Three marks, one mate

Sixteen

Chapter 16

Desiree POV

For a moment, the world seemed to stop.

The rogue’s words echoed in my head like a haunting whisper.

Bring the Moon-Born to me.

The air around us grew thick with tension. Every warrior in the clearing froze, their eyes darting between me and the Rogue Alpha as confusion and suspicion spread like wildfire.

My heart thumped violently against my rib, Brandon’s body went rigid in front of me, his shoulders squaring like a wall determined to shield me from the world. A deep growl vibrated from his chest, low and deadly enough to make the ground beneath us feel heavier.

“You’ve said enough,” Brandon snarled, his golden eyes blazing with fury. “Leave now before I rip your throat out.”

The Rogue Alpha didn’t look afraid.

If anything… he looked amused.

His dark gaze drifted lazily across Brandon, Grayson, and Zachary before returning to me again, as if the three powerful men standing between us were nothing more than mild inconveniences.

“You’re protecting her without even knowing what she is,” he said calmly.

Grayson stepped forward, his eyes glowing dangerously.

“Keep talking like that,” he said coldly, “and you won’t live long enough to explain.”

But the Rogue Alpha ignored him completely.

His eyes were still locked on me.

“Tell me,” he continued softly, “have you ever wondered why three men are mated to you including an alpha?”

My stomach twisted painfully, I opened my mouth, but no words came out.

Zachary’s voice sliced through the silence. “That’s none of your business.”

The rogue chuckled under his breath. “Oh, it very much is.”

The Rogue Alpha slowly began pacing in front of his wolves, his boots crunching against the gravel as his expression turned thoughtful.

“The Moon-Born,” he said slowly, “is not meant to belong to just one pack.”

My pulse raced faster, something deep inside me stirred uneasily… like a memory trying to surface but unable to break through.

Brandon’s voice turned dangerously calm. “You have five seconds to start making sense.”

The Rogue Alpha stopped walking, then he looked straight at me again.

“You were born under the Blood Moon.”

A sharp ringing filled my ears, that couldn't be right.

I would have known something like that.

Wouldn’t I?

“You’re lying,” I whispered, though the confidence in my voice was already fading.

His smile widened.“Am I?”

Grayson scoffed loudly. “This is getting ridiculous.”

But Zachary hadn’t said anything.

I turned toward him.

His face had gone pale.

“Zachary?” I asked quietly.

He looked at Brandon then at me.

There was something in his eyes I had never seen before.

Fear.

“That’s impossible,” he murmured.

The Rogue Alpha chuckled darkly. “So someone does recognize the legend.”

Brandon’s patience finally snapped, in a blur of movement, his body shifted violently. Bones cracked and stretched as his massive black wolf burst forward with a thunderous roar.

The attack happened so suddenly the ground seemed to shake beneath us.

The warriors behind him followed instantly.

And then—

The clearing exploded into chaos.

Rogue wolves burst from the forest like shadows tearing through the darkness. Their snarls filled the air as they launched themselves at the pack warriors.

Claws collided.

Teeth snapped.

Bodies slammed into each other with brutal force.

The sound of battle swallowed the night.

Growls.

Snarls.

The sickening crunch of bone.

A warrior cried out as a rogue tackled him to the ground, jaws snapping inches from his throat before another wolf rammed into the rogue’s side.

Grayson shifted beside me in a violent flash of silver fur, his massive grey wolf launching into the fight with lethal speed. He slammed into two rogues at once, sending them skidding across the dirt.

Zachary shifted seconds later.

His powerful brown wolf tore through the battlefield like a storm, knocking a rogue off its feet before clamping his jaws around its shoulder.

Everything happened too fast.

Wolves clashed everywhere around me.

I stumbled backward, panic flooding my veins as the battle closed in from every direction.

A rogue wolf suddenly burst through the chaos, its glowing red eyes locking onto me.

My heart stopped.

It lunged before I could even scream, a massive black wolf crashed into it mid-air.

The impact sent both wolves rolling violently across the ground.

It was Brandon.

His furious growls shook the clearing as he tore into the rogue with terrifying strength. His jaws snapped around the rogue’s neck, shaking it viciously before throwing the limp body aside.

But the attack only seemed to enrage the other rogues.

Two more rushed him immediately.

Brandon met them head-on, his claws ripped across one wolf’s side, sending blood spraying across the dirt while the other sank its teeth into his shoulder.

A savage roar ripped from Brandon’s throat.

He twisted violently, slamming the rogue into the ground before crushing its throat between his jaws.

My heart pounded wildly.

All around me the battle raged.

Grayson was surrounded by three rogues, their bodies circling him like hungry predators. One pounced but Grayson was faster.

He ducked under the attack and slammed his weight into the wolf’s ribs, sending it flying into a tree with a sickening crack.

Zachary barreled across the clearing, tackling another rogue that had been sneaking toward me.

The two wolves rolled across the dirt, snarling viciously as they clawed and bit at each other.

And through all of it…

The Rogue Alpha still hadn’t moved, he simply stood there watching like a patient predator waiting for the perfect moment.

Our eyes met again.

And something strange happened.

My wolf stirred violently inside me but not with fear, it was recognition. A strange pull tugged at my chest, she was calling to him not to fight but to touch him.

The realization sent a wave of panic through me.

No.

No, that was impossible.

The Rogue Alpha’s expression shifted slightly as if he sensed it too.

“Interesting,” he murmured.

Then suddenly, he raised his hand.

The rogue wolves immediately began retreating.

Just like that.

The battle stopped.

One by one, the rogues broke away from the fight and sprinted back into the forest, disappearing into the darkness like ghosts fading into the night.

Within seconds…They were gone.

Heavy breathing filled the clearing.

The pack warriors stood frozen in confusion, their bodies tense and ready for another attack that never came.

Brandon shifted back into human form, blood streaked across his chest as his chest rose and fell with heavy breaths.

“They’re retreating,” one warrior said in disbelief.

Grayson shifted beside him, wiping blood from his mouth. “That makes no sense.”

Zachary frowned deeply. “Rogues don’t retreat.”

A quiet voice echoed from the edge of the forest.

“They do when they’ve already seen what they came for.”

Every head snapped toward the trees.

The Rogue Alpha stepped forward one last time.

His eyes locked onto mine again. “This isn’t over, Moon-Born,” he said softly.

A cold shiver ran down my spine.

Then he said something that made my heart completely stop. “I’ll come back for you.”

And with that, he disappeared into the darkness.

“Alpha,” one warrior said cautiously. “Should we chase them? Most of them are injured.”

Brandon’s jaw tightened as he stared into the forest. “No,” he said coldly. “We live to fight another day. Everyone rest. We will meet tomorrow to plan our defense.”

The warriors slowly began leaving.

Soon the clearing was empty.

Who am I exactly and why does it feel like I am missing something?