Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16: Marked by two

~Cayden’s POV~

Fuck. Damn it.

What just happened?

My breaths came in harsh, uneven bursts as I stared down at her—Hazel. Her lips were parted slightly, her breathing soft and peaceful as if she wasn’t lying in the wreckage of every choice I had ever made. Her bare shoulder peeked from the twisted sheets, and right there on her neck was my mark. Crimson, raw, and permanent. 𝕗𝐫𝐞𝕖𝕨𝐞𝗯𝚗𝕠𝘃𝐞𝚕.𝐜𝗼𝚖

Ragnar, my wolf, purred in satisfaction like a beast that had devoured his feast. But I? I was spiraling.

I mated her.

I. Mated. A human.

My gaze was glued to the spot where I’d claimed her, my own handiwork taunting me. The sharp bite was obvious, unmistakable—a public declaration to every pack member. She was mine. But Caspian’s mark was already there, faded but still visible underneath.

She was no longer the rejected Omega.

She was the Beta’s claimed mate.

And now... the Alpha’s too.

She was going to be Luna. My Luna.

My breath caught in my throat, and I felt bile rise. Not because of her—no, she was never the problem. It was me. The years I spent building my strength, my power, my image of the perfect leader... all shattered with a single mistake. A single day

A single bite.

I covered her with the blanket as gently as I could, though I left the bite mark exposed. Maybe part of me wanted to keep staring at it, to remind myself what I’d done. Maybe I wanted to remind the world.

Then—

A scream. A raw, broken sound that sliced through the thick silence like a blade.

I jerked around.

Natasha.

Her face crumbled, eyes wide with betrayal, heartbreak crashing over her in waves. And behind her stood my mother, her trembling hand covering her mouth, disbelief stamped across her face like an open wound.

"No..." she whispered, stumbling forward. "No... not you too." Her knees buckled, and she collapsed to the floor in despair.

"YOU PROMISED ME!" Natasha screamed, her voice cracking into madness. "You said I would be Luna! You said you’d marry me!"

Her fingers clenched, and suddenly she lunged toward Hazel, her grief turning into violence.

But I was faster. I caught her mid-air, my grip iron around her wrists as she thrashed. "NO! YOU CAN’T!" she cried. "You hate her, remember? You said she was filth! Why does she keep taking everything from me? My life, my father... and now you?!"

She fought me with everything she had, but I didn’t let go. I couldn’t.

Because the truth was... she wasn’t wrong.

The moment I marked Hazel, I’d sentenced her. Packs would revolt. Elders would question me. Other Alphas would see this as weakness. Mating a human?

This was war.

I stiffened as two more figures entered the room—Caspian and my father, drawn by the screaming.

Caspian’s eyes locked on Hazel’s neck. He saw the bite. He saw my bite. The rage that filled his eyes was instant, volcanic.

"No," he choked. "No, you didn’t."

He bolted forward and tried to scrub the mark away, frantic hands clawing at her skin like he could undo what was done. But the bite wouldn’t fade. It was sealed by the bond.

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

His fist connected with my jaw before I could answer.

The force flung me back, slamming me into the wall so hard the plaster cracked. Chunks broke off and rained around me, dust rising in clouds as I hit the floor.

"You weren’t supposed to touch her!" Caspian roared, standing over me, fists trembling. "She’s human, Cayden! She can’t be Luna. She can’t even survive the trials, the council, the ceremony. You doomed her!"

He yanked me up by my collar, his face inches from mine. "You hated her! You said she was weak, pathetic, unfit to carry your heir—why would you mate her?!"

"I didn’t force her," I whispered hoarsely.

His face twisted. "You’re lying."

A sound.

A breath.

Hazel.

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