Alpha's Secret Bride

Mrs. Thompson exchanged a brief look with one of the maids before turning back to the pups. She had expected this. They had never been very good at being separated from their parents for long, and twenty-four hours was a much bigger challenge.

"All right," Mrs. Thompson said calmly. "If you don’t want to eat, that’s your choice."

The three pups looked at her.

"But you won’t be seeing your parents yet either."

Elyon’s face fell. "Why?"

"Because your mother and father asked for a private day together. When you finish your meals, I’ll tell them you’re ready to see them."

Bryan looked down at his untouched plate, then back at Mrs. Thompson. "Really?"

She nodded. "Really."

"But if you refuse to eat, you’ll have to wait."

The pups looked at one another, and Charlotte was the first to give in. She slowly picked up her spoon, took a bite, and nodded to herself. "I’ll eat." Bryan sighed and reached for his fork, while Elyon stared at his plate for several seconds before finally picking up a piece of food.

Mrs. Thompson smiled. "That’s better."

Afterward, the maids kept the pups occupied by taking them outside, playing games with them, reading stories, and making sure they had enough snacks and time to rest. Still, every so often, one of the pups would look up from whatever they were doing and ask, "Can we see Mother now?" Mrs. Thompson would smile and give them the same answer each time. "Soon."

By the highmoon, the questions had become less frequent. The pups had settled into their games and stories, knowing that if they finished their meals and behaved themselves, they would eventually see their parents. Mrs. Thompson kept her promise.

At nine that moonfall, their original twenty-four hours came to an end. Emma glanced at the clock and turned toward Brandon. "It’s nine."

Brandon followed her gaze to the clock before looking back at her. "It is."

"So our time is over."

He shook his head and reached for her hand. "Not yet."

She frowned, her fingers tightening around his. "What do you mean?"

He gently laced his fingers through hers. "I told you we’d have twenty-four hours."

"You did."

"And we did."

She studied his face, waiting for the rest of his answer. "So?"

A smile slowly spread across his face. "I’ve decided we’re staying for another moonfall."

Emma stared at him.

"What’s the point of going back when the pups are already asleep? Why don’t we wait until moonrise?"

"You didn’t tell me that."

"I wanted it to be a surprise."

She laughed, shaking her head as she looked at him. "Starlit, are you sure about tomorrow?"

"We’ll leave at moonrise."

Her smile slowly returned. She shifted closer and rested her hand against his chest. "So you’re giving us another twelve hours?"

"I’m keeping my promise."

She leaned against him, her cheek settling against his chest. "I think I’m beginning to like your promises."

He wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Good. Because I’m planning to keep making them."

She closed her eyes and relaxed against him, listening to the steady beat of his heart.

Outside the secluded chamber, the pups were already asking when they could see their parents. Mrs. Thompson smiled when she heard them and gently reminded them, "Tomorrow."

Elyon groaned and dropped his head against the back of the sofa. "That’s too long."

She laughed softly. "Then you’d better get some sleep."

Back inside the chamber, Emma and Brandon remained wrapped in each other’s arms as the quiet of the chamber settled around them.

Their first twenty-four hours had ended, but their time alone hadn’t. For one more moonfall, the king and queen could leave the kingdom waiting beyond the walls and simply enjoy being mates.

When moonrise came, they woke to the soft light filtering through the curtains. They took their time getting ready, they bathed together and dressed up.

By the time they finished, breakfast had already been brought in. They ate together, keeping the conversation light as they went over the plans for the day. Emma finished her tea and pushed her plate aside while Brandon checked the time.

"We should go before the pups wake up and start looking for us," Emma said.

Brandon smiled. "Then we’d better hurry."

A short while later, they left the suite and made their way back to the family wing together.

They barely made it through the family wing before the pups spotted them.

"Mother!"

"Father!"

Bryan came running first, with Charlotte Nadia close behind him. Emma barely had time to open her arms before Charlotte rushed into her and wrapped both arms around her waist.

"You’re back," Charlotte said, looking up at her.

"We’re back." Emma bent down and kissed the top of her head, keeping an arm around her.

Bryan stopped in front of Brandon, trying hard to keep his composure as he looked up at him. "Where were you?"

Brandon crouched to his level. "Your mother and I needed some time alone."

Bryan studied his face for a moment before giving a small nod, apparently satisfied with the answer. "Did you have fun?"

Brandon smiled. "We did."

Charlotte tugged at Emma’s hand and looked up at her. "Did you miss us?"

"Very much."

Charlotte’s face immediately lit up with a wide grin as she wrapped her arms tighter around Emma. "We missed you too, Mother."

They had barely stepped into the nursery wing when a small voice came from the nursery chamber.

"Mother?"

Elyon appeared in the doorway.

For a moment, he simply stared at them, as if making sure they were really there. Then his face lit up.

"Mother!"

"Father!"

He ran straight toward Emma.

She dropped to her knees just in time to catch him. Elyon wrapped both arms around her neck and held on tightly, pressing his face into her shoulder.

"I missed you," he mumbled.

She closed her eyes and held him close. "I missed you too, my love."

Elyon pulled back and immediately reached for Brandon. "Father too."

Brandon laughed softly and crouched beside them. Elyon threw his arms around him, then reached for Emma again, keeping both parents close as though he had no intention of letting either one out of his sight.

"You kept asking when we’d be back, didn’t you?" Brandon asked.

Elyon nodded seriously. "I asked many times."

Emma smiled and brushed a hand over his hair. "We heard."

"I thought you were coming before breakfast."

"We were supposed to be away a little longer," Brandon explained, smoothing Elyon’s hair back from his forehead. "But we came back as soon as we could."

The rest of the moonrise quickly settled into the kind of chaos Emma had missed. Although the pups had already eaten, they insisted on having another small meal with their parents. Bryan talked excitedly about the game he had invented with his building blocks, using his hands to demonstrate every part of it, while Charlotte kept pulling at Brandon’s sleeve and insisting that he needed to see the blanket fort she and Bryan had made in the sitting chamber.

By late moonrise, the five of them had moved into the family garden.

Brandon helped Bryan rebuild part of the fort after the wind knocked it over, while Emma sat nearby with Charlotte, helping her arrange a collection of wooden animals into what Charlotte insisted was a royal procession. Elyon was busy chasing butterflies around the garden, stopping whenever one landed close enough for him to reach.

For a while, they stayed there without thinking about anything else. Then a palace aide approached and stopped several feet away, waiting until Brandon noticed him.

Brandon sighed softly.

Emma looked up at him with a small smile. "Go."

"I’ll be back."

"You’d better be."

Brandon leaned down and kissed her forehead before following the aide inside.

The kingdom had not stopped moving simply because its king had taken a day away from it. By midday, documents had begun arriving in the study. Reports from the returning territories needed review, after the coronation party required final approval, and several palace officials were waiting for decisions about security and the visiting pack leaders.

Emma joined Brandon after lunch, leaving the pups with Mrs. Thompson and their attendants for a little while. They worked through the most important matters together, signing what needed their approval and sending back anything that required further clarification.

Every so often, a familiar sound drifted in from the family wing. Laughter spilled into the corridor, followed by the quick patter of running feet and Bryan’s voice calling for his father. Brandon would pause with the document still in his hand, glance toward the door, and smile before returning to the page.

The kingdom still needed its king and queen, but so did their family. This time, Emma and Brandon didn’t have to choose between the two. They could handle the matters waiting for them and still return to their pups when the work was done.

They were still sorting through the documents when Luna Alexandra appeared at the door.

Emma looked up immediately.

Alexandra was dressed for travel, a coat folded over one arm and a small bag hanging from her shoulder. There was something unusually serious about her expression.

Brandon set down the document in his hand.

"Mother?" he asked. "Where are you going?"

Alexandra hesitated for a moment before looking at both of them.

"I’m leaving the palace for a while."

Emma exchanged a glance with Brandon.

"Why?" she asked.

Alexandra tightened her grip on the strap of her bag.

"Because there’s something I need to take care of before I can come back."