Substituent Bride Novels & Stories

he stated simply. Todd's eyes widened. Was the man not going to force a marriage of convenience on him? Would he be able to choose freely? Regardless, Todd already knew he only wanted a contracted marriage. He had no time for things like commitment or love. No, his wife would have to understand that this marriage would be in name only. "However..." Jan began, "I want her to be a virginal bride." "What?!" Todd croaked. "Yes, a virgin bride. I am a very religious man, you know, and even though I have never pushed you to attend church with me, it's very important to me that you find a virtuous young lady. Also, I ask that there be no sex before marriage," he specified.

Serafina Marazona The early morning sunlight spilled through the bedroom windows, painting long golden lines across the sheets. I remained where I was, staring at the ceiling without truly seeing it. Sleep had come in broken pieces throughout the night, interrupted by memories of locked doors, Cassandra’s questions, Vincenzo’s silence, and the promise I had made simply to survive. Now that I had made it back to the estate alive, another battle waited for me. I had given my word, and whether it had been made under threat or not, I had no intention of pretending it had never happened. If I wanted Vincenzo to treat me as something more than a frightened girl hidden behind his name, then I h

"What do you think?" Kathrine asked, strutting out of the dressing room in what was probably my sister's fifteenth gown of the evening. My mother looks up from her phone, her face morphing into a grin as she takes in the image of my sister. "This is the one," she beams as she gets up from her chair and walks up to my sister, who still looks fidgety in her dress. "Absolutely marvelous; I just know Xavier won't be able to keep his eyes off you during the wedding," my mother continues to gush. The long, flowing, ivory strapless gown was embellished with little decorations along the bodice and waistline. My sister's blonde hair fell down her shoulders in soft waves that framed her delicate featu

Taggart gritted in annoyance and was ready to blurt back. “The wedding is still planned, so don’t worry about it. We only replace the bride with Tamara. I think she’s the best option for you,” Bruce pointed at smiling Tamara. Taggart was freezing out in his place. He couldn’t believe his father was becoming a jerk by changing his plan.

"You've got half the guests wondering where the bride is and the other half trying to figure out who sent that lovely gift." I frowned, feeling a knot in my stomach. "Gift?" Bento's smile grew even wider. "Oh, you missed it? The flower in question is a black dahlia. Very dramatic. Definitely gives off 'we're not fans of your marriage' vibes." My stomach churned, and I looked at Riccardo. His face was unreadable, but I could see his hand twitching at his side, as if he wanted to grab something. "Who sent it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

The slap echoed through the cold marble hallway, stinging my cheek and forcing my head to the side. I didn’t cry. I was used to the pain, but the betrayal in my father’s eyes was new. "You will do this, Serena," my father hissed. His breath smelled of expensive cigars and cheap desperation. "Your sister is gone. If Alessandro Moretti arrives at that altar and finds no bride, he will burn this house down with us inside it."

Eleanor sat beside my empty seat, her cane resting against her knee, watching me with an expression I couldn’t quite read, something between pride and grief. Isabella Blackwood sat across the aisle, elegant in pale blue, and when our eyes met she gave me a small, warm nod, like she was welcoming me into something instead of witnessing a transaction. Lucas stood beside Damian as his best man, and even now, even at his brother’s wedding, there was a restless energy in him, like he wanted to say something and knew better than to say it here.

She pouted. Freda was supposed to be my bride, a strategic match to form a powerful alliance between our packs. I had waited for a long time, thinking I might never find my true mate. She, being the daughter of a strong Alpha, seemed like a perfect choice. Freda possessed both beauty and an engaging personality, making her a promising companion. I believed she would make a good wife and a loving mother to our future children. I genuinely loved her, even though she was not my mate. But then, just four days before our wedding, my world came crashing down.

After all, wasn’t I above them? Nature had made it that way. I turned toward the window, watching traffic crawl down Ninth Avenue while I waited. What would she be like? She had to be strong to carry an Alpha’s child. Healthy. Resilient. Strong-willed would be good for the child. Not so good for living in my house. The office door opened behind me. “Mr. Blank,” the doctor said. “I would like you to meet the surrogate selected for your case. Ms. Paris Helton.”

Olivia POV "What do you think?" Kathrine asked, strutting out of the dressing room in what was probably my sister's fifteenth gown of the evening. My mother looks up from her phone, her face morphing into a grin as she takes in the image of my sister. "This is the one," she beams as she gets up from her chair and walks up to my sister, who still looks fidgety in her dress. "Absolutely marvelous; I just know Xavier won't be able to keep his eyes off you during the wedding," my mother continues to gush. The long, flowing, ivory strapless gown was embellished with little decorations along the bodice and waistline. My sister's blonde hair fell down her shoulders in soft waves that framed her del