Alpha's Secret Bride

The sound of several engines carried across Moon Estate during the highmoon, drawing the guards away from their usual posts as a convoy of black SUVs passed through the gates. The lead vehicle slowed near the main villa, followed by the others in an orderly line before they came to a stop along the driveway.

The estate guards exchanged quick looks. They had received word from the palace that Alpha Brandon was returning, but seeing the convoy arrive made the news feel real.

The doors of the first SUV opened, and royal guards stepped out. Two moved toward the villa while the others spread around the vehicles, keeping the driveway clear.

Then Alpha Brandon stepped out.

For a moment, he stood beside the vehicle without moving.

His eyes traveled across the courtyard, taking in the stone fountain, the old trees along the drive, and the familiar windows of the villa. He had built the estate for Emma, never imagining she would one day live there with their pups without him. Now that he was standing there again, his gaze lingered on the details he had almost forgotten—the tree where he had once pictured their pups playing, the bench near the entrance, and even the worn marks on the stone steps.

One of the estate guards hurried forward and bowed.

"Your Majesty."

The other guards followed, lowering their heads.

Brandon gave them a brief nod. "At ease."

He turned toward the villa, but before he could take another step, the front doors swung open.

Seven-winter-old Bryan came running out.

A servant hurried after him, calling his name, but Bryan had already reached the top of the steps. He slowed when he saw the man standing in the courtyard.

His feet stopped moving.

For several seconds, he stared at Brandon without saying a word.

Brandon’s chest tightened.

Bryan had changed since the last time he had held him. He was taller now, his face slimmer, but those rare golden eyes were unmistakable.

"Father?"

The word came out so softly that Brandon almost wondered if he had heard it.

He lowered himself to one knee and opened his arms.

"Come here, your highness."

Bryan’s face crumpled with emotion.

"Father!"

He ran down the steps and across the courtyard. Brandon caught him before he could stumble, pulling him against his chest as Bryan wrapped both arms around his neck.

He closed his eyes and held him tightly.

Bryan buried his face against his shoulder.

"You’re really here."

Brandon’s hand moved slowly over his pup’s hair.

"I’m here."

Bryan pulled back just enough to look at him. His small hands went to Brandon’s face, touching his cheek and then the faint scar along his jaw.

"You came back."

Brandon swallowed and nodded.

"I promised I would."

Bryan threw his arms around him again, and Brandon held him close as the guards and servants stood quietly nearby.

Brandon turned his attention back to Bryan, who was still standing in front of him, staring up at his father as though he was afraid to look away.

His arms tightened around his Prince as his eyes fixed on the doorway.

"I’ve missed you so much," Brandon whispered, his voice rough.

Bryan stayed against him for a long moment before finally lifting his head. His cheeks were wet, and he quickly wiped them with his sleeve.

"I thought you left because you didn’t love us anymore."

Brandon’s expression tightened. He gently held Bryan’s face between his hands and looked into his golden eyes.

"Never," he said. "I could never stop loving you, no matter how far away I was."

Bryan’s lower lip trembled.

"I waited for you every moonfall."

Brandon brushed the hair away from his forehead and pulled him close again.

"I know, Your Highness. I’m sorry you had to wait so long."

A small laugh came from the direction of the villa, drawing both their attention toward the doorway.

Two-winter-old Charlotte stood in the doorway with a servant just behind her, one hand gripping the doorframe as she stared at Brandon. She had never met him, but she had seen his pictures and heard Emma and Bryan talk about her father enough times for his face to be familiar to her. She watched him closely, comparing the man in front of her with the face she knew from the pictures, until her little mouth opened in recognition.

"Fafa!"

Brandon’s eyes immediately filled. He shifted Bryan against one side of his body and lowered himself slightly as Charlotte stood watching him from the doorway.

"Charlotte," he said softly.

The little girl smiled.

"Fafa!"

She released the doorframe and hurried toward him, her small steps uneven as she tried to move faster than her legs allowed. The servant followed closely, but Brandon was already reaching for her.

He bent down and lifted her into his free arm.

Charlotte stared at him, her tiny fingers immediately finding his face. She touched his cheek, then his nose, as though checking every part of him before resting both hands against his jaw.

"Fafa home."

Brandon let out a quiet laugh that caught in his throat.

"Yes, sweetheart. Father’s home."

Charlotte leaned forward and pressed a small kiss against his cheek.

"Miss Fafa."

Brandon closed his eyes briefly and held her closer.

"I missed you too Angel."

She wrapped her arms around his neck and settled against him, while Bryan remained pressed against his other side.

Brandon looked down at both pups and pulled them closer. Charlotte rested her head against his shoulder while Bryan stood pressed against his side, Brandon’s arm wrapped securely around Bryan’s shoulders. He leaned into him, keeping one hand fisted in his father’s shirt as though he still wasn’t ready to let go.

The guards and servants kept their distance, quietly watching the reunion. One of the older guards turned his face toward the driveway and rubbed beneath one eye before clearing his throat.

Brandon barely noticed.

For winters, he had carried the weight of missing these moments with him. Now Bryan was holding onto his shirt, Charlotte was resting against his shoulder, and the warmth of both pups pressed against him.

He lowered his head and kissed Charlotte’s curls before resting his hand against Bryan’s hair.

He was finally home.

Inside the villa, Emma stood frozen near the entrance when Bryan’s excited shout carried across the courtyard.

"Father!"

She stopped breathing for a moment. Then Charlotte’s little voice followed, calling for her father, and Emma’s fingers tightened around the edge of the doorway. Emma had spent the past few hours trying to process everything she had been told, but hearing the pups calling for Brandon made the truth feel real. Even then, she was afraid to believe that he had truly returned.

She slowly looked toward the courtyard, and there he was. Brandon was alive. He stood with Bryan wrapped around one side of him and Charlotte resting in his other arm, looking down at them as though he had never been gone. She remained where she was, her hand still gripping the doorway as winters of memories came rushing back: the moonfalls she had waited for news, the moonrises she had woken up hoping someone would tell her he had been found, and the grief she had carried while raising their pups without him. She had spent so long convincing herself that she hated him because admitting she still loved him had been too painful.

Brandon slowly lifted his eyes, and their gazes met across the courtyard. Neither of them moved. Neither spoke. Bryan noticed Emma standing in the doorway and immediately turned toward her with a wide grin.

"Mother!" He waved enthusiastically. "Father came home!"

Emma swallowed hard before finally forcing her feet to move. She stepped out of the villa and crossed the courtyard slowly, her eyes never leaving Brandon. As she came closer, Brandon carefully lowered Charlotte to the ground beside Bryan. A maid hurried over and took both pups’ hands, gently guiding them a short distance away while another servant remained close by.

Brandon stayed where he was as Emma continued toward him. She stopped only inches away, close enough to see the faint scar along his jaw and the exhaustion beneath his eyes. Her gaze moved slowly over his face, taking in every familiar feature she had spent so many winters trying to forget. Her lips parted, but no words came.

Brandon looked at her for a long moment before a faint, uncertain smile touched his face.

"Moonheart..."

The sharp crack of Emma’s palm against his cheek echoed across the courtyard. Brandon’s head turned with the force of the slap, and everyone nearby went still. He slowly faced her again without raising a hand to his cheek or taking a step back.

Emma’s chest rose and fell rapidly as tears blurred her vision. "You don’t get to do that." Her voice shook as she stared at him. "You don’t disappear without a word, leave me believing you were dead, and then walk back into our lives as though nothing happened."

She struck his chest with both fists, and Brandon let her. "I searched for you," she said, hitting him again. "I cried for you." Another blow landed against his chest. "I hated you." Her voice broke as she looked at him through her tears. "And I still loved you."

The confession left her trembling. He stayed still for a moment, then gently pulled her into his arms. She resisted at first, but after a few seconds, she let herself lean against him, her tears soaking into his shirt.

Then she suddenly pulled away and wiped at her cheeks, turning her face aside as she tried to steady herself.

He waited until she looked at him again before speaking.

"I never expected you to welcome me."

She gave a bitter laugh through her tears and stepped back. "Good."

She swallowed hard and held his gaze. "Because I won’t."

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