Chapter 874 – Hidden Desires of the Werewolf King Novel

Filed To Story: Veiled Desires of the Alpha King Novel

Alpha Desmond and Luna Edith didn’t get a chance to meet Talia beyond brief greetings at Tatiana’s Luna ceremony, and they were curious to find out more about the female that was the cause of many changes which happened in the last few months, including the expansion of the Blue River pack.

Dayson was observing the crowd. About three hundred people were seated on chairs, and many more stood on the side and behind to fill the clearing in all directions until they merged with the forest around them.

A clear white strip of carpet split the seated people in half, and several tents poked above heads.

Some estimated that by the time ceremony started, the headcount had crossed more than ten thousand. Such a gathering of werewolves was unprecedented, yet they were here, patiently waiting to watch Dayson and Talia exchange vows.

Reporters were taking photos, and there was a live stream for others to watch online.

Despite the excited chatter of so many people gathered in one place, things were orderly.

More than a thousand people were invited, but that number didn’t include people from the Shadow Fang pack and the Midnight Guardians pack. Also, anyone from the Blue River pack, the Spring Leaf pack, and the Lightclaw pack could come. It was an open event to the public, and as much as Dayson wanted it to be huge, he never imagined it would swell to this scale. He hoped Talia would approve.

The music changed, and the crowd stirred before settling into silence. It was time!

Mindy and Gideon appeared first, walking hand-in-hand in practiced slow steps.

The second couple was Yasmin and Axel, and then Meg and Kai, Maya and Jaeden, Sandy and Tyler, and Cornelia and James. It was an impressive lineup of high-ranking members from two packs.

Tatiana and Maddox were first from allied packs, followed by Kalina and Tony, Michelle and Cristian. They had matching outfits and walked with the arrogance of Alpha couples. Dawn and George fit perfectly with their predecessors on the white carpet. Zina grinned while walking hand-in-hand with Owen, the General of the Shadow Fang pack. Olivia stuck close to Travis, seeking protection in his presence, and he thought she was adorable. Other couples followed proudly as well. It was a majestic sight.

With members of the bridal party taking their positions, males lined up on Dayson’s side, and females stood on the other.

Maddox was next to Dayson as the best man, and Mindy stood first in the line of females as the maid of honor.

The Alpha family of the Blue River pack was on the stage with Dayson, and with Tony, Kalina, Cristian, Michelle, Axel, and Yasmin there, it was a big deal.

Everyone knew that those five packs were allies, but the presence of their highest-ranking members on that podium was confirmation that their relationship was beyond business deals and collaboration between packs. It was personal. It made members of the Shadow Fang, Midnight Guardians, Blue River, Spring Leaf, and Lightclaw packs proud and others envious.

The music changed again, and there was a sharp collective intake of air when two people in white stepped on the white carpet. This was it!

‘Ohs’ and ‘Ahs’ were heard everywhere at the majestic sight of Talia and Valerian.

Valerian’s suit was completely white, matching Talia’s wedding dress, and the silvery threads of their garments glistened golden under the setting sun.

Seated people stood up, and they all lowered their heads instinctively despite their desire to stare at the duo.

Valerian and Talia walked steadily in sync, with their chins held high, and even humans could feel the power radiating from them. Talia and Valerian were like royals and more than that. It was surreal, and people thought this must be how one feels when in the presence of a deity. The desire to bow to them and pledge loyalty was overwhelming.

Only a handful of people knew who Valerian was, and others were curious about his background.

It was not a secret that both Dayson and Talia were Alphas and their powerful bloodline granted them animalistic instincts and possessiveness that topped all others. Rumors spread how any woman who tried getting close to Dayson ended up in the dungeon, men who thought about putting their hands on Talia were beaten black and blue, and the last female who pretended to be Talia was killed on the spot by Dayson himself.

The venue was silent in stark contrast to pack-links that were buzzing with questions related to who could hold Luna Talia’s (aka Alpha Natalia’s) hand without Dayson losing his shit. Actually, Dayson looked proud up there, obviously approving of that man next to his mate.

Sophia and Isaac were in good spirits because they got good seats. Omegas from the Midnight Guardians pack were assigned to watch over Valeria and Edgar in the area for kids while Sophia and Isaac attended the ceremony.

The ex-Alpha couple could see the podium clearly, and they could also see the bride and the man next to her.

Sophia pressed her lips into a line seeing the tiara Talia was wearing. Sure, it was the heirloom of the Moonrider family, but Sophia treated it as a precious treasure that shouldn’t be tainted, yet Talia was wearing it like a head accessory. Maybe she would be less salty if Axel didn’t make a big deal about giving the tiara to Talia and reminding his parents that everything in that packhouse belongs to the new Alpha.

Sophia shook off the unpleasant thoughts and focused on the two people in white who were now the center of attention.

With every next step Talia and Valerian took, Sophia felt something ominous approaching, and it took her some time to realize what it was.

Sophia stared at the face of the man she thought she would never see.

From the moment they received their invitation, Sophia didn’t think it was a good idea to come here. However, Isaac persuaded her to come with, “It will be good for our image. Do you really want to reject the invitation of our Alpha?”

Sophia snorted. “OUR Alpha?” For Talia to be her Alpha, Sophia needed to accept it. Their current situation was forced on them, and if Talia didn’t take away their abilities, things would end up differently.

“That attitude will only bring us more trouble,” Isaac warned her. “Our pack members are ignoring us. If we don’t go, they will hate us more.”

“Not if they don’t know we were invited,” Sophia retorted.

Isaac shook his head in disagreement. “If they think we were not invited, it will be as if we were not important. No one will take pity on us, Sophia, and even if they did, would you accept pity? I thought you were better than that…”

And here they were, at the ceremony, and Sophia would rather take any consequences of staying home than attend this personal nightmare.

Sophia was squeezing Isaac’s hand nervously.

‘What’s got into you?’ Isaac asked Sophia through the mind link. His hand was aching from her grip.

Isaac saw Valerian briefly two decades ago, and he didn’t realize that the man next to Talia was the same one.

Before Sophia could answer, there was a shriek in the pack link of the Midnight Guardians pack.

‘By the Moon Goddess! Doesn’t that man have the same aura as our Alpha?’

‘It’s not the same, but it’s similar.’

‘That’s Alpha Valerian!’

‘Are you sure?’

‘Of course, I’m sure! Look at them! They are so alike!’

‘Who else could hold our Alpha? In this human custom, only a father or a father figure could walk with the bride.’

A few people started crying. ‘Alpha Valerian is back! He is not dead!’

In the next moment, people started sharing theories.

‘Is that why previous Alphas gave up their positions for Alpha Natalia? They knew that Alpha Valerian was alive and well?’

‘I was wondering the same. It was so strange that they stepped down for a female that just appeared. Relative or not, she was still an unknown person.’

‘How can you say unknown? Alpha Natalia is from the Moonrider family, and she is more powerful than all Alphas combined!’

‘I agree. If Alpha Sophia and Alpha Isaac didn’t step down, Alpha Natalia would make it happen without flexing a muscle.’

‘I think the same! Why else would they step down for a female we never heard about?’

‘WE never heard about them, but maybe they did.’

‘It makes sense.’

‘If they knew about Alpha Natalia’s existence, why would they keep it a secret from us?’

‘Do you think you are worthy of knowing what’s going on in the Alpha family?’

‘Alpha Valerian being alive and having a daughter who was the legitimate heir is a big thing! It impacts the whole pack, and we had the right to know!’

‘They made us believe that Axel was the next Alpha. Didn’t they fear we won’t accept Alpha Natalia?’

‘Shush with that and focus on the ceremony. We can ask our ex-Alphas for an explanation later…’

Isaac’s face fell as he confirmed the identity of the man holding Talia’s hand. Isaac knew what they did two decades ago and that Valerian won’t let it slide. The more he thought about it, the more his instincts told him to flee.

‘What are we going to do?’ Isaac asked Sophia through their mind link.

‘We need to leave,’ she responded nervously.

‘IF YOU DARE TO LEAVE, I WILL HUNT YOU!’ Valerian’s ferocious growl sounded in Sophia’s and Isaac’s heads.

Sophia plopped down on her chair, and Isaac paled. Those words came with the Alpha command, and they couldn’t move even if they wanted to. What was with that power? They were aware that Valerian was an impressive individual, but wasn’t this too much?

‘Dad?’ Talia called Valerian through the mind link. ‘Is everything OK?’ She was right next to him, and she could feel his murderous intent.

‘Yes, yes,’ Valerian responded with urgency while stabilizing his emotions. ‘Sorry about that, Natalia.’ He didn’t want to ruin her ceremony. He will deal with Sophia and Isaac later.

Talia raised her gaze to the podium in front of them, and her breath hitched when she saw Dayson’s totally black eyes fixed on her.

He was taking in her appearance greedily while letting some of his aura leak in a possessive display of power.

Talia knew that he could see her clearly through the veil, and he was aware of the heat that crept up her neck. She hoped she won’t get aroused because her father was right there!

But it was hard to focus on anything other than her devilishly handsome mate whose scorching gaze could see straight into her soul. She was glad Valerian was holding her hand because her legs became wobbly.

With every step that brought her closer to Dayson, Talia fought the urge to run to him. The attraction was maddening.

Talia and Valerian climbed the podium, and Dayson balled his hands into fists to prevent himself from reaching to grab Talia and whisk her away from there. She was enchanting, and he couldn’t wait for this ceremony to be over so they could find their privacy.

Valerian shook his head at the duo, who stared at each other, oblivious of numerous eyes on them.

Valerian cleared his throat to get their attention before speaking.

“I am proud to be your father, Natalia. I know your mother would be proud of you as well.”

Talia’s vision blurred from tears.

Not so long ago, Talia wondered if her parents loved her, and she wanted to be in the company of people who would be unashamed of her. And now she stood surrounded by Alphas and high-ranking members of the werewolf society, her mate was the most powerful Alpha in existence, her background was impressive, her wolf was an ancient spirit, and all this crowd gathered to celebrate her. This went beyond her wildest imagination.

Valerian leaned to kiss Talia’s forehead, and she felt his lips pressing there through the veil.

It was a gesture full of meaning. Respect, protection, care.

For Talia, it was the first kiss from her parents she could remember, and it meant the world to her.

Valerian turned to Dayson.

“I regret missing a lot of Natalia’s life, but it gives me comfort to know that her future is bright with you.” Valerian put Talia’s hand in Dayson’s. “Natalia is now part of the Blake family. Treat her well. I welcome you into the Moonrider family. Take care of my daughter, Alpha Dayson.”

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