The Alpha's Unwanted Bride

Chapter 687: THE LOCKED WOLF

The dining chamber was quiet in a way that felt intentional.

Not empty.

Not cold.

But reverent.

A long oval table carved from pale wood sat beneath a ceiling of softly glowing stone. Vines threaded gently along the walls, blooming with small white flowers that released a faint, calming scent.

Lanterns of crystal hovered above the table, casting a warm golden light that made everything feel... safe.

I was not used to safe.

I sat across from Aiden, my hands resting on my stomach, fingers unconsciously circling slow patterns as servants moved silently around us.

They placed plates before me, food I had always seen but rarely ate. Roasted meats glazed with herbs, soft bread that smelled like honey and grain, bowls of steaming vegetables kissed with spices that made my mouth water despite myself.

Aiden watched me carefully as I picked up my fork.

"Do you like it?" he asked gently.

I took a small bite, chewed slowly.

"It’s... okay," I said honestly.

Not because it wasn’t good, it was, but because my chest felt too tight to enjoy anything fully.

The hunger had all of a sudden disappeared.

He smiled faintly, not offended. "You sound exactly like your mother when she was overwhelmed."

My grip on the fork tightened.

I swallowed.

"I didn’t come here just to eat," I said quietly.

"I know," he replied just as softly.

Silence stretched between us for a moment, thick with all the things I didn’t know how to say.

Then I lifted my head. "When can I go back for Otto?"

Aiden blinked, clearly not expecting that so soon.

"Otto?" he repeated.

"Yes," I said, a little sharper than intended. "My friend. The one your people... weren’t exactly kind to."

His brows drew together immediately. "They hurt him?"

"They chained him in silver," I said flatly. "He was screaming."

Something dark flashed across Aiden’s face. Anger, sharp and fast.

"I’m sorry," he said at once. "That should not have happened. He was perceived as a threat, but that does not excuse cruelty."

I exhaled slowly. "I just want to bring him here. He doesn’t deserve to be left alone. He saved my life more times than I can count."

Aiden nodded once. "He will be fine back in the other world. I gave strict orders. No harm will come to him."

That didn’t fully soothe me, but I nodded anyway.

Then his gaze dropped briefly, deliberately to my stomach.

"And this Otto..." he said carefully. "Is he the father of my grandchild?"

"What?" I blurted, choking slightly. "No. No, absolutely not."

He raised a brow. "You sound very certain."

"Because I am," I said quickly. "We don’t have that kind of relationship. He’s just he’s my friend. A very close one."

"A friend who stayed," Aiden observed.

I paused.

"Yes," I admitted quietly. "When I had no one. When everyone else either betrayed me or wanted me dead."

Something softened in his expression.

"And the father?" he asked. "I expect that these are qualities he would posses."

My jaw tightened.

"I don’t want to talk about that."

The temperature in the room seemed to dip just slightly.

"If he hurt you Jasmine I swear...." Aiden began, voice turning dangerous.

"No," I cut in firmly. "He didn’t. And I don’t want you dealing with anyone on my behalf."

He studied me for a long moment, then sighed deeply.

"Too many people have already hurt you," I continued, my voice trembling despite my effort to stay calm. "I don’t want vengeance. I don’t want justice. I just want... a fresh start."

Aiden leaned back in his chair, rubbing a hand over his face.

"You sound so much like her," he murmured.

Then he looked at me again. "Would you want to return to your mother’s people?"

My chest tightened painfully.

"No," I said immediately.

He looked surprised. "Why?"

And suddenly the words spilled out of me, raw and unfiltered.

"I was accused of crimes I didn’t commit," I said. "I was locked in a cell. Starved. Threatened. They sentenced me to death."

Aiden’s face drained of color.

"They chose an imposter over me," I continued bitterly. "They watched as I was dragged away like I was nothing. Like I was disposable."

His hands clenched into fists.

"I never liked your grandparents," he said darkly. "Not even before all of this."

I looked up sharply.

"There was a time," he went on, "when your mother went looking for them. She wanted answers. She wanted family."

His voice hardened. "They turned her away."

My breath caught.

"They are the root of everything," he finished. "Every wound. Every loss."

As if responding to the surge of emotion, my baby kicked hard.

I gasped softly, instinctively pressing my palm to my stomach.

"There," I whispered. "You feel that?"

Aiden’s expression shifted instantly and wonder, awe, something fragile.

"I didn’t come here to be pampered," I said suddenly, urgency rising. "I didn’t come here to eat good food or sit at beautiful tables."

I leaned forward, eyes blazing.

"I came here to survive."

He stilled.

"I need to know how to shift," I said. "I need to know how to save my child."

Aiden’s gaze sharpened.

"And that is what I would like to explain to you. You are not unshifted," he said firmly.

I blinked. "What?"

"The powerful wolves here have already sensed it," he explained. "You have a wolf. Your mother was a fierce wolf and so am I. Why would you be unshifted."

My heart pounded violently. "Then why can’t I feel it?"

"Because it is locked," he said.

The word echoed in my mind.

Locked.

"What does that mean?" I whispered.

"It means," he said gravely, "that your royal blood suppressed your other powers. Blood like yours carries immense weight. It presses down on everything else."

"But," he continued, voice darkening, "someone interfered. Someone sealed your wolf deliberately."

My stomach churned.

"Why?" I asked hoarsely.

"To weaken you," he replied. "To make you suffer. To ensure you would never claim what was yours."

My hands shook.

"The prophecy could never be wrong," Aiden said softly. "You are powerful, Jasmine. Far more than you know."

I stared at him, the weight of his words crashing over me.

Someone had done this to me.

This revelation made me furious.

I had had enemies even before I was born