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.

she whispered, stumbling forward. "No... not you too." Her

voice cracking into madness. "You said I would be Luna!

and suddenly she lunged toward Hazel, her grief

"NO! YOU CAN’T!" she cried. "You hate her, remember? You said she was

everything she had,

was... she

her. Packs would revolt. Elders would question

This was war.

two more figures entered the room—Caspian

Hazel’s neck. He saw the bite. He saw my bite. The

he choked. "No, you

skin like he could undo

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

with my jaw before I

cracked. Chunks broke off and rained around

fists trembling. "She’s human, Cayden! She can’t be

collar, his face inches from mine. "You hated her! You said she was weak, pathetic, unfit to carry

her," I whispered

face twisted.

cracked. "She accepted

launched me—down the hall and toward the staircase. Before I

Then snap.

twisted unnaturally, pain blinding as my body crumpled like a

I didn’t fight back.

but because I wouldn’t. Ragnar didn’t help me.

fists rained down on me, blow after blow, his voice cracking as he shouted things

Then something changed.

A sound.

A breath.

Hazel.

bloodied on the ground floor...

steady, powerful, pulsing with something ancient. Caspian bolted up the stairs, and

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

Her eyes opened.

and silver hues like the moon