POV EMMA BELLE
The return to the Black Crag was not the triumphant march I had expected. We moved through the mountain passes like wounded predators, the air heavy with the aftermath of the Spire's destruction. I was drifting in and out of consciousness, cradled against Félix's chest as he moved with a steady, tireless pace.
Every time I stirred, I felt the golden thread between us pulse. It was a physical ache now, a hunger that had survived the battle and only grown sharper in the silence of the snow.
When we finally reached the stronghold, the great hall was filled with the rescued children and the frantic, grateful murmurs of the servants. But the Four Kings and I didn't stop. We headed straight for the private solar, the heavy obsidian doors shutting out the world.
Damon dropped his blood-stained axe with a deafening clang. He turned to look at us, his golden eyes scanning the way I was still clinging to Félix's neck. Nathaniel stood by the hearth, his face drawn and thoughtful, while Vincent remained a silent shadow by the window.
"The power shift is undeniable," Nathaniel said, his voice breaking the suffocating tension. "Emma, when you channeled the purification light, you didn't just use our energy. You used Félix as a lens. You've anchored your soul to his."
I slid down from Félix's arms, my legs shaky but standing. I looked at the three of them—the brute, the mind, and the shadow. "Is that a problem? You said we needed to bond."
"It's not a problem for the war," Damon rumbled, stepping closer. He looked at Félix with a mixture of begrudging respect and simmering territorial rage. "You're stronger now. We are stronger. To lead the North, you need the four of us to be your pillars. We are your Kings. Your guardians. Your council."
He paused, his voice dropping to a low, dangerous octave. "We accept that he is your heart, Emma. We accept that the light chose him as its primary conductor. We will bleed for you, and we will rule by your side."
"But," Nathaniel added, his silver eyes locking onto mine with a sharp intensity, "it means our roles are different. We provide the structure of your reign. Félix... he provides the stability of your spirit."
The unspoken agreement hung in the air. They were accepting a "Shared Harem" where they would have her loyalty, her power, and her presence—but they were sensing that the emotional throne was already occupied.
Félix didn't say anything. He just stood behind me, his hand resting firmly on the small of my back, a silent claim that the others couldn't ignore.
"I need to rest," I whispered, the exhaustion finally catching up to me.
Damon nodded, though his eyes lingered on my lips for a moment too long. "Go. Tomorrow, we plan the counter-strike. The Council will be reeling."
Late that night, the solar was quiet, save for the crackling of the fire. I was standing by the window, looking out at the starlight on the peaks, wearing nothing but a thin silk nightgown that felt like a second skin.
I was thinking about what Nathaniel had said. Anchored. I felt the others in my mind—a distant hum of power—but Félix... Félix was a roar.
The door opened softly. I didn't have to turn around to know who it was. The scent of pine and wild rain filled the room, making my inner wolf stand up and wag her tail.
Félix walked toward me, his movements fluid and silent. He stopped just behind me, but he didn't touch me. The heat radiating from his body was enough to make my skin prickle with anticipation.
"You're still awake, Little Bird," he murmured.
"I can't stop thinking about what they said," I confessed, turning to face him. "About the bonds. About us."
Félix looked at me, his green eyes dark and serious. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, his fingers lingering on the mark Caleb had left—the mark that was now glowing a soft, permanent silver.
"Do you know what it really means, Emma? Not the 'Queen' version. Not the war version."
"Tell me," I breathed.
He stepped closer, closing the gap until our chests were almost touching. He took my hands in his, his thumbs rubbing circles over my knuckles. "The four of us... we are your mates in the eyes of the Moon. You need all of us to be the White Queen. Damon will give you the fire to conquer. Nathaniel will give you the wisdom to rule. Vincent will give you the shadows to protect."
He paused, his gaze intensifying. "But in the laws of the ancient wolves, there is only one True Mark. Only one Alpha can complete the soul-lock. Only one can be your Mated Pair."
My heart skipped a beat. "Lixie..."
"Because you anchored to me in the Spire," he whispered, his voice trembling with emotion, "it means I am the only one who can mark you. The others can share your bed, they can share your throne, and they can share your power... but they can never claim your soul. They will be your consorts, but I... I will be your Mate."
The realization hit me like a physical blow. The others had realized it in the courtyard. They knew that while they would have me in the harem, the deepest, most sacred part of my biology belonged to the boy who had found me in the woods.
"Is that why Damon looked so angry?" I asked.
"Damon is a king who wants everything," Félix said, a small, triumphant grin playing on his lips. "But even a king can't fight the Moon. He knows he'll have a place by your side, but he'll never have the Mark. Only I get to leave my scent on your soul forever."
My wolf let out a purr so loud it vibrated in my chest. I felt a surge of need—a desperate, clawing hunger to feel his teeth against my neck, to seal the deal that the light had already started.
"Then why are you standing so far away?" I whispered.
Félix let out a low, animalistic groan. He grabbed my waist and pulled me flush against him. The silk of my nightgown offered no protection against the raw heat of his body. I could feel every muscle in his thighs, the hardness of his chest, and the frantic thud of his heart.
"Because I'm trying to be a gentleman," he rasped, his nose brushing against mine. "Because you've been through a war today."
"I don't want a gentleman, Lixie," I said, my fingers tangling in his blonde hair, pulling his head down. "I want my mate."
He didn't need to be told twice. He claimed my lips with a ferocity that made my knees give out. It wasn't just a kiss; it was an invasion. He tasted like victory and rebellion. His tongue danced with mine, a frantic, rhythmic battle that mirrored the way our souls were already entwined.
He moved his mouth to my ear, his breath hot and ragged. "I'm going to spend the rest of my life making sure you never regret choosing the rebel over the pack, Emma Belle."
He trailed his lips down my neck, stopping exactly over the silver sigil. He didn't bite—not yet—but he nipped the skin, his scent flooding my senses until I was dizzy with it. I arched my back, my hands clawing at his shoulders, my wolf screaming for him to finish it.
"Soon," he whispered against my skin. "When the children are truly safe. When the mountain is quiet. I'm going to mark you so deeply that even the stars will know you're mine."
I looked up at him, my eyes glowing with a violet light that was now laced with emerald green. I knew the war was still out there. I knew the Council would come. I knew I would have to navigate the complex, burning desires of Damon, Nathaniel, and Vincent.
But as Félix held me in the firelight, I realized I didn't care about the complications.
I was the White Queen, and I had my King.
"I'm yours, Lixie," I whispered, pulling him back down to me. "Always."
Outside, the wind howled through the peaks of the North, but inside the solar, the only sound was the rhythm of two hearts finally beating as one.
The rejection was a lifetime ago. The servant was a ghost.
I was Emma Belle, and I was finally home.