The Silent Alpha

***Natalia***

My heart flutters as I wait for my cue to walk down the aisle, knowing that in a few short minutes, I will officially be Zane’s wife.

"Talia," Gwen murmurs, carrying a small gift box in her hands.

"Vanessa had this delivered for you.Toran says she couldn’t make it, but she wanted you to know that she’s happy for you."

I take the box from her hand, and stare at it for a moment, not knowing how to feel about her absence.I had thought long and hard about sending an invitation to my sister and finally decided I would leave the choice up to her.

There is a small note attached to the box and I read it to myself.

https://https://https://https://novelebook.com/the-silent-alpha-bd2029.htmll

To my dear sister, I know it is not much, but I hope you and your daughter love it as much as you and I did.

With love, Nessa.

Untie the ribbon and remove the lid, tears filling my eyes as I look inside.

"What is it?" Gwen asks, pulling a handkerchief from her dress pocket.I pull out the small music box with two little cats sitting on the lid and crank the knob until the song, "Memories," begins to play and I watch the little cats dance around the lid through my tears.

"When I was little, my mother had this exact music box.She would play it for us to go to sleep every night," I smile as I wipe my tears.

"She used to tell us a story of the two little cats on the lid," I giggle.

"They were sisters named Natalia and Vanessa and they loved each other very much." I stare at the box in disbelief.

"It broke years ago.The music wouldn’t play anymore and I was devastated because I had always dreamt of playing it for my own children." I shake my head as I wipe my tears.

"I can’t believe she found it."

"That’s a lovely gift," Gwen murmurs, helping me to carefully wipe my tears.

"But now we must keep you sane for your wedding." nod at her and fight to compose myself, carefully putting the music box back in its box and powdering my face.

"Okay, my lovely," Gwen sighs, cradling little Quoia in her arms and grabbing a small basket of flower petals.

My beautiful Maid of Honor wears a forest green dress with a flowing skirt to accentuate her cute baby bump, and her fiery red hair is tamed within a romantic braid and flowers.

"Are you ready, Talia?" She asks and I give her a bright smile.

"You look beautiful. He is so lucky to have you," she smiles in return.

"Dakota, are you ready?" she giggles at the dancing pup.

He grins back at her, holding up an empty pillow in his hand.

"Kota, where are the rings?" Gwen asks in restrained panic.

"They kept falling off when I danced," Kota explains as he breaks into a silly dance.

"So! put them in my socks," he grins, Gwen and I both sighing in relief as he rolls his pants up past his ankles where two lumps stick out from his socks.

"Okay, but you need to put them on the pillow so you can give them to Daddy," Gwen chuckles, getting into position to make her entrance.

"Good luck," she whispers as she steps out from behind the curtain with Sequoia in her arms.

Oohs and awws erupt from the crowd as Gwen walks down the aisle with my baby, sprinkling little petals on the floor as she makes her way to the altar to join the rest of the bridal party.

"Okay, you’re next," I tell the pup, Kota very excitedly breaking out into another dance.

I look?" I ask, stepping back and

flowers decorating the bodice and my hair is curled and braided

princess, Mommy," Kota

handsome prince?" I ask, the little boy shaking his

wolf," he howls, the music picking

go," I instruct him and he hurriedly gets into position with the empty

on the pillow.I pull the curtain back enough to watch as Kota skips down the aisle, the crowd giggling

aisle, Kota breaks into a } full sprint, racing right into his

My handsome .

a million butterflies fluttering in my belly at

boy pulls up his pants to grab the two rings from

into laughter as Kota proudly hands the rings to his Dad who gives him

the guests all begin to

in my chest and Devina purrs happily as

only face I care to see is

and I see trails

look up at the night sky, a million stars watching over me

as my bridesmaids and to Zane's right, stands Agnes as his Best Ma’am with Tylen, Evan, and Micah as his

of the altar, smiling from ear to ear at me

proudly at me, Rionna holding Sequoia in

holds out his hand to me to

arms as he interlocks our fingers, and I gently wipe the tears on his

lips curling into

me to the center of the altar, where Aurora awaits to officiate our union.I hardly hear a word she says

he realizes I haven’t been paying attention.I take the ring from Aurora and slide it onto Zane’s finger, my mate smiling back at me with

Moon Goddess, I now pronounce you,

you may now

leans forward, our lips meeting for the first time as wolf and wife before our pack, His soothing scent of sage and bergamot fills my nostrils, and the rapid

and Aurora takes Kota

Zane, who gets down on his knees

Dakota

cupping Zane’s face in his

okay?" Zane asks, the pup nodding

in that bush w-was

I-I a-always love her...but I-I’m also making a p-promise to y-you too.I-I p-promise that y-you'll always be my son, K-Kota, no matter what anyone says," He says, Kota’s bottom lip quivering as

Zane murmurs, wrapping his arms around

be y-your daddy, K-Kota, and I'll do my

his head as he cries and I struggle to hold back my own

years of being on our own, Kota and I have a wonderful husband and

away my tears

arms and helps wipe away his tears and, as a family,

Aurora announces

to present to you for the first time, Zane and Natalia Ramos and their children, Sequoia

***Zane***

meet in wolf form as newlyweds so Talia and I are led away to separate tents set up in the adjacent

in the depths of my mind with excitement and I feel myself getting crossed eyed just trying

you sit still? \snap asI undo my

yet another

excitement, he

and I scold the wolf to

takes command of my

of my hands and feet, and I sit back to let my

out into the forest, his tail eagerly swishing back and forth, and on the opposite end of the clearing, Devina’s gray wolf steps out

calmly to the center of the clearing, sitting on her hind legs and patiently waiting for Grayson to