddenly, feeling the need to move. "She has everything."

Darius looked at her. "Emerald?"

"I’m fine," she said quickly. "I just... need to think."

She turned, pacing to the window, her heart pounding against her ribs. Her thoughts spiralled as she remembered the message: I have everything I need. Game on.

The words repeated in her mind like a countdown she couldn’t stop. What would her next move be... and when would she make it?