Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers novel Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Beta Caspian

Her eyes were wide like she couldn’t believe what she was seeing. Her heels clicked sharply against the marble floor as she stepped forward, slow and calculating, scanning the room. Then she locked eyes with me bleeding, broken, barely standing.

"No..." she whispered, voice trembling. "No, it can’t be..."

And then the scream tore from her throat.

"WHO DID THIS TO YOU?!"

Father instantly rushed to her side, that fake calm mask plastered on his face.

"Darling, it’s fine," he said, touching her arms as if that would soothe her wrath. "It’s just hair. It’ll grow back"

"I SAID WHO DID THIS!" she roared, eyes burning.

Lilian didn’t hesitate.

She pointed directly at me, where I lay crumpled on the floor with Ariel wrapped protectively around my body.

Stepmother’s face twisted. "The ruin of the litter? The bastard did this to my child?"

Her heels clicked again as she stalked toward me, venom in her eyes.

"You.."

But Ariel jumped up and blocked her path. "Mum, please! She’s weak—she needs the healer"

"She needs death!" Stepmother shrieked. "That’s what she needs!"

She turned on Father like a wild flame. "Marcus! How could you let this happen?! How can she be the Moon Chosen with her hair like that?!" She gestured dramatically toward Natasha, who—of course—took that cue to ramp up her performance.

"She ruined me!" Natasha wailed. "Cayden and his brother will never love me now! How can I be Luna with my hair butchered like this?! Let’s kill her!"

"YES!" Sophia squealed, clapping like it was a party game.

Father swallowed hard, eyes on me. I saw the way he looked at me—like I wasn’t even human. Like I wasn’t his blood.

"No," he said finally. "We can’t kill her. She’s part of the pack, technically. They’ll question us."

Relief almost hit me until he spoke again.

"But she’ll definitely be punished." His eyes narrowed. "Bring me the whips."

"NO!" Ariel screamed.

But Sophia bolted from the room like a giddy child and returned in seconds, dragging in the whip.

That whip. The one with the twisted, dark leather strands. The one that knew every inch of my back—every rib, every scar.

"Strip," Father commanded.

I stood up slowly. My whole body trembled. Ariel clung to me, sobbing, but I gently took her hand and smiled through the pain.

"I’ll be fine," I whispered.

Then I slid off the shredded, wine-soaked gown—one of the few old dresses I’d been allowed to keep. I stood there in my bra and panties, chest rising and falling, exposed and trembling but unbroken.

"Come forward," Father ordered.

I took one step. Closed my eyes.

Braced for the burn.

CRASH!

A scream tore through the hallway, followed by the rush of footsteps. A maid skidded into the room, bowing low with her hand to her chest.

"Sir!" she panted. "Beta Caspian is here!"

Caspian is here.

My breath caught. I turned slowly to Father. Silence stretched between us, thick and dangerous, as everyone held eye contact—no one daring to move. Then, out of sheer shock, Father dropped the whip.

Selene was the first to break.

"Oh my god—your Beta is here!" she gasped, whirling on Sophia. "Go put on that gown I got you last spring!" she snapped, and Lilian rushed to pull her away.

Meanwhile, Natasha grabbed a scarf and quickly wrapped it around her head.

"Nat, dear," Father said, suddenly composed. "Go to your room. No one must see you like this."

She nodded and darted out.

Then he turned to me. Fury replaced every trace of panic.

"I’ll deal with you later," he growled.

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