Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers novel Chapter 13

Chapter 13: Brave Hazel

~ Cayden’s POV ~

Impossible.

This is wrong. This should not be right. My heart pounded in my chest, an erratic beat no longer matched my breath or logic. A human can’t be mated to me. The gods must have made a mistake.

I rejected her. I said the words. I felt the bond snap sharply, painfully but my wolf didn’t. He hadn’t accepted the rejection. In fact, he had done the opposite. He’d been snarling ever since, clawing at the inside of my chest like he wanted to rip himself out of me.

"She’s mine," he kept repeating. Over. And over.

But I refused.

I’d said it once and would say it again—I reject you. I could still see the way her eyes widened when I said those words. The way her lips quivered just before she pressed them shut. She didn’t beg. She didn’t scream. She just stood there and took it.

Like she had taken everything else in her life.

And that—that right there is what shattered me.

Caspian had accepted her. Marked her. She left with him, with my uncle, with her father. She had walked out of that hall and out of my life... only not really. Because soon, she would be moving into the High House. As Caspian’s mate. As Beta’s Luna.

And I would see her every day.

Every damn day.

I could already feel the torment inching closer. My wolf paced, growled, and whimpered when I dared think of her. Hazel. That soft skin. The warm brown eyes that watered but never spilled over. The way she had shivered when I’d pinned her to the wall. Her scent still lingered on my fingers. Her breath still played against my cheek in memory. Her soft breathing pattern... I studied everything.

But I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t.

What would the world say? The Alpha of the great Blue Moon pack... mated to a human? What would the council think? What would our enemies say? I had a duty. A legacy. A bloodline.

I’d saved the pack from scandal by rejecting her—but I’d damned myself in the process.

I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t eat. I sat in the same spot on my bedroom couch since last night, still in the clothes I’d worn to the mating ceremony. My jaw clenched so tightly it ached. My hands curled into fists until my knuckles turned white. I hated myself for thinking of her. For needing her.

And then—my door creaked open.

I didn’t move.

I didn’t need to turn. I could smell her.

"Cayden," Natasha said softly, stepping into the room. My wolf instantly turned and growled, his hatred for her never hidden. I swallowed it down. I was Alpha. I was in control.

She walked toward me, her heels clicking softly against the tile. She didn’t wait for permission. She wrapped her arms around my neck and pressed herself into me. I responded like a machine. I held her. I even closed my eyes. Pretending. Lying. Faking it so hard, I nearly believed it for half a second.

She was supposed to be the one.

The plan had been written since childhood. Our parents agreed. The council approved. Our bloodlines matched. She was noble. Beautiful. Smart.

But she wasn’t Her.

"I heard everything," she whispered, pulling away just enough to meet my eyes. "She’s your mate. But you rejected her. And now Caspian’s marked her. You won’t accept her... but I know your wolf hasn’t let her go."

My lips pressed into a thin line. I didn’t answer.

"So what happens now?" she asked, voice sharper now. "Are you going to throw me away? Chase after that human girl? Is that what this is?"

My temper flared. I stood up. Towered over her. "Are you listening to yourself?" I snapped. "I would never pick a human. I rejected her publicly—and I’ll do it again if I have to. A thousand times. It’s supposed to be you."

Her expression didn’t change. If anything, it softened.

"Then make me yours," she said. "Make me your mistress. Marry me. Let her be Beta’s wife if she wants. But you-you will have me. I’ll give you children. She can’t. She’s human. She’ll die long before you even turn grey."

My wolf howled at her words. I shoved it down. Buried it deep.

She smiled.

And then, as if that smile were some kind of spell, she started undressing—right there, in front of me.

First, her dress slipped down her shoulders, pooling on the floor. Then her bra. Then the rest. Her body, pale and soft, bared to me completely. I should’ve felt something—desire, relief, clarity.

But all I felt was wrong.

Still, I reached out. Mechanically. My fingers moved to her waist. She stepped closer. Her hands undid my buttons. My belt. She reached for me and I flinched—but let her. She sank to her knees and took me into her mouth.

I hissed, eyes falling shut.

But even then—I saw Hazel.

Her eyes. Her lips. Her scent haunted me even now.

I bit my tongue, forcing down the moan that nearly escaped.

Get her! Get her! Mate her! Mine!

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