The Alpha’s Hidden Bride

The first time Mara Vale stepped into Blackthorn Manor, someone had already tried to kill her. She just didn’t know it yet. Rain hammered against the carriage windows as she stared at the enormous black gates rising ahead of her. BLACKTHORN TERRITORY. The words were carved into a stone pillar beneath the image of a snarling wolf. Mara swallowed. Everyone in the kingdom knew what that symbol meant. Power. Blood. Death. The Blackthorn Alpha was not a man ordinary wolves crossed. And somehow, Mara had just agreed to work in his home. The carriage stopped. A guard opened the door. “Get out.” Mara tightened her fingers around the small cloth bag containing everything she owned. One dress. Two pairs of shoes. A faded photograph. And a silver pendant she’d worn around her neck for as long as she could remember. She stepped into the rain. The manor was even more terrifying up close. Black stone walls climbed toward the stormy sky. Hundreds of windows stared down at her like watchful eyes. Mara forced herself to breathe. She needed this job. She needed the money. And most importantly, she needed somewhere to disappear. “You’re late.” Mara turned. A woman in a dark uniform stood beneath the entrance. Her expression was cold. “Sorry. The road” “I don’t care.” The woman looked Mara up and down. “You’re the new servant?” “Yes.” “Name?” “Mara Vale.” Something strange flashed across the woman’s face. Fear. It disappeared almost instantly. “Follow me.” Mara stepped inside. The moment she crossed the threshold, a strange pain shot through her chest. She stopped. For one brief second, she heard a voice inside her head. Mara. Her breath caught. She looked around. Nobody had spoken. “Are you coming?” Mara hurried after the woman. The corridors were enormous, lined with portraits of generations of Blackthorns. Alphas. Lunas. Warriors. But there was something strange. Every portrait had the same black wolf insignia. Except one. At the end of the corridor hung an old painting of a little girl. Mara stopped. The girl looked about six years old. Dark hair. Pale skin. And a silver pendant around her neck. The exact pendant Mara was wearing. Her heart stopped. “Who is she?” The woman suddenly grabbed her arm. “Don’t ask questions.” “But” “Especially about that girl.” The woman’s voice dropped to a whisper. “Whatever you do, don’t let the Alpha see that pendant.” Mara stared at her. “Why?” Before the woman could answer. A howl shook the entire manor. Every candle in the corridor flickered. The servants froze. Mara felt something awaken beneath her skin. Then footsteps sounded from the staircase. Slow. Heavy. Everyone immediately lowered their heads. Mara turned. A man descended the stairs. Tall. Broad-shouldered. Dressed entirely in black. His face was carved with cold perfection, but it was his eyes that made Mara forget how to breathe. Golden. Predatory. Alpha eyes. Lucian Blackthorn. The most feared Alpha in the kingdom. His gaze swept across the servants. Then stopped on Mara. Silence filled the hallway. Lucian’s expression changed. For the briefest moment, something like shock crossed his face. Then his eyes narrowed. He walked toward her. One step. Two. Three. Mara couldn’t move. When he finally stopped in front of her, his voice was dangerously quiet. “Where did you get that pendant?” Mara touched it instinctively. “My mother gave it to me.” Lucian’s jaw tightened. “You don’t have a mother.” Mara frowned. “What?” He stared at her as though she were a ghost. Then, without warning, his eyes darkened. His wolf emerged beneath his skin. A growl tore from his throat. Everyone in the corridor dropped to their knees. Everyone except Mara. She couldn’t. Because something inside her was growling back. Lucian stepped closer. His scent surrounded her. And suddenly. Mara saw a flash. Fire. Blood. A little boy holding her hand. A black wolf standing behind him. And a man’s voice screaming: “Take the girl! If the Alpha discovers she’s alive, we’re all dead!” Mara gasped. The vision vanished. Lucian was staring at her. Not with anger anymore. With fear. Real fear. His hand slowly closed around her wrist. Then his eyes dropped to the pendant. His face went completely pale. “No Mara pulled away. “What is it? Lucian didn’t answer. Instead, he looked toward the servants. “Everyone leave.” Nobody moved. His voice thundered through the manor. “NOW! The hallway emptied within seconds. Mara stood alone with the Alpha. Lucian looked at her again. For the first time, the terrifying Alpha looked genuinely shaken. Then he whispered four words that made Mara’s blood run cold. “You’re supposed to be dead.