Alpha's Secret Bride

Through Bryan’s mention that Emma wasn’t in her chamber, Mrs. Thompson became concerned about where she had gone. She quietly made inquiries and eventually learned that Emma had gone to the lake alone. She told Emily what had happened, and Emily informed Ashley. From then on, the three of them kept a close but discreet watch on Emma’s movements without letting her know they were monitoring her.

Seven months later, winter had settled over Santorini Kingdom, covering the rooftops, gardens, and mountain roads in a thick blanket of white. The search for Brandon had never officially stopped, although the large search parties had become less frequent as the months passed. His disappearance was still investigated through every available lead, and reports continued to reach the palace from border patrols, neighboring kingdoms, and traveling scouts. They all ended the same way: no confirmed sighting, no reliable trail, no sign of the future Alpha King.

Emma had stopped asking for the reports. She still listened whenever one reached the house, but she no longer went looking for answers herself. There was only so many times she could hear the same words before they began to hurt more than silence. Even so, every moonfall before going to bed, she made sure the porch light was left on. She never mentioned why. She simply checked it before turning off the other lights and heading upstairs, as if some part of her still expected headlights to appear beyond the gates.

Bryan Oliver had grown used to the new house too. At more than five winters old, he no longer asked every moonrise when his father would return. Instead, he had found his own way of waiting. He kept a wooden box beneath his bed with the words FOR FATHER carved unevenly across the lid, and whenever he finished a drawing he was proud of, he folded it carefully and placed it inside.

One drawing showed the three of them holding hands beneath a silver moon. Another showed Emma holding a tiny pup wrapped in a pink blanket. Emma found the box one day while putting away his clothes. She sat on the floor and slowly lifted each picture from the box, one after another, until tears blurred the drawings in her hands.

Emily found her there and quietly sat beside her. She reached for the box and placed it back beneath Bryan’s bed.

"He still believes Brandon will come home," she said softly.

She wiped her cheeks and looked at the wooden box for a long moment.

"So do I."

The words came out quietly, but this time she couldn’t quite meet Emily’s eyes.

Her pregnancy had become harder with each passing month. Her ankles and feet were swollen by the end of most days, her lower back ached after even a short walk, and finding a comfortable position at moonfall had become almost impossible. Sometimes, she woke several times just to shift positions or use the bathchamber before finally falling asleep again.

Mrs Thompson and Emily had adjusted their routine around Emma’s needs without making a fuss about it. They kept water nearby, made sure she ate regularly, and called the royal healers whenever something seemed unusual. Evan still visited almost every day, often bringing groceries or spending the moonfall with Bryan while Emma rested. Ken and Lyn came whenever Lyn felt well enough to travel, and Elara had practically moved into the house during the final month of the pregnancy.

No one said why they were always making sure they were nearby.

They didn’t need to.

They all remembered what had happened by the lake. Since that day, Ashley had quietly increased Emma’s security. A guard was always somewhere nearby, even when Emma didn’t notice him, and the household staff had been instructed to alert Ashley if Emma left the house alone or wandered somewhere she shouldn’t be.

Emma had never been told about the arrangement. Ashley didn’t want her to feel watched or treated as though she couldn’t be trusted with her own safety.

___

Late one snowy moonfall, she stood alone in the nursery, folding the last tiny blanket and placing it carefully inside the crib. Her hand lingered on the wooden rail as she looked down at the empty mattress.

"You should have been here," she whispered.

Her fingers moved slowly over the edge of the blanket. "You missed everything."

A tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away with the back of her hand. For a moment, she tried to smile, but it didn’t last.

"I’m angry with you," she murmured, letting out a quiet laugh through her tears. "And I still miss you."

She kept hoping that Brandon would return, but her expected delivery date slowly drew closer.

Slhe woke in the middle of the moonfall to a sharp tightening in her lower abdomen. She frowned and shifted beneath the blankets, waiting for the pain to ease. A few minutes later, another contraction came, stronger than the first. She slowly pushed herself upright and reached for the glass of water on her bedside table, but before she could take a sip, a warm rush of fluid ran down her legs.

She froze.

"Oh..."

She set the glass down and carefully stood beside the bed. Another contraction tightened through her abdomen, forcing her to grip the edge of the nightstand until it passed.

"Emily? Mrs. Thompson?"

Her voice was weak at first. She tried again, louder this time.

"Emily!"

Footsteps hurried down the hallway. Emily pushed open the bedchamber door, with Mrs. Thompson close behind her.

"What happened?"

She gripped Emily’s arm as another contraction began. "I think..." She stopped to catch her breath before looking down at herself. "I think the pup’s coming."

Emily’s eyes widened as she moved to her side and gently rubbed her back, while Mrs. Thompson quickly reached for the call bell beside the door.

"Ken!" she called into the hallway. "Wake the drivers and tell the healing den to prepare. It’s time."

Ken’s footsteps approached almost immediately, with Elara close behind him.

"Alert the guards and drivers. I’ll call the healing den now," Elara said to Ken.

The house came alive within minutes. Servants hurried through the halls, gathering towels, fresh linens, warm water, and the supplies the royal healers had instructed them to keep ready. Emily stayed beside her, while Ken went downstairs to make sure the path was clear for the royal drivers. Mrs. Thompson quickly gathered the prepared bags and checked them one by one to make sure nothing was missing.

Evan arrived from the guest wing just as another contraction began. He stopped outside the chamber when he heard Emma’s strained breathing.

"What’s happening?"

"She’s in labor," Emily said.

Evan nodded and immediately turned toward the hallway. "Have you contacted the royal healers?"

"They’ve already been contacted," Ken replied. "The royal healers are waiting for us."

Down the hall, a sleepy Bryan Oliver had appeared in his pajamas, rubbing his eyes as he looked at the servants moving around the house.

"What’s happening?"

Before anyone could answer, Emma’s voice came from the bedchamber.

"Bryan?"

He ran toward her chamber, but Emily met him at the doorway and gently stopped him.

"Mother, are you sick?" he asked, looking at her with concern.

Emma turned toward him, forcing a smile despite another wave of pain. "I’m okay, sweetheart."

Bryan looked at her face and didn’t seem convinced.

"But I heard you shouting."

"The pup is coming."

"You mean the princess?"

Emma nodded, reaching one hand toward him.

"Yes."

He stepped closer and took her hand.

"Right now?"

"Right now."

Bryan looked at her for a moment before his eyes moved toward the hallway.

"Can Father come too?"

Emma’s fingers tightened around his small hand.

The chamber went quiet.

No one answered.

Bryan looked from one face to another, waiting.

She pulled him closer and kissed his forehead.

"I wish he could."

A few minutes later, the convoy sped toward the royal healing den as snow fell heavily around them, turning the road into a blur of white. Emma gripped Ken’s hand as another contraction tightened through her abdomen. Her fingers squeezed so hard that his knuckles went pale, but he didn’t pull away.

"Almost there," Ken said, keeping his voice calm. "Just hold on a little longer."

She shook her head, tears running down her cheeks. "I can’t."

"If Lyn could give birth to twins, you can too. You can do this."

Another contraction came, and she cried out as she leaned back against the seat.

Ken kept his hand beneath hers. "You’re almost there, moonlight. The healers are waiting for you."

By the time the convoy reached the royal healing den, a team of healers and assistants were already waiting at the entrance. The moment the car stopped, they opened the door and carefully helped her onto a waiting medical bed before rushing her inside.

The delivery chamber had already been prepared by the time they arrived. The royal healers examined Emma while the others checked her vital signs and monitored the pup’s heartbeat. Emily stayed beside the bed, holding Emma’s hand as the machines recorded every change.

"She’s progressing quickly," the healer said.

She squeezed her eyes shut as another contraction built.

"I don’t want to do this without him."

Emily leaned closer. "I know."

"He promised he’d be here."

Her voice cracked.

"He promised he’d spoil me if I gave him another pup, especially a princess."

A tear rolled down her cheek as she remembered Brandon laughing the last time they’d talked about having another pup."

"He would’ve tried to talk me into a C-section," she whispered. "He’d probably have me on a plane before I could argue with him."

Emily managed a tearful smile. "He would."

"He’d say the royal healers are good, but he knows a better healing den somewhere."

"And then he’d spend the entire flight telling you to stop being stubborn."

Despite the pain, a weak laugh escaped Emma.

"Exactly."

Another contraction cut the moment short.

Hours passed, and her strength began to fade. The healers continued monitoring both mother and pup, adjusting the treatment whenever Emma’s condition changed. Then one of the monitors began to sound more urgently.

The chief healer looked at the reading.

"The pup’s heart rate is dropping."

Emma opened her eyes.

"What?"

A second healer checked the monitor and then examined her.

"She’s fully dilated. The pup is already low."

The chief healer looked at her. "We’re going to deliver now. We don’t have time to move you anywhere else."

Her breathing became uneven.

"I’m so tired."

"I know," the chief healer said. "But you’re close. One more push, and we’ll have your pup in our hands."

She turned her head toward Emily.

"I need Brandon."

Emily’s eyes filled with tears.

"I know."

She searched the chamber anyway, as though some part of her still expected him to appear.

"Brandon..."

Her voice barely carried.

"I need you."

Emily lowered her forehead against her hand for a moment before looking back at her.

"So do we."

The High Luna arrived at the delivery chamber just in time to hear Emma cry out. She hurried to the bedside and took her free hand, her own eyes already filled with tears.

"I’m here, sweetheart."

She looked at her mother-in-law.

"I can’t."

The High Luna squeezed her hand gently. "You can do this. Bryan is waiting for you, and soon, you’ll have another pup in your arms."

The chief healer watched the monitor and then looked at her.

"One more push."

She shook her head weakly.

"I don’t have anything left."

Emily squeezed her hand. "You don’t have to have anything left. Just give us one more."

She drew in a shaky breath. She closed her eyes, gripped their hands, and pushed with everything she had.

A newborn cry suddenly filled the delivery chamber.

For one stunned second, nobody moved.

Then the chief healer smiled.

"It’s a princess."

A shaky breath escaped Emily, and tears spilled down her cheeks. The High Luna covered her mouth as she cried, while Ken lowered his head and wiped his eyes with both hands.

The healer quickly checked the newborn before wrapping her in a warm pink blanket. Once the pup’s breathing was steady, she was gently placed against Emma’s chest.

She looked down at the tiny face resting against her.

The pup’s eyes slowly opened.

Emma’s breath caught.

They were the same rare golden color as Brandon’s.

A trembling smile appeared through her tears as she touched one finger to the pup’s cheek.

"Hello, my beautiful moon princess."

She swallowed hard as she looked down at her daughter.

The High Luna laughed softly through her tears and wiped at her eyes. "What should we call her?"

Emma looked down at her newborn daughter, her tiny fingers curled around hers.

"Charlotte Nadia," she whispered.

The High Luna smiled. "Charlotte Nadia?"

She nodded, her eyes filling with tears.

The tiny fingers curled around her thumb, and a quiet, tearful laugh escaped her again. She bent her head and kissed the pup’s forehead.

"You’ve already stolen my heart."

For a few seconds, she simply held her daughter, listening to her soft cries. Then she suddenly felt a warm rush beneath her.

Her eyes widened as she looked down. "I think something warm just came out," she said, her voice trembling.

The chief healer’s smile faded.

"Wait."

She turned toward the healer monitoring the bleeding.

"She’s bleeding more than she should."

The healer immediately looked beneath Emma and checked the blood-soaked pad before glancing at the monitor.

"The bleeding is increasing."

"Start another IV," the chief healer ordered. "Get the hemorrhage medication ready and prepare blood."

The healers moved around the bed, their hands quick and practiced. One pressed firmly against Emma’s abdomen while another checked her blood pressure.

She felt another warm rush beneath her.

Her smile disappeared.

She looked down, then back at the chief healer.

""How heavy is the bleeding?"

The chief healer met her eyes.

"Not too heavy, Queen Luna. We’re treating it. Just stay with us."

Emma’s fingers tightened around Emily’s hand.

Her eyes immediately moved toward the newborn in the healer’s arms.

"Is my pup okay?"

"She’s safe," the healer assured her. "We’re taking care of her."

She let out a shaky breath and closed her eyes for a moment.

"Okay..."

Emily leaned closer and squeezed her hand.

"Stay with me, sweetheart."

She opened her eyes again, but the chamber was already beginning to blur around her.

A tray of supplies was brought to the bedside. One healer adjusted the IV while another prepared medication. The monitor beside her began beeping faster.

"Her pressure is dropping."

"Get blood ready."

Ken stepped forward, his face draining of color.

"Do whatever you have to do. Save her."

"We are," the chief healer said sharply. "Give us room."

Emily and Luna Alexandra stood frozen beside the bed, tears running down their cheeks as they watched the healers work.

"Soft fang..."

The newborn’s cry came from across the chamber. A healer had already taken Charlotte Nadia and wrapped her securely in another warm blanket while an assistant monitored her.

She turned her head weakly toward the sound.

"My princess..."

"She’s safe," the healer assured her. "We’re taking care of her."

She tried to lift her arm, but it fell back against the bed.

"Let me see her."

"You will," Luna Alexandra whispered, taking her hand. "Just stay with us."

Emma’s eyelids fluttered.

The chamber began to blur around her. Voices seemed farther away as another healer placed an oxygen mask over her face.

"Her pressure is still falling."

"Keep the fluids running."

"We need more blood."

The healers checked Emma’s pulse again, then looked at the monitor.

"She’s not responding quickly enough."

Emily’s face went pale.

"What does that mean?"

The chief healer didn’t answer immediately. She turned toward the other healers.

"Keep the fluids running. We need more blood now."

Emily looked down at Emma’s face.

"Soft fang?"

Her eyes fluttered, but she didn’t respond.

Luna Alexandra leaned closer, her voice trembling.

"Emma, open your eyes."

The chief healer checked her pulse again before looking at the monitor. Her expression grew more serious as the seconds passed.

She turned toward Luna Alexandra, Emily, and Ken.

"We’re doing everything we can."

Her voice was quiet.

She hesitated, then looked back at Emma.

"But if we can’t stop the bleeding soon..."

Her jaw tightened.

"...Queen Luna may not survive the moonfall."

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