Alpha's Secret Bride

It showed several senior palace officials gathered at a royal banquet. King Eldric Frostbane stood among them, younger than Nelson remembered, with Alpha Samuel and High Fang Regent nearby.

But Nelson’s eyes had fixed on someone else.

Damon’s father stood beside Eldric.

Nelson looked at the date printed on the back of the photograph.

"This was taken in winters before Damon’s father joined the royal administration."

Brielle Frostbane was King Eldric’s younger brother. The two had once fought over the throne, but Brielle eventually stepped aside after the elders settled the dispute. Later, a powerful Alpha from another pack manipulated Brielle, making him believe he was supporting his claim for the throne while secretly pursuing his own selfish interests. When Brielle finally discovered the truth, he regretted his actions and sought Eldric’s forgiveness. The brothers reconciled before Brielle’s death.

The Boss studied the photograph again, then turned it over and read the date for himself.

His expression hardened.

"They knew each other long before anyone knew Brielle Frostbane was connected to the throne."

Nelson nodded slowly.

The Boss looked back at the photograph.

"So Damon’s rise wasn’t accidental."

He placed the photograph on the table and stared at Samuel and Brielle Frostbane standing side by side.

"He’s been part of this for far longer than we realized."

Alpha Samuel had been the mastermind behind the dispute between the late brothers, King Eldric and Brielle Frostbane.

To everyone else, Samuel was a saint—the kindest and most loyal man in the kingdom. He appeared to be an alpha who genuinely cared about the kingdom’s future and wanted nothing more than to help it prosper.

But behind that carefully crafted image was a traitor who had been manipulating events from the shadows for winters.

Nelson stared at the information on the screen, still struggling to believe what they had uncovered.

"Could you have believed he was this dangerous?" he asked.

The mysterious man shook his head slowly. "I knew he was bad, but I never realized just how far he was willing to go."

"He’s been extremely careful. All the evidence points to him, and I know he isn’t working alone."

"His network has been exposed. With all this evidence against him, his entire operation will crumble."

Timo’s voice broke through the silence from the other side of the table.

"I found something."

The Boss looked over. "What is it?"

"Encrypted files. They’re buried inside one of the hard drives."

The Boss moved closer. "Can you open them?"

"I’m working on it. Give me a minute."

Timo connected the drive to a separate computer and began working through the encryption. The others waited while lines of code moved across the screen. When the progress bar finally reached one hundred percent, Timo leaned forward.

The screen refreshed.

Dozens of files appeared.

Nelson read the first few titles aloud. "Operation Eclipse. Operation Harvest. Operation Shadow."

"The same operation Tom hacked was traced back to him."

"I wasn’t surprised when he disappeared after that incident."

Timo opened the first file.

The chamber fell quiet as the records began to fill the screen. Each operation contained dates, locations, names, payment records, and approval signatures. The files described political assassinations, evidence tampering, witnesses who had disappeared after agreeing to testify, money diverted from the royal treasury, and land seized through forged legal orders.

Timo scrolled through another document, then another. His hand slowly fell away from the mouse.

"All these operations were approved."

The Boss looked at the signatures. "By people inside the kingdom."

Nelson swallowed and stared at the screen.

"This kingdom..."

He shook his head, unable to finish the thought at first.

"...has been bleeding from the inside."

No one answered.

A few minutes later, Nelson returned to one of the shelves and pulled out another box. Something about the weight caught his attention. He opened it and found a sealed envelope underneath several old documents.

His eyes stopped on the handwriting across the front.

If you’re reading this... I’m already dead.

Nelson didn’t move.

He knew that handwriting.

He turned the envelope over in his hands, then carefully broke the seal.

Inside was a single folded letter.

His fingers trembled as he unfolded it.

My dear Nelson,

If you’ve found this chamber, then my hope has become reality.

Never believe those who claim justice live inside the palace. I trusted the wrong people, and they smiled at me while they drove the knife into my back.

Everything I discovered is inside this chamber. Protect the truth, but do not seek revenge. Revenge will only make you another weapon in their hands.

Seek justice.

And remember this above everything else...

The man everyone fears is not the true enemy.

The true enemy is the one everyone trusts.

Nelson read the final sentence twice.

Then he slowly lowered the letter.

The Boss watched him. "What does it say?"

Nelson looked up, his face pale.

"You need to read this."

Tears continued to roll down Nelson’s face as he stared at his father’s letter. He wiped them away with the back of his hand, but another tear slipped down before he could stop it.

The Boss stepped beside him and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Your father died protecting this kingdom."

Nelson folded the letter carefully and held it against his chest for a moment before placing it back on the table.

"Then it’s my turn."

Before the Boss could answer, Timo’s voice came from the other side of the chamber.

"Boss."

The change in his voice made everyone look over.

"What is it?" the Boss asked.

"I’ve reached the highest-security folder. It’s protected by biometric encryption."

The Boss looked toward Nelson. "Can your father’s fingerprint still open it?"

Nelson stared at the locked case for a moment. "No. Not anymore."

He stepped closer and ran his fingers along the metal casing. "But my father never relied on one way in."

"What do you mean?"

Nelson turned the case slightly and examined the side. A few tiny scratches were almost hidden beneath the dust.

He wiped the surface with his thumb, clearing away the thin layer of dust until six numbers became visible.

"197214."

Timo looked at him. "That’s the backup code?"

"It should be."

He entered the numbers into the keypad and waited. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then a soft click sounded from inside the lock.

Timo moved closer as Nelson slowly lifted the lid. Inside was a single black folder. There was no label, no date, and no name on the cover.

He carefully picked it up and opened it. Inside, there was only one document, one photograph, and a small audio recorder.

Timo picked up the recorder and turned it over in his hand, checking the device before looking at Nelson. "It still has power."

The Boss gave a slow nod. "Play it."

He pressed the button.

Static crackled through the chamber before a man’s voice came through the speaker.

"I don’t care who has to die. Eliminate all of them. As long as nobody discovers the truth, the throne belongs to us."

Nelson’s eyes widened.

Before anyone could speak, another voice came through the recording, sharp with anger.

"You traitor! You killed him... and blamed another!"

The recording ended with a click.

For several seconds, no one moved.

Timo slowly lowered the recorder.

Nelson stared at it, his father’s letter still lying open beside him.

"Who were they?"

"Who’s Edgar?" Timo asked, looking from the photograph to Nelson.

"Nelson’s father," the Boss replied.

Nelson didn’t answer. His eyes remained fixed on the photograph as if he were trying to find something he had missed.

The Boss picked up the document beneath it and turned to the final page. Several signatures were arranged beneath a list of names and positions. He scanned them once, then stopped.

At the bottom of the page, one title stood above the signatures in bold letters.

Supreme Commander of Operation Eclipse

And beneath it was a name.

Alpha Samuel.

Nelson’s face went pale.

"No..."

The Boss slowly lowered the document onto the table.

For winters, they had followed separate trails through assassinations, false accusations, missing witnesses, financial crimes, and attacks that seemed to have no connection to one another. Every time they thought they had found the person responsible, another name appeared, another organization took the blame, and the real hand behind it disappeared.

Now the documents were sitting in front of them.

Nelson looked at the photograph again, then at his father’s letter.

"The man who ordered it..."

His voice faltered.

The Boss’s jaw tightened as he looked at Samuel’s name.

"Was Alpha Samuel."

Timo stared at the document. "All this time?"

The Boss picked up the photograph and turned it over, checking the date once more.

"All this time."

Nelson’s hands curled into fists.

"My father knew."

"And they killed him because he found out."

The chamber fell silent.

The Boss placed the photograph beside the document and looked at the name that had been hidden in plain sight for so long.

"Now we know who we’ve been hunting."