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THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 049
VALARIE The evening air was blowing , the soft breeze rustling through the trees around the garden as I walked beside Tristan. His hand, warm and steady, rested against mine, a familiar touch that brought a sense of comfort I couldn’t deny. He was here. He was always here when I needed him, and for that, I was grateful. But tonight, as I walked beside him, I couldn’t shake the feeling of something being…off.It was hard to ignore the heaviness in my chest, the way my thoughts were elsewhere, tangled up in places I didn’t want to go. My mind kept drifting to Carl, to the way his eyes lingered on me when I least expected it, to the weight of his touch when he had held my hand in that moment I couldn’t shake. I thought I had put that all behind me. I thought I was moving forward with Tristan, with the life I had started to imagine with him. But somehow, Carl’s presence had wedged itself into the space I thought I had cleared.Tristan’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I glanced up a
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-17THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 050
CARLIt was all too perfect.The table was already set, plates polished, candles flickering low, and crystal glasses catching the light just right. The dining room looked beautiful , warm, and welcoming, exactly what it needed to be tonight. A perfect stage for a performance none of them saw coming… yet.I sat back in my seat, swirling the wine in my glass slowly, watching the red liquid twirl like blood. My mother was chatting excitedly with the kitchen staff, her tone high with delight. She hadn’t stopped smiling since I told her Fiona would be joining us for dinner.Fiona.Even just thinking her name made me grin.She was perfect for this. Beautiful, bold, and still clinging to whatever delusion she had about Tristan and unfinished business. It had taken one call to remind her of that lingering spark, and she had jumped at the opportunity to “drop by”……..as if it were some casual visit and not a well calculated move in a much bigger game.But this wasn’t about Fiona and Tristan. No
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-17THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 051
VALARIE I should’ve known something was off the moment I stepped into the dining room and saw that extra place set at the table.Lady Bianca was far too cheerful. Carl, leaning back in his chair with that maddening smirk, looked like a man who had won something. And Tristan… his hand was gently resting at the small of my back, his voice low in my ear telling me everything would be fine.I didn’t believe him.Not when Fiona walked in.The sight of her in red, his favorite color felt like a slap across the face. Her eyes sparkled, lips painted perfectly, and her steps confident as if she hadn’t spent the last two years away from the Blackwood palace with no word to Tristan. As if she hadn’t left him broken. As if she still belonged here.She didn’t.But that didn’t stop Lady Bianca from practically swooning at the sight of her. Didn’t stop Carl from pretending it was some casual invitation. And it certainly didn’t stop Fiona from sitting directly across from me and making sure she coul
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-19THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 052
TRISTAN I should’ve known something was off the moment I walked into the dining hall.The air was too still, too calculated. Lady Bianca was all smiles, too wide. Carl’s eyes gleamed with something he hadn’t bothered to hide. And seated at the far end of the long table, wearing a red silk dress that clung to her curves and a smile I hadn’t seen in months, was Fiona.My ex.The one person Vanessa never wanted to be in the same room with.And there she was, smiling like she still belonged.My heart dropped as my eyes flicked instinctively to Vanessa , seated across from Carl. She’d gone still, her fork frozen in mid air. Her lips parted slightly, like the air had been punched from her lungs. But the worst part was her eyes.Wide.Stunned.Wounded.I clenched my fists under the table.This was no coincidence. This was a move.Carl.I knew it the moment I caught the smug glance he gave me.He was playing a game. And this time, he’d used Vanessa as the bait.The room filled with light con
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-19THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 053
CARLIt was getting harder to pretend I didn’t see it.The way Tristan looked at her… like she was the only thing in the room. The way Vanessa smiled up at him, soft and unguarded, like he was safety and warmth wrapped in one. I hated how familiar it had become, seeing her beside him, holding his hand, whispering things that made him smile.He never used to smile that way. Not even as children, when he had everything.Now he had her too.I watched them from the shadows of the hall, just after breakfast. Vanessa tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and laughed quietly at something he said. He leaned in, brushing his knuckles against her cheek before pressing a kiss to her cheek . It was brief, innocent by any standard but it made something burn in my chest.I looked away.It wasn’t just jealousy. It wasn’t just rage that he had taken everything from me again. No. It was something else, something deeper, something more dangerous.It was her.I didn’t even notice it happening at
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-19THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 054
LADY BIANCAThe cold morning air has a way of making me feel so good as I stood by the window, staring down at the courtyard. The sky was dull with clouds, mourning as if it, too, knew things were shifting inside this house. I watched as Tristan and that girl, Vanessa , stepped out of his office , side by side, heads low in quiet conversation. He brushed a strand of her hair behind her ear. The kind of gesture no man makes unless he’s already surrendered his heart.My fingers tightened around the teacup in my hand.She was still here. Still playing the role of the doting Luna, when she was meant to be a placeholder, a temporary illusion until my son took his rightful place. The wolves of Blackwood are not ruled by sentiment. They respect power, tradition, bloodlines. And yet here was Tristan, my late husband’s spoiled, idealistic grandson leading with his heart.Foolish.I turned as the door creaked open.“Mother,” Carl’s voice was flat, but I could see the storm beneath his eyes. H
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-19THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 055
TRISTAN The council meeting dragged on, an exchange of forced pleasantries and carefully chosen words that barely masked the tension pulsing beneath the surface. I sat at the head of the long table, flanked by the elders, my jaw locked and fingers tapping against the polished wood. The room smelled faintly of parchment and old bloodlines, thick with tradition, and now, suddenly, with resistance.They were stalling.Again.I knew it in the way Elder Marius avoided eye contact when I asked about the official date for my coronation. I saw it in Lady Ilara’s tightly pressed smile when I reminded them of the rites. And Lord Gregor, usually blunt, dependable, he fumbled with his words like a man searching for a way out.“The mourning period for Alpha Theo,” Ilara began gently, “has not passed long enough. The people still grieve.”I narrowed my eyes slightly. “Alpha Theo himself set the parameters for succession in his will. The council is bound to honor them.”“Of course,” Gregor said, cl
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-19THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 056
VALARIEThe walls of the room seemed to close in on me the moment Tristan fell asleep.He lay beside me now, breathing softly, one arm draped across my waist, completely unaware of the storm unraveling inside me. I stared up at the ceiling, the glow of the moon filtering through the curtains, casting patterns on the walls that shifted like shadows with secrets of their own.They were asking questions.The council.About me.About where I came from, who I was before this… before Tristan, before Alpha Theo’s death, before everything changed.I tried to breathe, but it felt like something sharp was caught in my lungs.They must not find out.They must never find out.Because I wasn’t Vanessa.Not really.Vanessa, the name I was given, the name I used, the identity I wore like a second skin was the version of me the world was allowed to see. The perfect Luna candidate. Beautiful, graceful, from a family that appeared respectable enough on the surface.But it was all a lie. A carefully co
Последнее обновление : 2025-04-19
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THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 084
VANESSA I had spent the entire afternoon pacing around the house, unable to shake off the growing discomfort in my chest. My head still ached from the accident, but it wasn’t the physical pain that consumed me now. It was the questions. The confusion. The cold, heavy silence that surrounded everything about my life.Since waking up, everything had felt like a jigsaw puzzle missing pieces, fragments of my memory, faces that seemed unfamiliar, yet familiar at the same time. My mind swirled with images of a wedding dress, of vows being exchanged, of a man standing in front of me… but nothing was concrete. It was as if my mind had locked away all the important things, leaving me with nothing but shadows and half formed thoughts.I wandered through the house in a haze, my footsteps leading me to my parents’ study, where I often found them deep in work. It was there, among old books and papers, that I knew I could find something that might explain all the gaps in my memory.The room smelle
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 083
NICOThe night air was thick, heavy with the scent of rain and something else , tension, like the whole palace was holding its breath. It felt like the gods themselves were waiting for what was coming.I moved quickly through the servants’ corridors, keeping to the shadows. I knew these halls better than anyone else. Growing up in a house full of wolves, you learn early where to hide, where to eavesdrop, and how to disappear when the air turns sharp.Tristan’s orders replayed in my head.No mistakes. No leaks. No names left untouched.I made my way to the lower west wing, where the old guards kept their quarters. The newer generation of soldiers preferred the lavish chambers in the east, closer to the halls of power. But the men I was looking for didn’t care for polished floors and velvet curtains. They cared about loyalty. About blood and history.About family.I reached a heavy wooden door and gave the knock , one sharp, two soft, one more sharp. The same code we’d used as boys, sne
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 082
TRISTAN The palace was too damn quiet.It was always like this at night , servants tucked away, guards at their posts, the world pretending to sleep while the devils inside these walls plotted in the dark.And tonight, I was one of them.I sat alone in my study, the dying fire casting restless shadows on the walls. A glass of whiskey sat untouched at my elbow, my fingers drumming against the arm of my chair as my mind ran wild.They thought they had me.Carl. Lady Bianca. The damn council. They sat in that room today, looked me in the eye, and told me they were giving my crown to someone else. That the people wanted change. That tradition no longer mattered.Bullshit.This throne belongs to me.It always has.I bled for this land. Fought for these people. Buried my father, my grandfather, watched every damn threat that came for this family and dealt with it. And now they want to hand my legacy over to a snake in my own bloodline?No.Not happening.I leaned forward, resting my elbows
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 081
CARLShe ran.She didn’t even look back.I stood there in the fading light of the hallway , my pulse pounding in my ears and my jaw tight enough to crack. The taste of her still lingered, sweet and defiant, and it infuriated me how much it rattled me. I wasn’t supposed to feel this.Not for her.Not for Tristan’s woman.But damn it, something about her made me reckless. Reckless enough to cross a line I’d sworn I wouldn’t. And watching her tear away from me like she was running from a wildfire… it sparked something dark and possessive in me.Because I saw it in her eyes.She felt it too.No matter how fast she ran, she wouldn’t outrun this. Outrun me.I let out a breath, raking a hand through my hair as I forced myself to calm down. The last thing I needed was for someone to come stumbling into the garden and catch me looking like a man whose world was slipping through his fingers.I had bigger things to focus on.The council had made their move. The people’s choice. That’s what they
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 080
VALARIE I avoided him like my life depended on it.Every hallway, every corridor, every damn corner of the palace , I made sure I was nowhere near Carl Blackwood.The second my eyes caught a glimpse of his silhouette, I would turn around, take another path, duck behind the nearest column or slip through a different door. It was exhausting. And it made my pulse race for all the wrong reasons.Because I wasn’t afraid of Carl.I was afraid of myself.Afraid of what happened that day in the garden.That moment , that stupid, careless, dangerous moment where I let my guard down and kissed him back.It had been a mistake.A terrible, impulsive mistake I’d spent every minute since trying to forget.But the truth was… I couldn’t.Every time I closed my eyes, I saw the look in his eyes when his lips touched mine. That soft, unspoken plea. That touch of vulnerability hidden beneath his usual arrogant smirk. The way his hand lingered a second too long against my skin.And it terrified me.I be
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 079
VANESSA My head throbbed.A deep, heavy ache that made it feel like my skull was splitting open. My eyelids were impossibly heavy, my vision a hazy blur of light and color. I could hear voices, distant and muffled, like I was underwater.Then a warmth, a hand wrapping around mine. A familiar touch. Another on my cheek. My name, soft, trembling.“Vanessa… baby, it’s mom… can you hear me?”I wanted to speak, but my throat felt like sandpaper, and my lips barely moved. I forced my eyes open, a step at a time, until shapes started to take form.Faces.Two of them.My parents.Tears glistened in my mother’s eyes, and my father , the man who rarely showed any emotion beyond stern disapproval looked like he was on the verge of breaking. I frowned, a deep crease forming on my forehead as I tried to piece together what was happening.Why did they look so scared?Why did I feel like I’d been asleep for years?“Vanessa,” my mother’s voice cracked, both hands now cupping my face. “Thank the moo
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 078
VALARIE I ran until my legs burned.Branches scratched my arms, and the cool wind tore through my hair, but I didn’t stop. I didn’t look back. I couldn’t.I didn’t know what scared me more, what had just happened or how it made me feel.When I finally reached the edge of the palace gardens, I slowed down, clutching a tree trunk for support, my breath coming in sharp gasps. My lips were still trembling. Not from the chill but from him.Carl.His name echoed like thunder in my head.What had I done?I slid down onto the damp grass, burying my face in my hands. My chest was tight, my mind spinning out of control. The warmth of his lips still lingered on mine. His touch had been so gentle, so unexpected, like a storm I didn’t see coming until it swallowed me whole.I hadn’t meant to kiss him.I hadn’t meant to lean in.But for a fleeting second, being with him made the pain stop. It made everything…….Frank, Lady Bianca, my sister, the lie I was living, fade into silence.And I hated that
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 077
CARLI knew how to wear charm like a second skin. The palace had become my stage these days, smiling at the right people, offering compliments that sounded sincere, laughing when I needed to, promising strength and peace for a kingdom that didn’t know it was being manipulated from the inside.They loved me for it. The nobles, the council, even the servants who whispered in corridors. Every smile I gave was calculated, every compliment a carefully placed piece in a game of strategy. But none of that mattered in the moment I saw her.Valarie.She was standing in the garden like she belonged to it. Like something tragic had rooted her there, still and quiet, her gaze far away. The wind played gently with her hair, and even though she didn’t notice me, I noticed everything about her.The way her shoulders were stiff, like she was trying to hold something in.The way her hands were clenched by her sides.The way pain clung to her silently, like an invisible fog she couldn’t shake.And some
THE ALPHA KING'S FAKE BRIDE 076
VALARIE The call came just after sunset.I was alone in the chamber, brushing out my hair by the window letting the air flow in through the window. Tristan had been quiet lately, and though he hadn’t said a word, I felt the shift in him like we were dancing to a song that had changed tempo when I wasn’t looking.Then my phone rang.My heart stilled when I saw the name.Mother.We hadn’t spoken in weeks. Not because of bitterness, but because our silences were easier than our truths. My hand trembled slightly as I answered, pressing the phone to my ear, bracing myself.“Valarie,” my mother breathed on the other end.Her voice cracked. And just like that, my spine straightened. “What is it? What happened?”“She’s awake.”My heart dropped to the floor. For a second, I couldn’t find my voice.“She…….what?”“Your sister,” she said, sobbing now. “She opened her eyes, Valarie. She looked at me… she squeezed my hand. She’s awake. After all this time….”Her voice broke, and so did I.I pressed
