Alpha's Secret Bride

Emma lightly nudged his arm. "You’re right , after the coronation comes another celebration."

Everyone around them laughed.

Naomi looked back at Emma, her smile softening. "We wouldn’t be standing here like this if you hadn’t sent us back to school."

She squeezed her hand. "You both deserved the chance to build something for yourselves."

Naomi and Paige laughed again as Emma pulled them into another hug. They were no longer the two young maids who had once hurried through the estate carrying trays and cleaning supplies. They had finished university, built confidence in themselves, and were now preparing to begin new lives with their mates.

She released them and smiled as they turned to greet the other returning moonallies. For a moment, she simply watched them, her hand still resting in Brandon’s. The decision she and Brandon had made winters ago had given Naomi and Paige a chance to choose their own futures, and seeing them standing there now made Emma’s smile deepen.

She looked at them for another moment before pulling them into another hug.

"I’m proud of both of you."

Later that afternoon, Mr. Richard arrived with his daughter. He stepped out of the vehicle a little more slowly than he once had, and when his daughter reached for the small bag in his hand, he pulled it back against his side.

"I can carry my own things."

She rolled her eyes. "You’ve been retired for winters, Father. You don’t have to prove anything."

"I know."

Brandon walked down the steps when he saw them and held out his hand toward Richard. "You should have let her help you."

Richard looked at him and gave a dry smile. "And since when do you two gang up on me?"

Emma laughed as she wrapped her arms around him. "Since you started pretending you don’t need anyone."

Richard shook his head, but the smile that appeared on his face made it difficult for him to keep pretending to be annoyed. His daughter looked at Brandon and Emma with an amused expression.

"He talks about you both all the time."

Richard turned toward her. "I do not."

Brandon laughed. "You don’t have to deny it."

Richard muttered something under his breath as Emma slipped her arm through his. "Come inside. You have a chamber waiting for you."

"I retired. I didn’t become a royal guest."

"You’re both," she said.

Richard looked at her for a moment before a small smile crossed his face. "I suppose I am."

The estate remained busy for days. Meetings filled the moonrises, fittings took up the highmoon, and preparations continued well into the moonfall. At the palace, workers checked the decorations, royal guards rehearsed their positions, and the council continued reviewing the final arrangements for the coronation while the returning families settled into their homes.

Emma soon found herself surrounded by Elara and Brooklyn as they went through designs for her ceremonial gown. Several sketches were spread across the table, and Brooklyn picked one up and held it out for Emma to see.

"This one."

Emma leaned closer and studied the design before nodding. "I like it."

Elara picked up another sketch and placed it beside the first. "This one looks more like a queen."

Emma looked between the two designs. "I don’t know if that’s a compliment."

"It is," Elara said.

Brooklyn laughed as she gathered the other sketches from the table. "You’re about to officially become Queen Luna. You need something worthy of the title."

Emma looked down at the designs again, then glanced at both women. "Then I guess we’re going to Milan."

A few days later, Emma, Elara, and Brooklyn traveled to Milan aboard the royal aircraft for the final fitting. They spent the day with the designers, making small adjustments to the gown until everything sat exactly as Emma wanted. By the time they returned to Santorini, her ceremonial gown had been carefully packed and delivered to the palace.

The coronation preparations continued.

Emma, Elara, and Brooklyn were still sitting together in the living chamber long after dinner, with the catalogues for the coronation gown spread across the coffee table. What had started as a discussion about Emma’s dress had turned into stories from their younger days, laughter over old memories, and a great deal of teasing that none of them seemed ready to end. The catalogue had been pushed aside several times as they got carried away with one story after another, and none of them seemed to notice how late it had become.

When the clock neared eleven, Emma leaned back against the sofa and rubbed her tired eyes.

"I think we should go to bed."

Brooklyn looked at the clock and laughed. "You said that an hour ago."

"I know."

Elara gathered the catalogues into a neat pile and tapped the edges against the table to straighten them. "And somehow, we are still talking."

Emma opened her mouth to answer, but the living chamber door opened, and Brandon stood in the doorway with his arms folded across his chest.

"Are you three planning to stay awake tonight?"

Emma looked at the clock and then back at him. "It’s not that late."

Brandon raised an eyebrow. "It’s almost eleven."

Brooklyn covered her smile with her hand while Elara stood and picked up her bag.

"We’ll take that as our cue."

Emma gave her a look. "Traitor."

"You’re the one who mated him."

"And I’m very grateful she did," Brandon said with a grin.

Brooklyn laughed as she followed Elara toward the door. "See? He’s not even denying it."

"Why would I?" Brandon asked, stepping aside to let them pass. "She’s my queen."

"Good luck getting her to bed," Elara called as she walked away.

Brandon laughed. "I’m your sibling. You should be helping me, not defending her."

Elara laughed as she disappeared through the door.

Emma shook her head, trying to hide her smile. "You two are impossible."

The door closed behind them, and when she turned back, Brandon was still wearing an amused smile.

"You’re enjoying this."

"Very much."

He walked over and held out his hand. "Come on. You need sleep."

She placed her hand in his and let him pull her to her feet. "You sound like my mother."

"I’ll take that as a compliment."

They started toward their chamber, but Brandon noticed the small packet Emma had left on the side table. He stopped, picked it up, and glanced at it before looking at her.

"You’re still taking these?"

She stopped and looked at the packet in his hand.

"Yes."

He turned it over once before setting it back on the table. "I thought we talked about having more pups."

"We did."

"And I thought we agreed on three."

She stared at him for a second before a laugh escaped her.

"No, we didn’t."

He looked genuinely confused. "We did."

"When?"

He frowned as he tried to remember. "We’ve talked about having three pups more than once."

"Talking about something isn’t the same as agreeing to it."

He glanced at the packet again before looking back at her.

"You’ve been taking birth control this whole time?"

She crossed her arms, trying not to smile. "Yes."

"And you didn’t tell me?"

Emma shrugged. "You’re finding out now."

He gave her a look. "Moonheart."

She laughed. "What?"

"I thought we were working toward having more pups."

"We are working toward nothing until we both agree."

He stepped closer, his expression turning playful. "So I don’t get a say?"

"You absolutely get a say. You just don’t get to make the decision for both of us."

He nodded slowly. "Fair."

She picked up the packet and slipped it into her hand.

"And before you ask, no, I don’t need your permission to protect myself from a pregnancy I’m not ready for."

His eyebrows lifted. "I wasn’t going to say that."

"You were thinking about it."

"I was thinking that my mate is very stubborn."

"And your mate is thinking that her Alpha is very demanding."

He laughed and reached for her hand. "I only asked for a princess."

She gave him a pointed look. "And you got one."

"Exactly. So we’re halfway there."

"Halfway to what?"

"My three."

She stared at him for a moment before bursting out laughing.

"You don’t get to order three pups like you’re ordering dinner."

He laughed too. "I didn’t say the order."

"You’ve been acting like you did."

He slipped an arm around her waist and looked down at her with a grin. "All right. Then tell me what you want."

Emma’s smile slowly faded as she considered the question. She looked down at their joined hands before meeting his eyes again.

"We can have another pup if that’s what you want."

Brandon’s expression softened as he pulled her closer. "Thank you, my Queen."

"But I’m not ready yet."

He nodded without arguing. "How much time do you need?"

"I don’t know."

"That’s okay."

She looked up at him, almost surprised by how easily he accepted her answer. "So you’re not going to keep trying to convince me?"

Brandon shook his head. "No. When you’re ready, we’ll talk about it."

She smiled before adding, "And if I decide I only want two?"

He let out a dramatic sigh, making her laugh.

"No problem. But I still desire three."

She wrapped her arms around him and looked up at him. "So you’re serious about three?"

He kissed her forehead. "One more, when you’re ready. No pressure."

She rested her cheek against his chest and smiled. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

He held her closer for a moment before his mouth curved into a mischievous smile.

"But I’m still hoping for twins."

She lifted her head and narrowed her eyes at him. "Starlite."

He grinned. "I’m joking."

"You’d better be."

He laughed as he guided her toward the bed. "Come on, Moonheart. Get some sleep."

She followed him, shaking her head with a smile. "One more pup," she reminded him.

"When you’re ready," he replied.

"And you don’t get to change the agreement."

"I wouldn’t dare."

They lay together, holding each other close as Brandon pulled the duvet up to their necks. They continued their playful banter for a while, teasing each other until their laughter gradually faded and they drifted off to sleep in each other’s arms.

They woke late the following moonrise to the sound of familiar voices coming from the courtyard. By the time they made their way outside, everyone was already gathered around the long breakfast table, talking and laughing as food was passed from one person to another. After breakfast, they returned to the coronation preparations while the pups ran off into the garden to play.

Zoey chased Bryan, Karl, and Kelsey through the garden, their laughter carrying across the courtyard. Charlotte followed behind them, laughing as she tried to keep up. Evan and Nina sat nearby talking with Ken and Brooklyn while Elara watched the pups from the steps, occasionally calling after them when they ran too close to the flower beds.

Naomi and Paige helped the staff arrange some of the decorations for the coronation, stopping every few minutes to laugh about something one of them had said. Mr. Richard sat nearby with his daughter, watching the pups race across the garden while she occasionally leaned over to say something to him.

Brandon stood at the edge of the courtyard with Emma beside him. He rested one hand against the stone railing as he watched the pups running between the trees and the adults gathered around them. For winters, he had imagined what a peaceful kingdom might look like. He had expected war, resistance, and a broken home. Instead, he saw his pups running through the gardens with their laughter filling the air, his queen standing beside him, families returning through the gates, and old moonallies sitting together again. He saw people who had once been forced away carrying their belongings back into homes they had never stopped missing.

Emma slipped her hand into his. Brandon looked down at their joined hands before turning his eyes back toward the courtyard.

"Look at them," she whispered.

Brandon watched Evan laugh as Nina caught up with him. What had started as a joke had now turned into a lasting relationship.

"They’re happy," Brandon said.

Emma rested her head against his shoulder. "I’m happy for them. At least he won’t have any reason to give up on life again."

Brandon was quiet for a moment before shaking his head.

"He won’t. He’s happy with Nina."

Emma smiled and leaned a little closer against him.

Beyond the estate, more lights were beginning to appear across Santorini kingdom as families settled into homes they had once feared they would never see again. The roads were still busy with returning families, and the occasional vehicle passed through the estate gates as more familiar faces arrived.

The kingdom was no longer waiting for a King to save it. It was coming back to life.

And in just a few days, the people of Santorini would gather together to witness the man who had helped bring them home finally take his place on the throne.

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