Alpha's Secret Bride

They snuggled up the whole moonfall and still couldn’t get enough of each other.

Before dawn, their intense kissing and love making commenced. They went three rounds and were panting when a soft chime sounded from the door, echoing through the chamber as they both turned toward it. The sound already told them the pups have come to check on them, probably to be sure they both are together.

"Father, Mother, Moonrise," came Bryan’s tiny voice.

Emma smiled and quickly stood to put on her clothes, but Brandon pulled her back against his chest before she could step out. They both laughed.

"Moonrise, Your Highness," they chorused.

The moment Bryan Oliver heard his parents’ voices, he happily ran away, shouting, "Lottie, Mother and Father are still in their chamber!"

Brandon covered his face while Emma covered her mouth, and they both burst into laughter.

They remained on the bed for a little while longer, playing with each other until Brandon’s device suddenly beeped.

Emma’s smile faded as she glanced toward it.

He noticed immediately. He reached for the device, but before checking the message, he looked at her.

"If you don’t want me to go, I’ll stay."

He handed the device to her instead.

She read the message slowly. It was an update from the council about the state of the kingdom. Samuel was already in the dungeon, but removing him from power had not repaired the damage he left behind. Several territories were still without proper leadership, the court was trying to reorganize itself, and people across the kingdom were waiting to see what Brandon would do next.

She lowered the device and looked at him.

"If Samuel took over the throne, destroyed people’s lives, and brought this kingdom to its knees..." Her voice softened as she held his gaze. "Then I have a responsibility too."

He watched her for a moment.

"You want to help."

"I need to help," she replied. "Samuel is no longer in a position to hurt us, but that doesn’t mean everything he damaged will simply return to normal. There are people who lost their positions, families who were affected by his rule, and territories that need to know the crown is still strong. You shouldn’t have to carry all of that alone."

He remained quiet for a moment before taking her hand.

"The kingdom needs more than a new king right now," he said. "It needs stability. We have to rebuild the court, restore the territories Samuel disrupted, reassure the people, and make sure no one else can take advantage of the weakness he created."

Emma nodded.

"Then let me stand beside you while you do it."

His fingers tightened gently around hers. "You’ve already spent enough winters dealing with the consequences of other people’s decisions. I don’t want you putting yourself through more because you feel responsible for fixing everything."

"I don’t see it that way." She moved closer to him. "This isn’t only about what Samuel did to you or what happened to our family. This is our kingdom too. If we want our pups to grow up in peace, then we have to give them a kingdom worth inheriting."

Brandon looked at her for a long moment before a small smile appeared on his face.

"You’ve already made up your mind."

She smiled back. "I have."

He shook his head, amused, and pulled her closer. "Then I suppose the council is about to discover that Queen Luna intends to be involved."

"She can start by making sure the king remembers to eat breakfast," she replied, giving him a small pout.

A laugh escaped Brandon as he wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her unclad body to himself and before they knew it, he was on top of her, moaning, kissing and making endless promises to her. When they finally got enough of each other, they slipped out of bed and took their bath. By the time they walked hand in hand to the feeding chamber, the pups were already seated and having their breakfast, so they simply joined them. Brandon, Emma, and the pups spent the whole day together, playing around, laughing, and chasing butterflies until the moon began to set.

That moonfall, after putting the pups to sleep, Brandon drove Emma beyond the capital. He took several detours along the way, turning onto quieter roads before finally pulling up beside a conference house. The place looked quiet from the outside, with only a few lights glowing through the windows.

Two armed guards emerged from the shadows as Brandon stepped out of the vehicle. They recognized him immediately, and one of them approached before giving the agreed password.

"The moon remembers."

The guards stepped aside, allowing them to pass.

One of them smiled warmly at Emma. "We’ve been expecting you, Your Highnesses."

Brandon turned to Emma and gently squeezed her hand. "Moonheart, I need to attend to something. I’ll be back in an hour so we can go home together."

"Alright."

Emma followed the guards through a hidden entrance beneath the conference hall floor while Brandon left with a few guards of his own.

The underground conference quarters stretched farther than she had imagined. Former soldiers sat around long tables, studying maps and discussing plans in low voices. Others stood along the walls, checking supplies and speaking quietly among themselves. They looked like ordinary people who had come together to protect their home.

Captain Tailor led Emma farther into the underground quarters, and Nelson soon approached with a welcoming smile.

"Your Highness."

She recognized him immediately and returned his smile.

"It’s good to see you again."

"I’m happy it was under better circumstances," he replied.

Captain Victor also stepped forward, offering her a respectful nod.

"Alpha Brandon spoke about you often."

She lowered her eyes, her fingers tightening around each other.

"I should have believed in him."

Victor gently shook his head. "Samuel wanted you to believe Alpha Brandon was gone."

"And for a while..." she smiled sadly. "...he succeeded."

Nelson gestured toward the operations chamber. "Come."

Inside, a large digital map displayed Samuel’s military positions across the kingdom. Brandon’s plans on how to stabilize the kingdom covered every wall, with marked territories, supply routes, and locations of concern.

She walked closer to the maps and studied them in silence, her eyes moving from one marked location to another.

"He really has been preparing all this time."

"He never stopped," Nelson answered. "He always intended to stabilize the kingdom."

Emma took a deep breath and looked around the chamber before turning back to them.

"Then I want to stand with him."

Everyone in the chamber turned toward her.

"I’m not a soldier," she continued, "but I can organize supplies, coordinate safe houses, care for the sick, and help the families Samuel has displaced."

Nelson smiled. "Every pack needs a leader like you."

Captain Victor nodded in agreement. "Welcome to the new beginning."

Emma accepted his hand.

"I’m not here for revenge."

She looked around the chamber, taking in the maps, the supplies, and the people who had gathered there.

"I’m here to help restore the kingdom Eldric died protecting."

Three hours later, far above the underground headquarters, a black SUV rolled quietly through the darkness toward the hidden entrance. The driver switched off the headlights before stopping beneath a line of trees.

The rear door opened, and a tall figure stepped into the moonlight, his face partially hidden beneath a dark hood.

The guards straightened instantly.

Emma froze when she saw him.

Brandon broke the silence first. "Moonheart, I’m sorry I couldn’t..."

She crossed the distance before he could finish and wrapped her arms around him.

Brandon held her tightly, lowering his face into her hair for a moment before kissing her lips. It was their first kiss since they had left home after that moonfall, and neither of them seemed ready to let go when they finally pulled apart.

Only one thought echoed through the headquarters.

Without a word, the guards opened the concealed entrance, and they disappeared into the underground passage together.

The real Alpha King had finally come home.

An hour later, they found themselves at Nightclaw Estate. Emma smiled as the familiar walls came into view, already thinking about checking on the pups before they went to bed.

When they reached the pups’ chambers, however, the nursery was empty.

Emma stopped at the doorway and looked around. The beds were neatly made, but the pups were nowhere in sight.

"They’re not here."

Brandon glanced toward the maids nearby. "Where are the pups?"

The maids exchanged amused looks, and one of them finally smiled.

"They woke up a little while ago, Your Majesty. They said they wanted to sleep in your chamber."

Emma looked at Brandon, and a smile slowly spread across her face.

"I should have known."

Brandon chuckled and took her hand. "Let’s go find them."

As they walked down the corridor, Emma glanced at him. "Does Bryan’s fingerprint work on our chamber door?"

Brandon nodded. "I had it registered a while ago, just in case he ever needed to come to our chamber in an emergency."

Emma smiled. "So he let himself in."

"Looks like it."

They reached their chamber, and stepped toward the door. The biometric panel lit up, and the lock clicked open.

They walked inside, and the moment they stepped through the door, they froze.

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