Chapter 5 The Substitute Bride Offer

The pup's checkup ended without incident-at least not a visible one. Ivy moved with professional calm, checking vitals, noting everything on the chart, even though every bone in her body felt tight with alertness. There was something unnatural about that dog. About the man. About the way her fingers tingled when she touched its fur.

She washed her hands twice before heading back to the front.

Finn was already leaning over the reception desk, whispering loudly to Bonnie.

"I'm telling you, he didn't blink the whole time. Like a horror movie character."

Bonnie raised her brow. "Maybe he's just uptight."

"Uptight?" Ivy joined them, still drying her hands. "He looked at me like he was calculating the mass of my soul."

Bonnie smirked. "Sounds like my third ex."

Dr. Thorne walked out of the hallway, clipboard in hand. "Did he give a name?"

"No," Ivy said. "Just 'Ghost' for the dog."

Dr. Thorne frowned faintly but didn't press. "Well, odd or not, if the dog recovers, that's what matters. Let me know if anything develops."

Ivy nodded and tried to shake off the unease.

---

Across the Street – Inside a Matte Black Car

The man in the tailored coat sat in the driver's seat, motionless, eyes fixed on the front of the veterinary center.

In the passenger seat beside him, the wolf pup stirred-and in the blink of an eye, its form shifted. Bones cracked and reshaped with unnatural fluidity. Fur retracted. Limbs lengthened. In moments, a boy sat in the seat, no older than fifteen, with shaggy brown hair and wide, tired eyes.

He rubbed his neck with a wince. "Ugh. That vet has a firm touch."

The man didn't look at him, just reached for the glove compartment and pulled out folded clothes. "You're lucky she didn't catch on. You twitched too soon."

"I held it together," the boy muttered. "Better than the last place."

The man's expression didn't change. "Rafe doesn't want better than last. He wants perfect."

A voice spoke from the backseat, low and heavy with dominance.

"What did you sense, Kieran?"

The man-Kieran Voss-stiffened slightly. Even without looking, the Alpha presence behind him coiled tight like a steel wire.

"She touched him," Kieran said. "No reaction from her, but the pup sensed something. And I'm sure she felt the double heartbeat. She hid it well."

Silence.

Then: "And the girl?"

Kieran turned slightly, just enough to meet his Alpha's eyes through the rearview mirror.

"She's not normal. The suppression is holding, but barely. Another full moon or a trigger might crack it."

In the backseat, Rafe Vargan leaned forward just enough for moonlight to catch on his sharp profile. His jaw was tense, unreadable. The weight of his aura filled the car.

"And Celeste?"

Kieran nodded. "Confirmed. She's gone."

Rafe sat back. "Then it's time. Push Elias. Hard."

---

Later That Evening

The tram was quieter than usual, the hum of the rails oddly comforting. Ivy stared at the darkened window, her reflection faint and blurred. Finn had walked her to the stop but hadn't lingered. Even he seemed to sense her desire for silence.

She couldn't shake the feeling from earlier. That man... Ghost... the way the air had thickened when she'd touched him. It wasn't normal. And that strange burning in her chest hadn't gone away.

She stepped off three blocks from home and walked slowly, the streets mostly empty. Old Calverin stood quiet, shadows stretching long and sharp across the pavement. When she reached the house, she paused at the gate.

Lights were on inside. Elias was home.

She stepped inside quietly, expecting the same silence that usually greeted her. But he was waiting.

Sitting in the parlor, coat still on, glass in hand. He looked like a statue, carved from iron and shadow.

"Ivy," he said, without turning his head. "Sit."

She hesitated, then stepped in and sat across from him.

His eyes were tired. Lines etched deeper than usual into his face.

"You're wondering why Celeste left."

Ivy raised a brow but said nothing.

Elias sighed. "I told her something. Something she didn't like."

She tilted her head, instinct prickling. "And what was that?"

He swirled the glass. Didn't drink. "There was... an arrangement. A proposal. One that would benefit the family."

"Marriage?" she asked, sharp and immediate.

His eyes flicked up. "Yes."

"To who?"

"A... powerful family," he said. "Someone who could offer us protection. Position."

Ivy frowned. "What kind of family needs to arrange marriages in the twenty-first century?"

"It's old tradition. Respectable. Celeste was chosen. She refused."

Ivy leaned back slightly. "So she ran."

"Yes."

He looked at her then, really looked.

"I want you to go in her place."

The silence that followed was heavy. Ivy stared at him, unblinking.

"No."

"It's not dangerous."

"You're being vague."

"It's a name. A signature. Nothing more. A bond for show, to fulfill expectations. You won't be harmed."

Ivy rose slowly. "Then why do I feel like you're lying?"

Elias stood, too. Taller, imposing. But not unkind.

"You've lived here fifteen years. I've raised you. Kept you safe."

"I never asked you to."

His voice cooled. "And yet, here you are."

She turned to leave. "I'll think about it."

"You'll do more than that," he said softly. "You'll understand, soon."

She climbed the stairs two at a time, heart pounding.

She didn't sleep that night.

© 2025 Rosemary Chibunna Chinaza. All rights reserved. Do not copy or reproduce without permission.