[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-alpha-s-unwanted-bride":3,"chapter-the-alpha-s-unwanted-bride-the-alpha-s-unwanted-bride-chapter-703":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"english","The Alpha's Unwanted Bride",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},1497077,1945,"Chapter 703: THE RING","the-alpha-s-unwanted-bride-chapter-703",703,"\u003Cp>TWO\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He stepped in quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Too quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I startled despite myself, my shoulders tensing for the slightest of a second before I forced them to relax.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closed behind him with a soft click that sounded far too final in the stillness of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My father.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He looked exactly as he always did composed, immaculate, calm in a way that felt deliberate.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept over me in one measured glance, searching over my face, the way my hands rested on the coverlet.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I felt exposed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>But I smiled anyway.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just enough.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good morning,\" he said gently with a smile\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good morning,\" I replied, matching his tone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servants who had been hovering near the window and dresser immediately bowed and excused themselves, slipping out without a sound. The door shut again, sealing us alone inside the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My heartbeat thudded louder in my ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Are you alright?\" he asked, stepping closer. His voice was warm, concerned. Convincing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" I said quickly. Too quickly. Then corrected myself. \"I mean..... yes. I’m fine.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His eyes lingered on me, sharp despite the softness in his expression.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wondered, not for the first time, how much he could see when he looked at someone. How much he chose to see.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m glad,\" he said at last. \"Last night was... frightening.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"My men are searching intensely for the people who took you,\" he continued, his voice darkening slightly. \"Every corner. Every hidden path. Whoever did this will answer to judgment.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A chill ran through me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fear crawled up my spine for the rebels.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"They will be found,\" he said calmly. \"And when they are, justice will be served.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I managed a smile.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Small. Careful.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I’m sure,\" I said.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He studied me again. \"Do you remember anything else from the night before? Anything at all?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>For a heartbeat, the image flashed in my mind unbidden.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The fireflies and how I had been led.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I wasn’t going to tell him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"No,\" I said smoothly. \"I don’t remember anything. Just... waking up.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze searched mine, lingering long enough that my palms began to sweat.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he nodded.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Memory loss is common in these situations,\" he said. \"Especially when dark magic is involved.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Dark magic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I bit the inside of my cheek to keep from reacting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"There’s something else,\" he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My stomach sank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"We have new information,\" he said. \"About a maid. One suspected of rebel involvement.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My breath hitched before I could stop it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"A maid?\" I asked, carefully neutral. \"Where... where did you meet her?\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His brow creased faintly. \"That’s part of an ongoing investigation. But she’s been arrested.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The room felt like it tilted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Sofia.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It had to be her.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The servant who had told me to follow the fireflies.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My hands clenched in the blankets.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I see,\" I said softly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"She won’t harm anyone else,\" he assured me, stepping closer. He reached out, brushing my hair back from my face with a tenderness that made my chest ache. \"You’re safe now. That’s all that matters.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He kissed my forehead.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced myself not to flinch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Training will start soon.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The words echoed in my mind as he spoke them aloud moments later, casual, almost comforting.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"As soon as you’re ready, of course,\" he added.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something cold settled in my stomach.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I thought of my mother’s warning.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of Maelis’s words.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of the red stone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of what unlocking my wolf truly meant.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"I don’t think I’m strong enough today,\" I said suddenly, the words tumbling out before I could overthink them. \"Last night... it took a lot out of me. I feel weak.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He paused.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just for a second.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then his expression softened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"That’s perfectly fine,\" he said. \"Rest is important.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Relief washed through me so fast my knees felt weak.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should gather your strength,\" he continued. \"Soon enough, you’ll need it.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I nodded. \"I will.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"The sooner your wolf is unleashed,\" he said gently, \"the sooner you’ll have a successful birth.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>There it was.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The reminder.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The pressure wrapped in concern.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" I said quietly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He leaned down and kissed my forehead again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And that was when I saw it.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The ring.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The red stone caught the light as he straightened, no longer dull but alive and glowing faintly, pulsing like something with a heartbeat of its own.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My breath stuttered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The glow intensified for a brief moment, the jagged edges of the stone seeming sharper, darker, as if it recognized me.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As if it knew I had seen it before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A shudder ran through me, uncontrollable.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Cold?\" he asked immediately, concern flickering across his face.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" I lied. \"A little.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You should rest,\" he said. \"You’re still recovering.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I smiled weakly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He turned toward the door, then stopped abruptly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze dropped to the bedside table.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Empty.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My pulse spiked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"You’ve been drinking your tonic?\" he asked casually, though his eyes never left the cup.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Yes,\" I said without hesitation.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Good,\" he said, satisfied. \"It will prevent the wraiths from troubling you.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My chest tightened.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Have you had any dreams lately?\" he asked.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I forced a soft laugh. \"No. I slept like a baby.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He nodded, pleased.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>\"Excellent,\" he said. \"Rest. We’ll speak later.\"\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And then he was gone.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The door closed behind him, the sound echoing louder than it should have.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I didn’t move for a long moment.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Didn’t blink.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And the I felt free of him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as though the moment he had gone, I could finally breathe.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I placed my hand on my chest as I took in deep breaths.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I rose up to my feet, my hand protectively over my pregnant tummy as I walked to the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How could something so beautiful still be so ugly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This had been my hope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>My future.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>And now I had to start from scratch.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I had been thinking this was a new start when it was the worst place for me to be.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>I needed to get the hell out of this place.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Fast.\u003C\u002Fp>",1005,"2026-06-06T04:22:27.141Z",1,"novelbin.me","5aec8c97f374a45ec3bcd2f675336af070f7c0d5b489500d06c3ab4313a65710","the-alpha-s-unwanted-bride-chapter-704","the-alpha-s-unwanted-bride-chapter-702",728,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-alpha-s-unwanted-bride-cover.jpg"]