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.

you too." Her knees buckled, and she

voice cracking into madness. "You said I would be Luna! You said you’d marry

she lunged toward Hazel, her grief turning into

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?

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

was...

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

This was war.

the

bite. He saw my bite. The rage that filled his eyes

he choked. "No, you

to scrub the mark away, frantic hands clawing at her skin like he could

"WHAT DID YOU DO?!"

with my jaw before I could

plaster cracked. Chunks broke off

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

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

didn’t force her,"

twisted. "You’re

cracked. "She accepted me.

me—down the hall and toward the staircase. Before I could catch myself, he was

Then snap.

neck twisted unnaturally, pain blinding as

I didn’t fight back.

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

fists rained down on me, blow after blow,

Then something changed.

A sound.

A breath.

Hazel.

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

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

The sheets fell away from her slowly, and she

Her eyes opened.

hues like the moon and sun had collided