Alpha's Secret Bride

Several months had passed since King Eldric’s funeral, and Samuel had settled into the throne. The Royal Council had already reviewed his proposal to recognize bond severance and approved the measure, but the amendment had not yet become law. Emma had waited long enough for Samuel to fulfill the promise he had made to her, and that moonrise, she finally went to the palace to demand an answer.

Samuel’s private study was quiet when she entered. Two palace guards remained outside the doors while she stepped inside and closed them behind her. Samuel was standing beside his desk with several documents spread across the polished surface. He looked up when he heard the door close and set the document in his hand aside.

"You told me you would move forward with the bond severance law," Emma said as she approached the desk.

"I have," Samuel replied.

She stopped in front of him. "Then why hasn’t anything happened? It’s been months."

Samuel rested one hand against the edge of the desk before answering. "Because your father refused to sign the decree."

Emma’s expression changed. "My father?"

He nodded. "The council approved the proposal, and the legal office prepared the amendment. But under the royal charter, any change to the Moon Bond requires the High Fang Regent’s approval before it can be entered into the royal code. Your father’s signature is the final requirement."

Emma stared at him for several seconds. "He refused?"

"I asked him personally."

"And what did he say?"

"That he would never approve a law allowing the Moon Bond to be severed."

She looked away and slowly folded her arms. "Ashley never supported the idea of severing my bond. He always encouraged me to be patient and wait for my mate to return, so his refusal didn’t surprise me. What frustrated me was that his decision was now standing between me and the legal freedom I had spent so long waiting for."

Samuel nodded slowly, watching her for a moment. "I understand. You weren’t angry because Ashley disagreed with you. You were angry because his decision kept you tied to a life you’d already decided to leave behind."

He paused, then leaned back slightly.

"And after waiting that long, I can understand why you were tired of waiting for someone else to decide what happens to your life."

She fell silent for a moment, thinking over his words. That was exactly what Samuel had wanted all along: for Emma to sever her bond with Brandon so that, after carrying out his plan to kill Alexandra, he could take the throne for himself.

"I hope my father doesn’t know about our meeting," she said.

"He doesn’t."

"Are you sure?"

He walked around the desk and stopped beside the window. "I made sure he didn’t."

She followed him with her eyes. "So what are you going to do now?"

He turned toward her. "I’ll get his signature."

A faint, humorless laugh escaped her. "You know my father. Once he makes up his mind, he doesn’t change it easily."

"Then I’ll have to give him a reason to reconsider."

Her arms tightened across her chest. "What kind of reason?"

He returned to the desk and picked up the unsigned decree. He looked down at it for a moment before placing it back among the other documents.

"I haven’t decided yet."

"Samuel."

He looked at her.

"I don’t want you threatening him."

Samuel held her gaze. "I don’t need to threaten him."

"Then what are you planning?"

He leaned against the desk, his fingers resting beside the decree. "You came to me because you wanted this law changed. I’ve taken the proposal through the council and had the amendment prepared. Your father is the only person who can prevent it from becoming part of the royal code."

She glanced at the decree before looking back at him. "And if he still refuses?"

Samuel’s eyes remained on hers. "Then I’ll find another way."

She studied his face for a moment, then picked up her handbag and turned toward the door. "Whatever you decide to do, use wisdom. You know my father. Pressing him too hard won’t make him change his mind."

Samuel’s faint smile faded. "I know."

She opened the door and stepped into the corridor, where the guards immediately straightened. Behind her, Samuel remained beside his desk, his eyes resting on the unsigned decree. He knew better than anyone that Ashley was not the type of man he could intimidate or force into submission. If he wanted that signature, he would have to find another way.

He waited until her footsteps faded down the hallway before turning back to the desk. His gaze settled on the unsigned decree, and his fingers slowly tightened around the edge of the parchment.

Ashley had refused to give him what he wanted, and Samuel knew better than to challenge him directly. He would have to find a way to change Ashley’s mind without forcing his hand.

The cracks in Samuel’s rule were beginning to show.

Although he controlled the throne, reports of resistance reached the palace almost every day. Secret meetings had been uncovered in several provinces, while anonymous pamphlets calling for justice appeared in towns, packs, and villages before disappearing again by dawn.

Samuel dropped the latest report onto the conference table.

"How are ordinary citizens organizing right under your noses?"

No one answered.

The ministers kept their eyes on the documents in front of them. One shifted in his chair, then quickly lowered his gaze when Samuel looked in his direction.

At the far end of the table, Nelson remained still.

"The people are grieving," he said. "Fear can silence them for a while, but it can’t erase what they remember."

Samuel’s eyes narrowed. "And what exactly do they remember?"

Nelson held his gaze. "King Eldric."

The chamber went quiet.

Samuel slowly pushed his chair back and stood. "Be careful, Nelson."

"I am."

"The former king is dead. The kingdom has moved on."

Nelson didn’t look away. "The throne may have moved on. The people haven’t."

Samuel walked around the table. His footsteps echoed across the chamber until he stopped directly in front of Nelson.

"I didn’t ask for your opinion."

Nelson remained seated, his hands resting loosely at his sides. "No. You asked for the truth."

For several seconds, Samuel said nothing.

Then he straightened and turned away. "I need commanders I can trust."

"You have many."

"I need you."

Nelson slowly rose from his chair. "What do you want from me?"

Samuel turned back toward him. "I want you to lead the Royal Security Command."

Several ministers exchanged glances. The position carried considerable authority, placing its commander in charge of the forces responsible for protecting the palace, the royal family, and maintaining security throughout the capital.

Samuel stepped closer.

"Accept the position, and you’ll have wealth, authority, and my complete confidence."

Nelson studied him for a moment. "And if I refuse?"

The smile disappeared from Samuel’s face.

"You won’t."

"I’d consider that a disappointment."

Nelson folded his hands behind his back and held Samuel’s gaze.

"My loyalty has always been to the kingdom."

"So has mine."

Nelson’s eyes remained on him. "No. Your loyalty is to your throne."

The words settled over the chamber.

Samuel’s jaw tightened. "You should think very carefully before rejecting me."

"I already have."

Nelson reached up, unclasped the royal insignia from his uniform, and placed it on the table between them.

"I resign."

A murmur moved through the chamber. One minister froze with a stack of papers in his hands, while another slowly looked from Nelson to Samuel.

Samuel stared at the insignia.

"You would throw away everything I’ve offered you?"

Nelson lowered his hands to his sides. "I won’t help you oppress innocent people."

"You’re making a mistake."

Nelson shook his head. "No, Alpha Samuel."

He let the title hang between them for a moment.

"You are."

Samuel’s expression hardened, but Nelson had already turned away. He walked toward the doors without waiting for permission, leaving the insignia on the table behind him.

The doors closed after him.

No one in the chamber moved.

Samuel’s eyes remained fixed on the royal insignia.

No soldier moved to stop him.

Samuel hadn’t given the order, and no one in the chamber was willing to act on his own.

The heavy doors closed behind Nelson.

Samuel’s fist came down on the conference table, sending the papers spread across it sliding to the floor.

"Go after him," he said.

One of the ministers immediately reached for his communication device.

"If he joins the resistance, I want to know before moonfall."

Outside the palace, Nelson climbed into his vehicle and pulled away from the capital. He kept his eyes on the road as the palace disappeared behind him.

He knew Samuel would have someone watching him.

So he gave them exactly what they expected.

He headed north.

For the next few hours, Nelson followed the same route he had used many times before, stopping at places where surveillance agents would have an easy time tracking him. He bought fuel, stopped at a roadside market, and changed directions twice before turning onto a quieter road.

At a small village, he left his vehicle behind.

A trusted contact was waiting with another car.

Nelson climbed into the passenger seat and handed over his coat. The other man drove south while Nelson kept his head down in the back seat. They changed vehicles again before reaching the outskirts of the city, then continued along a service road that rarely saw traffic.

By the time Samuel’s agents realized Nelson had stopped following the route they were tracking, they were already several miles behind him.

Near midnight, Nelson stepped out of the second vehicle beside an abandoned steel warehouse. He checked the dark road behind him before approaching the main entrance.

The massive doors opened only after he gave the agreed signal.

Inside, a few dim lights hung above the empty warehouse floor. Nelson walked several steps before stopping.

A figure stepped out from behind one of the concrete pillars.

Brandon Oliver Frostbane.

Nelson stared at him for a moment.

Neither man spoke.

Then he walked forward and extended his hand.

Brandon looked at it briefly before taking it.

Nelson’s grip tightened around him.

"I resigned," he said.

Brandon gave a slow nod. "I heard."

Nelson glanced toward the closed doors behind him.

"Then you know why I’m here."

"I wasn’t sure you’d agree to meet me," Brandon said.

"I wasn’t sure you were still alive," Nelson replied with a faint smile.

Brandon gave his hand another firm squeeze before letting go. "You took a great risk coming here."

"I didn’t come here for safety."

Nelson pulled out a chair and sat across from him. He held Brandon’s gaze as he spoke.

"I came because this kingdom deserves better than a murderer wearing a crown."

Brandon’s expression tightened, and he gave a slow nod. "Then we have the same enemy."

Nelson reached inside his jacket and pulled out a sealed folder. He placed it on the table and slid it across to Brandon.

"I didn’t leave the palace empty-handed."

Brandon broke the seal and opened the folder.

The first pages contained copies of government directives. Beneath them were military deployment schedules, names of commanders, and confidential orders bearing Samuel’s personal seal.

Brandon turned several pages, his eyes moving quickly over the documents.

"This is only the beginning," Nelson said. "I spent winters inside that palace. I know how Samuel operates, who answers to him, and where he keeps his information."

Brandon closed the folder and rested one hand on top of it.

"Then stand with me."

Nelson didn’t hesitate. "I already have."

A low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky outside.

Far away in the Royal Palace, Samuel stood beside his desk as a message appeared on his intelligence chief’s device.

Target lost. Nelson’s whereabouts are unknown.

Samuel read it twice.

His fingers tightened around the edge of the device before he crushed the paper copy of the report in his fist and dropped it onto the desk.

For the first time since taking the throne, he had lost more than a former commander.

Nelson had disappeared with knowledge of the palace, and somewhere beyond Samuel’s reach, that knowledge had found its way into the hands of his enemies.