Alpha's Secret Bride-Chapter 61: From Rejection to Reckoning of the Bond

The morning rays that came in through the opened window activated her waking mode and she opened her eyes slowly. Her wolf felt unusually calm, her mood quite pleasant as she stared at the squeaky-clean environment. The trees looked so bright and beautiful. The roads on the stronghold looked as though they were washed.

The gardens on the verdant balconies that were in all the staff quarters had yellowish-green leaves yesterday. However, after absorbing rain all through the night, she could distinctly see their dark green shades through the window.

She felt great as she breathed the air filled with pleasant dewy petrichor along with the sweet chocolatey aroma that filled the chamber. Her wolf stirred faintly, her senses sharpening as though awakened by something deeper than scent alone.

She closed her eyes, and every memory of her puphood came rushing back in vivid flashes. The familiar aroma that filled her chamber carried her gently down memory lane, reminding her of her mother’s morning brew and the constant scolding that always followed—complaints about how careless she could be. Though Lunara had always been the favorite, she found herself missing her mother more than she expected.

Her mother was far from perfect, but she had never treated her the way Alpha Daniel did.

A soft sigh escaped her lips as the realization settled in. She couldn’t believe she had only been here for a month.

It felt like she had been bound to this life... this mate... for an entire year.

For a brief moment, her wolf lingered in that fragile space between past and present. Was this truly her life now? A Luna, seated in luxury, breathing in peace she never fought for? It felt unfamiliar... almost undeserved. Yet, somewhere deep within, her wolf whispered acceptance. Perhaps this was not luck, but fate finally aligning in her favor. Still, a quiet fear remained—what if everything she now held slipped away just as quickly as it came? What if this calm was only the silence before another storm? She exhaled slowly, steadying her wolf. No... not today. Today, she would simply exist... as herself.

"Moonrise, Luna?" She turned and saw Paige standing beside a table where they ate last night. A cup of coffee was on the tray, giving out a chocolatey aroma.

Paige’s face was so bright. She was obviously excited. Probably, she had a gossip she would love to share with her.

"Oh my moon goddess! Paige, what are you doing here?"

"The alpha brewed this for you."

"Wow!" Her face lit up as she walked curiously towards the table and sat on the chair. She lifted the cup of coffee to her lips and was surprised Paige was still standing there looking at her.

"What is it?" She asked. She looked at the door to make sure no one was there and returned her gaze to her. She rolled her eyes because that peculiar gesture of hers and Naomi was always followed by gossip. She imagined the gossip she brought early this morning.

"Did you see the mystery she-wolf?" She asked with a faint voice. Emma couldn’t suppress her laughter and she let it out. Paige smiled, waiting impatiently for an answer. Emma took a sip from the cup of coffee. It was quite different. It was the sweetest coffee she has ever had. Probably, because it was brewed by her mate and everything about him tasted so good. She dropped the cup of coffee back on the table and stood up. She needed to brush her teeth first before gulping the whole content down.

"There is no mystery mate, Paige," she said, walking towards the washroom. She didn’t look at her to see the disappointment on her face because she knew she would probably be disappointed.

"Zoe is such a liar," she said after a few minutes. She halted and turned.

"Zoe told you that there was a mate there?" Paige nodded, lowering her gaze as though she had just implicated Zoe.

"Please, don’t ask her."

"I have no intention to. Didn’t she tell you who the mate was?"

Paige’s eyes sharpened in surprise.

"Luna, who is she?"

"It’s none of your business, Paige. Stop gossiping with your alpha."

"I’m sorry, Luna."

"Listen, wolves have a natural curiosity about everything and we can interpret things we do not understand wrongly but explanation settles everything. However, your alpha is an exception. You could lose your role if the wolf you are serving is strict. Just mind your business."

"You treated us as moonallies and we became worried and thought you should know there was danger. We didn’t want you to be locked up too. Please, forgive us."

"I’m not mad at you, but you really need to stop gossiping."

"No, I don’t gossip; I....I....mind my business."

"Good!" She turned and continued walking towards the bath chamber. She halted when she spoke again.

"Ehmm.... Zoe said she couldn’t wait to see the alpha’s crazy mate drive you out of the estate. I also heard she... she... slapped Ryan for eating in Chef’s Kitchen the last time she visited. I hope she won’t come here and beat you up."

"Leave this chamber now!"

"Today is my first time entering this chamber. Please, which of the doors leads to the bath chamber?"

"What do you want to do?"

"Bernard asked me to disinfect it before you bathe."

"My mate used it this morning, so I’m going to use it."

"No, Luna; the alpha would punish us if you ever used a bathroom that is not disinfected."

"This way!" She said, pointing in the direction of the closet.

"Thank..."

"Please, be fast; I want to bathe," she interrupted her and began to walk towards the closet. "Am I being too soft to them or what? Why do they feel they can tell me everything?" She asked herself.

She had her bath, picked up one of the sexy gowns in the closet, and took her time to make herself up. Paige helped her with her hair. She pulled them back from her face carefully, twisted them, raised them, and wrapped them in a circular coil around them. The perfect bun style gave her a virtuous appearance.

She sat on one of the chairs and began to enjoy her breakfast. Paige leaned on the wall and was waiting for her. Her head was slightly bowed and her two hands were crossed in front of her legs like those of a typical maid.

"Paige, stand properly. I hate all this bowing and prostrating; I’m still your friend," she smiled. She nodded and freed up immediately.

"Sit," she said, pointing at one of the chairs. She looked at the gorgeous chair and shook her head. She shrugged and continued eating.

She left the chamber when she was done and walked down the stairs stately as though she was the richest she-wolf on Earth. She heard female voices in her mate’s restricted lounge and headed in that direction without a crumb of fear or an inferiority complex. "I must address the visitor’s administrator. He is not doing a good role," she shook her head and murmured as she walked into the lounge.

Brandon sat on a three-seater sofa, with his eyes on one of the she-wolves that couldn’t keep her mouth shut. They were the she-wolves she met a few days ago. She joined him on the sofa, sat between his legs, and leaned on his chest. He put his hands around her midriff and kissed her head. She could see surprise on the she-wolves’ faces.

"Hi," she waved at the she-wolves, they faked smiles and waved back at her.

"Excuse me," Brandon said to the she-wolf that was talking. "Sweetheart, do you like the coffee I made for you?" He whispered into her ear and they giggled.

"I love it"

"You will be getting it from me every morning."

"Thank you," she brought his head closer and kissed his lips. He lifted his head again and fixed his eyes on the she-wolf that was explaining something to him.

"Yeah, Lucy, you were telling me about the Managing Director. Please, go ahead."

"Are you wolves mated?" The other she-wolf with massive cleavage asked.

"Yeah, we sealed our bond last moon cycle," he responded.

"And you didn’t invite us?"

"Our world is made up of just two wolves. She and I," he shrugged and placed his jaw on her head firmly.

"O...okay, congrats!! We...should probably get ...going," the she-wolf he called Lucy said and stood up immediately.

"Alright, please send our regards to your fathers," Brandon said and concentrated on Emma.

"Who are they?"

"Their fathers manage our pack enterprises."

"I guess they brought morning reports to you," she mumbled and he laughed.

"My father called."

"Wow! What did he say?" She asked. Her wolf began to beat very fast as she waited for him to speak. "Finally he has accepted you, or no; he insists on seeing your blood parents," kept jogging through her mind as she fixed her eyes on his red lips,to hear more.