Alpha's Secret Bride

His fingers slipped through her hair as he continued. "I love the way you laugh when you’re trying not to. I love the way you pretend you’re not worried when you’re clearly worried. I love the way you look at our pups when you think nobody is watching."

Emma’s eyes grew moist.

"Starlit..."

"I love the woman who stood beside me when things were easy, and I love the woman who stayed when things weren’t."

He lifted his hand and wiped the tear from her cheek before it could fall. "I love you, Emma."

She rested her forehead against his. "I love you too Brandon Oliver."

He smiled. "Good."

"Good?"

"Yes. Because I’m going to say it again."

She laughed through her tears. "You’re impossible."

"I love you."

She leaned in and kissed his cheek. "I love you too."

They stayed together until the song ended, neither of them rushing to choose another one. When the music faded, she remained in Brandon’s arms, and the quiet that followed felt just as comfortable.

Meanwhile, several corridors away, Mrs. Thompson was discovering exactly how difficult a full day of keeping three pups away from their parents could be.

The first question came from Bryan.

"Where are Mother and Father?"

"They’re having some private time," Mrs. Thompson answered.

"How long?"

"Until tomorrow."

Bryan’s forehead creased. "That’s a long time."

"It is."

Charlotte glanced toward the hallway before looking back at Mrs. Thompson. "Can we at least say goodnight?"

"You can say that tomorrow."

Charlotte let out a long sigh and dropped onto the sofa.

Elyon looked up at Mrs. Thompson. "I want Mother and father."

Mrs. Thompson crouched in front of him. "I know."

"I want to see them."

"You’ll see them tomorrow."

Elyon frowned and reached for her hand. "Why?"

"Because your mother and father are having a special day together."

He thought about that for a moment before looking up at Mrs. Thompson.

"Can we have a special day too?"

Mrs. Thompson smiled. "Yes. But ours is going to involve breakfast, games, stories, lunch, and whatever else I can think of before tomorrow."

That was how she managed them. Whenever Bryan asked about his parents, she found something to keep him busy. When Charlotte became curious, Mrs. Thompson handed her a book and asked her to help choose the moonfall story. When Elyon became restless, she gave him a tablet to play with.

The pups still asked several times, but each time, Mrs. Thompson calmly reminded them that their parents had asked for privacy.

A few minutes later, Bryan had stopped trying to find a way into the secluded wing.

Elyon was the last to give up.

As Mrs. Thompson tucked him into bed, he rubbed his sleepy eyes and looked up at her. "Will Mother be here tomorrow?"

"Yes."

"And Father?"

"Yes."

He yawned and pulled the blanket closer to his chin. "Promise?"

Mrs. Thompson pulled the blanket over him and smoothed it across his chest. "I promise."

Elyon closed his eyes. "Okay."

Back in the secluded chamber, Emma and Brandon were sitting together at the small feeding table, sharing dessert and talking about everything and nothing.

No one interrupted them. No one called for them. No one needed them to make a decision.

Emma reached across the table and took Brandon’s hand, her fingers slipping between his. "I can’t remember the last time we had a whole day like this."

Brandon turned her hand over and kissed her palm. "Neither can I."

She smiled, rubbing her thumb over his knuckles. "Then maybe we should do it more often."

"I’m already planning the next one."

Emma laughed. "You are?"

"Of course."

She shook her head, still smiling. "Starlit, you really did miss having me all to yourself."

Brandon pushed his chair back and walked around the table before pulling her into his arms. "I missed everything about you."

Emma rested her cheek against his chest and wrapped her arms around his waist. "I missed you too."

He kissed the top of her head. "I love you."

She smiled against his chest. "You’ve said that at least ten times today."

"And?"

"And I don’t mind."

He held her closer. "Good."

Outside their chamber, the palace continued around them. The kingdom still needed its king and queen. The council would meet again, and the pups would wake in the moonrise and come looking for their parents.

But for those twenty-four hours, none of it could reach them.

The chamber remained quiet behind its sealed doors, with only the soft sounds of their voices filling the chamber. Emma rested in Brandon’s arms, listening to the steady beat of his heart. For once, they didn’t have to share each other with the throne, the council, or the kingdom. They simply had each other, and neither of them wanted the day to end.

Their twenty-four hours began at nine that moonfall.

For the first few hours, Emma and Brandon simply enjoyed being together without anyone calling for them. They finished their dessert, talked about things that had nothing to do with the kingdom, and watched another movie after Emma insisted that Brandon let her choose the next one.

They argued playfully over which character was the best.

"You only like him because he looks like you," Emma teased.

Brandon raised an eyebrow. "That’s not why."

"Then why?"

"Because he’s loyal."

Emma laughed. "So you admit you like him because he’s like you."

"I didn’t say that."

"You didn’t have to."

Brandon pulled her closer, shaking his head as her laughter filled the chamber.

They talked about their favorite scenes long after the movie ended, each defending the character they liked most. Emma insisted that her favorite character had the best personality, while Brandon argued that his character had made the smartest decisions.

Eventually, their conversation grew quieter as they talked about the winters they had survived together, the time Brandon had disappeared, and the misunderstandings that had nearly torn them apart when he finally returned.

She listened with her head resting against Brandon’s chest as his fingers moved slowly through her hair.

"We’ve really changed," she whispered.

Brandon looked down at her. "We had to."

She lifted her head and studied his face. "Do you ever think about where we started?"

"All the time."

"And where are we right now?"

He smiled. "Wer’e here."

Emma rested her chin against his chest. "We went through so much just to get here."

Brandon kissed her forehead. "And I’d still choose you."

She smiled. "Even after everything?"

"Especially after everything."

She was quiet for a moment, her fingers tracing a small line across his shirt before she looked up at him again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Anything."

She hesitated, then gave him a curious look. "What would you have done if, while you were away, I had somehow gotten mated to another man?"

Brandon’s fingers slowed in her hair before stopping completely.

"You already know the answer."

Emma raised an eyebrow. "I do?"

"You do."

"I don’t think I do."

A slow smile tugged at his lips. "You wouldn’t dare."

Emma stared at him, then let out a short laugh. "Excuse me?"

"You’re mine alone."

She shook her head, trying not to smile. "And if I did?"

Brandon leaned back against the pillows, his expression calm. "Then you’d have no option but to sever the fake bond."

Emma blinked and stared at him. "The fake bond?"

"Yes."

"And what if I refused?"

Brandon held her gaze for a moment before answering.

"Then the unlucky man will have no choice but to call off the engagement or sever the bond as usual, because I’m not stopping until my mate is back in my arms."

Emma stared at him for a few seconds, then burst out laughing. She lightly smacked his arm. "You’re impossible."

Brandon laughed and caught her hand before she could hit him again. "You asked."

"I didn’t expect that answer."

"You should have."

She shook her head, still laughing, before settling back against his chest. "You’re unbelievable."

"And you’re still mine."

She nudged his arm again, and they both dissolved into laughter.

Brandon was truly impossible. He had even pushed Evan to call off his engagement to Emma back then, and when it came to Emma, there was no length he wouldn’t go to just to have her by his side. He was completely, hopelessly, and undeniably in love with her.

They stayed awake for a while longer, talking until Emma’s eyes grew too heavy to keep open. When they finally went to bed, Brandon pulled her close, and she settled against his chest. Before long, her breathing softened, and she drifted into a deep sleep with her head resting against him.

By the time moonrise arrived, the chamber was still quiet. Brandon had been awake for a while, but Emma remained curled beneath the blankets, still fast asleep. He gently brushed a few strands of hair away from her face before speaking softly.

"Moonheart, I know you’re tired, but I need you to wake up and eat. Then you can get as much sleep as you want."

She barely opened her eyes and pulled the blanket closer around herself. "Hmm, I don’t want to wake up now."

He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Just eat something first, then you can go right back to sleep."

After a few minutes, he slipped out of the chamber and left her to sleep a little longer.

Around ten in the moonrise, she slowly opened her eyes. For a moment, she didn’t recognize the chamber. Then she remembered where she was, and a small smile crossed her face as she stretched beneath the blankets.

The chamber was quiet, and Brandon wasn’t beside her.

She pushed herself upright and glanced around. "Your Majesty?"