The Alpha's Unwanted Bride

Chapter 594: AUBURN’S TRANSFORMATION

The gasps that filled the grand hall rose like a tide, breaking into stunned silence.

For a heartbeat, no one moved. The moonlight pooled over Auburn as her body convulsed, reshaping and trembling under the spell of the first shift.

Her cries, half-human and half-beast, echoed through the ballroom.

Then it happened.

Fur burst through skin, not the dull brown or silver many had expected, but the deep, burnished glow of red.

A collective murmur rippled through the crowd, disbelief spreading like fire.

The Queen clasped her hands together, her eyes brimming with pride and tears.

”A red wolf,” she whispered, loud enough for those nearest to hear. ”Just like her Scarlett would have been.”

Jasmine stood still. Her breath caught in her throat as she stared at the scene unfolding beneath the pale shafts of moonlight.

The wolf that now stood where Auburn had been shimmered like rubies under flame, each strand of fur catching the light in a mesmerizing hue. Auburn’s new form lifted its head, and the golden eyes that gleamed under the crown of red fur met the Queen’s.

The hall erupted into cheers.

”SHE IS THE TRUE HEIR!” Someone shouted.

”Long live the Princess!” someone else cried.

”The blood of the true line returns!” shouted another.

The wolves howled in unison, a haunting melody of reverence and celebration.

My fingers twitched where they hung by my side.

Something inside my chest pulsed, slow at first, then sharper, almost painful.

It wasn’t envy. It wasn’t fear. It was something far more profound, as if the air had grown too heavy for my lungs to carry.

My heartbeat thudded strangely.

Xaden, standing close behind me, noticed my sudden stillness. ”Jasmine?” he said quietly, leaning toward me. ”Are you alright?”

I blinked, realizing my hands were trembling.

I forced a small smile and nodded. ”I’m fine,” I murmured, even though her throat felt dry.

But I wasn’t fine.

The moment Auburn shifted, I felt a flicker of warmth ripple through my entire body, as though my blood had ignited.

For a brief second, the air had shimmered around my vision, like heat waves rising off desert sand.

I had thought it a trick of the light, but the feeling remained, lingering beneath my skin.

This was different from the last time when I had been burned and stung the moment I had stepped into the pack.

It was different from my necklace, burning me too.

I pressed a hand subtly against my abdomen, willing my body to calm.

What was happening to me?

My gaze returned to Auburn, who now stood in the center of the marble floor, panting but radiant.

The Queen approached her, extending her hand with grace and command.

Auburn lowered her head, and the Queen’s fingers brushed over the wolf’s fur.

A faint golden light shimmered where their skin met, ancient royal magic marking the bloodline’s blessing.

The crowd watched in reverence.

When the light faded, Auburn shifted back. Her body trembled, naked beneath a silken cloth, and a servant quickly wrapped it around her.

Her cheeks were flushed, her lips trembling with the effort it had taken, but her smile was bright and victorious.

The Queen turned to the guests. ”This is the proof,” she said, her voice echoing through the chamber. ”The blood of the royal family runs pure. My granddaughter, Princess Auburn, bears the mark of her mother and of her lineage, the Red Wolf of the Crown.”

Cheers erupted again, but I could hardly hear them.

My vision blurred for a moment. The pulse under my skin grew heavier.

”Breathe,” Xaden whispered beside me. His hand brushed my arm gently.

I hadn’t realized I had been holding my breath.

”I’m fine,” I repeated, though the words came out barely above a whisper.

He didn’t seem convinced.

His gaze lingered on my face. He leaned closer, lowering his voice. ”You’ve gone pale. Do you want to sit down?”

I shook her head quickly, forcing a small laugh. ”I said I’m fine. It’s just... warm in here.”

But it wasn’t warmth I felt.

It was energy, faint but alive, crawling beneath my skin as if responding to something only I could sense.

The Queen descended the dais, Auburn at her side, both radiant under the chandeliers. ”We are blessed tonight,” the Queen continued, ”for the moon herself has confirmed what our hearts already knew. The Red Wolf has returned.”

The crowd cheered once more.

Xaden and I were still standing near the outer ring of guests. He glanced toward the royals, then back at me.

You should sit,” he said again, quietly but firmly this time. Don’t you dare say no.”

This time, I didn’t argue.

My legs were trembling too much anyway.

He guided me gently to one of the side seats, his hand steadying my lower back.

When I sat, I realized how dizzy I had become.

My pulse thundered in my ears.

I glanced toward Auburn again, the new Princess now surrounded by nobles, each bowing low, offering congratulations and blessings. Auburn’s laughter echoed faintly across the room.

And yet, beneath that laughter, Jasmine felt something strange, a low hum, like the air vibrating just enough for her body to vibrate.

I had never shifted in my life, and yet it seemed like a part of me was waking up.

I tried to breathe through it. Tried to focus on anything else.

But then Auburn’s gaze swept across the room. Just for a second, our eyes met.

It was brief, so brief I thought I imagined it, but in that instant, something like heat shot through my veins.

Auburn’s smile didn’t falter.

I flinched.

The pounding in my ears grew louder.

I looked away quickly, pretending to fix my gown.

”How do you feel now?” Xaden asked me, his voice low and edged with concern.

”Just... dizzy. I think I stood too long.”

He leaned closer, studying me. ”Your eyes, they’re glowing.”

Her head snapped up. ”What?”

He blinked and then shook his head. ”Never mind. Maybe it was the light,” he said slowly, though his brows furrowed as if unsure.

I looked away, forcing a calm smile. ”You’re seeing things.”

But I knew I wasn’t the only one who felt something shift.

The hum in my chest wouldn’t stop. It was faint, rhythmic, like a second heartbeat echoing from somewhere outside my body.

Every time I glanced toward Auburn, the pulse seemed to grow stronger.

After a while, Queen Rose raised her hand, signaling for silence. The celebration quieted. ”Tonight marks not only Auburn’s birth into her wolf,” she announced, ”but the restoration of balance to our family. To our kingdom.”

A cheer of loyalty rippled through the guests. Servants moved around with trays of wine, music began again, softer this time, ceremonial.

Xaden’s attention returned to me.

”Jasmine, look, I will take you inside.” He said.

”No Xaden.” I said. ”I’m fine. Really. I want to enjoy my last night here. Please.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go. He stayed beside me as the hall erupted once again into celebration.

I looked up one last time. Auburn stood between the King and Queen, her red hair gleaming, her body wrapped in gold silk, her face aglow with triumph.

I had come here simply as a guest.

A survivor. Not as someone tied to the crown.

A servant passed by with a tray of wine, and I quickly called out to him.

The servant handed me the tray of wine, and I called for two glasses.

Xaden’s eyes widened in shock.

”Jasmine, those are-

But it was too late.

I had drunk the two glasses of wine in the blink of an eye.