Fated to the Alpha–And His Triplet Brothers

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.

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.

whispered, stumbling forward. "No... not you too." Her knees buckled, and

"You said I would be Luna! You

fingers clenched, and suddenly she lunged toward Hazel, her

CAN’T!" she cried. "You hate her, remember? You said she was filth! Why does she keep taking everything from me? My

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

truth was... she wasn’t

Packs would revolt. Elders would question me. Other Alphas would see this as weakness.

This was war.

figures entered the room—Caspian and my father, drawn

saw my bite. The rage that filled his eyes was instant,

he choked. "No,

skin like he could undo what was done. But the bite wouldn’t fade. It was

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

my jaw before I could

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

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

me up by my collar, his face inches from mine. "You hated her! You said

her," I

twisted.

cracked. "She

again, and he threw me—no, launched me—down the hall and toward the staircase. Before I could catch myself, he was on me again,

Then snap.

blinding as my

I didn’t fight back.

Ragnar didn’t help me. My wolf just... watched. Like

fists rained down on me, blow after blow, his

Then something changed.

A sound.

A breath.

Hazel.

upstairs and we were bloodied on the ground floor... we

Caspian bolted up

like some ethereal being. The sheets fell away from her slowly, and she was standing there, marked

Her eyes opened.

hues like the moon and sun had collided