Alpha's Secret Bride

A few girls nearby burst into laughter.

The young man’s smile disappeared. He looked around, cleared his throat, and gave an awkward nod before turning toward the exit a few steps away. Without saying another word, he walked out of the theater.

Scarlet watched him leave. Then she picked up a cup of juice and held it out to Gregory.

"Here."

Gregory took it from her.

"Thanks."

She looked at him for a few seconds. He smiled, but it was different this time. The smile faded almost as quickly as it came.

She quietly took the seat beside him.

The lights dimmed again, and the performers returned to the stage. Music filled the theater as the audience watched in silence.

Scarlet kept her eyes on the performance, but every now and then she glanced at Gregory.

He never looked her way.

By the time the final curtain fell and the audience rose to applaud, neither of them had said another word.

The ride home passed in silence.

Scarlet looked out the window for a while before turning to him.

"I enjoyed the show, what about you?" she asked.

Gregory kept his eyes on the road.

"It was good."

His voice was calm, almost too calm.

She gave a small nod.

"I didn’t expect to enjoy the opera this much," she said with a faint smile. "The dancers were amazing."

"They were."

His answer was just as brief.

She looked at him, waiting to see if he would say anything else.

He didn’t.

His hands stayed on the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

His answer lingered in the air.

She turned her face toward the window and watched the city lights slide past. She replayed everything that happened there in her mind, picking through every conversation, every glance, every moment she could remember.

Had she done something wrong?

Was he upset because she had called her sibling once since coming to Ireland?

Or was it because she had talked to Pat?

She frowned and looked out the window. After a moment, she pulled out her device and opened the list of house rules Gregory had given her.

Her eyes moved from one line to the next.

No visitors.

No sharing information about the house.

Respect everyone’s privacy.

She read the list twice, then let out a quiet breath.

There wasn’t a single rule that said she couldn’t speak to a stranger.

She stole another look at Gregory.

His eyes stayed on the road. His hands rested steadily on the steering wheel. He gave nothing away.

A few minutes later, Gregory turned into the parking lot of a large restaurant.

They went inside, found a table, and ordered dinner.

"This place is nice," Scarlet said as she looked around.

Gregory nodded. "The food’s good."

He wasn’t wrong.

When the meals arrived, they ate quietly. Every now and then, Scarlet glanced at him, hoping he would start a conversation, but he stayed focused on his food. The meal was delicious, and for a little while, it pushed the questions in her mind to the background.

After dinner, they walked out together.

Gregory stopped beside the car and looked at Joe.

"You can head home. I’ll take her."

Joe nodded.

"Sure, sir."

He unlocked his car, climbed in, and drove away.

A few minutes later, Gregory pulled up in front of Scarlet’s house.

She rested her hand on the door handle, then turned to him with a small smile.

"Have a peaceful moonfall."

Gregory met her eyes and nodded.

"You too."

She stepped out and gently closed the door behind her. Gregory lifted a hand in a small wave before driving off.

Scarlet watched the taillights disappear down the street before heading inside.

Once she was in her chamber, she kicked off her shoes, lay back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling.

Her thoughts drifted back to Gregory.

He laughed with the male staff. He talked to them without a second thought. Eira did the same, and he had never seemed to mind.

She rolled onto her side and reached for her device.

Maybe it had nothing to do with Pat.

Maybe Gregory had been waiting to hear that she had called Emma.

Since coming to Ireland, she had only called her once.

Scarlet found Emma’s number and pressed the call button.

The call barely rang before Emma answered.

"Hello?"

Scarlet closed her eyes.

"It’s me."

A sharp breath came from the other end.

"Lunara?"

Hearing Emma’s voice wrapped around her like a warm blanket. A knot tightened in her throat.

I still have a family.

"It’s me," she whispered, her voice trembling.

"Oh, my Moon Goddess! Lunara!" Emma exclaimed. "How are you?"

"I’m... I’m fine."

Emma let out a shaky breath.

"I’ve been so worried about you. I kept blaming myself for stopping you from selling the house." Her voice softened. "I’m sorry, Lunara. I really am."

"No." Scarlet shook her head, even though Emma couldn’t see her. "I’m glad you stopped me from selling the house."

Emma let out a quiet sigh on the other end of the line.

"I’m relieved to hear you say that."

Scarlet smiled faintly.

"How’s Brandon?" she asked.

"He’s doing well. He was worried about you too." Emma paused before asking, "How’s the café? Have you finally gotten used to the job?"

"I did," Scarlet said. "But I’m not there anymore."

"You quit?"

"I found a better job."

"That’s wonderful, Lunara." Emma’s voice warmed with relief. "I’m so happy for you."

"Thank you."

For a few seconds, neither of them spoke. The silence wasn’t awkward. It felt familiar, the kind only siblings could share.

Then Emma broke it.

"I’m going to my grandmother’s place on Friday."

She sat up a little straighter.

"Is everything okay?"

"It is." Emma rested a hand over her stomach. "My due date is next week. Before Brandon and I leave for Finland, I want to scatter Theresa’s ashes."

She closed her eyes.

Images of Theresa flashed through her mind, followed by the ache she had been trying so hard to bury.

"You can come with me. I’ve already talked to Grandma, and she’s fine with it."

"Oh... my Moon Goddess." Her voice trembled. "I’ll come home on Thursday. We’ll scatter her ashes together."

Emma’s breathing caught.

"Really?"

"Of course." Scarlet nodded to herself. "After that, I’ll go to Finland with you. I’m not missing the birth of your first pup."

A soft laugh escaped Emma, followed by a sniffle.

"I can’t wait to see you, Lunara."

A smile slowly spread across her face.

"Me too."

Emma laughed again, this time a little brighter.

"Will your boss let you take a day off?"

Scarlet thought of Gregory.

"He will." Her answer came without hesitation. "He’s a kind man. I’m sure he’ll let me go."

"I’m really looking forward to seeing you," Emma said quietly. "I’ve missed you so much."

She lowered her head and swallowed the lump in her throat before answering.

"I’ve missed you too."

The words barely scratched the surface.

She wanted to tell Emma how much she missed her... how much she missed Brandon, Grandmother, the palace, and the life she had left behind.

Instead, she held the device a little tighter and listened to the quiet sound of Emma’s breathing, letting the silence say everything she couldn’t.

"I miss all of you," She said, her voice soft with emotion. "I miss our house. I even miss our crazy neighbors."

Emma laughed.

"I can’t believe you actually miss them."

Scarlet laughed too, wiping at the corner of her eye.

"Neither can I. I used to complain about them all the time."

The two siblings laughed together until the sound faded into a comfortable silence.

Emma was the first to speak again.

"I sent in a request to visit Daniel, and it was approved." She hesitated for a moment. "Will you come with me?"

Scarlet pressed her lips together.

"Oh, Emma..."

"Please," Emma said gently. "I don’t want to go alone."

Scarlet closed her eyes for a second.

"Let’s talk about it when I get there on Thursday."

Emma let out a quiet sigh.

"Okay. I’ll wait until then."

Another brief silence settled between them, but this time it felt peaceful instead of heavy.

"I can’t wait to see you," Emma said with a smile in her voice.

"Me neither."

"Travel safely."

"I will."

"Goodbye, Lunara."

"Goodbye, Emma."

The call ended.

She lowered the device and held it against her chest for a long moment. A smile slowly spread across her face.

She hadn’t realized how much she needed to hear Emma’s voice until now.

The emptiness that had followed her since she arrived in Ireland no longer felt as heavy. For the first time in months, she felt like she could breathe again.

She still had a family.

She still had a place to return to.

She sat up, picked up her device again, and tapped Gregory’s name.

The call rang.

No answer.

She looked at the screen for a moment before setting the device beside her.

About ten minutes later, it lit up and vibrated across the bed.

Gregory.

She answered almost immediately.

"I stopped by the coffee shop when you called," Gregory said. "I left my device in the car." After a brief pause, he added, "Is everything okay?"

Scarlet couldn’t stop smiling.

"I finally called my sibling."

Her excitement spilled into every word.

"We talked for a long time."

Gregory didn’t interrupt.

"Her due date is next week," she said to him. "I’m going home on Thursday. I’ll be there when she scatters my mother’s ashes, and then I’ll travel with her to Finland."

She laughed softly.

"I can’t remember the last time I felt this happy."

"How is she?" he asked.

His voice still carried the same coldness.

Scarlet lowered her eyes. At that moment, everything became clear. It hadn’t been Emma. Pat had been the problem all along.

"She’s fine," she replied.

"Alright." He paused briefly. "Have a peaceful moonfall."

She knew he was about to hang up. Before he could, she gathered her courage.

"Are you mad at me?"

There was a short silence before he answered.

"No, I’m not mad at you. I never have been." His voice remained calm. "I’m just unhappy."

She sat up on the bed, her fingers tightening around her device.

"Why?" she asked softly.

Another quiet pause followed.

"Because every day, I keep liking a girl who doesn’t care about me."

Her brows drew together.

"Who?"

"You."

The word hit her harder than she expected. Guilt crept into her chest.

"You know that’s not true, right?"

"Scarlet," Gregory said, "you don’t care about me. I see the way you talk to Joe so freely."

She didn’t answer right away. Instead, she listened as the faint sound of footsteps came through the device.

"Are you still at the coffee shop?" she asked.

"No." He kept walking. "I’m on my way to my car."

She looked toward the door of her chamber, then back at the device in her hand. After a moment’s hesitation, she made up her mind.

"Can you come back to my place?"

Gregory didn’t answer immediately.

Then she heard the smile in his voice.

"Alright. Anything for me?"

She couldn’t help smiling too.

"You’ll find out when you get here."

Little did Gregory know, she was planning to tell him she would be leaving