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.

do I look?" I ask, stepping back

shoulder ball gown with puffy sleeves and pretty flowers decorating the bodice and my hair is curled and braided with tiny hair jewels

like a princess, Mommy," Kota smiles

prince?" I ask,

wolf," he howls, the music picking up in

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

rings back on the pillow.I pull the curtain back enough to watch

into a } full sprint,

My handsome .

boy and kisses his forehead, a million butterflies fluttering in my belly at the beauty

in Kota’s ear and the little boy pulls up his pants to grab the two rings from inside

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

tempo and the guests all begin to rise from their seats

in my chest and Devina purrs happily as I pull back the

but the only face I care

of his face, and I see trails of tears glistening on his

sky, a million stars watching

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

smiling from ear to ear

Rionna and Toran smile proudly at me, Rionna holding

and holds out his hand to

interlocks our fingers, and I gently wipe the tears on his cheeks with my

Zane’s lips

he murmurs, lifting my hand to his lips and kissing my knuckles.He leads me to the center of the altar, where Aurora awaits to officiate our union.I hardly hear a word

himself when he realizes I haven’t been paying attention.I take the ring from Aurora

vested in me by the State of California and by our dear Moon Goddess, I now

now kiss

time as wolf and wife before our pack, His soothing scent of sage and bergamot fills my nostrils, and the rapid beating

away, and Aurora

up in confusion at Zane, who

Zane whispers, Dakota grinning

Kota replies, cupping

to tell y-you something okay?" Zane

y-you in that bush w-was the best thing t-that

to y-you too.I-I p-promise that y-you'll always be my son,

cry," Zane murmurs, wrapping his arms around

always be y-your daddy, K-Kota, and I'll do my best to be y-your superhero. I-I love y-you

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

our own, Kota and I have a wonderful husband and father, and our

a handkerchief and very carefully wipes away my tears while Rionna steps on

in his arms and helps wipe away his tears and, as

and gentlemen," Aurora

their children, Sequoia and Dakota Ramos. May Moon Goddess

***Zane***

in wolf form as newlyweds so Talia and I are led away to separate tents set up in the adjacent woods for a private

the zoomies, sprinting back and forth in the depths of my mind with excitement and I feel myself getting crossed eyed just trying to keep

asI undo my bowtie and

running yet another lap around my

excitement,

his sprint until I finish undressing and I scold the

begrudgingly stops and he takes command of my

place of my hands and feet, and I

eagerly swishing back and forth, and on the opposite end of the clearing, Devina’s gray wolf steps out of her tent, her

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