THE ALPHA’S SILENT BRIDE

ISLA’S POVThe kitchen buzzed with heat and haste, pans clattering, boiling water hissing sharply, the shuffle of feet moving quickly across the stone floor as maids darted like flies in every direction. The sun poured through the windows, casting golden rays on the marble countertop. I slipped in quietly, smiling softly at the maids as I passed them. I always did.But they didn't smile back.They never did.As expected, all I got were smirks and snickers and eyes darting toward each other like children passing secrets. Hands moved to mimic me in grotesque, mocking gestures. One even cupped her throat and made gagging sounds, and I knew what they meant.Mute. Broken. Worthless.I pretended not to notice.The sink was filled with dishes stacked so high they looked ready to topple. I took a breath and began to scrub, falling into the rhythm I knew. I liked the atmosphere here—even if it was laced with cruelty. I could work. And work was something I did well.My fingers moved quickly, me

LUCIEN’S POVMy wolf surged to the surface so violently, it nearly knocked the air out of my lungs.Not angry.Not threatened.Ecstatic.Mate.The word was so loud in my head I almost dropped the phone. It howled inside me like a storm, shaking everything I thought I understood. One second, I was striding through the marbled hallway, my phone pressed to my ear, drowning in the chaos of an emergency back home— territory breach, rogues near the northern border—and I needed to be back in Crimson Hollow and the next, I was colliding with something soft, slender and warm.I asked if she was okay, I’d tried to help her up and that was when it happened.Our hands touched. Just that. Just a fleeting touch.And my damn wolf lost it.A jolt ran up my arm like lightning, and I stopped dead in my tracks. It was like my soul recognised something ancient, something sacred. Whoever this girl was, she was it. My mate. My cursed, fated mate. After all these years of silence, of solitude, of burying th

ISLA’S POV.The next morning came rather quickly. I’d woken up before dawn- an old habit I couldn’t shake from my former pack and just laid down, tangled in the sheet with thoughts about last night. Everything had gone well, even better than I had expected.He was yet to figure out that I wasn’t Serene. His touch on my cheeks lingered in my brain, his soothing voice reverberating through me.No one can harm you here- he had said to me.But that doesn’t mean he can’t harm me. Once he figured out that I was a fake, a substitute for his real bride.There was no telling of what he would do.So I needed to keep calm, stay in my lane and make sure not to anger him.A knock on the door startled me upright.I didn’t move from the bed, curled up with the blanket clutched around me like armour.The door creaked open and three maids scurried inside, pushing a clothing rack so full it looked like a traveling boutique. One of them smiled politely at me and said, “Alpha Lucien’s orders. We’re here

LUCIEN’S POVIt had been a day since Isla got hurt, and though she hadn’t said a word, I could tell her wounds had mostly healed. Her scent was back to normal. Her steps were lighter. I still kept an eye on her, though.She was my wife now. My mate. But she barely looked at me if she didn’t have to. I didn’t understand it—why she was still so shy, so distant.Didn’t she know I was already falling for her?She walked beside me, her small frame wrapped in training clothes I had picked for her. Her long hair was tied up, a few strands falling to her flushed cheeks. The sun kissed her skin gently. She looked… beautiful. Too beautiful. And still, she wouldn’t look me in the eyes unless I made her.We arrived at the training ground. A hundred square feet of sacred, private land. I’d built it myself—commissioned only the best craftsmen. Every weapon here was made from rare wolfstone, found deep in the mountains. The ground had seen kings train, warriors rise, and now… her.I hoped it impress

ISLA’S POVThe dining table was long and lavishly set, but it was just the two of us. Lucien, ever the gentleman, pulled out a chair for me and I sat, trying not to let my nerves show.My hands tremble slightly as I pick up my utensils. I’ve never had dinner with just the two of us before and I was feeling really self conscious. Eating with someone was something that still felt foreign to me. Eating with Lucien… well it felt surreal.He took the seat opposite mine, his eyes soft. For a moment, he said nothing. Just gave me that smile—that gentle, patience smile that made my chest ache and flutter all at once. I stared at the plate in front of me. Steamed vegetables, roast chicken and a rich broth that smelled so homey.Everything looked delicious.It also looked like something I wouldn’t be able to eat, not with the way he kept watching me.I chewed carefully, eyes on my plate, hyper aware of his gaze flickering to me now and then. My cutlery shook in my hands.Goddess my nerves were