Emma's Pov

　　I want to believe in Matthew's assertions that nothing will actually happen. But I've witnessed Charlotte's revelations about the future in my own life. Every word from the little wolf resonates in my mind like an echo I can't ignore.

　　I can't let her premonition be taken lightly. However, I won't force a belief on Matthew. We are different individuals with different views, and I deeply respect that.

　　"Do you still want to bring a reign to this continent, Matthew?" I ask minutes later, playing with my food, waiting for my mate's response. My heart beats in my chest with a mix of worry and curiosity.

　　The window of our hotel room is now ajar, the outside silence brought in by the early morning breeze. Yet, the worrying tension here is greater than the quiet outside.

　　Matthew leans back, settling into the chair. His lips form a thin, hard line before he responds, his eyes shining with an intensity that makes me hold my breath for a few moments.

　　"Yes, Emma. One king for all. Just one alpha king to control and protect, to unify all the wolf packs," Matthew replies seriously, his voice loaded with conviction. "This division of packs, each with its own law, is barbaric. It's chaos."

　　"It's autonomy, freedom," I counter calmly, trying to maintain serenity. "You can't put all the wolf packs under one rule. That's... oppression," I say cautiously, each word carefully chosen to avoid an exaggerated interpretation.

　　Matthew raises an eyebrow at me, his green eyes turning icy in my direction, reminding me of the early days of our relationship, the coldness Matthew once possessed. We're treading on complicated territory, and I need to stay calm so the conversation doesn't turn into an unnecessary debate. I don't want this to be the reason that drives us apart, especially in such a delicate moment after Charlotte's prophecy.

　　"It's not oppression. It's ordered, Emma," Matthew responds seriously, his tone filled with determination that makes me slightly uncomfortable. "Imagine how we could have prevented what happened to you in your old pack if everyone lived under the dominion of one leader? In this case, me, of course," Matthew declares proudly, his words carrying a mix of protection but also a bit of possession. "I would never have allowed any of that to happen to you. Baseless accusations, without a proper investigation. Not to mention what happened now… your brother got hold of an illegal and contaminated drug. The clandestine market of the witches wouldn't be tolerated by me."

　　I take a sip of my juice before responding, reflecting on his arguments. They are plausible arguments, and I partially agree with them. But this is a very romanticized view of what it really means to be governed by a single leader. The shadows of the consequences deeply worry me.

　　"To achieve that goal, Matthew... many lives will be lost. Is it worth it?" I ask, worried, my tone low and filled with apprehension. "Besides, you'll have to take care of an entire continent. Thousands of wolf packs. How will that be? You're just one man. Laws are good and necessary, but applying them to such a vast territory, alone..."

　　"I won't be alone, Emma. I'll have my Luna, and we'll govern together, of course," Matthew responds with a friendly smile, which throws off my reasoning. His smile makes me momentarily lose focus, a smile full of confidence and love, my weak spot when it comes to Matthew.

　　We haven't officially marked each other as mates yet. Nor has Matthew proposed to me or anything similar. I'm in no rush for that, anyway.

　　But his words and the certainty in his eyes make me question if I'm ready to take on such a grand role by his side. I'm building my own wolf pack, and even though we already have a very good number, being an alpha is challenging. Having a firm hand and a focused mind is necessary to keep everyone in my pack safe. Now, thousands? I don't know if I'll have that skill.

　　The night advances as the gentle night breeze continues to enter through the window, and I feel the weight of our future decisions hanging in the air. A promise of challenges if Charlotte's prophecy is to come true soon.

　　We finish our dinner, and Matthew and I return to bed. I sleep peacefully in his cozy and protective arms, my dreams calm, with no fears as I sleep.

　　The next day, Matthew takes me back to Stonehaven Pack.

　　"I'll see you soon," Matthew declares before we part ways.

　　In the following days, I, along with Faylen and Jordan, prepared an intensive training for all the members of Stonehaven Pack.

　　"It's time to start training them," I declare thoughtfully and seriously. "We already have a total of two hundred and fifty members. We're expanding more and more, and many of the young wolves have potential but no preparation."

　　Faylen, my beta, nods. The three of us are in the newly built meeting room. The extraction of minerals has grown and yielded the necessary fruits for the construction of our pack's complexes.

　　"I managed to assign most of the wolves to their appropriate positions. Some in the kitchen, others in teaching the younger ones. But you're absolutely right, Alpha Emma, we don't have trained soldiers, and after the kidnapping attempt on you, it's necessary to have a team prepared to accompany you to events like that," Faylen responds seriously.

　　"Yes. I was honestly naive to have gone to my brother alone," I confess with embarrassment, but Faylen hugs my shoulders, comforting me.

　　"You gave him a vote of good faith for being family. But that vote has already been used, and we've learned our lessons," Jordan comments, and I smile at him.

　　"We need to focus on complete and intensive training. I want tests to challenge the wolves' endurance. Do you have any suggestions?" I ask, bringing the focus back to the main issue.

　　For several hours, the three of us debate and create the perfect training regimen for our pack. The next day, training began.

　　I was in charge of conducting the entire training process. Faylen handled the strategy classes, and Jordan took care of the physical training. For several weeks, our pack's focus was on training and endurance tests.

　　When we finally reached the final stretch of training and tests, all our wolves were qualified to become warriors. I felt fulfilled with the process.