The Alpha's Unwanted Bride

Chapter 437: A VISIT

Sunlight spilled through the velvet curtains of Anna’s chamber, gilding the floor with golden light that didn’t match the unease in her chest.

She hadn’t slept.

Not a moment of peace. She’d spent the hours between midnight and dawn staring at the canopy above her bed, counting heartbeats like they might drown out the question that burned at the back of her skull:

Where is Rudy’s body?

It had been there. Hung perfectly. A neat, tidy little suicide.

Now it was gone.

A sharp knock sounded at the door.

”Enter,” Anna said, keeping her voice as composed as ever.

Two of her chambermaids entered cautiously—Sela, the older one with graying braids and sharp eyes, and Mirra, the skittish younger girl who always looked one apology away from tears. They carried a silver tray and the pale blue day gown she’d worn only once before.

She watched them in silence as they entered. They expected coldness. Barked orders. Not conversation.

Anna sat up straighter, folding her hands in her lap. ”How are things in the pack this morning?”

They froze.

Sela blinked. Mirra glanced at her as if waiting for confirmation that she’d heard correctly.

Anna smiled ever so slightly. ”Well?”

Sela cleared her throat. ”Quiet, my lady. Peaceful. The warriors have returned from patrol without incident. Nothing unusual to report.”

”And Jasmine?” Anna asked, smoothing a wrinkle in her sheets with one long, pale finger.

”She’s awake,” Sela replied. ”The healer says the baby’s unharmed. She’s been with Nanny Nia all morning.”

Anna allowed her brows to pull together delicately, lips parting in faux dismay. ”That poor girl,” she murmured. ”What a dreadful fall. I really must find the time to visit her.”

Neither of the maids responded.

Anna didn’t expect them to.

”That’s all?” she asked lightly, glancing at them.

”Yes, my lady,” Mirra said quickly, bowing her head.

”Good. I’ll be riding this morning. The stables, please. I’d like something fast.”

The maids nodded and set about preparing her gown.

Anna rose from bed like a ghost shedding silk, letting their hands dress her while her mind wandered. She kept her face composed, elegant. Distant.

But inside, something twisted and thrashed.

If no one had mentioned Rudy... if no one had even noticed his body hanging like a rotted fruit in the barn... then someone had gotten there first.

Someone had moved him.

She wasn’t sure what terrified her more: that someone had found the body and covered it up—or that whoever had done it hadn’t said a word.

The stables bustled that morning with the usual rhythm—grooms brushing down horses, saddles being adjusted, metal bits clinking softly. The scent of hay, old wood, and sweat hung in the air.

Anna stepped down from her carriage, her skirts brushing the dirt.

She smiled at the nearest stable hand—a boy no older than sixteen. ”Tell me,” she said sweetly, ”is the ranch master here?”

He blinked, clearly stunned she was speaking directly to him, and pointed toward the main barn. ”Just there, Lady Anna.”

She made her way through the paddock, letting her expression stay carefully warm. Controlled. But her eyes flicked over every shadow, every corner of the stable. She caught sight of the head rancher—Gavin, a broad-shouldered man with straw-colored hair and a sun-weathered face—mending a saddle.

”Morning, Gavin,” Anna called lightly.

He straightened with a grunt. ”Lady Anna,” he said, nodding.

She offered a pleasant smile. ”I was hoping to ride today. I usually ask for Rudy. Is he about?”

Gavin wiped his hands on his apron. ”Haven’t seen him.”

Anna tilted her head just slightly. ”Oh? He’s usually quite punctual.”

Gavin shrugged. ”Maybe he’s ill. Boy’s been acting strange since yesterday. Quiet. Nervous.”

Anna’s spine prickled.

”Strange?” she echoed, trying to keep the curiosity out of her tone.

”Wouldn’t say a word to anyone after lunch,” Gavin continued. ”Kept looking over his shoulder like he thought something was after him.”

He snorted. ”Could be a hangover, could be guilt. Don’t know what for.”

Anna forced a chuckle. ”Well, let me know if he shows. I hope it’s nothing serious.”

Gavin nodded. ”I’ll send for him if he comes in.”

She chose her mare—a sleek, silver-gray creature with fast legs and an easy gait—and rode toward the forest trails with only one thought banging in her skull like thunder.

Someone else knows.

Rudy’s disappearance wasn’t a coincidence. It wasn’t the quiet success of a perfect crime.

It was unfinished business.

And if someone had moved that body... it meant they’d done it before dawn.

Before she could.

Anna clutched the reins tighter, the wind tugging at her hair.

She needed to know who got there first. Before the truth surfaced and dragged her down with it.

Before Jasmine remembered.

Before the wolves began sniffing again.

Before Lisa snapped.

And gods forbid, before Lily talked.

~~~~~~~~~~

Anna moved through the corridor like a shadow in satin.

Every step toward Jasmine’s quarters echoed with practiced grace, but inside her chest, a dull thrum of impatience and calculation kept rhythm. She’d planned the visit carefully, just late enough in the morning that Jasmine would be alert, but early enough to seem thoughtful. Caring. Like a friend. Like someone who gave a damn.

She turned the final corner and was greeted by the heavy scent of herbs and candle smoke. Of course, Marie was here. The witch’s presence always clung to the air like damp mist. Anna kept her face composed as she knocked once, then pushed the door open without waiting for permission.

Inside, the chamber was dimly lit, the curtains half-drawn. A cluster of flickering candles danced along the dresser, illuminating the edge of the bed where Jasmine lay propped up by pillows. Her face was pale, her hands cradling her swollen belly as though bracing against the weight of more than just the child inside.

Marie was seated in the corner, grinding something into a bowl with her usual eerie calm.

And Nanny Nia stood protectively beside Jasmine’s bed like a soldier on watch.

All three women turned at once.

”Oh,” Anna said, stepping inside with her softest smile. ”I hope I’m not interrupting.”

”You are,” Nia said flatly, arms crossed. ”But you’re already here.”

Anna’s smile barely wavered. She looked past the woman like she didn’t exist. ”Jasmine,” she cooed. ”I was so worried when I heard. I came as soon as I could.”

Jasmine blinked slowly, her dark eyes unreadable. ”I’m fine,” she said, her voice even. ”The baby’s fine too.”

”That’s a blessing,” Anna said, moving toward the bed with delicate steps. ”Truly.”

She glanced at Marie, who was watching her like a crow perched above a battlefield. ”Marie,” Anna said with a nod.

Marie didn’t respond. She went back to grinding whatever pungent root she had in the bowl, her silence saying everything.

Anna turned to Nanny Nia, who still hadn’t moved. ”May I sit?”

”That depends,” Nia said. ”Are you here to actually help, or just sniff around?”

A flicker of annoyance danced behind Anna’s eyes. She smiled wider to hide it. ”I’m here to check on Jasmine. Nothing more.”

”You weren’t at the stables yesterday, were you?” Nia asked, voice like a blade half-drawn from its sheath

Anna let out a soft, airy laugh. ”I go to the stables often, Nanny. I like to ride. It clears the mind.”

”Must be a lot to clear,” Nia muttered.

Jasmine cleared her throat. ”Nia, it’s alright.”

Reluctantly, the older woman stepped aside.

Anna took the offered seat by the bed and folded her hands neatly in her lap. ”You look tired, Jasmine. But beautiful as always.”

”Thank you,” Jasmine said, her voice tight. ”I’ve had better days.”

”I can imagine,” Anna said. ”Falling like that, it must have been terrifying. And now with everything else going on in the pack...” she trailed off, letting the bait hang in the air.

But Jasmine didn’t take it. She just stared at her, one hand resting protectively over her belly.

Anna leaned forward just slightly. ”I’ve been thinking of you. Truly. I know we’ve... had our differences. But I’d never wish harm on you. Or your child.”

Nia scoffed under her breath.

Jasmine blinked slowly. ”That’s generous of you.”

There was silence, thick and strained.

Anna let her eyes drift to the hearth, to the flickering flames. ”A strange energy in the air lately, don’t you think?” she murmured. ”Restlessness. Secrets. People acting... oddly.”

Marie looked up from her bowl. ”Yes,” she said softly. ”There is something stirring. But it isn’t new. It’s just getting harder to hide.”

Anna’s eyes slid toward her. ”Do you mean the storm that passed? Or something else?”

Marie smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. ”Storms pass. But rot... that stays buried in the roots.”

Anna’s spine prickled.

”I didn’t realize we were being poetic,” she said coolly.

Marie went back to her work without answering.

Anna turned back to Jasmine. ”If you need anything... truly. I’m here.”

”I’m sure you are,” Jasmine said.

Anna stood slowly, brushing imaginary dust from her skirts. ”Well. I won’t overstay. You need rest. The baby needs calm.”

”We do,” Nia said sharply. ”And the less drama at our door, the better.”

Anna didn’t respond. She gave Jasmine one last, lingering glance, part pity, part warning, and turned toward the door.

As she stepped out into the hall, her smile dropped like a mask from her face. Her eyes burned with quiet fury.

They were watching her. All of them.

But she’d watch back. Closer. Sharper.

Because something was unraveling. And if Jasmine or that damn witch or that old crone of a nanny tried to get in her way.

They’d wish they’d stayed in the dark.