Alpha's Secret Bride

Elara lowered her eyes to the image again.

The glass tower rose into a clear blue sky, its silver exterior gleaming in the moonlight. Even in a photograph, it had a commanding presence.

She looked up at Bernard.

"What is this place?"

Bernard’s smile lingered as he began to explain.

It’s Silver Moon Technologies known for developing AI, satellites, cybersecurity software, and aerospace technology," Bernard said quietly. "Secretly, it funds research into supernatural artifacts... the other ’gift’ I told you about—that’s what it is. A private company Alpha Brandon built just for you."

"I can’t believe the two of you pulled this off without telling me?"

"Actually, Alpha Brandon started the project eight months ago," Bernard said. "He finished it last month. He’s planning to officially launch the company when he gets back."

Elara pressed a hand to her chest. "Oh, my Goddess! You two are impossible." She shook her head, laughing. "Not one word. That’s completely unfair."

He grinned.

"It wouldn’t have been much of a surprise if we’d told you, would it?"

She huffed and stepped away, reaching for her gown. Bernard caught it first and held it out of reach.

"We’re not done yet." He raised a brow. "Are you heading back to the palace now?"

She insisted, and he loosened his grip and let it go.

She slipped her arms into the gown as he helped her straighten it.

"No. I want to look around."

She started to stand, then sank back onto the bed, a slight frown settling on her face.

"This new cook..." She tapped a finger against her temple. "I swear I’ve seen her somewhere before."

"You have," Bernard said.

Elara turned to him. "Where?"

"She was on my soccer team. You saw her last winter when you came to the sports ground with me."

Elara’s eyes widened.

"That’s right!" A laugh escaped her. "She’s the one who fixed my hair disaster after the game."

Bernard chuckled.

She turned to face Bernard.

"Why did you hire her?"

"None of the team knew I worked for Alpha Brandon Oliver," Bernard said. "I still don’t know how she found out, but once she did, she wouldn’t leave me alone."

"Maybe she’s been keeping an eye on you. That’s how people like that are, always watching," she said.

"She’s obsessed with working for the royals," Bernard said with a shrug.

Elara tapped her fingers against her knee. "I’m sure there’s more to it than you think. I need to tell Brandon."

"I think you should let him focus on the investigation into the conspiracy against the kingdom." Bernard gave a small shake of his head. "The last thing he needs right now is something else pulling his attention away."

Elara glanced at him.

"What did she really want?"

"Just a job." He shrugged. "The pay here is good. My alpha pays the staff better than a lot of companies do. She heard about it and thought I could help her get in, but there weren’t any openings."

He slipped his hands into his pockets.

"Tell me, are you two really that close that she’d rely on you to get her a job?"

"We’re a team. We all have each other’s numbers. If a person misses a Saturday game, we call to check on them. Maelis already had my contact, and after that, she’d call every few weeks asking if a position had opened up."

She pressed her lips together.

"Why do I feel like she’s up to something?" She frowned. "Why does it feel like she joined the team for some other reason?"

Bernard let out a slow breath.

"I had the same thought last winter."

She looked up at him.

"You did?"

"I hired private investigators."

Her eyes widened.

"And?"

"They dug into her background." He rubbed the back of his neck. "She’s a widow. Lives with her mother and younger siblings. Money’s tight. One of the investigators even spoke with one of her siblings. Nothing seemed off."

Elara was quiet for a moment.

"But?"

Bernard stared ahead.

"But every time I look at her, I get the feeling she’s hiding something."

"How long have you known her?"

"She joined the team two winters ago."

"Has she said anything else to you besides asking for a job?"

"No. She just wants a job." Bernard shrugged. "She hardly talks to me, but sometimes she gives me these strange looks." A grin tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"Alright. I’ll talk to Brandon when he gets back. He can find a place for her in De Brandon or somewhere else." Elara pushed the blanket aside and swung her legs off the bed. "But until then, she needs to go. Terminate her employment immediately."

"She doesn’t know anything about Alchemist," Bernard said.

"Brandon owns many companies. It includes a real estate empire, a tech company, an automobile company, a winery, and several other businesses. He can place her in one of them."

She walked toward the dresser and picked up her hair pin.

"Call your attorney and have the termination letter prepared."

Bernard leaned back against the headboard. "Do you know why I hired her?"

She paused and turned to him. "No."

"I think she’s hiding something." He folded his arms. "No matter how carefully she masks it, I can still see it in her eyes. I’m curious. I want to know what it is."

"We’ll find out eventually," she said as she slipped the pin into her hair. "Just not here. She has to leave first."

"She’s not a live-in worker. She goes home every day at six."

"You shouldn’t have put her in the cookhouse."

A laugh escaped Bernard. "She isn’t my chef. I cook my own meals."

"You’ll need a proper cook once the company launches." She pinned her hair and headed for the door. "As for her, she’s leaving today. Call your attorney."

Without waiting for a reply, she opened the door and walked out.

Rivena shot Emma twice without even looking back. That wasn’t something planned overnight. It happened little by little, step by step. I can’t let that happen again, Elara thought.

She walked downstairs and made her way toward the cookhouse. The scent of fresh paint, new wood, and unopened furniture lingered in the air.

Since Maelis had said she was the new cook, Elara figured she’d find her there.

She moved from door to door, opening one after another.

The first cookhouse was empty.

She stepped inside anyway. Her gaze drifted across the chamber. Stainless steel appliances lined the counters. An oversized sink gleamed beneath the lights. Custom cabinets stretched along the walls, every shelf neatly arranged. The space was large enough to handle a small army of cooks. Some of the appliances still sat in their boxes, untouched and sealed.

A faint smile tugged at her lips.

It was the kind of cookhouse she would have dreamed about.

She left and checked the next one.

Still no sign of the cook.

A few ingredients and handwritten recipes lay scattered across the worktable. Elara ran her fingers over one of the pages.

Looks like dinner preparations.

But for who?

She glanced toward the window.

Outside, the woman pushed a lawn mower across the wide garden. The machine rolled over the grass in steady lines while a basket of freshly cut flowers rested nearby.

Elara leaned against the window frame and watched.

The woman never slowed down. She wiped her forehead with the back of her hand and kept moving.

She’s not just a cook,a gardener and a florist too?

The corners of Elara’s mouth twitched.

The woman seemed pleasant enough.

Yet something weighed on her.

She studied her from a distance, searching for clues in the set of her shoulders and the way she kept her head lowered.

After a while, she looked away.

All she saw was a tired widow trying to hold her family together and keep a roof over their heads.

She felt Bernard’s hand settle on her waist.

She glanced at him and gave a small gesture. He caught it at once and snapped his mouth shut.

Both of them turned their attention to Maelis.

She pushed the mower across the lawn, guiding it in neat rows as if nothing else existed.

After a while, she looked up and spotted them at the window. A wide grin spread across her face. She lifted a hand and waved.

Elara crooked a finger at her.

Maelis let go of the mower and hurried over.

"We need to talk. Hope you don’t mind?" she asked, her eyes drifting over the garden.

Maelis followed her gaze, then glanced back at the half-mowed lawn.

"Can I just finish this first?" she asked.

"Of course. Meet me in the lounge when you’re done," Elara said.

"Alright, dear." She smiled and headed back to the mower.

"What are you doing?" she asked when Bernard pulled out his device, dialed a number, and lifted it to his ear.

"Calling the attorney," he said.

"Hold on. I want to talk to her first."

"I’ll call you back," Bernard said into the device before ending the call.

They turned to the recipes Maelis had spread across the cooking table.

Bernard slipped his arms around her waist, lifted her into his arms, and carried her back to their chamber.

"When are you moving in here?" Bernard asked, brushing his thumb along her cheek.

"I’ll move in after our royal matebond."

"What date do you have in mind?" Bernard asked.

"March 31."

"Oh, Silverheart." He groaned and let his head fall back. "That’s far."

"Then let’s make it sooner. Pick another date."

Bernard picked up his device, checked something, then looked up.

"Alpha Brandon is coming back next week. Let’s do it in the last week of February. Two weeks from now."

Before Elara could respond, a knock sounded at the door.

She and Bernard looked up.

"My Moon Princess," Maelis called from outside the door. "Would you still like me to wait for you in the lounge?"

Elara rose from the table.

The memory of Rivena’s betrayal burned fresh in her mind.

She reached into her bag and drew her gun.

Bernard froze.

"Elara, what are you doing?"

She checked the chamber with a click.

"Finding out what she’s hiding."