Alpha's Secret Bride

A moment later, Elyon appeared, slightly out of breath, with one hand held behind his back. Brandon straightened from the railing as he hurried toward them.

"What did you do?"

"Nothing."

Emma laughed softly. "That’s never a good answer."

Elyon grinned as he came to a stop in front of them. "I didn’t break anything."

Mrs. Thompson folded her arms and raised an eyebrow. "Yet."

Elyon glanced at her before pulling the object from behind his back.

"I made this for you."

Brandon looked down at the small wooden carving in his son’s hands. His fingers curled around the railing as he stared at it, and for a moment, he said nothing. The palace woodcarver had helped Elyon make it, carefully shaping the little figures at his request.

Emma glanced at him. "What is it?"

Elyon held the carving up proudly. "It’s the palace."

Brandon took the little carving carefully and turned it in his hands, studying the tiny figures around it. "And who’s this?" he asked, pointing to them.

"That’s Mother. That’s you. That’s Bryan. That’s Lottie. And that’s me."

Emma smiled as she looked at the carving. "You forgot someone."

Elyon lowered it and looked over the figures again. "Who?"

Emma pointed toward Luna Alexandra’s wing, her face lighting up. "Grandma!"

Elyon’s eyes widened. "I forgot Grandma!"

Mrs. Thompson laughed. "You’d better fix that before Queen Alexandra sees it."

Elyon quickly grabbed the carving from Brandon. "I’ll do it now!" He turned and ran back inside, his footsteps quickly echoing down the corridor.

"Slow down!" Brandon called after him, but he was already out of sight.

The footsteps gradually faded, leaving the balcony quiet again. Emma looked at Brandon and noticed that he was still holding his cup, his eyes fixed on the doorway where their pup had disappeared.

"What?" she asked.

Brandon smiled and took another sip. "Nothing."

Emma slipped her hand into his and leaned closer. "You were thinking again."

"I was."

She looked up at him. "About what?"

Brandon turned his attention back to the capital below, watching the lights stretching along the streets and the movement still going on in the distance. "How loud this palace has become."

Emma rested her head against his shoulder. "You used to hate that."

"I know."

A small smile appeared on her face. "Not anymore?"

He turned toward her and kissed her temple, his hand closing gently around hers. "Not anymore."

She turned toward him and rested her arms against the balcony railing. The lights of the capital stretched beneath them, but her attention soon shifted toward the palace grounds below.

"Do you realize how quiet the palace feels now that the children are asleep?" she asked.

Brandon glanced at her. "Give it a few hours. Elyon will probably wake up and remind us how loud three pups can be."

She smiled. "You say that like you don’t enjoy it."

"I do."

"You especially enjoy it when they come looking for you."

Brandon’s mouth curved into a smile. "That’s because they usually want something."

"Bryan wants help with everything he builds. Charlotte wants me to listen to every story she comes up with, and Elyon just wants to be carried."

"And you give in to all three."

"So do you."

"I never said I didn’t."

Emma laughed softly and looked toward the palace windows. "Sometimes I still can’t believe we have three growing pups."

Brandon followed her gaze. "Neither can I."

"We used to talk about having a family like this."

"I remember."

"And now they’re actually here." Emma shook her head with a small smile. "Bryan is growing so fast. Charlotte thinks she can do everything herself, and Elyon already knows exactly how to get what he wants from you."

Brandon chuckled. "He learned that from his mother."

Emma turned toward him. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."

She gave him a playful shove with her shoulder. "Don’t blame me for that one."

Brandon laughed and reached for her hand.

After a moment, Emma’s smile softened. "Do you ever worry about them?"

"All the time."

"Even when everything is going well?"

"Especially then." He looked down at their joined hands. "I know what it feels like to lose people. I don’t want our pups growing up knowing that kind of fear."

Emma’s fingers tightened around his.

"They won’t," she said quietly.

Brandon looked at her. "We’ll make sure of it."

She leaned lightly against his shoulder. "I don’t want them to grow up thinking they have to be perfect because they’re royal."

"They won’t."

"I want Bryan to know he can make mistakes. I want Charlotte to know she doesn’t have to prove anything to anyone. And I want Elyon to grow up knowing that being the youngest doesn’t mean everyone gets to decide everything for him."

Brandon smiled. "You’ve thought about this a lot."

"They’re our pups. Of course I have."

He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.

"I just want them to be happy."

Emma looked at him. "And what about us?"

Brandon raised an eyebrow. "What about us?"

"We’ve spent so much time worrying about the kingdom, the palace, everyone else." She smiled softly. "I think we should remember to enjoy this part too."

He looked at her for a moment before pulling her closer.

"I think we’re doing a pretty good job."

Emma rested her head against his shoulder. "Even with three pups?"

"Especially with three pups."

She laughed quietly.

From somewhere inside the palace came the faint sound of a door opening, followed by small footsteps moving across the floor.

Emma lifted her head.

"Don’t tell me that’s Elyon already."

Brandon listened for a moment.

"I think it is."

Emma sighed, but she was smiling. "We just talked about enjoying the quiet."

Brandon squeezed her hand.

"It was nice while it lasted."

They both laughed as the footsteps grew louder, and neither of them made any attempt to move away from the balcony.

For a moment, it was just the two of them, enjoying the quiet together.

Then, before they could turn around, a sudden burst of arguing came from behind them, followed by the hurried sound of approaching footsteps.

She turned just as Bryan came running through the balcony doors with Charlotte close behind him.

"Slow down!" Bryan called after her.

Charlotte ignored him and ran straight toward Emma. "Mother!"

Emma barely had time to turn before Charlotte wrapped both arms around her waist. Emma laughed and placed a hand on her daughter’s back.

"Weren’t you two supposed to be asleep by now?" Brandon asked, looking from Bryan to Charlotte.

"We were," Bryan said, then glanced at his sister.

"What happened?"

"Bryan won’t let me win."

Bryan stopped a few steps away, still catching his breath. "Because you keep changing the rules."

"I don’t!"

"You just did."

Emma looked from one pup to the other, trying not to laugh. "What are you two playing?"

"A card," Bryan said.

Charlotte immediately pointed at him. "He cheated."

"I didn’t cheat."

Brandon folded his arms and looked between them. "And how exactly did you both end up on the balcony?"

Bryan’s confidence faded as he glanced toward the palace doors. "Elyon took the cards and ran away."

Brandon raised his eyebrows. "Where is he?"

A small voice came from behind the open door.

"Here!"

Elyon appeared a moment later, holding a wooden toy in one hand. Mrs. Thompson followed close behind him, shaking her head as she stepped onto the balcony.

"I found all three of them running through the west corridor."

Brandon looked at his pups, one after another. "Is that so?"

The three pups suddenly found the floor very interesting.

Emma covered her smile with one hand while Mrs. Thompson let out a long sigh.

"They were supposed to be sleeping by now."

"But we don’t feel like sleeping," Charlotte said, looking up at her

Mrs. Thompson gave her a knowing look. "You told me that ten minutes ago, and you’ve yawned twice since then."

Charlotte quickly covered her mouth, while Bryan laughed beside her.

Brandon pointed toward the doorway. "All right. You heard her. Time for bed."

"But Father..."

"No arguing."

Bryan let out a small sigh and lowered his head. "Yes, Father."

The three pups started toward the doors, with Mrs. Thompson waiting for them on the other side. After a few steps, Charlotte stopped and turned back toward her parents.

"Sleep well, Mother."

Emma smiled at her. "Sleep well, sweetheart."

Charlotte looked at Brandon next. "Sleep well, Father."

"Sleep well, Your Highness," Brandon replied with a teasing smile.

Elyon lifted his wooden toy as he turned toward the door. "I’ll show you tomorrow!"

Brandon nodded. "I’ll be waiting."

The pups disappeared inside, with Mrs. Thompson following behind them.

The balcony grew quiet again.

Emma watched them go for a moment before turning back to Brandon. "They’re growing too fast."

Brandon smiled as he slipped an arm around her. "They’re supposed to."

She leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder. "I still remember when Bryan was small enough to fall asleep in my arms."

"And now he thinks he can outrun the palace guards."

Emma laughed softly. "He gets that from you."

"I never ran from the palace guards."

"You didn’t have to. You have a secret passage."

Brandon laughed, and Emma slipped her hand into his again as they turned their attention back to the quiet capital below.

For a while, they stood together, listening to the faint sounds of their pups inside the palace nursery and the distant music drifting up from the capital. Emma rested against Brandon while their joined hands rested between them, and neither of them seemed in a hurry to leave the balcony.

The kingdom below no longer felt like the place they had once fought so hard to protect. With the lights glowing along the streets and families still moving through the capital, it felt like home.

Brandon looked toward the memorial gardens in the distance. "Eldric would have liked tonight."

Emma followed his gaze and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. "Yes. And so would everyone whose names were carved beside his."

Brandon nodded, his eyes remaining on the memorial for another moment. "We’ll keep remembering them."

She rested her head against his shoulder again.

Above them, the Silver Moon shone over Santorini, its gentle light falling across the palace, the city, and the peaceful kingdom beyond.

Inside the palace, Elyon suddenly shouted, "Bryan, that’s mine!"

Mrs. Thompson’s voice followed almost immediately.

"Bed. Now!"

Emma burst out laughing, and Brandon shook his head as he listened to the footsteps rushing across the floor above them.

"So much for a quiet moonfall."

She looked up at him with a smile. "I wouldn’t have it any other way. Though, I suppose I should have stuck to my original plan and stopped at two pups," Emma said, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"So you’re saying Elyon wasn’t worth all that arguing after all?"

"You’re impossible."

"Am I?"

She nudged his arm lightly, and they both laughed.

Brandon slipped an arm around her and drew her closer. "It’s bedtime, my Queen."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "Hope you’re not planning anything mischievous this moonfall, Brandon Oliver."

"You already know the answer."

Before Emma could respond, Brandon scooped her into his arms. She let out a surprised laugh and wrapped her arms around his neck as he carried her toward the doors, her laughter echoing through the hallway.

Their family had grown, and their kingdom had changed. The winters had carried them far beyond the lives they had once known.

Yet as the laughter of their pups echoed through the palace beneath the Silver Moon, the Frostbane legacy was no longer something they had to imagine.

It was already living around them.

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