All Chapters of Unexpected Mate: The Cruel Alpha’s Little Wolf: Chapter 61 - Chapter 70

When I opened my eyes... Sunlight was already spilling through the curtains. For one wonderfully peaceful moment... I simply lay there. The estate was quiet. The distant sounds of servants beginning another day drifted faintly through the open window. Somewhere below, I heard the quiet hum of vehicles arriving and departing through the front gates. The event staff had probably returned to dismantle what remained of yesterday's celebration. Yesterday had filled every corner of Blackwood with music and conversation. Today... Life had resumed. I remained beneath the covers for another minute before finally sitting up. The room looked exactly as it had the night before. Except now, the flowers decorating the small table had begun to open with the morning light. I smiled to myself. It was strange how quickly extraordinary days became memories. After dressing in a simple sage-green day dress, I pinned back my hair with far less effort than had been required y

Twenty minutes later, we stepped out through the front entrance. A sleek black SUV waited at the foot of the steps. Another vehicle stood behind it, several members of the pack guard already inside. I slowed. "We're taking security to the market?" Kael noticed where I was looking. "They're taking us." "I thought this was an ordinary visit." "It is." Rowan smiled faintly. "It would cease to be ordinary very quickly if anything happened to the Alpha or Luna." I couldn't argue with that. As the vehicles left the estate behind, familiar streets gradually came into view. Blackwood hadn't changed. The cafés still stood exactly where I remembered. The florist still occupied the corner opposite the old bakery. The morning crowds moved with the same quiet rhythm they always had. I had lived in the Southern District with Vera and Manda for years. Coming into the town centre had been rare. Not until now. The last time I'd walked these streets... I had be

The drive back to the estate felt quieter. Perhaps because the morning had been unexpectedly full. Or perhaps because I was still thinking about everything I'd seen. The market. The people. The way Kael knew so many of them by name. I had expected to leave with a better understanding of my duties as Luna. Instead... I found myself with more questions than answers. The gates of the estate opened as our vehicle approached. By the time we stepped onto the front steps, the afternoon sun had settled warmly over the gardens. The wedding flowers were gone. Only neatly trimmed hedges and pathways remained. It was almost difficult to believe that hundreds of guests had filled the grounds only yesterday. The front door opened before we reached it. A small blur shot across the entrance hall. "Daddy!" Aurelia launched herself toward Kael with all the confidence of someone who had never doubted he'd catch her. He did. Effortlessly. She wrapped both arms arou

The silence lingered. Not awkward. Simply... Thoughtful. Kael looked into the fire for a long moment before his gaze returned to me. "Have I been cruel to you?" The question caught me completely off guard. "What?" "Have I?" I didn't hesitate. "No." "To Aurelia?" "Never." "To anyone you've met since coming here?" I thought back over the past weeks. Agatha. Mr. Alden. The servants. The council. The people at the market. Even the traders who had disagreed earlier that morning. "No." He inclined his head slightly. "Then I'd rather you continue judging me by what you see." His answer surprised me. "You aren't going to tell me?" "Not tonight." "Why?" He was quiet for a moment. "Because explanations are easy." "Understanding is not." I frowned slightly. "I don't think I follow." "You've met the man I am within Blackwood." His voice remained calm. "The man my people know." "And outside Blackwood?" His eyes held mine.

Kael and I had scarcely left the administrative office when Rowan appeared once again. For a man of his age... He moved with remarkable purpose. "Alpha." Kael stopped. "What is it?" Elder Rowan held a cream-coloured envelope sealed with dark blue wax. "It arrived about twenty minutes ago." He handed it to Kael. "The messenger insisted it be placed directly into your hands." Kael broke the seal without comment. His eyes moved steadily across the page. Nothing in his expression changed. Yet... Somehow, I knew the contents were not ordinary. He folded the letter carefully. "When?" "The day after tomorrow." "That soon?" "Yes." A brief silence followed. Finally, I asked, "Is something wrong?" Kael looked at me. "No." Then, after the smallest pause— "Something expected." Rowan answered before I could ask another question. "Alpha Adrian Ashbourne has requested an official visit to Blackwood." The name meant nothing to me. I must hav