The Alpha's Bride Chapter 1071: Alpha Valeria and...?

"Has everyone important arrived yet?" Violet inquired to the room at large.

"I believe so," Talia answered, her attention remaining fixed on Damon, who was currently feeding her.

"Uncle Axel and Aunt Yasmin aren't here yet."

"They promised to attend, though the time difference makes their arrival unpredictable. You know their habits; they could show up this morning or wait until next week, depending on how long it takes Yasmin to do her hair."

Violet remained silent. Her interest wasn't truly in Axel or Yasmin, but rather in whether Valeria and Edgar would make an appearance. While only two days had passed for Violet since leaving the Midnight Guardians pack, Valeria had been given two months to come to terms with the reality that she would not be the Alpha of the Midnight Guardians pack.

A piece of perfectly grilled meat, held on a fork before her face, pulled Violet back to the present. Ashton was feeding her, a gesture she found deeply pleasing.

Picking up another fork, Violet skewered a piece of meat for Ashton in return.

"Together," she whispered, and they both accepted each other's food at the same moment.

Ashton ate with obvious satisfaction. This public display served as a signal to everyone that they were equals, a dynamic he insisted upon.

A commotion broke out to the right, and Violet turned to see Axel and Yasmin entering the garden. A line of Moonrider youths followed them, arranged by age.

They weren't alone; Meg, Kai, Tyler, Sandy, and several other high-ranking members of the Midnight Guardians pack followed, filling the garden to its capacity.

While the common pack members had arrived earlier, the ranked wolves waited to escort Axel and Yasmin. Though they were merely proxies, Talia had demanded they be accorded the full dignity of a true Alpha and Luna.

Violet’s gaze locked onto the female walking behind Yasmin.

"Don't," Ashton murmured to her.

"Don't what?"

"Keep your focus on me."

"You already have it."

"It didn't seem that way."

"I can handle more than one thing at once," Violet argued.

"Then ensure every one of those things involves me," Ashton replied, his expression dead serious.

Violet’s shoulders began to tremble before she erupted into laughter. She was amazed by how bold he was—and how handsome, and how he belonged entirely to her.

Valeria maintained a forced smile as she followed her parents toward their hosts to offer greetings.

"We won't linger, since we have already offered our congratulations to the new mates," Axel remarked.

"Forget the formalities," Talia insisted. "We are all family." She noticed Zina was already directing Omegas to prepare a table for the Moonrider group. Places were set for the adults and teenagers, while the younger children were sent to play in a supervised area stocked with kid-friendly snacks.

Talia signaled to Zina before turning back to Axel and Yasmin. "Go ahead and enjoy the refreshments; we can talk later. We have a double-Alpha ceremony to organize."

"Will we be excluded?" Violet asked.

Talia shook her head. "Certain traditions must proceed, regardless of your preferences. We need a tentative schedule for when you will officially become the Alpha. Shaman Gideon will determine the most auspicious date for the rite."

"Why the sudden urgency?" Violet questioned.

"We aren't forcing you to rush, but Ashton is of age and long overdue to assume his Alpha responsibilities. Our people are restless to see you take your place. Now that your mate has been found, there are no more obstacles."

Violet sensed a deeper meaning behind the words but chose not to press for details in public. She would question her mother in private later.

Valeria took her seat at the table alongside Edgar and her parents.

"You could at least act like you're happy," Edgar whispered to her.

He slid a plate of food toward her. "Eat something, Val. I suggest you prepare a brilliant toast for our cousin. Otherwise, people will assume you resent Vi’s mating or her position as our Alpha. Either suspicion will reflect poorly on you."

Valeria gave a dismissive eye-roll. Edgar was wrong—mostly.

She felt a deep sting of resentment over the humiliation Violet had caused her during their last pack meeting. Now, she was expected to act as if nothing had happened.

She recognized the weight of the hierarchy and the danger of rebellion, yet she felt victimized. Being told to simply deal with it didn't help. She had nothing else—she excelled in her studies and Cultivation, but it all felt hollow knowing she was training only to be Violet’s subordinate.

The highest she could hope for was to be Violet’s proxy or Beta in the Midnight Guardians pack, which still meant Violet was her superior. It felt as though she was living in a permanent, stifling shadow.

Valeria picked at the meat on her plate; it looked appetizing, but she had no hunger for it.

There was only one snack she could never turn down.

Checking her bag, she frowned to find it empty.

She nudged Edgar. "Give me some dried apricots." She knew they were his favorite as well.

Edgar raised an eyebrow. "What makes you think I have any on me?"

"If you don't have them, why do I smell them?" she asked, wrinkling her nose.

Edgar caught the scent in the air. "I smell plenty of things, but not apricots." The scent of grilled meat dominated everything, yet as she spoke, he caught a faint whiff of the fruit. Was it real, or was he picking up Valeria's desire through their twin bond?

"I'll go look for some."

Edgar rose and headed toward the food stations. He planned to check the side dishes or head to the kitchen if necessary.

He failed to notice that his sister had completely frozen the moment he stood up.

Axel’s brow furrowed with worry as he watched Valeria's motionless form. "Val, honey, are you feeling sick?"

She gave no reply.

"Yasmin," Axel called out. "Something is wrong with Val."

Yasmin’s face broke into a wide grin. "Nothing is wrong, Axel." She covered her mouth as she realized exactly where Valeria’s eyes were fixed—or rather, who she was staring at.

In slow motion, Valeria stood and began walking through the crowd toward the door, heading for a striking young man who stood paralyzed on the terrace, staring back at her.

"Oh, no!" Axel cried out, clutching his chest. His eldest daughter was about to leave the nest!

Because of Valeria's high rank, Axel had always assumed her mate would move in with them, but looking at the young man, he realized she might be the one to leave.