LOGIN
THE SHADOW BRIDE
Last Updated : 2025-04-15
18
Share:
Report
The Shadow Bride is a haunting tale of duty, mystery, and a love that defies fate. When 23-year-old Avery is forced to marry her late sister’s fiancé to preserve a long-standing family tradition, she finds herself leaving behind her dreams for a life she never chose. Set in the quiet, eerie countryside of Montana, Avery is thrown into a loveless union with the brooding and distant Elias—a man mourning the woman he was meant to marry. But Avery soon senses something more than grief lurking in Elias’s eyes. Whispers of secrets buried in the woods, a strange connection to the moon, and a family with a history shrouded in darkness begin to unravel around her. She may have said “I do” out of obligation—but what she doesn’t know is that her husband’s curse is only just beginning to unfold.
View MoreLatest chapter
THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 9 — The Things We Bury
*Elias*I’ve heard the Watcher breathe.It doesn’t sound like a man. Not an animal, either. It’s more like the air around you turns heavy, and everything quiets—no wind, no birds, no heartbeat. It doesn’t sneak up. It waits. Watching. Always watching.I’ve known it was real since I was ten.That night, I’d followed my father down to the cellar—curious. He thought I was asleep, but I had a habit of trailing him when he got like that. The bottle in his hand, the vacant stare—those were signs. Warnings. I didn’t understand then what he was afraid of. Only that he was.There’s a room beneath the Maddox estate, hidden past the root cellar, behind a false wall. The family calls it The Quiet Room. Because no one talks about what’s down there. Not even the dead.I remember the smell. Earth and rust and something sweet gone rotten.And I remember what he did. My father knelt on the dirt floor, laid out photographs—some of us, some of my grandfather, some so old the faces had turned to ink blur
Last Updated : 2025-04-15THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 8- Whispers in the Wood
Absolutely! Here’s a humanized, original version of Chapter 8 of The Shadow Bride, expanding on the mystery and deepening the emotional tension while maintaining your story’s tone and pacing. This chapter is rewritten from scratch to ensure it’s completely original and free of any plagiarism concerns.I didn’t sleep. Not really.After what happened in the woods—and Elias’s strange, abrupt silence—I spent most of the night lying stiffly in bed, every creak of the house feeding the sense that something wasn’t right. The shadows on the ceiling didn’t feel like shadows anymore. They felt like something watching me. Waiting.By the time pale morning light began to push through the gauzy curtains, I was already sitting upright, still in my wedding dress, half-draped in the blanket like I’d forgotten how to move. Maybe I had.I slip out of bed, peel the fabric from my body, and throw on the first thing I can find—jeans, a faded sweatshirt from my old job, something that still smells like nor
Last Updated : 2025-04-11THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 7- The Man in the Forest
The dreams begin that night.Not the kind you forget by morning—the kind that root themselves deep in your chest like seeds, the kind that grow vines through your ribs and curl around your thoughts all day. The kind that feel like a memory.It starts in the woods. Moonlight cuts through the trees like pale blades. I’m barefoot, walking toward something I can’t see but feel. My dress is soaked, dragging against the forest floor like it’s trying to hold me back. Each step echoes like a warning.Something breathes behind me.Not the wind.Not the trees.Something alive.When I turn, there’s a figure standing at the tree line. Tall. Unmoving. Watching me with eyes that shimmer like the moon caught in water. Human-shaped. But not human. There’s something… ancient about the stillness. Something that makes my bones tighten in defense.It raises a hand.Not to wave.To point.At me.“You’re not her,” the thing says, its voice like a growl under gravel. “You don’t belong.”And then I wake up.
Last Updated : 2025-04-11THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 6- The Howl Beneath the Silence
The house feels colder as I wake, though it’s far from morning. The distant howl of wind outside has become a steady presence, like a warning, a reminder that things here are never still. I roll over, pulling the blanket tighter, but it doesn’t do much to chase away the chill that creeps along my skin.Elias isn’t beside me, as usual. I suppose I’m used to it by now—his absence is a quiet companion. Still, I wonder if he’s ever truly here, even when his body is.The silence in the house is suffocating. There’s no warmth in the walls, no echo of life—just cold marble floors, old wood, and the ever-present hum of some ancient, unspoken tension. Even the air feels stale, thick with something I can’t name. It’s like walking through the remnants of an old dream, one that no one remembers but still lingers.I swing my legs over the side of the bed, bare feet touching the floor, and stand. My reflection in the full-length mirror stares back at me—a woman draped in ivory and shadow, too pale,
Last Updated : 2025-04-10THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 5- The veil of confinement
THE SHADOW BRIDEThe next few days slip into each other, a blur of routine and unsettling moments. I should have known this marriage wouldn’t be normal. It’s never been normal, not since the moment I stepped into Camille’s shoes. But it’s not just the family or the house that feels wrong—it’s Elias. Every time he’s near me, it’s like a storm brewing in the distance. He doesn’t speak much, but when he does, his words are clipped, laced with something I can’t place. Guilt? Anger? Maybe both.I still haven’t asked him about Seth. I know I should, but every time I think about it, my stomach twists. The way Seth looked at me, the strange undertones in his voice—it’s enough to make my skin crawl. But Elias hasn’t mentioned him again. And part of me wants to leave it that way. Whatever world Elias is a part of, whatever he is, I don’t think I want to know.Yet, the silence between us is suffocating. I can’t stand it much longer.It’s late afternoon when I find myself in the kitchen, staring a
Last Updated : 2025-04-08THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 4- Beneath the house of shadows
The days drag on in a blur of forced smiles and strained silence. We’re living in the same house now, though we’re anything but married. Elias and I share a space that feels too big, too empty. The only sound is the occasional creak of the old floorboards, the hum of the heating system, and the distant calls of birds outside. I almost want to scream just to hear something real.But I don’t. Not yet.The house itself is a reflection of everything I don’t belong to. It’s grand in a way that feels out of place—wooden beams stretch across the ceiling, dark hardwood floors beneath me, and rooms full of expensive antiques that look like they’re better suited to a museum than a home. I’ve never been part of this world. Not in any real way. Not until now.I’ve tried to ignore the growing unease that gnaws at my stomach every time Elias is near. I tell myself it’s just the aftermath of everything happening so fast. That I just need time to adjust. But deep down, I know something’s wrong. There
Last Updated : 2025-04-08THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 3-Echoes of a cursed vow
The morning light cuts through the curtains, harsh and uninvited. I didn’t sleep. Not really. Not when every second of the night was filled with the heavy weight of his presence. Elias. My “husband,” the word still feeling foreign on my tongue. The bed is cold on my side, empty, but I know he’s just in the next room. I know because the house feels too quiet. Too still.I sit up and glance at the clock on the nightstand. It’s already late. The reception went on for hours, and by the time it ended, I was too exhausted to care about anything—too exhausted to do anything but collapse into bed, alone in a house that wasn’t mine.I hear footsteps in the hall. Heavy. Purposeful. My chest tightens instinctively.Elias.A knock sounds at the door, sharp and quick. My heart skips. It shouldn’t, but it does. I don’t know why. Maybe because, right now, there’s no escaping him.“Come in,” I call out, my voice sounding smaller than I intended.The door opens, and there he is, standing in the doorwa
Last Updated : 2025-04-08THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 2- The garden of unspoken griefs
The music’s too loud. Too happy. I sit at the edge of the table, my fingers tracing the rim of my glass. Elias hasn’t moved from his seat. He’s watching me—staring, really—but not in a way that feels like he sees me. It’s like I’m just another thing he’s been handed, another thing he has to endure. His jaw is still tight. He’s trying to keep the world out. Or maybe he’s trying to hold something in.The room buzzes with clinking glasses and forced laughter. I should be mingling, smiling, playing my part. But I can’t. The weight of everyone’s expectations presses down on me, heavy and suffocating. I shift in my seat, feeling like I’m about to drown in all of this.I notice someone approaching me—a woman with a tight smile and even tighter pearls. She’s one of Elias’s aunts, I think. I don’t know her name, but she’s too polished, too put together. She sits next to me without asking, like she’s entitled to the spot.“You’re doing well,” she says, her voice dripping with condescension. “It
Last Updated : 2025-04-08THE SHADOW BRIDE Chapter 1- The substitution
His grip on my arm is tight—not because he’s possessive, but like he’s afraid I might collapse. I’m not drunk, at least not anymore. After this week, alcohol has stopped numbing the ache. I only look up when we stop, and I feel the shift in the air—someone’s standing in front of us.My stepdad leans closer and murmurs, “Avery.”I lift my eyes slowly. It’s the first time I’ve seen this man. The expression on his face is unreadable, but behind it is grief—a kind I know too well. I don’t think he wants this. I think he wanted time to mourn his real bride…my sister.“Please… just do this for your mom,” my stepdad whispers, then gently places my hand into that of a stranger.The man’s hand is warm, solid, and reluctant. We turn to face the minister. He clears his throat, ready to start the ceremony. From this moment on, I’m not Avery Harper anymore. I’m stepping into the life my sister left behind. Her fiancé. Her future. Her fate. Mine is gone now—at twenty-four, I’ve buried it along with
Last Updated : 2025-04-08
Free Preview
Chapter 1- The substitution
His grip on my arm is tight—not because he’s possessive, but like he’s afraid I might collapse. I’m not drunk, at least not anymore. After this week, alcohol has stopped numbing the ache. I only look up when we stop, and I feel the shift in the air—someone’s standing in front of us.My stepdad leans closer and murmurs, “Avery.”I lift my eyes slowly. It’s the first time I’ve seen this man. The expression on his face is unreadable, but behind it is grief—a kind I know too well. I don’t think he wants this. I think he wanted time to mourn his real bride…my sister.“Please… just do this for your mom,” my stepdad whispers, then gently places my hand into that of a stranger.The man’s hand is warm, solid, and reluctant. We turn to face the minister. He clears his throat, ready to start the ceremony. From this moment on, I’m not Avery Harper anymore. I’m stepping into the life my sister left behind. Her fiancé. Her future. Her fate. Mine is gone now—at twenty-four, I’ve buried it along with...
New Release Novels
Interesting books of the same period
To Readers
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
Comments