Alpha's Secret Bride

"No, my Moon Princess." Maelis let out a short laugh and waved the idea away. "We’re not even in the same age bracket. Besides, I’m forty-six, and he’s only twenty-four."

She looked even prettier when she smiled.

A teasing grin tugged at Maelis’s lips. "Technically, I was twenty-two when he was born. If Lincoln and I hadn’t waited before having pups, my pup would’ve been older than him." She shook her head with a laugh. "So falling in love with him would be abuse."

Elara burst into giggles.

Maelis chuckled. "Just because my eyes wander doesn’t mean I’m in love with everyone I look at."

"You’re right," Elara said with a nod.

"But..." Maelis’s smile softened. "I do love you guys."

Elara held her gaze. There was no hesitation in her eyes, no strain in her voice. She believed her.

"I want to massage your feet," Maelis said. "Would you mind?"

"Go ahead."

Maelis slipped off her chair and knelt in front of Elara. She gently massaged Elara’s aching feet, her thumbs working over the sore muscles until the tightness slowly melted away. Before long, Elara had sunk deeper into the sofa with a quiet sigh.

Maelis never imagined she would one day be this close to the Moon Princess, let alone have the chance to care for her like this. A small smile tugged at her lips as she continued the massage, savoring every second.

"What happened to your mate?" Elara asked.

Maelis kept moving her hands, her thoughts drifting somewhere far away. She didn’t seem to hear the question.

Elara watched her for a moment before asking again.

"What happened to your mate?"

Maelis’s hands slowed as she looked down at Elara’s feet. "He died in an accident."

Elara’s brows lifted. "When did it happen?"

"Twenty winters ago."

She let out a quiet breath and leaned back slightly before speaking again. "We had a terrible fight that day. He said it would be better if we went our separate ways, but I refused to sign the severance papers because we were still crazy about each other. He drove away angry... and he never came back."

A long silence settled between them.

"His family blamed me for his death. They turned their backs on us. As far as they were concerned, we didn’t exist. They never approved of our mate bond in the first place."

"Why?" Elara asked.

"They’re one of the richest families in the kingdom, and I came from a poor home. They didn’t think I was good enough for Lincoln. We got mated without their blessing."

"What family?" Elara asked.

Maelis met her eyes, then gave a small shake of her head.

"I’d rather not say."

"Alright." Elara rested against the sofa. "What happened after that?"

"Ten winters later, Lincoln’s younger sibling died without leaving a pup." A smile tugged at the corner of Maelis’s mouth, but it never reached her eyes. "That’s when they came looking for us. They apologized and admitted that Lincoln’s late sibling had stirred up the fight that sent Lincoln driving away that day."

She let out a dry laugh.

"Now they want my pup back because he’s the only heir left."

She looked straight at Elara.

"But you know what?"

Elara shook her head.

"They’ll never get near him." Maelis’s jaw tightened. "Not as long as I’m alive. They called me poor. They said I wasn’t worthy of being Lincoln’s mate. They insulted me and my pup every chance they got." She gave a cold smile. "Now they want him back so he can inherit everything his grandfather owns."

"Did they know Joel isn’t in the country?"

Maelis shook her head. "No."

"Then don’t tell them where he is." Elara’s jaw tightened. She folded her arms across her chest. "Not a word."

"I just need enough money to fight whatever lawsuit they throw at me. They have money, power, and people on their side, so I need people of mine too." She let out a bitter laugh. "They can keep their fortune. Better yet, give it to charity. My pup will never be part of that family. They only remembered us because they ran out of options."

"You don’t have to face them alone." Elara reached over and squeezed her hand. "I’m your first connection, and I’m all the connection you need. If they come after you, they’ll answer me."

A smile slowly spread across Maelis’s face. "Thank you for the massage." Elara slipped her feet off Maelis’s lap.

"You’re welcome, honey." Maelis rose to her feet. "Tell me something. Would you like to work here as a live-in housekeeper?"

"Yes!" Maelis blurted out, her eyes lighting up.

"I’ll talk to Bernard first, then I’ll let you know."

"You have such a kind heart." Maelis smiled.

"Alpha Brandon and his mate will be back next week. I’ll introduce you to them too." Elara grinned. "Your list of connections is getting longer by the minute."

As if on cue, Emma’s face appeared on Elara’s device. The screen lit up with an incoming video call.

Elara laughed. "We just talked."

She answered anyway.

"Elara, guess what?" Emma squealed.

"Lyn is pregnant!"

Emma’s eyes flew open. "What?" She sat up straight. "And she didn’t tell me?"

Bernard walked over and dropped onto the sofa beside her. Elara glanced at Maelis, who quietly slipped out of the living chamber.

"I’m calling Brooklyn right now." Emma reached for her device and started to end the video call.

"It was just my guess!" Elara laughed. "You told me to guess, so I guessed."

She groaned and pointed a finger at the screen. "Fine, you got me. But you’re wrong. We’re flying home tomorrow. We’ve already told the pilot and the rest of the crew."

Elara’s smile widened. "Why are you so excited? Already tired of the honeymoon?"

She shook her head. "Not at all. We just miss everyone. We miss our Moonallies, our families, the estate, and our own chambers. To be honest, I’m tired of seeing new faces everywhere, and I’m even tired of my mate spoiling me. He’s been treating me like I’m made of glass this whole honeymoon."

Elara laughed and shook her head. "Poor Brandon. The Alpha spends his honeymoon worshipping the ground you walk on, and this is the thanks he gets? Should I warn him to stop treating his mate like a queen?"

Emma snorted. "Please do. Tell him his mate would like permission to walk on her own, take her own bath, feed herself, and pour herself a glass of water without him rushing over to help."

Elara grinned. "I knew it. Brandon has gone from Alpha to full-time personal assistant. The poor alpha is still deep in honeymoon mode. Give him another week. He might finally let you carry your own spoon."

They both laughed.

"My Queen Luna," Bernard said, lifting a hand in greeting.

"Bernard! How are you?"

"I’m doing great." He smiled. "I just missed you guys."

"Please, come home. I can’t wait to see you guys. Elara needs your help too," Bernard said.

Emma smiled. "Don’t worry. You’ll have the best royal mating ever. I’m coming home."

Elara leaned closer to the screen. "Oh, Bernard hired a new housekeeper. She’s really sweet, and I’d love for you to meet her."

Bernard shot her a look.

"A woman?" Emma gasped. "Absolutely not, Elara!"

"Why?" She blinked.

Emma rolled her eyes, and Elara caught on at once.

"Emma, she’s forty-six," she said with a laugh. "And I trust Bernard."

Emma folded her arms. "Well, I don’t trust her."

"I’ll let her go immediately," Bernard said.

She nodded once. "Good."

Elara laughed and shook her head. "See you on Tuesday, Emma."

The call ended.

Elara turned to Bernard. "Please don’t fire her."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"She didn’t do anything wrong." Elara rested a hand on his arm. "I read her mind earlier. She’s a genuinely kind woman, and I already like her."

Bernard looked down at the hand resting on his arm. The tension in his face eased, and after a moment, he gave a small nod.

"I trust your judgment, Silverheart." His gaze rested on her before shifting back to the device in his hand. "If you believe she’s a good person, then I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt. But she’s staying because you asked me to, not because I’ve changed my mind. The moment she gives me a reason to question her loyalty, she’s gone. I’m not willing to take chances with your safety." His jaw tightened. "The only reason I hired her in the first place was because she wouldn’t stop pestering me for the job."

A soft smile tugged at Elara’s lips. She slipped her hand into his and gave it a light squeeze.

"Thank you." Her eyes met his. "I know you’re only trying to protect me, and I love that about you." She glanced toward the door before looking back at him. "But not everyone who walks into our lives has bad intentions. Sometimes people are exactly who they seem to be."

She smiled again. "If she ever gives us a reason to doubt her, I’ll be the first to say she has to leave. Until then, let’s give her a chance."

Elara looked at the closed door one last time.

She couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off.

She only hoped she was wrong.