Alpha's Secret Bride

The underground hideout remained quiet after the Boss and Nelson finished going through the final pages of evidence. Nelson closed the folder, but his hand stayed on the cover. The names inside were enough to make his stomach tighten. Alpha Samuel was there, along with members of the royal council, military commanders, and several Alphas from neighboring packs. Beside each name were payments, meetings, orders, or operations that had helped Samuel expand his influence while pushing his enemies out of the way.

Nelson slowly pushed the folder across the table. "They’re everywhere."

The Boss stood before the large map covering one wall. Red pins marked the packs already under Samuel’s influence. Only a handful remained outside his reach.

"That’s why we can’t move yet."

Nelson leaned back in his chair. "Then what’s the plan?"

"We keep digging."

Nelson frowned. "We already found the people behind the operations."

"We found the people they used." The Boss walked back to the table and pulled another folder from the stack. "That’s not the same as knowing how far the network reaches. Right now, they’re still meeting, still giving orders, and still convinced no one can touch them. We need to find out who they answer to before we make a move."

Nelson watched him open the folder. "How do we do that without them knowing we’re looking?"

The Boss turned several pages, then stopped at a photograph.

"I need to contact Samuel and make him to believe the caller is someone who knew Edgar and was aware of the secrets he uncovered."

Nelson went still, his eyes fixed on the evidence spread across the table.

"My father?"

The Boss lifted his gaze and gave a slow nod.

"They buried Edgar and made sure everyone believed the story they were given. If word gets out that someone connected to him knows what really happened, the people involved will start to panic. They’ll wonder how much this person knows, what Edgar might have left behind, and whether someone has been watching them all these winters without their knowledge."

Nelson’s eyes narrowed as he studied the documents in front of him. "They’ll start turning on each other."

"Exactly."

"And they’ll stop trusting the people closest to them."

The Boss closed the folder and rested his hand on it. "That’s what I want. I don’t need Samuel to know who is behind the voice. I need him to believe that someone from his past has returned with enough information to destroy everything he’s built."

Nelson leaned against the edge of the table and rubbed a hand over his jaw. "You’ve really thought this through."

The Boss gave him a brief look. "I’ve had more than enough time."

He picked up another folder and slid it across the table. "Now we decide how to make him believe it."

Nelson opened it.

Inside were photographs from the scene where Edgar had supposedly died, forged medical records, pieces of burned clothing, and a damaged royal pendant made to resemble the one Edgar had been wearing when he disappeared. Nelson picked up the pendant and turned it between his fingers. Small scratches ran across its surface, along with a deep mark near the clasp.

"He’ll believe this?"

The Boss took the pendant from him and placed it back inside the folder. "He doesn’t have to believe everything. He only needs to start questioning who the caller really is."

Nelson looked down at the photographs again. "Samuel knew what was recovered from the scene."

"Exactly. That’s why we’re giving him something that doesn’t match what he remembers."

Nelson glanced up.

"If he starts wondering whether the body was really Edgar’s, he’ll start questioning everything that happened after the attack. He’ll ask who identified the body, who handled the remains, and what else might have been hidden from him."

"And if he doesn’t believe it?"

The Boss closed the folder and pushed it back toward Nelson. "Then we give him another reason to doubt what he thought he knew. They’ll fight each other."

Two days later, Timothy sat at the communications console, watching the security screens as he worked. After checking the connection twice, he looked over at the Boss.

"The line is secure."

The Boss took the device from the table and switched on the voice modulator. Timothy handed him the number they had prepared, and the Boss entered it before pressing call.

Miles away, Alpha Samuel’s private device vibrated on his desk.

He glanced at the unfamiliar number, let it ring twice, then picked it up.

"Hello?"

A calm, distorted voice came through the speaker. "It’s been a long time, Samuel."

Samuel straightened in his chair. His fingers stopped on the document in front of him as he listened to the voice again.

"Who is this?"

A quiet chuckle came through the speaker. "You really don’t recognize me?"

Samuel’s grip tightened around the device as the unfamiliar voice came through the speaker. He remained seated behind his desk, staring at the locked door of his private chamber while trying to place the voice. There was something familiar about it, but he couldn’t immediately identify where he had heard it before.

"Who is this?"

A quiet laugh came through the line.

"You don’t recognize me?"

Samuel’s expression hardened. "Should I?"

"You should. I know things about you that very few people are still alive to know."

Samuel slowly pushed himself away from the desk. His eyes moved toward the security monitor beside the door before returning to the device in his hand.

"What things?"

The voice remained calm. "Edgar’s death. Your involvement in the attempt on Eldric’s life. The people you used and the orders you gave them. Do you want me to keep going?"

Samuel’s face tightened.

"Who are you?"

"Someone you thought you had dealt with a long time ago."

Samuel stood and walked toward the window, keeping his voice controlled. "If you’re trying to frighten me, you’ll have to do better than that."

"I’m not trying to frighten you. I’m giving you a chance to listen."

Samuel stared through the glass at the darkened grounds below. "Then talk."

"I know you’ve been trying to remove Eldric for winters. I also know there were times when you had the opportunity but chose not to act."

Samuel’s eyes narrowed. "And why does that concern you?"

"Because I know what happens when you leave unfinished business behind."

Samuel was silent for a moment before asking, "What do you want?"

"What you wanted from the beginning."

"And what’s that?"

"The throne without Eldric standing in your way."

Samuel’s expression changed slightly.

"You want Eldric dead?"

"I want him gone."

Samuel stared at the device.

"Why?"

"Because his survival has become inconvenient."

Samuel’s suspicion deepened. "And why would you come to me?"

"Because you and I want the same thing."

A slow smile appeared on Samuel’s face.

"Then perhaps we have something to discuss."

A look of confusion crossed Samuel’s face. Eldric had already been dead for months, so he couldn’t understand why this stranger was bringing him up now. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the device, trying to figure out who was behind the voice and how much they actually knew.

A brief silence followed before Samuel spoke again.

"I’ve wanted Eldric dead for winters. Where were you when I needed support?"

"I wasn’t ready."

"Then why are you bringing him up now?"

The voice remained calm. "Because I know what you did."

Samuel’s expression tightened as he gripped the arm of his chair. He had spent winters making sure his secrets remained buried, and only a handful of people had ever known what had happened behind the scenes. "What exactly do you think you know?"

"Enough to know what happened to Edgar and why you had him killed."

Samuel’s eyes narrowed. "Who are you?"

"Someone who has been watching you for a long time."

A quiet, humorless laugh escaped Samuel. "That’s impossible. If you knew anything about my operation, I would have heard about you by now."

"Would you?"

Samuel’s smile disappeared. He remained silent for a moment, studying the device while the stranger continued.

"I know Edgar discovered something he wasn’t supposed to know. I know you couldn’t risk letting him speak, and I know what you intended to do to Eldric."

Samuel’s expression changed. He had expected threats and accusations before, but not this much detail.

"You’re lying."

"If I were, you wouldn’t be trying so hard to convince yourself."

Samuel looked toward the darkened window. He could feel his patience wearing thin, but he also knew that whoever was calling had enough information to be dangerous.

"Edgar knew too much," he finally admitted. "I couldn’t let him talk."

"So you killed him."

"Yes." Samuel answered without hesitation. "I had no choice."

He didn’t seem to realize how easily the confession had slipped from him. Edgar had been dead for so long that Samuel had stopped thinking of his death as something anyone could use against him.

The voice allowed the silence to linger before returning to the matter of Eldric.

"And you wanted Eldric dead too."

Samuel’s jaw tightened. "I had my reasons."

"You’ve had winters to make your move. Why are you concerned about him now?"

"Because things have changed."

"What changed?"

Samuel leaned back and considered the question before answering. "The High Fang Regent."

"Ashley?"

"Yes. Ashley has become a problem."

"What does he have to do with Eldric?"

"More than you realize. His loyalty is tied to his daughter."

"Emma."

Samuel nodded instinctively before remembering that the stranger couldn’t see him. "As long as Ashley has a reason to protect Emma, he’ll stand in the way of anyone who threatens her family. And now that she’s Brandon’s mate, that protection extends to him as well."

The voice remained quiet for a moment before asking, "And Brandon?"

Samuel gave a bitter laugh. "Brandon is dead."

He seemed almost certain of it.

"If he were still alive, Ashley would have even more reason to interfere. He would never stand by and watch someone come after his daughter or her mate."

"So Ashley is standing between you and what you want."

"He could become a serious obstacle."

"And how would you deal with him?"

Samuel leaned back, thinking carefully about his answer. "I’d get close to him. Approaching him as an enemy would accomplish nothing, but if he believed I was on his side, he’d lower his guard."

The faintest smile appeared on Samuel’s face as he added, "People trust those they believe are working with them. That’s how you get close enough to destroy them."

He stared at the screen for a moment before turning toward the hacker sitting at the other end of the chamber.

"Trace it."

The young man immediately turned back to his computer. His fingers moved across the keyboard as several windows opened on the screen. He pulled up the call data, followed the connection through multiple encrypted servers, and tried to work backward toward the original signal.

Minutes passed.

He stopped typing and leaned closer to the screen. After another attempt, he shook his head.

"Nothing, Alpha."

Samuel walked over. "What do you mean, nothing?"

"The call was routed through several encrypted servers before it reached you." The hacker clicked through the connection history. "Whoever made it also cut the connection before we could trace it back to the source. I can see the route it took, but I can’t identify where the call actually came from."

Samuel’s eyes stayed on the screen. "Try again."

"I already did."

"Then try something else."

The hacker hesitated, his fingers hovering over the keyboard. "I’ve never seen anyone clean up a connection this fast."

Samuel stared at him for another moment before stepping back.

"Go."

The hacker quickly shut down the trace and left the chamber.

He remained at his desk with the dark device still in his hand. His thumb moved slowly across the edge before he set it down.

Edgar.

He had watched Edgar die. More than that, he had made certain no one would ever discover the truth. He had silenced everyone who might have known, leaving no loose ends behind.

Yet someone had just called him claiming to know exactly what he had done to Edgar. The caller also knew about Ashley’s loyalty to his son-in-law and understood why Samuel’s attempts to get close to Ashley had repeatedly failed. That knowledge was far too specific to be a bluff.

He leaned back in his chair and stared at the device.

"Why now?"

He glanced toward the closed door, then looked back at the device.

"Then why did he tell me to kill Eldric when he’s already dead?"

He pushed his chair back and crossed the chamber to the floor-to-ceiling window. Below, servants moved through the courtyard while the patrol guards changed shifts at the eastern gate. Everything followed the same routine it had for winters.

He rested one hand against the glass.

His gaze shifted toward the eastern gate as the last of the guards took their positions.

Unless Eldric wasn’t the real target.

Samuel’s eyes narrowed.

The call had mentioned the High Fang Regent. Then there was Ashley and his daughter. Each piece seemed to lead somewhere else, but he could not see the whole picture yet.

He stepped away from the window.

One name came to mind.

Emma.

He had tried several times to get closer to Ashley through Emma, but every attempt had failed. Emma was rarely alone. Family members, guards, and palace personnel were almost always around her, making it difficult for Samuel to get close enough to learn anything useful about Ashley’s movements.

He returned to his desk and unfolded a large map of Greendor. His finger moved across the royal capital before stopping at Moon Estate.

Emma.

If the caller was right about the High Fang Regent’s loyalty, Emma might be the easiest way to draw Ashley into the open.

Samuel’s mouth curved into a slow smile.

He tapped the map once before looking away.

King Eldric had rarely appeared in public since Brandon’s disappearance. His health had continued to decline and he died, leaving Queen Luna Alexandra, the High Fang Regent, and a small group of senior officials to handle much of the kingdom’s affairs as Santorini struggled to recover from winters of chaos.

He drummed his fingers against the desk.

If the High Fang Regent’s greatest weakness really was his daughter, there was no reason to keep trying to reach him directly.

Emma would be the first step.

A sharp knock broke his concentration.

"Enter."

The door opened, and a guard stepped inside. He bowed before straightening.

"Alpha, there’s a woman here asking to see you."

Samuel looked up from the map. "Did she give you a name?"

The guard lifted his head.

"She said she’s Rogue Queen."

Samuel’s fingers stopped against the desk.

The smile disappeared from his face.