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.

ask, stepping back

shoulder ball gown with puffy sleeves and pretty flowers decorating the bodice

look like a princess, Mommy," Kota smiles

prince?" I ask,

I’m a wolf," he howls, the music picking

him and he hurriedly gets into position with

pull the curtain back

Kota breaks into

My handsome .

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

whispers something in Kota’s ear and the little boy pulls up his

proudly hands the rings to his Dad who gives him a

the music changes tempo and the guests all begin to

Devina purrs happily as I

but the only face I care to see

and

may burst into tears, I look up at the night sky,

and to Zane's right,

ear to ear at me

front row, Rionna and Toran smile proudly at me, Rionna holding Sequoia

off the altar and holds out his hand to me to help me

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

lips curling into

leads me to the center of the altar, where Aurora awaits to officiate our union.I hardly hear a word she says as I gaze back at my mate and the cool sensation of the ring sliding down my finger jolts

paying attention.I take the ring from Aurora and slide

by the State of California and by our dear Moon Goddess, I now pronounce you, husband and wife," Aurora proclaims, the

now kiss your

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

curls on my lips as I pull away, and Aurora takes Kota

boy looks up in confusion at Zane, who gets

K-Kota," Zane whispers, Dakota grinning back at him

cupping Zane’s face

have to tell y-you something okay?" Zane asks, the

I-I haven’t been part of y-your life for very long, but finding y-you in that bush w-was the best thing t-that ever happened to m-me," Zane

mom that 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

don’t cry," Zane murmurs, wrapping his

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

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

I have a wonderful husband and father, and our

wipes away my tears while Rionna steps on to the altar to hand me

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

Aurora

time, Zane and Natalia Ramos and their children,

***Zane***

newlyweds so Talia and I are led away to separate tents set up in the adjacent woods for

the zoomies, sprinting back and forth in the depths of my mind with excitement and I

you sit still? \snap asI undo

yips, running yet

excitement, he

finish undressing and I scold the wolf to calm

he takes command of my body, my bones cracking and

feet, and I

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

on her hind legs and