Alpha's Secret Bride-Chapter 58: The Mating That Never Was”

It had been two years already, and Brandon refused to give up. Time seemed to mean nothing to him, as though he had locked his will onto a single purpose—her. Emma was always at the pack den, working tirelessly on her stories, pouring her emotions into words that no one seemed ready to accept. Writing had become her escape, her shield, her only safe place where memories couldn’t reach her. It was the only place she could control her world, even when everything else felt like it was slipping beyond her grasp.

However, each time she stepped out of the den, she would see him.

He was always there.

Sometimes leaning casually against a wall, other times seated inside one of his exotic wolf-machines, or simply standing at a distance, watching her with an intensity that made her wolf restless. It felt as though he had an informant living among them, feeding him every detail of her movements. At times, she even caught herself anticipating him, her eyes unconsciously searching corners before she stepped out.

Yet, despite everything, he had stopped trying to impersonate Oliver. That alone confused her. Instead, he chose to be Brandon—bold, unapologetic, dangerously real. A wolf who did not hide his intentions, a wolf who did not pretend to be anything else.

And strangely... she loved that honesty.

But it changed nothing.

She had already accepted Evan as her chosen mate. There was no space for another he-wolf in her life... or at least, that was what she kept telling herself.

Brandon’s disturbances intensified the moment Evan asked her to mate with him and she accepted. It was as though something in him snapped quietly, and from that moment, his presence became even more overwhelming. He no longer stayed far away. He made sure she saw him. Made sure she felt him.

She didn’t know who told him about their small engagement feast. It had been meant to be private, intimate, something shared only among close pack members. Yet Brandon showed up uninvited.

He stood there among them, silent but impossible to ignore.

His eyes never left her.

Even when others greeted him, even when conversations shifted around him, he remained focused—watching her as though she was the only thing that mattered in that entire space.

Throughout the feast, he moved closer at every opportunity, his presence brushing against her space like a shadow she couldn’t escape. He tried to hold her hand more than once, his fingers grazing hers before she pulled away sharply. Each brief contact sent a strange awareness through her wolf—unwanted, confusing, and dangerously noticeable.

It angered her.

No—it infuriated her.

She guessed he wanted to provoke Evan, to create tension, to make Evan question her loyalty. The thought alone made her chest tighten with irritation. She refused to let him win whatever game he was playing.

Still... there was something in his persistence that unsettled her more than she cared to admit.

She became mad at him again.

She was crying one evening because her fifth novel was rejected. The message had been short, cold, and final—another polite dismissal that crushed the fragile hope she had built.

Her shoulders shook as tears streamed down her face. All the effort, all the sleepless nights, all the pieces of her soul she had poured into those pages... rejected again. It felt like the world was telling her, over and over again, that she wasn’t enough.

The continuous ringing of her communication device could not stop her from crying her eyes out.

After some minutes, she pulled the device closer, her vision blurred, and realized Evan had been calling repeatedly. He had also left a message.

"Emma, please, come over. My father wants to see you."

Her heart skipped.

Evan’s father rarely called for her directly.

And something about that message didn’t sit right with her.

She stood up slowly, wiped her eyes, and dressed properly. Her reflection stared back at her—eyes red, face slightly swollen—but she didn’t care. There was no strength left in her to pretend to be perfect.

There was no time to fix herself.

Evan’s family den was just a few blocks away, so she decided to walk. The evening air brushed gently against her skin, but it did little to calm her racing thoughts. With every step she took, an uneasy feeling grew stronger in her chest... like something was waiting for her.

As she approached the stronghold, she slowed down.

Something wasn’t right.

She saw more than ten exotic wolf-machines parked outside—machines she had never seen before. Their designs were sleek, intimidating, and clearly belonged to wolves of immense power and wealth. The kind of wolves who didn’t visit without reason.

There were over twenty armed pack guards stationed around the den.

Her heartbeat quickened.

She recognized one of the guards.

Her stomach dropped.

She had seen him with Brandon several times.

And suddenly, a quiet realization crept into her mind—one that made her pulse race even faster.

Emma straightened her posture immediately, masking her unease. She kept her face neutral and continued walking as though nothing was wrong, even though her wolf was already on edge, pacing restlessly beneath her calm exterior.

Evan received her at the entrance with a warm smile, completely unaware of the storm brewing in her mind. He guided her toward the stairs without hesitation, his touch gentle but firm.

"Evan, is she here?" she heard his father’s voice echo from above.

"Yes, father," Evan replied, leading her into the executive lounge.

The moment she stepped in, her breath hitched. She froze. Brandon sat there.

And in that instant... everything made sense.

He was seated comfortably, his posture relaxed, yet his presence filled the entire room. His eyes were fully covered, but she could feel his gaze on her—intense, unyielding, almost suffocating. It was as though he didn’t need to see her to know exactly where she was.

"G... good day, alpha," she stammered.

"Emma Greens."

"Alpha."

"How is your father?"

"He is fine."

"I’m sorry I didn’t come to the engagement feast. I have something planned out for both of you to make it up to you. Evan, please entertain her. I’ll see you wolves when I’m done with him."

"Alright, father," Evan said and led her away. She looked back and noticed Brandon was still staring at her even though his eyes were fully covered.

"Is he still bothering you?" Evan asked when they got to the sky lounge.

"Yes, wait....did you report him to your father?"

"No!"

"What is he doing here then?"

"I don’t know. He visited my father yesterday."

"I think they’re discussing pack business," she mused, her gaze lingering a heartbeat too long. But what could a young, dangerously handsome he-wolf like Brandon possibly know about something as intricate as moonbrew trade and territory accords?

"Is he into forbidden herbs trade?"

"He is a ruthless dark-trade alpha everyone knows. I made some inquiries about him and found out who he truly is. He has about two hundred and fifty she-wolves he uses to deliver goods outside the territory. The she-wolves escort forbidden herbs through secret tunnels. He has allies in the council too.

"Oh my moon goddess!!!"

"Yeah," Evan said and moved closer to her. "You look ravishing this afternoon," he said, moving his face closer to hers.

"Evan, you know, I hate kissing?"

"Because of the memories it awakens in your wolf? I know. But if you want to get the memories of your first kiss off your heart, then you need a lot of romantic and intimate kisses from me. This is the only way to get rid of the memories. If you had agreed to get intimate with me since, you would have forgotten about him completely."

"I’m not ready for intimacy."

"Is this what you are going to tell me on our mating night?" Evan grinned and moved his hand down to her chest.

"What would you do if I said no?"

"What!!!!! I won’t take no for an answer! Emma, don’t even think of it because I’ll force myself on you and claim you!" He said and they giggled.

They stood up when they heard the sound of the wolf-machines outside and watched them from the sky lounge. She fixed her eyes on Brandon as he walked swiftly to one of the exotic wolf-machines he came with. The door parted slowly because of his presence and came together again. She wished they had stayed longer so she could continue looking at them. She didn’t know why she felt that way. Probably, because she found everything about him entertaining. He was so dramatic.

Evan slid his hands around her waist and kissed her neck. She felt irritated. She wondered how their mating night would be.

"This is not a coincidence. He came here because of me."

"When I saw him yesterday, I knew what attracted him to my den. You!!" Emma laughed.

"But why me?"

"Two probable reasons. He is obsessed with you or thinks you are strong enough to join the she-wolves that escort forbidden herbs out of the territory."

"Emma Greens," Mr. Francisco called. She turned and saw Evan’s father smiling at her.

"Forgive his manners. Evan lacks grace at receiving guests. Please, sit," he said, and sat on one of the seats. She smiled and sat down.

"We have a pack gathering coming up next moon-cycle and I want to seize the opportunity to announce you and Evan’s mating bond. So I would like to know what you think about my decision. I don’t want to make you feel embarrassed by calling you out that day without prior notice."

"That would be fine, alpha." She grinned.

"Alright, how is your pack-kins?"

"They are fine."

"This is the reason why I sent for you and I want to get confirmation from you. We are going to have a special feast before or after the gathering. Evan will inform you when I fix a day," he said and stood up.

"Thank you alpha."

"You are welcome Emma."

The gathering eventually took place, but nothing unfolded as expected. Her actions ruined everything. The family turned against her, and Evan shut her out completely, acting as though she no longer existed whenever their paths crossed within the territory. Left with no choice, she continued on with her miserable life. But after all of that, Lunara’s selfish scheme had already led her straight into the arms of the very wolf she had been seeking.